The green stuff will return!

[TinySim 4]

I am currently making a mod, wich will re-introduce the news ticker messages that we all remember from SC3K.

I have cracked the code of how to do it, now it's just the manual input of everything, and the beta testing left.

Comments, ideas, requests? Post here.

Finally! The broccoli is back!

[prince_of_sims 0]

it's a good idea, but i think it would make the news ticker even more cluttered (and it already is cluttered).... i guess some people could like this.... but it's not for me... nice idea though

[TinySim 4]

I have successfully coded the whole lua script (well, I made a PHP script that did it for me - http://tinyguy.no-ip.org/require/info.php ).

I also added a debug entry at the top, wich is exactly like the other ones, except the trigger is set to 1.

However, it does not work. When I start the game, and enter a city, the debug message does not appear. Is my code wrong or does it have something to do with the instance ID?

Here's some info on the file ID's:
Type: 0xCA63E2A3
Group: 0x4A5E8EF6
Instance: 0xFF34444B

The .dat is attached so you can take a look at it if you can help.

[Glenni 1,447]

brokolli is good for ur sims !hahaha!!!

[toxicpiano 125]

now that is an idea! will it have petioners? and do i just drop the DAT file into the plugins folder?

[TinySim 4]

Petitioners? No. (They're the old advisors, or am I totally wrong?)

Drop the dat: Of course. One file, no complicated setup.

[toxicpiano 125]

Date: 7/25/2005 10:12:50 AM Author: TinySim Petitioners? No. (They're the old advisors, or am I totally wrong?) Drop the dat: Of course. One file, no complicated setup.

quote>

The petioners were the people who came to your office like the NIMBy head and stuff. for example if there was a message in the news ticker about repealing parking fines, you would click on it and a man/ member of the public would be asking you to repeal the orinance.

[SpartanBadger 4]

Oh great idea! I love the old broccoli ticker!

[TinySim 4]

Oh, ok.

Anyway I don't think that is possible. I think it's hard-coded into the exe. (If not, I don't have the knowledge to add petitioners)

[toxicpiano 125]

Is it possible to change those stupid looking SC4 advisors to just a picture of the originals?

[TinySim 4]

Yes, I think that would be possible, however I don't know exactly how to do that.

While browsing the lua script files, i found one that supposedly controls advisor animation. If you could tweak the file, you might be able to change the advisors to the sc3k petitioners.

[ardecila 125]

Well, I know a little about LUAs.

First of all, is the package number set up properly? It needs to match the IID, and both the package/IID must start with 0.

Also, take care to avoid using the dofile function - there are a lot of complications there, since Maxis modifed the function and its parameters.

[TinySim 4]

Great! The messages show up in the game now.

However, **_TEXT_NOT_IN_DATABASE_** is written in front of them. Do you really have to place a database reference in there? Because that would mean placing each text in a separate xa file, right?

I don't want to do that 248 times.
This is the string format i use:

a.title = String is placed here

Is there any other way?

[ardecila 125]

Yes. Well, actually, you'd have to place the messages into LTEXT files, which some versions of Reader mistakenly identify as XA or Unknown files.

The format of LTEXT files is really quite simple - I believe you can compose each message as a TXT file and import them all as LTEXTs. Then all you have to do is give the LTEXTs proper IIDs.

I would recommend using the Reader's .TGI system. Basically, you create a .txt.TGI file containing the proper TGI, one for each file. Then, when you import the TXTs, the Reader will automatically give them the proper TGIs in the DAT.

[TinySim 4]

Date: 7/26/2005 10:48:51 PM
Author: ardecila
Yes. Well, actually, you'd have to place the messages into LTEXT files, which some versions of Reader mistakenly identify as XA or Unknown files.

quote>

Yes, exactly as I thought. However, creating 247 text files will be a pain in the ***.

Unless we use the magic of PHP here too.

Edit: Exactly how does this TGI thingy work?
Do I name the text file filename.txt.0xXXXXXXXX.0xXXXXXXXX.0xXXXXXXXX or what?

Edit 2: prince_of_sims: Actually, the ticker doesn't get very cluttered. The messages don't appear very often, and it is very rare that they even appear two at the same time.

[TinySim 4]

So, I have put each text message in a separate file, and batch imported all of them. It still does not work. (Yes, I remembered to put text@xxxxxxxx in front of the messages.

Can someone take a look at the file, to see whats wrong? (It's attached to this post.)

Since I auto-generate the script, you'll only have to check the first message creating code section (), if there is anything incorrect it has been duplicated through the whole script.

[ardecila 125]

OK - the LTEXTs have to have the same IID as their LUA message section.

------------- SC3K Headline #245/247------------
a = create_advice_fluff(34444bf4)
a.mood = advice_moods.FLUFF
a.priority = tuning_constants.ADVICE_PRIORITY_VERY_LOW
a.title = [[text@34444cf4 Local Kindergartners Prefer Oi Brand Paste; Claim It Just Tastes Better]]
a.frequency = tuning_constants.ADVICE_FREQUENCY_LOW
a.timeout = 30
a.trigger = game.random_chance(.3)
a.once = 0
a.persist = 1
--------------------------------------------------

quote>

The LTEXT file containing the string Local Kindergartners Prefer Oi Brand Paste; Claim It Just Tastes Better must have IID 34444bf4.

[Jerebannus XVI 7]

This sounds interesting.

[toxicpiano 125]

complicated as well.

[Ryan B 35]

Are you still taking requests?  If so, I've got one . . . . . .

The Sabres Win the Stanley Cup!

[Hanson784 165]

Great! We were just talking about this in the thread titled Where did all the broccoli go? It's great people are finally integrating things from past Simcity's.

[TinySim 4]

Date: 7/27/2005 4:15:00 PM
Author: ardecila
OK - the LTEXTs have to have the same IID as their LUA message section.

------------- SC3K Headline #245/247------------

a = create_advice_fluff('34444bf4')

a.mood = advice_moods.FLUFF

a.priority = tuning_constants.ADVICE_PRIORITY_VERY_LOW

a.title = [[text@34444cf4 Local Kindergartners Prefer Oi Brand Paste; Claim It Just Tastes Better]]

a.frequency = tuning_constants.ADVICE_FREQUENCY_LOW

a.timeout = 30

a.trigger = 'game.random_chance(.3)'

a.once = 0

a.persist = 1

--------------------------------------------------

quote>



The LTEXT file containing the string 'Local Kindergartners Prefer Oi Brand Paste; Claim It Just Tastes Better' must have IID '34444bf4'.

quote>

Ok, I'll try that then. Hope it works.

[TinySim 4]

I changed the file the way you said, however, now it doesn't work at all.
------------- SC3K Headline #1/247------------
a = create_advice_fluff(34444b00)
a.mood = advice_moods.FLUFF
a.priority = tuning_constants.ADVICE_PRIORITY_VERY_LOW
a.title = [[text@34444b00 Today's Forecast: Cold, Cloudy, With Occasional Showers]]
a.frequency = tuning_constants.ADVICE_FREQUENCY_LOW
a.timeout = 30
a.trigger = game.random_chance(.3)
a.once = 0
a.persist = 1

[toxicpiano 125]

Date: 7/28/2005 12:03:41 AM Author: Hanson784 Great! We were just talking about this in the thread titled 'Where did all the broccoli go?' It's great people are finally integrating things from past Simcity's.

quote>

especially as EA are trying to destroy everything...

command and conquer has been ripped apart by EA, Westwood and bullfrog don't even exist anymore. Maxis is lucky to still be a company.

[p2h5 3]

This page has a list of all the old SC3000 newsticker messages:

 

http://www.geocities.com/mindstormz_2000/SimCity/SC3KNewsTicker.html?200530

 

Good luck with this project, i sure hope that it will be possible

[TinySim 4]

p2h5: Yes, I know, that's where I took them.


Is there any one who can help with this problem?
(See my last post)

[Compromise 1]

This is a intresting idea, might download.

[justanothersim86 83]

Yea! A news ticker mod, finally! Keep up the work TinySim.

[simzebu 20]

Will there be a way we can add our own?

[TinySim 4]

simzebu: Yes, if you have ilive's reader or DatGen, you can do that.

But anyway, Isn't there anyone who can help with the problem ?