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Merging of all Raw Sets.

Cleanup and Naming schemes for Raws.

Playable Human Civ(s)

Warlock Additions

Manual Improvements

Online presentation

Overhaul of MDF races

Playable Insect Swarm Civ (Xelics)

Other (please post details/suggestions)

[milo christiansen]

I have finished porting the tilesets to Rubble (actually I finished the day I started, stupid lack of internet...)
Now I just need launcher support and then I can start porting everything else
I will not bother to upload my working copy, because it uses the unreleased pre4 version of Rubble, but if I can get launcher support then I will obviously push out a new version..

Port notes (including some questions)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

General stuff about how the porting went and what I did.

Tilesets:
   Created a new base addon, "Dev/Tileset/Insert" after seeing the magnitude of the job
      This addon completely automated extraction of the tile numbers/colors from the tileset raws (with the help of "Dev/Tileset/Extract").
   
   Handled all the tileset d_init settings, this was more work than almost every other part of this job.
      This step also included writing prep support, so prepping worlds with different tilesets should work fine
   
   Added a custom version of "Base/Clear", the normal one will not work with Masterwork for Rubble as things stand.
      (the custom version does not clear the creature graphics folder)
      In the future it would be a good idea to allow multiple (completely different) sets of creature graphics (via addons).
   
   Added the required SHARED_XXX templates, but only to the files that differ per tileset.
      I really need to do all the files, but that will be a tremendous job, I'll probably just do a few at a time later.
      Also the file formatting sucks, I really need to reformat all files, once again later.
   
   Handled vermin tile numbers with the help of a slightly modified version of "Dev/Tileset/Insert", this addon rewrote all vermin creatures to use #TILE and #COLOR.

=================================================================
General Stuff To Do: (more things listed in individual files, search for "TODO:" and "TODO(Milo):")

   TODO: How are buildings handled? I can't find their files. Do they even need to be different per tileset?
   
   TODO: How should creature graphics be handled? Rubble supports graphics raw files natively so that's not a problem, but how does MW's launcher handle them? Some tilesets have files and others have none, it looks like the order that tilesets are chosen in determines the exact graphics configuration you get.
   
   TODO: Find out who I need to talk to to get Rubble support for the launcher, it doesn't need to be complicated.
      Basically it needs four things:
         1) The ability to run Rubble to generate the raws using the selected settings
            A nice prominent "Generate Raws" button, together with a simple reminder that settings only take effect after the next raw generation cycle would be needed.
            
         2) The ability to select an addon based on tileset choice
            This is closely related to #3
         
         3) The ability to associate a setting with an addon
            If a boolean setting is true then the addon should be active, it would be nice to use groups of addons for non-boolean settings as well, but that can be handled by config variables just as well (or better) (except in the case of tilesets, they have to be handled by addons, at least they do for now...).
            
         4) The ability to associate a setting with a config variable
            If setting is true variable should be "true" else variable should be "false"
            (values chosen to allow easy integration with Rex, 0/-1, 0/1, T/F, YES/NO, ect. would work almost as well)
            You can actually use any string for the value of a config variable, for some settings it makes sense to use booleans, but for others some kind of identifier (that a template handles) would make more sense.
               For example the setting for when a civ should send caravans would be better if it was a short identifier string, then it would be easy to make a generic template that you just pass the variable in and it outputs the correct raws.
            For now I have a simple hack I can use, so this doesn't need to happen right away as long as #1 and #2 are done

         5) (Optional extra) The ability to run prep cycles.
            Basically a simple list box that lets you pick a world to prep would be all that's needed
            (a label explaining how prep works would be good as well)
            (for those that do not know, prep is Rubble's way of dealing with worlds that have vastly different settings, to switch to a different world you use Rubble to "prep" the world you want and it make sure the tileset, init settings, and any other things like custom DFHack scripts are setup the same as when the world was generated)
         
      Example Rubble command line:
         Config variables:
            TEST_1 = true
            TEST_2 = false
            SOME_SETTING = SOME_VALUE
         Addons:
            Masterwork/Base
            Masterwork/Tilesets/ASCII
         
         Command line (for the above settings):
            `"./Dwarf Fortress/rubble/rubble.exe" -dfdir="./Dwarf Fortress" -outputdir="./Dwarf Fortress/raw/objects" -addons="Masterwork/Base;Masterwork/Tilesets/ASCII" -config="TEST_1=true;TEST_2=false;SOME_SETTING=SOME_VALUE"`
         
         It should be possible to specify -config and -addons more than once, the results are just added together (I think)
            
      
      It would also be best to use a copy of Rubble compiled as a wingui application, so the console window stays out of the way (this is easy).
         It is also possible to start an application and order it not to display it's window, that may be easier.
      
      If you wanted to be really advanced it would be possible to attach the launcher to Rubble's IO handles to make it easy for realtime log display, this is probably not needed, as it is fairly easy to protect from failure (via correct construction of addons) so there is no need for the user to see the log.
            The leading causes of generation failures are:
               Induced aborts (for example incompatible addons detected, not a problem here)
               Script errors
               Template errors
            As you can see proper testing can prevent all such problems.
      
      Once launcher support is a thing then I can start to handle more settings with Rubble (which will make everything much more flexible).
   
   TODO: Now would be the time to extend the way Rubble handles config variables to allow reading them from a file.
      It would also be a good idea to dump the config variables to a file in the raw folder, just like the addon list is handled now.
   
   TODO: Change some of the default Rubble addons to use sort:maps in their scripts, this would sacrifice some performance (how much?) for the ability to regenerate a world, allowing you to do things like change tilesets on a world in progress
      This would effect only library addons that generate inorganics or the like, "Libs/DFHack/Command" would be problem #1
      This is really not worth doing unless it is implemented in the launcher alongside prep support.

=================================================================
To use this port: (assuming "." is the root of the Masterwork package)
   The launcher should do it's stuff to the "./Dwarf Fortress/rubble/addons/Masterwork/Base" directory (as Rubble doesn't handle any of the non-tileset settings yet, support for other settings is coming).
   
   Then run:
      `"./Dwarf Fortress/rubble/rubble.exe" -dfdir="./Dwarf Fortress" -outputdir="./Dwarf Fortress/raw/objects" -addons="Masterwork/Base;Masterwork/Tilesets/<name of tileset>"`
   
   To prep an existing world (provided the raws for it were generated by Rubble) run:
      `"./Dwarf Fortress/rubble/rubble.exe" -dfdir="./Dwarf Fortress" -outputdir="./Dwarf Fortress/raw/objects" -prep="<world name>"`

The tileset addons are fully prep aware, which means that it is possible to have several worlds with different tilesets and switch between them without issues, also before I release 4.0 I plan to add support for switching tilesets on a world in progress, so these addons will support that as well

In any case without launcher support it would still be possible to use this port, just very difficult. If it will not be possible to get launcher support without too much trouble I suppose I could write some kind of minimalist solution, but it would be much less usable than a full up launcher...

Once I have more to report I will start a new thread, as this isn't really the place for this...

[splinterz]

TODO: Find out who I need to talk to to get Rubble support for the launcher, it doesn't need to be complicated.

that would be me. the source code is also fully available if you want to poke around and see how things work.

currently the launcher handles tileset changes very simply; user chooses a tileset, and the GUI basically copy/pastes the raw files. the problem is that this results in a bunch of duplicate raws for every tileset, and they've all got different ordering/formatting, which i'm sure you've noticed. all the other options modify specific entries in one or more raw files as they're toggled, most often just with a regex find/replace.

i haven't looked into how rubble works in detail, but from your post, it sounds like this is going to be a pretty significant rewrite of the GUI. if i understand your requests, rather than modifying raws, any option that may affect a tileset raw needs to be changed to configure rubble addons/variables instead. once all the options are set and a tileset has been chosen, the raws need to be generated.

in broad strokes is that the gist of it?

[Meph]

I... ehm. Feel slightly inadequate, because I cant follow. And since I cant download and run Rubble on my phone, I cant really say anything about it atm.

Would players of the mod require rubble? And yeah, it would probably best to make a new thread. I will let you two figure out if it makes sense to use this, or if I should rewrite the raws like I mentioned before, with all tileset numbers in one set. It would also allow updating worlds, if the settings are the same in the launcher. It would certainly be less work for splinterz on the launcher, and more work for me to set the raws up once.

[SIGVARDR]

It's pretty natural that people are voting for the insect race. It's a shiny new thing. People always will pick that. it does sound cool but would really like to see a working human civ. As much as it might be "mundane", the more exotic playable civs there are, the more it's a glaring omission not to have humans playable.

[Remuthra]

It's pretty natural that people are voting for the insect race. It's a shiny new thing. People always will pick that. it does sound cool but would really like to see a working human civ. As much as it might be "mundane", the more exotic playable civs there are, the more it's a glaring omission not to have humans playable.

That's true, and the same of elves, but shiny new things are full of unexplored possibilities.

[SIGVARDR]

And to be fair after glancing at the ideas thread for the insect race it does sound like a race that will add legitimate new things and a whole lot of replay value if there very nature can change with what biome you are in. Seems like it's a shoe-in for being worked on at this point. Excited.

[Meph]

Thing is: I can maybe do it in a full month of work. Which I will do, if Fundraiser = Success. But so far 3 donations together have gather 50$. With 10000 downloads of the current version, 7,5 Cents per person would be enough... or a few hundret people that give 1$. But somehow I have the feeling that that might not happen.

[Rayc]

Been waiting for Toady to do a release to donate to him ever since I got a good paying job.  I've had the job now for two years. Think I'll donate to this in the meantime.

[Meph]

I'm back!

Started doing a bit of modding yesterday. Reread the bug-reports threads of the last 3 months and collected all the issues, bug reports and fixes that have been posted.

Online presentation is done. Yes, it got the least votes with 5.2%, but it was less than a day. Smallest issue out of the way. That was what all this "new threads and board rules" were about.

The GUI is getting some upgrades, its mostly testing atm. And adding more tags into the Raws. Succubus are added to it as well, although Boltgun is still working hard on some last minute fixes for imported buildings.

Tomorrow I will merge the mod with some bugfixes with the GUI changes with Boltguns Succubi and maybe get an update. I have to reread the utility section as well, see if any new programs should be added. But take care people, there will be an update in the next couple of days. Somewhere between the next 1-3 days.

[Meph]

I updated the embark message. Not everyone is a dwarf of the mountainhomes in this mod. Somehow it turned out to be a wall of text... the formatting for this type of thing is not very good.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Arcvasti]

I'm glad you're back in one piece, Meph. Sorry its a bit late, but since you locked the old threads, none of them showed up in updated topics and I assumed the Masterwork boards were still quiescent.

I updated the embark message.

THANK YOU! That always bugged me.

Happy modding!

[Isngrim]

I updated the embark message.

THANK YOU! That always bugged me.

Happy modding!

Seconded!

[Neri]

Just a quick question; weren't the shovels taken out of Kobold mode? If so the message would be... outdated

Sorry for the nitpicking, but I figure one nitpick now, is twenty less later on.

[Arcvasti]

Just a quick question; weren't the shovels taken out of Kobold mode? If so the message would be... outdated

Sorry for the nitpicking, but I figure one nitpick now, is twenty less later on.

I thought he was planning to add them back in with some tweaks.

[Meph]

I am. Cheap, yet breakable shovels, so you can at least do a bit of digging. Its intended to allow some soil digging, but not a staircase straight to the HFS. Kobolds without cavern access or at least a bit of a moat seems too boring/unsafe.