world_default.xml

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hough

It should be as simple as data entry into a few clearly organized data tables. Then the game should take this and convert it into XML. Unfortunately, I'm not a programmer, but I dare say that any programmer that I've encountered could create this tool in a single day.

I am a programmer (albeit an unemployed one), and I don't think it would be massively difficult no, but that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone has the time or resources to do it at the moment. I have no experience with writing programs to manipulate XML files, else I'd maybe do it myself.

[Scott Vibert]

While the .csv file may have been easier to manipulate (and it was), the problem with .csv
is that its flat and not hierarchical. The XML file is hierarchical (is that a word?) and this has allowed OOTP to see some of the benefits, for example the use of regions. As OOTP continues to develop, there will be further benefits that simply would not be possible with the old .csv format.

Now don't get me wrong, dealing with the XML is not any easier, but in this case the benefits ultimately outweigh the inconvenience (and I'm someone who creates fully fictional worlds (still use davwms fictional world creator)). I would also guess that you are correct, if someone were motivated an application could be created to import XML structures into a spreadsheet and facilitate editing in that manner.

[Tony M]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

This maybe of help to you or someone else, I've been using it to get the latitude and longitude's for my fictional league I've been working on to help me map out my fictional world.

UK Towns & Villages

You can also download the OS OpenData Gazetteer and pull out the data for feature types C, T and O (City, Town and Other Settlement)

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Scott Vibert

While the .csv file may have been easier to manipulate (and it was), the problem with .csv
is that its flat and not hierarchical. The XML file is hierarchical (is that a word?) and this has allowed OOTP to see some of the benefits, for example the use of regions. As OOTP continues to develop, there will be further benefits that simply would not be possible with the old .csv format.

Now don't get me wrong, dealing with the XML is not any easier, but in this case the benefits ultimately outweigh the inconvenience (and I'm someone who creates fully fictional worlds (still use davwms fictional world creator)). I would also guess that you are correct, if someone were motivated an application could be created to import XML structures into a spreadsheet and facilitate editing in that manner.

It would probably be easier to write a program that let you edit the XML directly using a simple form (i.e like the current in-game thing, but obviously using windows forms instead of the OOTP GUI.)

[The Living Bubba]

I've tried adding cities to the world_default.xml file using NotePad++. The cities get added just fine, and the document saves fine. But when I start a new league and try using the data I've added (for instance, by creating a fictional player and changing his hometown to one of those I've added), it doesn't work. Perhaps this is because I'm trying to start a new Major League game with the 2012 MLB rosters? Does this mean that if I start with the 2012 rosters, I can never, ever have a player from Hayesville, North Carolina? Because that would be very upsetting to me and the other 611 residents of Hayesville, North Carolina.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by The Living Bubba

I've tried adding cities to the world_default.xml file using NotePad++. The cities get added just fine, and the document saves fine. But when I start a new league and try using the data I've added (for instance, by creating a fictional player and changing his hometown to one of those I've added), it doesn't work. Perhaps this is because I'm trying to start a new Major League game with the 2012 MLB rosters? Does this mean that if I start with the 2012 rosters, I can never, ever have a player from Hayesville, North Carolina? Because that would be very upsetting to me and the other 611 residents of Hayesville, North Carolina.

You can add cities from within the game.

[The Living Bubba]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

You can add cities from within the game.

Ah, found it. Thanks.

[MitchUnworthy]

Is there a way to use the in-game city editor to edit the entire game so that every new game you start has the new cities, or do you just have to edit the world_default file?

[albatross11]

Originally Posted by MitchUnworthy

Is there a way to use the in-game city editor to edit the entire game so that every new game you start has the new cities, or do you just have to edit the world_default file?

You would have to edit the world_default.xml for that.

[NCBeachBum]

Has anyone explained the hardcoded player origins thing yet? I'm not sure I'm getting it.

[NCBeachBum]

Originally Posted by NCBeachBum

I'd be much more impressed if I could find a good way to edit it. At my current pace, 13 will come out before I start my first league.

I was right. A year's time, and I didn't get even 10% done.

[Murcer]

Hmm, well this is kind of a bummer! I wasn't around for OOTP12 so I skipped that version but I did buy 13. When I went to look for Cities and Nations .txt I found that the dev team went with this world_default approach.

Is there an easy way to translate the old file formats to the new one? I only created a few fictional nations and cities! I've attached the files in the event someone can possibly point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

[Muzamba]

Originally Posted by MitchUnworthy

Is there a way to use the in-game city editor to edit the entire game so that every new game you start has the new cities, or do you just have to edit the world_default file?

Albatross already answered this, but I want to offer a different perspective to help the OOTP community in general to commit it to memory...

If you want to start a new league with edited locations, make your changes in the world_default.xml database file.

If you want to edit locations in a pre-existing league, make your changes using the in-game editor. (However, know that these changes won't be applied to future leagues you create. You must use the aforementioned world db file for that.)

[Murcer]

After much reading about these changes I must admit that I still don't get it!

Has anyone created a custom file that I might steal a look at? Thanks!

[albatross11]

Originally Posted by Murcer

Hmm, well this is kind of a bummer! I wasn't around for OOTP12 so I skipped that version but I did buy 13. When I went to look for Cities and Nations .txt I found that the dev team went with this world_default approach.

Is there an easy way to translate the old file formats to the new one? I only created a few fictional nations and cities! I've attached the files in the event someone can possibly point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

After much reading about these changes I must admit that I still don't get it!

Has anyone created a custom file that I might steal a look at? Thanks!

There's no "easy' way to do it, but, if your world is only going to include the fictional nations and cities you posted, you should be able to do it. Look at the world_xml file that came with the game and go from that. In other words, create your own default_world.xml file and use that for your game.

[txranger]

Originally Posted by Murcer

After much reading about these changes I must admit that I still don't get it!

Has anyone created a custom file that I might steal a look at? Thanks!

Here is a copy of one that someone posted for OOTP12...

[kq76]

Originally Posted by Murcer

Hmm, well this is kind of a bummer! I wasn't around for OOTP12 so I skipped that version but I did buy 13. When I went to look for Cities and Nations .txt I found that the dev team went with this world_default approach.

Is there an easy way to translate the old file formats to the new one? I only created a few fictional nations and cities! I've attached the files in the event someone can possibly point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

Okay, so I took your files and created an openoffice workbook that should help you create the world_default.xml file. Note that you still have to:

1) input some data like nations' populations and timezones (see each sheet's yellow columns)
2) copy and paste the resulting columns (blue "A" columns) into a sample world_default.xml (like the one I previously attached to the thread)
3) place each ethnicity line under its associated nation's line (that is, as you have them they are not to be left all in a row like the languages rows, but they would be if you wanted nations to have multiple ethnicities)
4) place the states lines under their associated nation's ethnicities section
5) place the cities under their associated state's line
6) place the appropriate region_states (or region_nations) lines under their associated region's line (looking at your files I'm thinking you at least want to have the same regions as you have nations which means you'll want at least 7 region IDs)

There might be other stuff that comes up, but the above should get you almost all the way there. Good luck!

Others can make use of this workbook too. Just copy and paste the contents of your appropriate *.txt files into their correspondingly named sheets at the green cell (cities.txt doesn't have headers so I created them) and when the dialog box opens up select it to separate by commas. From there you'll still have some manual work to do (e.g. probably creating more ethnicities lines and possibly adding rows to the different sheets) so while this is certainly no automatic converter, it should help.

[Murcer]

Wow thanks guys (and especially kq for the workbook). I'll give this a shot and see what happens!

[Murcer]

Ok I think I've almost got it! However, a question...

Are the ethnicities in the world_default file for facegen photos or for name sets? I'm THINKING it's for the namesets and the ethnicities.txt file will control facegen but I wanted to verify before putting in TOO MUCH more work!

Thanks.

[kq76]

I don't know for sure, but considering that the xml file's ethnicity lines only have a language ID and a % while the txt file has asian, indian, etc %s, that's my impression too.