25-04-2000 17:34									#1
	New Utility : Multi-Files Editor Enter the AD-FREE zone

I've just made a new utility called Mfe or scenarios where some files are changed (Events.txt, Units.gif,...) during the game. For the moment I know only one scenario like this (I mean not only changing the Events) : Red Front. But I'm sure there will many others in the future...

You can download Mfe at www.campus.ecp.fr/~pano/Mfe/mfe_d.zip . The size is 303K.

Mfe allows you to make easily multi-files scenarios and scenarios which will be easy o use for players. It's a program you run at the same time as civ2 and you use it each time that some files need to be changed. It runs with any version of Civilization II upper than 2.6.2 (that means with Conflicts in Civilization, Fantastic Worlds or Multiplayer Gold Edition). It may also runs with Test of Time and some mark-ups will be unavailable.

In fact, Mfe solves the main problems caused by multi-files scenarios. First it's very easy and very quick to change the files when you're playing if you use Mfe correctly. Secondly there are no problem when you're running a non-English version of Civ2 ; you just have to change one line in a configuration file and all the .txt file will be also copied as .fre files for example. Finally, you can run several games of the same scenario at the same time, because Mfe saves the files needed to restart the game.

Moreover, Mfe allows you to build very complex things for your scenario very easily. In fact you write instructions in text files through mark-ups. In the future versions I hope it will be possible to modify the save file (in order to change the names of the tribes for example).


The problem for the moment is that I haven't made any exemple ! You'll find in the guide only the essencial to run Mfe but it may be hard to see how to use it (for the designer). I'm going to design a small scenario in order to be a good example and then I'll post a design tip in the Scenario League to explain in details how to make a season modpack.

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Pano
http://www.campus.ecp.fr/~pano