An idea

[unmerged(13397)]

Error_page_07 was saying, in another thread, that he's working on an EU map with provinces' number.
This revived in me an idea I was thinking about some weeks ago: building an application capable of showing a "replay" of political map evolution (and maybe some other values) to see how your empire spread during the 300 years.
Unfortunately I don't have much free time to work on it (because "playing" EU occupies most of such free time), but if someone else here in the forum has some programming skills we could work together in a joined effort, each taking care of something.

First a brief/gross description of the project, then let me know if there might be some volunteers or if you think this is just a stupid and foolish idea.

What is needed is:
- a full "segmented" EU map, as a 2D short integer array in which every element/pixel has as "grey level value" its province code
- an application ("EUHistoryWriter") running in background while you play at EU with autosave every year. It should read the autosave file and save in an external array the data ("EUHistoryData"), mostly the owner/controller of each province. The writer should check periodically the date/time of last modification of the autosave file and, if modified since the last reading, add the new values to the "history data base" array
- another application ("EUHistoryViewer") with some graphical user interface (GUI)that reads the EUHistoryData file and shows an "animated" political world map (seeing either situation in a certain year or the evolution, with settable speed).
Of course this "should" be easily adaptable to EU2, to reach a larger "audience". Leaving it freeware and open source some EU2 (and maybe HoI) users could adapt it.

As for me, in programming I'm better with GUIs and visualization pipelines than in reading/parsing of text files, so I could volunteer to find some time to spend in building the "EUHistoryViewer".

Any comment/volunteering/appreciation/suggestion/insult... ?

 

[Stonewall]

I know absolutely nothing about programming. However, I like your idea and think that it would prpbably get a much larger response if you were to post it in the EU2 and HoI forums as well. Since it should work with all of them, I see no reason why you couldn't post there as well.

For one of my games I did a screenshot at the beginning of each year and when I was done, loaded them all into a Powerpoint presentation and watched. The whole process took around 10 minutes and was kind of cool.

 

[Error_page_07]

You read my reply???

I know absolutely nothing about programming.

-I too.

Sherlock: It is very good IDEA...


Btw, I have done the map with numbers of Europe, look to "Scenario and Modifications" for it.

 

[Morpheus506]

That sounds like a great idea! I'll definitley get it when you finish. I've always wanted to have something like that. I tried to start a screenie thing like stonewall did but quickly forgot about it.

 

[Carolus Rex]

Soubnds like an interesting idea. I hope it gets done.

 

[RELee]

An idea that I like a lot, too. I endorse it heartily. No, I have neither time nor inclination to help out. Typical Baptist!