Links And Hacking Guide Update
18 July 2007 - Mercator - I updated my links page 10 days ago already, but I couldn't be bothered to add a news item for such a minor update then. I just updated some broken links and removed some dead sites.
I also updated my link to Dorian Credé's first Civilization III homepage in my hacking guide now. His site has moved around a lot, but I'm pleased to know that it's still online after more than 10 years! That also reminded me my own hacking guide must be close to 9 years old already as well.
In fact, the day after tomorrow this website can celebrate its 9th birthday! I guess I'll have to start thinking about the 10 year anniversary special... Or maybe not.
No More Legacy
1 February 2007 - Mercator - After a wait of about three and a half years, I finally got rid of the "legacy" section. I've been preparing many other changes in the mean time as well, so let me list all the changes:
- The "legacy" section linked to an older version of my website that hadn't been migrated to the new design yet. Most of my site's downloads were left in there: maps, scenarios, modpacks, graphics and patches. I have now moved all the maps to the Maps section (though the old map database still needs a lot of work), the scenarios and patches have gone to the Other Files section, and I removed the graphics and modpacks altogether (sorry).
- I also removed the little Civilization II description from my front page.
- I updated my Civilization II Map Structure reference guide.
- I re-edited Allard Höfelt's Hex-Editing Saved Games, adding new information found mainly by yaroslav, and re-formatting it to RTF. You can download the latest version in the Reference section.
- I wrote three new guides, two of which are adaptations from threads I posted on Apolyton:
- A Quick Guide to Making Accurate Maps, a short map making guide similar to the one I already had,
- A description of the Test of Time Sprite File Format,
- And a guide about improving the Civ2 graphics based on smoother grid lines: Tile Metrics: Improving Terrain Graphics and Road Connectivity.
- I added two new maps to the Maps section. A map of Persia and one of Central America. The first of these two is the one I created for Stefan Härtel's scenario Fire and Roses.
- I added three scenarios: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King by Favoured Flight, and the official Test of Time scenario The Time Threat Paradox. I also removed a number of scenarios, though. All of those can be found in the
Bestonet
section on the Spanish Civilization Site. - I also decided to make the patch available for the Mac version of Civ2, for completeness' sake. You can find it among the official updates.
- On the same note, the most notable addition to the Links section is a link to Brian Nesse's Civilization II Tools Page. It contains several useful tools for Civ2 Mac users. Or so I would think anyway, since I don't have a Mac myself. Apart from this addition, many other links have been updated or removed. And a few others, mostly map resource links, have been added.
- Finally, apart from these changes to the content and structure of my website, I've also made numerous changes and fixes to its layout to make it all look a bit more crisp and readable (it was kind of dark and smudgy in places).
I think that will have to do for now. I expect to be ready for the next update in another three years (well, let's hope it's going to be a bit sooner than that).
Site Statistics Annoyances
2 September 2006 - Mercator - I've only just found out today that you've all been getting pop-ups on my site for the past months. That was because the site counter I use on my website changed hands recently. I thought only the name and their site design had changed for the worse. But the new owners had also decided to show pop-ups on pages containing their counter code.
I apologise for the inconvenience. Hopefully, I have fixed the problem now. Please be sure to avoid Webstats4u.com if you ever need site statistics.
News Archive
February 2003 - I received the honorary Silver Fleece Medal from the Spanish Civilization Site. I feel I fully deserve it, but that doesn't make me any less proud to be part of the select group of illustrious awardees. So, I am proud to present to you:
October 1999/December 2002 - Mercator's Civilization 2 Site (or rather Jorrit's CivilizationII Page back in 1999) was chosen as a "cool site" at the Open Directory Project. After a brief period of "uncoolness" the site regained its cool status in December 2002.
September 1999 - This site received this month's Pride of the World award from the Hodadian Award Central.
January 1999 - I won the 1998 CivilizationII Map Contest of The European CivilizationII Site with my map of Australia.
