Instead of compiling all the config files every launch of the game SC2020 creates "cache files" with the needed data already compiled. If you make any changes to the config files, the game engine needs to compile new cache files. Cache files are easy for you to make, but a few steps are involved.
I made two sections to help explain cache file creation. The first is a short outline of the steps involved. The second is a verbose walk-through which gives more details and a few tips from me.
In this walkthrough I will tell you the steps involved to give Virginia a little extra cash in the Shattered World - no units scenario. I will be using the no units scenario because making the cache files with units can take a long time. The previous post on this page said it would take an hour. I have not tried to compile with units (yet). It does take a good 30 seconds without units on my PC. Your mileage may vary. Once you have made the changes you like you can easily add units using the same file.
The following walk-through assumes you can copy files and folders without detailed explanation. Also, I expect you can open files that have unknown extensions and you know where you installed the game and can get there. Please have a text editor and know how to use it.
Ok, first thing we need to do is save us from ourselves. By this, I mean we need to make backups of the files we will be changing so we can have an undo button. I made copies of the folders I would be playing with. I copied both the INI and the Maps folders. Also, in the Cache and the Savegame folders I created a new folder in each one. I then moved all the cache and savegame files into the new folders. You can also make copies of the Campaign and the Scenario folders. However, I find it easier to make copies of the individual scenario I will be editing as I will show you next.
Second, we will be editing a scenario in the Scenario folder (Yes, there are Scenario's in the Campaign folder too). The file is called Shattered World - No Units.Scenario. Make a copy of this file and rename it to Virginia - No Units.Scenario. This is a small file and can easily be opened in notepad. On line seven you will find the following code: #include "World2020.CVP", "MAPS\". Because we will be making our changes to a different file, we will change this line to read: #include "Virginia.CVP", "MAPS\". For this walk-through we will only be changing data in these two files (The one we are in now and the Virginia.CVP file).
Third, we will take a short stroll through this file and make one more easy change. Line 62 shows this code: difficulty: 2, 2, 2. This sets the default difficuly at Normal. A five is Very Hard and a zero is Very Easy. I changed mine to difficulty: 0, 0, 0. One last look at this code. This step is important. Line 35 shows this code: //#include "ShatteredWorld.OOB", "MAPS\ORBATS\". This is the line of code which tells the game not to compile with units. Once you have made every other feature of your scenario just right you can remove the two // (forward slashes) to have the game recompile with units. Remember, you will have to remove the cache files and recompile to get units. Save and close this file.
Next, we will create the Virginia.CVP file we pointed to earlier. It is in the Maps folder. Make a copy of the World2020.CVP file and rename it to Virginia.CVP. This file can also be opened in Notepad, but it has over 40,000 lines of code. So, I suggest you open it in a program that shows line numbers. I like Notepad++. To find the Virginia data we will need to do a search on Virginia. The first hit will be on line 38,460. Find the next one as we are looking for Virginia not West Virginia. Virginia starts on line 38,583. On that line you will notice the number associated with this region. This is important to know if you decide to edit the region's troop count file located in Maps\ORBATS folder. If Virginia is ever going to dominate the world it will need just a tad more cash. Just a few lines down you will see treasury on line 38,595. I am really not sure anyone can conquer the world on an empty tank. Let just throw a few more in there. Make this be 999999999999 (twelve nine's). A trillion dollars should kick start the Virginia battle plan! For me there are a few other lines of interest in here.
If you want you can skip this paragraph (if so Save and close this file) as I talk about a couple tips I have learned while toying around in this file. Changing your refpopulation can cause negative results. If you already don't produce enough petroleum, food, water or electrical energy to satisfy your poeple, raising this number can be very bad for you. I tried a trick with the natioaldebtgdp. I made it negative in the hopes it would then become a source of income. It did not. It made my total dollars go negative. I changed it back and was was once again super-rich. Lowering it close to zero made it very easy to pay off. The techlevel is nice to play with. Setting it to 200 shows you many more techs than does the 103 default. This does not give you the technology; you still have to research Advanced So-and-So. I changed the tourismrating to .99, but I didn't see any change in income. It may be because I don't have any tourist buildings. The gdpc may seem like great fun at first, but it is closely tied with consumption. If you crank up the gdpc your population will want to comsume more. I made mine so high I would never be able to produce enough petroleum for Virginia if I had all the oil wells in the world! However, if you make the number low like 1 you will have a jump start on your consumption. It will raise slowly day by day to approach the correct number as per your population should. You should get about one month where you people won't need much water or consumer goods before it gets back in line with the proper gdpc. Make the edits you want then Save and close.
If you have followed all the steps you should have the following:
With our changes made and our file structure ready it is time to load the game. Select Single Player then Scenario. Scroll down to find Virginia - No Units and click Launch Game. There is no need to select Virginia as you home country. If there is no cache file the game will set your home as Egypt. At this point the game will appear to freeze. However, the music will play and if you have the patience it will load. As I said, my PC takes about 30 seconds to compile and load. Once the game fully loads press escape and select quit. Select quit from the main menu to exit back to Windows.
Now, we must copy over the compiled cache file. It is in the Savegame folder. It will be called CACHED - Virginia - No Units.SAV. Copy this file and paste it into the Cache folder. Rename the file. Delete the CACHED - . Once again there are nine characters to delete: C A C H E D (space) (dash) (space)
You can now load the game like normal and select Virginia from the list. You will start the game as Virginia and save the world ... from everyone else!
To make additional changes you will need to remove the file Virginia - No Units.Scenario from the Cache folder and re-compile the Cache file (Do all this over again).