Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

What governs the availability of an empire to include in a new game?

I created a mod for my own preferences (essentially just settings.txt) and basically copied the Terrans to a new name. OK, I start a new game with my mod and run some cheat codes to look at the state of the galaxy - all the usual suspects are there, even though I did not copy them to the "Empires" folder in my mod. That's not really a problem for what I want to do (except maybe I'd like to turn off the Terrans until I've made my own flags, etc...), but what if I was doing a Star Trek mod or something where I didn't want the stock SE races in the game? Is there a way to turn them off in a mod without editing the standard SE data structure?

Also, one of the neutral empires turned up with the same flag as the Terran one that I'm using (temporarily) on my race. Doesn't it check to see if a flag is already in use?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

The flag problem was corrected in a patch after the version 1.00 build.

The modinfo.txt file included with a mod can specify whether the default empires are added or not.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

What are the minimum files needed for a mod in SE V?
Just the data files?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

You need a 192x192 image (can just copy the standard one) along with a modinfo.txt file. For the data files, you just need to include the ones you have modified.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Excellent, so you can easily create test-Mods, where you only change a few items.
Thank you for you answer Kwok.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

What image? Whats it do?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Its just an icon that shows up when picking a game type in the main screen. You don't actually need it- if its not there SEV uses the default icon.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

It's the image displayed when choosing "Game Type". If you don't include one it might just use the default but I've never tried it.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

A few modding tricks:
If you have a lot of components, some of them might be obselete at high tech levels, and unlike SE4 it doesn't seem like you can get rid of them.

But this isn't correct. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif All components take formulas for their requirements, and those accept "less than" as an option. So you can make a component that disappears once some research level is reached, and a better replacement becomes available.

Say you want the Cannon to appear from levels 1-5 in Projectile Weapons, where its replaced by the DUC. You'd put this in the requirement field:
(Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Projectile Weapons") >= 1) AND (Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Projectile Weapons") <= 5)

the (s are important- they let SEV know where a funtion like Get_Empire_Tech_Level ends.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

If I understand how this is working...

Do you think you could do this in the Vehicle Size file, in conjunction with other vehicle models...?

So basically for example, you have a Original series Star Treck Constitution class ship, and then when you get to a certain level of ship construction, you could upgrade to the Movie era ship image, yet they are all in the say class level of ship?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

The old class should disappear, but your Upgrade button won't upgrade any ships to the new class.

Speaking of, let me check to make sure this doesn't cause problems..

EDIT: ok, with components it works fine. If you press Upgrade, the existing components are simply left on the ship. See the note below.

EDIT final:
Ok, it does work fine for ships; I just had the syntax on the forumla wrong.

A little note- once something is removed in this fashion, you can NOT use it in a new design, or upgrade a design that uses it. You must remove all the removed components to satisfy a "You have used technolgy our empire does not understand" warning.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Here, this will make your head hurt a little more. It is possible to get tech levels from other fields than what the weapon (or other component) itself requires. For example, I like to link seeker structure to Armor tech, and defense modifier to Defense (ECM) tech.

Weapon Seeker Tonnage Structure Formula := 30 + (Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Armor") * 2)
Weapon Seeker Defense Modifier Formula := 30 + (Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Defense Systems") * 2)

A little more tweaking (such as linking damage to warhead tech or linking seeker speed to engine tech, which is tricky with each engine type being a seperate tech now) and you could have missile launchers as a stand-alone tech and missile performance being completely independent of them. In this case, I am tempted to put missile launchers into an industrial tech field because they are a sort of 'automation' technology. Missile launchers could get smaller and/or faster as tech increases, but the actual missiles would be better as soon as your propulsion or armor or ECM tech improved. Mod the ordnance storage out of the launcher and you've got a missile system ready for an "Honor Harrington" mod.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

the tricky part is making this all obvious to the player, and balancing it!

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

You can use blank abilities that can utilize formulas in for amount1 and amount2 that can report to the player how much resistance a missile has or how fast it goes etc - or for any description that you want really. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Absolutely brilliant...mind if I rip it off? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

I'm planning on an HH mod, and and SFB mod, and this will help tons...

Also I hope some industrious persons start adding this to the modding section of the wiki...

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

If you want to get really fancy:

instead of GETL, or [Level], use (min(GETL,[Level]+5])

That way, you get 5 "free upgrades" before you have to retrofit to gain more improvements.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Someone is going to have to write down all these equations with good explanations...I feel like I'm back in algebra class again...and that was 20 years ago...

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

A few more little bits:

A seeker speed of .001 is equal to a ship speed of 1.
Weapon ranges are capped at 500ls- about 2 and a half combat screens, with the default zoom level.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Hey! Now why did he cap weapon ranges? Why shouldn't battles across the map be possible? Especially with seekers. (HH mod again... ) Time for another request. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

You have to use units for a proper HH mod anyway- no laser-heads otherwise. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

SE3 style seekers were the best thing since sliced bread.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Agreed...

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

In what way? I installed the SE3 demo a little while ago and after giving it a try, I have to say I couldn't stand it. Although I did think the race set-up was pretty good, it had an interesting selection of race traits. Anyway, I didn't notice anything special about missiles, so could someone please detail why they were great?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Well from what I remember there were two types...

First Type, was your standard missile. Basically it has fuel/distance, and a set amount of Hit Points, and Damage. It travels up to the distance it can, will take up to its HP before being destroyed, and will do set damage at any range it travels to.

Second Type, was the plasma missile. It has a limited distance that it can travel, and loses damage for every range band that it travels, and the health and damage of the warhead are combined, so its health decreases as its damage decreases. Also any point defense will decrease the damage along with the health.

That is if I remember that correctly...

Hoping that there will be some ways to fiddle with formulas and fields and such to get it to work somewhat like this in SEV.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

In SE3, seekers have a firing range limit, but no travel range limit. Plasma missiles would expire after a while by virtue of losing a few points of damage for every range traveled, but CSMs would never expire until they hit the target or were shot down.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Is there a syntax for comments in the SEV data files?

For example, in the data files of the Paradox games, anything between a # and a carriage return is ignored, so you can insert either entire lines of comments or comments at the end of a line of code. Very handy for remembering what you did later...

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Yes, // is used for comment lines and is used throughout the data files.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Ah, ok. I understand now.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

I was looking through the files and there are three things I don’t get.

1. I noticed “Can Use Warp Points”; does that mean you can finally make small crafts that can use warp points?

2. Isn’t there a list of all the abilities that can be used?

3. What are the weapon types and weapon delivery types? Isn’t there a list of them?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Weapon types are whatever you decide to write components for.

Delivery types are pretty much seekers (with variable turning rate limits), beams and projectiles. Plus ramming warheads.
Hit/miss for beams/projectiles is decided by ECM/sensors.

Available damage types are whatever you write in the damagetypes.txt file.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

I have been looking into this and I think you have it backwards. After looking at each weapon in the components file and reading the manual I see that Weapon Type is one of the four aforementioned types and that Weapon Delivery Type is what you make it.

The manual says there should be various files that are Description_xxx but I don’t see them. Did MM take them all out and if so how can we get them?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Oh, I gotcha.
The arbitrary one is just a hook; you can make things (racial traits, talisman-ish components, etc) multiply damage amounts caused by the named weapon delivery type.

For example, in GGmod, I set them all to "generic"
Then for the disposable culture I set +100% damage from "generic" weapons, and for preservationists, -50% to damage from "generic" weapons.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Why are there both Min and Max Damage Modifier Formulas? I’m going to take a stab and say the Min formula is for the min damage the weapon will do and the max formula is for the max damage the weapon will do? How does SE know which formula to apply?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

It specifies a range of damage for the weapon. For example if the min is 30 and the max is 40, the weapons will do between 30-40 damage.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Perfect thanks; is there a utility or aid of some sort to help calculate the formula for the Hit Modifier?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Wait no; I just don’t get that line. What is it doing? I read the description earlier but it makes no sense. For example:

0 – ([%Range%] * .5)

Is this saying that at range 50 I lose x accuracy? What value is x and how can I change it?

Can I make a weapon that will have the following hit probability?

Range : 0 – 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 50 – 60 – 70 – 80 – 90 – 100
% to hit: 90 – 90 – 90 – 80 – 80 – 80 – 70 – 60 – 50 – 30 – 10

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

That line is sayng that you'll lose 0.5% of accuracy per LS of distance. So at 50 LS you'll have a -25% modifier. You change the X by changing .5 to something else, or inputing a different forumla.

Doing that line won't be easy and it won't be short- you'll need lots of tested ifs.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

At least you can easily do
Range : 0 – 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 50 – 60 – 70 – 80 – 90 – 100
% to hit: 100 – 90 – 80 – 70 – 60 – 50 – 40 - 30 – 20 - 10 - 0

by simply adding 100 to the current formula and changing the multiplication factor. However 0 means "hit every time" while 100 would mean that you could have -100 malus from other component and still hit every time..

(Big guys may correct me if I'm wrong on this)

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

The final forumla, or one way of doing it, looks like this:
0 - iif([%Range%] < 30, 10, iif([%Range%] < 60, 20, iif([%Range%] < 80, (30 + ([%Range%] - 60)), (50 + (([%Range%] - 80) * 2)))))

Just a bit messy. Most forumlas will not be anywhere NEAR this complicated, you just happened to pick a difficult one to do.

Here's the breakdown..
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
0 -
iif([%Range%] &lt; 30, 10,
iif([%Range%] &lt; 60, 20,
iif([%Range%] &lt; 80, (30 + ([%Range%] - 60)),
(50 + (([%Range%] - 80) * 2)))))
</pre><hr />

First, a little note: %RANGE% is a variable- it is whatever the current range to the target is. If he's at 50ls its 50, if he's at 10ls its 10, 5 at 5ls, etc.

First line: 0 is just there to make the rest of the numbers negative by using the following - sign. The base to-hit in SE5 is 100%, so what this means is "100% - the result of the following formula" (call that X).

Second line: iif is an if/then statement. The format is iif(value (sign), (then), else). This says IF the range is less than 30, THEN X is 10. ELSE it runs the next IF statement. Why 30? Because that's where your values start to change from that flat -10% chance. Same with all of the breakpoints below- the value checked for is the value where the result changes.

Third line: Same thing. IF the range is less than 60, THEN x is 20. ELSE it runs the next IF statement.

Fourth line: Last if/then. This one says IF the range is less than 80, THEN run the formula (30 + ([%Range%] - 60) and set X to that. If not run the formula (50 + (([%Range%] - 80) and set X to that.

The tricky part is keeping all the blasted parathesis straight..

Elsemeravin: you've got it pretty much right. By default all SE5 weapons hit all the time; unless there's some negative number in the to-hit field you'll never miss.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Ok now I understand and I have to say that formula is a work of beauty. I printed it out as a guide for future formulas. One more question and I think I will be up to par with range.

Let’s say for example that I want to hit a target at range 30 for -20 (80% accuracy). When I set up my formula wouldn’t I want to write the formula for:

Greater than or equal to 21 and less than or equal to 30.

If I don’t explicitly restrict the range I want that one accuracy percent at won’t SE spill it over to the next range IF the next range is undefined? One more time using the example formula you gave; SE will apply the -10 to hit on all ranges from 0 to 30 since your formula said &lt;30 correct?

New question I was reading an earlier post in this thread I came to the impression SE does all ranges in 10’s; which I assume is what you are calling 10 LS, by default. You can change the max range but the base 10’s is programmed. What is the max range; 290 LS?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Somebody was playing the Balance Mod. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

The max range is 500.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

If you want over-realism, you can just throw in a 1/r (for 2D accuracy, or 1/r^2 for 3D accuracy falloff.

The major problem is that additive modifiers screw this up bad, so you have to really lock down the available bonuses.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

President_Elect_Shang said:
SE will apply the -10 to hit on all ranges from 0 to 30 since your formula said &lt;30 correct?

Actually, it will apply -10 from ranges 0 to 29. At range 30, you get -20. That is what your chart asked for, right? If it said "&lt;= 30", it would be -10 from 0 to 30 instead.

New question I was reading an earlier post in this thread I came to the impression SE does all ranges in 10’s

No, it does not. Range has a degree of 1, not 10. Actual damage done will be whatever is calculated at the exact range, for example. The damage charts for component display only display every 10 ls because it would be insane to try to show every 1 LS. Also, I think Aaron didn't want to confuse new players by showing the actual formulas.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

@CPT Kwok: Yes You Are Correct Sir! It’s the only one the two kids and I play now that you let it out.

@SJ: I’m not sure if that was English; but I am reasonably sure it isn’t what I’m after. I am converting a weapon chart from a board game into a Mod and the chart has the hit probabilities. I want to use these same probabilities so I needed help figuring the formula.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

I suppose it was more math &amp; geometry than english.
Just throwing that into a hit-chance discussion.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

1/r and 1/r^2 are fundamental ratios in distance equations (such as gravitational force).

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

As in letting the topic take its own wings; or, developing a hit-miss table that could be applied across the board for weapon types. In this case if a standard was developed for say all “missiles” and all “beams” el-etc and the various modders agreed to said standard it would (speculatively) allow any two or more mods to be fused. This in turn would allow for the combination and recombination of “Super-Mods”.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Having a standardized to-hit forumla wouldn't help all that much.

Seekers don't miss by the way. Even if they have no turn rate, they only miss if the ship physically moves out of the way of the shot.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

In the case of the example I gave below couldn’t I do something like:

0- iif ([%Range%] &lt;30, 10, iif ([%Range%] &lt;60, 20, iif ([%Range%] &lt;70, 30, iif ([%Range%] &lt;80, 40, iif ([%Range%] &lt;90, 50, iif ([%Range%] &lt;100, 70, iif ([%Range%] &lt;110, 90)))))))

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Looks ok to me.