Re: Modding Process
 

Which forula is responsible for a weapons accuracy?

Re: Modding Process
 

That'd be the to-hit forumla right below the damage. It starts out as 100 (by default, defined in settings.txt) and goes from there.

Re: Modding Process
 

so what does 0 - [%Range%] actually mean in that context?

if range is 10... 0 - 10 = -10...

Re: Modding Process
 

Correct. So the actual chance to hit would be 90% (since it starts at 100, - the penalty)

Re: Modding Process
 

Ah ok, got it. What kind of value is Range?

Re: Modding Process
 

Range is all in arbitrary units.

The best way to get a sense for how far things are is to make a couple ships, throw them into the simulator and turn on the weapon range circles.

In terms of data types, Range would be an integer, from 1 to 500 (Current hardcoded max)

Re: Modding Process
 

A value from 0-500. Its only displayed in units of 10, but SEV calculates it down to 1s at least.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

Is there any way to mod the components so they do not list simply in alphabetical order. I would like to group the components by type (control, engines, colonization, beam, missile, etc). I have tried resorting the components in the components.txt file but it does not seem to make a difference.

edit: captain kwok. i see yours are sorted by component type. is there some other change i need to make in another file for this?

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

You can turn off alpha-sort for components in either settings.txt or under Empire Options in-game. The order is then the listed order in Components.txt.

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

thanks. I also asked this shortly after in the thread about your mod.

Re: Modding Process
 

I've never actually published a mod, but I mod the heck out of the game for my own amusement.

The first thing is documentation. Weeks or months down the road, there will be another patch. In SEIV, there was the TDM mod, which I always used as the base for mine - and it had new versions at least a few weeks after any vanilla patch (sometimes in between). Then I need to update my homegrown mod. So, you have to keep straight exactly what you did, file by file. I use a text file for that...

I always start with the base files from the game or mod I'm editing. The first thing I do is to capture in my mod notes file what the big picture is - what I'm trying to accomplish. So I'll write at the top (above the file by file details) stuff like...

"BC1 - separate warships & auxilliaries. Need to restrict warship hulls to not include non-allowed systems. This would appear to be done via requirement Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("<ability&gt ;") <= 0, where <ability> is the actual ability type of the component. Also looks like Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count("<component >") <= 0 would work, with <component> being the actual name of the component to exclude. The latter would be required to distinguish between fighter/drone launches vs satellite/mine launchers. Need to use Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count("<component >") to restict number of actual Supply Storage, Ordnance Storage & Solar Collector components individually by warship hull size, to allow a reasonable amount but preclude making warship-hulled ammo or supply ships. Want to restrict weapons on non-warships - how (maybe give all "auxilliary systems" the cargo ability with amount 0 and let the 50% cargo rule handle it)."

As you can see, I make notes to myself about what might work - helps me to remember why I did something. Then, as I note specific changes in the files I'll put "[BC1]" at the end of the change entry if that was in support of the "Big Change" described under BC1.

That done, usually I do the techs file first, since everything else depends on them. I try to test little bits at a time, because if you spend all day modding and then it won't load, it's hard to figure out what you screwed up. The modding docs are pretty sparse (even in SEIV - they are positively missing so far for SEV), so you have to run little experiments to see how things really work. Cheat codes are your friend when doing that...

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions
 

I had a look in SystemTypes.txt and maybe I was being over-optimistic but I simply replaced any reference to "ring 8" or "ring 9" with "ring 7".

I can now generate a 20x15 system but there's just my homeworld and maybe a storm - no other planets or warp points.

Going the other way a 40x20 with a 720 radius gives the attached screenshot. It kinda appeals to me because at least it looks like the screen's being used efficiently in the 2D view.

Given that I'm determined to stick with the 2D view I assumed that making the screen smaller would make the icons more legible without obscuring neighbouring hexes so badly (since individual hexes will be relatively bigger). However now I'm thinking of sticking with the 40x20 and seeing if I can mod the icons to be more readable when pulled out as per the screenshot. I figure if I could replace them with simnple letters (like the old YSR) it'll be good enough. Not that I've even checked to see if those grafix are available to edit.

Re: Modding Process
 

Here's a cool one;

In SEIV if you wanted to tie a modified version of a standard component or facility to a racial trait you had to create a new tech area and a new version of the comp or facility. In SEV you can just change the original comp or facility like so,
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre> snip
Ability 1 Type := Space Yard
Ability 1 Description := Can construct with [%Amount2%] minerals per turn.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 1
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := iif(Empire_Has_Racial_Trait("Poor Builders"), 1000
+ (([%Level%] - 1) * 100), 2000 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 200))
snip</pre><hr />

By going this route you could easily have a Temporal race use the same spaceyard as all the other races.

Edit: added a linebreak for formatting.

Re: Modding Process
 

That would also cause the spaceyard rate to double as soon as the regular races invade and replace the poor builders.

Re: Modding Process
 

Yeah, that's true (and a great point), "Poor Builders" in this case must a race of mismanagers, put someone else in charge and things run smoothly. It was only intended as an example to show what could be done. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif If a modder were to use this technique he would certainly need to keep this in mind.

Re: Modding Process
 

hello to all, one question

the racial abilities and race setup is in the "jraenar_setup_script.csf" file?? how can i open an csf file into a .txt???

the AI is stored in "jraenar_main_script.csf"?

btw there is any way in which some empires "hates" each to other??, i mean for example , humans that are somewhat neutral, but, for example, with the jraenar there is a "hatring" between both so there are more probabilities that both goes to war, is possible?

thxs

Re: Modding Process
 

Script compiling is a one-way operation: From txt to csf.

Look in SE5\Utilities\ScriptParser\SE5EmpireScripts

Re: Modding Process
 

thxs Angel, ...hmmm, noe, how i turn txt inti cfs??

regards

Re: Modding Process
 

By using the compiler one level down from that folder.

Re: Modding Process
 

Answered.

Re: Modding Process
 

there arent modifiers to defense rating at racialtraits.txt, or goverment or society?? like a "armor defence percent" or an opossite of "weapon to hit percent"?

also it cant be possible to separeate space combat with ground combat as was done in se4? maybe using "weapon damage percent" with a negative "ground combat percent"?

thx

Re: Modding Process
 

Is there a list of possible values for

1) Ability Type
2) Ability Scope

I see a large list of possible values in MainStrings.txt (Abilities_Const), but there's no rhyme or reason to them and I'm pretty sure not all of those values are possible for either Scope or Type.

Is there a list in the script files somewhere (i.e. not in the Data folder)? Or is there a Data file that has a list of possible values?

Re: Modding Process
 

There's a list but its out of date and not accurate. Search around the forum for Fyron's post that "doesn't" have Description_Abilities.txt attached to it.

Re: Modding Process
 

Hmmm, not finding it. I see a number of references in messages to that file, but they all say "where is it?". So I guess I have the same question http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Modding Process
 

I've posted a copy of the description files here:
http://www.captainkwok.net/se5resources.php

Re: Modding Process
 

Yeah, found them after I started widening my search past this forum http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Thanks for doing that, Captain Kwok. I can definitely see why Aaron pulled them - they're seriously out of date and somewhat confusing.

Instead of relying on them, I think I'm going to hard-code the ones I know about for now and when the updated files come out, I'll read them in instead.

Re: Modding Process
 

Is there a way to get SE5 to generate a log or report showing any errors with my mod?

Re: Modding Process
 

thxs Capitain for the link, but im still a bit confused if i could ud¡se, for example "Combat To Hit Defense Plus " as racial ability?? or is just for th hulls??

Re: Modding Process
 

bump

Re: Modding Process
 

SE:V will spit out fatal mod errors when the mod is loaded as SE:IV did. It won't tell you though if you have 1 ability required but 2 listing and things of that sort - but it would tell you if you had 1 ability listed and said 2 were required... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

The "Combat To Hit Defense" ability can be used on hulls or components, and even facilities if you wanted.

Re: Modding Process
 

Haven't tried yet but there are a bunch of debug flags which all default to FALSE in DebugSettings.txt

Re: Modding Process
 

I have been working with the debug text but have not had any luck getting it to go. I have also worked with the little log that pops up when you run the mod. Problem there is I can't read any of the four entries it is reporting. All four problems are parse problems but I can't tell where they are located at?

Is there any programs that will check formula for parse-ability? The script parse utility is for making csf files right? I have tried it to no avail.

Did you know:
 

You can now have fractional engines for a ship. I made a ship with 2 engines, speed 8, by setting the engines per movement point to 0.25. Holds up in combat as well.

Re: Did you know:
 

If the parser can't read a formula it spits out an error - ie too many parenthesis or something like or invalid operator and so on...

Re: Did you know:
 

Checked modified sensor fuctions:
A modded tachyon sensor with short range and a basic sensor with high range (but low sight level) on the same ship together will give the ship the maximum range of the basic sensor combined with the sight level of the tachyon sensor, which should not be the case IMO.

You\'re thoughts please!
 

@ CPT Kwok: I know you had a thread started for ship changes (modding) or something to that effect but I would like to start a new thread for posting general tricks that have been found. For example:

1. You can make ship sizes that call for fractional engines.

2. I don’t use bridges (or master computer) at all and have worked around the hard coded restriction in SE5. To do this I have given the hull the ability control center.

Maybe if SJ can make this a sticky and others start posting tricks we can lay the ground work for a tips and tricks page for the Wiki master page.

@Q: That has got to be wrong; I would report it to Aaron.

@ Phoenix-D (well all modders): You have a good idea with the thread you started about grouping together and making a “Masters of the Empires” mod. Does anyone else like the sound of this too? The thought of your mod going head-to-head with a Star Destroyer or wing of Tie Fighters does nothing to stir your blood? I’m considering doing my part and I have to work around a complication when it comes to sharing my mod; which happens to be one reason why I didn’t in SE4.

P.S. to CPT K: I did work around the formula errors. I had to cut out each component one at a time; start the game to see if it had the problematic formula; wash rinse repeat till errors found and corrected. It is up and running even though I haven’t included all 16 tech levels and the components with them or the small craft, or the ships, bases …

This is getting long but I have one more trick to share. In SE4 I was plagued with the problem of how to create an External Ordinance Rack (XO Rack). The trick is it must fire drones at a controlled rate, must be zero tonnage, absorb one point (kt) of damage so the ship won’t become invincible, get damaged first along with the armor, and best of all the player (or AI) must be restricted to only placing a certain number of them on their hull designs.

Ok, that said I came up with half an answer in SE4. Only half because the AI never wanted to do it right. In SE4Deluxe I came closer. In SE5 I have finally hit on a solution. Limit the total number by (a) Fyron’s AI Tag solution or better still (b) restrict the component to only Armor slots. Now the player will need to choose if they want armor or an XO Rack. The AI question I have not attacked yet but it should be a simple matter of telling it how many it wants on a ship.

That’s it for now…

More tricks yet to be tested: A component whose cost is based on the size of the hull the component is being placed in. Larger ship means you pay more!

Cost and bonuses based on iif statements based on your current level instead of the generic steady progression in stock.

Really have to go now but please, share your thoughts! Is any of this useful or should I just give it up?

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

Sticky this thread as well. Always share your thoughts, especially if its something you dont think someone else may have thought of. Then they can use, or make them think of something else.

Speaking of which...I was reconsidering my Tholian web problem. From previous discussions, with the new damage types, I should be able to give web weapons the ability to slow down other ships/objects. To use them, it was disscused to use sats, drones, or even mines to be able to have a 'free standing web/terrain like feature'. Last night a thought came to me...

Can you set a seeker to have a zero speed? Then when launched, it would say in place, and basically be an obstacle to what ever is on its target list? Basically it would 'ram' any valid target that enters its 'square'. I havent tested it yet. Do you think it would work? Anyone else have a counter idea? Any way you think I can get this to work at range? IE: Shoot web out to range 10 and stay there as an obstacle?

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

Shooting a web to range 10 should be no problem and getting the seeker to sit still should also be easy. The problem I see is getting the seeker to ram. I think it will need movement of some kind to complete a ram attempt.

If I want to combine two statements in one formula; specifically Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count(“A”); how would I do that?

I have tried the OR operator and it doesn’t seem to work. What I am trying to accomplish is limit a player to placing a certain number of engine component A on a ship or a certain number of engine component B but not both. So far I can get the ship in the Vehicle Size text to recognize one or the other but not both. In other words I can restrict the number that can be placed by putting the restriction in two formulas but you can still place the max number of A and the max number of B. See what I am saying/asking? I don’t’ want that, I want either but not both.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

That is the way OR works. If at least one side is true, then the result of ORing them is true.

The simplest way to make it exclusive would be to add a requirement of (count(A)=0 OR count(B)=0)

If you want to handle more than just two types, then try checking to ensure that the maximum of the counts (IE the type with the most components installed) is equal to the sum of the number of engines installed of all types.
Eg: max(a, max(b, max(c,d))) = (a+b+c+d)

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

I thought about it more and decided to toss the idea out. There are a number of reasons why the “Paper” game works well with two different types of engines. I could mod both types to “almost” meet the paper game, but just “almost”. The problem comes from the military engine; which should allow a player to run them at full power but if they do so it would mean a random chance of the engine failing and needing to be repaired. The benefit to full power is double the strategic movement speed. It goes into a little more detail than this but the essential is I would need to create an engine that can be used to produce double speed (when the player or AI’s chooses to) with a chance to fail every turn. I don’t see a way to do that so I have tossed it out and built the restriction on max speed for the hull instead.

This could come in handy for other moders which want to use more than one engine type but control how many and in what combinations they may be legally used by the player and AI.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

To mod the effect of the Military Engines being 'accident prone' you just need to make them cost more in terms of maintence or repair. Since maintence is a flat rate, you would have to make the engine just cost more. For repair, either make it fragile, with lower HP, or with more HP so that it take longer to repair.

Re: Modding Process
 

And it never should; that is not a data file error, it is a valid way to take out certain abilities for testing or just to leave them around in the off chance you might like to add it back in the future. Maybe a "data file verifier" could list it as a warning, but SE5 shouldn't gripe about it on every load.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

Why not simply give the military engines emergency move ability?

You burn one out to got extra fast now.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

I thought about doing the higher cost thing; however, the spirit of the engine wouldn’t be there. Players could use it full power all the time and never feel the “fear” of not making it planet Beta Prime before the enemy sterilizes it. You will always make it since it will never break. I decided to just make the item straight out and leave it alone. In the end having to add the other restrictions and features to the different hulls just isn’t worth charging more.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

Is there documentation on the scripting language used by Aaron, or the name of it at least?

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

I think it's Delphi.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

The programming language that SE V is written in is Delphi. The scripting language of SE V is a custom job by Aaron himself. I suppose though, that it you are a well-informed programmer you could assign his scripting language to some category or other, compare it to known languages, etc.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

Isnt there some form of critical failure thing?

-NVM, this had to do with loss of CQ, LS, and Control Centers.-

Also, what do these do?

Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Weapon := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Component := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Facility := 0.50

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

If a component or weapon has more than 50% damage, it's abilities won't work anymore. Note for Organic Armor though if it is damaged more than 50% during combat it no longer adds any regeneration points to the pool... if it has the chance to heal again though to 100% structure, it will start contributing regeneration points again.

Re: You\'re thoughts please!
 

I would need something like the destroyed on use ability along with the emergency movement points ability tied together. Then I could create a component that:

1. Generates one point in movement.
2. Generates one bonus movement point for each working component which would have to be activated in the same way emergency components are now.
3. When activated SE5 will determine randomly if chance to fail succeeds or not. The chance to fail would have to be a modder supplied percent. Succeed means the component is destroyed and not means the player (or AI) can use the ability again next turn.

Honestly it could be done if Aaron just added in a percent chance to fail formula, but I don’t think he will.