mod help plz
 

hi all,hope u can help,
im trying to make a new mod,just single player for now really untill i learn more,i can allready add ships to my chosen race but thats a bit unfair,and i can add components and other simple stuff,but how do i add a whole new race and get the comp to use them against me,does anyone know of any step by step tutorials to get me started,
thanks.

Re: mod help plz
 

Well, its actually much easier to create a multiplayer-only mod, rather than a single player mod.
That way, you can forget about the AIs, and just forge a universe without them holding you back.

I'm not much of an AI modder myself, but I'm sure one of them will be along shortly to give out some pointers.

Re: mod help plz
 

Kenster, are you modding an AI Player for stock se4 or are you creating a whole new environment and adjusting an AI to fit that environment?

Re: mod help plz
 

i started out just adding new ships from the ship sets u can get cos when i built the base ship it just wasnt big enough for me.lol.so i added new ships to the terran dir for myself and made the ships the size i wanted,but then i thought it wasnt very fair,so i want to add ships for the comp players to use but when i placed a new ship in their dir like the Eee for ex it didnt work,and also ive added tons of new research to my game,does the comp research and also use the new stuff ive added to the componenets folder

[ July 26, 2004, 22:46: Message edited by: kenster9119 ]

Re: mod help plz
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">sorry bud but i dont know what any of that means.lol

im only modding the game cos its very similar to a game called freelancer which i used to mod and most ofit is easy to understand.MOST.lol

Re: mod help plz
 

Ok, lets see...

First, you added some new pictures, and a vehicle size to match.
The Eee image didn't work for you... my first thought there is you may have not changed the racename at the beginning of the filename to read "EEE_<shipsize>" instead of "Terran_<shipsize>"

1) As for the AI using the ship hulls you created, if the tonnage is within the range of the existing ships, they'll use one of the existing design patterns.
Otherwise, you'll need to go into the AI_designCreation.txt and copy a blueprint to use for your really big ship hulls.

2) The AI research plan is found in AI_research.txt, just add an entry for new tech area name in the right order for when you want them to research it relative to the other existing techs.

3) What the AI will actually use depends on what its design blueprints call for, and what facilities it is told to build in the text files.

Re: mod help plz
 

Ok, then this is going to be your new environment and it is similar to freelancer http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Now that you added new Components to the Component data file: you may created new weapons numbers or abilities that the AI can use in that AI’s Design file to load your appropriate items on the Vehicle and then vehicle will have to be constructed by the AI and this is accomplished thru that AI’s vehicle file. Then you may need to address any new Facilities in that AI Facility Construction file and this will depend on the Colony typw and that is generated from that AI’s Planet File… Trust me this list can continue.

This was a very broad answer.

Let us start with an fictitious example or please fill int any title and we will build on this with your AI:

~A new weapon spelled DOOM.
~A new Facility called Heaven.
~We also will create a Hull class that is call FreeLance.
~A few new connecting techs for your research file.
Would you like a new Racial Trait or do you think we can start from this and is there anything else you may want to cover?

[ July 26, 2004, 23:09: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: mod help plz
 

Kenster,

Did you change the ship sizes, or add new ships to the VehicleSize.txt file in the DATA folder located in your base Space Empires IV main directory?

If this is all you have done, then the AI will automatically use the new sizes. Unless you add new components to the components file, you should be ok. If you do add new components, well then you have a lot of learning and reading ahead of you.

Modding is actually easy, its tracking what you mod for use with the AI's that is hard.

Re: mod help plz
 

Try reading these two threads for some helpful hints.


http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=23;t=011800
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...004;p=1#000041

Re: mod help plz
 

ok first to JLS,
i can allready add new weapons,faciltys and new techs trees,they were easy to figure out.lol.ive not messed with the racial traits yet,not 2 sure about them.

and to ATROCITIES,
no change in ship size,ive left all the origanal ships alone,ive added completly new ones and made a file for them in the vehchilesize.txt file,i just copied one of the others and changed its name and so on to how i liked it.and change the pic to for ex..terran_portait_killermk1,and terran_mini_killermk1.that works just fine for me when i play as terran but if i do the same with another race and let the comp play as them will the be able to research and use the new shipsi give them,sorry for the long post,i will check this thread again in tomorrow cos its late and im up early in the morn,thanx again,

Re: mod help plz
 

You seem off to a very good start then http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Please forgive my eagerness to help, if you have a specific question please be sure to ask http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I assume Atrocities has directed you to where you intended to go?

[ July 26, 2004, 23:53: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: mod help plz
 

im back again,does anyone know what the generic folder is for,there seems to be a race in there,when i start my modded game most of the origanal races seem to all use the generic ship set,does anyone know why.ta

Re: mod help plz
 

If your mod calls for an image that the race dosen't have, it will try to use the generic one.

For P&N, I had a "Battlemoon" ship size, and used a large rock/none planet as the generic image.
Races such as the Space Vikings will use thier own picture, but if they don't have a special one, the planet shows up instead.

I've lost a few battlemoons because I mistook them for simple uninhabited planets http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: mod help plz
 

sorry about this,im gonna start to get on ur nerves.lol.
when i download a new shipset only some of them come with Dsgnname files and emp files that go into the empires folder,r these needed and if so how can i make my own or copy and edit others to suit my needs and how come when i install the few shipsets that do work,when i play the game most of the origanal comp players use the generic shipset and not their own,and thats when ive added the new shipsets to the normal game,not a modded Version.
thanx again.

Re: mod help plz
 

Read the FAQ for a lot of the answers to these questions. Also check out the links in my previous thread.

Re: mod help plz
 

Read this http://www.astmod.com/BasicModdingTutorial2.txt

Yes. After starting SEIV,
a. Select NEW GAME
b. Click on the PLAYER SETTINGS tab.
c. At the bottom of this page choose the Racial Points for New Players. (2000, 3000, or 5000) *I like to play with 5000 Racial Points.*
d. Click on the PLAYERS tab (In this section you can either choose ADD EXSISTING or ADD NEW. The Existing Players are AI opponents that have already been set up and saved for use with new games. Add Player will allow you to set up a race the way you want.) NOTE: Most new Ship sets come with Emp. Files that you can copy from the race directory to the Empires Folder. This will give you access to that race without having to manually set it up.
e. Click on the ADD NEW tab. Under GENERAL DETAILS tab you can choose the race you want. Additionally, you can give it an empire name, empire type, Emperor title, Emperor Name, choose a design name file, (For use with ship design names). NOTE: If your new player is going to be computer controlled, then you will want to select both the Computer Controlled, and Use Race Minister Style option at the bottom of the General Details page.
f. Under the ENVIRONMENT tab you can select the atmosphere for the race, and the home planet type.
g. Under the CULTURE tab you can select the culture for the race. (At the bottom of the page is a button for COMPARE CULTURE MODIFIERS. Click that to compare the advantages and disadvantages for each culture.)
h. Under the CHARACTERISTICS tab you can either increase or decrease values for the player.
i. Under the ADVANCED TRAITS tab you can select advanced traits for the player. (I often choose my advanced traits first then do the Characteristic. Remember, for each of these you use, you will use up Racial Points. You can gain more racial points by decreasing the Characteristics below a 100%, but not a good idea for playing the AI. Good idea for PBW games if it’s your race.)
j. Under the DESCRIPTION tab you can fill in the information about your race, and select Demeour, and Happiness Type.
k. After you have set up the race, click the CREATE EMPIRE button at the bottom of the page.
l. Select the empire you just created from the Players in Game window, and then click Save to File.
m. Click no for save with designs
n. Click NEW EMPIRE, name it, and then click OK. You will have just saved that empire to the Empire Folder and it can now be accessed whenever you want to use it for a game. After you have added your new races, start playing the game. Before you do though, make sure all of your game settings are to your liking. Have fun, and I hope this has helped.

[ July 27, 2004, 20:32: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

Re: mod help plz
 

Note:
"Add existing" merely adds a saved race setup (EMP file).
Whether it is AI controlled or player controlled depends on whether the "computer controlled" checkbox is checked or not.
(under general details in the race setup)

Re: mod help plz
 

even though my mod has no origanal races left in the mod folder they still appear in the game,is there a way so i can only have the new races in the mod.

Re: mod help plz
 

i dont really use the add function,i mostly just add the race im gonna use and then start the game and the pc fills in the rest of the spaces for me,but its adding the origanal races and i dont want that.

Re: mod help plz
 

Do you have a pictures/races folder in your mod?

The game looks in the default folders for the things it can't find in your mod.

Re: mod help plz
 

i havent got the pictures for the origanal ships cos i was hoping not to have to use them,i ony want it to use my new ones and the pictures for them r all in the pics folder.

Re: mod help plz
 

...So do you have a mod\pictures\races folder, or just a mod\pictures folder?

Re: mod help plz
 

oh sorry bud,
yup i have the mod\pictures\races folder and my new races r in there.