PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

I just started playing with new planet sizes, and I tried to make a new planet size, smaller than "tiny". It would be a really small moon world, with one facility of you can breathe "none". Domed, you'd get no facilities, so you'd only be able to use it to grow people and build small units.

The thing ended up as having no picture, "--" for a surface type, "NA" for atmosphere type, optimal conditions, and normal resource value.

Does anybody here know how to add new Planet sizes properly? The text file has no hints http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

The sectortype file defines the planet size.

You can not have any size type then was is defined. The name (I think) can be super tiny but the stellar name has to be tiny in the Planetsize file.
These things are hard coded.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

Thanks for the help.

I've had the Micro planets show up perfectly fine, but some of them are still "-" instead of "Rock - Micro" like the others, with "NA" for an atmosphere.

edit)Its only some of them too. In one game, I can see one Micro thats working and one that is not.

Edit2)I just found that some of the random-sized planets are choosing Micro, but I can see a random Micro that works.

So far, I've got:
one of these in systemtypes
Obj 13 Physical Type := Planet
Obj 13 Position := Ring 5-7
Obj 13 Stellar Abil Type := Normal Asteroids
Obj 13 Size := Micro
Obj 13 Atmosphere := None
Obj 13 Composition := Rock

plus, in systemtypes one of these for every atmosphere:
Physical Type := Planet
Picture Num := 220
Description := A piece of rock barely large enough for gravity to form it into a sphere.
Planet Size := Micro
Planet Physical Type := Rock
Planet Atmosphere := None

Physical Type := Planet
Picture Num := 220
Description := A very small moon sized body which has accumulated a thick layer of surface ice.
Planet Size := Micro
Planet Physical Type := Ice
Planet Atmosphere := None

and for planetsizes.txt I have
Name := Micro
Physical Type := Planet
Stellar Size := Tiny
Max Facilities := 1
Max Population := 250
Max Cargo Spaces := 500
Max Facilities Domed := 0
Max Population Domed := 10
Max Cargo Spaces Domed := 200
Constructed := False
Special Ability ID := 0

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 02 June 2001).]

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 02 June 2001).]

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

Ok I found your problem.
If you use this set
Obj 13 Physical Type := Planet
Obj 13 Position := Ring 7
Obj 13 Stellar Abil Type := Normal Planet
Obj 13 Size := Micro
Obj 13 Atmosphere := None
Obj 13 Composition := Rock

it will place them as planets but it will remove all moons from the map (why this happens -- I don't quite understand yet).

If you remove it totally from the SYstemTypes file, then they will be placed randomly as moons and planets.




[This message has been edited by Dracus (edited 02 June 2001).]

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>it will place them as planets but it will remove all moons from the map.

If you remove it totally from the SYstemTypes file, then they will be placed randomly as moons.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't quite follow. There were still small and tiny moons, and the Micro planets were used as both moons or planets.

I will change it to "Normal Planet", and see what comes up.
I'm thinking that maybe the Gas Giants are trying to use the Micro size, since they are only prohibited from being tiny or small...

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

If you remove the entry from the SystemsType file then when a map is created, every place the game wants to put a tiny planet or moon. it will randomly pick between the micro ones and the standard tiny one. This is because they both use the tiny stellar setting.

In the 7 or eight maps I have looked at, if you define it in the file, all the moons go away.

Now you can't define it as an astroid since astroids can not be colonized. This causes the map to do weird things.
I tested this on a standard load 1.35 with no modded files.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

Oh and one other thing, they will show up in the map editor and you can pick them.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>In the 7 or eight maps I have looked at, if you define it in the file, all the moons go away.

Now you can't define it as an astroid since astroids can not be colonized. This causes the map to do weird things.
I tested this on a standard load 1.35 with no modded files.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm doing QuickStart with Eee for the ancient race trait, and this is the first modding I've done with the system settings. The only thing I've changed before were descriptions (Level 5 nebulas say "obscures ALL" instead of "some")

My moons are normal, and I have the occasional Micro moon because of my addition to the Standard 1 system.
Some of the "Any/Any" planets turn out to be Micros, but I still get wierd invisible "null" worlds.

When you load the game, click the planets list ans scroll through to find a planet without a picture... It'll be sitting all alone and not have any properties other than resource value. (Its not even a Micro)
That is the problem I still have.

If you can't duplicate the null worlds, I'll upload a zip of the altered files.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

Yes post the files, I can not seem to get the same results as you.
Everything I try gives me good results or the weird missing moons results.

Correction, I fixed the weird missing moons problem by adding a space between the 5 - 7
I changed it to 2 - 7 to get them to show up in any ring.

Obj 13 Physical Type := Planet
Obj 13 Position := Ring 2 - 7
Obj 13 Stellar Abil Type := Normal Planet
Obj 13 Size := Micro
Obj 13 Atmosphere := None
Obj 13 Composition := Rock

Still can't get any blank ones.



[This message has been edited by Dracus (edited 02 June 2001).]

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

OK, here are the files. They are all original SE4 V1.35 except for
-Planetsize.txt
-QuadrantTypes.txt
-SectType.txt
-SystemTypes.txt

The list of Planets usually shows two or three null planets, on a quick start Eee game.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

Ok I found a number of problems. I saw your blank planets.

I fixed them If you use this files as they are, You should not get any blank planets.
All you have to do is change the description for each of the micro planets in the planetsize file and you are done.If you still have problems let me know.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>All you have to do is change the description for each of the micro planets in the planetsize file<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

As soon as I try to add the Micros to the SystemTypes, I start getting null planets again.

I want these Micros to give huge planets lots of nearly useless moons. So, I copy some entries and locate the Micros at "same as x", and update the count of objects.
Null planets appear.

What is wrong with adding another entry in the SystemTypes?!? http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon8.gif

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

I noticed that also, I am still working on that part.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

The first file you posted had micro gas giants, the game as far as I can tell the game freaks out if you try to make gas giants any smaller then large.
As for adding them as moons, it looks to be that For you to do the "same as", the other planet has to be huge/large. When I try to link it to any other size I get the blank planets.
As far as i can tell, it seems to only let you define one ring for each entry.
My question is ---what is the upper limit of planets a system can have? I think it is 15 planets total, but I am not sure.

Also it does not seem to allow more then two moons per planet.

i also seem to not to get it to allow me to add other objects either. i get the null planets

the only thing i can get to work is changing the existing moons to micro, but then all moons in those type systems will be worthless.

I will keep working on it. Maybe adding a new system with just giants and micro moons.




[This message has been edited by Dracus (edited 04 June 2001).]

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The first file you posted had micro gas giants, the game as far as I can tell the game freaks out if you try to make gas giants any smaller then large.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I never really wanted micro gas giants, but I just threw that in after the Nulls showed up, thinking that some of the ANY/ANY planets might have been choosing the micro size and not finding any gas giant entries to use (resulting in the null entries)
The description I made sounded good for why it could be a gas "giant" while smaller than most moons, though http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>As for adding them as moons, it looks to be that For you to do the "same as", the other planet has to be huge/large. When I try to link it to any other size I get the blank planets.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I was getting Null planets when I just had the location as "ring x".

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

I was trying to do something much like this... I was trying to put asteroids around planets. I was able to get it to work, but with one big downfall. I had to make all the asteroids 'asteroid' size... which make planet makers useless. I tried VERY hard to get this to work without changing the size, but all planets that were going to have asteroids needed to be huge size. Reason: you CAN'T specify an asteroid size (if you do you get the 'null' planet)... IF its around a planet, but you can if it is a stand-alone. Well, you can have smaller planets, but run the risk/chance of having the asteroid as the main item in the sector. I did send this in to MM, but never recieved any response... So basically, I'm not sure at all if this could be done.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Well, you can have smaller planets, but run the risk/chance of having the asteroid as the main item in the sector.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've had my Micro planets appear as 'moons' of an asteroid belt. They came up as "Curyok asteroid belt I A" and worked fine.

I may not have done enough tests, but I got the impression that the Micros that I added (where I used "Micro/Rock/None" instead of Any/Any/Any") worked fine and only random planets were going null on me.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

bump

Anybody have any Ideas on how to make lots of tiny (micro) moons?

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

I'm sorry, how do you get rid of the null planets? I'm trying to mod more variation as well.

Edit: Oh, there seems to be a thread that explains it, but I can't find it. Can anyone post a link?

[ May 09, 2004, 06:34: Message edited by: atari_eric ]

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

I believe the answer (found elsewhere) was to add all the new sizes to the end of the list.

Re: PlanetSize.txt and creating new Sizes
 

That is not strictly necessary. Check out Krsqk System Mod, for example. Or was it Quadrant? I forget...