Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Modding Limitations:

I have noticed over the course of many days that there are several limitations as to what you can or can not mod in SEIV. If I am mistaken about something I have listed below, please let me know.

1. The game chooses a random BMP image to display while setting up your race. If the game chooses an image that is no longer available it displays an error. It would be helpful to be able to mod this feature and tell it what images to display.
2. I have tried to add requirements to ship in the VehicleSize.txt file but have been unsuccessful. It would be nice to be able to add requirements to ships, fighters, and bases. For example adding the requirement that all ships must have a warp core AND engines. Or that Federation ships must have Medical and Shuttle bays.
3. The ability to set each levels research cost independently. Example: Lv 1 cost 5 k, level 2 cost 10 etc.
4. I would like the ability to tell the game to Process X amount of turns automatically to test the AI.

5. In the Settings.txt file in the Data folder I set the amount of Neutral empires to a higher number in correspondance to the main Empires with no luck. IE 5 main AI empires to 15 Neutrals. These settings must be enacted so that we can use fewer main races. For Example: The new star trek mod only has 10 main races. I have 20 neutral races but the game will not recognize the settings for using more neutral race. Instead it copies the main races in order to fill the requirements for 20 players. This is very frustraiting.

I have found a work around for the auto turn idea, just turn off some thing in the Minister/Empire Options screen, and hold down the F12 key. Works slick as snot.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you really want to specify exactly the cost for each level, you can make each level a separate area.

You do lose the low/medium/high cost settings though.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

On point #1, all Aaron has to do is make it pick a random existing image in the mod directory if present instead of picking a random image based on the default ship size.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

MB made a program that processes a bunch of turns for AI testing, you know. I forget what it is called though...

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

It's been posted before, but I'll post it again in the hope that 'the powers that be'(MM) will add them:
1) a component that can generate research points.
2) a component that will generate Intel points.
3) a component that will store resources.

The above will allow 'true' Nomadic Races.
The Space Gypsy's will thank you! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

I am not sure how it is for testing modded data files, but for testing AI's MB's batch program is a god send. I always use it to test mine. At first, run 50 turns with a save every turn, you can see how the AI progresses in the early game. Then, after some tweaking, run 150 turns with a save every ten. Finally, after even more tweaking, run 300 turns with a save every 10 turns. No better way I have found yet. Thanks MB!!

PS - Don't forget to use the AI deathmatch map, include your race AI against the Tessalate, and run 500 turns. If you Last til 300, youve done a good job with your AI files.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">How about a component that generates population growth for the stored population on board a ship? So you wouldn't need planets to increase your people.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Where can I get the file and how do I use it?

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

i would love it if we could mod the warp points...

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Mod the warp points how?

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

the ablility to add cloaking etc...

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

You can add all relevant abilities to them. You can add cloaking to them, which functions exactly like it does on other stellar objects; it cloaks everything else in that sector. You can not have them be invisible, but that is a slightly different issue. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ June 28, 2003, 05:12: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

More granularity in the special weapons types.

For instance, right now you don't have a choice whether or not your Engine Damaging weapons skip shields. Maybe I'd like some variety, and have some that do skip shields and some that don't. I think that the "damages engines" flag should be seperate from the "skips shields" flag.

Of coarse, this isn't limited to just Engine destroyers. Weapon destroyers, Computer destroyers, etc. all are hard coded whether or not they skip shields. Seperate those two abilities, please. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif indeed as you knew what i was saying http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

I don't want to discourage anybody, but I am afraid these ideas will be only for SE V because I doubt very much there will be any further patch for SE IV. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Q, you're being a bit too pessimistic.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=23;t=009392

scroll down to the post by Geo. No gurrentees, but its possible.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

flags! thats what we need!
SKIPS SHIELDS : YES/NO
SKIPS ARMOR : YES/NO
and whatever else is, we need FLAGS! lol
*waves a flag around*

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I would love to be wrong!!

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Try this for Federation ships add Medical Bay, Launch/Recover Fighters and Cargo Storage ability to VehicleSize File.

eg
Name := Escort
Short Name := Escort
Description :=
Code := ES
Primary Bitmap Name := Escort
Alternate Bitmap Name := Escort
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 200
Cost Minerals := 200
Cost Organics := 200
Cost Radioactives := 100
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 2 := Federation Technology
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Number of Abilities := 4
Ability 1 Type := Combat To Hit Defense Plus
Ability 1 Descr := 40% harder to hit in combat.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 40
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Medical Bay
Ability 2 Descr := Cures level 1 plagues.
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0
Ability 3 Type := Launch/Recover Fighters
Ability 3 Descr := Can launch and recover fighters.
Ability 3 Val 1 := 1
Ability 3 Val 2 := 4
Ability 4 Type := Cargo Storage
Ability 4 Descr := Provides 90kT worth of cargo space.
Ability 4 Val 1 := 90
Ability 4 Val 2 := 0
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 1
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 1
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 2
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 0

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Hello everyone, Been a long time.
Atrocities i enjoy the AST mod,its great http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif keeps me coming back for more while selecting other teck trees bajorin +federation etc.Was also hoping too play Capt kwoks Mod too, untill bad luck happen http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif .

3 Things needed for next patch are:

1)INTELL > Expand Ais Intell reponses trade solutions/ treaty.
1a) INTELL > Add % to field on the (Active Intell Project) menu (Note; This will give the HUMAN player empire,the choice of using offensive/defensive projects strength) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif .
2) Event Tab > Will show a list report to Human player of location and times of all severity events reported in past,present,Planet/Sun will explode year????. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
3)A peace treaty to cancel war and set current treaty to 'none'.Note:Once you go to war with any AI empire, you can never make peace again or any other treaty.
Any comments on these Improvments?

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I would love to be wrong!!</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Believe me, you are wrong! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Like I've said in my mod's thread, and on the SEV wish list, there could be a little more flexibility as far as what types of components units may carry. If nothing else, Boarding Parties!!!

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

TNZ the idea was to have a requirement not an ability. Ability really does not matter for a ship unless you want to make it a specific technology type. But thanks any ways.

And I doubt there will be another patch for SEIV. I do hold out hope though, but the chances, even if there was another patch, that some of the major modding issues and other concerns would be corrected are slim. The patch would more than likely contain only modest bug fixes.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There's going to be one Last patch. Aaron himself has said that he plans to do one final patch after Starfury is out the doors. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
And then he will begin work on SEV. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ July 07, 2003, 03:52: Message edited by: Ragnarok ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Wouldn't it be great if the Last patch allowed SE4 combats to be carried out in Starfury?

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

I doubt the Last patch will introduce any particularly ambitiouts new features- after all, if the new patch introduced loads of bugs he'd have to release another (Last Last) patch to fix them =-)

I think maybe we need to resurrect the "bang for the buck" mod suggestion thread.

[ July 07, 2003, 09:39: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Well that is good to hear, but I agree, no new stuff.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just to restate what I would like to see for the next patch.

[ July 07, 2003, 12:16: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

A few things I've thought of..

-Fix the null planet issue! Almost impossible to add new planet sizes without running into this.

-Star: Unstable and a few other abilities don't work. It would be nice if they did (especially the "ground defense modifier" one)

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You are so, so wrong my friend. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Make the ability

"Change Bad Intelligence Chance - System"

- which is used in the fate shrine - finally effective.

I reported this bug months ago to MM and received confimation that he got the message, but to my knowlegde this ability has never been made functional.

[ July 08, 2003, 09:52: Message edited by: Q ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

One of the biggest limitations in making a mod, to me, is the necessity to have 20 races when you only want 10. This can destroy the premise of a mod. Another problem is how the AI selects a ship’s components by ability types instead of by the name of the component.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">OH HELL YES! This would be a great fix! Thanks for reminding me about it. I cannot believe I forgot about it.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think this is hard-coded into the game and can't be modded.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Same deal, but I highly sympathize. I tried to do a "STNG" interface and had to throw in the towel - the way the interface uses the BMP files defies logical comprehension. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know there's a list of hotkeys that already come with the game out there somewhere, but it's location escapes me at the moment. I don't think there's a way to program more of them, however.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I believe this thread is abotu things we would like chagned in the next patch (hard coded) so that we can better mod the game. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is that "way to program more of them" that I really want, but I'd like more of them added to the game anyway.

[ July 08, 2003, 13:39: Message edited by: Loser ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't think you need 20 races. If you want to play with 10 only but use the "add random computer player" feature in the game set-up you only have to edit the corresponding numbers in the settings.txt file.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That would be indeed great! Just leave the original possibility to call for a ability but add the alternative to call for a specific component name in the design file. MM added a very similar possibility for the construction file so I believe this could be done.

[ July 08, 2003, 16:14: Message edited by: Q ]

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

I would like to see the requirements and restrictions in the RacialTraits.txt working. That would be soooo helpful.

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh yes I agree whole-hearted!

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

Make the range and rate matter in Troop combat.

Make the interface more modifyable.

Hot keys?

Re: Modding Limitations: Things needed for Next Patch
 

In the RacialTraits.txt there's a line to add a picture to a certain trait. It isn't operational, I would like to see that work.