new colony techs/components
 

I had a question about modding the tech tree. I've managed to successfully add a small number of my own custom techs to the SE4 techarea.txt file, and they seem to work out ok. I tried making a multi-environment tech for creating a colonizing component that can colonize any type of colony late in the game. However, everytime I try that that game will not load, citing an error in the techarea.txt file. I can add a multi-environment colony module into the game if it depends only on having all three existing colonization techs, but it causes a different error where species have different colony techs than what is specified in their race setups, ie for human it would give them gas giant colonization rather than rock planet colonization. Are there rules hard coded into the engine that prevent changes/additions to technologies and components involving colonization?

Re: new colony techs/components
 

It is likely that you placed your new component at the beginning of the file. This would mess up the given techs at the start. Try moving all your new components to the end of the file, and watch out for double blank lines, as SE4 dosen't take them well.

Re: new colony techs/components
 

I tried adding the component in as the Last thing in the components.txt file and it still generates that error with races having a colonizing tech that does not match their setup. No matter which environment you pick for your homeworld it always gives you gas giant colonization as your starting tech.

I'm fairly sure it's not a typo, this is the second problem I've run into in which something that should be ok generates a weird error, from my experminting it seems you can't add climate control facilities to the AI's facility construction queue. I've written Malfador to see if it's some sort of safety precaution written into the game engine. Well here's the component, maybe someone can see an error in it that i've missed?

Name := Multi - Enviro Colony
Description := Materials needed to start a colony orbiting a gas giant.
Pic Num := 108
Tonnage Space Taken := 200
Tonnage Structure := 200
Cost Minerals := 2000
Cost Organics := 1000
Cost Radioactives := 1000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 0
Restrictions := None
General Group := Colonizing
Family := 5004
Roman Numeral := 0
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 3
Tech Area Req 1 := Gas Giant Colonization
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 2 := Rock Planet Colonization
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Tech Area Req 3 := Ice Planet Colonization
Tech Level Req 3 := 1
Number of Abilities := 4
Ability 1 Type := Colonize Planet - Rock
Ability 1 Descr := Can colonize a rock based planet.
Ability 1 Val 1 :=
Ability 1 Val 2 :=
Ability 2 Type := Colonize Planet - Gas
Ability 2 Descr := Can colonize a gas giant planet.
Ability 2 Val 1 :=
Ability 2 Val 2 :=
Ability 3 Type := Colonize Planet - Ice
Ability 3 Descr := Can colonize an ice based planet.
Ability 3 Val 1 :=
Ability 3 Val 2 :=
Ability 4 Type := Cargo Storage
Ability 4 Descr := Provides 20kT worth of cargo space.
Ability 4 Val 1 := 20
Ability 4 Val 2 := 0
Weapon Type := None

Re: new colony techs/components
 

I had the same idea just prior to the 1.30 mod release. It seemed to work OK before but now seems to not work at all.
I think that maybe the mod did something that stops this from working.

Re: new colony techs/components
 

Well, I copy/pasted your tech into my game and whaddaya know - it works. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

I don't have any idea why this doesn't work for you but I had no errors at all and could colonize all planets with it (I used UFP - Rock/Oxygen race). It gets even better - AI is also putting this component on all of its colony ships.

Re: new colony techs/components
 

Weird, weird, weird. Wish it would work for me. I was hoping that the AI would use the component so it could simply things for itself a bit. Well least it works for someone.