Messing Starting Tech Levels

[Fyron]

If I change the starting levels for various techs in techarea.txt, say at the medium level, and I create a game, would the game load with the standard SEIV files? Hmmm, that sounds confusing. Here's what I mean:

I alter the Medium Tech Start level for Ship Construction to, say, 4. I then create a game and save it. Could I load the game with the normal techarea.txt? All I changed was the starting level of technology. The only reason I'd want to do this is if I wanted to create a PBW game that actually starts at a middle level in the tech tree, and I want to know if all the players have to have the modified Version of techarea.txt or not.

[Phoenix-D]

Yes, that should work. But it will apply to everyone in the game, by nature.

EDIT: they shouldn't need to modified file, but the only way to find out is test it..

Phoenix-D

[ 08 December 2001: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

[Baron Munchausen]

If you add techs at the END of the file you can resume an old savegame. The same goes for components.txt and facility.txt for that matter. If you change the ORDER of the components/facilities/tech fields, including inserting new levels of existing items, then it will screw up old games. If you change existing tech levels even without moving them the results are unpredictable. I don't think that works.

[ 09 December 2001: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[DirectorTsaarx]

Baron: I don't think the Imperator is adding components or changing the tech level requirements, he's just changing the "starting tech level", i.e., which tech level a race starts with. It might work, but ISTR that the latest patch does some checking of data files to make sure someone isn't trying to cheat by using different files to run their turn.

[Phoenix-D]

quote:

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It might work, but ISTR that the latest patch does some checking of data files to make sure someone isn't trying to cheat by using different files to run their turn

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Yes. But that can be gotten around, *if* you're the host.

So:
Pre-game, send all files out, replace files
First turn, use modded files
afterfirst turn, everyone replaces their files and the host switches over to the normal SE4 set.

In order to do that, the host just needs to run another turn manually; that'll load the different data files for the game. AIs get a leg up on human players, and the human players are probably going to loose a turn, but that can't really be avoided.

Phoenix-D

[Fyron]

I just wanted to have the game start at a higher tech level, not add new technologies (well, not in this post, anyways ). The "medium" tech start is really only a low tech start. I wanted to make the game start at a real medium level because the early game goes too slow, and I don't like the high tech start.

quote:

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Pre-game, send all files out, replace files
First turn, use modded files
afterfirst turn, everyone replaces their files and the host switches over to the normal SE4 set.

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Is all that really neccessary if all I do is change the starting tech levels?

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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Is all that really neccessary if all I do is change the starting tech levels?

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Compare it to the other options. That is a quick & simple alternative .

[Phoenix-D]

You *may* be able to get away with changing the files on the host for the first turn, then changing them back (0 player involvment), but I wouldn't count on it.

If the above doesn't work, you can still make the process shorter, but then your players miss the (often very important) first turn.

Phoenix-D