Empire specific components, tech - possible?

[Elowan]

This question may have been fielded before but damnficanfindit.

Short of adding a Racial Trait - is there a Q&D (quick & dirty) way to make a component/tech/what-ever specific only to your empire?

Changing a Racial Trait prevents the game loading other empires by name without you resaving all the emps.

[pathfinder]

I may be wrong but make a new tech in techarea.txt and ONLY that race researches it in the AI_research.txt file. You'll probably have to make some kind of component pics, make a list of the component/tech levels in AI_component.txt plus put pics of the component in the component pic file.

[geoschmo]

Elowan, what you are trying to do is the definition of a racial trait, and it is impossible without changing the racial traits file.

However you are slightly incorrect. You can change the racial traits all you want, you just can't add or subtract racial traits form the file without redoing all the .emp files. You could make severl dummy racial traits that have no value and give no tech, and then change them later and set them up the way you want and it won't cause problems with the .emp files.

Geoschmo

[Elowan]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
... However you are slightly incorrect. You can change the racial traits all you want, you just can't add or subtract racial traits form the file without redoing all the .emp files. You could make severl dummy racial traits that have no value and give no tech, and then change them later and set them up the way you want and it won't cause problems with the .emp files.

Geoschmo

Yes - I could. But #1 - after adding those dummy traits - I'd still have to save the other emp files. Yes?

Also #2 - that racial trait - dummy or no - would have to appear (actually would) appear in the selectable traits at game start. Yes?

[Elowan]

Originally posted by pathfinder:
I may be wrong but make a new tech in techarea.txt and ONLY that race researches it in the AI_research.txt file. You'll probably have to make some kind of component pics, make a list of the component/tech levels in AI_component.txt plus put pics of the component in the component pic file.

Hmmm - I'll look into that.

I did look at that file and you may be right! How about it Geoschmo? Anyone try that?

[ August 18, 2002, 18:05: Message edited by: Elowan ]

[Suicide Junkie]

#1: Yes, but you would have to redo the EMPs anyways. This way, you get it out of the way once, and don't have to re-redo the EMPs next time you want to add racial traits.

#2: Yes, but just have them do nothing, and say "This is a mod expansion slot. Do not choose."