Modding settings.txt OK for stock PBW games?

[AMF]

Does anyone know of a way to take two maps and combine them? From what I can tell, it doesn't look possible at all, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask...

Thanks,

Alarik

EDIT: clarification: I want to end up with one map made from the other two. Don't ask why...

[Captain Kwok]

Nope.

[geoschmo]

Sure, it's no problem at all. Open one map and look at where all the systems, planets and warp points are. THen open teh second map and create systems, planets, and warp points in all the same places.

Of course it will take you six months, and the utter repetitios monotony will drive you completely bat-stuff insane. But it's certainly possible to do, and isn't even that difficult.

[AMF]

I have a few more questions for all youse mpa editing vets out there:

If I place a nebula, and I place planets, asteroids, etc in it, will they ever become visible to the players? AS I understand it, they would become visible when the players have a sensor that can get through Level 3 claoking - so at that point they will detect the planets in the nebula and then be able to colonize them?

And, in the same vein, to make those planets invisible do I set the "Mask Background Objs flag" on, or off? If I set it on, they will be hidden, if I set it off, the planets will be both visible AND colonizable?

Thanks!

[Suicide Junkie]

Planets will remain invisible in the nebula until the player has a sensor strong enough to beat the nebula's cloaking effect.

Not nessesarily level 3; anywhere from 1 to 5 for stock nebulae.

[geoschmo]

The "mask background objects" setting doesn't make invisible objects visible. They are either visible or invisible depending only on game factors like the obscuration of the nebulae and the players sensor level. What the mask background objects does is when they do become visible due to sensors they will have a funky square around them if they are in a nebulae unless you turn that on.

[AMF]

Ok, next set of questions:

If I make a PBW game, can I modify the everything in the "settings.txt" file and the players won't have to worry about having the same modifications? ie: can I tell the players it is a stock game, but when I begin the game can I use custom settings.txt data and it won't be a problem? I guess I'm asking if the settings.txt data is only used a startup or map generation...

And how about all the other map type data? For example, can I mod secttype.txt, quadtypes.txt, when I create the GAM and not have the players worry about it? Ie: still be a stock game?

thnaks,

Alarik

[geoschmo]

You can't change everything in the settings.txt file, but you can change some things. I don't have a complete list, maybe someone else has compiled one, or you can use trial and error. Stuff like planetary resource values and default number of ships and units won't cause a problem for players using the stock settings.txt file. Things like population modifiers and number of mines per sector definetly will.

[capnq]

alarikf said:
If I place a nebula, and I place planets, asteroids, etc in it, will they ever become visible to the players?

If a player turns on "Show Planet Names", the hidden planets' names will reveal their positions.

[Aiken]

capnq said:

If a player turns on "Show Planet Names", the hidden planets' names will reveal their positions.

Are you sure? I'm in the Star Trek pbw game (quadrant of conflict) with a custom map which includes some hidden planets - in nebulas or storms. And I havent seen any planets or their names before I've developed necessary sensors. I had "show planet names" on.