Bring back SE III Player Tech Levels! - Page 2

Barnacle Bill · #11 May 2nd, 2001, 09:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by dmm:
What you REALLY want is a SaveGameFile Editor)

Yes - the ideal would be to copy the one in Civilization II, where you could open the editor at any point in a game, change literally anything, then save it as a scenario.

Devnullicus · #12 May 2nd, 2001, 09:17 PM

I would vote for the scenario editor. The Map Editor is nice, but I think the scenario editor is needed far more to give people real creative control over their scenarios.

CaptSpoogy · #13 May 2nd, 2001, 09:33 PM

The Scenario Editor sounds like a lot of work for Aaron. It might be a very long time before we would see one...

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dmm · #14 May 2nd, 2001, 10:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by capt_spoogy:
The Scenario Editor sounds like a lot of work for Aaron. It might be a very long time before we would see one...

All we need are two programs -- one that translates the SaveGameFile into ASCII, and another that translates ASCII into a SaveGameFile. Both of these should be easy for Aaron to write. (Or Aaron could just explain the format of the SaveGameFile.) Then modders could write nice user interfaces for changing the ASCII, which would be the hard part. That's basically the way things were done for C&C Red Alert and for X-Wing.

Devnullicus · #15 May 2nd, 2001, 10:25 PM

I'm actually pretty good at doing front end programming. If Aaron would like to put out documentation for the layout of the savegame files, I would be glad to volunteer my time to create a scenario editor. I know there are other good programmers on this forum as well and I'm sure some of them would volunteer as well. Maybe we can even split up the work and get it done faster...

All Aaron would have to do is put out the savegame file layout documentation. =)

nerfman · #16 May 2nd, 2001, 10:38 PM

Yeh, but making the save game files open source will enable people to devise hacks for save game files that could mean a lot more cheating in pbem. I would be in favor of the editor and I only play w/ trusted friends anyway, but I just wanted to voice a trade off that would arise.

Trachmyr · #17 May 2nd, 2001, 11:15 PM

Here's my suggestion... make this part of "racialabilities.txt", it would need a tag like follows:

Number of Extra Techs := 4
Extra Tech Name 1 := Physics
Extra Tech Level 1 := 2
Extra Tech Name 2 := Phased Weapons
Extra Tech Level 2 := 1
Extra Tech Name 3 := Shields
Extra Tech Level 3 := 3
Extra Tech Name 4 := Sensors
Extra Tech Level 4 := 1

That way you can create "tech sets" for diffrent "themes" or Races AND charge points for them!

If your playing in a mid tech game... the "Raise level" value in "techarea.txt" affects the racial level not the normal level... and in a full tech game, the starting points are refunded to the race so they can buy other advanced traits.

[This message has been edited by Trachmyr (edited 02 May 2001).]

Aussie Gamer · #18 May 2nd, 2001, 11:36 PM

Another way is that you have a racial trait say called " Advanced Reasearch Race" worth 3000 points.
You then have them get an extra 10,000 RP for the entire game that way they get a big boost at the start but it does not really make that much difference later on.

Could do the same for Intel projects as well.

Could even have a race that can build any one project in one turn with a boost ablility for no extra cost in resources.

But I also liked the extra tech level boost from SE3 but with RP then this will be hard to do.

Marty Ward · #19 May 2nd, 2001, 11:47 PM

Trachmyr,
Does that idea work?
You could create an unlimited number of combinations or you could even assign every tech branch a value, say 50 points for level 1 APB but 1000 points for level 1 physics, and everyone could pick and choose their race techs.

Trachmyr · #20 May 2nd, 2001, 11:53 PM

No, it does not work... it would need to be implemented by MM, it was just an "alternative" suggestion to the SE3 style... I think it would be easier to implement in this form, as it could use many of the same algorithims that the game already uses to determine tech at the game start, it would also give races more of a unique "tech"-personality from the start of the game.