Alien Races

Marty Ward · #1 February 17th, 2001, 07:24 AM

Maybe you could do it if you made all the tech tree into separate branches each linked to a racial trait. The tech tree would be huge.
You would be required to choose a racial trait that included a tech tree.
You could have a basic racial trait that gives the current tech tree and a custom tree for each other trait. This would certainly allow a more diverse and unique races.

Str8_Gain · #2 February 17th, 2001, 07:36 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Marty Ward:
Maybe you could do it if you made all the tech tree into separate branches each linked to a racial trait. The tech tree would be huge.
You would be required to choose a racial trait that included a tech tree.
You could have a basic racial trait that gives the current tech tree and a custom tree for each other trait. This would certainly allow a more diverse and unique races.

Looks like it'd be the only way implement such a thing like I described, given the constraints imposed by the game itself. Rather brute-force, and it would make a HUGE tech tree like you said.

Hmm, this could be a suggestion to float by MM.....

Marty Ward · #3 February 17th, 2001, 06:41 PM

If I knew what I was doing I would give it a try.
I would love to see the variety this could bring. There is so much potential for truely custom races.

Suicide Junkie · #4 February 18th, 2001, 07:37 PM

quote:
If I can't block off a tree entirely, I'd like to find a way to block availability of specific components that are normally there in the regular tree (like the B/LS/CQ combo mentioned above), and replace them with the components I'd like there for that specific race (all the other races would have tech trees that are unaffected unless they were also mechanicals).

Maybe you should just give them alternative components:

Bridge -> Control Nexus: Room where the Mechanoids 'plug in' to the ship's functions.
Life Support -> power nodes: The mechanoids need to charge their batteries, right?
Crew quarters: where you go when you're not needed right now.

The components would be much smaller (eg. crew quarters would be closet size).

When they research master computer, then they've designed an AI specifically to be installed in ships.

You could still have shortcuts to computer tech using their racial tech.

Str8_Gain · #5 February 18th, 2001, 09:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
Maybe you should just give them alternative components:
(snip)
You could still have shortcuts to computer tech using their racial tech.

Problem is, the "normal" components will still be there. On the other hand, mabye that's a good thing, since they can always build "export" Versions of their specialty ships (with racial-specific tech) as trade items.

Would it be possible if I made the alternative components part of the same family in Components.txt? Say, have the Bridge component and the "Control Nexus" component part of the same family, and the Nexus has a higher roman numeral number? Can you make Bridge number 0, and the Nexus 1 (where you can only reach it if you have the racial trait)?

I confess, I'm still very new at modifying these files. Any idea if there's any more documentation on these besides what's already in the files? The brute-force approach of completely replicating the entire normal tech tree and attaching race-specific IDs on them doesn't appeal too much to me, but if it's the only way, then well, I better get cracking.

Metheglyn · #6 February 19th, 2001, 09:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Str8_Gain:
Looks like it'd be the only way implement such a thing like I described, given the constraints imposed by the game itself. Rather brute-force, and it would make a HUGE tech tree like you said.

Hmm, this could be a suggestion to float by MM.....

I tried something similar to this, by pulling out all of the normal weapons components and techs, and by creating nine separate tech trees for nine separate weapons families. I made each family a racial trait. I expanded the weapons available in each tree, of course, and I did my best to balance the capabilities of each family. Yes, it's a lot of work, and yes, the tech tree becomes gigantic in a hurry. The problem is that when the Components.txt file passed 512Kb, the components at the bottom of the file never became available in the game. I could research whatever it was, but it didn't yield any components that I could use. I experimented with moving components around within the file by cutting and pasting, and whatever components were at the bottom at the time never became available, so I'm pretty sure the problem involves the size of the file. The game only reads it to a certain point and then quits.

Has anyone else encountered this? Am I right in my assumption? Is there a workaround?

Suicide Junkie · #7 February 19th, 2001, 09:19 PM

You'll have to make a new component no matter what, but all you have to actually do is:

copy-paste the original component
edit the name, size, cost, pic, whatever
add a new tech requirement: whatever the racial tech is.

If you want the component to be available from the beginning, you could make the first tech level really cheap.

--------------------

Sure, the normal components would still be there, but hey, they can waste space on extra-large bridges/lifesupport/crew quarters if they want. Not practical, but possible. It could be for alien crews, from captured populations, too.