#SE4 Speaker #4 - Tesco Topic :Modding 101 Part 1

[tesco samoa]

Time August 13h 17:00 hours Pacific Time. 8 pm Eastern Time.
Guest Tesco
Topic : Modding 101 Part 1.

Hi this thread will be used to post questions for Mr. Tesco to answer ahead of time. An abbridged Version of this thread will be posted with the minutes from the session on #se4 on the gamesnet irc server.

Those who cannot make it please post your questions here.

This thread will also be used for any follow up to the session on #se4.

Please do not ask away about SF or SEV... As these will be future topics that will be dicussed when the programs are released and will not get Mr. Tesco or the other members of the community in trouble with Aaron.

But you can ask away about Modding and the tools involved with creating them.

So ask away.

As this will be a great time to learn some stuff about Modding.

I wish to take this time to thank Mr. Tesco for his time and all the work he has done for the community.

Take care all.

Tesco.

[tesco samoa]

This is an instructional series

Required Reading is DavidG's Modding Tool Version 1.73

Part 1. We will be learning how to use the 1.73 modding tool, installing the image mod and setting up the basics for a mod based off the Stock Version of SEIV. Dicussing themes of the mod and some basic tricks of the trade to make modding easier

Part 2. We will be setting up the propulsion system for the mod. as an example we will set up the mod to have the qnp system. We will also look at ships and units

Part 3. We will be setting up the global settings for the mod , cultures , maps , events planet sizes and other stuff and show how to import stuff from other mods to affect these settings. The Population will be looked at indetail.

Part 4. We will be building new facilities and altering some of the current ones

Part 5. We will be building new components and altering some of the current ones

Part 6. We will deal with the balance of the current mod that is built and ways of testing the mod out.

Part 7. We will create a new advanced racial trait and its facilities and components

Part 8 We will about some advanced modding theories such as The "Economies of scale" idea... No sweepers/few, expensive mines... Leaky shields... Leaky armor... Grid techs... monsters and others

Part 9 We will package the mod for beta release for beta testing and release it to the seiv world for feedback.

Part 10. We will release a production Version of the mod and set it up on PBW for testing and inform the various sites that there is a new mod.

Yes the life and death of a mod.

Now each week may consist of 1 part or more depending on the speed. And there will be some guest speakers who will speak for a few minutes here and there about an area.

For those who are not able to attend the meetings everything will be posted here so you can follow along and ask questions.

Please try to keep this topic on topic.

The follow up to this Series will be a series on modding the ai.

[Erax]

OK Tesco, first ahead-of-time question : have you worked on any of the existing mods ? If so, what was your contribution ?

I really liked the let's-create-a-mod-workshop idea, I'll see if I can be there. Gotta get DavidG's modder and study it till then.

[tesco samoa]

hi. i have built a few.

current known mods are

tesco mod (1.49) mod never updated

sweet mod series ( there are 3 Versions in play and a varation called sweet ancients )

The Temporal mods ( 3 Versions for when the temporal weapons were broken )

the unfinished tech grid mod. ( which sits on a shelf gathering dust... maybe when nhl starts up again )

And the top secert mod that is currently in the works with a few people which should be released for public use Sept 5th... But I cannot go into details on that. Just drop a hook.

I have helped out on other mods ( usually just suggestions, ideas, naming of stuff or conversations )

Created maps and design names.

All in all i have a good 2 years of modding experence behind me and most likely the record on pbw with number of mod uploads ... this is only to bug geo... as the sweet games play out on the mod it starts with and the next game gets the next Version

Hey looking at that i think that the Last few years have not been a complete waste of time. Please tell my wife that

[tesco samoa]

Hi. I am so sorry I will have to cancel myself tomorrow night.

RLI has really hit hard. Fryon knows if you wanna ask.
I am really sorry. As stuff has just kept coming up the past few weeks. I hope things improve soon. As it has been a really hard summer. If it was not for the bad luck then it would be no luck

[tesco samoa]

Hi people.
Life still bad.

But I hope to run this on wed coming up.

I am prepairing a document to go along with the lessions.

Just Screen prints with some text.... I will post them as the modding goes along. I think that user comments will be good as well.

This will work hand in hand with the current modding information that is out there.

My question is what format do you wish for the document to be saved in for future downloads etc...

[Fyron]

Text is always best... that or HTML.

[Suicide Junkie]

With HTML, you can upload it all to shrapnel for instant viewing.
Just be sure to upload the images first, so you can change your links to match the shrapnel filenames.