Plugins: The ultimate in moddability

Ed Kolis · #1 October 29th, 2002, 12:28 AM

Here's an idea for SE5...

Design the game with "handles" that allow players to write their own "plugins", much as in Photoshop or other programs. Don't like the enemy ships database? Write a plugin to convert it to Excel or your favorite database format. Don't like the combat engine? Replace it with one of your own - just make sure it takes the same inputs (ships and planets involved in combat) and returns the same values (ships destroyed and damaged, supplies consumed). This modular design would allow aspiring game designers who have "just the perfect idea" for how the game should work to actually implement it, without having to design a whole game around their idea - just plug it in to SE5! With some help, I think Aaron & co. could pull this one off... by around 2015

Taera · #2 October 29th, 2002, 01:30 AM

for some reason i think this is exactly what Aaron has in mind for future SEs....

Ed Kolis · #3 October 29th, 2002, 09:38 PM

Huh, why do you say that? Afraid of hacking or plagiarism? It would be a shame, actually, what with the SE series' growing trend toward customization that started with SE3...

Suicide Junkie · #4 October 29th, 2002, 09:42 PM

Now I'm confused...

Perhaps you'd better read Taera's post again.

Ed Kolis · #5 October 31st, 2002, 03:11 AM

Huh, I could have sworn he said "isn't" or something like that... Well if that's the case then I can't wait!

Taera · #6 October 31st, 2002, 04:21 AM

i didnt

Urendi Maleldil · #7 October 31st, 2002, 06:25 AM

Plugins would be great. This is similar to one of my first suggestions for SE4 before it came out.

I always thought it would be cool to have a plugin that added game elements too like a plugin to implement civilian ship traffic or pirates or something.

Taera · #8 October 31st, 2002, 08:11 AM

in fact if MM had implemented a very basic plugin support we would have had scenario editors etc floating around a while ago