Calling all programmers! New SEIV project needs you!

[capnq]

The FTL map seems interesting, but there are some major problems I can think of in using it.

The first one, and probably the biggest is that it would take far too long to create a new map for each game, unless you can change the way the editor works to automatically generate random maps with empty systems in every square.

This exact problem was what inspired my Hypermaze mod.

The second problem is that I've heard that putting too many systems in a map will cause the game/editor to crash.

The limit is 255 systems. I didn't change the maximum number for a large quadrant from the default in Hypermaze, because I've yet to feel limited by the standard 100 or less.

BTW, I did some more research on UCITA; it's only been ratified in Maryland and Virginia so far, which is quite a bit fewer states than I thought had adopted it.

[ June 10, 2002, 19:46: Message edited by: capnq ]

[geoschmo]

That all sounds great, but it doesn't apply to SEIV really. The question is would Malfador/Shrapnel allow such a thing to be done the way the authors of UT did. I am not saying they wouldn't, but you shouldn't assume they would.

You should contact them and find out. Email Malfador, and send a private message to Richard on this forum. They are the only ones really who's "opinion" about whether or not you can do this matters.

If you have permission, and source code, you will find your search for qualified programmers for your project much easier.

Geoschmo

[Richard]

I haven't read this entire thread, however...

If you talking about a exec patch that allows you to do certain things then I don't see where there would be a problem with it.

Reverse engineering the code is something entirely different.

[Shadowstar]

I sent an email to MM and he says pretty much what I'm trying to do with SEIV isn't going to be possible, but he also told me to "wait for SE5"...

I didn't even know there were plans for an SE5 (though I suppose it makes sense). The reply indicates that SE5 will have all the features I am looking for, so I'm content with waiting.

However, if someone CAN find a legal, ethical method of changing the current game code to allow what I want to do, please let me know.

If possible, I would definately like to see if I can put together an entire team to develop Starscape. I've thought about doing it as its own game (actually that's my ultimate goal), but because programming and me do not mix at all, I haven't been able to do that on my own. Also, at this point, I can't afford to hire a development team, so until I can start making gobs more money I'm sorta stuck with modding other games and using voluntary fan programmers. Maybe if I build up a big enough fanbase I won't need to worry about hiring a team...

The Starflight 3 project is like that, but it's a non-profit project (we will release the game as freeware).

Starscape website:
http://starscape.50megs.com

I should have posted the above link earlier I suppose. I am the only one who updates and edits the site, but it's been around for 2 years so theres alot of information accumulated all over the place. The comms archive contains a record of public in-game Messages every turn for each sector currently running, and is the best source of raw history for the game. The archives are in the Galactic Museum (I think)... The timeline is also a good source of history but it doesnt get updated very often and only goes back a few hundred years (Starscape has been actively running for almost 700 years of game time, 3 years of real time). Like real history, the game's history was recorded in several different ways (and sometimes inaccurately due to different points of view), and stored in various places and formats. This wasn't intentional, it's just the way things went as the site basically had to survive 4 seperate complete HD crashes, losses of data, and massive site reorganizations (most of the worst of which was earlier in the game's development). Over time, as the site and game evolved, things became more efficient, so there is more detailed history in the present than in the past. Very little actual history remains documenting the first games and the beginning of the Starscape universe (which was called Reach for the Stars then - I had to change the name when someone developed another game called Reach for the Stars and confusion ensued - course now it turns out that "Starscape" is the name of a newly developed RPG that mixes the Stargate SG-1 universe and the Farscape universe - which have nothing to do with my game - grr...).

Anyway, you get the idea. There is music on every page of the site (some people hate that) - I may remove alot of it later on... I mostly did it for dramatic effect but Im thinking I overdid it now so it will probably be mostly removed in the next update or so.

Visit the site and find out what all the hubbub in this thread is about... Might as well as Starscape will have to wait until SE5 before it can make it to this community.

[raynor]

However, if someone CAN find a legal, ethical method of changing the current game code to allow what I want to do, please let me know.

It is going to be extremely, extremely difficult to modify the existing game code. Without access to the Object Pascal (I believe) source code, you are left with disassembling the executable into assembly language. There are lots of people who can write programs in third and fourth generation Languages such as Pascal, C/C++, Java etc. The number grows much smaller when you talk about people of Aaron's caliber. The number grows smaller still, when you talk about the number of people who have the ability to disassemble a working program and try to insert in their own code to do various things.

Instead, I would suggest taking Baron Munchausen's excellent advice and look out on SourceForge.Net for an OpenSource effort to create a 4X game set in space. I just did a quick search and found one that looked promising.

Universe

A multiplayer turn based space strategy game similar to Masters of Orion. Written in Java, we are striving for a platform independent game. GPL'd source allows anyone to play for free!