Has Anyone ever successfully added a new Racial Trait?

WhiteHojo · #1 March 14th, 2001, 07:47 PM

well, have you?

anyone who could be of a little assistance here would be remembered in my will.

All my attempts at adding a racial trait to the file results in the game being unable to load an existing empire. It can create a new one OK, and can randomly add an existing but when asked to add an existing one it give the can't find empirename.emp file...

help

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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.

Possum · #2 March 14th, 2001, 10:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by WhiteHojo:

All my attempts at adding a racial trait to the file results in the game being unable to load an existing empire. It can create a new one OK, and can randomly add an existing but when asked to add an existing one it give the can't find empirename.emp file...

WH, what exactly are you trying to do here? I've created new racial traits twice, and both times they worked fine. But I was adding them just to the RacialTraits.txt file, and selecting them myself as a human player. You refer above to "the file", and I'm not sure which one you mean. Is this the empirename.emp file you are referring to?

I have managed to add a racial trait, create an empire with that trait, save the empire to a file, and start a game. Later, I started a new game, and added the same empire from an existing file, all with no problems. Is this what you're talking about here? Would you like to see my work, humble as it is?

I'd like to help here if I can...

[This message has been edited by Possum (edited 14 March 2001).]

Nitram Draw · #3 March 14th, 2001, 10:22 PM

Possum,
I would like to see it.
Thanks

DirectorTsaarx · #4 March 14th, 2001, 10:35 PM

Based on the discussion here and in the Pirate thread, I attempted to add a Racial trait to SE4. As others have noted, it works fine IF you:

A) create races from scratch ("Add New")
B) let the computer generate random races

Which is what I expected, since I've done this before.

HOWEVER, if you attempt to "Add Existing" races after adding the racial trait in, an error message pops up stating "Can Not Load <empire name>.emp". So there must be something in the .emp file that doesn't work well with new racial traits. The workaround is generating new .emp files, which basically means creating each race from scratch, according to settings in appropriate General.txt files, and saving those races after the game starts.

Nitram Draw · #5 March 14th, 2001, 10:46 PM

I haven't tried it yet, cause I'm at work, but I believe if you restart yopur game, let the computer pick the other races, take control of the computer races on the first turn and save the race, using a different name than the original, then you will be able to add these new races in future games with the new racial trait.
I'm gonna try it but probably not until the weekend. I'm pretty sure it will work.

Possum · #6 March 14th, 2001, 11:00 PM

Tsaarx,

You're right! I hadn't tried that 'til just now, but it's true. I can choose Add Existing and add in my Jolly Roger Boys, and if after that I just let the computer add random races, then all is hunky-dory. But if I add the JRB's and then try to add another existing race, I get an error message.

Now why in the name of seven hells do you suppose that is?

Possum · #7 March 14th, 2001, 11:10 PM

Nitram,

OK, here you go.

This is a zipfile with pathing built-in. Point it at your SE4 directory and unzip. It will create a /Pirate directory, a /Data subdir under that, and sling all the data files in there. It will also add a pirates.emp file to your /Empires directory. It should NOT overwrite any of your existing files.

Obviously, you will need to edit your path.txt file, and change the entry of "None" to "pirate".

The first thing you'll need to do when you start a game is research Pirate Tech, under Applied Science. (I love the idea, just imagine the course names in the degree program, "Looting 101", "Advanced Pillage and Rapine")

Err, umm, if I forgot anything, you can email me at possum@planetfortress.com

[This message has been edited by Possum (edited 14 March 2001).]

Nitram Draw · #8 March 14th, 2001, 11:27 PM

Thanks Possum.
I'll give it a go with what I have also.

DirectorTsaarx · #9 March 15th, 2001, 03:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Possum:
Tsaarx,

You're right! I hadn't tried that 'til just now, but it's true. I can choose Add Existing and add in my Jolly Roger Boys, and if after that I just let the computer add random races, then all is hunky-dory. But if I add the JRB's and then try to add another existing race, I get an error message.

Now why in the name of seven hells do you suppose that is?

I'll have to give the standard answer: ask Malfador.

BTW - has anyone else noticed problems with other modifications wreaking havoc on the "Add Existing" function? Obviously, the TDM Modpack doesn't cause problems with it, but are there other mods that are incompatible with the stock .emp files?

Daynarr · #10 March 15th, 2001, 04:34 PM

When you add new racial trait, it makes all old emp files incompatible with the game. You will have to add all new traits you want and then make new emp files for each race.

I don't think of it as a bug in the game. It is more likely a possible precaution from some problems caused by adding another trait.