Work on MainStrings.txt

[President_Elect_Shang]

Who else has been modding the MainStrings.txt file. I was just working on it and I think other resources can be added to the game. I am not up to trying it yet. I have other work to do with the SFTC. However if I am reading the lines right new things can be added. For example I have already changed the game so it no longer looks for:

Space Combat Turn Rate Decrease Per kT
Instead it wants:
Space Combat Turn Rate Decrease Per HS

And that is just one example of what I have changed. If I can turn the game to look for a new line than I should be able (with enough empty lines in the right places) script a new resources. Or many other things for that matter.

Back on track! Sorry this is all pretty thrilling for a modder to find. Anyway has anyone else tried this yet? What have you changed about the MianStrings.txt. Didn't the Wiki page say something about it can't be changed? Am I alone in this stuff?

[Captain Kwok]

Mainstrings.txt only controls how strings are interpreted. For example, you could change the name of the ability "Master Computer" to "Command Computer", which means you would have to change the Master Computer entry in Components.txt to use the ability "Command Computer", but it would still do the same thing as it did before. It's only really useful for making translations, such as if you were making a German version, you'd want to re-name all the abilities to German names etc. Alternatively you could re-name resource types but you wouldn't be able to add any new ones.

[Raapys]

Yeah, I've tried, and it looks like it's impossible to add anything to that file: the main executable expects it to be of a certain size so it wont let you start the game if you do add something.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I know you can't add any new lines. I tried and it does complain. However, in this case I found open lines so you are not adding any new ones. I would agree with you CPT Kwok except by adding there I think you can script it elsewhere then have SE5 act on the instructions we have given. There are a few references in the first pdf he put out with the 1.20 patch (?) that mention scripting and defining functions. I think as long as we add an entry here SE5 wont complain if that entry is added elsewhere. I'm not saying you can get planets to mine the base three and another new one. More like you can get SE5 to treat a new entry as a resource. I'm pulling from thin air based on speculation. If anything like that proves true can you imagine the possibilities? I said something about SE5 starting the Golden Age of modders but if this holds true or if Aaron can add it in for us saying Golden Age would be an understatement.

[Captain Kwok]

I don't think so. Each entry corresponds to a specific item like an ability or displayed text. The empty entries won't do anything because they are not currently used in the game. There's no way for us to code in a function to treat a new entry or even a current entry in a different way.

The coolness of MainStrings.txt lies in the fact that for a mod like Space Food Empires - I could rename the resources and even the abilities associated with them to what I wanted. For example, I change Minerals to Carbohydrates and so I would change the ability "Mined Resource Generation - Minerals" to something like "Resource Point Generation - Carbohydrates" etc.

[Suicide Junkie]

Or "Nutrient Extraction"

[Captain Kwok]

Actually SJ, I've been waiting for you to rename the resource types etc. for your GGmod.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I have already done some renaming, so I knew that part.