Help with modding problem

[Krsqk]

I am having trouble getting two new racial techs I'm modding to work right with medium- and high-tech starts. Here's the data (with names changed):

code:

---

Name                  := Racial Tech 11A

Group                 := Applied Science

Description           := Wonderful fun new tech A.

Maximum Level         := 10

Level Cost            := 5000

Start Level           := 1

Raise Level           := 4

Racial Area           := 11

Unique Area           := 0

Can Be Removed        := False

Number of Tech Req    := 0

 

Name                  := Racial Tech 11B

Group                 := Applied Science

Description           := Wonderful fun new tech B.

Maximum Level         := 10

Level Cost            := 5000

Start Level           := 1

Raise Level           := 4

Racial Area           := 11

Unique Area           := 0

Can Be Removed        := False

Number of Tech Req    := 0

---

My problem is that tech 11A won't go up to the Raise Level or Maximum Level settings on med/high tech starts. Tech 11B will. This happens even if I switch the order.

Any ideas?

[ March 28, 2003, 01:36: Message edited by: Krsqk ]

[spoon]

Are they both supposed to have this line:

Racial Area := 11

Or should one be a different Racial Area?

[Krsqk]

Yep, they're both racial tech 11. Kind of like Organic Technology and Organic Weapons. Hmmm, I'll check if those both max out for full tech...

Ok, Organic Manipulation works as advertised. I assumed so, since it probably would have been reported. I also tried changing 11B to "Weapons Technology" to split them up; no dice. Here's the really wierd part. When I set starting tech level to 2, it still starts at level 1. Tech 11B works correctly. Apparently, there's something which isn't allowing it to be incremented.

[ March 28, 2003, 03:51: Message edited by: Krsqk ]

[Krsqk]

*in a tiny, quiet little voice*

BUMP?

Any (possible) answers?

[Suicide Junkie]

I dunno.
Try retyping the component by hand, maybe the copy has some invisible characters messing things up?

And it is a completely unique tech name, right?

[Krsqk]

Ok, I found the problem.

My first thought was the invisible control character thingy. I must have retyped it ten times. Then, I tried switching just the tech area names, rather than the entire entry. The problem was linked to the name, not the entry; then it just became an issue of finding the component/vehicle size/facility/mount which was causing the problem.

It turns out, after some experimentation, that a new colony comp was the problem. It seems that SEIV treats techs which give colony comps differently--it ignores the starting level value, instead giving one level of the area providing the appropriate colonization ability for the race (rock, ice, or gas; or in the case of full-tech, one of each). My tech gave all three at tech level 1, so SE4 ignored any attempt to go beyond that. I moved the problem comp to its own tech area, and no more strangeness.

Maybe (a condensed/reworded) Version of this should be added to the modder's guide. I had problems with this several months ago when I started this mod, and obviously forgot it since.

[Fyron]

I added this to SE4 Modding 101:

SE4 treats colony module technologies differently than other technologies. It ignores the Start and Raise Levels. 1 level is given in the first tech area in the file that gives the appropriate colony module type, based on what planet type the race's homeworld uses. No other levels in these tech areas are given to the empire. If you make Rock Colonization Technology have 2 max levels and set it's Start Level to 2, non-rock races get no tech levels, and rock races get 1 tech level in Rock Colonization Technology. The Start Level is ignored. In High Tech Start games, all of the available colony techs are given.

[Krsqk]

Great. You might also want to make clear that even high-tech start doesn't give levels beyond the first one (at least in my tests).