34 replies to this topic

[Markus]

Alright, I'm sure most of this has been gone over before to some degree, but there are a couple of minor things I'd like to know how to do (even if it's not included/changed in the mod) so I can at least work with it on my own.

The first thing (and the biggest, imho) is to increase the planets' resource count universally by a factor of two (maybe more if I get bored ). I know how to increase the base rate, but I've no clue how to change the rate for mining facilities, trade routes, and such.

The second is to create a retroactive upgrade thing. Since the upgrades don't affect the units (say I upgraded the CC-90's to CC-95's, my CC-90 fleet would still be CC-90's) could we insert a build option that updates them all? Or, for that matter, could we be even more selective and say only upgrade the vessels in orbit over the planet doing the research (to be more canon ^.^)?

If it's just a matter of coding, I've got plenty of free time and a decent amount of skill (just need to understand what to do), and can send the modded files to PR or whomever's working on the mod if they want it. From what I understand, hacking the interface is a real pain, but this shouldn't be too hard to pull off...

Thanks in advance!

Edited by Markus, 30 June 2008 - 08:05 PM.

[Kaleb Graff]

Alright, I'm sure most of this has been gone over before to some degree, but there are a couple of minor things I'd like to know how to do (even if it's not included/changed in the mod) so I can at least work with it on my own.

The first thing (and the biggest, imho) is to increase the planets' resource count universally by a factor of two (maybe more if I get bored ). I know how to increase the base rate, but I've no clue how to change the rate for mining facilities, trade routes, and such.

The second is to create a retroactive upgrade thing. Since the upgrades don't affect the units (say I upgraded the CC-90's to CC-95's, my CC-90 fleet would still be CC-90's) could we insert a build option that updates them all? Or, for that matter, could we be even more selective and say only upgrade the vessels in orbit over the planet doing the research (to be more canon ^.^)?

If it's just a matter of coding, I've got plenty of free time and a decent amount of skill (just need to understand what to do), and can send the modded files to PR or whomever's working on the mod if they want it. From what I understand, hacking the interface is a real pain, but this shouldn't be too hard to pull off...

Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure about the first one. That will have to be done case-by-case. (Traderoutes.xml). The second is pretty much impossible. We're not sure how to do it, and I don't think we can. At the minimum, we would have to re-do the Tech tree.

[Tropical Bob]

Well I think it's possible to do half of the updating current ships idea. The removing part. Just the adding in the updated ones would be the hard part methinks. Because I know that you can specify to remove ships from the game in the tech tree code, but I don't know if it removes all of the ship specified or not, and I don't know the coding at all, so I don't know if there's a way to say (in normal peoples' terms of course) "add in one of ship#2 for every one of ship#1 removed."

It would probably be very very complicated and take lots of trial, error, and way too much effort. So unless we have a code-master lurking around who can give us an easy solution...

I don't think that's gonna happen...Unfortunately.

[Casen]

To be perfectly honest, I like how ships already built do not update, it adds to realism; like how in real life or in real Star Wars canon, outdated ships are just usually saved as auxiliary or put into distance systems on the outer rim where security is not heavily needed.

[Kaleb Graff]

Well I think it's possible to do half of the updating current ships idea. The removing part. Just the adding in the updated ones would be the hard part methinks. Because I know that you can specify to remove ships from the game in the tech tree code, but I don't know if it removes all of the ship specified or not, and I don't know the coding at all, so I don't know if there's a way to say (in normal peoples' terms of course) "add in one of ship#2 for every one of ship#1 removed."

It would probably be very very complicated and take lots of trial, error, and way too much effort. So unless we have a code-master lurking around who can give us an easy solution...

I don't think that's gonna happen...Unfortunately.

I'm going to try using the hero upgrade system for ships. I hope it works, but I'm not sure.

To be perfectly honest, I like how ships already built do not update, it adds to realism; like how in real life or in real Star Wars canon, outdated ships are just usually saved as auxiliary or put into distance systems on the outer rim where security is not heavily needed.

Some were upgraded, and espically if it's expensive and on a ship-by-ship basis, it could be viable.

[Markus]

That's actually why I brought up the per-planet concept. It provides a more cannon sense to it in terms of localized upgrading (AKA: refitting) which is a pretty common practice.


As for it not happening, that really sucks... I mean, I'm getting really tired of sending massive numbers of ships on suicide missions (or spending an hour selling them individually >.>). It's amusing at first, but when the AI retreats on ya.... well.... it just ain't pretty.

BTW, I modded the planets.xml which (I'm not sure if it affects the 'clean' install, I'm running the PR mods) seems to edit most of that for you. With the addition of some ship-based adjustments, it's actually a pretty challenging setup. atm, I'm running increase by 300% income and cost increase of approx 350% (about 250% on the fighters, frigates, and corvettes, 500% on the capital ships, dreadnoughts/dreadnaughts, and SSDs).

[Kaleb Graff]

That's actually why I brought up the per-planet concept. It provides a more cannon sense to it in terms of localized upgrading (AKA: refitting) which is a pretty common practice.


As for it not happening, that really sucks... I mean, I'm getting really tired of sending massive numbers of ships on suicide missions (or spending an hour selling them individually >.>). It's amusing at first, but when the AI retreats on ya.... well.... it just ain't pretty.

BTW, I modded the planets.xml which (I'm not sure if it affects the 'clean' install, I'm running the PR mods) seems to edit most of that for you. With the addition of some ship-based adjustments, it's actually a pretty challenging setup. atm, I'm running increase by 300% income and cost increase of approx 350% (about 250% on the fighters, frigates, and corvettes, 500% on the capital ships, dreadnoughts/dreadnaughts, and SSDs).

Sure. I'm going to try to build upgrade stations, the companion to research stations, but buildable on different worlds.

[keraunos]

The first thing (and the biggest, imho) is to increase the planets' resource count universally by a factor of two (maybe more if I get bored ). I know how to increase the base rate, but I've no clue how to change the rate for mining facilities, trade routes, and such.

Trade routes were already pointed out (individually, via traderoutes.xml). As for mining facilities, look into xxx_Ground_Mining_Facility in SpecialStructures.xml (remember there are 2 types of mines per faction - one 'normal' and additional one for mining planets. You could also modify gambling income in the same files (somewhere )

The second is to create a retroactive upgrade thing. Since the upgrades don't affect the units (say I upgraded the CC-90's to CC-95's, my CC-90 fleet would still be CC-90's) could we insert a build option that updates them all? Or, for that matter, could we be even more selective and say only upgrade the vessels in orbit over the planet doing the research (to be more canon ^.^)?

If it's just a matter of coding, I've got plenty of free time and a decent amount of skill (just need to understand what to do), and can send the modded files to PR or whomever's working on the mod if they want it. From what I understand, hacking the interface is a real pain, but this shouldn't be too hard to pull off...

This was discussed before, and it's impossible :/ I tried to mess with this as well. Still, why do you sell/suicide all your 'obsolete' units? They don't give you enought money back, and they don't cost additional population in PR. Better to leave them to defend planets or other tasks...

[Kaleb Graff]

The first thing (and the biggest, imho) is to increase the planets' resource count universally by a factor of two (maybe more if I get bored ). I know how to increase the base rate, but I've no clue how to change the rate for mining facilities, trade routes, and such.

Trade routes were already pointed out (individually, via traderoutes.xml). As for mining facilities, look into xxx_Ground_Mining_Facility in SpecialStructures.xml (remember there are 2 types of mines per faction - one 'normal' and additional one for mining planets. You could also modify gambling income in the same files (somewhere )

The second is to create a retroactive upgrade thing. Since the upgrades don't affect the units (say I upgraded the CC-90's to CC-95's, my CC-90 fleet would still be CC-90's) could we insert a build option that updates them all? Or, for that matter, could we be even more selective and say only upgrade the vessels in orbit over the planet doing the research (to be more canon ^.^)?

If it's just a matter of coding, I've got plenty of free time and a decent amount of skill (just need to understand what to do), and can send the modded files to PR or whomever's working on the mod if they want it. From what I understand, hacking the interface is a real pain, but this shouldn't be too hard to pull off...

This was discussed before, and it's impossible :/ I tried to mess with this as well. Still, why do you sell/suicide all your 'obsolete' units? They don't give you enought money back, and they don't cost additional population in PR. Better to leave them to defend planets or other tasks...

We sure we can't use the hero upgrade system? If not, we could make a station that increases the trade-in value of ships, so you can get more for the old ones.

[Markus]

This was discussed before, and it's impossible :/ I tried to mess with this as well. Still, why do you sell/suicide all your 'obsolete' units? They don't give you enought money back, and they don't cost additional population in PR. Better to leave them to defend planets or other tasks...

I find them to be generally useless. I use fleets of barloz/skiprays and gamma assault shuttles, so every upgrade has some serious connotations. Usually, the upgrades affect speed and add a modifier to the turbolasers and such.

It's also personal preference. I get used to how the high-end units respond and work, so when I use the older units it drives me nuts.

As for the hero concept, that sounds interesting.... I wouldn't know where to begin to see about pulling that off, but.... I like the concept there. The only potential downside I can see would be some conflicts with production (making the initial production space-side rather than on the ground) and the current glitches with hero deaths. There might be a way to bypass that by making it work more like a Fleet Commander, but That leaves you really open to hits by bounty hunters.

Edited by Markus, 03 July 2008 - 06:15 PM.

[Kaleb Graff]

This was discussed before, and it's impossible :/ I tried to mess with this as well. Still, why do you sell/suicide all your 'obsolete' units? They don't give you enought money back, and they don't cost additional population in PR. Better to leave them to defend planets or other tasks...

I find them to be generally useless. I use fleets of barloz/skiprays and gamma assault shuttles, so every upgrade has some serious connotations. Usually, the upgrades affect speed and add a modifier to the turbolasers and such.

It's also personal preference. I get used to how the high-end units respond and work, so when I use the older units it drives me nuts.

As for the hero concept, that sounds interesting.... I wouldn't know where to begin to see about pulling that off, but.... I like the concept there. The only potential downside I can see would be some conflicts with production (making the initial production space-side rather than on the ground) and the current glitches with hero deaths. There might be a way to bypass that by making it work more like a Fleet Commander, but That leaves you really open to hits by bounty hunters.

I tried to use the hero upgrade mechanism, but it didn't work. I just meant the way old heroes are replaced when the upgrade is complete, though.

[Tropical Bob]

Well...If you go into the unit XMLs and add in a "team" for each version of the unit, which uses the unit as the transport, and make all the buildables for the "teams," then I believe the hero code might work.

Of course, the code might read the team as consisting of a ground unit as well, which might be bad for space units...But then we could implement a "garrison" idea, and give them a land unit/s that would be the canon allowance. But then you'd run into the problem of them dying and you losing your Executor-class Star Dreadnaught because of a stupid land battle...

[Kaleb Graff]

Well...If you go into the unit XMLs and add in a "team" for each version of the unit, which uses the unit as the transport, and make all the buildables for the "teams," then I believe the hero code might work.

Of course, the code might read the team as consisting of a ground unit as well, which might be bad for space units...But then we could implement a "garrison" idea, and give them a land unit/s that would be the canon allowance. But then you'd run into the problem of them dying and you losing your Executor-class Star Dreadnaught because of a stupid land battle...

I tried it with Z-95s, which have teams.

[anakinskysolo]

I am trying to learn something about modeling, and this is the first problem I faced. I cannot make the Alamo Object Viewer to show me the texture of the models, it just shows me the .alo file and in the dialog that appears on the bottom of the screen, it appears that the texture cannot be found, even though I have the textures and the models in the same directory. Also, I am not able to install the alo importer on 3ds Max, when I load the script the program shuts down. Maybe its because I have Vista?

[Kaleb Graff]

I am trying to learn something about modeling, and this is the first problem I faced. I cannot make the Alamo Object Viewer to show me the texture of the models, it just shows me the .alo file and in the dialog that appears on the bottom of the screen, it appears that the texture cannot be found, even though I have the textures and the models in the same directory. Also, I am not able to install the alo importer on 3ds Max, when I load the script the program shuts down. Maybe its because I have Vista?

I don't know what's wrong, as my alo viewer works, and I don't have 3ds Max.

[anakinskysolo]

Then how did you add the weapons to the marauder? Is there any guide for doing what you did? I am on holydays now for two weeks, with lots of free time, and I would really want to help.

[Kaleb Graff]

Then how did you add the weapons to the marauder? Is there any guide for doing what you did? I am on holydays now for two weeks, with lots of free time, and I would really want to help.

I created a new set of hardpoints, based on weapons with similar stats. Then I took those, and changed the fire arcs and attachment bones to correspond with those of the canon marauder.

[anakinskysolo]

So its just XML editing? Anyway, is there any guide for doing that?

[Kaleb Graff]

So its just XML editing? Anyway, is there any guide for doing that?

Not that I know of. Try something, and hope it works. Still, it's pretty simple.

[anakinskysolo]

Maybe you can help me with the transformation of the RPG stats to the game stats, you know, hull, shield and health?