How can stores be modded?

[DGM]

I like FTL, but I hate how dependant on luck you are. I'm thinking that a few simple tweaks to the way stores work could help make the game much more skill-based. Is it possible to:

1) Make all stores visible on the map as soon as you start the sector?

2) Create stores of specific types (like weapon/drone stores)?

3) Change the beacon name of a store based on what it sells (like renaming a weapon/drone store from "Store" to "W/D Store")?

Thanks.

[thashepherd]

I like FTL, but I hate how dependant on luck you are. I'm thinking that a few simple tweaks to the way stores work could help make the game much more skill-based. Is it possible to:

1) Make all stores visible on the map as soon as you start the sector?

2) Create stores of specific types (like weapon/drone stores)?

3) Change the beacon name of a store based on what it sells (like renaming a weapon/drone store from "Store" to "W/D Store")?

Thanks.

1. Only if you make all sectors visible (i.e. give the scanners aug). Can't do stores only as far as I know.

2. Don't think anyone's figured this out yet, but if you do you'll be a hero. You CAN drop the rarity of an entire category of items to 0, which *may* prevent stores of that type from showing up, but this isn't confirmed.

3. Can't do this. You CAN edit the beacon name for ALL stores.

[Vhati]

1) Make all stores visible on the map as soon as you start the sector?

2) Create stores of specific types (like weapon/drone stores)?

These could probably be done by modifying a saved game.
Each beacon has boolean attributes for having been visited (as if jumped into) or seen (as if passed nearby, or spoiled by Long-Range Scanners). That'd make the store visible.
When a beacon is visited, if it had a store, its inventory is saved. So when you return, the stuff is still there.
However, the Profile/SavedGame editor only capable of viewing that inventory at the moment.

3) Change the beacon name of a store based on what it sells (like renaming a weapon/drone store from "Store" to "W/D Store")?

I think the engine only checks if there is a store, then shows the single "store" image next to the beacon if true.

[DryEagle]

If you set rarity to zero the store type will still spawn, but will be blank.
Basically each store randomly picks 2 of the 5 categories (crew, weapons, drones, augs, systems) and then fills them with whatever rarity list allows.

[DGM]

So it sounds like none of my ideas will work. Oh well. I'm disappointed, but not really surprised; it had occurred to me that someone would probably have modded these things by now if they were easy to do.

Thanks for the info anyway, guys.

[Vhati]

The Profile/SavedGame Editor (v13) can add/edit stores now.

They appear on the map, and sell whatever you want.

[DGM]

I'm not familiar with the editor. Does using it for this mean that I'd have to save, edit and reload the game every time I started a new sector to see the stores? Or can I alter the way the game works on a permanent basis?

[Vhati]

I'm not familiar with the editor. Does using it for this mean that I'd have to save, edit and reload the game every time I started a new sector to see the stores?

Yes. Well sort of.
Randomly generated stores you have yet to visit are not mentioned in the saved game (so the editor can't see them either). The engine weirdly puts up signs for distress events in the same way. It knows what's coming, but it doesn't save details until you're there. Setting 'Seen' on beacons themselves, or toggling 'General:Hazards Visible' might spoil all that stuff in-game, for one sector only.

Once you visit a random store, its inventory can be modified. Stores that you add in the editor will basically be like visited stores, visible and carrying anything you want. This is probably best thought of as a way to set up a cluster of stores in sector 1, so you can reuse that saved game and buy different starting items. Not something to do every sector.

Or can I alter the way the game works on a permanent basis?

Like thashepherd said, you could give yourself the scanner augment (via editor or mod), or mod a starting event on each sector to have <reveal_map/>.

[DGM]

The idea is just to make the game a little more skill-based, and this sounds like more information and control than I want to give myself. I don't want to see everything, start with extra gear or guarantee specific equipment. I just want to see stores and ensure that at least some kind of firepower drops before you get to the point where enemy ships are too tough for starting gear.

I appreciate the advice, but I don't think this is what I'm looking for. What you're suggesting goes too far in the other direction.