Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

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newhalo123
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby newhalo123 » Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:28 pm

So, I'm not usually an imbecile when it comers to modding, but I am gonna need a "step 1a, 1b, 1c. Step 2a, 2b" etc tutorial on how to get the CCP to work.

Normally, I am pretty dang good at installing mods, to anything. Unfortunately, this isn't clicking for me as I'd hoped...

To be completely clear, I have NO idea in what sequence things need to happen for this, and how.
I have installed many mods to FTL, but for some reason, I just don't understand this one.

I think the best way to help me would be to not say, "oh, did you actually name the ftl file correctly" and instead, give me step by step instructions. Not that I am trying to demand you to help me in any certain way, though. If you think you can help me, do it in any way you see fit.


Also, this is my first post, because i have had no other problems, and no other feedback for FTl atm.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby TaxiService » Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:34 pm

The Custom Content Patch is a .zip file that can be loaded as a mod. If you change its extension from .zip to .ftl, SMM will be able to patch the game with it. I ship it as a .zip file for ease of use for the user.

How to load the plain CCP:
  • Put MTE 1.1.ftl in your mods folder.
  • Put MTE 1.1 CCP.zip in your mods folder.
  • Change MTE 1.1 CCP.zip's extension to .ftl.
  • Open SMM and make sure that the boot order is this:
    - Any other mod
    - MTE 1.1
    - MTE 1.1 CCP
  • Hit Patch.
By doing this you will load MTE with the blank CCP. It will spawn the Testrel, let you fight the blank custom dummy ship and load the empty event loader.


If you want to use the CCP to spawn your events, test your own ship or fight against a custom enemy you made, you'll have to do the following:

How to spawn your own events:
  • Decompress MTE 1.1 CCP.zip.
  • Inside the folder, open data > events.append.xml.
  • Replace any "EMPTYSLOT" event with your event names and save.
  • Select data and mod-appendix, compress them to .zip and change the archive's extension to .ftl.
  • Put the .ftl file in your mods folder
  • Open SMM and make sure that the boot order is this:
    - Any other mod
    - MTE 1.1
    - The .ftl file you just made
  • Hit Patch.
Note: The Testrel replaces the Kestrel A. If your ship also replaces that ship slot you might want to disable the Testrel. here's how:

How to disable the Testrel:
  • Decompress MTE 1.1 CCP.zip.
  • Inside the folder, open data.
  • Delete blueprints.xml.append.
  • Select data and mod-appendix, compress them to .zip and change the archive's extension to .ftl.
  • Put the .ftl file in your mods folder.
  • Open SMM and make sure that the boot order is this:
    - Any other mod
    - MTE 1.1
    - The .ftl file you just made
  • Hit Patch.

How to modify the custom dummy ship:
  • Decompress MTE 1.1 CCP.zip.
  • Inside the folder, open data > autoBlueprints.xml.append.
  • Edit the ship's code at your leisure, then save.
    :!: If you want to spawn your own enemy ship, delete the content of this document, paste the code for your ship and change the blueprint name to "TESTBED_DUMMY_CUSTOM", then save.
  • Select data and mod-appendix, compress them to .zip and change the archive's extension to .ftl.
  • Put the .ftl file in your mods folder.
  • Open SMM and make sure that the boot order is this:
    - Any other mod
    - MTE 1.1
    - The .ftl file you just made
  • Hit Patch.

How to modify the Testrel:
  • Decompress MTE 1.1 CCP.zip.
  • Inside the folder, open data > blueprints.xml.append.
  • Edit the ship's code at your leisure, then save.
    :!: If you want to spawn your own player ship, you can do so by loading your mod(s) alongside MTE. If your ship replaces the Kestrel A though, you should not include this document in the .ftl
  • Select data and mod-appendix, compress them to .zip and change the archive's extension to .ftl.
  • Put the .ftl file in your mods folder.
  • Open SMM and make sure that the boot order is this:
    - Any other mod
    - MTE 1.1
    - The .ftl file you just made
  • Hit Patch.

You can of course do more of these actions at the same time. For example, if you want to load a custom event and disable the testrel, you can edit events.xml.append, delete blueprints.xml.append and then compress the folders.


Bear in mind that MTE and its patch were developed for FTL 1.3.1, before advanced edition came out. It doesn't work properly with FTL AE. You can possibly use MTE if you can bear some graphical glitches, and CCP's event loader seems to work, but the testrel and the custom dummy ship seem to be half broken.
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newhalo123
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby newhalo123 » Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:36 pm

Thank you SO much! It works now!

However, like you said, it kinda screws With AE. I am getting NO sound. And, the testrel is, like you said, kinda broken.

Other than that, It worked perfectly!

You should edit the OP with these instructions, or include them with the Readme. Because the way you laid it out was PERFECT!

*EDIT For the no sound issue, all it required was for me to start the game a second time. Nothing to do with MTE as far as i can tell.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby TaxiService » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:58 am

Hmm, the no sound thing sounds kinda weird. Must've been some specific problem on your end, as you said. :P

Yeah, I'll have to include these instructions in the package. I did include a readme in the CCP but i don't even remember what's written inside. I should probably ship the CCP as a .rar or .7z, so people will have to decompress it and will actually see the document.

I found out about Advanced Edition only recently. I guess i will have to update MTE for AE! I was already working on an update that added some functions, it'll only be a matter of updating the existing code to make everything work again.
I can't say when i will be able to release it though. :| I guess i should start working on it again. :P
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newhalo123
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby newhalo123 » Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:06 pm

TaxiService wrote:Hmm, the no sound thing sounds kinda weird. Must've been some specific problem on your end, as you said. :P

Yeah, I'll have to include these instructions in the package. I did include a readme in the CCP but i don't even remember what's written inside. I should probably ship the CCP as a .rar or .7z, so people will have to decompress it and will actually see the document.

I found out about Advanced Edition only recently. I guess i will have to update MTE for AE! I was already working on an update that added some functions, it'll only be a matter of updating the existing code to make everything work again.
I can't say when i will be able to release it though. :| I guess i should start working on it again. :P


Sounds good! Hope to see an AE version soon!
featherwings
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Mod Testing Environment (1.2)

Postby featherwings » Fri May 09, 2014 2:10 am

TaxiService wrote:[from a pm, in response to "do you mind if I post this in the MTE thread?"]

Not at all! It would be really helpful for the community since i don't see myself being able to update it anytime soon ◡⁔◡
[... ]
I would've liked if this could be a sort of community project from the beginning, as in if anyone wants to add some code they can do that!


So with that introduction, I'd like to share MTE 1.2, a minor upgrade to the previous version.

Get the updated, AE-compatible Mod Testing Environment here!

Get the updated companion Custom Content Patch here!

New Features
- AE compatibility. Not only has the testrel been updated to include slots for all of the AE systems, but the images have been fixed so it once again looks like a proper ship.
- AE environments (pulsar, PDS friendly/enemy/all) have been added to the environments list.
- AE ships and layouts (including the Lanius) have been added to the fight a ship list.
- Lanius have been added to the fight borders options (six lanius boarders are incredibly scary).
- Spawned ships have had their minimum values brought up so even though you're still in the first sector, hard ships are equipped as if they were in later sectors and pose an equivalent challenge.
- The "get resources" tree has been expanded to include autorewards in standard, stuff, and item flavors (and each can be run once or ten times.)
- "get resources>I want a specific item" will display up to 30 different weapons, drones, or augments and let you pick any one, great for finding items or seeing how common your items actually are.
- Many more wonderful ways to die and/or wreck your ship, including asphyxiation, immolation, and well armed target practice drones

Lemme know if you see any bugs, grammar errors, textbox overflows, or have any other questions, comments, critisisms, or feature requests!

Known bugs:
- the MTE's gotten a little big, so when you first load the sector it takes a few seconds longer than normal. :/
- If you fill your cargohold by more than one item, you can only access the most recently dropped item. That's on FTL's end, though.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

Postby TaxiService » Fri May 09, 2014 11:22 am

The thread has been updated. : ) Many, many thanks featherwings.

Right now i'm trying to merge this update with my unreleased rewrite of the mod, it includes a ship spawner that is more well thought than the original one. Stay tuned for updates!
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featherwings
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

Postby featherwings » Fri May 09, 2014 10:59 pm

If you're looking through the code, don't look too hard at the resource code, it's really really bad.

Hazards include ten-deep code nest mountains and the same block copypasted 18 times. Not being able to loop really, really sucks.

Originally the get item code (which displays three weapons to pick from, lets you get another set of three, or quit the whole thing) wrapped back around to the main menu - but when it got more than three deep it crashed FTL on loading.

Do you know if FTL loads every possible event path and not just each event?
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Sleeper Service
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

Postby Sleeper Service » Tue May 20, 2014 12:07 pm

featherwings wrote:Do you know if FTL loads every possible event path and not just each event?

Yep, thats how it goes. Event trees with a lot of levels and branches eventually cause crashes because of this. There was a ship customization mod that sent you into a modified crystal sector after each event choice and set the customization event as the starting event for the sector. That actually makes loops possible. A technique that could also be something to be considered for this mod.
Last edited by Sleeper Service on Tue May 20, 2014 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
English Narwhal
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

Postby English Narwhal » Tue May 20, 2014 1:07 pm

featherwings wrote:If you're looking through the code, don't look too hard at the resource code, it's really really bad.

Hazards include ten-deep code nest mountains and the same block copypasted 18 times. Not being able to loop really, really sucks.

Originally the get item code (which displays three weapons to pick from, lets you get another set of three, or quit the whole thing) wrapped back around to the main menu - but when it got more than three deep it crashed FTL on loading.

Do you know if FTL loads every possible event path and not just each event?

Your knowledge of the 'code', or XML, is astounding. I've never seen a 'ten deep code nest' in the resource XML, despite having seen all the XML files. Where is this block of code?
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