Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Discuss and distribute tools and methods for modding. Moderator - Grognak
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TaxiService
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Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 6:04 pm

Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby TaxiService » Sun Aug 30, 2015 11:21 am

quick download links: Dropbox | Mediafire

Hello. MTE2 is ready, but I don't have time to write a proper thread right now, so i just pasted its SMM metadata.
I will edit this thread in the future and add some introductory videos. This mod has so much more potential than the old MTEs.

NOTE: BACK UP YOUR SCORES BEFORE PLAYING IF THEY MATTER TO YOU!
This mod could easily unlock achievements and make you get very high scores in each test run.
You've been warned.

This mod uses "[MENU] events" to let you control what happens on each beacon.

A [MENU] allows you to:
• Spawn enemy ships, boarders and/or hazards.
• Spawn weapons, drones, augments or crew.
• Install and max out systems on the go.
• Open stores anywhere.
• Fix your hull and systems.
• Destroy your ship quickly and easily.

At the start of each sector you'll have to choose how many of these events to spawn. Alternatively, you can jump to a "Testing Sector" that contains only [MENU] events.

By using the Custom Content Patch (aka CCP) you can spawn your own events, items and ships! Get the patch from the mod's thread or from this pastebin:
http://pastebin.com/BzkT4wqU
(Copy it from the "RAW paste data" box at the bottom of the page for best results)

More advanced info:
You can use MTE to get to any sector easily by (ab)using the "Jump to a new testing sector" choice in the [END] menu.
How to: If you jump from sector 1 to a testing sector and then reach its exit, you will be brought to sector 2. Repeat this process in sector 2 to end up in sector 3, and so on! You can skim through the [MENU]s by choosing the "Close this menu" option.
NOTE: jumping to a testing sector from within a testing sector will still bring you to the same sector you would've ended up in by reaching the exit.


To increase compatibility, MTE will ask you to load some special events:
• START_BEACON (only at game start)
Other mods should use this event name at the start of the game. By clicking on the respective option, you will load whatever event was called "START_BEACON" before MTE was loaded.

• NO_FUEL and NO_FUEL_DISTRESS eventLists.
These eventLists contain events that should happen when you run out of fuel. If you do, MTE will ask if you want to open a menu or load an event from the corresponding eventList. (or do nothing too)
NOTE: There's an event in the [MORE] options menu that can remove fuel from your inventory.

• FINISH_BEACON eventList
The game draws events for Exit beacons from this list. At the end of each sector MTE will ask if you want to open a menu or load an event from this eventList. (or do nothing too)


Last but not least, the Crystal Homeworlds sector won't be able to be reached normally.
If you want to get in the Crystal Homeworlds, unzip this mod and open the sector_data.xml.append file. It contains info and instructions for how to get to that sector. (and also to test your own sectors)

This is an old map of the menu event. The only difference is that the ITEMLOADER appears even without the CCP on, and shows some default items i put there.
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PROTIP: to open a store quickly just press 3 twice


To make the CCP:
1) copy the text from here (or from here) and paste it in a new document
2) save the document as "events.xml.append" in a folder called "data"
3) compress the folder to zip
4) change its extension to .ftl

You can skip the fourth step if you go in SMM's preferences and activate the "allow_zip" tag. Instructions for this are also written at the beginning of the CCP.


Download it from Dropbox
Download it from Mediafire



PS: Somebody might want to stick this thread in place of the other one. I will link to it when i make a decent OP.
Last edited by TaxiService on Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:03 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby TaxiService » Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:25 pm

(reserved for future use)

Has anyone tested this yet?
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NarnKar
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Re: Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby NarnKar » Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:10 pm

Test the mod testing environment to test if the mod testing environment tests mods correctly.
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Shrooblord
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Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:02 pm

Re: Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby Shrooblord » Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:25 am

TaxiService wrote:Has anyone tested this yet?
I have tried, but haven't been able to get the custom content patch to be recognised by the original mod. It acts like the ccp was never installed. (But that's probably a fault on my end, as was already pointed out on the Questions thread.)
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Chrono Vortex
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Re: Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby Chrono Vortex » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:52 pm

Taking the option to jump to a new testing sector crashes the game for me. I tried it with only the MTE installed to make sure it wasn't some other mod and it still happened.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment 2 - A mod to test mods

Postby TaxiService » Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:57 pm

I just checked, and it appears to be a problem that happens on windows. o_o I had developed this mod on OS X, and it stiil seems to work there! But when i tried this on my windows partition it crashed as well. This is BS!!! I didn't know!!!!

What could be the cause? The jump-to-new-sector option is what seems to draw the most resources from the machine when clicked. If i added more functions to the mod, the loading time of it would get longer and longer, until eventually the game would crash. o_o The version of MTE2 posted here was a compromise between waiting time and functionality, but i had always tested it on OS X 10.10 (probably). >_< On my win 7 partition it crashes too.

If anyone wants to look into it be my guest! I am not sure when i will be able to check this stuff out. : (
I have a feeling that the behaviour of this mod might differ depending on your computer... but i'm not sure how. Not talkin' just about OS, i mean hardware or... how java feels? Blast!
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