[Modding] R&D and current findings

[Whale Cancer]

Using _PIRATE in blueprints can cause problems; there seems to be some hard-coded significance to that particular word. Annoying.

[Tuesday]

Using _PIRATE in blueprints can cause problems; there seems to be some hard-coded significance to that particular word. Annoying.

What problems?

[Whale Cancer]

I get a crash when I encounter a ship using that word. I'm looking into it now, though. Will report if I figure it out.

[buzzyrecky]

well can you explain how the removal of the damaged stasis pod?

It appears to be hardcoded. Nothing in the event files indicates removal of anything.

String reference in the binary at 0x006A52EB into the RAM on load: "STATUS_POD". (Augments are all referenced in the string table like this.) It's used at 0x000755F5, where it's used to check if the ship has the augment, and it's subsequently removed before a crystal crew member is offered. (For those who've done the quest, this all sounds a bit familiar ...)

Not that I'm looking at the XML, but the events seem to add augments, this example adds the STASIS_POD:

Code: Select all

<event>
   <text>text goes here</text>
   <augment name="STASIS_POD"/>
   <autoReward level="LOW">scrap_only</autoReward>
</event>


They're augments, not systems though (as Icehawk said); the systems themselves are tied to blueprints and "store clicks" (there's a GUI class for this). Presently there's no direct link between an event and systems -- or if there is some wicked compiler optimisation is hiding it very well. Augments, sure (as we can see).

I dont want systems though... I want an event that lets me remove specific weapons from the ship (ie the artemis missiles)

[father_walker]

From what I gather, Pirate ships are carbon copies of ships used by other factions. Apart from different sprites and mother list of ships used by pirates, there's no other trace of them in the xml files. So yeah, Pirate stuff seems hardcoded to some degree.

[Icehawk78]

I dont want systems though... I want an event that lets me remove specific weapons from the ship (ie the artemis missiles)

I assume he was mentioning the systems because I was asking about them. Either way, it doesn't sound like removal is (easily) moddable, one way or another.

[swixel]

I dont want systems though... I want an event that lets me remove specific weapons from the ship (ie the artemis missiles)

I assume he was mentioning the systems because I was asking about them. Either way, it doesn't sound like removal is (easily) moddable, one way or another.

Well, yeah, but the weapons are handled through the WeaponSystem (i.e. weapons room) too, and we can't interact with systems. Sorry, I'm not following who said what as closely as I probably should in this thread ...

From what I gather, Pirate ships are carbon copies of ships used by other factions. Apart from different sprites and mother list of ships used by pirates, there's no other trace of them in the xml files. So yeah, Pirate stuff seems hardcoded to some degree.

o.O I can't see any hardcoded pirate stuff. I think, as you suggest, they're carbon copies. My fear is there's something in the XML (which I've barely touched) which is being used to generate them based on the sectors -- pirates just being generic. I may have missed it when I blitzed through the ship/system stuff, but still ... seems unlikely.

[chronial]

There must be something hardcoded. The Pirateships are defined like this:

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<blueprintList name="SHIPS_PIRATE">
   <name>JELLY_BUTTON</name>
   <name>JELLY_CROISSANT</name>
   …
   <name>ZOLTAN_FIGHTER</name>
   <name>ZOLTAN_BOMBER</name>
</blueprintList>

These are the names of the normal ships. There is nothing to explain the different skin for the pirate ships in the xml.

[swixel]

There must be something hardcoded. The Pirateships are defined like this:

Code: Select all

<blueprintList name="SHIPS_PIRATE">
   <name>JELLY_BUTTON</name>
   <name>JELLY_CROISSANT</name>
   …
   <name>ZOLTAN_FIGHTER</name>
   <name>ZOLTAN_BOMBER</name>
</blueprintList>

These are the names of the normal ships. There is nothing to explain the different skin for the pirate ships in the xml.

And that's ... fantastic. Except that SHIPS_PIRATE isn't in the string table; SHIPS_REBEL is, but that's rebels. Which is also used for something related ...

Code: Select all

<ship name="PIRATE_SLAVER" auto_blueprint="SHIPS_PIRATE">

I think you may be looking in the wrong place with resolving this. Just trace the strings back and you should find it pretty quickly. I'm not saying it's *not* hardcoded, but if it is, it's not to SHIPS_PIRATE, but to something else higher upstream. Even then, default crewing isn't something they appear to have hardcoded anywhere.

[Rivers]

This may seem too simple, but how do you change your starting ships to have your choice of weapons/augmentation at the beginning?

I've gone through a lot of modding threads and they have discussion of elaborate things like adding in your own custom weapons with customized stats, but how about just giving your ship already pre-existing weapons at the beginning of the game?

Ive gone though so many runs with ships, and never coming across particular weapons/augmentation I really need to get to the end. Id like for once, to see how a ship does with a particular set, and see how effective it is...?

I assume its just changing the the ships starting code with the desired weapon name/augmentation name in the data file e.g:

<weapon name="LASER_BURST_3"/>
or
<aug name="ADV_SCANNERS"/>

right?

However when I try play the game it only gets up to the loading screen before it crashes. Is it even possible?

Thanks for any feedback...