Mod Testing Environment (1.2) (AE Compatible)

Discuss and distribute tools and methods for modding. Moderator - Grognak
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TaxiService
Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 6:04 pm

Re: [MOD] Ship Testing Environment (1.0)

Postby TaxiService » Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:22 am

First of all, i meant to release an update many hours ago. I didn't because i'm kinda sick with some very obnoxious ailments. My nose sounds like a motorcycle and clogs every fifteen seconds. My body feels super weak, my head has been hurting non-stop, etc.

BUT...! thanks to tylenol and more drugs i was able to slowly progress and add lots of cool things. Here's a list of the changes i remember:

- added enviromental hazard picker (appears before each fight with either ships or boarders)
- added boarders picker (all races + random. Can choose between 2, 4 or 6) (ghost race not included)
- used <secretSector/> shenanigans to make the first sector repeat indefinitely (just like infinite space :p)
- added support for custom event triggering

Also important: the name for this pack will be changed to Mod Testing Environment (or something else not regarding only ships anymore) because i'm going to provide the users with an additional .ftl that will simplify triggering custom-defined events and testing custom weapons/drones. It will be called MTE: Custom Content Patch.

It's basically a .ftl that contains two .xml.append files that you can easily edit.
- events.xml.append
Contains an event that will be called by MTE's event picker. You can call up to six of your own events from it!
- blueprints.xml.append
Contains code for a kestrel on steroids will easily let you call weapons/drones/augments and whatnot.

To make everything work you've got to patch your mod first, then MTE and then MTE:CCP. I mean, theoretically. :V

If you don't want to patch the original kestrel with the on-steroids version (from now on i'll just call it the testrel), just don't include blueprints.xml.append in the .ftl that you'll have to make!


I hope that was clear enough ◡_◡ It's almost done, i swear. I've just got to add a couple more things, like a self repairing dummy ship and handle no-fuel events. I'll be done then! So yeah, stay tuna.
Last edited by TaxiService on Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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R4V3-0N
Posts: 1291
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 11:44 am

Re: [MOD] Ship Testing Environment (1.0)

Postby R4V3-0N » Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:53 pm

Stop Modding.

Get Better.

Take a little break till your feeling a bit better without medicine, drugs, or both.
R4V3-0N, a dreamer.
agigabyte
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 1:59 am

Re: [MOD] Ship Testing Environment (1.0)

Postby agigabyte » Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:53 am

ONLY upload if ready, otherwise, GET BETTER!
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby TaxiService » Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:35 pm

SUPER DUPER UPDATE RELEASED

LOTS OF NICE CRAP ADDED, CHECK THE OP

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
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English Narwhal
Posts: 402
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby English Narwhal » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:56 pm

Taxi, when this started you were just copying and modifying code. Now, you've surpassed me in coding knowledge. That, plus your amazing spriting work, makes you certainly the better man/taxi.
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Sleeper Service
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby Sleeper Service » Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:19 pm

TaxiService wrote:Another addition of the CCP is the Testrel. It's basically a kestrel with different graphics and maxed out systems,


:D The good old Testrel, ready for TESTING! I love this.
English Narwhal
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby English Narwhal » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:06 am

Sleeper Service wrote:
TaxiService wrote:Another addition of the CCP is the Testrel. It's basically a kestrel with different graphics and maxed out systems,


:D The good old Testrel, ready for TESTING! I love this.

Sometimes I wish I had been more involved in the creation of this mod.
I'd only mess it up, actually....
Nevermind. Back to making music.
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Sleeper Service
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby Sleeper Service » Mon Feb 03, 2014 12:28 pm

I don't know if this will be use much, but "jump to the secret sector/test sector" could be another option. This is interesting for people that create custom sectors. Overriding the crystal worlds with your own custom sector and jumping there from the first beacon is pretty much the easiest way to test custom sectors.
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TaxiService
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Re: Mod Testing Environment (1.1)

Postby TaxiService » Tue Feb 11, 2014 12:02 pm

Sleeper Service wrote:I don't know if this will be use much, but "jump to the secret sector/test sector" could be another option. This is interesting for people that create custom sectors. Overriding the crystal worlds with your own custom sector and jumping there from the first beacon is pretty much the easiest way to test custom sectors.


That is a good idea! I'll work on adding this functionality in the next update. I think that by using SMM's advanced functions i can add a sectorData.xml.append file in the CCP that would allow users to spawn their own secret sectors easily! Thanks for the input! ◠‿◠ And yeah, like, stay tuned! : )
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ZahaianGhost
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Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:35 am

Re: [MOD] Ship Testing Environment (1.0)

Postby ZahaianGhost » Tue Mar 18, 2014 3:15 am

TaxiService wrote:First of all, i meant to release an update many hours ago. I didn't because i'm kinda sick with some very obnoxious ailments. My nose sounds like a motorcycle and clogs every fifteen seconds. My body feels super weak, my head has been hurting non-stop, etc.

BUT...! thanks to tylenol and more drugs i was able to slowly progress and add lots of cool things. Here's a list of the changes i remember:

- added enviromental hazard picker (appears before each fight with either ships or boarders)
- added boarders picker (all races + random. Can choose between 2, 4 or 6) (ghost race not included)
- used <secretSector/> shenanigans to make the first sector repeat indefinitely (just like infinite space :p)
- added support for custom event triggering

Also important: the name for this pack will be changed to Mod Testing Environment (or something else not regarding only ships anymore) because i'm going to provide the users with an additional .ftl that will simplify triggering custom-defined events and testing custom weapons/drones. It will be called MTE: Custom Content Patch.

It's basically a .ftl that contains two .xml.append files that you can easily edit.
- events.xml.append
Contains an event that will be called by MTE's event picker. You can call up to six of your own events from it!
- blueprints.xml.append
Contains code for a kestrel on steroids will easily let you call weapons/drones/augments and whatnot.

To make everything work you've got to patch your mod first, then MTE and then MTE:CCP. I mean, theoretically. :V


Oooh man! All of this looks fantastic! I've just picked back up on working on my mod from a few months back where I set it aside due to general ease of distraction, and was kind of dreading testing out each event hopping from beacon to beacon, then you make this to streamline the process! Thanks so much TaxiService!

Only question that comes to mind here:
If I'm following the patch sequence correctly, mods won't require rewriting to fit into the MTE and CCP frameworks, right? (If so, I have no idea how that works but I'm thoroughly grateful, as that avoids revision for testing then revision to open release/patching to main game.)

Edit: Hm. I think I had it right in my head the first time. The CCP would still need to be adjusted to account for the added events to load them up (which makes way more sense than my hoped for scenario where you had pulled some arcane code magic), I take it. In which case I think to some extent it may be better rewritten to...And nevermind, you're doing exactly what I had in mind but was rough around the edges about. At first I thought event load would load a single event, which I guess it could, but can also easily refer to a list of events to cycle through testing.

Written the right way, those events needn't be randomized either, but can be set to choices to further ease testing.

Well man. You really covered all the bases here. Many, many thanks!