Questions here: an inquiry thread! [Updated Sep 15th, 2014]

[RAD-82]

Just wondering, let's say you have an event that turns your crew into a hostile. Is it possible to revive them in the Clone Bay?

I don't think it is possible, but someone should test it first to verify it.

To turn your crew hostile, the game uses this code:

<crewMember amount="-1" class="traitor"/>

That code cannot use the clone bay, because the devs added new code for removing your crew in order to use the clone bay.

Code: Select all

<removeCrew class="engi">
   <clone>false</clone>
   <text>The virus appears to have disrupted your clone bay's capability to revive the lost crewmember!</text>
</removeCrew>

To test what you want, you would put traitor into the new code, but I feel like the new code probably wasn't programmed for it.

Code: Select all

<removeCrew class="traitor">
   <clone>true</clone>
   <text>Your crew steps out of the Clone Bay rather disoriented. Then they spot themselves on the ship and shouts "That's an imposter!" After a quick test to find out who the real one is, the evil twin attacks!</text>
</removeCrew>

[EpsilonEthereal]

So I'm trying to push the weapons power from lvl 8 in the vanilla game to lvl 12, but I don't know how to do that. I've tried to edit the blueprints.xml (via exporting the file, then importing it back in [yes I deleted the vanilla blueprints.xml and replaced it with my new copy] in FTLdat) but that just crashes the game. Someone gave me the code, so it should work. If I do an .append file, it also crashes the game. Sometimes, the game just won't register an edited file at all and just replace all changes. I wonder what I am doing wrong. Could someone help?

[5thHorseman]

So I'm trying to push the weapons power from lvl 8 in the vanilla game to lvl 12, but I don't know how to do that. I've tried to edit the blueprints.xml (via exporting the file, then importing it back in [yes I deleted the vanilla blueprints.xml and replaced it with my new copy] in FTLdat) but that just crashes the game. Someone gave me the code, so it should work. If I do an .append file, it also crashes the game. Sometimes, the game just won't register an edited file at all and just replace all changes. I wonder what I am doing wrong. Could someone help?

I do this exact thing in The Potential. I change shields and drones, too. IIRC I also modified drones' cost in stores. Feel free to just take what you want from there.

And you should ALWAYS do these changes in a .append file, in a proper mod. Modifying the game files is asking for 2 types of trouble:
1) You screw up the game and have to reinstall, losing all changes
2) You screw up and reinstall the game, losing all changes

Here's the code for weapons in particular:

Code: Select all

<systemBlueprint name="weapons">
   <type>weapons</type>
   <title>Weapon Control</title>
   <desc>Powers all of the ship's weapons. Upgrading lets you power more weapons.</desc>
   <startPower>4</startPower>
   <rarity>1</rarity>
   <maxPower>12</maxPower>
   <upgradeCost>
      <level>60</level> <!-- level 2 -->
      <level>25</level> <!-- level 3 -->
      <level>35</level> <!-- level 4 -->
      <level>50</level> <!-- level 5 -->
      <level>75</level> <!-- level 6 -->
      <level>90</level> <!-- level 7 -->
      <level>100</level> <!-- level 8 -->
      <level>110</level> <!-- level 9 -->
      <level>120</level> <!-- level 10 -->
      <level>130</level> <!-- level 11 -->
      <level>140</level> <!-- level 12 -->
      <level>150</level> <!-- Imaginary level 13 -->
   </upgradeCost>
   <cost>20</cost>
</systemBlueprint>


(And yes it's in the blueprints.xml.append. I put the system changes before anything else. Not sure if that's necessary or not)

[EpsilonEthereal]

So I'm trying to push the weapons power from lvl 8 in the vanilla game to lvl 12, but I don't know how to do that. I've tried to edit the blueprints.xml (via exporting the file, then importing it back in [yes I deleted the vanilla blueprints.xml and replaced it with my new copy] in FTLdat) but that just crashes the game. Someone gave me the code, so it should work. If I do an .append file, it also crashes the game. Sometimes, the game just won't register an edited file at all and just replace all changes. I wonder what I am doing wrong. Could someone help?

I do this exact thing in The Potential. I change shields and drones, too. IIRC I also modified drones' cost in stores. Feel free to just take what you want from there.

And you should ALWAYS do these changes in a .append file, in a proper mod. Modifying the game files is asking for 2 types of trouble:
1) You screw up the game and have to reinstall, losing all changes
2) You screw up and reinstall the game, losing all changes

(And yes it's in the blueprints.xml.append. I put the system changes before anything else. Not sure if that's necessary or not)

Do I put the code into my own .FTL file, or do I put it into the game's data.dat file? I've tried the latter before using FTLdat, but unfortunately the game didn't register the .append at all. I could only upgrade the system to level 8.

[5thHorseman]

Check out Slipstream mod manager. You have to use that to apply a mod to the game.

If you've never used mods before, I suggest you apply someone else's mod to your game first and make sure you understand that part, and then look at how they put their mod together.

A mod is a *.ftl file, which is actually just a *.zip file renamed. You can rename the *.ftl file back to a *.zip file and look at it with any utility that can view zips. Make your mod look (in structure) like theirs, and you should be able to use Slipstream to apply it to the game.

[EpsilonEthereal]

Check out Slipstream mod manager. You have to use that to apply a mod to the game.

If you've never used mods before, I suggest you apply someone else's mod to your game first and make sure you understand that part, and then look at how they put their mod together.

A mod is a *.ftl file, which is actually just a *.zip file renamed. You can rename the *.ftl file back to a *.zip file and look at it with any utility that can view zips. Make your mod look (in structure) like theirs, and you should be able to use Slipstream to apply it to the game.

I must really be like a modding noob if you think that I haven't heard of SMM, let alone trying to figure out what the hell anyone else is doing

[5thHorseman]

I must really be like a modding noob if you think that I haven't heard of SMM, let alone trying to figure out what the hell anyone else is doing

Nono don't take it wrong. I was just making sure I was clear. You were talking about editing the files themselves so I figured I'd just cover all the bases.

[R4V3-0N]

Anyone know common reasons for mistakes to occur when making drones? I keep trying to make a set of drones work but I keep getting missing texture... (black box).

I feel maybe I am doing something wrong perhaps or overlooked something.

[R4V3-0N]

Started fixing up my problems with my defense drone but the image of it in stores/ hanger/ cargo is odd, the turret/ gun part is offeset in a weird place while the base is a black square but in game it's perfectly fine.

[stylesrj]

I think there's an image needed for the store picture. Or something.