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Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide

 
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Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/26/2014 9:09:05 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Hi guys,

This is an excerpt from the raw draft, relating to the modding of components. I hope this is of interest.



Attachment (1)

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Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.
Post #: 1
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/26/2014 9:35:00 PM   
CyclopsSlayer


Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline 		Thank you.
While much of the existing factors are opened to modding; with the hard limits of 169 components in 61 pre-existing categories, there seems little room for invention and innovation of 'new' technologies. Which at least I was hoping for. At least without having to replace an existing one.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 2
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/26/2014 9:38:11 PM   
Spidey


Posts: 411
Joined: 12/8/2013
Status: offline 		Much appreciated, Erik.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 3
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/26/2014 9:45:48 PM   
Spidey


Posts: 411
Joined: 12/8/2013
Status: offline 		Cyclops, if it comes to it then I'm sure a number of the existing components can be "compressed". Do we really need three types of plants? Does rec facilities have to be separate from commerce centers? And does it really make a difference whether we've got small, normal, and large cargo bays and fuel cells?

(in reply to Spidey)
Post #: 4
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 12:36:26 AM   
tjhkkr


Posts: 2428
Joined: 6/3/2010
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Hi guys,
I hope this is of interest.


Yes, thank you; my mind is already at work. Thank you!

But I am disappointed, no Shakpurri... (a joke from the modding section.)


< Message edited by tjhkkr -- 4/27/2014 1:43:13 AM >

_____________________________

Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 5
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 1:54:31 AM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
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From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: tjhkkr

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Hi guys,
I hope this is of interest.


Yes, thank you; my mind is already at work. Thank you!

But I am disappointed, no Shakpurri... (a joke from the modding section.)



We don't want to scare off potential customers with that horror. You know better than that.

_____________________________

Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'

(in reply to tjhkkr)
Post #: 6
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 2:28:50 AM   
tjhkkr


Posts: 2428
Joined: 6/3/2010
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Shark7
quote:

ORIGINAL: tjhkkr
quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Hi guys,
I hope this is of interest.


Yes, thank you; my mind is already at work. Thank you!
But I am disappointed, no Shakpurri... (a joke from the modding section.)

We don't want to scare off potential customers with that horror. You know better than that.


Yes, I guess I should be glad that Erik did not throw me off of the forum for that.

_____________________________

Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 7
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 3:47:10 AM   
Icemania


Posts: 1847
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From: Australia
Status: offline 		Does Universe enable AI improvements?

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
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RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 6:32:44 AM   
Mad Igor

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Icemania

Does Universe enable AI improvements?

all is in your hands

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Post #: 9
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 11:12:00 AM   
Nachodsk

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 4/26/2014
Status: offline 		Very interesting! will we be available to change the maximum number from 169 to 300 let's say? i'm just curious about that :p

And please, if you can during this week show us the resources part :p i'm really intriguing to create new kind of resources to trade with other factions aswell!

Thanks Erik! this was really needed!


(in reply to Mad Igor)
Post #: 10
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 11:38:02 AM   
Osito


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Nachodsk

Very interesting! will we be available to change the maximum number from 169 to 300 let's say? i'm just curious about that :p



Based on the language "up to a maximum of 170" I'm thinking not. Sadly. Oh well, not the end of the world. Anyone happen to know how many components are in the game at the moment? Perhaps I'll go count them ...

Edit:

Hmm, I counted the basic components (i.e., the ones that aren't "improved ...") and I got 123 altogether. That might just suggest there are another 40+ slots free :-)

On the other hand, if you include "improved" component types you get something like 337 components altogether (I probably miscounted, but it's in the ballpark of 330-340), which is clearly way more than 169. I'm not sure how the game is handling the improved version of the components, but there doesn't seem to be anything in the components file itself to handle it.

Anyway, the bottom line is that if the improved versions are separate, it looks like there may be room to add quite a few new components without deleting the existing ones.

< Message edited by Osito -- 4/27/2014 1:42:28 PM >

(in reply to Nachodsk)
Post #: 11
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 2:38:30 PM   
Spidey


Posts: 411
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Status: offline 		I don't think improved components are "new" components. I think the game can handle updating the effect of a given component based on your current level of technology. Otherwise the game would have to swap components on a crapton of ships every time you research an upgraded version and I just can't see how that would be an effecive way to do things.

(in reply to Osito)
Post #: 12
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 4:31:11 PM   
towerbooks3192


Posts: 337
Joined: 8/12/2012
Status: offline 		Check email and was pretty excited to see a post by Erik. A bit sad that it is not to announce that DW Universe is already released. I almost had a mini heartattack because if it is the post to say that it is released, I already spent my money on something else and have to wait for my next pay cheque.

(in reply to Spidey)
Post #: 13
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 5:00:38 PM   
Shuul

 

Posts: 133
Joined: 2/16/2011
Status: offline 		Ok, so this modding does not allows me to create a MIRV missiles, area-damage missile and missiles with EMP warheads....
Thats not really the modding I was looking for, I can only make different variants of existing technologies.. its better then nothing anyway.

(in reply to towerbooks3192)
Post #: 14
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 5:36:47 PM   
Osito


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Shuul

Ok, so this modding does not allows me to create a MIRV missiles, area-damage missile and missiles with EMP warheads....
Thats not really the modding I was looking for, I can only make different variants of existing technologies.. its better then nothing anyway.


I wonder whether you could, in effect, make EMP missiles by using a missile image with an ion beam weapon code? Edit - ignore this; I realise now you were talking about something else.

Can't see how to do area of effect missiles, unless there's a way of offsetting the epicentre.

Edit 2: Looking at this again, maybe you could make it work. I'd forgotten that the EMP attack and the area weapons do offset the epicentre. So perhaps you could make it work using a different graphic.

< Message edited by Osito -- 4/27/2014 8:13:20 PM >

(in reply to Shuul)
Post #: 15
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/27/2014 7:23:39 PM   
feygan

 

Posts: 323
Joined: 3/31/2010
Status: offline 		I like the way new areas of the game are being opened up with new txt files to edit. But it is a shame that the modding method is still using a notepad form. I would of hoped that it would instead be using a gui tool, no doubt a modder will come up with that but even so I would of expected it to have been a standard part of the expansion.

(in reply to Osito)
Post #: 16
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/28/2014 1:10:29 PM   
Ralzakark


Posts: 225
Joined: 4/24/2012
Status: offline 		+1

The idea of wading through long strings of characters and having to cross-reference them with other character strings in other files is not my idea of fun. Doubtless dedicated modders will love it, but as someone who only dabbles I don't find this very impressive.

(in reply to feygan)
Post #: 17
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/28/2014 1:13:46 PM   
joeyeti


Posts: 329
Joined: 2/28/2012
Status: offline 		Hmmmm developing a GUI modding tool would require too many resources I guess, to make it work... And after all, I presume some tools will crop up once DW:U is alive, precisely because dedicated modders will want to have it easier and independent people working on this are always easier to find than the developer's own time.

_____________________________

Joe

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Post #: 18
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/28/2014 2:00:46 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Hi guys,

There is certainly in-game modding capability if you just want to make some minor adjustments - that's the editor. However, it was a huge amount of work to open up as much as we did to modding and make it pretty easy to do. If we had to also add a graphical front-end to every moddable aspect of the game, it would have been more work than we could reasonably justify. Many AAA titles that are among the most modded in the world still use text files or something similar for most of their modding. With that said, some things were added to the editor, such as the ability to define story events.

Regards,

- Erik


_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to joeyeti)
Post #: 19
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/28/2014 2:21:36 PM   
Nachodsk

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 4/26/2014
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Hi guys,

There is certainly in-game modding capability if you just want to make some minor adjustments - that's the editor. However, it was a huge amount of work to open up as much as we did to modding and make it pretty easy to do. If we had to also add a graphical front-end to every moddable aspect of the game, it would have been more work than we could reasonably justify. Many AAA titles that are among the most modded in the world still use text files or something similar for most of their modding. With that said, some things were added to the editor, such as the ability to define story events.

Regards,

- Erik



Hi erik! thanks for the answers so far, can you show us some screens of the editor itself? and how we can edit the resources or add new-ones as it was stated in the description made?

Thanks!

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 20
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 4:19:08 AM   
tjhkkr


Posts: 2428
Joined: 6/3/2010
Status: offline 		I just had a moment to look at the modding guide.
Looks pretty cool on the component aspect of all of this.

Theoretically, if you had some idea of what planets produced what, you could blockade them and bring production to a stand still.

This is looking very cool!

_____________________________

Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.

(in reply to Nachodsk)
Post #: 21
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 4:19:33 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Here are the excerpts released today, first the table of contents and intro:



Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to tjhkkr)
Post #: 22
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 4:20:02 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		And the section that includes resource (as well as components):



Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 23
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 5:03:26 PM   
ASHBERY76


Posts: 2136
Joined: 10/10/2001
From: England
Status: offline 		It's fascinating what could be done with natural resources.We really want them to be more important but without breaking the A.I.

_____________________________


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Post #: 24
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 5:09:09 PM   
feygan

 

Posts: 323
Joined: 3/31/2010
Status: offline 		A cargo hold full of keg of Romulan ale to whomever makes a gui tool that will end this txt file agony.

(in reply to ASHBERY76)
Post #: 25
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 5:31:03 PM   
Osito


Posts: 875
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

It's fascinating what could be done with natural resources.We really want them to be more important but without breaking the A.I.


It would be nice if you could set the manufactured resources to start appearing following completing research of a particular tech.

(in reply to ASHBERY76)
Post #: 26
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 5:58:12 PM   
ASHBERY76


Posts: 2136
Joined: 10/10/2001
From: England
Status: offline 		Technically you could add very rare strategic resources for some powerful weapon systems but the A.I would most likely have shipyards full of unfinished orders would it not?

The player would just make multiple designs for that issue.

_____________________________


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Post #: 27
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 6:13:51 PM   
Dotdotdot

 

Posts: 16
Joined: 11/26/2011
Status: offline 		I'm liking what I see so far. Will more systems and functions be opened up to modders even after release?

(in reply to ASHBERY76)
Post #: 28
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 8:57:45 PM   
Spidey


Posts: 411
Joined: 12/8/2013
Status: offline 		One major question I have is, can the AI actually handle any significant changes to the game or will fundamental assumptions have to remain the same? Meaning, if I make upper echelon strategic resources more scarce, will the AI increase mining to compensate? If I change the effect of techs will the AI then change its research strategy to compensate?

(in reply to Dotdotdot)
Post #: 29
RE: Excerpt from the Universe Modding Guide - 4/30/2014 10:44:26 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		It should work - we spent a fair amount of time making sure the AI could handle modded galaxies, including modding of the economy and the research trees. I'm sure someone will come up with something that needs some extra AI work after release, but in general you should go for it and expect it to work.

< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 4/30/2014 11:44:59 PM >

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Spidey)
Post #: 30
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