Feasibility Question(s)

Most likely aimed at a Dev

from Sins Forums
As the subtitle says most likely aimed at a Dev, but beta players who tried to mod it before the entity files became binaries might be able to help.

Firstly is can i (will i be able to) mod the "Emergency Infrastructure" (or what ever its called) planetary upgrade to, for example, spawn defensive frigates ala constructor frigates and logistic\tactical slots?

and as a follow on, is it feasible to make planetary upgrades spawn orbital buildings, e.g. when i upgrade tactical slots can i make it spawn a defensive ring orbital structure around the planet.

for the record grant that i know from looking through the gameinfo that creating both the defensive frigate and the orbital structure should be fairly easy comparatively. its just implementation that im interested in. Incidentaly obviously i mean are these things feasible with the mod tools.

I have other ideas but they are even more complicated, and would probably require scripting
modding
3,338 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I don't see why not - just replace the bonus construction frigates with combat ones in the buff or whatever and you'd be good to go. I'm not 100% certain as I haven't messed around with this in the betas and obviously can't open the entity files, but I'm prety sure at least the first is possible.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top


Firstly is can i (will i be able to) mod the "Emergency Infrastructure" (or what ever its called) planetary upgrade to, for example, spawn defensive frigates ala constructor frigates and logistic\tactical slots?
End of quote


Probably possible to do constructor frigates, whether thats going to be doable for a different type of unit... Dunno.


and as a follow on, is it feasible to make planetary upgrades spawn orbital buildings, e.g. when i upgrade tactical slots can i make it spawn a defensive ring orbital structure around the planet.
End of quote


I doubt it... but you might be able to "fudge" it somehow. I really don't know enough to judge.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I figure at the very least i should be able to just design the "building" call it a "ship"(for engine purposes) and make it spawn it. the only issue would be how it picks the spawn locations.

and so that i dont make bother making a second thread.

Yes im complicated. Now the game evidently has firing arcs even if it doesnt have animated turrets, but...

How do firing arcs work, and how are they set? are they just general directions (ie the weapon points left so you can fire left in a 180 arc) or can they be between specific set angles, or as, i see it even better, in a cone (as its all technically in 3d)? and do i do this on the model itself or at a later stage
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Well currently even though we can now edit the binaries i have had only limited success, my first test was getting planets to spawn heavy frigates instead of constructors,(via swapping their frigate role types), unfortunately whilst this works it breaks both the unit ai and build menus (The construction frigates no longer auto-build structures and can leave gravwells, and the build menus are on the heavy frigate and they cant leave gravwells). Logically this proves that Unit AI is obviously done via role types (which is something else entirely), but additionaly it means that the role types are listed and have additional modifiers attached to them somewhere.

Where is my question?

Because im assuming that would also be where one would add new roletypes, which would seem an essential part of modding

2nd attempt test was trying (granted i didnt expect it to work) to change the "maxModuleConstructor" line in the planet entities, to "maxFrigateHeavy" in the hope that it was a variable based on unit roles rather than something hard-coded, but no joy. Unshockingly.

the thing bothering me most is that i cant find What makes planets spawn constructors, the planet entities contain the upper limits for them but not the spawn command.
I imagine its probably a function of a "colonised planet" over just a "planet" because neutral planets dont spawn them, but i cant find anything that distinguishes the two.