Race Relations

Yes, you can, but you'll have to make a scenario for it to set up.

Where did you place the custom races and do they override any default race(id=0-11)?

The custom races are only in my documents/my games/blah blah blah. I was just wondering if it could be done and how.

This is a setting which gets saved between games in the prefs.ini file; as soon as you would define a specific group or different relations of a custom (#12) to X & Y & Z races, play a game with it and then, reload an all new setup while modifying these slots and their status -- the new values always override the previous set.

Take X-Worlds as an example;

X-Com_Magnetic_Apocalypsion are always declared at war with Sectoid_Aquatoid_Anthropod respectively and friendly with Interceptors_SHADO_Thunderbirds... assuming my game setup is done like this:

Human player = one of three different X-Coms
First opponent slot = any Aliens
ALL 2nd to 8th = anyone
Ninth opponent slot = choice of Friendlies above

My prefs.ini would always use this framework unless i change the number of active races during any further games. Or the slots definitions already there.
BUT, and this is really weird or interesting as you might say;

I could also do this...
Human player = Snakeman
First opponent slot = Thunderbirds
Ninth opponent slot = Magnetic

Then, the Magnetic would be friendly to Snakeman which is at war with the Thunderbirds!

As long as all slots are filled from game to games, the structure remains valid.

But this is all presumed on the fact you'd be using the current version #05-E way of installed files (39 customs continually available from (c:\my...).

In the upcoming #05-F, it will all change since i will be going for a multiple and highly variable Total-Conversion(S) type of settings. Nothing would stop anyone from re-saving any individual races as custom#12, though; making the mod **extremely** versatile and configurable.

I think I'm going to release my scenario editor with custom/modded race support soon.
Manipulating the ini is the second option, but scenario are technically ini file format

Which also mean that most ini files can be 'invoqued' or manipulated at runtime, either with a "bat style" reset or through a pre-configured framework.

Take the *create opponents screen* way of distributing variable values to any active races selected; sometimes i wished i had a sort of simple circular logos driven interface (as found in the Foreign Policy report) where lines would simply indicate intended relations between currently selected races instead (or in supplement) of the default drop down list of choices.

AND, an extra save button to keep those structures to apply later at any other game settings!

One can always wish.

well, what I mean is that distibuting a mod with a scenario is the better way of doing it, since it does not apply to the whole game. Tecnically, you almost alter the same lines in the ini as you would add them in a scenario
Same Principal as the xmls in ..\MyGames\... I think, thats why SD made scenarios ini file format

True... more versatile options in the setup screens themselve wouldn't hurt though.