Scenario Editor?

from Stardock Forums
I forget if I've seen anything regarding a scenario editor. Will there be one with the expansion?
It would be really nice to have one to play around with. Hex editing the files becomes a real pain in the you-know-what. Of course, this would invalidate almost all metaverse games, but I'm willing to forego the metaverse to play around with it some.

Maybe you could still submit to the metaverse if there were some checks and balances built into it. If this map is too advantageous to the player, pop up a message saying the map will not be valid for metaverse submission. On the other hand, if the map is advantageous to the AI, maybe a score bonus would be in order...

Anyway, if there is not going to be an editor, please let me know so I can slap one together. I wouldn't want to recreate the wheel, if you know what I mean.

Thanks.

~SDC~
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Can you write down the file format while you're at it. As you said yourself, hex editing is a pain in the ass and so is debunking file formats ^_^.

And yeah earlier I was thinking about the metaverse problem too, dont know what will happen to that.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Anyway, if there is not going to be an editor, please let me know so I can slap one together. I wouldn't want to recreate the wheel, if you know what I mean.
End of quote


I heard Stardockians mention the possibility of a map editor, but no firm time-line given.

I understand not wanting to throw a lot of time at a project only to see it become obsolete a month later.

If you do tackle this, I think it'd be great.

~SDC~
Siege of Centauri
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Hehe, I wanted to change my mind from the pear library format so played around a bit with the save game format. It was pretty easy to come up with this, funny stuff : http://www.tauniverse.com/visual-ta/Graphics/GalCiv/SolScreen.png :D

Note that the 655 is 65535, it just didnt fit ^_^.

I don't think I'll release the save game format. I usualy release all my source code + file formats but it strikes me as an invitation to cheating. Then again I guess that takes out of the picture making an editor.

Is there any security check in the Metaverse? I seem to remember something about that, but if there is, that would be nice.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
there is some sort of security measure in the Metaverse... if something looks amiss in the game file i believe they have a real person to look it over and double check. So, i'm pretty sure save state hacked games are impossible to submit but if you're just doing it for the fun for personal games it is definitely okay.... just don't try submitting them cause i think your IP can be locked out of Metaverse submissions if you submit too many games that look hacked.

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Well alright then, I'll put up the savegames fileformat on my website.

Visual Designs : http://www.tauniverse.com/visual-ta/
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Wow. Thanks! I know that many people are going to be grateful to you when you get the rest of it. I was wondering though ... have you figured out the mini map yet?
Whenever I move a star location, it does not get reflected on the mini map, so there is obviously something there that I'm missing.

~SDC~
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Well you're one step ahead then ^_^. I mean I only looked at them for an hour or two but I couldnt find the stars positions.

I assumed that it was in stars.galaxy (the planet positions) but I'm starting to wonder.

I'm going to write down what I found right now. I was going to do it when I made that first post but I got sidetracked with the ship rotator ^_^.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
The position of stars, I'd imagine, are reflected in three or four files (player.civXX, stars.galaxy, colonies.galaxy, et. al.). I'd be surprised if things didn't go wrong if they were out of sync) ~SDC~
[Message Edited]
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Excellent!

Do you plan on doing anything with the save game format once you have it parsed out? Like writing a front end for the average user to manipulate the data? If we can manipulate a saved game, we can start writing scenarios. :)

~SDC~
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I am planing on writing a front end kind of thing for savegames, but the real world is creeping in. We're looking for a new house and the kid's got an ear infection and it looks like some late evenings at work for a couple weeks, so ... I don't know when I'll get the time. :(

~SDC~
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
I hear you. It's hard to find the time, the Writer basically took all my free time for 4 weeks and I'm not eager to take on another project any time soon.

So I'm hoping one of y'all will. ;)

~SDC~
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
I might take it, but I'm going to finish that ship rotator first and then write utils for editing the MTD archives and SPR1 files.

I'd have finished the ship rotator tonight but it's a special holiday where I live today. Happy Saint-Jean!