Editing Files.....

from Stardock Forums
I have a question about editing game files.

1) Does it harm your game or cpu?

2) What kind of files can you edit (i.e. ships, money, etc...)?

3) How do you pull up the files through notepad or something, and then how do you edit them, is there a code or something.

4) Does it have the shutdown effect like on Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, (when you edit files, it gradually makes the gameplay worse and harder until finally its so unplayable where you have to uninstall then reinstall, sort of a smart cheat firewall detection)?

Thanks for all your help fellas!
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
1) Does it harm your game or cpu?
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No.

2) What kind of files can you edit (i.e. ships, money, etc...)?
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Ships, tech, random events, video, etc.

3) How do you pull up the files through notepad or something, and then how do you edit them, is there a code or something.
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You can use Notepad or HawaiiFive-O's GalCiv Writer. http://www.ctuit.com/bill/galciv.htm

4) Does it have the shutdown effect like on Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, (when you edit files, it gradually makes the gameplay worse and harder until finally its so unplayable where you have to uninstall then reinstall, sort of a smart cheat firewall detection)?
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No.

[Message Edited]
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
4) Does it have the shutdown effect like on Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, (when you edit files, it gradually makes the gameplay worse and harder until finally its so unplayable where you have to uninstall then reinstall, sort of a smart cheat firewall detection)?
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Not in the slightest: In GalCiv, the AI will recognize mods and use them to their fullest advantage (with the singular exception of techs that don't have a valid AI line in them).

I once had set up a set of PQ mods (eight of them, totalling about +500% PQ) to try to make things easier: the AI identified them, rushbuilt them all within nine turns and started invading planets with 80+B troops before I finished building them myself.

~SDC~
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
to their fullest advantage
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It depends a lot. Mods like new buildings will be used, new techs if you give the ai line a value, but if you change some basic ship stats (e.g. colony ship range), the ai will have a very hard time adapting itself. So it's a bit mitigated.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
but if you change some basic ship stats (e.g. colony ship range), the ai will have a very hard time adapting itself.
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Ok, I can't claim to have carefully checked modding the most basic ships (colony ship stuff is admittedly probably hard coded to keep it expanding early on...), but I do know it will recognice and adapt to changes in most of the advanced ships, and to entirely new ships.

~SDC~
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
That's actually because you can't change them much. What use does the ai make of an AMM for example? Rather poor. Switch several of the ships to missile types, and you will probably see a dumb display as strong missiles will be wasted on crappy scouts.