Request: Increased Fleet Capacity

bell117

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 15, 2012, 9:09:07 PM

umm can't find game assets 17 anywhere my assets at steampapps/common/endless space/assets is empty and the only one i can find is shared assets and its just barbles of numbers and signs any help?

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 7:09:19 PM

The game will *eventually* be moddable. We are ahead of the dev team on this. For now, you have to count spaces carefully. Lots of games get binary-hacked this way, and they all crash if you do it wrong.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 7:13:25 PM

Baleur wrote:
So, this game was supposed to be moddable. Yet the game crashes if the file isn't exactly the same byte for byte, line for line?

Makes sense, lol. Sigh.

It's perfect! I like it how it's now, makes life way more interesting

Uncle_Joe

Newcomer

Uncle_Joe

Newcomer

21 100g2g pts

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 9:58:17 PM

I cant seem to get any change to work. All I've done is open the file in notepad, change the '5' to a '9' under the MaxCommandPoint (the starting value) and then save. The file save is exactly the same, but the game hangs on the Endless Space splash screen.

If I revert to the copy of the file I made (again, exact same file size), it works again so I know that the change from 5 to 9 is what is causing the problem.

Any ideas? Does anyone actually have this working?

Thanks!

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 10:48:53 PM

It is a binary file. Maybe "notepad" doesn't deal properly with binary files. I have done this successfully with the text editor I use ("gvim") and others have reported sucess using "notepad++".

raiithe

Newcomer

raiithe

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 1:05:42 AM

@uncle_joe and davea

Notepad will 'bug' the file simply saving without making any changes will stop game from loading.

However can confirm Notepad++ works.

Uncle_Joe

Newcomer

Uncle_Joe

Newcomer

21 100g2g pts

12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 2:04:40 AM

Awesome, thanks! That seems to have done the trick.

One thing I would note, especially if you are putting the value to really high numbers (like 50 lol): All of the stacking bonuses can REALLY get out of hand with fleets that size. The +Fleet Speed and +Crit chance mods are going to be pretty insane when you have close to 50 ships with the bonus lol.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 4:53:47 AM

davea wrote:
It is a binary file. Maybe "notepad" doesn't deal properly with binary files. I have done this successfully with the text editor I use ("gvim") and others have reported sucess using "notepad++".

Problem with notepad (not notepad++) is that it tends to ignore some minor nuisances of writing when it saves files.. I mean it doesn't care about end of lines and stuff

I haven't tried to edit file with wordpad but in theory it should/could work unless it really wants to save file as a text document.

Notepad++ is easy choice but probably not best (I use notepad++). Still I miss dos edit, it was wonderful for everything! (if only they would have brought that to windows instead of making notepad)

KnightHawk

Newcomer

KnightHawk

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 6:24:57 AM

"Still I miss dos edit, it was wonderful for everything! (if only they would have brought that to windows instead of making notepad) "

--

I miss it at times as well, though it was around up till the 64bit windows editions.

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 3:10:35 PM

Ha! Newcomers. Try edlin.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

Timer

12 years ago

Jul 13, 2012, 5:35:19 PM

think that first one I used was Teco

Reason why I miss edit is not because it was so long time ago.. it's because it was so dumb that it was actually rather smart.

Basically it didn't care at all what your file was and was always happy to save your file in any format you just wanted.

Another reason might be that at best I was creating couple dozen autoexecs and configs in a day just to get games to work

Anyway lets not derive from the main topic. Someone should make simple mod out of this

Baleur

Survivor

Baleur

Survivor

9 000g2g pts

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 6:09:35 PM

So, this game was supposed to be moddable. Yet the game crashes if the file isn't exactly the same byte for byte, line for line?

Makes sense, lol. Sigh.

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 15, 2012, 10:00:08 PM

@bell117, welcome to the forum. Please read the current threads on modding, such as the sticky thread "tutorials for modding ES". The sharedasset file is no longer used.

cihlar

Newcomer

cihlar

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 12:10:24 AM

would it not be possible to add early technologies that increased this further as an easy workaround?

mJrA

Newcomer

mJrA

Newcomer

200g2g pts

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 6:40:25 AM

cihlar wrote:
would it not be possible to add early technologies that increased this further as an easy workaround?

of it is possible. U can even make a mod where u start with max fleetpoints. U can even Make u have 100 Max fleetpoints.

Just tell me what u want and i make u a minimod

bell117

Newcomer

bell117

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 8:38:38 PM

ok tried that nothing worked modding on endless space came up with nothing but can someone just post a video or a tutorial that is step by step and simple enough for idiots like me k that would be great and make my life alot easyer

cihlar

Newcomer

cihlar

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 8:43:32 PM

mJrA wrote:
of it is possible. U can even make a mod where u start with max fleetpoints. U can even Make u have 100 Max fleetpoints.

Just tell me what u want and i make u a minimod

a mod that multiplied everything (starting, faction trait bonuses, tech increases, etc.) by 3-4 would be a good 'high' number without being ridiculous i think.

tried fooling around with it last night via methods discussed in this thread and had no luck even with using notepad++. was going to wait for someone with better programming skills to take up the project.

thanks!

Hupailija

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Hupailija

Timer

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 8:45:25 PM

ok tried that nothing worked modding on endless space came up with nothing but can someone just post a video or a tutorial that is step by step and simple enough for idiots like me k that would be great and make my life alot easyer

I got no ideas why you want this mod but:

1. open my computer

2. open c:\Program Files\Steam (or where ever you steam folder is)

3. open steamapps\common\Endless Space\Public\Simulation (your directory should now be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Endless Space\Public\Simulation)

4. Hope that you have installed Notepad++, if you haven't wordpad works too

5. Open EmpireDescriptor.xml

6. Find Line:

Set this value to anything you want, it's recommended to stay under 40.

This gives you at start Command Point value of X where X is value you did set instead of 5.

cihlar

Newcomer

cihlar

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 16, 2012, 8:52:55 PM

Hupailija wrote:
I got no ideas why you want this mod but:

1. open my computer

2. open c:\Program Files\Steam (or where ever you steam folder is)

3. open steamapps\common\Endless Space\Public\Simulation (your directory should now be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Endless Space\Public\Simulation)

4. Hope that you have installed Notepad++, if you haven't wordpad works too

5. Open EmpireDescriptor.xml

6. Find Line:

Set this value to anything you want, it's recommended to stay under 40.

This gives you at start Command Point value of X where X is value you did set instead of 5.

didn't look in that file earlier. thanks!

Harel55

Newcomer

Harel55

Newcomer

12 years ago

Aug 17, 2012, 5:52:14 AM

It would be fun to make your CP depend on your FIDS output or some other value that makes a little more sense.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Aug 17, 2012, 10:06:42 AM

add to same file which I pointed value where it says that MaxCommandPoint is Industry or something.

actually you can edit the line which I added there and change "5" to almost anything valid value. (it really doesn't have to be number, it's just easier to explain)

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 3:04:10 PM

Hupailija wrote:
I just can't somehow force AI to understand that he can actually have bigger fleets now :/

I have also made this modification locally, but I did not get a chance to play far enough into a game to see this. The particular mod suggested will not change the fleet cap until the first cap tech is researched. Can you jailbreak your game and see if the AI has researched the cap techs yet? Then you can also look in the naval summary screen for the AI.

Does the fleet CP size still stop at some suspicious number like 5 or 7, the number they would have had if we had not done the mod? Then the number must appear somewhere else and we have to do a deeper mod. But sometimes the AI stupidly keeps small fleets anyway, like 1-2 ships per fleet. I am not sure why this is, but that one we can't fix with a mod. We need the dev team to make the AI merge fleets more.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 5:28:28 AM

Magnus64 wrote:
Would such a mod be feasible under the current engine? I would love a mod where I could have fleets of 50 or even 100 points versus the current system that forces me to battle numerous smaller fleets. Although it would certainly be more demanding, I'm confident my PC would be able to handle it.

Changing code to adjust with this sounds easy, you can either just increase numbers in those techs which otherwise rises fleet command points

just try to find.

FLEET SIZE UNLOCKS and increase that amount to rise amount of command points tech gives

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 6:48:59 AM

Hupailija wrote:
Changing code to adjust with this sounds easy, you can either just increase numbers in those techs which otherwise rises fleet command points

just try to find.

FLEET SIZE UNLOCKS and increase that amount to rise amount of command points tech gives

Find these lines in gameassets17.assets file (notepad ++ works fine for me)

Basically these are technologies (so yeah, you won't start feet size of 10000).

In this code I pasted maximum fleet size is now 20+30+40 which should be enough to have fleet of 35 dreadnoughts. Now then I haven't test how this works in combat, you are basically bringing there dozens of more objects to both side. (speaking of which, this always happens to me, as soon as I dive to code I lose all will to play to game

)

Magnus64

Newcomer

Magnus64

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 7:33:26 AM

Thank you very much! I figured there was a quick XML rewrite that could do this, but I didn't have a clue where to look. I look forward to fiddling around with it a bit on my day off tomorrow. Thanks! lol

Cr3d0

Newcomer

Cr3d0

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 7:37:15 PM

i tryed this but now everytime i try to launch the game it crash... any solution? i have copied the unmodified one ofc

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 10:36:23 PM

incase of crash best solution is to make sure that your asset17 file ends with 2237960 (I mean bytes)

Since we are basically modifying content of binary files cases like this can happen easily (hey, I just did delete 20 crash reports :P).

It seems that same happens also if you add new lines there

... have to check that though.

So basically check whether your file size is same than that and if it isn't:

if it's bigger: remove spaces

if it's smaller: add spaces

gsr297

Newcomer

gsr297

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 12:26:32 AM

Been trolling this thread. I tried to make it the exact byte size but the game still wont launch. For me its not really a crash; the game just freezes at the Endless Space splash art logo. Anyone know a way around this?

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 1:46:05 AM

That is a crash. If you use alt-tab, and cycle through all the windows, you will see a window which just says "sharedassets17.asset". This is probably a window which "should" contain a more useful error message. This crash happens because you changed the line length of one of the lines. Please go back to your original (you kept an original, right?) and re-edit. Make sure that the length of each line does not change. If you change "5" to "10" that changes the line length. This will cause a crash. If you have to add a character, remove a character (such as a space at the beginning of the line) to compensate.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 5:50:17 AM

Been trolling this thread. I tried to make it the exact byte size but the game still wont launch. For me its not really a crash; the game just freezes at the Endless Space splash art logo. Anyone know a way around this?

If bytes are same you have probably added lines or removed lines from some section... that asset file can be quite a cranky. Too many lines in 1 section = crash, too many bytes = crash, too many changes = crash.

I can't sadly see your file so I really can't fix it easily :/

As a solution for players who really don't have patience:

1) Delete file

2) let steam fix your endless space

3) Open assets17.assets with notepad++

4) try to find those lines I pasted here

5) DO NOT IN ANY CASE PASTE THESE TO THAT FILE (do this only if you want to make sure that nothing goes wrong)

6) Find following lines:

just bit under these are following lines:

(I sadly don't have others than edited in my computer right now so can't check original values)

If you add numbers between 10-99 you need to delete 1 space somewhere, if you add numbers between 100-999 you need to remove 2 spaces.

I myself removed (after editing 3 lines) 3 spaces from and comment after that.

If you have problems after this please tell

Endlesh

Newcomer

Endlesh

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 1:16:28 PM

Im personally really interested in larger fleets to tackle the hole multi-battle system issues. But I also read the bigger the fleet the bigger the lag on choosing battle cards.

Overall I would really prefer bigger fleets then stacks of 10 with 9 of them not getting a fair fight per turn. So in theory 1 75ship fleet of a stack of 5 15 ship fleets, would in theory be a better player experience then what is currently.

Alternatively Amplitude could patch the system to not negate multi battle system. Who knows..

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 2:44:41 PM

Im personally really interested in larger fleets to tackle the hole multi-battle system issues. But I also read the bigger the fleet the bigger the lag on choosing battle cards.

My problem is basically that I can't it to work... sure my own fleet can hold hundreds of dreadnoughts with best weapons but I just can't somehow force AI to understand that he can actually have bigger fleets now :/

Haven't noticed any lagging though really. Well sometimes my opponents just vanishes in the start of long combat before anything happens... but that can be that 1000x difference in fleet power

Magnus64

Newcomer

Magnus64

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 10, 2012, 1:47:57 AM

Would such a mod be feasible under the current engine? I would love a mod where I could have fleets of 50 or even 100 points versus the current system that forces me to battle numerous smaller fleets. Although it would certainly be more demanding, I'm confident my PC would be able to handle it.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 3:44:19 PM

Oh nvm about that, it seems that it work but AI just techs himself quite slowly...

Either I a) have to just alter ships command point cost b) starting command points or c) that first tech amount to higher..

about those fleets I spoke, don't know whether this happens just against easy AI (I tend to use it on tests for some reason :P)

but his attack fleets are either size 5 or 6 CP, on the otherhand there is 7 size 25 fleets on top of his planet.

For some reason Amoebas works fine but Hisshos bug in these. (sorry for badly rendered pictures but hey, atleast it gives amounts of fleets orbiting there)

fleet size 1

fleet size 1-2

fleet size 29

fleet size 5-6

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 4:34:37 PM

OK, glad the fleet cap is working "sometimes". If the AI is stupid and doesn't use it all the time, that is beyond what modders can fix right now.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 4:55:49 PM

ah, I found more elegant solution which avoids messing with techs and lets AI have huge fleets at start too (and also good reason to try [code][/code] tags here)

[code]

[/code]

can someone try this one? I have removed spaces infront of:

If this works fine we can add level 2 to each race (heck, we can add 999 cp to each race) at start to avoid possible AI problems (hopefully)

Hupailija

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Hupailija

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12 years ago

Jul 11, 2012, 5:01:14 PM

and just to publish second part of this change:

[code]

%FactionNameTerTitle

%FactionTerDescription

AffinityTerran

TraitTechA02;TraitEconomy01Norm1;TraitAlignmentEvil;TraitEconomy09Norm1;TraitFleet04Norm2;TraitDefense01Norm2;TraitHero01Alt1;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameSwaTitle

%FactionSwaDescription

AffinitySwarm

TraitTechE01;TraitTechG02;TraitAlignmentEvil;TraitBuilding02Norm2;TraitSpaceBattle07Norm2;TraitFleet02Norm2;TraitPopulation04Norm1;TraitDiplomacy04Norm1;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameSopTitle

%FactionSopDescription

AffinitySophon

TraitTechA01;TraitTechA03;TraitTechA04;TraitAlignmentGood;TraitScience01Norm3;TraitFleet01Norm2;TraitFleet07Norm1;TraitDefense01Alt2;TraitBuilding01Alt1;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameHorTitle

%FactionHorDescription

AffinityHoratio

TraitTechE01;TraitTechT01;TraitAlignmentNeutral;TraitDefense03Norm2;TraitPopulation01Norm3;TraitPopulation04Norm2;TraitHero02Norm2;TraitBuilding02Alt2;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameHisTitle

%FactionHisDescription

AffinityHissho

TraitTechG01;TraitAlignmentEvil;TraitAnomaly06Norm1;TraitDefense04Norm2;TraitSpaceBattle02Norm3;TraitSpaceBattle03Norm3;TraitBuilding03Norm2;TraitHero04Norm2;TraitScience01Alt2;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameSowTitle

%FactionSowDescription

AffinitySower

TraitTechE27;TraitAlignmentNeutral;TraitAnomaly05Norm1;TraitScience01Alt2;TraitBuilding01Norm2;TraitScience03VisibleNorm2;TraitScience03Norm2;TraitSpaceBattle01Norm1;TraitFleet01Alt1;TraitFleet02Norm2

%FactionNameAmoTitle

%FactionAmoDescription

AffinityAmoeba

TraitTechT01;TraitAlignmentGood;TraitDiplomacy01Norm2;TraitDiplomacy02Norm2;TraitDiplomacy03Norm1;TraitFleet06Norm2;TraitSpaceBattle05Norm2;TraitAnomaly03Norm1;TraitFleet02Norm2

[/code]

hopefully does the rest of the trick.... will be back in 2 hours to watch whether this works, before that if someone can test I would be soo happy

Magnus64

Newcomer

Magnus64

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 4:37:31 AM

Any chance someone could just host up their modified assets file on mediafire or something with this working? Every time I change something, the game freezes at launch forcing me to reverify my cache in Steam.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

Timer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 5:08:12 AM

uhm, my problem with hosting this is that I it would be modpack containing my customrace mod (which can also be read as a cheatmod), heromod and then this one..

it's rather big mod (as in, it's change completly how you play this game) for this game and thus I kinda hesitate to share it :/

davea

Newcomer

davea

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 5:47:30 AM

Magnus64 wrote:
Any chance someone could just host up their modified assets file on mediafire or something with this working? Every time I change something, the game freezes at launch forcing me to reverify my cache in Steam.

In an effort to increase the number of successful modders, let me encourage you to try one more time, with a smaller change. The problem is that any change to the length of a line will cause the game to crash. Please try the following.

1. Make a backup copy of the sharedassets17.assets file.

2. Open the game file sharedassets17.assets file in whatever editor you choose.

3. Search for the string TraitFleet02Norm2 and repeat till you see this:

[code]

[/code]

4. If you see the red line, you see the number "2", and you can see it starts with some spaces.

5. DO NOT paste anything out of the forum browser window into the file.

6. Instead, delete two spaces from the start of the red line, and change the number "2" to the number "200".

7. Save the file.

Now, this is a tiny mod which has one special effect you might not actually like. But, if the game loads, at least you have made a successful mod.

I have not figured out how the fleet caps actually work, but I traced around, and this particular line only affects the *craver* fleet cap. Specifically, it sets the craver fleet cap to 205. Non-cravers may not appreciate this, but I am sure cravers will love it.

Start the game as cravers, and click on your initial scout. You should see that the fleet cap is now 205. Congratulations! You are a modder.

seiya

Newcomer

seiya

Newcomer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 6:14:14 AM

[CODE][/CODE]

That is the base CP all races start with. It should be under a heading that says

[CODE][/CODE]

I have successfully changed the value to 50 by removing spaces from that second line of code.

Hupailija

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Hupailija

Timer

12 years ago

Jul 12, 2012, 7:00:31 AM

Thanks Seiya been looking that one (well not apperantly hard enough)

still I like the way I made last night:

it lets you (hopefully if AI isn't stupid) make game harder by limiting your fleet cap while keeping AI fleet cap high.

though yours is prettier and more pure and thus more should be more supported. It's only problem is that it just doesn't let that much to play with (you know, to test how something works and to make everything bit more chaotic ^^)