I'll try that, thanks!



Edit: It worked, thanks a bundle. On an unrelated note, a found a (likely illegal) file edit that unlocks the Sherdyn even though I have the admiral version. I promise not to distribute it or tell anyone how I did it, but any competent modder could probably do it, so I suggest adding some sort of security even though I wasn't able to get the G2G codes or the Sherdyn ship skins (I think, it may be that I had them and didn't realize it).

Please take a look at the index.xml file in one of the released mods, such as the community balance mod. There are a few fields you should edit after copying index.xml, such as "name", "description", and so forth. If you did not edit these fields, then probably you have left the default value from the original. That is where "Endless Space" would come from.

I'm probably increibly stupid, but I made my first mod and I have the files in Document/Endless Space/Modding/MOD_NAME, but it's not showing up in-game. I am, however, getting four different mods, all apparently identical, named Endless Space.

davea wrote:
This makes me wonder why I bother replying to your posts.

And our conversations makes me wonder how I still respect you... it's small miracle, I mean when we end up to same topic it ends up to arguing.

Anyway to say something positive, usually after we have argued I feel awful.



Though there is something I really would like to rise up:

I am hugely disappointed to developers.

Of course it's modders responsibility to figure out how to do things and thats half of fun.

But when someone asks question 5 times and didn't get answer, it starts to get just annoying.





Game itself is great (hey, I last time got to even turn 9 before pressing alt+f4 !) and not many game has this great modding possibilities or this easy to mod... it's just that you start to feel like you have to do all the work.



I don't mind writing 3000+ lines on my freetime, I don't mind trying to implement new weapon systems, I mind about colliding constantly to "features" inside of code which prevents certain things.



And last but not least, I apologize my last post, I have been almost 1 hour try to figure out why game acts like it does and it starts to get annoying.







Patches are always nice, I just am not thrilled when one markets patch with: "we let you put some pictures" when there is higher problems

This makes me wonder why I bother replying to your posts.

davea wrote:
Then don't request them to wait before releasing a new version with capabilities you want.

You are ofcourse right, I shouldn't ask absolutely anything from developing team... after all if they don't answer to modding related question or show any interest towards anything other than most simplest mods who am I ask anything.

You know, maybe I just stop modding this game completly... after all what would anyone lose?





Especially when there is you who in all gloriness and mightiness produce game changing mods with thousands of fans wanting new versions.





I try to remember that what I'm doing is only mod and therefore "fan" image how game should be... all it does is gives race specific tech trees, various new weapons, various new ships and so on...

And because it's mod (even though it's biggest made so far and probably biggest made ever) I don't have any rights to ask anything from anybody.





I don't ask them to postpone release of patch because of me... I ask them to add to patch features we all could use

Then don't request them to wait before releasing a new version with capabilities you want.

davea wrote:
I disagree. I am working on tech tree mods, and it is very painful that I cannot add new icons.

aren't we all? I mean I have to in during next weekend add atleast 112 different technologies and in next 9 days something like 200.

Hupailija wrote:
Can you wait atleast 2 weeks?

I disagree. I am working on tech tree mods, and it is very painful that I cannot add new icons.

Hi all,



Here is a small status update on where we stand regarding modding. I have already given some hints previously, but I propose to restart here.



First of all, modding has always been crucial for SpaceTroll and myself, and we had it in mind all along the game development. Modding will not be easy on release (unless you are experienced hackers ), because we have focused a lot on the last content, features, optimizations and tuning. There are also some people dying to get a Mac version, and that is also a big priority and something we set aside to achieve the PC release. Obviously, we want to restart our work on modding after release, and I think there will be several steps.



The first thing I want to point out is that there are already lots of possibilities for modding. All the game data is architectured around xml files, which describe simulation effects, AI parameters, localisation (texts), gui images, or 3D graphical assets. So the game is potentially ready to change / replace / add : technologies, improvements, ship modules, ship hulls, heroes, etc...



But the main first effort we will have to push will be the ability to read these xml files (or their graphical counterparts) outside of the Unity archive. It is not impossible, we just have to rewrite asset reading methods. Actually we use some of this already for some assets which stand outside (user preferences, galaxy generator output). This should not be too hard, but I want to do this right and find the correct architecture. Once this is done, editing game content should be easy for the xml part, a bit more complex for the 3D assets.



The XML file are generaly structured in too parts. The first is a definition in the database, which declares the element, specifies its title/description and gui image. All the game elements use a localisation key system to make the game easy to translate (these keys start with "%"). Here is an example for a system improvement:

[CODE]

StarSystemImprovementIndustry1







%StarSystemImprovementIndustry1Description





[/CODE]



The second part is the descriptor of this element, which defines its simulation effect:

[CODE]



















[/CODE]



Those are simple examples, and the rational behind the descriptor is to have some kind of microcode with various operations. So we do not open C# code directly (which could lead to malicious code), but this is not limited to changing values only. Most of the game simulation is performed this way in a generic fashion. I think we will need to prepare a documentation / digest for the possiblities of the system.



Regarding hard coded stuff, as I said there is lot you can do to change the game content (once the game can read it). But there are some hard coded implementations in some specific parts of the game. Some features are so specific that we had to specialize the code for it. Was it a bad choice? Well it is difficult to determine. When you develop an all generic game from start, you tend to move around the real objective, especially as the objective can be unclear until the users have validated the interest of the gameplay. While we prepared modifications of in-game data with the xml-descriptor system, we also developed some elements directly for the final game. Where do we go from there? Well we can make the game more generic now that is has become stable, or we can hard code some new possibilities, depending on your needs and feedback.



As far as the galaxy generator is concerned, it is an external DLL, so it can be reprogrammed by the advanced users. There are still some possible evolutions we want to achieve soon after release, but I guess you could work on this already. The generator itself works on configuration parameters and files. An xml file defines the global generation parameters, probabilities, and there is also an xml and generation images for each galaxy shape. It is very easy to change the generation image (basically a 256x256 surface which specifies star density and regions) to obtain innovative generation shapes. Changing the 3D skybox behind is more complex thought, but maybe you dont need that right now. Regarding the number of stars, it is easily changeable in the global generation parameters (although we were cautious because of simulation and AI processing times). I imagine you could create your super galaxy by changing the generation image to a cluster of smaller regions, and then change the number of stars.



Concerning the packaging and delivery of mods, that is also a subject we have not started yet. I think users will have first to download files and place them in a special directory, but we can look into Steam Workshop to ease up installations and updates. This will take more time though.



Were to start from here? Maybe we can start sharing some of the xml assets, so that you get a first look of all this works? Let me know your preferences.



Thanks

We are currently working on allowing modders to add their own tech icons, custom faction portraits, hero portraits...something tells me it should come very soon...

Any news or a date when the next modding phase will start? Would be great to know

davea wrote:
@ amplimath, I am tremendously impressed by the contents of the xml files. It seems like quite a lot of stuff will be moddable. What we need to get started is a tool to unpack and repack the assets file. Also, please let us know if you have a strategy for combining mods, when two modders have changed *different* xml files. Is there a load order capability, for multiple mods?]

Any news on this?



I would love to create some mods but without the ability to easily access some of the contents of the asset files they are unbearable to create. The best thing for us modders would be if things that are as of now hard coded in the asset files or dll files like for example the content of the galaxy sizes menu are moved to xml files. If I am not wrong the asset files will get recompiled if a patch comes along that changes stuff that is referenced in them. This makes it very difficult to maintain a mod that changes something in an asset file as well.



Addition:

In case of the galaxy sizes, I want to add additional sizes but whatever xml files I edit they do not show up. A search through all game files revealed that information is not only stored in the xml files but also in the files: sharedassets2.assets, Assembly-CSharp.dll, GalaxyGeneratorPlugin.dll. Do we have to change these files as well to mod in things like additional galaxy sizes?



Have Fun

lastpick wrote:
I've been think of a mod that would simulate an outbreak of a plague that starts randomly on a planet and starts to spread outward from that system. Players would all be notified of the plague's origin, and a new tech would be added for players to research a cure. All ships passing through a system would become infected and have a little symbol indicating infection and any systems the ship passes through would become infected. Players could attempt to slow this plague by blockading an infected system or by destroying it. Would something like this be possible with the planned modding capabilities?

In theory yes, maybe, probably.



I (which doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't know) yet don't know how to chain events with technology opening. Then again I assume that it's quite easy.



Why you don't try

Hear Hear!

I've been think of a mod that would simulate an outbreak of a plague that starts randomly on a planet and starts to spread outward from that system. Players would all be notified of the plague's origin, and a new tech would be added for players to research a cure. All ships passing through a system would become infected and have a little symbol indicating infection and any systems the ship passes through would become infected. Players could attempt to slow this plague by blockading an infected system or by destroying it. Would something like this be possible with the planned modding capabilities?

Combat damage operations: yes this can be modded

Accuracy: absolutely modabble

Tax rates: yes moddable

A non-linear evaluation of approval.: can adjust how approval ramps up but not on a complex math level

Buy-out costs: totally doable even globally adjustable

Retrofit costs: not certain on this one

etc.

Ketobor wrote:
Will it be possible to adjust how certain effects are calculated?



Combat damage operations

Accuracy

Tax rates

A non-linear evaluation of approval.

Buy-out costs

Retrofit costs

etc.

this comes way too late most likely



Lets see:

Combat damage operations: doable, can paste code

Accuracy: isn't it already?

Tax rates: I just pasted code for that

A non-linea evaluation of approval: hmmm, doable but maybe bit hard.

Buy-out costs: god only knows, I only see value printed to buildings

Retrofit costs: don't really know.





Basically as long as person devotes enough time for datadigging almost everything can be changed (well ok, I can't find sowers affinity nor got any ideas how to make similar).