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[Tutorial] How to add a new race [Complete with Starter Race Mod for E and D]

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[Tutorial] How to add a new race [Complete with Starter Race Mod for E and D]

from Sins Forums

How to add a race to Sins of a Solar Empire

By ZombiesRus5

Current Version

This should work with Diplomacy 1.34, however the envoy abilities for the race templates are all the old versions which still should work in my experience.

Races Mod for Entrenchment 1.051 and Diplomacy 1.34

Note: This is the stacking version only for Entrenchment and Diplomacy.
If you don't want the stacked version for Diplomacy simply copy the
Diplomacy files over the Entrenchment to make a single combined mod

 

Previous Versions

Races Mod for Entrenchment 1.051 and Diplomacy 1.32

Entrenchment Starter Races Mod

Races Mod (E) v0.4 (Download)
Patches a few references such as entry vehicles to existing races.
Races Mod (E) v0.3 (Download)

Diplomacy Starter Races Mod

Stack is meant to support Entrenchment and Diplomacy versions of your mod 
allowing you to only modify files necessary for Diplomacy.
Races Mod Stack (D 1.2) v0.3 (Download)
Races Mod Stack (D) v0.2 (Download)
Races Mod Stack (D) v0.1 (Download)

Full is a standalone version of the races mod and should be used when you
don't care about maintaining an Entrenchment release.
Races Mod Full (D 1.2) v0.3 (Download)
Races Mod Full (D) v0.2 (Download)
Races Mod Full (D) v0.1 (Download)


* Important Diplomacy 1.2 message * If you have already started your mod with these files you do not need to upgrade. Instead try adding the QuestEnded event (after QuestFailed) to your new Player[Race].entity files and regenerate the entity.manifest with any manifest generator such as Harpos. The Diplomacy 1.2 versions should really be considered as a resource for new mods only!


Introduction

Welcome to the tutorial for adding races to Sins of a Solar Empire. This tutorial will go over some of the basics associated with adding new races to the existing game for Entrenchment and Diplomacy (Sorry, won't cover vanilla modding).

I plan on adding content to this tutorial as time permits (see list below).


References
http://soase.weebly.com/modding.html

http://soase.weebly.com/sins-mod-set.html

http://soase.weebly.com/research-button.html - Good for any picture manipulation in sins.

http://code.google.com/p/soaseplugin/wiki/Syntax

Unit Guide: FAQ [complete] - Good for understanding ship types and roles
 
So I have an updated refrence chart... - Good for understanding balance 

 


Adding a race
Ok, I've done most the work for you here. Start by downloading the starter race mod for the version you wish to mod. The starter races mod contains 3 addon races that you can modify and still keep the existing Tech, Advent and Vasari races in the game.

The three starter races are clones of the Tech, Advent and Vasari races having identical abiltiies, buffs, ships, structures, starbases and research. You can directly modify these files or copy them to meet your needs.

  

Optional step:

Also, all entries and file names follow Race1, Race2, Race3 making it possible to convert Race1 to Terran. For example: replace Race1 and RACE2 in file names with Terran and TERRAN (case sensitive). All references in the text files will also need Race1 and RACE2 changed to Terran and TERRAN as well.

Changing the name of files and associated references is recommended if you plan on making more than three races.

 

What are the key pieces to understand when working with a new Race? (click on subjects below)

Understanding the Player entity and Galaxy Scenario Def
How to add/edit a ship
How to add/edit a module
How to add/edit an ability and buff (tbd)
How to add/edit a research subject (tbd)
How to add/edit a fighter/squad (tbd)
How to add/edit a starbase and starbase upgrade  (tbd)

 

What the hell is a manifest and why do I need to change it?

Manifest files is Sins way of telling the engine it needs to load the file into memory. If you add a new entity, brush, player picture, player theme, or skybox to your mod you MUST add an entry for that file in it's associated manifest (or mini-dump).

  • brush.manifest
  • entity.manifest
  • galaxy.manifest
  • playerPictures.manifest
  • playerThemese.manifest
  • skybox.manifest

* After every Sins patch it's important to check these files to see if any new entries were added or removed so the same change can be applied in your mod.

modding
272,408 views 78 replies
Reply #51 from Sins Forums Top

Ok, so... the stack thing works like so. Copy the Diplomacy races mod over the Entrenchment races mod. Viola you have ONE mod that works with Diplomacy. 

Cheers  :beer:

Join teamspeak if you want to know more.

Reply #52 from Sins Forums Top

Excellent base-mod for creating your own new factions.  Really great job!  I'll be using this to replace a lot of the grunt work I would have had to do...a real time saver!

You really should post this up to the Stardock mod section, Zombie.

Invaluable, highly recommended!   :D

(So basically, with this mod, you finally caved and did my mod for me...I knew you would)

 

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #53 from Sins Forums Top

Simperium obviously has a begging level of 1,000,000,000

Reply #54 from Sins Forums Top

Zombie is my slave..he just hasn't realized it yet.

Reply #55 from Sins Forums Top

hehe

So Zombie is your zombie?

Reply #56 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ImperatorPavel, reply 55
hehe

So Zombie is your zombie?

He likes to think he's a zombie puppet master. Reality is you can't control a zombie.

 

Reply #57 from Sins Forums Top

Now I think that we can officially call anyone who doesn't think forums are funny a heretic.

Reply #58 from Sins Forums Top

All zombies are heretics...and I am their pope.

Zombie joke of the day:

Q: How do you stop a charging zombie?

A: Break off his fingers so he can't hold a credit card.

Go ahead and give me a call  ZombieRus if you need those fingers back.

+1 Loading…
Reply #59 from Sins Forums Top

*pulls what he needs together* would I be able to nab a tester while I start working on my own add-a-race mod with this stuff?(Thank you Zombie)

No, I don't have my own SoaSE, one of my old friends has it but he wont let me touch it, rather unstable computer, surprised it's still operating >.>

And cant get my own copy yet, still getting bills paid off :i

Reply #60 from Sins Forums Top

If you get some spare time could you update the add race mod to work with Rebellion dont realy matter what ver if I can get a ref I can fig the rest out. I have tryed to make the one from d work but I cant seem to get it right I must be missing something with the titans , corvet or some abl thanks if'ens ya do an thanks if'ens ya don't

Reply #62 from Sins Forums Top

geting them is a pice of cake you change them from bin to txt & txt to bin just like the others, but the files have added lines that the new reace fine just dont so I just cant seem to get it to work. I must be missing somthing with eather the , flagship ,corv ,abb ,buff or the new capship. but thank you for the offer.

Reply #63 from Sins Forums Top

It would be helpful if one could tell me if the following lines I need to keep or remove

RequiredFactionNameID ""

RequiredCompletedResearchSubjects 0

 There are meny like this that I'm just not sure what to do about I would be greatful for any advice

Reply #64 from Sins Forums Top

I would suggest that you KEEP any lines that are in the ref files of the type of unit/structure especially when they have a either blank OR zero value as the engine usually REQUIRES the lines, and the sets in the ref file thread ARE already converted to text, so you can just copy the files & edit them to do what you want in your mod, and if the file you want is NOT in the ref set, then it is probably a picture/sound/movie or other NON-convertable (by the convertdata_expansion.exe) file.

harpo

 

Reply #65 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting crisium69, reply 61
If you get some spare time could you update the add race mod to work with Rebellion dont realy matter what ver if I can get a ref I can fig the rest out.

I don't honestly know if this will happen for Rebellion. Firstly, the developers have stated there's atleast two more significant patches coming soon. Plus if history of Sins proves correct I'm sure there will be some more following that. If this were to be done again I would want to see Rebellion somewhat more stable in terms of it's reference files.

Reply #66 from Sins Forums Top

Hi Zombies, your tutorial is really helpful and i downloaded your race mod, but i was wondering if you had the modified "PlayerSetupContentWindow.window" file for entrenchment because it only shows three races for selection instead of six like the pic from your post #12.

Thanks.

 

Reply #67 from Sins Forums Top

hey im trying to do a Rebellion mod can the Diplomacy start kit work for rebellion?

Reply #68 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting palaisy, reply 67

hey im trying to do a Rebellion mod can the Diplomacy start kit work for rebellion?

No.

Reply #69 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 68

No.

is there one for rebellion?

Reply #70 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting palaisy, reply 69


Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 68
No.

is there one for rebellion?

Nope, sorry.

Reply #71 from Sins Forums Top

okay thanks for the help and i know this isnt the thread for it but do you know how to remove races from sins so its only one active?

Reply #72 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting palaisy, reply 71

okay thanks for the help and i know this isnt the thread for it but do you know how to remove races from sins so its only one active?

Just set the isSelectable to FALSE in the player entity file and that will disable the race.

Reply #74 from Sins Forums Top

sorry to bug again i cant find player entity file

Reply #75 from Sins Forums Top

It should be in the format of Player<Race>.entity, where <Race> is what race it is in-game.  There should be Player.entity files for PhaseLoyalist, PhaseRebel, Pirate, PsiLoyalist, PsiRebel, TechLoyalist, and TechRebel.