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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

Answers from Modders, for Modders who "Ask a Question"

from Sins Forums

This is the place to ask and recieve specific modding (mod making) questions and answers. If you have a mod making question, post it here.

If your question involves long snippets of entity files and the like, please don't paste the entire file contents here but put them at the incredibly easy to use http://pastebin.com and then provide the link to your paste in your question posted here.

Please do limit  "just comments" here to brief posts please.  If you don't know the answer or can't point to help--don't post.  Please note that a random, uninformed guess isn't an actual answer.  

You can refer people to another source--IF it actually helps answer their question.  This could be in the form of links, outside sites, specific modding-useful programs, direction towards another post or poster, etc., etc.

Remember--specific questions, specific answers.  Only respond to the ones you can help solve.  Also, feel free to amplify, clarify, suggest alternatives to or correct answers seen here if such actions are merited and help provide a real solution. No flaming, insults or put downs here in the answers or other posts please.

Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation.  The reason for the rigid rules here is those this thread becomes a usable resource in the future to new people looking for answers.

NOTE: If an answer resolves your issue, please share it here.  These answers will help others coming along later too.  Karma is a great way to respond to people providing help without clogging the thread or bombing their forum mailbox here. Thanks!

 

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7,604,822 views 2,761 replies
Reply #1726 from Sins Forums Top

It seems to only occur when a Kol levels up...it doesn't always occur, but when it does occur, it always seems to be when somewhere a kol levels up....

GRG uses AM....it uses 100 per use regardless of level....incendiary shells is a passive, doesn't use any AM...the Kol has 500 AM, 2 AM regen, and doesn't get any better AM with level ups...

I'm at a complete loss here...

Reply #1727 from Sins Forums Top

Alright, I think I solved the issue...this is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen...

As I've stated, my capital ships do not get any stat increases when they level up...the error came up anytime that the kol had GRG and did not have full AM (GRG was only ability before ultimate that used AM)...if the cap leveled up with full AM or without GRG, no error...

So, I gave the kol an AM stat boost per level, starting with the smallest value possible (0.000001)...error still came up...tried with 0.000010, error still came up...but lo and behold, when I made the stat boost per level 0.000100, the error doesn't seem to come up anymore...

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Reply #1728 from Sins Forums Top

Maybe, not sure, but I think it may have to do with the Gauss Gun leveling up with the ship. Here is the Gauss AM cost per level.

antiMatterCost
Level:0 50.000000
Level:1 55.000000
Level:2 60.000000
Level:3 65.000000

So as I stated, the ability may now use more than the ships pool.

Reply #1729 from Sins Forums Top

But there are abilities that have the same AM cost for each level, and they don't cause problems...

There are however no capital ships that don't get stat boosts per level...

Reply #1730 from Sins Forums Top

What type of abilities, weapon abilities are a bit different from the others. Do some comparing.  :-"

Reply #1731 from Sins Forums Top

Well, detonate AM is a weapon type ability, and it has the same AM cost per level...

In any case, I haven't seen the problem since I made the change to the per level stat boost....

Reply #1732 from Sins Forums Top

Has anyone gotten "OnChance" to work in anything other than a periodic action?

Reply #1733 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1732
Has anyone gotten "OnChance" to work in anything other than a periodic action?

Nope. Pretty sure it has to be a periodic, but you can just do a periodic action with a fixed number of waves set to 1 and its pretty much just like an instant action.

Reply #1734 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 1733


Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1732Has anyone gotten "OnChance" to work in anything other than a periodic action?

Nope. Pretty sure it has to be a periodic, but you can just do a periodic action with a fixed number of waves set to 1 and its pretty much just like an instant action.

This is correct. My Eclipse plugin would have warned you of this and saved some time ;)

Reply #1735 from Sins Forums Top

Time to make one post on sins forums vs. time to download, install, and learn Eclipse + Zombie plugin....

Hmmmmm.......

Reply #1736 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1735

Time to make one post on sins forums vs. time to download, install, and learn Eclipse + Zombie plugin....

Hmmmmm.......

Yeah, but then it saves you from making certain stupid mistakes for the rest of eternity. And Eclipse might just be useful to you in some other context (as it was with me).

Reply #1737 from Sins Forums Top

Goa, why the hell would I want to prevent myself form making stupid mistakes for the rest of eternity?  I wouldn't really be the same person if it wasn't for all my stupid mistakes and stupid questions....

 

Reply #1738 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1737

Goa, why the hell would I want to prevent myself form making stupid mistakes for the rest of eternity?  I wouldn't really be the same person if it wasn't for all my stupid mistakes and stupid questions....

 

I don't know Seleuceia. I guess I just don't know you that well anymore. First you quit playing mod games, then you stopped playing on ICO. How long until you're just some troll that I used to know?

Reply #1739 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1737

Goa, why the hell would I want to prevent myself form making stupid mistakes for the rest of eternity?  I wouldn't really be the same person if it wasn't for all my stupid mistakes and stupid questions....

 

making the same mistakes over and over and calling it progress is not growth. 

Reply #1740 from Sins Forums Top

Who said I stopped playing mod games?

And zombie, stop wasting high minded philosophical bullshit on a troll....I know you have more important things to do....

Reply #1741 from Sins Forums Top

Can we at least please keep one section on these forums troll-free?  I rather like the lack of stupid and inane behavior in here.

Reply #1742 from Sins Forums Top

I haven't seen anyone on this forum I would classify as a troll yet. My standards must be too high.

Reply #1743 from Sins Forums Top

Well iskatu, very few trolls muck around in the modding section...you may have to look elsewhere...

Anyway...what is the difference between this:

  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:1 0.001000
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:2 0.001300   
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:3 0.001600
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:4 0.001900
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:5 0.002200
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:6 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:7 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:8 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:9 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:10 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:11 0.002500
  diplomacyPointsForPactCount:12 0.002500

and this:

  allyPactCountRelationshipChanges 13
   modifier 0.0
   modifier 0.2
   modifier 0.4
   modifier 0.6
   modifier 0.8
   modifier 1.0
   modifier 1.2
   modifier 1.4
   modifier 1.6
   modifier 1.8
   modifier 2.0
   modifier 2.2
   modifier 2.4

 

Both are near the bottom of the gameplay file...

 

The top seems like it's a bonus based off of the number of pacts you have...I guess you could get 12 if two different factions each offered their 6 pacts...

But then what is the bottom thing for?

Reply #1744 from Sins Forums Top

Seleucia, the diplomacyPointsForPactCount most likely refers to something with the Diplomacy Victory while the second is an actual relationship bonus.

Quoting IskatuMesk, reply 1742
I haven't seen anyone on this forum I would classify as a troll yet. My standards must be too high.

No, you are just accustomed to dealing with real trolls. Any "troll" on this forum is nothing more than the delusional little kid back at elementary school who thought he was big and hot stuff, until he lost a tooth from someone's fist to his face.

Reply #1745 from Sins Forums Top

Well now that makes sense lavo....

Is there a particular reason why there are 13 pact relationship modifiers?   I don't think you can have more than 12 pacts...

Reply #1746 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1745
Is there a particular reason why there are 13 pact relationship modifiers?   I don't think you can have more than 12 pacts...

Maybe there was a null pointer bug they couldn't track down so they just made an extra. :p

Reply #1747 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 1745
Is there a particular reason why there are 13 pact relationship modifiers? I don't think you can have more than 12 pacts...

There are 13 possible pact cases; having 1-12 pacts or 0 pacts.

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Reply #1748 from Sins Forums Top

Ah, k that helps a lot....thanks mate...

Reply #1749 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 1721

Palaisy, open up English.str in your mod's String folder and do a search for "TEC Loyalists".  All text in the game is controlled through that file.

That said, if you are making a new race, I highly recommend making a new string entry and changing the reference in your race.entity file. It seems easier at first to just replace an existing race as needed, but starting from scratch saves you more time in the long run.

 

okay i so i have the SoaSE menu index thing ive been going throught it sorry for asking so many questions im just trying to understand all this since my team has died xp haha anyway so its easier to make your own race fresh instead of replacing? so how do i go about making a "new string" ?

Reply #1750 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting palaisy, reply 1749
okay i so i have the SoaSE menu index thing ive been going throught it sorry for asking so many questions im just trying to understand all this since my team has died xp haha anyway so its easier to make your own race fresh instead of replacing? so how do i go about making a "new string" ?

Because it is a lot easier to keep track of strings you make, since you can give them better name discriptions. And if you ever want to use something from another mod, and they just renamed the vanilla stings as well, it will create more work for you, while always making your own strings should ensure they are unique.

A simple example from my mod, from the English.str file.

NumStrings 7957
StringInfo
ID "IDS_Ability_E4X_DisruptRangefinders_NAME"
Value "Damage Rangefinders"

To make a new string, just copy the last three lines from any string reference, and update the NumStrings line by 1. ID is the most important, as that is the unique identifier for the string that all other files will use. To keep my strings unique, I add a prefix unique to the mod I'm working on, in this case E4X for "Enhanced 4X Mod". That way I do not have to worry about string conflicts with other mods, and even better it tells me in an instance what mod that string is originally from (Even in Enhanced 4X I have portions of other mods included, and their strings have their own prefixes for them).