Theme and modding question

Please post here for questions and discussion about scenario, art and sound modding and the game editor for Distant Worlds.

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incbob
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Theme and modding question

Post by incbob »

I moved this from another thread to here. I looked at the customization guide and asked the question: If I create races do I have to put them in a theme? The answer was no.

So, if I create ships and races and put them into the customization folder without a them will the game AI use them?
Deto
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by Deto »

On the topic. How can I nail certain race to only use certain ship family, and no one else? I'm stuck at trying to change humans to use different kind of set graphics set, so I can update art on the run (hopefully) :)
magickoji
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by magickoji »

ORIGINAL: Deto

On the topic. How can I nail certain race to only use certain ship family, and no one else? I'm stuck at trying to change humans to use different kind of set graphics set, so I can update art on the run (hopefully) :)


Yes I've notice that too. That any race can use any of the ship images. They are not bounded to any set. Well at least the humans aren't. Kind of makes modding a little hard, if you can't make certain races use certain images.
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elliotg
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by elliotg »

ORIGINAL: incbob
I moved this from another thread to here. I looked at the customization guide and asked the question: If I create races do I have to put them in a theme? The answer was no.

So, if I create ships and races and put them into the customization folder without a them will the game AI use them?
A theme is just a folder under the Customization folder. When you say that you "create races", do you mean race images (PNG files) or creating races in the races.txt file?

The game will use your new races when you put them in your own custom version of the races.txt file and place this in your own folder under Customization. Thus you have something like:

<Installation Path>\Distant Worlds\Customization\YourTheme\races.txt

And you can also add your custom race images, custom ship images, etc in the raceImages and shipImages subfolders.
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elliotg
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by elliotg »

ORIGINAL: magickoji
ORIGINAL: Deto
On the topic. How can I nail certain race to only use certain ship family, and no one else? I'm stuck at trying to change humans to use different kind of set graphics set, so I can update art on the run (hopefully) :)
Yes I've notice that too. That any race can use any of the ship images. They are not bounded to any set. Well at least the humans aren't. Kind of makes modding a little hard, if you can't make certain races use certain images.
In the races.txt file you can assign the 'family' of ship images that a race will use with the "Designs picture family index" setting.

The AI races will honor this setting so that they always use the same looking ships. But you may be seeing some other factors that allow for different looking ships in an empire: the empire may have discovered an abandoned ship with a unique look, or they may have had a pirate faction join them, with their own unique looking ships.

Also, when you're playing the game and manually designing your own ships, you can select any image you like for your design - you're not restricted to your default family of ship images. But the AI (other empires) will stick to their own set of ship images when designing new ships and bases.
Deto
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by Deto »

ORIGINAL: elliotg
ORIGINAL: magickoji
ORIGINAL: Deto
On the topic. How can I nail certain race to only use certain ship family, and no one else? I'm stuck at trying to change humans to use different kind of set graphics set, so I can update art on the run (hopefully) :)
Yes I've notice that too. That any race can use any of the ship images. They are not bounded to any set. Well at least the humans aren't. Kind of makes modding a little hard, if you can't make certain races use certain images.
In the races.txt file you can assign the 'family' of ship images that a race will use with the "Designs picture family index" setting.

The AI races will honor this setting so that they always use the same looking ships. But you may be seeing some other factors that allow for different looking ships in an empire: the empire may have discovered an abandoned ship with a unique look, or they may have had a pirate faction join them, with their own unique looking ships.

Also, when you're playing the game and manually designing your own ships, you can select any image you like for your design - you're not restricted to your default family of ship images. But the AI (other empires) will stick to their own set of ship images when designing new ships and bases.

Thanks! I finally managed to change them proper :)

Is there a reason why you can't make completely new family or use textual ship image names? Whenever I'm making mods, I really dislike replacing stuff. I'd much rather add new instead. Also why can't you add new races to the list? [8D]

And on the topic, sorry for request more new stuff, maybe there could be some sort of 'read this kind of files'-system so that you could like make raceXYZLALALALLAALA.txt and the game would recognize the 'race' in the start and load the new race in the game in the theme. Dunno if it would be easier with xml like tagging or not.

The biggest problem with current system for modding is that we can't really 'share' mods easily, especially not race mods at least if someone wants to play with two new races or suchs and they have no idea how the modding works and don't have patience for doing some themselves. I really love how easy its to make new things though :D
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nicodede62
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by nicodede62 »

Hi all

I am a French player, and I wanted to create and integrate the races of Warhammer 40000.

My theme:
Image


Only here , if I put the file in "raceImages":
Image


I put the following line in the text file:
Imperium, 20, 0, 1.48, 110, 125, 75, 75, 100, 0, 0, 0, 5, 5, 10, 0, 0, 0, 10, 3, 0, 3, 1, 20, 18, Terra, Chapter

I run my theme, and when choosing the breed. I have an error

By cons, if I put the number 4 (humans) instead of 20, no mistake. The race appears well:
Image


I dont not understand, could someone help me?
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Image
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hadberz
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by hadberz »

You can only replace races. Rename the Race_20.png image to Race_4.png and it will appear in game.
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nicodede62
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by nicodede62 »

Therefore impossible to add races with those already existing ?

It's damage [:(].

EDIT:The replacement works fine, thank you for help.
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Deto
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by Deto »

ORIGINAL: nicodede62

Therefore impossible to add races with those already existing ?

It's damage [:(].

EDIT:The replacement works fine, thank you for help.

Yeah at least for now its limited to 'replacing'. Can't wait when we can add new stuff, cause then my ships don't have to replace existing ones at all! :)
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nicodede62
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by nicodede62 »

Image
There is possible to edit the file containing the information for the "Read more about this race" ?

For when clicked, it is found here:
Image


Edit:There is possible to know where is the number associated with colors:

23' - Default primary color: 0-19

24' - Default secondary color: 0-20


Another Edit:I'm putting out a name for "Home system name" but the name is different each time you start a game.
Imperium, 0, 0, 1.24, 110, 125, 75, 75, 100, 0, 0, 0, 5, 5, 10, 0, 0, 0, 10, 0, 0, 3, 1, 20, 5, Terra, Space Marine chapter

Image
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DTFS
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by DTFS »

i believe the Color NUMBER is the same order as the colors in game
meaning if the color green is 3rd from the top
them using 3 as the value you will get green

or at least thats what it looks like to me

then again im only editing values for races nothing more

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i wish they'd hurry up an allow us to edit the components
thats ME
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tjhkkr
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by tjhkkr »

All of the primary races will use whatever ship set you assign them, but as far as the pirates are concerned, it is the skies the limit. [;)]
I have had pirates use my race's ships, other races ships, ships from the sets provided by DW (I have used all 8 sets, so they had to pull them from the DW ship sets). Pirates do not seem to follow the rules. [X(] I do not mind that though, it gives some interesting situations.

But I do not think anyone uses the extra ship sets folders [&:]. I put all of Igard's Romulan ships amd some of his Klingon ships there, and they have yet to make an appearance. I was hoping the Pirates might pull from there.
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WoodMan
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by WoodMan »

Races use Shipsets 0-8, defined in the races.txt.&nbsp; Pirates can also use these ships (I think, but not confirmed, if they kill a lot of ships using a certain shipset, they get some ships using that shipset themselves, this just could be a coincidence though).

The ships in the other folder:

Majorsets: These are ships from the DW history, the war reffered to as the story progresses, there are 4 sets and these ships are found in debris fields or sometimes individually.

Minorsets:

Bases-Used for Pirate bases and abadoned bases that are found in asteroid belts etc
Family 0-6: Can be used by pirates and also can be found abandoned in space, I think when found abandoned in space these ships are not as powerful as the wrecks from the ships in the Majorsets above.&nbsp; Also, when you find these types of ships there is a chance they might explode, or suddenly come to life because pirates were hiding onboard etc..
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tjhkkr
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by tjhkkr »

Well that is kind of frustrating; I do not mind that it pulls from DW shipsets, but if you are saying that it should be pulling from 0-6 in the minor ship sets for pirates... it is not doing that. I better double check and make sure that I have proper directory structure.
Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.
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WoodMan
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by WoodMan »

Yes in my game anyway (unmodded, standard install, patch 1.0.6.0) the pirates use minorsets 0-6, it seems they are not restricted to a single set from here but can use a mix.&nbsp; Sometimes they use the shipset families that are used by players, but I notice its often one off ships and the rest are from the minorsets, I have noticed they seem to use the shipset of my neighbours, I assume because they are killing my neighbours, but as I said before this might just be a coincidence, rarely do I see them using my shipset and rarely do they manage to kill one of my conmat ships either.
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tjhkkr
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RE: Theme and modding question

Post by tjhkkr »

Ya, that makes sense. They occasionally do use my ship set, but I have noticed, they are not as powerful as my own ships...

And I do not want to monkey with DW's basic sets, because if I get it wrong, the program will bomb...
It is a shame though, some of those Klingon/Romulan designs are nice looking. Several of the DWs are neat, but I seldom get the cool ones, I get the one's that look like bumble bees.
Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.
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