Current Moddability: Please check this thread before asking for a mod!

[Miletkir]

Since Elliot's post might not be very clear as to the extent of possible modding in certain areas, I thought - some redundancy doesn't hurt - I'd create this thread, because there have been several questions already asking about the moddability of specific features. What I mean by moddability here is everything that has been deobfuscated and is intended by CodeForce to be modifiable. Harmony modding is a more complex endeavour that gives access to virtually all of the source code, which you can also follow, but that's not directly endorsed by CodeForce and is another topic entirely.

So, what is currently made available for modding in DW2:

• As stated in this thread, most of the game data are modifiable via XML entries which you can find in the /data folder. This includes celestial objects, research, components, diplomatic messages, troop types, facilities, and more. However, there are also some known bugs with these XML files (see forum): for example, changing a race's name causes it to be unselectable and therefore unplayable.

• You can modify ships or bases and add your own, although it represents quite a steep learning curve with Stride

• Music

• Everything editable in-game via the game editor

Anything else is still hardcoded. This includes notably:

• "Most" above regarding game data means that there are data that remain hardcoded, such as moon properties for instance

• Any game image, including flags and species portraits

• Galaxy generation properties other than those on the game start menus, including number of stars different than those provided

• Character stats

• Game mechanics

• Sounds other than music tracks

[eddieballgame]

I will note, the selection screen (at the top) per races only allows for 11 (12, if you count Random) to be chosen...no scrolling is available.
Still waiting for a response from the 'devs'.

[Miletkir]

Still waiting for a response from the 'devs'.

I wouldn't hold my breath. CodeForce is 2 people at its core with only a single programmer, and that's a very peripheral issue. There are also some more directly limiting modding concerns. And to be honest, given the current performance limitations, I think having more than 5 factions will unfortunately lead to quickly unplayable games.

[eddieballgame]

Still waiting for a response from the 'devs'.

I wouldn't hold my breath. CodeForce is 2 people at its core with only a single programmer, and that's a very peripheral issue. There are also some more directly limiting modding concerns. And to be honest, given the current performance limitations, I think having more than 5 factions will unfortunately lead to quickly unplayable games.

Thank you for the response.
Agree on potential performance issues per adding more races to a game; I would just like to see the mechanics/UI to increase the selection of races be better fleshed out.

[Miletkir]

I get that. A few aspects of modding have that unfinished look.