Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

I am interested about the under-the-hood changes.

ORIGINAL: CyclopsSlayer

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

I am interested about the under-the-hood changes.

While few details there yet, it lists a Table of Contents for the mod guide.

http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Guide ... gIntro.pdf

ORIGINAL: Loose Cannon
Other than the ability to create new galaxies and improve the Galactopedia I don't see anything that greatly improved over Shadows. Did I miss something?[&:]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76
I am interested about the under-the-hood changes.

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Allies need to actually stay in the war for more than 5 minutes for that to be useful.

ORIGINAL: ReadeB

You have to be very careful about modding things and completely breaking the AI's ability to function.

This has happened with mods in other games (Civ IV) where the AI doesn't understand how to use or even that a new system exists.

It turns a fun single player game into an easy steamroller unless you ignore the AI's blindspots.

ORIGINAL: feygan
Breaking the original intended function is pretty much all of what modding is about though. To say a product has opened up lots of new modding when in reality it has just allowed some small cosmetic changes is quite different. Not to mention some of the best mods around have come from issues of breaking the AI and then discovering new ways to use it.

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: feygan
Breaking the original intended function is pretty much all of what modding is about though. To say a product has opened up lots of new modding when in reality it has just allowed some small cosmetic changes is quite different. Not to mention some of the best mods around have come from issues of breaking the AI and then discovering new ways to use it.

I'm not following you here. Allowing players to for the first time create a custom galaxy, create their own resources, components and tech trees is "cosmetic"?

We're basically opening up the game in Universe, but we don't allow you to change the basic game design. It's a much, much more moddable Distant Worlds, but if you want to make your own game that works very differently, you still need to make your own game.

Improving the AI to handle these new mods is something we did and the AI's play can be influenced in many ways already. The conditional events also allow the modder to shape how gameplay unfolds. Completely rewriting the AI in all parts of the game was not feasible.

Universe basically hits all the top modding requests from previous DW releases. The areas that modders most wanted access to and which could be done, we opened up in Universe. I think you will be surprised, given your comments here, how much more can be done than what could reasonably be called "cosmetic".

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: Loose Cannon
Other than the ability to create new galaxies and improve the Galactopedia I don't see anything that greatly improved over Shadows. Did I miss something?[&:]

Er... yes. [;)]

Here's a list of what's new in Universe:

New to Universe!


- The entire Distant Worlds series in one package! Universe includes the Original Distant Worlds, Return of the Shakturi, Legends, Shadows and the new Universe expansion! NOT REALLY

- Comprehensive Modding and Customization Support:
- Allows adding/removing/changing most items: resources (including new colony-manufactured resources), ship components, planetary facilities and wonders, fighter designs, alien races and race families, diplomatic dialog, empire policy, custom characters, ship and base design templates, governments, plagues, research tech trees and more BT, DT
- Can customize most of the images used in the game: ships and bases, fighters, alien races, planetary facilities and wonders, characters, troops, components, resources, ancient ruins, planets, stars, asteroids, animated in-game effects and moreBT, DT
- Use a previously saved and editor-customized game as a map for a new game (instead of generating a new galaxy) NEW
- Powerful new event system accessible from a considerably-upgraded Game Editor. Set up your own storyline in a custom map with triggered events and custom victory conditionsVALUE TO BE DETERMINED
- Add story triggers on specific in-game objects or events, executing one or more actions on other in-game objects (either immediately or delayed)MINOR IMPROVEMENT
- Can replace most of the user interface icons and sound effectsBT,DT
- Add your own custom help files to the in-game Galactopedia NEW BUT ONLY A MINOR IMPROVEMENT
- Switch between different customization sets with a couple of mouse clicks from the main game menu AND HOW MUCH TIME WILL THIS TAKE?
- Comprehensive 100-page Modding Guide that outlines how to make Mods and explains all of the settings in detail WILL IT WORK BETTER THAN THE PIRATE SETTING SLIDER?

- Can now build your own planet destroyer projects in isolated star systems (once required technology researched)MINOR IMPROVEMENT TO TECH TREE
- Allies will make cooperative fleet attacks against common enemies
- A multitude of AI improvements across many areas: resource transport, research pathing, fleets, etc
- Significant performance improvements, especially in mid-late game THESE LAST 3 CAN'T BE DETERMINED UNTIL PLAYED

- A new official storyline built using the new modding capabilities, covering the first war between the Freedom Alliance and the Shaktur Axis, in which you have access to the tech required to build your own planet destroyers, establish the Ancient Guardians and research and deploy the Xaraktor virus.