Skybox/Sunglow Mod

[Raapys]

Description: This simple mod removes the obtrusive skyboxes, replacing them with regular stars. It also lowers the light-output of suns, so that they, too, become far less obtrusive, thus making it easier to see the hexes closer to the suns.

Installation:

1. ( Optional ) Backup the "Stellar" and "Effects" folders inside ...\SpaceEmpiresV\Pictures
2. Move the SkyboxSunglow.rar archive to your main SE V folder and extract it, answer yes to overwrite files if prompted.

Uninstall: Just restore the Stellar and Effects folders. You'll have to do a complete reinstall if you didn't back them up.

The download is 12MB.

Compatible with all other mods that don't change the Skybox or Sunglow files.

Comparison screenshots:
Before
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/7893/sungloworiginalft6.jpg
After
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4428/sunglowmodifiedbf6.jpg

[President_Elect_Shang]

You don't like to give us pictures do you? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Raapys]

Wellll, there's not really that much to give pictures of. The background is now all-stars, where before some systems would have nebula backgrounds and such that made it difficult to see what the grids contained. The suns, which previously shone brightly many hexes away from the origin, making it difficult to see the hexes adjacent to it, now shines far less.

It doesn't actually change the look of anything, it just removes some annoyances.

Buuuut, for your convenience I'll at least put up a screenshot of the difference between the suns.

[MisterBenn]

Subtle changes, but the hexes around the suns are much more visible now! Thanks!

[Raapys]

You're welcome. Those things were bugging me to death, figured I'd share the convenience.

[Santiago]

The pictures make it extremely worthwhile to decide on whether to use this or not before downloading. Is this compatible with Fyron's FQM? Those multiple star systems make a huge glow.

[Raapys]

You're right, the comparison screenshots weren't a bad idea.

It should be fully compatible with FQM, and to my knowledge any other mod out there at the moment.

[President_Elect_Shang]

A number of my ideas seem to be meet with skepticism or a "what's the point" type of view. Not that I take insult to any of them; I'm just saying. In the long run they usually pan out for enough members to make them worthwhile. Maybe I'm not as nuts as some of you think! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Oh and by the way, give me that silver star he-he-he-he http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

[Fyron]

Hmm... While I like the idea of reducing star glow, I think the one you used might be a little extreme. I made a 75% starglow.bmp:

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/496594-75_starglow_thumb.jpg (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/496594-75_starglow.jpg)

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/496594-5star_thumb.jpg (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/496594-5star.jpg)


To try it, you'll need to place it in a Pictures\Effects folder, preferably in some mod to avoid overwriting stock images.

StarGlow.zip (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/496594-StarGlow.zip)

[Raapys]

I guess it is sort of extreme, but personally I feel that there shouldn't really be much glow at all; it's neither realistic nor pratical, and the 'bells and whistles' effect is minimal. I mostly just find the whole thing distracting.

Still, choice is always good, so thanks for putting it up.

[Santiago]

Some Comparison on the Starglow

[Fyron]

I should also note that you can eliminate the skybox pics in SystemTypes.txt. This method will not help when you play on PBW and the game host doesn't do it for the generated map, but it is an alternative for a modder that wishes to axe the skyboxes in a larger mod, due to no increase in file size. It could also potentially save a player on dialup from a lot of downloading.

In Data\SystemTypes.txt, replace this line:

Number of Stellar Background Images := 29

with:

Number of Stellar Background Images := 0

Best to do it in a mod, rather than stock data files.

[Raapys]

You got my name wrong Santiago http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif(((

Fyron, are you sure you wont have to change the 'Stellar Background Images Min/Max Per System' settings instead of the 'Number of Stellar Background Images' ?

[Santiago]

Sorry about that- It's been corrected http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Fyron]

Hmm... well, I changed it to 0 and removed them all, and it seemed to work ok. To be safe, you can always mod it to:

Stellar Background Images Min Per System := 0
Stellar Background Images Max Per System := 0
Number of Stellar Background Images := 0