Component Editor

[Krsqk]

Just serving notice that the new and improved (not to mention smaller) Krsqk SEIV Gold Component Editor v.95 is nearing completion. It is being completely rewritten in Visual Basic 6.0, so it will be both smaller and faster. The abilities tab has been completely reworked (allowing up to 99 abilities), as has the weapons tab. A new "Round Damage" field has also been added to the weapons tab. (Sorry, Phoenix-D, but matrix components have not yet been added. I'm going to work on that for v1.1 as soon as I get v1.0 finished. First things first! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif )

My main reason for posting, other than this self-serving promo, http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif is to ask about the Abilities.txt file. I've seen posted now a couple of times lately that there are abilities in there which aren't even used, and there are abilities that exist which aren't listed in the file. Can anyone confirm/disprove this or give any specific information?

[ June 27, 2002, 03:55: Message edited by: Krsqk ]

[Baron Munchausen]

Abilities in 'abilities.txt' known to be unused:

Drop Troops
Palace
Planet - Change Ground Defense
Warp Point - Ability Required

There are also some abilities used in the game that are undocumented in abilities.txt but I don't know what they are off-hand.

Edit: Oops. 'Warp Point - Ability Required' is not in Abilities.txt but it's in the game code. Apparently it doesn't do anything at present.

[ June 27, 2002, 05:23: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Gimboid]

Originally posted by Krsqk:
there are abilities that exist which aren't listed in the file. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know that Launch Drones isnt in the abilities file... found that out the hard way when i was making my component editor.

On another note - once my exams finish this week, i will continue working on my component modder and add the features that have been only partially implemented... so it looks like its a 3 way component modding program mini-competion happening here. The more mod tools the merrier http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Phoenix-D]

One thing about the non-functional abilities: they're nice for AI control, so it's best to leave them in the tool. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

[Krsqk]

Thanks for the responses. I will leave in the unused abilities; I thought of the AI about three seconds after posting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I could release the source; just don't expect the eighth Wonder of the Programming World. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[tesco samoa]

cool. will you be offering up source as well.

[CW]

Modding newbie's question: what do you mean by "AI control"?

[Phoenix-D]

The AI files as they are have some limits: you can't call for a specific component, for example, and the AI will always pick the component with the highest value.

Using non-functional abilities can offset this and FORCE the AI to build a specific component.

Phoenix-D

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Gimboid:
I know that Launch Drones isnt in the abilities file... found that out the hard way when i was making my component editor.
[/QB]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I just did a little program that scanned the components and abilities txt files. It found the Launch Drones was the only ability named in the components file that was not in the abilities files (assuming the program ran succesfully http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif )

[Gimboid]

Well that simplifies things then. All you have todo is manually add the launch drones ability to your program as i did http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif