SEV: Using custom races on PBW

[geoschmo]

As we know there's a bit of a problem with using custom races on PBW for SEV because SEV doesn't handle missing files as smoothly as SE4 did. It will process the turn, but when the players open their next turns they find their pics have changed permanently in the game.

Custom shipsets are an area with SE5 I've not really played with much, so I don't have a good handle on exactly what is involved. I see pics in a couple different folders. My hope was that if I waited a while Malfador would patch the problem and I wouldn't have to start adding these custom pics to the server. I think it's time to start investigating alternatives.

Can someone explain the process in simple terms as to where the various pics have to be located? And do I have to copy them to all the mod game type folders as well, or will the game find them in the stock folders?

And do we have a thread started somewhere that lists all the available custom SEV shipsets? If not I guess we can start that here. If it's not too complicated a process I'll start putting them on the server so people can use them.

Geoschmo

[Romulus68]

I copied the custom race folders to the Stock empires folder and it recognizes the race pictures. I'm playing the SE5 1.33 BM1.05 PBW game and it works fine.

[Captain Kwok]

I believe the key is just having the race's text files (especially the slot layouts) available for the mod's Empires folder.

[geoschmo]

Captain Kwok said:
I believe the key is just having the race's text files (especially the slot layouts) available for the mod's Empires folder.

The key to what? Are you saying I won't have to have the custom images as long as I have the text files?

[Captain Kwok]

I think so. When adding a custom race to the Balance Mod, I had no problems with the game displaying the images from the custom race's default install in the stock Empires folder. But the text files should be on hand in the Mod's empires folder under the custom set's name - all of them for a PBW game with AI generated players. But the most important text files for player controlled empires I believe are [Empire]_AI_Main.txt and [Empire]_InvConfiguration_Slots.txt.

[geoschmo]

Ok, I think you aren't saying I don't need the custom images, only that I don't need them in the mod folder. Only the custom text files need to be in the mod folder. I still need the custom images, but the game can find them fine in the stock folders. Is that what you mean?

Geoschmo

[Captain Kwok]

Yes, that's what I was trying to say.

Although I don't think you need the images at all on the server since the game's graphics are never displayed - but if there's a way you can test or confirm this that would be good. As long as the players in the game have the custom race installed in their stock folder or mod folder, the image references should be intact and the correct images displayed in game.

[Romulus68]

geoschmo said:
Ok, I think you aren't saying I don't need the custom images, only that I don't need them in the mod folder. Only the custom text files need to be in the mod folder. I still need the custom images, but the game can find them fine in the stock folders. Is that what you mean?

Geoschmo

I said that 5 posts ago! lol

[geoschmo]

Captain Kwok said:
Although I don't think you need the images at all on the server since the game's graphics are never displayed - but if there's a way you can test or confirm this that would be good. As long as the players in the game have the custom race installed in their stock folder or mod folder, the image references should be intact and the correct images displayed in game.

Isn't this the whole crux of the problem people are having? I don't have the images on the server now, and we are having issues with people using custom races. If the image references stayed intact we wouldn't be having an issue or this discussion.

There definetly is a problem. I guess I don't know what exactly the cause is. I thought it had been pretty well defined though.

Geoschmo

[geoschmo]

Romulus68 said:

I said that 5 posts ago! lol

Yes, I know you did. But Kwok seemed to be contradicting you and I was getting confused.