SE:IV to SE:V - Modding Question

[Ed Kolis]

Personally, I'm hoping for CSV tables - sure, they're harder to read than SE4's data files, but they can be read into and exported from any spreadsheet or database application, allowing for easier data editing. (Not to mention it would save on all the repetititions of "Component X Ability Y Spec Num Amount" and all those field names! )

edit: or, even better (?), a RDL (Rules Description Language) like was planned for Stars! Supernova Genesis - imagine a component entry that looked like this:

Component "AntiProton Beam" // only one entry per component family, individual components generated with formulas
{
Description = "Focused particle beam used as a medium range weapon"
TechRequirements = {"Particle Physics", CompLevel, "Beam Weapons", CompLevel} // requires tech level equal to its Roman numeral in both Particle Physics and Beam Weapons
Picture = "apbeam.bmp"
Levels = 12 // there are 12 levels of APB
Tonnage = 3000 * 0.95 ^ (CompLevel - 1) // starts at 3000 tons and decreases by 5% per level of advancement
Hitpoints = Tonnage // note field referring to other fields!
Cost("Minerals") = 100 * 1.05 ^ (CompLevel - 1) // increases 5% per level
Cost("Organics") = 0
Cost("Radioactives") = 100 * 1.20 ^ (CompLevel - 1) // increases 20% per level
VechicleTypes = {"Ship", "Base", "Satellite", "Drone", "Weapons Platform"}
SuppliesUsed = 15 * 1.05 ^ (CompLevel - 1)
MaxPerVehicle = Infinity
CustomGroup = 0 // gotta be useful for something!
Abilities = {}
WeaponType = "Direct Fire"
WeaponTarget = {"Ship", "Base", "Planet", "Fighter", "Satellite", "Drone"}
WeaponDmgToShields = 0.5 // only half as effective against shields
// variables used in calculating damage
dim Dissipation = 5
WeaponDamage = (30 - Dissipation * 0.95 ^ CompLevel) * 1.1 ^ CompLevel // damage goes up 10% per level and dissipation goes down 5%
WeaponRange = MaximumRange() // game figures out maximum range based on damage function
WeaponDmgToArmor = 1.0
WeaponDmgToComponents = 1.0
WeaponDmgToCustomGroups = {1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.5, 1.0} // aha! certain weapons do more/less damage to certain custom Groups! knew it was good for something!


oh well, I think you get the idea! you can see I'm carrying this a bit too far, ni?

[ February 28, 2003, 22:21: Message edited by: Ed Kolis ]