Modding Questions - Shattered Realms

[clark]

Modding the User Interface (UI)and general mod questions:

How much, and how far can one mod the user interface for Space Empires IV?

Can, and how, would one mod the playing field- the sector maps that contain the planets, warps, asteroids, and storms and such? Instead of a 'space bit map', could an all green (to mimic fields and grasslands) be installed? Where would the refrences need to be changed in the txt files?

Can the tactical display- where all fighting occurs, be modded to display a green bitmap instead of the standard space bitmap? Which txt files control it?

Where, and how, does one change the little descriptive txt about planets (you know where it will say things like "planet has nice argon ice patches, small/machine world, etc") Where is this controled in the txt files?

Can the graphics for how planets and moons appear in the tactical display be changed? Instead of a planet, could you replace that graphic (in the tactical display) with a picture of a Castle? In what txt file is that done?

Now, these may seem weird, so let me explain my vision...

Space Empire IV becomes "Shattered Realms I"

Instead of Space wars, Fantasy Wars, as it were.

In order to properly understand this, you have to realize that Araon has given us an 'engine', and wemerely need to change the body to make any game we want. I think most people understand this, so thus, my questions to you.

What I was thinking was that if the UI can be modded, then all of this would be rather seamless, and we all can end up with a brand new spanking game... with the same 'feel' as Space Empires, but in a new genre.

So, instead of Gas, Rock, and Ice Planets, we have Ethreal Plane(Gas), Man's (or whatever) plane (rock), and Underworld plane (ice).

Instead of Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Methane or None atmosphere's, we have Ancient Forests (carbon dioxide), Plains or Gardens (Oxygen), Fire pits (Hydrogen), Swamps (Methane), and Caverns or Crypts (None).

Instead of Ships, we have Hero's and Monsters (these form the bodies of the creatures we create to battle for us). So an escort becomes the base "humaniod" hero. The destroyer becomes a bigger body form for creatures, and on and on...

Life support, crew quarters, and Bridge become: Body (life support), Soul (crew quarters), and Mind (bridge). The computer control becomes a 'magical enchant' that can replace the previous functions...

Mines become 'booby traps'. Sats become 'guard towers', Drones become 'golems' (or whatever).

Troops become 'seige troops' to take castles and such. Fighters become griffins, pegasus, witches, flying monkies... you get the idea.

Weapon Platforms become ballista (giant crossbow), catapaults, or whatever.

Warp points become passages between the lands of the "Shattered Realms", or teleport sites, or whatever...

Stars become centers of majic (which later can be built upon to make giant towers, ala ringworld)

Minerals become Iron, Organics become foodstuff, and Radioactives become Majic.

Ruins lead to arcane majics unknown to your peoples.

Asteroids become little hills or forests that can be mined, or built into city centers (with the right spell).

Storms become acid fogs, fogs of invisibility, fogs of confusion, etc.

Black Holes become Chaos Chasms that suck everything in.

Quantum Reactor becomes "horn of Plenty". Engines become 'wings or speed'. Emissive armor becomes Mithril armor, or whatever.

Instead of alien races, we of course have Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Hobbits (they never venture far from the shire!...netural), Dark Lords, Undead, Man, and on and on and on...

Everything in the SE4 universe can easily translate into something 'magical'. In order to complete this idea though, it is neccessary to mod the UI to give it more of that 'fantasy' feel, as opposed to just the space theme.

All of these changes are really cosmetic, so there wouldn't neccessarily need to be any type of AI changes or tweaks. This means that this could hit the ground running and have the TDM and other AI mods work right away.

Replies and thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.