A pirates life for me...

[Suicide Junkie]

Re: the zip ->
this is just the data folder, so you have to create a mod folder and put this in a "data" subfolder, then edit "path.txt" to point to the mod folder.
Note: These files are from V1.27, but there were no major changes to these files in v1.3, so it should work.
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You bet! The only problem is that the Trait restrictions don't work, so SE4 will accept a race with both "Is A Pirate" and "Not A Pirate".
The GM will just have to watch out for that.

One other thing is that all of the .EMPs have to be re-saved to include the "Not A Pirate" Trait.


If somebody would be so kind to start games with random empires & save the .EMPs from them, then edit them to include "not a pirate", then those could be included, and the mod would be complete.

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If you don't choose either trait "Is" or "Not" a pirate, then you will get the disadvantages of both, and none of the advantages. Good Luck to you if you try that!

Is A Pirate:
Gives
- Pirate intel Center
- Swashbucklers (boarding parties)
- Small space Yard

Not A Pirate:
Gives
- Colony components (rock/ice/gas)
- Mineral/Organic/Radioactives facilities
- Monolith Facilities
- Offensive Intel Projects
- Organic Population Boosting Facilities.

Note: By "offencive" intel, I mean projects that hurt the enemy. Information theft is normal, as well as defence projects.

Exceptions:
Pirates cannot Steal Tech via Intel, they must capture a ship.
Pirates may steal resources from the enemy via "bribe transports" & "Trade disruption", though the trade disruption may not be in thier best interests .

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 20 March 2001).]

[Marty Ward]

This actually will allow the customization of the other traits as well. Imagine the organic races having ships with base costs in organics not minerals or no standard weapons availble to certain races or even customized resource extaction facilities. The possibilities are endless. This is great!

[Suicide Junkie]

Preventing the use of certain items is quite easy, just create a "Not an ____" racial trait & tech level, and require that. I don't know why I was the first person to do this (if I am). It only took 30 minutes to type in and debug!

All it requires now is for all of the pre-made race.EMP files to be re-generated.

Is there anybody here (an AI guy?) who's willing to do that?

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 21 March 2001).]

[Suicide Junkie]

Apparently, SE4 gives each component/tech/etc a unique ID when it loads the files. You can see this if you re-order the first three tech areas. Rock-homeworld races are hard coded to get one free level of the first tech area. similarily with ice and gas.
If you add components to the beginning of you components file, and load a saved game, you will notice that all your components changed. Your design has "6 component #32s" but component #32 is no longer ion engine I, but is a WMG III, say.

The only problem you may have is with AI, choosing the latest component in the file instead of a better component that appears at the beginning.
It may be best to insert components beside similar ones, in order of value to the AI, and warn that it is incompatible with other saved games.

[Nitram Draw]

You might have been the first person to do it the easy way!
Do you know if you can have two techs/components withe thesame name in the same file but with different required techs? I would like to adjust the organic/crystal races facilities and ship cost to reflect their traits but I don't want to have to think of all new names. Think this would cause problems? I'm at work now or I would try it.

[Suicide Junkie]

All right, here is a basic set of .EMPs, covering a few (8) races converted to work with the Pirates mod.

Just save randomly generated empires, and then Add them to a new game, Edit them and check the "Not A Pirate" Trait.

That's all you have to do to get more. Please post them when you do.

[Suicide Junkie]

Arrrr!
Speak up ye scurvy forum goers!

[Nitram Draw]

I think I can do a few tomorrow morning. Got busy at work.

[Haven]

suicide_junkie
I tried to start a Pirate game Last night and all I got was a black system map .

[Nitram Draw]

I have had that happen too. Did the rest of the game functions appear to work properly?