Modding Idea. :)

[Rich04]

Recently with the recent talk on Basic Tech, Star Trek and other mods and how they relate to the ai's not being compatable. I had an Idea.

Would it be possible to just mod Existing Tech Trees. For example:
1) When researching APB's instead of recieving APB's you get Phasers(ST) or Pellet Casters (BT).
2) With Torpedoes instead you get Photon Torpedoes (ST) or Mass Drivers (BT).
3) Instead of Quantum Reactors you get Warp Cores

Just keep the families and change the stuff around it. This way the AI's won't need to be changed since they will just use the new techs.

This could even be done with the special techs. Just edit the existing stuff to make it fit the mod.
Example; Instead of Lightning Rays you get Rockthrowers. Or even all Organic tech instead being Borg Tech.

In a way this would be the opposite but totally compatable with the TDM mod. Making new tech that is compatable with any race out there.

I am not sure if the actual Tech Path could be renamed such as Torpedoes into Mass Drivers perhaps an experienced modder could answer this.

The key Idea would be keeping the different family numbers at least for a basis so the AI's won't need to be redone for every Mod.

Hope someone likes this Idea.


[This message has been edited by Rich04 (edited 23 July 2001).]

[Nitram Draw]

You could certainly do it but the AI would always choose the "best" weapon. For example if you made a parallel tech for phasers that was researched along with the ABP tree the AI would choose the strongest weapon available at any given level provided they would noprmally use it. If you rename a tech branch the AI must be changed.

[Krsqk]

I ran into one example of the problem with having two sets of components with the same family numbers. When I created my fighter engines, I copied/pasted from the ship components and modified size, cost, etc. I kept same family numbers, though. When I upgraded one of my ship designs, my Fusion Drive III Engines (25kt) suddenly became Small Fusion Engines (2kt). Not the worst problem you could have, admittedly. Not only will the AI take the best component; the upgrade will take the Last component in the file--regardless of vehicle type restrictions, etc. The only way around this is to add "foo" and "bar" racial traits, but this has two problems. 1) It restricts your tech tree to more or less the original setup, without the luxury of renaming it; and 2) it's still incompatible with TDM-Modpack et al--you have to generate new EMP files for each race in Foobar Mod. Sorry they aren't compatible; I'll have AI as soon as I find time to work on them--although someone else (who?) did mention they would be willing to help with that.

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"The Unpronounceable" Krsqk
Basic Tech Mod
--Basic Tech Mod v.75