Tech Council

[Matryx]

I have e-mailed Richard for preliminary enquiries about hosting a website for the tech council.
Now I've started to get the ball rolling hopefully it wont be too long before it all gets sorted.
A few things first.

The main plan so far is as follows.
1. Get a website (either on ShrapnelGames as a hosted site or elsewhere)
2. Establish a communications network for the modders (e-mail, ICQ, IRC, whatever)
3. Elect council members (3-5 competant modders)

The idea behind the council is that those who are less capable can submit to the council ideas and suggestions. The council would then either incorporate those suggestions into an existing mod or to make a new mod based on those suggestions.
Also, the website can be a resource for modders, storing information about the files, utilities, FAQs and ultimately the mods themselves.
Things will need to be introduced to prevent 'lost updates' (2 modders working on same file at same time) so a Concurrent Versioning System or similar will be needed.

Hopefully we'll have the best (only?) SE4 editing site around.

Anyway.. just ideas at the moment.

As with all of my ramblings, feel free to comment / criticise.

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[mac5732]

I like it, I hope it comes off and everyone work together on it. It could be the beginning of something never before seen, cooperation by all to make an excellent game even more so.

The council could send to MM those changes that hard coding would be necessary.

just some ideas mac

[Matryx]

quote:

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There are numerous ideas on the forum for incorporation into the game, but the council would go thru them, see which ones are feasible for patch & mods, put changes to vote of the forum members, then send to MM and modders.
This keeps fresh input into the game, keeps interest up, and makes the game better.
Some of us are not modders and don't like to tinker with a game but would like to see changes put into the original game for better play.

A super Mod, realisticly, is not feasible like SJ stated, but a Better Realistic Mod could be made possible if the council keeps and sorts which ideas to use.
To put all ideas into the game, would be an impossible task, but a lot of them could be done if everyone cooperates and a nunber MM could patch into the game itself.

I like the concept and idea of the council. Changes could be by majority vote by the council for specific ideas, then to the forum for majority of members, then sent to MM.
This would cut down on the number of e-mailes to Aaron & Richard & MM and put foreward and would help with patchs to incorporate that which the majority would like to see...

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I like what you said here. You seem to have a good grasp on what I'm getting at.

------------------
The Unofficial Space Empires 4 Mod Utility V2.0
------------------
Download as a .ZIP <HERE>
Download as a .RAR <HERE>
Download as a .ACE <HERE>
Check a Screenshot of it<HERE>

Check an Alpha Shot of my Mod Editor (Unreleased) <HERE>

My Geekcode : RNmPeOr MpPi2!+ Rp++ Tcp+ Fq+++!@ M+++ Fr= P+? A+++ Sf= T++--

Checkout your Geekcode :-
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[Puke]

the TDM guys (Tampa Gamer, Mephisto, and who was the 'D?') had something like this at one time. the TDM council took advice and requests for the forums, and the ones that did not fit within the TDM mod (ai mod only, did not change game settings) were picked up by Devnullicus.

I think that concept died out since those people stopped modding, or slowed down anyhow, and the community kept wanting things done. I think there are alot of good ideas out there, but what i would like to see is a central place that takes all the mod ideas, including existing ones, and breaks it down into a.. well, a 'modular' fashion. for instance, maybe i like the P&N hull sizes and new components, but i dont like the actual pirates and nomads racial traits. maybe i like newtonian motion, but not the organic armor fix.

the problem with this is, that most of the AI races will only play inteligently with the basic technology tree and an unmodded game. which is the problem TDM ran into.

Maybe sections could be setup, where you have a list of standard mods. then you can have a 'base components' section, where the data for new components or techtrees could be posted. also, an AI section, with each AI and shipset for download, but also with a flag indicating which mods they work under (if any).

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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and who was the 'D?')

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Daynarr

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 22 August 2001).]

[Matryx]

Puke : I like the idea of a modular approach.
Indeed a program could be written eventually (I have my hands full at the moment) which could take 'modules' and create the mod from whichever ones you select.
I dont know how plausible it is.
Think of it as a 'plug-n-play' mod system.

------------------
The Unofficial Space Empires 4 Mod Utility V2.0
------------------
Download as a .ZIP <HERE>
Download as a .RAR <HERE>
Download as a .ACE <HERE>
Check a Screenshot of it<HERE>

Check an Alpha Shot of my Mod Editor (Unreleased) <HERE>

My Geekcode : RNmPeOr MpPi2!+ Rp++ Tcp+ Fq+++!@ M+++ Fr= P+? A+++ Sf= T++--

Checkout your Geekcode :-
.Zip <HERE>
.Rar <HERE>
.Ace <HERE>

[Tampa_Gamer]

quote:

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Originally posted by Puke:
I think that concept died out since those people stopped modding, or slowed down anyhow

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Slowed down (arguably yes), stopped modding (never)

We are all still here, still modding our races and even as of yesterday, still sending Aaron suggestions about how a few changes/tweaks can greatly increase the level of AI customization and "intelligence". We are also posting a small update this week. Our major releases tend to coincide with patches. . .

[Atraikius]

As a suggestion, why not attempt to follow guidlines similar to what they did for the TDM-Modpack, restrict the mod to modifing the various data files so that any changes could be used by existing AI's with no modifications to the AI files. Work at things like balancing weapon damage/size/and research cost so that some weapons are not used so extensivly, and others that are seldom used gain popularity; adjustist the facilities so that the temporal shipyards are treated as an upgrade to to normal shipsyards, modify the output of extraction facilities and monoliths so they will actually get used by the AI, etc...

[Matryx]

The problem with doing that is it restricts (quite badly) what we would be able to do.
What I'm putting forward is a resource where people can ask for something to be done, and it will be (if possible)
This way, if people want a mod that can be used with any AI, they can have one.
Wheras those that want a mod that realistically can only be used for multiplayer can have theirs as well.

------------------
The Unofficial Space Empires 4 Mod Utility V2.0
------------------
Download as a .ZIP <HERE>
Download as a .RAR <HERE>
Download as a .ACE <HERE>
Check a Screenshot of it<HERE>

Check an Alpha Shot of my Mod Editor (Unreleased) <HERE>

[Quikngruvn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atraikius:
...restrict the mod to modifing the various data files so that any changes could be used by existing AI's with no modifications to the AI files...

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Perhaps have two sets of mods on the site-- one that AI's could use without tweaking (for solo games) and one that AI's could not use not effectively (for PBEM/PBW games). Thus we would not be limited by what we would want to implement, just in the environment the mods would be effective in.

Quikngruvn

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Stay alert. Trust no one. Keep your laser handy.
--from the RPG Paranoia, now my PBW mantra