modding DefaultDesignTypes.txt

spoon · #1 February 21st, 2004, 01:44 AM

Is there a way to attach a default strategy to the entries in DefaultDesignTypes.txt? For example, if I wanted to add "Missile Ship" as a design type, how would I set it's default strategy to "Maximum Range"?

Thanks!

spoon · #2 February 22nd, 2004, 09:07 AM

*bump*

Nobody knows this? It seems like all my new entries get assigned the "Don't get hurt" strategy. I would think there was a way to get around this...

Fyron · #3 February 22nd, 2004, 10:49 AM

Nope, there is no way to do that. I believe that all new ship designs are given the first strategy in your strategies. Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

Baron Munchausen · #4 February 22nd, 2004, 05:55 PM

Then why is there a default strategy line for every design?

Default Strategy := Optimal Firing Range

Any proof that it doesn't work? The AI is pretty simple minded, but as far as I know the ships do follow the strategies they are given.

[ February 22, 2004, 15:56: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Phoenix-D · #5 February 22nd, 2004, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Nope, there is no way to do that. I believe that all new ship designs are given the first strategy in your strategies. Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

This isn't right. If you make any new ship type (say missile ship) it gets Don't Get Hurt. But if you use a default one, say Attack Ship, it gets Optimal Weapon range. Troop transports get Drop Troops, colony ships and pop transports get Don't GEt Hurt, etc.

spoon · #6 February 22nd, 2004, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

Sort of - I had removed all the default entries and added all new ones (it's for the fantasy mod so I wanted different names).

spoon · #7 February 22nd, 2004, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Nope, there is no way to do that. I believe that all new ship designs are given the first strategy in your strategies. Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

This isn't right. If you make any new ship type (say missile ship) it gets Don't Get Hurt. But if you use a default one, say Attack Ship, it gets Optimal Weapon range. Troop transports get Drop Troops, colony ships and pop transports get Don't GEt Hurt, etc.

I think he means that the existing ones are hard-coded, and any additional (modded) entries get assigned Optimal Firing Range (or whatever pre-existing designType you happen to have listed first)

Fyron · #8 February 22nd, 2004, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Then why is there a default strategy line for every design?

Default Strategy := Optimal Firing Range

Any proof that it doesn't work? The AI is pretty simple minded, but as far as I know the ships do follow the strategies they are given.

DefaultDesignTypes.txt is in the Data folder. There is no such line. It is just a listing of design types that will be available to the player when he designs a ship. You are thinking of Default_AI_DesignCreation.txt.

Quote:

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Nope, there is no way to do that. I believe that all new ship designs are given the first strategy in your strategies. Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

This isn't right. If you make any new ship type (say missile ship) it gets Don't Get Hurt. But if you use a default one, say Attack Ship, it gets Optimal Weapon range. Troop transports get Drop Troops, colony ships and pop transports get Don't GEt Hurt, etc.

I have added new types to DefaultDesignTypes.txt and used them, and they get Optimal Range if they are armed. They only get Don't Get Hurt if they have no weapons. Check out USM. It has a lot of extra designs in its DefaultDesignTypes.txt. The only one that is special is Troop Transport, which gets Drop Troops by default. All other designs get Optimal Weapons Range if they have weapons, or Don't Get Hurt if they are unarmed.

Quote:

Originally posted by spoon:

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Is Don't Get Hurt the first on there?

Sort of - I had removed all the default entries and added all new ones (it's for the fantasy mod so I wanted different names).

It appears that SE4 looks for Optimal Firing Range, Don't Get Hurt, and Drop Troops strategies. If there is no Optimal Firing Range strategy, then apparently it gives up looking for other strategies. Try adding it back in and see if that fixes the problem. Also, try making a strategy similar to Optimal Firing Range as the first listed strategy. Maybe SE4 uses the first strategy for armed ships? Or maybe it just looks for the default Optimal Firing Range. I do know that in USM, it will assign Soft Planet Capture as the strategy for troop transports instead of Capture Planets. They both have the drop troops movement type. Maybe SE4 needs the first strategy to have the Optimal Weapons Range firing type?