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APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OVERRIDES

 
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APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OVERRIDES - 2/14/2012 2:21:57 AM   
Tampa_Gamer


Posts: 70
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline 		It is readily apparent that there are a great many mods out there, and more being worked on every day as the word gets out that this is turning into a great 4x space strategy game.

It is also apparent that the developer(s) want to cater to the modding community and even allow for multiple mods via the use of a selectable customization folder which allows the installation of multiple mods and even versions of mods for testing purposes.

I know this has been said many times before, but it bears repeating again and again until it is fixed. Hundreds of collective hours are being wasted (that could otherwise be spent making this game greater) because the modders and players have to needlessly copy/paste over the same default files that are not overriden by the customization folder files (and then keep track of what they did and hope they didnt screw it up). This also causes needless mod conflicts because there is only one "default" file for many things such as sounds, graphics, etc. which we are all modding.

SO PLEASE MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO ALLOW ALL FILES\FOLDERS PLACED IN THE CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER TO OVERRIDE THE DEFAULT FILES OUTSIDE THE CUSTIMIZATION FOLDER.

Post #: 1
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/13/2012 3:38:22 AM   
jpinard

 

Posts: 244
Joined: 4/19/2004
Status: offline 		Are you saying that a bunch of stuff we put in customization folder will not over-ride the original settings? If so, what actually does work?

(in reply to Tampa_Gamer)
Post #: 2
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/13/2012 5:15:59 AM   
dostillevi

 

Posts: 34
Joined: 8/31/2012
Status: offline 		What we really need is a mod management program similar to those custom made by the community for use in Oblivion and Skyrim. I know its a fairly tall order for a niche game like this, but all it would really need to do at first is move files between mod folders, the installed game directory, and a backup folder of the original files. It would also need to keep track of the order in which mods are installed and ideally would allow for certain parts (maybe just folders?) of some mods to override parts of others. The TES mod programs do this through "annealing" where you can select what parts of each mod package are carried over. The final step would be for the mod program to update the individual text files such as races and biases. This is the only really (slightly) tricky part since it would require that each mod write a custom biases file.. in order for each race mod to take into account any extra races already installed each mod maker would either need to specifically identify other mods races or allow the mod management program to guess based on race types and existing biases.

(in reply to jpinard)
Post #: 3
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/13/2012 2:56:22 PM   
Tampa_Gamer


Posts: 70
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline 		That is exactly what I am saying. For example, while music placed in a theme folder will override the default folder, making a folder for sound effects and placing them in the theme folder will not. A full "theme" mod that would typically hit many types of images, data files and sounds will therefore require a hodge podge of files located in both the theme folder and the default folders. Not only will this effectively prevent multiple themes to be utilized effectively by the end user (due to overriding default files which one theme may require and another may not) it becomes incredibly difficult for the end-user of the mod to keep their files "clean" for (1) subsequent patches/changest to both the basic game files by the developer, and (2) revisions to the mod by the modder.


< Message edited by Tampa_Gamer -- 9/13/2012 2:57:52 PM >

_____________________________

FWIW, my DW Mods: Sound Effects
Character Symbols

(in reply to dostillevi)
Post #: 4
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/13/2012 8:45:14 PM   
Igard


Posts: 2194
Joined: 3/29/2010
From: Scotland
Status: offline 		+1

Things have been added to the customisation folder over a long period of time, but I'd like to see a concerted effort to make everything modable.

Also, and I've said this many times already, I'd like to have the ability to place a '?' in the character skills and traits attributes, so that the game will randomise those figures for us. We have the ability to create thousands (that's right thousands) of characters, but who has the time for that? With this, it would be possible.

And aomething that has bugged me from day 1; Give us the option for making our home systems our actual starting place! With most mods based on other sci-fi, we should have our modded races starting in the correct locations. Humans in the Sol system, Galactic Empire on Coruscant, Minbari's on Minbar for example.

_____________________________

The Picard Era for Distant Worlds

Igard's Romulan Stormbird

(in reply to Tampa_Gamer)
Post #: 5
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/14/2012 5:17:15 AM   
ehsumrell1


Posts: 1535
Joined: 8/17/2010
From: The Briar Patch Nebula
Status: offline 		++1

_____________________________

Shields are useless in "The Briar Patch"...

(in reply to Igard)
Post #: 6
RE: APPEAL FOR MODDING SANITY - CUSTOMIZATION FOLDER OV... - 9/14/2012 5:41:53 AM   
dostillevi

 

Posts: 34
Joined: 8/31/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Igard
Things have been added to the customisation folder over a long period of time, but I'd like to see a concerted effort to make everything modable.

Also, and I've said this many times already, I'd like to have the ability to place a '?' in the character skills and traits attributes, so that the game will randomise those figures for us. We have the ability to create thousands (that's right thousands) of characters, but who has the time for that? With this, it would be possible.


This should be possible with a mod management program.. if the game is launched through the mod management program, it could be told to randomize those numbers at each launch. On the other hand I haven't played with the numbers so I'm not sure if this would effect existing characters in saved games. Something to look in to.

quote:


And aomething that has bugged me from day 1; Give us the option for making our home systems our actual starting place! With most mods based on other sci-fi, we should have our modded races starting in the correct locations. Humans in the Sol system, Galactic Empire on Coruscant, Minbari's on Minbar for example.


The rationale for this is revealed in the Shakturi campaign. Read the messages and you can piece together that there's a reason you aren't starting in your home system. Of course if you aren't using the campaign it would make sense to allow this, but after all you can always rename your system.

(in reply to Igard)
Post #: 7
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