Greetings All!
Throughout my time here playing and modding the game I have become quite knowledgeble in the overall aspects of the game and modding the game as a whole. While I learn stuff everyday, I feel like I can teach and answer questions as well. People have helped me along the way, so this is my way of giving back to the community. So, if you have a question that you think I may know an answer to, feel free to post and I will reply whatever I know. Feel free to ask about anything about the game, modding, or anything else in general, my head is full of useless facts and knowledge. I have played most Space/Sci-fi games, love fantasy games (like Oblivion and NWN) watch just about every Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV show, and have a deep knowledge of science and history, especially ancient history. I have a Marketing and Sales background, with a specialization in graphics and art. I also know modeling programs, but use 3D MAX specifically for modding.
So, I leave it up to you, the modding and gaming community. I will be listening....
DANMAN
Boys, don't worry about Entrenchment... soon, we will organize some competition ( modeling, segmenting/UV/template, texturing, coding, art work, voice, etc ... ) on the 7DS forum... winner will be rewarded with a Entrenchment version...
Just give us one or two week for organize it... i will make a post here once we start a competition...
I hate to ask a question more than once but ive posted this on 4 different forums including twice on this one and waited more than a week and no one has even tryed to help. I would realy like to know and would love if some one would at least answer. I try to help when I can and dont understand why no one even seems to care about my question. Why does everyone ignore me, even DANMAN posted right after me and answered everyones questions but mine! So here it is and please answer if you know anything about this:
But beside that...
Thank you! Its great to get a compliment from DANMAN!
There is no "guide" to converting things backwards, try doing it yourself, preferably with a comparison program. Most of the knowledge here has been acquired through people daring to try new things through trial and error, and that's the obvious first step when something is that niche.
Thank you for answering me! I would love to try myself but I dont even have any idea where to start, if i did i would have by now. Whats a comparison program and where would i get one?
soasertsus,
Though I can't really try it myself at present, I don't *think* there should be too much difficulty back porting the Celestial Bodies planets to 1.05. I'm not sure if the size variations would be a problem, but I don't expect they would be. The meshes and textures should probably be non-issues for the most part. May wanna compare some of the 1.05 planet meshes to the CB ones just to be sure they're similiar. It's the entity files where all the fun is gonna be. You will definitely need to compare the old ones to the CB ones there, and alter the CB ones to match the setup. (Obviously, numerical values can differ here, but they will otherwise need to have the same layout, with all the info in the same order.) You'll also need to do the same with any abilities on the planets you want to keep. Everything else will be the usual stuff needed to add new things.
----
So, question of my own: When stamping the UV in Softimage, is there a way to make the output less blocky? I've tried stamping with multiple sized backgrounds, and I *think* need a smaller one to stretch to get the nicer looking textures later (I'm not entirely sure there either), but in the end it always comes out hard to really tell what's what on the smaller parts. Even more so once it's stretched. And I don't really have much room left on the uv map area to make'm larger (it's a relatively large ship I'm playing with).
I figure i'll probably ask this question here. I've asked just about every where else and nothing seems be the answer I keep getting.
In a multi-star map, which files would have to be changed / deleated to get the 'galaxy' animation or whatever it is to dissapear or not show up? I'm trying to create a 50 plus star map and when you zoom all the way out, it turns into white blobs of death.
Needless to say I am 'slightly' frustrated as I can do everything else on the map creation fine but if no one can even play the map because of the 'white blobs of death', it won't really be anything anyone wants to play.
I've already tried messing with .dds files, anything related to star or galaxy has been changed, renamed, deleated. Nothing in the game seems to change and everything still runs like normal. Is it even possible to remove the galaxy textures? I mean, we're talking about a SINGLE star, and then you zoom out and BAM, it's suddenly a galaxy of white glowing death.
Here are the reference links to the threads about this. [Very little progress has been made in this direction].ANY help would be GREATLY apreciated. I just want to make a map.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/344769
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/345560
Which race do you prefer to play as?
On a side note.
I WOULD BE ADVENT TO THE VERY END!!!!!
Try one of these that supports folder comparison. The easiest way to do it would be to use the Beyond Compare program's 30 day trial for it.
Get some 1.05 reference data or convert it yourself, then compare the mod's files against that reference data. Merge the changes in manually and you should be good.
is it possible to make ships runout of ammo?
No.
Yes !!! but you need to use a non usual way...
By example, let say that you wish a limited amount of missile... create a ability who use antimatter for shot missile... once all antimater is used, you are out of ammo... you can create entity file for ship who don't allow regeneration of antimatter... and create orbital structure who reload the antimatter ( ammunition depot )... so, using several abilities for missile, gun, flak, etc will allow ships to run out of ammo...
If you wish add more realism, again by using a non usual way, you can make ennemy ship able to intercept and destroy your ammo, by example missile... a missile can be created by using abilities like describe up... but the ability will be similar to actual abilities like these creating a defence platform or bombardment platform... the abilities will create a missile who is itself made of a entity file and a mesh... can make them mobile ( entity ), targeting ennemy ( entity ), once near ennemy can make some damage and self destroy ( like a real missile )...
The first mod who was created for sins ( in 2007 ), before the official launch of Sins in Feb 2008, was called "Kin of the Stars 20071019"... some interesting features of these mod was :
- Colony ships can now launch troop transports to attempt to capture an enemy world without exterminating the population.- Capital ship missiles can be shot down by point defenses.- Capital ship missile ammunition limited by antimatter. Supply ships replenish the antimatter of friendly ships.
If you wish, i have these mod, i can maybe upload it on my server... only 430.8 kb... it was for the sins beta... sure that you will need to heavily modify the code for the actual version of sins... but these old code can help you to create ships who run out of ammo !!!
ok thanks for the idea Thousmin. I'm just getting into modding, and i have only a basic grasp of how the game works, and i don't know to update things to the current version of sins. is there also a way to make it so when a ship jumps, no antimatter is lost or is that hardcoded?
Danman,
I am not sure if this is even possible, but could you make the abilities of cap ships variable or random maybe. I think that would be cool to have a random chance for a new ability or weapon based upon your research level at the time the cap ship levels. Just a suggestion. can't wait for the entrenchment version of this mod!
i was just wondering if its possible to have two separate versions of sins on my computor, one for 7ds and one for v1.15+. i really want 7ds but i dont want to uninstall and re-install my game and not be able to use the more modern mods
Don't worry, time will help you to learn... i am myself only a modeler working for Danman but i am a curious guy... with time, i have begin read entity file and try to understand them...
Now, about your previous request, take a look at these topic : https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/345637 ... seem that these guy have similar idea that you... why not team up together and work on it... by the way, i have post a download link in these other topic... it is the old mod that i have speak about...
is there also a way to make it so when a ship jumps, no antimatter is lost or is that hardcoded?
take a look at the research tree... by example, the Advent have a research called "High Efficiency Jumps" who reduce from 11.1% the use of antimatter when jump... nothing stop you to modify the research and put a 100% value !!!
Danman, i was wondering what 7DS 2.1 capitalship mesh's/textures are converted for entrenchment. The ones im specifically asking about are the DarkAngel, WarHammer, Assassin, CruiserROGUEScout (entitly filename from 2.1) and Tempest Cruiser. Reason i ask is to add them to my current, personal, mod project while 7DS gets converted to the most up to date version on sins + entrenchment. Ive tried to convert some 1.05 models w/ 3dmax 09 but i literally just started messing around with it two days ago. If none of the above meshes are available, any really would be fantastic. Send a PM and ill reply with my email. Thank you very much.
Anyone?
Where would I get the Beyond Compare trial?
boshimi336
I think there is an option in-game that removes deep space skyboxes. Ive never tryed it myself but it sounds like it might help you.
the deep space skybox does not solve the whiteout problem. i suspect that you might have to create a mod changing the skyboxstars.mesh or the skyboxbackdrop#.mesh files
hope this helps
harpo
I tracked down where the spiral galaxy files are and which ones are causing the problems.
They're in the Texture Folder.
galaxyspiral.dds
galaxyspiral2.dds
galaxyspiral3.dds
When I deleat them, it just leaves behind white blocks ... is there anyway to edit a .dds file or some other way to make things see through ... or replace them with a star?
~Reuben
I use KDiff3 ... work very good and it is free... you have version for Linux, Mac OSX and Windows...
http://kdiff3.sourceforge.net/
Normally, it is a programmation tools... but work very good with sins ( don't forget to convert everything in text mode, binaries don't work )...
How badly is "stacking" mods going to affect the GSDef? Multiple races, multiple ships/structures... Will the GSDef be the massive file we have now or what?
Okay this is wierd. My galaxyscenariodef file in the gameinfo derectory of 7DS is unreadable. It is in text but it looks like this:
TXTstarTypeCount8 starType designName"RandomStar" designStringId"IDSGalaxyScenarioTypeStarRandom" orbitBodyTypeCount 10 orbitBodyType "BlueStar" orbitBodyType "GreenStar" orbitBodyType "RedStar" orbitBodyType "YellowStar" orbitBodyType "BlueStar2" orbitBodyType "GreenStar2" orbitBodyType "RedStar2" orbitBodyType "YellowStar2" orbitBodyType "WhiteStar" orbitBodyType "BlackHoleStar"
and its all like that, about 40 pages long. I cant edit it because it a nightmare to find anything in there. Why is it like that? It never was until i got 7DS 2.0 and 2.1. Can it be fixed?
And Thoumsin, thanks it works great.
It is probably going to stay the same size. I predict 7DS will stay one massive mod that has all the non-racial files and the various races will just be add-ons to 7DS.
I'm doing an Honorverse Map and I want to increase flt supply and cap ship supply. I played around with increasing some of the values in the game info folder. It just locks up if i try to load it. Specificly the tec research for caps and flt supply. I did it like a mod that was done along time ago. The Capital War Mod. How do I do it or where can I find the info to do this? I read something along time ago, but can't find the thread.
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