The problem is nothing I mess with is correcting the problem. Also if there is a better way to get the effect I want (basically magnetize), like using applyforce, let me know.

If this was in the planetType section, I don't think it was the number of orbitBodys that was the problem. Maybe your count was off or something.

Default templates are simply what militia and things get spawned with the planet at start. planetTypes are where most of the action is. Add the orbitBody to the Random, RandomTrue, etc. templates will make it appear in random maps. If you just add it to its own planetType, and nothing else, it will have to specifically called for in a map. Existing maps will never use it.

Not really, no. Unless I'm missing something in the mesh, it seems that the blue areas are created by the planet.fx pipeline effects shader, as part of the transition for the light side of the planet to the dark side of the planet. This is actually what makes ice planets look more blue than white. In my case, it looked extra bad because the texture was of pretty low detail, so it looked more like a bad ocean rather than a endless tundra. In more detailed textures, it looks much more natural, hence why I'm having to spend time retexturing this...

That said, if that isn't an option for you, you get the planet entity to use either the Asteroid or the Volcanic shaders by changing the relevant lines, which won't have this issue but will probably have worse ones without readjusting the textures, and may or may not eventually be made to get the effect you want.

@Coronal

One problem is the finish condition for BuffFRANDtarget, it needs to be LastSpawnerNoLongerHasBuff, not FirstSpawnerNoLongerHasBuff...

I got it to "work" in that ships would be "attracted" towards the target...of course, the problem is that they just keep moving, they don't stop and clump together...I tried having a secondary buff applied via BuffFRANDSpawner with a shorter range that resets the physics state or applies an impulse but that doesn't seem to work, nothing seems to kill or counter BuffFRANDtarget other than its own finish conditions....

Unfortunately you may have to use the apply impulse in TK push to get this to work....

Thanks! I think I can make them stop and clump. brb.

@Simperium no I have not, do not have those mods. Would you pm or post that particular ability file?

I don't know.  I fubared the files--they were correct but I hadn't added all the references I needed.  I'll be trying to fix it tonight and tomorrow I'll post and let you know.  I don't think that's the case.  most likely I messed them up (no sleep and a 102-degree fever last night).

I've always done ships and abilities and that was my first stab at planets.  So I'll post tomorrow.

I'll post up the files here for the black hole too. I don't have my final ones (taken by a bad HD) but I have a prototype.  Give me a few to dig it out.

The abilities are taken from Celestial Bodies and later were made part of Distant Stars--so credit them accordingly as needed.

I can't fine my  mines but here are the abilities from Diplomacy (not sure if they're the originals or ones I modified).

Black Holes

The attraction field is the gravity and the other is the damage.  They are done in two sets.  The first is weaker gravity that ships can thrust in...the second set is the strong gravity that's almost inescapable.

That's odd...and vague.  Sounds like a bad line or entry there. Recheck your map.

Of the top of my head, adapt phasic trap possibly (if it can apply to non strike craft) after pulling them in with the attraction field.  Other alternative would be the Vasari ability to slow speed and maneuver once in range.

So you could fire something like the Marza's radiation bomb...that creates the attraction field from the target (instead of the AoE damage)...and have a simulateneous buff with lesser range that immobilizes the ships once the reach the "inner circle".

I haven't looked at the abilities  for this purpose but I think it might work.

Fever mostly gone (staying awake is the issue now).  I have little fever now and the only cure is more modding.

The DS team said they had to play quite a bit to get a workable, in-game attraction field like that.  They had the same problems with too fast, too slow, too jerky, etc., etc.

Experimenting with the flagship bool modifier lately and I've run into issues when trying to put it on a titan.  The intent is to give a new ability to the Vorastra to cause its owner to lose should it die.  The buff with the modifier is clearly being applied (it also has multiple entityModifiers which display on the infocard as well as the "Flagship" designation), but it seems to have no effect when the Vorastra dies.  

Is the modifier only applicable when playing on flagship victory or something?

The modifier only adds flavor text. If a ship is in the flagship entry and it dies you lose regardless of the modifier.

Quick question that I'm sure has been covered before.

I've been trying to apply a passive 15% dodge chance to corvettes but it doesn't seem to work. I turned it up to 100% and it did nothing at all. Corvette got atomized pretty much instantly.

    buffEntityModifierType "ChanceToHitAsDamageTarget"
    value
        Level:0 -0.150000
        Level:1 -0.000000
        Level:2 -0.000000
        Level:3 -0.000000

Have I simply put it in negative terms, meaning it's got a 115% chance to be hit, or what?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Are you targeting the corvette (apply buff to self) or are you targeting the enemy (apply buff to target/radius)? It's possible you are giving the corvettes and increased/decreased chance for them to hit their targets, not be hit.

Couldn't you just edit the player.entity file to make the Vorastra the flagship. I think that's what Zombie did.

You might not have a choice but to do it that way.