This is the place to ask and recieve specific modding (mod making) questions and answers. If you have a mod making question, post it here.
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OTHER SINS HELPFUL MODDING LINKS*
*Links are updated when requested.
The Soase Idiot's Guide
Confused? No idea where to even start?
Determined to work at it?
This is the place!
Sins Modding Wiki
ZombieRus's Eclipse Wizardry
Tutorials
MyFist0's full modding site.
Emphasis on modeling and
texturing.
REBELLION MODDING TOPICS
Rebellion Modding Q & A
Mesh Editing
Changing Diplomacy Files to Rebellion
IT REALLY HURTS MY BRAIN--HOW TO START
An Idiot's Guide To Getting Started
MyFist0's Modding Megasite!
MOD DOWNLOADS
ZombieRus5's Mod Yard
Directory of Planet Mods
STEAM
STEAM Sins Forums
DEVELOPERS
Sins Developer Journals Forum 2007 to Present
REFERENCE FILES
Research Modifier List
MyFist0's Exported Models & Files
Modifier List
Harpo's Converted Sins Reference Files 2011
THIRD PARTY TOOLS
3dS Texturing Toool & Tips
Ship Fleet Calculator
SoaSE Eclipse Plugin Project
Mesh Resizing Tool--courtesy of the Reqiuem team.
Harpo's Sins Utility Package -- Dropbox
The Sins Optimization Project (TSOP)
Artificial Unintelligence (Mod and AI info)
Sins Data Converter by BCXtreme
EXPLANATIONS & DISCUSSIONS
Rebellion Updates by Blair Frazier
How to Add a Fourth Race
User-updatable Ship Reference Chart
Sins Modding Dictionary
Adding phase Effects to other weapon types
Culture, Explanation/Discussion
Weapons, Explanation/Discusion
Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion-1
Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion -2
Graphic Chart of Sin's Counters
Annotated Guide to the Developer.exe
In-Game Map Creator
Weapons Banks & DPS
Combat Mechanics
Rebellion Shield Mitigation & Focus Fire testing
PARTICLE FORGE
Particle Forge Help Thread
GALAXY FORGE
Adding Artifacts
Working Template Examples
SemazRalan's Template Guide
Pirates Base Start Template
SOUND RESOURCES
[SFX] Black Sun SFX/Music Resource for Modders
MODELING & TEXTURING--SOFTIMAGE XSI, 3DS MAX
XSI Texturing, Tutorial
3dS Model Exporter
3DS Max Rigging, Texturing & Exporting, Guide
Modding/Modelling/Texturing/Converting, Tutorials
WIKI'S
Sins of a Solar Empire Official Wiki
Trying to make a multi-role LRF that can switch fire from one type of missile to another. I have the anti-fighter, anti module and anti-ship in with research activating them and not having to create an ability for them but I wasn't sure if it could be done sans an ability.
My next torture is to try to make it so only one will fire at a time. Probably will all have to be abilities and buffs anyway.
You will need to use abilities for that.
I was wondering if anyone can clarify whether the follow hardcoded limitsIncreased maximum number of meshes allowed (400->800).Increased maximum number of textures allowed (1000->2000).(from the post: "Sins of a Solar Empire v1.19 and Entrenchment v1.05 Change Log"[ https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/374465 ])apply for the patch 1.191 (original Sins). As stated in the post ... "the engine can now reference 800 meshes and 2000 textures".
Because via testing I can't confirm this to be the case for original Sins (specifically the maximum number of meshes still appears to be around 400)
Hello fellow modders, I know one of the annoying limits in Sins is that we can't create our own weapon types. Yet while I was experimenting with changing the underused Vasari pulse beam into an Ion Cannon, I came across a discovery in the string file that caught my attention. In particular in the section that defines the InfoCard names for weapon types.
...StringInfo ID "IDS_WEAPONCLASSTYPE_GAUSS" Value "Gauss"StringInfo ID "IDS_WEAPONCLASSTYPE_ION" Value "Ion"StringInfo ID "IDS_WEAPONCLASSTYPE_LASERTECH" Value "Laser"...
Surprisingly I discovered that there was already an Ion type weapon in the string file, even though I wasn't aware of any Vanilla Ion type weapons. Even more surprising, when I actually put "ION" as a weapon type in game, it worked.
So, is this really an unused weapon type, available for any modder to adapt for their own purposes? Or is it actually used in some obscure place that I forgot about?
To add on to the above, if one wishes to make a weapon only affect shields, the damageAffectType "AFFECTS_ONLY_SHIELDS" does the trick.
I haven't seen Ion used in stock Sins ever... Though mind you I barely play vanilla. If it shows up ingame and works, then yeah you should be able to adapt it for any usage.
Is it possible to start a player without any planets and not see the game over screen immediately? I am working on a RPG type mod where I don't want the player to start with any planets but so far it doesn't seem doable.
Impossible, that's a hard coded defeat condition. A useless dead asteroid is about as close as you can get.
You're actually one of the few teams modding Vanilla, so you would probably know more than anyone. Its possible it may have been an unlisted Entrenchment only change. If you are certain its the hardcode you may want to try and Email Blair about it.
Yes, it is what I thought, though I could have missed some reference to the issue buried in the forums.
I'll email Blair for clarification after some further test. Thanks.
Ok--question no one has asked: Is it possible to change the opacity and/or color of phase lane lines?
*Bump*...anybody?
I want to say I've seen a phase lane in a texture file, but I don't remember which one. At least I think I saw it.
For the ability trigger, onlyAutoCastWhenDamageTakenExceedsPerc, does this refer to hull damage or overall damage? If the former, is there a way to code it for shield damage?
Overall.
Yes
ShieldDamageExceedsAmount
HullDamageExceedsAmount
For separating.
So I think the one he is asking about a different parameter. My experience says it is hull damage, but I could be wrong.
http://code.google.com/p/soaseplugin/wiki/Ability
The aiUseTargetCondition can specifically reference Hull OR shield of the unit targetted. You might be able to target self and use the shield aiUseTargetCondition.
http://code.google.com/p/soaseplugin/wiki/aiUseTargetCondition
Can i make a frigate whit "Starbase upgrade system?"
I putted this:
statCountType "StarBase"creationSourceAbility "AbilityGoauldDeployStarBase"maxUpgradeLevelCount 8UpgradeTypeCount 9UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldWeapons"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldToughness"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldHangar"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldTradePort"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldBlockColonize"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldCityPopulation"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldDebrisVacuum"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldDirectionalShield"UpgradeType "StarBaseUpgradeGoauldPhaseGate"
to a frigate type ship entity file to try give aces to an upgrade system such as the starbases have!
The game crashed when i started run.
If somebody would be so kinde and give me the nececery details I would be verry happy!
Thx for All!!
Nope, its hardcoded. But you can create a starbase that moves. Just look over the Vasari starbase.
Can that starbase jump into hyperspace?
Nope, that is a problem there.
Because I'm screwing up, would the whole line be onlyAutoCastWhenShieldDamageExceedsAmount and regardless, was this introduced in Diplomacy or does it work in Ent as well?
Sorry, but you can't make up new keywords which is why I linked the syntax earlier.
It would look something like this which is all version compatible.
aiUseTargetCondition "ShieldDamageExceedsAmount"onlyAutoCastWhenTargetShieldDamageExceedsAmount Level:0 75.000000 Level:1 0.000000 Level:2 0.000000
Totally missed those links. Thanks for this!
How can i change the size of the ships?
How can i make full new entyti files to an existing mod?
when i make one the mod is crash!
to change the size of ships you would need to use neuborg's resize tool
copy an existing entity that is similar to what you want to a different name, AND ADD IT TO THE entity.manifest(assuming diplomacy/entrenchment)
see above line
harpo
Can u give me a link for this neuborg's resize tool?
And realy thx for ansvering for my questions!
Just bought this game a few months ago, LOVE IT by the way, but having problems with just loading my first mod. Downloaded the Distant Stars v 1.21 Mod. Updated the Game to v 1.21. Saved the extracted file to the diplomacy-v1.21 folder. Loaded game, went to Mods, loaded the Mod and applied it, screen froze for a second and checksum=0. Started a new random medium map. Nothing seems to have changed. Any ideas from the uber Moding veterans what I am doing wrong?
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