Squadrons are the only unit that the AI doesn't think of as a "researchable unit". I don't really know why, just that this is how it is.

Here is the link... its a thread from 2012...

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/420759/page/1/

Can you elaborate on how to "turn off the player selection popup that shows the Loyalist and Rebel race."?

I don't understand what you mean there? Can you explain it in a different way?

How do you do that? can someone give me step by step instructions for it? I don't need pictures or anything, just some written instructions for an example.

Okay so is this I am suppose to do?

1. Duplicate the player race entity files, and rename the file to something else in GameInfo folder?

2. Change this value in the player race entity files?

 raceNameStringID "IDS_PLAYERRACENAME_PSILOYALIST"

to

raceNameStringID "IDS_PLAYERRACENAME_PSILOYALISTAI"

3. Then remove the carrier tech or the carrier itself from the frigateInfo or researchInfo lists in the player race entity files.

4. Then change the string info from

ID "IDS_PLAYERRACENAME_PSILOYALIST"

to

ID "IDS_PLAYERRACENAME_PSILOYALISTAI"

5. Then change the string id in RESEARCHSUBJECT_DECLAREFACTION_*.entity where it says

researchBoolModifiers 1
researchModifier
modifierType "SetFaction"
factionNameID "IDS_PLAYERFACTIONNAME_LOYALIST"

to

researchBoolModifiers 2
researchModifier
modifierType "SetFaction"
factionNameID "IDS_PLAYERFACTIONNAME_LOYALIST"
researchModifier
modifierType "SetFaction"
raceNameStringID "IDS_PLAYERRACENAME_PSILOYALISTAI"

No WA, that's not how you'd do it.

You'd create an invisible research that only the AI could do, by virtue of being unclickable for the player.  The invisible research would do that SetFaction thingy, and you'd make a duplicate of the carrier and lock one to the default loyalist, and one to the rebel.  Then when the AI changes it's faction, it's locked out of the carrier.

Does anyone know exactly what the "renderShield TRUE" in the entity file does or means ?

I am removing just the actual physical shields from the game that you can see not the shield points. Planet modules have no actual shield meshes but they still say "renderShield TRUE".

planet module 

MaxShieldPoints 0.000000
ShieldPointRestoreRate 0.000000
maxShieldMitigation 0.000000

so render true with nothing to render 

That also makes for a huge poly count for a shield mesh. I don't recommend that for a lot of ships.

Better off doing what psy did for the Borg. No shields, lots of armour with regeneration...

Interesting. This likely explains some of the odd hit effects I've seen with BSG ships with decimal point shields with no regeneration and shield mitigation.

Do you mean for collision detection when ships are moving? I've seen odd behavior even with ships that have shields that makes it appear Sins is assuming a certain size for collision detection.

I have a few questions please.

Can buff entities be applied to certain ships without using invaluable ability slots?  For example, a hidden buff that disables the jump drives of all frigates or just specific types of frigates.  I mean "hidden" as always applied to the ships without using one of the four ability slots, and still showing up on the infocard "Phase Jump Disabled."  Or a buff that increases mitigation.

Can planets be made to generate a set amount of crystal, metal, and credits?  What about buildings and Starbases?

Can ships (such as the Constructor Frigate) be made to start constructing items in a gravity well, even if it's not colonized?

Is it possible to construct buildings through a Starbase?

Where is the location of the Neutral Extractor in the files?

I would greatly appreciate some help from the titans of modding.

Use an orbital structure that uses the ability on the ships in range or in the planets well.

Make a copy of the planet entity, add it to the entity manifest and in the GSD templates, set each how you like.

Resources are only allowed to be set in planet entity. You could apply bonuses to structures in the well that increase that like a tec refinery.

not sure

No

Thanks for the help!

I'm trying to disable the jump drives of all frigates and corvettes in the game, as soon as they are produced and as long as they live, to simulate the fact that jump drives aren't installed on smaller ships (in my mod). I would then create an ability for the Mothership that temporarily enables their jump drives with the remove buff property and extends a particle effect (particle effect already created) around the ships, simulating it creating a "Jump Portal" for the smaller ships to enter. Would the best way be to create an ability for every entity like planets, suns, asteroids, etc., disabling the jump drives of all frigates and corvettes with the target filter property, or is this even possible?

I was trying to allow planets to generate credits and resources all on its own, independent of population, extractors, refineries, or trade hubs to simulate planetary mines while the asteroids above the planet represented asteroid fields. I'm thinking a possible way is through planet bonuses or planet upgrades. There's a planet bonus for x more tax income per second, but planets automatically receive these bonuses and the player doesn't have to pay anything. Plus it doesn't give x amount of resources per second. The only other possible way I can think of is through planetary upgrades, specifically the "Home" one. But it seems that the modifier used can only modify the home planet, of which there can be only one I'm guessing?

homePlanetTaxRateBonus 4.000000
homePlanetMetalIncomeBonus 0.400000
homePlanetCrystalIncomeBonus 0.400000

So I can't just add these to another ability and remove the "home" part in these lines. Maybe there is a way to make every planet able to be set to "Home" or even a different way to generate x credits and resources?