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.
If your question involves long snippets of entity files and the like, please don't paste the entire file contents here but put them at the incredibly easy to use http://pastebin.com and then provide the link to your paste in your question posted here.
Please do limit "just comments" here to brief posts please. If you don't know the answer or can't point to help--don't post. Please note that a random, uninformed guess isn't an actual answer.
You can refer people to another source--IF it actually helps answer their question. This could be in the form of links, outside sites, specific modding-useful programs, direction towards another post or poster, etc., etc.
Remember--specific questions, specific answers. Only respond to the ones you can help solve. Also, feel free to amplify, clarify, suggest alternatives to or correct answers seen here if such actions are merited and help provide a real solution. No flaming, insults or put downs here in the answers or other posts please.
Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation. The reason for the rigid rules here is those this thread becomes a usable resource in the future to new people looking for answers.
NOTE: If an answer resolves your issue, please share it here. These answers will help others coming along later too. Karma is a great way to respond to people providing help without clogging the thread or bombing their forum mailbox here. Thanks!
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
A question. Is it possible to add more of one starbase per faction?
True but the constructor can have several abilities allowing it to construct or spawn a multitude of things.
yes
I don't know about how it works when you put those modifiers into pacts. You could move them to a research, which is only enabled when the according pact is active.
Hey got a question, is it possible to create something like the "Phase Stabilizer" link between to planets as a one way bridge. So that you would have ability 1 that opens the entrance and ability 2 that opens the exit?
Also is it possible for an ability to restrict the use of another specific ability?
No to the first, yes to the second.
You need to add a constraint that is achieved by the other ability. There are many ways to do such things.
Just a heads up; if your mod has a custom version of OptionsScreen.window then you need to add the following to the bottom of the file to prevent some bizzare minidumps:
textEntryDef labelFontId "Label" textEntryFontId "TextEntry"
:Empire Tree Unit Order 1.195
Hello, I just started modding the Orig sins 1.195 (forgive me). I made a simple anti carrier spam mod: doubled price/slots for each faction's carriers. Works fine but the problem is that unit icons are out of order on the empire tree. Capships end up at bottom or middle of list, buildings at top, SC grouped with mothership and some other similar inconsistent things.
I would like to know what dictates icon order in the tree and how to edit it if possible.
On an aside, is there a way to make a "ship facing"/"make ships rotate not move" mod?
I had no idea this could be modded. But then I haven't touched original Sins in many years, perhaps its an old bug.
You may want to make sure you didn't do anything with the rarely used search Empire tree feature on accident.
Not entirely sure what you are trying to ask here.
Thank you for your answer GoaFan77. A number of your posts have helped me with understanding the game in the past. This UI bug is just puzzling to me, but does not effect anything other than my subtle OCD.
What I was wondering was if i could make a turn to heading command. Something like in company of heroes or total war where you can specify both the location and direction of units or groups/fleets. I just use waypoints now. I would like to easily deal with "engage local area" fleets returning to their original spot backwards(long range in front/heavies in back).
I have mused with the idea of using the "needsToFaceTarget" value to make ships rotate on the spot and shoot an invisible ability at an invisible target. Though i think that is way more complex than necessary. I like the inertia aspect of the game so i am resisting the temptation to buff the galaxy physics, maxAccelerationAngular or maxAccelerationStrafe values to make ships more agile and reform fleets faster.
If there are any human beings out there still: Working on a map and wondered if there is the equivalent of an "IfPlayerIsTech, IfPlayerIsPsi, IfPlayerIsPhase" sort of condition to spawn the proper ships for the players' factions at the game start.
Anyone with a quick answer?
Thanks.
And then I remembered what they were. Never mind.
For anyone else with that same question:
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/329520/page/1/#2069027
Ok, I'm trying to edit some files and just found out that the syntax sites I used to use are no longer up (zombierus and google code sites are the ones I used to use). Please tell me there is another one up somewhere?
That's a good question. Quite a bit of our player managed help listings are depreceated which is why i encourage people to post them not just host them. At least we'll always have what's here and it's the first place new modders will go.
Visit the official sins discord and check the #resources.
How can i edit the galaxyscenariodef file with notepad ++ to remove planet types from a list, ive been trying all day and it either results in failure or sins fails to load
Make sure you remove the planet from the lists of random planets, not just the "orbit" section, and adjust any counts accordingly.
I've got a weird one.
Sometimes, not always, I'll be attacking an enemy platform and aside from an initial barrage against it, my ships completely stop firing on it. But said platform will continue to blast back, damaging my ships as the sit there inactive, and it keeps plugging away. The only attacks that work are ones that bypass shields. And that's a really time consuming way of eliminating a structure, particularly as the TEC don't have much that can do that.
Is it a Vasari structure? There is a research that allows them to phase out which cancels attacks against them for a short period.
It's not that, it was the first thing I looked for. And it's not otherwise invulnerable in any way. But it's not limited to Vasari structures either.
Been a bit since ive posted, but im getting errors that have completely broke my latest update to my mod.
errors during launch include
Assert @ D:\SinsRebellion\main\CodeSource\Engine/Archive/Archive.h(281)elementCount == data->Size()
-
Assert @ D:\SinsRebellion\main\CodeSource\Engine/DataStructures/FixedArray.h(118)i < MAX_SIZE
Assert @ D:\SinsRebellion\main\CodeSource\Engine/String/StringLibrary.h(83)result == 1
They started when i decided to do a clean sweep of the mods files, including both the entity and the string files, and no matter what i do now(with the exception of completely resetting everything) the mod refuses play if i try to use the race i added. Up until that point it runs with only a minor errors that ive been tracking down.
The error i get on crash is
Assert @ D:\SinsRebellion\main\CodeSource\Engine/DataStructures/DynamicVector.h(177)i >= 0
What exactly do each of these mean?
I know it's vague, but you have an error in one of your files, probably the string file. Just for example, I think I've seen cryptic errors like this when a quotes was missing in the string file or something.
ZombiesRus' eclipse plugin can help you catch some of the more basic errors if you really need some help and are willing to try a rather in depth new tool.
I actually am in the process of downloading it now. Hoping i can get it up and running today!
Well, thanks to the tools i got it working, guess when i was modifying the number of mines available on each of my planets i forgot to type in numbers on one of the entity files, once i added that it stopped crashing.
Still getting the string errors(but thats because i havent copied over all the strings yet).
Woop!
Hi, I'm looking for the location of whatever files govern diplomacy between factions, specifically faction relations maluses. I can't find them for the life of me.
I'm trying to change the -10 malus to diplomacy that TEC rebels have toward the vasari. (Yes I know it's not lore friendly).
Any help would be appreciated.
That's at the bottom of every race entity file. The rest of the diplomacy stuff is in gameplay.constants though.
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