My Modding Difficulties

from GalCiv2 Forums
Greetings. I have mod questions...
First, lemme say that I'm an avid GC2:DA Modder. I've integrated KHSM V1.9, 2 Invasion Tactics Mods (one with 5 new techs), 40 Techs & 8 Modules (spanning across 4 other downloaded mods), 35 ship design mods (also downloaded), and designed/integrated an expansive tech tree consisting of 85 techs I created myself.

During all my work and play testing, I've taken careful (and lengthy) measures to maintain game balance. I've completely re-balanced tech costs with more appropriate (and highly aggressive) price scaling. Even original techs have been revamped upward, anywhere from two to twenty five times their cost (based on several factors). However, I'm now running into two issues I need help with:

1) About 400+ turns in, I start seeing problems with my turn button. A turn will start processing, then it stops (about half-way thru I'd say), and the turn button doesn't come back. I can still do things in-game (i.e., open planet views, domestic stats, etc.) but to progress any further I have to keep shutting down the game, and reloading recent saves. Am I "over-working" the game with my mods? Or is there something else wrong?

2) I like everything in the game to be extremely expensive. Some of my final-step technologies cost as much as 50,000. I feel it adds more longevity to the game, and forces more difficult decision making. The problem is, I don't know how to change the ship prices. Like colony ships for example. I think colonization should be MUCH slower going for all races, so I'd like to slam the price upward about 10-fold. I'd also like to scale other ships in accordance. Can ORIGINAL ship prices be modded? Do I have to mod the module prices to get the effect? Any USEFUL advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.
modding
8,563 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
2. I think you will find the hull sizes in the file GC2Types.xml and will be able to change the cost of them. GC2Types.xml

cheers
Bakka
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
@Kamakasi 500

1: Sorry can´t help you here...Sounds like a Game or Mod Bug...I can only give you the Advice to ad the Errorlog File here...maybe someone of the Cracks can answer that Question...

2: You can find the Hull Parts in GC2Types.Xml...look for...

Code: xml
  1. <Hull Name="TinyHull0">
  2. <DisplayName>Bomber</DisplayName>
  3. <Description>Bomber Class Hull</Description>
  4. <Cost>30</Cost>
  5. <SensorRange>1</SensorRange>
  6. <Size>20</Size>
  7. <HP>6</HP>
  8. <Model>Tiny_0</Model>
  9. <Thumbnail>Tiny_0</Thumbnail>
  10. <Speed>1</Speed>
  11. <Category>Tiny</Category>
  12. <Logistics>2</Logistics>
  13. <Tech_Requirement>XenoIndustrialTheory</Tech_Requirement>
  14. </Hull>


Hull Name = Name of the Hull, for Game Engine (don´t change)
DisplayName = Ingame Name,change to what ever you want
Description = Ingame Description, change to whatever you want
Cost = This is what you are searching for, but remember to keep the Costs balanced for all Hull Types
SensorRange = Well Sensor Range without additive Sensors
Size = The actuall amount of Space, to put in Parts
HP = Health Points
Speed = Speed without aditive Engines
Logistics = Number of Logistic Points

Try to make individual Hulls and test them in a longer Game...remember that you can´t use this altered Hulls in Metaverse...
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you want to slow colonization, you are probably better off modifying the cost of the Colony Module, rather than the hulls. Otherwise, that increased price of cargo hulls will be around the whole game. Of course, that might be what you are looking for...

The data for the Colony Module should be in GC2Types.xml too, I believe.

As for the disappearing Turn Button... what version of DA are you running?
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top



1) About 400+ turns in, I start seeing problems with my turn button. A turn will start processing, then it stops (about half-way thru I'd say), and the turn button doesn't come back. I can still do things in-game (i.e., open planet views, domestic stats, etc.) but to progress any further I have to keep shutting down the game, and reloading recent saves. Am I "over-working" the game with my mods? Or is there something else wrong?


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I get that on un-modded games sometimes. So I doubt it is just what you have done. Although it did seem to happen alot less a patch or two ago.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top




1) About 400+ turns in, I start seeing problems with my turn button. A turn will start processing, then it stops (about half-way thru I'd say), and the turn button doesn't come back. I can still do things in-game (i.e., open planet views, domestic stats, etc.) but to progress any further I have to keep shutting down the game, and reloading recent saves. Am I "over-working" the game with my mods? Or is there something else wrong?




I get that on un-modded games sometimes. So I doubt it is just what you have done. Although it did seem to happen alot less a patch or two ago.

End of quote


sounds to me one of your ships need to be move to get turn button back but to find which one is like looking for a needle in a hay stack !! at least when it happens to me and i find the ship and move it the button comes back !!
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

@Kamakasi 500

1: Sorry can´t help you here...Sounds like a Game or Mod Bug...I can only give you the Advice to ad the Errorlog File here...maybe someone of the Cracks can answer that Question...

2: You can find the Hull Parts in GC2Types.Xml...look for...

Code: xml
>


Hull Name = Name of the Hull, for Game Engine (don´t change)
DisplayName = Ingame Name,change to what ever you want
Description = Ingame Description, change to whatever you want
Cost = This is what you are searching for, but remember to keep the Costs balanced for all Hull Types
SensorRange = Well Sensor Range without additive Sensors
Size = The actuall amount of Space, to put in Parts
HP = Health Points
Speed = Speed without aditive Engines
Logistics = Number of Logistic Points

Try to make individual Hulls and test them in a longer Game...remember that you can´t use this altered Hulls in Metaverse...
End of quote


GalaxyCreator right,.. mod cost price to make them cost more another way to try is using one of the editors and make a Scenarios and make ship cost more in it,... have you tried to use the lowest tech setting on the game before you start it ??? that should make the game longer.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks you all very much for the input. Special thanks to GalaxyCreator for that advanced info you posted.

To thehandofzarquon:
As for the turn button thing, I'm running DA V1.61 with all available non-beta updates.

Also, you are correct, I am actually looking to re-scale all ship prices. I don't just want colony ships expensive, I want everything scaled much as I stated in my initial posting. Let me make sure I got this right...So in order to more aggressively scale ALL ship prices (as I want to accomplish), you peeps are saying I should mod HULL prices, and NOT module or specific ship prices. And that this can be done my modding only the GC2Types.xml file. Is that right?

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GalaxyCreator right,.. mod cost price to make them cost more another way to try is using one of the editors and make a Scenarios and make ship cost more in it,... have you tried to use the lowest tech setting on the game before you start it ??? that should make the game longer.
End of quote


Actually, I still found tech prices to be way, way to cheap. Even after selecting "Very Slow" tech rate. That's why I re-scaled them. But since I've so heavily up-scaled tech prices, nothing else seems in economic sync with my intent. That why I also want all hulls rescaled as well.

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GalaxyCreator right,.. mod cost price to make them cost more another way to try is using one of the editors and make a Scenarios and make ship cost more in it,... have you tried to use the lowest tech setting on the game before you start it ??? that should make the game longer.
End of quote


Yes I figured out by Yesterday that I can also use IDE Editor to make a new Scenario...but my overall Intention to alter the Hull, wasn´t it´s Prize...I wanted to make more individual Hulls, with different Settings and then Base the Cost on theese Settings...

I also tested the lowest Tech Cost in Vanilla, but for me it´s still much to fast...for Example, the first Spacefarring Strategie Game I ever played was "Pax Imperia"...and not only the Research Time took very long...there were also about 6000 Techs you could discover, which stands for the longitive of the Game...I put the Research Time up to 4x...The first Technologie needs about 30-35 Rounds...still to fast for me...

For a gigantic Galaxy the lowest Research Time is much to fast, in Vanilla Game...especially with only about 200 Techs to discover...
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
just about 9 times out of 10 i find that the turn button issue is caused by a ship in a rally point having not cleared all its moves when the turn button is pressed, or not joining a fleet when entering a rally point.

most of the time once your turn button grey's out, but you still have move control you can simply hit the find button and move those ships with postive movment left. gennerally the bug occurs after your auto pilot moves have happened, therefore it doesnt take too long to find the bugged ships.

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for the info Valakov. I'll remember that next time it disappears on me.

Got a couple more modding questions for this post...

1) Can I mod the improvements? To put them in line with the rest of my harsh economic settings, I want to rescale improvement costs. I also want to include Super Projects and Galactic Achievements in the price spiking, if at all possible.

2) On a related matter, I have designed 27 new improvements. 18 of which have their own newly designed techs (while the others require DA techs and others I've already integrated). I'd like to mod them in.

Are the above 2 things possible for me to do? And if so, what file(s) do I need to manipulate (excluding the obvious techtree.xml of course)?
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Damn, I almost forgot....

I have also designed 12 new starbase modules, which includes a new multi-tier tech branch with 25 new techs. Is it possible to add in new starbase modules? If so, how?
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
To mod in Improvements, you will need to edit PlanetImprovements.xml this tutorial may help.

For starbase modules, look in StarbaseModules.xml.