Modding wish list

some of these are easy

from GalCiv2 Forums
gonna use this thread to list out features I'd like to see in future patches/ expansion partial list, feel free to add/discuss

SDK for writing custom dlls

characters with modifiers and missions, assignable to fleets/planets

trade module capacity value (make small frieghters and super freighters, effects income)

multiple moons per planet (graphically) updated 3/12/06

abilitiy to place ships in orbit new 3/12/06

editable modifiers to weapons based on hull size (IE big guns have trouble hitting small, small almost always hit big) new 3/12/06

energy rating on ship, make a reactor with power rating and each weapon/engine component reduces this (analogus to size, but a secondary limiting factor)

fractional/0 ship speeds (essentially want orbital platforms and planetary defense vessels)

carrier module (or something similar in the fleet grouping that can allow non ftl ships to travel with other ships)

disabling weapon type

ships with troop modules able to capture disabled ships or attempt forced boarding

Ability to set troop quotas instead of % population new 3/12/06

different types of troops (space troops, defense troops, xeno troops, commandos) new 3/12/06

ability to assign custom damage types to custom absorbtion types

ship modifers that effect other ships (interdiction fields, sensor jamming/cloaking)

ability to limit type of module per hardpoint (IE weapon hardpoints, engine hardpoints)

ability to place certian facilities on level 0 planets (mines, prison colonies)

ability to treat moons as planets

additional espionage, propoganda options, stealing tech and designs

area on each planet for orbital facilities (can just be an additional row of spaces with a star background)

planet facilities like planetary shields and planetary defenses (that effect ships like starbases do)
ability to blockade specific planets (not necessarily at war either) new 3/12/06

ability to set tactics in battles (beyond autoattack and autoretreat) example, destroy military ships, leave freighters and colony ships alone, or colony and freighters only, in conjunction with troops and disabling weapons, attempt to capture ships, hit and fade attacks, IE attack until enemy has lost X ships or health then run, or attack until 50% losses then run (would work great with intediction) new 3/12/06

mining with multiple resources (gas, metals, silicates, organics, liquids, heavy metals, exotic compounds) essentially flesh out the trade system (makes gas giants and moons useful) add requirements to production of modules and facilites (can always buy) some things like organics, liquids and gases will be consumed normally for maintinance and by the population new 3/12/06

some form of galactic stockmarket (could be simple could be complex) would make trade victory more satisfying and make monopolies on products make more sense new 3/12/06

multiturn invasions/land battles(add more suspence to if you will get a planet or not) ties in with rebellions as well, some additional land tactics new 3/12/06

multiple prequisites for modules new 3/12/06

allow multiple values per module (sensors on weapons, weapons or armor that have all damage types etc) new 3/12/06

moddable star bases (upkeep, health) etc at tleast the base values new 3/13/06

ability to restrict AI movment into territory (border patrol, moving in requires attack your units) and restrict technology trading new 3/13/06

rate of fire on weapons or at least ability to set how many simulation ticks before weapons fire new 3/13/06

set charge times on weapons (big weapons take a while before they get moving) new 3/13/06

morality penalties for technologies (IE nervestapling provides 100% loyalty, but makes you very despicable) new 3/13/06

ability to mod starting race points, tech, moeny etc new 3/15/06

sequential naming of vessel numbers(1,2,3... not 23,74,345), ship naming from a list like stars.txt new 3/15/06

hit point modules, limitations on modules per hull (instead of just making the module too big to fit, limit to 10 engines or 3 weapons etc.) new 3/15/06
modding
12,651 views 16 replies
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You can steal tech. And in an interview, brad said the first expansion "Dark Avatar" will have a LOT more espionage choices. (Campaign plays as the Drengin)
Multiple moons would be a bit of a pain for the game in the same way more than five planets isn't recommended. The code can only do so much, and there is some rudimentary planetary defence, in the forms of "planetary defence"
I like the energy and character ideas though, they would be cool.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
But if you can get the multiple moon walking, you might also be able to get ships in orbit.. actually in orbit.

The ships in orbit will be smaller than their main map counterpart and orbits just like the moon. You will be able to select the ship in orbit and send it to any grid next to the planet.

It might also make planet battle look better. (if you don't turn on the battle mode for every attack, it will look like the planet exploded)
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I want blockcading so if I don't have transports in the area I can at least blockade the planet to prevent trade.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would like to build troops explicitly instead of just taking 1 billion of your population type. Better troops can just count as a large # of civilian equivalent. i.e. 1 elite soldier could be worth 10 civilians. Eventually, soldiers could have their own attack/defence/level ratings.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Citizen Marcathonas: thanks for the info on the expansion, however I think the modding groups are perfectly willing to test out new features as they become available, I also have a habit of humbling game engines to achieve my goals and only backing off when it becomes too rediculous

Citizen MercieCommander : not looking for more control, I'm perfectly fine with the autobattles for this type of game (in a perfect world I'd like to see something equivalent to homeworld in the battle system, but I think that is a lofty goal)
what I would want is additional options for how your fleet responds to attacks and how it defends. For example, commerce raiding: destroy only freighters and colony ships
hit and fade: attack enemy until they take X% losses or you take X% losses
disable and capture: try to disable enemy ships and then board them

these could be simple orders assigned like the autoretreat and autoattack are, but maybe have a slider for damage thresholds
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A land battle system like in MOO3 and a hanger ,many it could pass the range of the ship with the hanger to ships with a tiny hull in a fleet with it.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Remove hardcaps in the game engine on things like number of worlds, map size, number of techs, civilizations, etc, and pretty much any other place where you'd have a hard cap on. From previous modding experience, I know that engine hardcaps on the number of slots available is one of the most restrictive and annoying things when modders want to be extra-creative

Also, turrets for ships and weapons platforms would be another cool thing to see

And, if it isn't already possible, allow for campaign modifications (and maybe even an easy way to load a custom campaign).
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would like to see more modability in some of the attributes of ships and ship components, like sensor ranges, travel ranges, and (in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice) things such as that.

I would also like to be able to mod the travel range provided by colonies and star bases, so players could set the game's pacing to their heart's content. That is, slow colonization = short range, rapid = long range.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As I stated in my weapon data post, rewrite the component types file into one universal language, enabling any number of arguments for each component. Weapons with sensor data, all 3 attack values, and armor rating, etc. etc. Hulls could be assigned a natural sensor value, any number of things would be possible. As it stands, its virtually impossible to do anything in this file besides change the quantity values. Modding is impossible.


In the tech tree, multitech requirments are possible already. However, additional functionality for multiple < requires > (or whatever the exact word is) would be nice. If its recieving multiple lines (weapons and miniturization, for example), don't let it just sit there all alone (the tech tends to just not get linked to anything). Also, if multiple points of that tech is generated on the map for multi-tech requirments, have it lable them "Part 1...Part 2..." to better explain that you need to get all the prequisites for that tech, instead of just leveling to one of the parts and ignore the other branch(s).
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
the ability to spawn a universe with no PQ 0 planets, IE, starting with every planet as 10+,

or, the ability to change a given planets' PQ from 0 to 10 or more as necessary, but still reaping the benefits of taking it from 0 to 10.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
the ability to spawn a universe with no PQ 0 planets, IE, starting with every planet as 10+,

or, the ability to change a given planets' PQ from 0 to 10 or more as necessary, but still reaping the benefits of taking it from 0 to 10.


So.. why explore? send a colony ship to every planet you see with stellar cartography.

If that's what you would rather want, the AI should also be tweaked to compensate. They should just send colony ships to nearest planet instead of scouting first and then try to colonize.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well at least i nthe case of my mod, I want all of the 8+ planets to be precolonized by a AI player, at first you can only colonize the wasteland planets with the intent of wiping out the existing race, having PQ level 1 would allow stuff to be placed on these wastelands, exploration would be that you know of the planet, but don't know details, instead of pure fog of war ,colonized planets would be visible to you in this gametype
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'd definately want to be able to make armor protect from laser fire, for example. Was very disappointed to see this is impossible.
Give us the possibility to limit starbases. To have them cost upkeep each turn, to enforce a maximum amount allowed ... stuff like that. The starbase flood is one of the most annoying things in GC2, IMO.
Allow us to enforce a max. number of a certain component. (Only one support system.)
Allow for components that enhance a ships HP.
Planet classes would be nice (earthlike, barren, gas giant ...), and having races getting different values from different planet classes ... but I presume this is out of scope.

I'll add more later.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
added some basic stuff like modyfing starting ability points, money etc, also added ability to name ships ffrom a file by hull class and sequential numbering of ships for ypur race rather than randon numbers.