Sinperium Sinperium

Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

Answers from Modders, for Modders who "Ask a Question"

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

 

7,602,146 views 2,761 replies
Reply #2676 Top

A question. Is it possible to add more of one starbase per faction?

Reply #2677 Top

Quoting JoshuaTedder, reply 2630

Ah so there can only be one type of constructor.

 

True but the constructor can have several abilities allowing it to construct or spawn a multitude of things.

Reply #2678 Top

Quoting Nomada_Firefox, reply 2676

A question. Is it possible to add more of one starbase per faction?

yes

Reply #2679 Top

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 2668

It gives the same error even when I specify a planet type. The oddity here is, which I forgot to mention, is that these modifiers are copied from a regular research item, which does not spew these errors. Only when they are used in a pact bonus do they generate these errors.

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.

Reply #2680 Top

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?

Reply #2681 Top

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.

Reply #2682 Top

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"
Reply #2683 Top

: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?

Reply #2684 Top

Quoting pantagruel8, reply 2683

I would like to know what dictates icon order in the tree and how to edit it if possible.

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.

Quoting pantagruel8, reply 2683

On an aside, is there a way to make a "ship facing"/"make ships rotate not move" mod?

Not entirely sure what you are trying to ask here.

Reply #2685 Top

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.

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 2684

Not entirely sure what you are trying to ask here.

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.

 

Reply #2686 Top

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.

 

 

 

 

Reply #2687 Top

And then I remembered what they were.  Never mind.

For anyone else with that same question: 

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/329520/page/1/#2069027

 

Reply #2688 Top

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?

Reply #2689 Top

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.

Reply #2690 Top

Quoting AceXMachine, reply 2688

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?

 Visit the official sins discord and check the #resources. 

Reply #2691 Top

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

Reply #2692 Top

Quoting BM-3141596, reply 2691

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.

Reply #2693 Top

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.

Reply #2694 Top

Is it a Vasari structure? There is a research that allows them to phase out which cancels attacks against them for a short period.

 

Reply #2695 Top

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.

Reply #2696 Top

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?

Reply #2697 Top

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.

Reply #2698 Top

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!

+1 Loading…
Reply #2699 Top

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.

Reply #2700 Top

Quoting V00DOO, reply 2699

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.