What beyond XML?

from Elemental Forums

Hi,

I'm interested in what I can get from the FE engine. As far I know modding will take place through XML. Meaning I can add new Content and modify existing ones. Like new quests, MyNewUberSoldier, new buildings and so on. All tailored to the existing mechanics. You have the pool of character stats to modify and the same for city's and items. This is nice. Its "relatively" easy and one can focus on the things to change.

What interests me is: Can I change the internal mechanics? In more detail:

What I have: C++ code.

What I need:

  • Call my code every end of turn ;) (you are using Python for scripting right?)
  • Get/set Values from/to FE
  • Get/set Values from/to my code, basically call classes on events.
  • Access to the current tiles and Items in the world and maybe change the depended on my C++ code.
  • Access to mana, actually I want to separate Mana into several Mana types (location and time based). Again from my C++ code which will hold my mana information.
  • Access to Spells and their cost and ability to cast them depended on my internal mana representation.
  • And of course some UI changes to be able to use and show new stuff. I would need something like skill trees and a drag n drop area to arrange spell components. And overlays for the world tiles.
  • Adding new stats and ability's to characters and Items and tiles.

OK this is much, just asking :-)

7,027 views 8 replies
Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Hm thats very sad. THX for the link any way.

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Take a second look at the possibilities of XML modding, they seem to go quite deep.

Looking at what Heavenfall has shown possible with special resources, you may well be able to create colored mana by creating special temples per kind of shard. It's less clear whether you could create spells that consume colored mana (but WOM had spells that needed you to have a certain kind of number of shards), and IMO unlikely that you  could get a "1 fire + 3 any" mana mechanism like in Magic The Gathering.

While this doesn't look exactly like what you seem to want, it may let you get closer than you think currently.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

K thx for the hope,

but how the mana is distributed and used is very important to me, so i must stick with my own crappy graphics ;)

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

You can change a Fireshard to produce Fire Mana. Then require a certain amount of it to cast a fire spell. If that all you wanted to do?

I am sure you can do just about anything with this game if you are clever enough.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

We have a calculation function, but it would take alot of work to try physics level equations.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Yes, you are right. It would be a lot of work and may consume all my time and motivation for not much effect and just struggling with the unhandy tool for my task. It's just a language and for example the xslt which i had to use so far were very annoying. I figured my best weapon for this fight is a high level language. And I'm a little old school and like precise languages so C++ it is.

So far i still can manage with my little QT "engine" which works well for a debugging and testing front end. The setting and art of FE is just what i wanted to have and i definitively do not want to build an complete game engine or try my paint skills to create questionable game art ^^.