What is Hardcoded?

Rebellion+DLC

from Sins Forums

I'd like to know what is hardcoded and what is not in the game. my actual buying depends on how moddable the game is :) (that and price, too).

AFAIK, the first thing I have seen hardcoded is "Weapon Types", being 3 unused types of weapons the only way to actually mod them, and no more than 3 weapon types per ship.

although, this could be circumvented for titan ships and other special ones by abilities...

 

what else do you know it's hardcoded?

modding
19,806 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Interestingly enough all ships can have 5 weapons if you want.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I thought the wiki said 3... odd.

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

That's how it was in Trinity, it was boosted in Rebellion.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

ah, that's great to know :D what else comes to mind to be hardcoded?

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

ouch. that syntax list is massive.no wonder I have seen very little mods for this game :(

AI is hardcoded, huh? just how smart is it? maybe dlc/patches can fix that?

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

The AI has improved a great deal with each expansion (as in has become a little less stupid). Gone are the days of "The brave Sir Robin AI". However the AI will never be as smart as a human player. IMO since the days of Original Sins beta the AI now is as good as it is gonna get.

The wiki needs to be updated to include the Rebellion changes to the hard code limits. I dont remember all of the hard code limits off the top of my head, but the memory limit is 2 gigs. Particles rendered is 1000 at any given time i believe. 3 sounds per weapon. You will have to check the wiki, or one of the sticky posts on the modding forums. Just know it may show the Trinity limits, and may not be updated for Rebellion yet.

 

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Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

ah ok then :)

Major Stress, are those changes for the better or the worse?

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Mostly for the better. It increases the amount of textures particles hardpoints etc that you can use.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

hardpoints?

 

what about custom abilities, models, etc? is all this possible or hardcoded?

 

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Dark_Ansem, reply 10


what about custom abilities, models, etc? is all this possible or hardcoded?

This is where the modding part shines with this engine.

That said, it's not a trivial effort to make a full scale mod in Sins of a Solar Empire.

You can plan to spend 2, 3 or more years if your working on multiple factions whether it is a Total Conversion or Expansion Mod.

Check moddb for some different examples. BTW all of these projects have been in development for multiple years. Mine started in 2010 for example. Several others are older than that.

SOA2

Sins of the Fallen/Fall of Kobol (mine)

Sins of a Galactic Empire

Maelstrom (under Diplomacy but supports all versions of Sins).

Sins of the Prophets (beta release of UNSC only).

E4X

Star Wars Requiem

others: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/423212/page/4/#3369569

I personally think the biggest problem people have modding is they underestimate the amount of time needed after modeling and texturing. For a full faction your looking at preparing ~40-50 models(hard points, materials, tangents, mesh conversions), designing and coding ~120 research subjects, desiging and coding ~35 unique abilities, which all need various icons, pictures, buttons, etc wired to them. This also all precludes taking the time to learn XSI and the syntax structure of Sins in order to make these changes. I'd plan on atleast a 1000 hours worth of work per faction (excluding modeling/texturing).

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

oh no. No total conversion.

Expansion, yes. But the game content is great. overwriting it would be pointless and counter-intuitive.

Thanks Zombie and thanks MajorStress. I guess I'm off to buy some Rebellion for myself..

now, if only my other questions could be answered :P