Evochron Legacy - Default Multiplayer Station Protection and Backup System...

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Evochron Legacy - Default Multiplayer Station Protection and Backup System...

Post by Vice »

This an informational post that provides instructions on restoring the default stations in the game on any server that wishes to put them back in place at any point (such as after a big battle or some kind of rogue player attack).

One of the most significant requests for the new game was to allow -every- station and city structure in the game to be destroyable and buildable. This of course has the effect of making such structures vulnerable to attack and in need of protection and possibly even restoration if destroyed. Players can of course rebuild lost stations/cities as part of the game, but there are other options that this post will go over. Recent changes to the game have also strengthened command modules in particular to make them much more difficult to destroy and there are also build techniques/locations that can further improve their survivability. This post won't go over those strategies, but will instead focus on restoring any lost modules for those interested in the option.

Due to the dynamic nature of the game's design, the process of build-destroy-build is a core part of the gameplay equation. A number of players enjoy playing the game via scheduled sessions, where both ALC and FDN sides are present in the game at the same time and are able to attack and defend during the scheduled direct IP or LAN game. In persistent open online public multiplayer however, there are frequently times where one side may not be present and/or not in sufficient numbers to defend against an attack. This is where the protection and restoration options can come in to play to help keep default station and city structures present.

When installing the server program, the default station and city data is stored in the install folder with this filename:

universemulti.txt

When the server program is launched for the first time, a copy of this file is created and placed in the server program's save data folder (default location is '\Documents\EvochronLegacySEServer' and also accessibly via '\Users\Username\Documents\EvochronLegacySEServer'). The copy kept in the save data folder is managed by the server program for the latest changes to the game's station and city structures as modules may be created or destroyed in the game. If a particular module is destroyed, it will be removed from the file. If a module is built, it will be added to the file. The save data folder copy can also be edited in a text editor as it is simply a plain text file.

The original 'universemulti.txt' file in the install folder is the backup. It preserves all of the default station and city module data that is present at the initial starting point in the game's universe. The server operator can copy over all of the contents of the backup file to the editable file to reset the cities and station in the game. Likewise, the operator can copy over specific blocks or lines of module data to restore individual modules or stations/cities. This way, an operator can restore or change any modules in the game as may desired. They can reset everything back to starting conditions, or just copy over the default station and city modules while leaving other player built structures in place.

To perform a change, the operator simply needs to disconnect and close the server program, make the desired changes to the editable version of the 'universemulti.txt' file in the save data folder, save it, then restart and reconnect the server program.

Here is a list of the data stored in the files, which is saved line by line:

The ` character is used as a marker to indicate valid module data.

`X,Y,Z,SX,SY,SZ,ModuleType,Faction,Name,ID

X, Y, and Z are the in sector coordinates. When a module is built on a planet as part of a city, Z will be a marker with '88888888' as its value rather than a +/-100000 value.

SX, SY, and SZ are the sector coordinates.

The Module type follows this order:

0 = Power Supply
1 = Crew/Living
2 = Production
3 = Storage
4 = Command
5 = Shield
6 = Weapon Turret
7 = Horizontal
8 = Vertical

Faction is 1 for ALC and 2 for FDN.

Most/all of the default modules will have a name applied. Custom built non-command modules may not. But whatever name may be applied will appear in the name field. If no name is applied, then it will be blank and just have the next comma.

The ID is a string value used by the game to keep track of identity for hangar storage details, it's generally always the sector coordinates separated by forward slashes.

The ID and name values may get mixed around from time to time when players build modules without a linked command module name attached to them. That's just something to be aware of. The game manages the data either way, so it doesn't hurt anything when they are listed in that order.
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