Edit: This question is directed towards the upcoming Merc game, although if it's possible now in the other games that would be cool to know too!
You'll have to forgive me if this has been asked or answered before. But I wasn't quite sure how to search on this question so I figured since this is my first post you guys could forgive my noobness.
I was wondering if on a multiplayer server if the AI ships and factions could be modded/changed to specific goals.
Eample: On my server I want to create a faction that will slowly start expanding it's control of the universe.
Will this kind of thing be possible? How much modding will be allowed for the multiplayer servers? Will I be able to code in specific "traits" and actions for a clan/faction?
I hope this was clear. Thanks in advance for your time!
First thing, keep in mind that , if you modify the game's "universe," then only players with the same modificatons can play on your server. Other than that ... it might depend on which game you're planning to host.
In Legends, about the only "change" you can make to the AI is to increase or decrease their technology level and/or allow the inclusion of Vonari ('though you can, at least, change the name "Vonari" to something else).
Edit: Although you can make the AI less hostile or more hostile, depending on how you redefine player reputation.
So there isn't a way to make them more... uhhh.. I suppose dynamic?
I don't think I'm clearly asking what I want to ask, and for that I apologize.
I had this idea that I would like to set up a multiplayer server where there was one enemy that would be trying to slowly take over the universe by encroaching on different sectors. The player would log on and the enemy would have a hold of a few sectors by having their ships and possibly even star bases in those sectors, when a player leaves and say comes back in a day or so, that enemy would possibly have more sectors under their control OR less depending on the actions of others while the player was away (Perhaps other players started attacking those sectors and wrestled control back while the player was logged out or perphaps no one touched them so they continued to take over other sectors.).
That way it makes the players feel like there is a overarching bad guy to fight (or perhaprs work with?).
If you've played X3, there is something similar where the AI would (or at least had the possiblity of) take over certain sectors and control them or lose control of them over time. I'm just wondering if this will be possible or is this game not able to do that (trust me, I understand the depth and complexity this adds).
I hope that's a little more clear. If it isn't I apologize.
You can do it manually. Using the "universedata" file (assuming the game is Legends), you can add or delete Vonari to any sector ... simulating an incursion/retreat. But you can't program the Vonari AI to do it themselves. It requires human supervision and continuous changes in scripting.
Additionally, all your clients would need to DL the new script ... and I'm not sure a change in the "universedata" file would trigger auto-update of the game (you'll need to ask Vice about that one). I can give you help with making script changes, though.
No problem. Verbosity was (and still is, I think) tinkering with the kind of thing you're talking about. He has a thread around here, somewhere, with a link to a website he's working on ... all dedicated to creating a modded Evochron universe. He might be of great help when it comes to putting this idea of yours to the test.
I'm a programmer by trade (although sadly not a game programmer), and I'm pretty sure even if it was a "manual" process, I could write a small app to take some of the manual out of it! hehe
It's the programmer in me to see a problem and then immeaditly think "pfft... I can do that!".... which I don't need to tell you has gotten me in over my head more than a few times! But I love space combat games and the idea that I could mod a universe to play around it is nearly more than I can resist!
No changes to the universe data file will be tolerated by the server.
Any attempt to join the server with a modified universe file will be rejected by the server.
This is also to protect other players from possible hackers and modders who try to mod weapons, ships, shields, etc.
Hope that answers your question.
\"To kill hubris with humility is a goal rarely achieved by men\"
Originally posted by MMaggio
No changes to the universe data file will be tolerated by the server.
Any attempt to join the server with a modified universe file will be rejected by the server.
This is also to protect other players from possible hackers and modders who try to mod weapons, ships, shields, etc.
Hope that answers your question.
Ummmm not really. But then again I've never tried to mod the game so maybe it does and I'm just not aware! hehe
I guess what would answer my question is really how the multiplayer server distributes changes to the clients when they connect if changes have been made since their last connect.
Considering what I've been told here in previous posts when a client connects to the server the server would (I assume) check to make sure they are running the same version and that they are synced.
I imagine to do what I would want to do (assuming the aforementioned syncing is accurate), I would do a nightly (or weekly) update that would change the universe to reflect the days (weeks) activity and thus dynamicly (kind of) change the universe per players interactions.
Or maybe I'm completely wrong and have no idea what I'm talking about... also a good possiblity!
I think what MMaggio means is that, if your files don't match those of the server, the game won't allow you to log on. And MMaggio intends to run the default game ... unmodded.
But you can probably use a modified game file on your own server ... as long as each client has the same modded file. Whether or not the "auto-update" function works that way ... I don't know. I suspect it only updates official changes in executables ... 'though, IIRC, the game checks for version number and, maybe, that can be manipultated.
Again, it's probably a question only Vice can answer.
Well I can wait until mercenary is released before I start really diving into it. Little more than a week away. I just wanted to know so I could start "planning" it out. But no worries.
@thetiebers: Thanks! Good to be here. I look forward to getting lost in this universe!
Basically I was saying if the game could download a new universe data file from the server when the current file doesn't match then people would be more inclined to mod it. Right now you have distribute it manually so it would be difficult to get anyone to do that every week - you'd have to constantly rename the default file and copy the updated one every time a change was made.
I'm afraid thats not going to happen anytime soon, the main reason being that each time a player wanted to download the universe it would cause a pause for all the other players already in-server.
Hopefully however, there are a coule of stand-alone apps which are in development by members of the community, one of which has a mod manager, which will help to support custom universes and if a server runs the server side flavour of this app it'll be able to notify players of what universe its running ( hopefully )
Originally posted by verbosity
I'm afraid thats not going to happen anytime soon, the main reason being that each time a player wanted to download the universe it would cause a pause for all the other players already in-server.
Hopefully however, there are a coule of stand-alone apps which are in development by members of the community, one of which has a mod manager, which will help to support custom universes and if a server runs the server side flavour of this app it'll be able to notify players of what universe its running ( hopefully )
Why would it pause everyone in the server? Why wouldn't the server just update the clients universe file then allow them to connect with the updated universe file?
edit: Sorry if I'm being a noob, I'm just trying to understand the way it works in an effort to hopefully work around the limitations.
Originally posted by RonnonWhy would it pause everyone in the server? Why wouldn't the server just update the clients universe file then allow them to connect with the updated universe file?
Simple answer is it wouldn't have to, but I guess seeing as you're a programmer you already know that and are just being polite...
Originally posted by RonnonWhy would it pause everyone in the server? Why wouldn't the server just update the clients universe file then allow them to connect with the updated universe file?
Simple answer is it wouldn't have to, but I guess seeing as you're a programmer you already know that and are just being polite...
Well being a programmer I can appreciate the complexity of the code that is required to even set up a client-server architecture. But along those lines (with my programmer mind always running) I can definitely see a system like that being (somewhat) easy to implement. But you know, even if the game doesn't, I can see the community (maybe myself even) making a kind of "boot strap" program that would do those checks for you. Any ways, good information here. I've learned alot already! Thanks so much for the warm welcomes and replies! Cheers!
That's the great thing about this community, people get creative because of their passion for the game. There's not really anything like it out there. It's good to be a part of.
Well being a programmer I can appreciate the complexity of the code that is required to even set up a client-server architecture. But along those lines (with my programmer mind always running) I can definitely see a system like that being (somewhat) easy to implement.
Many's the game that has died an early death for failure to provide a lag-free MP.
Btw, after thinking about it, I'd say it will be much more difficult to recreate the default Mercenary universe using the mod file. In Legends, you have the default "universedata" file to work with, as reference. But, if the Mercenary universe is incorporated in the executable, you won't have any reference ... except to visit every planet (in game) and make note of its location, economy, and reputation status.
It might be (almost surely) easier to create your own universe.
You can do it 
Additionally, all your clients would need to DL the new script ... and I'm not sure a change in the "universedata" file would trigger auto-update of the game (you'll need to ask Vice about that one). I can give you help with making script changes, though.
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