trying to convert an Entrenchment mod back to Vanilla is something REALLY HARD. I've never tried it, nor will I. In all reality, a modder who does a version for standard Sins can (relatively speaking) easily put that mod into Entrenchment. On the flip side, a modder who releases an Entrenchment mod can go back through and essentially DUPLICATE everything he's done in the vanilla files.

As for your 1st question, NO. Here's why- Entrenchment ship/structure&starbase entity files have a line 'renderShield TRUE'. This line isn't in any of the vanilla files. There's also the fact that that Entrenchment has an ENTIRELY NEW RESEARCH FIELD. The defense tree. Much like how you can select military/civil research tabs for each race, each race also gets a new defensive tech tab. Ergo, any tech that's in the defense tree will have to be moved to the combat/civil trees. Which means MORE work. Most of those trees are already full. Trying to find a space to put things will be difficult at best.

I have partially answered the 2nd question in my first paragraph. The other part of it is that normal sins doesn't have manifest files. Manifest files are these nifty things that allow a mod to be packaged as SMALL as possible. Why? The manifest contains a list of all entity/galaxy/brush etc. etc. files. Meshes/Textures/Sounds aren't listed in them though. There's not a limit on the # of entries (and therefore files) per manifest. Anyways, the way the Entrenchment executable works, is that it will read the manifests, any files listed in them that aren't in the mod files directories and ARE in the default Sins/Entrenchment directories will be read from the latter directories.

Ultimately, it would be very difficult to do what you want to do. While I do hate to sound like I don't care, or like I think that you're cheap (which you may/may not be, I don't know), $10 for an expansion as, well, expansive as Entrenchment is not too bad. There's a couple of new units for every faction, some new researches; all the old stuff is still there; plus modding Entrenchment offers so many new options, like having abilities cost resources, deployment of starbases in a gravity well, mine deploying stuff (and of course mines).

I hope everything I said is of help to you. 

I think that stardock can accept paypal and other methods of payment by emailing sales at stardock.com

harpo

or you could get a prepaid visa like i did

teal,

there are SIGNIFICANT diferences between vanilla and entrenchment eg each planet,planet module and ship in entrenchment has a rendershield true that is NOT in vanilla,also the mines,starbases and extra cruisers,tech tree research, window files, and these are just off the top of my head

harpo

Harpo, i'm feeling bad here 'cause i suddenly have all this karma, about 22 more than i should to be honest, and im thinking i shouldnt really have this karma, shouldnt have said anything back to you because you are right about the difference in vanilla and entrenchment, and i shouldnt have sounded  like i was ticked off, If i made you feel bad, im sorry, and i guess i did because i wouldnt have all this karma if i didnt make SOMEONE feel bad.  Well... it woulda been nice if they felt good and it took awhile to get you know. Anyway, there should be a way to say thank you for the karma, but i really didnt deserve it and to go back to the numbers i was before. Maybe the mod forum officer could do that, or the devs.

Anyway, sorry to make you feel bad, sometimes i just like spout off, haha, dont mean it, anyway, take care and thank you for the feedback and keep modding!!!!

-Teal