Modding questions for IC devs (for future patches)
from 
Sins Forums
Sins Forums
I'm asking these questions for the long term capability of modding based on updates from future patches, feel free to get as technical as you want about the reasoning.
I'm hoping for a direct response from the devs when they get time (once they've got all the launch issues sorted out) but also would like to put these ideas out here for the more serious modders to mull over and come up with their own engine capability questions and requests.
When we exceed 9 ships/buildings on any build list (or 5 on capital) the ships are not displayed on the page and no automatic scroll mechanism is available to allow us to select them. Is this just a UI issue with not having enough defined button ids or is this a hard limit for the current build of the game?
Is it practical to uncap the code to allow for more than 4 abilities and more than 3 weapon types (just allow the extra entries for mods, not saying the core game content has to be modified) I understand this is a memory limitation, but mods break those all the time
If it is not possible to expand the ability count because of UI constraints can we have the number uncapped to allow 'always on' abilities to be active in excess of 4?
Is the game event system eventually going to be expanded to allow binding custom UI elements and unit/AI event handlers? (this is pretty important to allow us to build off the game and add new functionality, currently this system does not allow us to create this logic) I fully understand that the abilities system is flexible, but we can only instantiate and change the flags and capabilities that are provided in the code at a unit based level. (I'm thinking more of a lua or python binding) This would allow modders to build campaigns as well as more advanced trade and diplomatic interfaces etc.
what is the probability that phase lane control can be more tightly bound to the economy? (I'm thinking more of cutting off the flow of resources from blockaded worlds ala Company of Heroes) This would make trade ships and resource haulers crucial (as well as defending convoys)
Are their any phase lane specific attributes such as availability or speed modifier that could be exposed for modding?
What capabilities do we have with the current AI to change the pirate behavior? I would want to modify the target selection criteria (make them commerce raiders, hit small colonies and civilian ships)
Mesh animations? is the engine capable of them in its current form? (not talking about turrets)
Alpha textures on ships? does this require a custom shader?
I'm hoping for a direct response from the devs when they get time (once they've got all the launch issues sorted out) but also would like to put these ideas out here for the more serious modders to mull over and come up with their own engine capability questions and requests.
When we exceed 9 ships/buildings on any build list (or 5 on capital) the ships are not displayed on the page and no automatic scroll mechanism is available to allow us to select them. Is this just a UI issue with not having enough defined button ids or is this a hard limit for the current build of the game?
Is it practical to uncap the code to allow for more than 4 abilities and more than 3 weapon types (just allow the extra entries for mods, not saying the core game content has to be modified) I understand this is a memory limitation, but mods break those all the time
If it is not possible to expand the ability count because of UI constraints can we have the number uncapped to allow 'always on' abilities to be active in excess of 4?
Is the game event system eventually going to be expanded to allow binding custom UI elements and unit/AI event handlers? (this is pretty important to allow us to build off the game and add new functionality, currently this system does not allow us to create this logic) I fully understand that the abilities system is flexible, but we can only instantiate and change the flags and capabilities that are provided in the code at a unit based level. (I'm thinking more of a lua or python binding) This would allow modders to build campaigns as well as more advanced trade and diplomatic interfaces etc.
what is the probability that phase lane control can be more tightly bound to the economy? (I'm thinking more of cutting off the flow of resources from blockaded worlds ala Company of Heroes) This would make trade ships and resource haulers crucial (as well as defending convoys)
Are their any phase lane specific attributes such as availability or speed modifier that could be exposed for modding?
What capabilities do we have with the current AI to change the pirate behavior? I would want to modify the target selection criteria (make them commerce raiders, hit small colonies and civilian ships)
Mesh animations? is the engine capable of them in its current form? (not talking about turrets)
Alpha textures on ships? does this require a custom shader?
