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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

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Modder's "Get-an-Answer" Thread

Answers from Modders, for Modders who "Ask a Question"

from Sins Forums

This is the place to ask and recieve specific modding (mod making) questions and answers. If you have a mod making question, post it here.

If your question involves long snippets of entity files and the like, please don't paste the entire file contents here but put them at the incredibly easy to use http://pastebin.com and then provide the link to your paste in your question posted here.

Please do limit  "just comments" here to brief posts please.  If you don't know the answer or can't point to help--don't post.  Please note that a random, uninformed guess isn't an actual answer.  

You can refer people to another source--IF it actually helps answer their question.  This could be in the form of links, outside sites, specific modding-useful programs, direction towards another post or poster, etc., etc.

Remember--specific questions, specific answers.  Only respond to the ones you can help solve.  Also, feel free to amplify, clarify, suggest alternatives to or correct answers seen here if such actions are merited and help provide a real solution. No flaming, insults or put downs here in the answers or other posts please.

Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation.  The reason for the rigid rules here is those this thread becomes a usable resource in the future to new people looking for answers.

NOTE: If an answer resolves your issue, please share it here.  These answers will help others coming along later too.  Karma is a great way to respond to people providing help without clogging the thread or bombing their forum mailbox here. Thanks!

 

OTHER SINS HELPFUL MODDING LINKS*

*Links are updated when requested.





The Soase Idiot's Guide

Confused?  No idea where to even start?

Determined to work at it?

This is the place!

 


 

  
   

Sins Modding Wiki

ZombieRus's Eclipse Wizardry

 
     

Tutorials

MyFist0's full modding site.

Emphasis on modeling  and

texturing.                            

 

 

 
                    

REBELLION MODDING TOPICS

Rebellion Modding Q & A

Mesh Editing

Changing Diplomacy Files to Rebellion

IT REALLY HURTS MY BRAIN--HOW TO START

An Idiot's Guide To Getting Started

MyFist0's Modding Megasite!

MOD DOWNLOADS

ZombieRus5's Mod Yard

Directory of Planet Mods

STEAM

STEAM Sins Forums

DEVELOPERS

Sins Developer Journals Forum 2007 to Present

REFERENCE FILES

Research Modifier List

MyFist0's Exported Models & Files

Modifier List

Harpo's Converted Sins Reference Files 2011

THIRD PARTY TOOLS

3dS Texturing Toool & Tips

Ship Fleet Calculator

SoaSE Eclipse Plugin Project

Mesh Resizing Tool--courtesy of the Reqiuem team.

Harpo's Sins Utility Package -- Dropbox

The Sins Optimization Project (TSOP)

Artificial Unintelligence (Mod and AI info)

Sins Data Converter by BCXtreme

EXPLANATIONS & DISCUSSIONS

Rebellion Updates by Blair Frazier

How to Add a Fourth Race

User-updatable Ship Reference Chart

Sins Modding Dictionary

Adding phase Effects to other weapon types

Culture, Explanation/Discussion

Weapons, Explanation/Discusion

Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion-1

Shield Mitigation & Armor, Explanation/Discussion -2

Graphic Chart of Sin's Counters

Annotated Guide to the Developer.exe

In-Game Map Creator

Weapons Banks & DPS

Combat Mechanics

Rebellion Shield Mitigation & Focus Fire testing

PARTICLE FORGE

Particle Forge Help Thread

GALAXY FORGE

Adding Artifacts

Working Template Examples

SemazRalan's Template Guide

Pirates Base Start Template

SOUND RESOURCES

[SFX] Black Sun SFX/Music Resource for Modders

MODELING & TEXTURING--SOFTIMAGE XSI, 3DS MAX

XSI Texturing, Tutorial

3dS Model Exporter

3DS Max Rigging, Texturing & Exporting, Guide

Modding/Modelling/Texturing/Converting, Tutorials

WIKI'S

Sins of a Solar Empire Official Wiki

 

modding
7,618,787 views 2,761 replies
Reply #1151 from Sins Forums Top

IIRC Volt_Cruelerz did that for Animosity and it made Sins crash.

Reply #1152 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting SpardaSon21, reply 1151
IIRC Volt_Cruelerz did that for Animosity and it made Sins crash.
End of SpardaSon21's quote

Figures. Can make it temporarily join your side, with disable engines/abilities/phasejump. Best I got.

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #1153 from Sins Forums Top

Yeah, trying to make friendly ships attack each other crashes the game.  

How are you making them join your side temporarily?

Reply #1154 from Sins Forums Top

They added a switch for ChangePlayerIndextToFirstSpawner with Rebellion.

Reply #1155 from Sins Forums Top

I couldn't get it to work in my testing though so I figured it was bugged..

 

Also, working on adding a faction-specific SB for the AR with beam weapons instead of lasers.  When I add in the constructor for the new SB, I get this error:

Assert @ C:\Projects\P4\SinsRebellion\Release\CodeSource\GS/Entity/EntitySystemHelpers.cpp(715)

starBaseName == sourceAbility->GetIAbilityPtr()->GetDef()->m_buffApplyAction.entityTypeToCreate

For the record, it does still build a functioning starbase.

Reply #1156 from Sins Forums Top

Check your creationSourceAbility in the starbase entity. Sounds like it's not matching up with the ability you are using to create the star base.

Reply #1157 from Sins Forums Top

I wasn't aware of that field but upon changing it, the error still displays.

Reply #1158 from Sins Forums Top

Is it not in the list of starbases for the player?

Reply #1159 from Sins Forums Top

It is. 

Reply #1160 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Volt_Cruelerz, reply 1158
I wasn't aware of that field but upon changing it, the error still displays.
End of Volt_Cruelerz's quote

If your still getting that error then you still have a misconfigured CreateStarBase to creationSourceAbility somewhere. 

Double check all the star base creationSourceAbility entries to make sure the corresponding ability is actually creating that star base.

Then double check you don't have two Abilities trying to create the same star base type.

There should be a 1-1 correspondence between these two entities.

 

Reply #1161 from Sins Forums Top

I literally copied and pasted the name from one to the slot of the other.

Reply #1162 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Volt_Cruelerz, reply 1162
I literally copied and pasted the name from one to the slot of the other.
End of Volt_Cruelerz's quote

And? I'm suggesting to you how to troubleshoot and identify the problem. 

Reply #1163 from Sins Forums Top

And I've checked through all those things multiple times and I'm not seeing what my problem is..

Reply #1164 from Sins Forums Top

Post, I fix.

Reply #1165 from Sins Forums Top

From AbilityDeployStarBasePsiRebel.entity:

buffInstantActionType "CreateStarBase"
instantActionTriggerType "AlwaysPerform"
starBaseType "StarBasePsiRebel"

From StarBasePsiRebel.entity:

statCountType "StarBase"
creationSourceAbility "AbilityDeployStarBasePsiRebel"

Reply #1166 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Volt_Cruelerz, reply 1166
From AbilityDeployStarBasePsiRebel.entity:

buffInstantActionType "CreateStarBase"
instantActionTriggerType "AlwaysPerform"
starBaseType "StarBasePsiRebel"

From StarBasePsiRebel.entity:

statCountType "StarBase"
creationSourceAbility "AbilityDeployStarBasePsiRebel"
End of Volt_Cruelerz's quote

And did you check the other star bases and abilities to make sure they still match up and you didn't copy/paste something inadvertently into one of those?

Reply #1167 from Sins Forums Top

Whole file set. :)

 

There's gotta be something missed, a second set of eyes on more than just a couple snippets is necessary here.

 

Entity.manifest too.

Reply #1168 from Sins Forums Top

Zombie, yes I did indeed check the other starbase files I've modified.

Anyways, Psychoak, link.

While you're at it if you happen to stumble across the reason for the Novalith+Nova Dereg error, that'd be much appreciated as well.

Reply #1169 from Sins Forums Top

Will check the mod out after dinner.  Should be much easier to debug than my current projects.  A nice, peaceful break. :)

 

Reply #1170 from Sins Forums Top

Well, the missing research prereq was easy enough.  You have to make the base research an actual prerequisite.

 

Otherwise, you get situations where the ability is available, but isn't leveled.

 

Add


    NumResearchPrerequisites 1
    ResearchPrerequisite
        Subject "RESEARCHSUBJECT_PLANETMODULEACCESS_CANNONTECH_LOYALIST"
        Level 1

 

To AbilityTechOrbitalcannonLoyalist

 

Still trying to figure out this other one.

 

Edit: Found it.  Capitalization fail in Entity.manifest.  You have StarbasePsiRebel.entity, should be StarBasePsiRebel.entity.

 

Capitalization mismatches don't throw the expected errors for not finding the corresponding files, instead they break down in game in various ways.  Infinitely stacking buff files for instance.

+1 Loading…
Reply #1171 from Sins Forums Top

Thanks  :thumbsup:

And hey, if you ever get too bored, you can always debug the original version of Massive Cargo Bays/AbilityIsDunov.entity from Capital Identities   :-"

Reply #1172 from Sins Forums Top

Heh.  I already have a 100+ file interconnected ability system I need to finish writing.

Reply #1173 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting psychoak, reply 1171
Capitalization fail in Entity.manifest. You have StarbasePsiRebel.entity, should be StarBasePsiRebel.entity.
End of psychoak's quote

Does this mean you manually type in your entity.manifest file Volt? 8O Harpo has a nice manifest program, and as you're in CS I'm sure you can make your own if I can.

Reply #1174 from Sins Forums Top

Yes, I manually type my manifests.  Yes, I could make a tool for it.  Yes, I know there are tools for it.  I've just never taken the time.

Reply #1175 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Volt_Cruelerz, reply 1175
Yes, I manually type my manifests.  Yes, I could make a tool for it.  Yes, I know there are tools for it.  I've just never taken the time.
End of Volt_Cruelerz's quote

A simple script would have taken less time than you spent debugging that issue, then involving someone else's time to debug the issue.