Overwhelmed by mods

from Sins Forums

OK, i can't be the only person that plays Sins on and off and gets bored with it, so naturally i look for some mods to help bring a little extra something into the game once and a while. However, and ive had this issue since the original game first came out, the way the forum and site is set up makes it WICKED confusing when looking for mods.

It seems that most mods can be broken down into a few categories - Ones that don't work with the current version, ones that are being updated for the current version, ones that are in eternal update, ones that work with the current version but are not finished, and the ones that work with old expansions only. With some obvious overlap as well.

Looking in this mod section is like the janitor overhearing a lecture about comparative xenobiology. Some of the words make sense and i get a slight grasp of whats going on, but overall NONE of it makes any sense and just overwhelms me to the point that i don't even care to find a mod anymore. Ive talked with some people on ICO, Steam, a few gaming forums and whatnot and while not everyone agrees with me, most people ive talked with do. I know most of you here will disagree but the most people with this kind of confused issue probably wont be around on the forum so...

Anyway, long story short, is it possible to get a some kind of updated list of current mods that work with the latest version of Sins Rebellion. Mods that when i use them, wont make me want to cry because of being halfassed or incomplete? I tried out something called Star Wars Requiem, and that was kinda fun... a little boring and the titans sucked, but overall it was cool to play once. Everything else in all the lists and posts look, to the average guy, so absurdly complicated and beta'ed, forever in development and so on...

Someone please make this damn sub-forum a little easier to figure out and browse!!!

modding
12,912 views 23 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

If you have entrenchment check out 7DS. It has 12 unique playstyle races titans..... 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

most mods tell you in their intro what version they work with. I simply have trinity and rebellion around 90% of all mods work with that. Trinity allows you to play previous versions of the game like say 7DS for entrenchment. then I say i want sacrifice of angels for diplomacy easy to switch between them

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Hehe, why did the titans suck in Star Wars Requiem? The most recent patch (v4.2+) un-nerfs them both (yes they had capital class stats in 4.0/4.1 which has since been rectified).

 

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 5
Everything here listed as being for Rebellion is compatible with Rebellion 1.041, though for Blood and Chrome the 1.041 version is currently in beta.
End of Lavo_2's quote

Well not everything, but Zombie does have those nice icons to tell you what it does and what expansion it's for.

If you don't have any expansions at all, as your post makes it sound, there really isn't much but Maelstrom available to you.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Actually, i was thinking myself about giving a try to some of the mods, but i cant choose myself :D .

I would probably prefer one of those, which develop the Sins universe further, i mean more stuff to the existing factions, not any of those total conversion mods. But how do i know which one is the best? Distant Stars, Extended 4X, etc...? I would like to see some precise info, list of new units with screens, list of new techs with explanations, etc...simply, what these mods include and lots of screenshots + preferably some gameplay video, but what i could gather, even on the ModDB, is mostly some vague general info, what is going on...

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 7
Distant Stars, Extended 4X,
End of Timmaigh's quote

As the creator of the Enhanced 4X mod I'm certainly biased here, but many of my friends are on the distant stars team and while I've only glanced at the inner workings of their mod I'll try to summarize them. Definitely if you want extra content without new races (and not just new planets) those are the two mods to pick from (if you're on Entrenchment mad scientists is also an option). Hopefully the DS guys can add more detail to what I'm missing on there mod.

 

Both have 

  • New planets and planet bonuses
  • Additional research
  • Revised game balance

Enhanced 4X Features

  • Enhanced race diversity with always active racial and faction bonuses
  • Hero Unit system gives special tactical options
  • Additional techs and abilities for the Rebellion subfactions (as I understand DS team is behind in that they only have a straight port for Rebellion and haven't touched or expanded on things on the subfaction level).
  • Random Encounters: Unique map setups that make exploring and expansion different from the standard militia fights, sometimes with there own rewards.
  • Improved Diplomacy via rebalance and embassies.
  • 8 new artifacts and readjusted planet exploration system
  • Improved culture and civic mechanics
  • Reworked defense system

Distant Stars

  • Doubled most Stat increase research, making it take longer (and more beneficial) to go through the tech tree, thus better for longer games.
  • Planet abilities on every planet can slightly change battle conditions
  • New strikecraft
  • Expanded Soundtrack
  • Graphics improvements
  • Flagship starting caps*

 

Anything with an * on distant stars means that it might only be available from an external minimod, and I'm not sure if these have been ported to Rebellion either. For the graphics and sounds any mod that only changes those things should be compatible with both of these mods.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 8

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 7Distant Stars, Extended 4X,

As the creator of the Enhanced 4X mod I'm certainly biased here, but many of my friends are on the distant stars team and while I've only glanced at the inner workings of their mod I'll try to summarize them. Definitely if you want extra content without new races (and not just new planets) those are the two mods to pick from (if you're on Entrenchment mad scientists is also an option). Hopefully the DS guys can add more detail to what I'm missing on there mod.

 

Both have 


New planets and planet bonuses
Additional research
Revised game balance

Enhanced 4X Features


Enhanced race diversity with always active racial and faction bonuses
Hero Unit system gives special tactical options
Additional techs and abilities for the Rebellion subfactions (as I understand DS team is behind in that they only have a straight port for Rebellion and haven't touched or expanded on things on the subfaction level).
Random Encounters: Unique map setups that make exploring and expansion different from the standard militia fights, sometimes with there own rewards.
Improved Diplomacy via rebalance and embassies.
8 new artifacts and readjusted planet exploration system
Improved culture and civic mechanics
Reworked defense system

Distant Stars


Doubled most Stat increase research, making it take longer (and more beneficial) to go through the tech tree, thus better for longer games.
Planet abilities on every planet can slightly change battle conditions
New strikecraft
Flagship starting caps*
Expanded Soundtrack(*?)
Graphics improvements(*?)

 

Anything with an * on distant stars means that it might only be available from an external minimod, and I'm not sure if these have been ported to Rebellion either. For the graphics and sounds any mod that only changes those things should be compatible with both of these mods.
End of GoaFan77's quote

 

Expanded Soundtrack(*?)  - CONFIRMED
Graphics improvements(*?) - - CONFIRMED

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ARESIV, reply 9
Expanded Soundtrack(*?) - CONFIRMED
Graphics improvements(*?) - - CONFIRMED
End of ARESIV's quote

I'll take that to mean they are included in the main mod and have editted my post as such.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

You can see the Star Wars Requiem basic stats here: http://sins.imperial.cc/im/view.cgi?a=view&f=2&t=1.

The trouble I have with other mods is that by the time I start to play with them, I get distracted by the dozen other games/mods that I'm into! (i.e. Guild Wars 2, Civ 5 - awesome mods for it, Total War Shogun 2, Minecraft [believe it!]).

I haven't even played Borderlands 2 yet (waiting for a mate to visit and going to do a 4-day LAN weekend).

God help me when Arma 3 comes out!

But I digress...

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

TOO MANY MODS OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SO TERRIBLE STOP MAKING GOOD MODS

-Lord Brony

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 8

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 7Distant Stars, Extended 4X,

As the creator of the Enhanced 4X mod I'm certainly biased here, but many of my friends are on the distant stars team and while I've only glanced at the inner workings of their mod I'll try to summarize them. Definitely if you want extra content without new races (and not just new planets) those are the two mods to pick from (if you're on Entrenchment mad scientists is also an option). Hopefully the DS guys can add more detail to what I'm missing on there mod.

 

Both have 


New planets and planet bonuses
Additional research
Revised game balance

Enhanced 4X Features


Enhanced race diversity with always active racial and faction bonuses
Hero Unit system gives special tactical options
Additional techs and abilities for the Rebellion subfactions (as I understand DS team is behind in that they only have a straight port for Rebellion and haven't touched or expanded on things on the subfaction level).
Random Encounters: Unique map setups that make exploring and expansion different from the standard militia fights, sometimes with there own rewards.
Improved Diplomacy via rebalance and embassies.
8 new artifacts and readjusted planet exploration system
Improved culture and civic mechanics
Reworked defense system

Distant Stars


Doubled most Stat increase research, making it take longer (and more beneficial) to go through the tech tree, thus better for longer games.
Planet abilities on every planet can slightly change battle conditions
New strikecraft
Expanded Soundtrack
Graphics improvements
Flagship starting caps*

 

Anything with an * on distant stars means that it might only be available from an external minimod, and I'm not sure if these have been ported to Rebellion either. For the graphics and sounds any mod that only changes those things should be compatible with both of these mods.
End of GoaFan77's quote

Yep basically.

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 5
though for Blood and Chrome the 1.041 version is currently in beta.
End of Lavo_2's quote

I have more fun playing my mods when no one else can...

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 14

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 5though for Blood and Chrome the 1.041 version is currently in beta.

I have more fun playing my mods when no one else can...

End of ZombiesRus5's quote

 

Its that spitefulness right there is why we heart you Zman. That and you ever awesome persective you brought to the CPPFZ.  :inlove:

Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting JasonFJ, reply 3
Hehe, why did the titans suck in Star Wars Requiem? The most recent patch (v4.2+) un-nerfs them both (yes they had capital class stats in 4.0/4.1 which has since been rectified).
End of JasonFJ's quote

Its a fun mod, love the music and sound, and most of the ships look very cool. I didn't like the titans for a few reasons. The rebel Titan looked kinda... bland. Especially compared to the Empire titan. I was hoping for a massive Home One. They both have the exact same abilities too, that was a bit of a disappointment (unless they don't, me and a friend played empire for him and rebels for me, from what he said and did it was the same titan with a different skin). I think maybe changing it a bit so that there are 'hero' units like in Empire At War would make it a TON more fun. It wasn't a bad mod, i loved playing it, but after playing it once i don't really have that itch to go back and play it a lot more.

 

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 5
Everything here listed as being for Rebellion is compatible with Rebellion 1.041, though for Blood and Chrome the 1.041 version is currently in beta.
End of Lavo_2's quote

That link is a huge help, and almost exactly what i was looking for. I'll admit i didn't look around the forum too hard this time around, after getting confused to hell and back when the other xpacs came out, i didn't much bother hunting around this time around.

One thing though, i though when i was looking around that most (or at least some) of those mods are still in 'beta' testing. One of the big issues i had from playing the other xpacs and looking for mods, was a bunch of the ones i found and liked were only like half done and still being worked on. As in there would be holes making things unbalanced and such.

 

But I'll definitely be sure to check out Distant Stars and Enhanced 4X but see... now that im looking at it Distant Stars has the icon that it works with Rebellion, but when i look on their main website it gives me downloads for the older xpacs but not one for rebellion. Or am i missing something and getting confused again?

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ARESIV, reply 9

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 8
Quoting Timmaigh, reply 7Distant Stars, Extended 4X,

As the creator of the Enhanced 4X mod I'm certainly biased here, but many of my friends are on the distant stars team and while I've only glanced at the inner workings of their mod I'll try to summarize them. Definitely if you want extra content without new races (and not just new planets) those are the two mods to pick from (if you're on Entrenchment mad scientists is also an option). Hopefully the DS guys can add more detail to what I'm missing on there mod.

 

Both have 


New planets and planet bonuses
Additional research
Revised game balance

Enhanced 4X Features


Enhanced race diversity with always active racial and faction bonuses
Hero Unit system gives special tactical options
Additional techs and abilities for the Rebellion subfactions (as I understand DS team is behind in that they only have a straight port for Rebellion and haven't touched or expanded on things on the subfaction level).
Random Encounters: Unique map setups that make exploring and expansion different from the standard militia fights, sometimes with there own rewards.
Improved Diplomacy via rebalance and embassies.
8 new artifacts and readjusted planet exploration system
Improved culture and civic mechanics
Reworked defense system

Distant Stars


Doubled most Stat increase research, making it take longer (and more beneficial) to go through the tech tree, thus better for longer games.
Planet abilities on every planet can slightly change battle conditions
New strikecraft
Flagship starting caps*
Expanded Soundtrack(*?)
Graphics improvements(*?)

 

Anything with an * on distant stars means that it might only be available from an external minimod, and I'm not sure if these have been ported to Rebellion either. For the graphics and sounds any mod that only changes those things should be compatible with both of these mods.

 

Expanded Soundtrack(*?)  - CONFIRMED
Graphics improvements(*?) - - CONFIRMED
End of ARESIV's quote

 

Thanks you for the info, Goa. This is basically, what i was looking for. Maybe i will give a try to that enhanced 4X mod of yours, as some of its specifics sound appealing to me. 

BTW, i read your description of reworked Vasari Loyalists in your mod, the thing with quicker access to Titan than other races, etc... how about making Strip one of titans abilities, ideally Desperation replacement?  :P  I wanted this to happen for the vanilla game, but it was not meant to be...i just want my own planetkiller, hehe

Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top

Just the installation of mods sometimes perplexes me.....

I have built my last two pc's and that seemed easier...

SOGE and its multiple downloads makes my head hurt...and I'm in the beta!

Could Sins now that its aligned with Steam, get a modders workshop installation...like the one for Skyrim.

I'm sending this out to the modders out there..You guys should fiqure out a way to make money installing mods for people, so you wouldnt be making a profit on the title , instead money on the installation.

And is anyone ever going to fiqure out how to install mods, with an exe.?

Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Gromph, reply 16
Distant Stars has the icon that it works with Rebellion, but when i look on their main website it gives me downloads for the older xpacs but not one for rebellion. Or am i missing something and getting confused again?
End of Gromph's quote

There is one, its the first on the list though it for 1.03. 1.04 upgrade is a fan made adaptation in the postings that I thought was on the most recent page. We are still sorting out a bug that has stifled us.

Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting -Ue_Carbon, reply 15
Its that spitefulness right there is why we heart you Zman. That and you ever awesome persective you brought to the CPPFZ.
End of -Ue_Carbon's quote

Zombie:  Sel, I will argue with anything you say....

Seleuceia:  Zombie, you're straight....

Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 17
BTW, i read your description of reworked Vasari Loyalists in your mod, the thing with quicker access to Titan than other races, etc... how about making Strip one of titans abilities, ideally Desperation replacement? I wanted this to happen for the vanilla game, but it was not meant to be...i just want my own planetkiller, hehe
End of Timmaigh's quote

I really wish I could do that. Unfortunately until IC lets me access their source code (probably never, or only after Sins 2), strip has to be caused by scuttling the planet. I was able to modify it slightly so that neutral extractors get built after a strip (making the map not quite so dead), but I don't think I can tie it to a titan.

Quoting wbino, reply 18
Could Sins now that its aligned with Steam, get a modders workshop installation...like the one for Skyrim.
End of wbino's quote

There was talk about that, all I know Stardock was a little uneasy that it would auto update mods without permission. Which would get even more people mad about lost saves.

Quoting wbino, reply 18
I'm sending this out to the modders out there..You guys should fiqure out a way to make money installing mods for people, so you wouldnt be making a profit on the title , instead money on the installation.
End of wbino's quote

Might be a fun programming assignment some time. Time is unfortunately something modders never have enough of. x_x

Mods that use the stacking methods like SoGE and Sins of the Fallen probably should include a default enabledmods.txt file so those who don't want to figure out the mod order to their liking have at least one setting that works. For all other mods I think it's fairly simple, just put it in a designated folder, like plugins for many other programs.

Quoting Gromph, reply 16
One thing though, i though when i was looking around that most (or at least some) of those mods are still in 'beta' testing. One of the big issues i had from playing the other xpacs and looking for mods, was a bunch of the ones i found and liked were only like half done and still being worked on. As in there would be holes making things unbalanced and such.
End of Gromph's quote

I think the diplomacy version of Requiem, Maelstrom and perhaps one of the Stargate ones (never played them) were the only mods that got new races that were close to being "finished".  Unfortunately it takes time to polish any game, mods included, and as many mods just rebuilt from scratch with Rebellion it will take even longer for them.

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 21
Zombie: Sel, I will argue with anything you say....

Seleuceia: Zombie, you're straight....
End of Seleuceia's quote

Be nice Seleuceia. He's a Zombie, they have to walk into traps. ;)

Reply #22 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 22

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 17BTW, i read your description of reworked Vasari Loyalists in your mod, the thing with quicker access to Titan than other races, etc... how about making Strip one of titans abilities, ideally Desperation replacement? I wanted this to happen for the vanilla game, but it was not meant to be...i just want my own planetkiller, hehe

I really wish I could do that. Unfortunately until IC lets me access their source code (probably never, or only after Sins 2), strip has to be caused by scuttling the planet. I was able to modify it slightly so that neutral extractors get built after a strip (making the map not quite so dead), but I don't think I can tie it to a titan.


 
End of GoaFan77's quote

 

Oh, thats a shame. I still do not understand, why the Stardock did not make stripping Titans ability themselves - it would have made so much sense, IMHO.  Anyway, appreciate your answer.

Reply #23 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 23
I still do not understand, why the Stardock did not make stripping Titans ability themselves - it would have made so much sense, IMHO.  Anyway, appreciate your answer.
End of Timmaigh's quote

Nobody understands it, nor likes it. Odds are it was less complex engine wise to tie it to scuttling, even if it meant the AI could not use it. If memory serves, it was originally planned to be a Titan ability.