-Blackseraph-

You can reduce the size or spacing of the research buttons, and add more buttons on the same pages, if you want... that'll only go so far, though.

Have you tried utilizing the HasShieldDamage constraint? I -think- you can specify how much damage it has to have before the constraint will loosen.

The 0.1.0.1 version of my mod has finally been approved! The download can be found at https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?skinid=71&libid=71, and the link has been added to the top post as well. I've been really busy with my move, but I'm planning on getting back to work on this mod hopefully within the next few days.

Grab the full mod tools from the download section. There are tutorials in there. There's also a few good tutorials stickied at the top of this forum, and probably some strewn throughout the nonstickied posts as well.

Huzzah! Abilities can cost resources! Sweet! Time to find these 1.1 notes... I have plans for larger ships, including carriers. I haven't had the time yet to implement those ships. I believe I mentioned in the initial post that I have plans for 48 ships in 3 size categories, and the small ships are the only size category that currently exist.

I just fixed the problem as described in the earlier post. The constructors are now building modules once again. I've uploaded the new version, 0.1.0.1, to the Sins servers, and it should (hopefully) be approved within the next few days.

Alright, good to know. I'll make the switch and put it into the next release. Let me know if there are any other issues you come across!

Hmm... interesting. I swear it was still building modules even after I replaced the ability when I was testing... then again, the dev executable could handle that case differently... I'll get around to fixing that ASAP, once I get Sins installed on a computer somewhere... The simple solution is to replace the tier-4 ability on the constructor instead of the Construct tier-1 ability. If you go into FrigateTechModuleConstructor.entity and change Ability:0 to "AbilityTechModuleConstructi

When you say the module constructors can't move, exactly what do you mean? Are they immobile altogether? Are they no longer building modules that you create through the Logistic/Tactical menus? Are there any modules that build properly, or do all of them not work? Can you start a module building properly, and the constructor simply doesn't fly to the new module? If you can start the module building, can you then select a constructor afterwards and build the module? What version of Sins are

They approved my mod for access from the Sins website already! Go to https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?skinid=69&libid=71 to download it. I'm going to be leaving for California early tomorrow morning. My internet access is going to be spotty at best for the next week or so. I'll try to get back to the website as often as I can to answer anyone's questions and participate in any conversations going on.

Yeah, you can create an ability that autofires every 10 seconds with no antimatter cost. It'd be passive, with a periodic buff. As for making it shoot down incoming missiles... I'm honestly not sure if you can target missiles with abilities, but if you can, MakeDead would probably kill them.

Yeah, you can't just run it through Windows. Open a command prompt (run cmd). cd (change directory) into the folder where you've got ConvertXSI. Then type "ConvertXSI.exe .xsi .mesh --nooptimize". That should be it.

Argh. It's going to be a few days until Stardock approves my mod to be downloadable through the Sins website. Until then, send me a Private Message that includes your email address, and I will email you this release ASAP.

I'm releasing version 0.1.0.0 of my Tech Demo to the public! All 16 ships are implemented with all of their abilities. [B]How To Play:[/B] Your Frigate Factory has been replaced by a Small Spaceship HQ. To build another Small Spaceship HQ, use your Module Constructor, and look under the Tactical Modules. You can build a Frigate Factory still, but I wouldn't recommend it. Your Small Spaceship HQ can build Frigates and Cruisers, just like a Frigate Factory. I

Yeah, you could create two classes of strikecraft that are essentially frigates, just without abilities. Then have a big cap on the number of strikecraft allowed. That wouldn't be exactly the same, but it might do the job. It -is- possible to balance an ubership like you've suggested... it's just a very precarious balance between "so easy to get that it's the only real strategy" and "so difficult to get you'll die every time you try". If you feel up to the challenge, go for it. I ha

It's impossible to have a ship be able to create frigates/cruisers/capitals utilizing the standard Sins UI. That functionality is hardcoded into Frigate and Capital Factories, which are planet modules. Expansive Shield isn't doable with the exact description you give, but you could have it increase the max shield of all friendlies by X and do Y damage to all enemies within a Z range. Also, I'd really have to question the balance of your design. Requiring the opponent to get o

I believe changing those rates to 100% simply means that there will be an artifact and a planetary bonus on every planet, not that you'll be guaranteed to see all 9 of the artifacts and all # of the planetary bonuses in your galaxy. I'm not sure if you can do specific placing... I want to say no, but I haven't played around with it myself, so I could easily be wrong.

Hm. Interesting idea. I'm curious though, how are you interpreting the files to check for errors? Is there some way to plug into the Sins executable to get this information, or are you mimicking it yourself? I might just use this for the Search in Files functionality... that's something that could be useful.

I don't think it's possible to really do much with culture. From what I've seen, the way it works and the effects it has are all pretty well hardcoded into the executable and aren't moddable. I am still working with it, trying to create new and interesting ways to utilize culture, but the underlying mechanics are going to have to stay the same. (EDIT: Reading through your reply a second time, I see that you aren't really suggesting changing how culture works directly, but utilizing it to mimi

Yeah, I ran into the same problem you did. Heh, even asked the same question you did, and got the same lack of an answer. Glad to know I'm not the only one for whom this didn't work...

You can reduce the size of the research buttons on the research page, and move them closer together, which allows you to get more rows in that same space. You can't have more than 8 columns though. And you can't have more than the 3 groups. I think that's all the restrictions I've seen in the research window.

As far as I'm aware, you can't mod the tactical management menu. At least, I haven't seen anything in my work so far that gives a hint in how to do it.

From what I've seen, you cannot split star connections as you are trying to do. Every star has a connection to every other star. If you want to control how you can travel between stars, you'll need to use phase lanes between planets, and don't allow any phase lanes to connect directly to any star. If you're willing to go so far as to create a mod, you could probably replace the star with a planet that uses the star's model, and then have phase lanes branching out from that pseudo-star. <b

I'm a professional programmer, so I have a bit of experience in this sort of thing. ;) I mess around doing my own side game projects all the time, this is just the latest. 1) Long term, if people really use my mod, I'll get some custom models in there. I'm thinking having a unique base model for each hull type, and then slight tweaks to that model to differentiate the classes. 2) I'm not too happy about the Conquer Planet ability as it is. I thought it made a good proof-of

I thought that was what he meant... You can have one page of "Civilian" and one page of "Military" research. You can rename those pages and do whatever the heck you like with them, but you can't have more. And those two pages can't scroll, either vertically or horizontally.