There are a LOT of changes in here. And in fact, the example mod we did (which mostly did not require any code changes) has become quite a journey unto itself. Paul has been working on an alternative game interface for the mod to show how users can use DesktopX to create their own stuff. The alternative main game UI isn't ready yet so that will go into the next beta but there's a lOT of stuff in the example mod we've included.
To use a mod, go to the OPTIONS screen and then select the directory that has the mod. The done button will highlight if you're in a directory with a valid mod. You'll have to restart the game. But you'll be able to get an idea of what is possible.
The mods are located in the \mods directory in the GalCiv2 folder. Each full mod really should have its own sub-directory. So if I were going ot create a Carebears mod, I would have \Mods\CareBears directory. Cari will be posting documentation shortly on some of the intricacies but the example should give you a taste of what is possible. Full conversion mods are very possible and not terribly difficult to do.
So below is what we've got for Beta 1 of Galactic Civilizations II v1.2. Beta 2 will likely go up at the end of next week and the final the following week. Then we'll start in v1.3.
The main highlights that users will notice besides the extensive modding support are the UI changes, some AI enhancements, significant performance and memory improvements, the new combat system (both ships fire at the same time) and just general tweaks and improvements in all kinds of areas. We will take feedback and put those into beta 2 along with fix bugs we've likely introduced and finish up some of our mod stuff.
The team has kind of gone overborad on the mods stuff here, if you check out the \mods directory contents you'll get an idea. We REALLY hope people are able to do some stuff with this. Hold off on uploading mods until 1.2 is DONE.
We hope you like what you see.
+ The AI is now allowed to win via a technology victory. A warning dialog is brought up if the AI is going for that tech...similarly, the AI is now informed when a human player is going for a tech victory.
+ "launch all ships in orbit" and "clear all info icons" buttons hooked up into the main game screen
+ put glow around icons for "Advanced Farming" and "Industrial Sector"
+ lengthened 'Moves' field on stacked ship window to prevent elipsing
+ ColonyManagementList: Can now set production focus in the list.
+ ColonyManagementList: Class shows number of unused green tiles.
+ Fleet Wnd: Construction button added.
+ Fleet Wnd: Upgrade Button added.
+ Fleet Wnd: Displays troop and colonist counts
+ Fleet Wnd: Displays destination
+ Main Game Wnd: Added tooltip on "current money" to show cashflow details (VERY USEFUL)
+ Replaced old planet "sphere.X" file (which cinsisted of an gluttinous 4500 polys!) with a new 1000 poly model (making gigantic maps much peppier)
+ Quick Project/Ship Window: Hooked up CANCEL button, so now you can leave without changing your ship.
+ Ship Details Wnd: Upgrade Btn Hooked Up - can now upgrade from the details window!!!
+ Ship Details Wnd: Construct Button Hooked Up - can now build a starport from the details window!
+ Ship Details Wnd: Lists Crew Count of Colony and Transport Ships
+ Ship Details Wnd: Shows destination of ship.
+ AI more effective in strategic conquest planning AI more likely to ally together Some AI players will focus more on government techs and diplomacy techs
+ More work on improving AI's planetary improvement handling (it is not designed to be "perfect" but rather "good").
+ Fix to bug that would cause AI to build an unlimited # of morale or influence improvements on a planet.
+ Tweak to galaxy seeding code to have player starting positions more spaced apart
+ Default tech setting a bit more expensive (i.e. more resources needed to get higher techs)
+ Example Mod included
+ Changed the default mods directory to GalCiv2\Mods instead of My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\Mods
+ Made it so that the Done button on the Browse dialog is only enabled if there is an ModsDescription.xml file in that directory
+ Destination Cursor is no longer hard-coded ( can support mods folder )
+ Added a mod for destination cursor color change to Example mod
+ Made star colors read in from StarTypes.xml file instead of being hard-coded.
+ fixed crash caused by AI giving away mini-freighters (which apparently have an attack value) (rare case)
+ added code so that modders can enabled the Dread Lords ship style on the customize race screen
+ fixed code that corrupted save games if it failed to save a shipcfg file
+ added debug code to try to find out why (and recover from) bug occurrs where game thinks it is not a metaverse game
+ added code to prevent mini-freighters from getting deleted when they are being reset
+ added code to make sure that CreateGameWindows only gets called once
+ added code to make sure that dummy windows don't get created, which may have been causing small memory leaks.
+ Fixed null pointer crash in classAICivilization_Crazy::AIFindConstructorDestination
+ removed message about not being able to find a TGN serial number; now it will only complain if it can't find any serial numbers.
+ added code to create a mod description xml and read it in
+ fixed some hardcoded text
+ fixed crash in AssasinateLeader random event
+ made it so that the category strings can be translated by making the category string in the GC2Types.xml file the fieldname for a string in the string table SDesignWnd.
+ made anomalies tooltip use the description from screens.str instead of their name
+ added ignore flag to raceconfig so that you can disable races; ignored races cannot be selected on RaceWnd or OpponentWnd
+ tweaked code in Font Manager that calculates the character widths so text should display a bit better for both English and foreign languages
+ Mods Directory Browse Dialog
+ fixed crash with bad trade route
+ fixed bug reading in invasion tactics
+ made info icons save their parsed definitions so that they'll come up faster
+ fixed 2 string not found in invasions
+ changed it so that you can't set relations higher than friendly on the opponentwnd in a metaverse game
+ changed GetDistanceInTiles to round down when using the Euclidean heuristic so that partial tiles in the starbase ZOC will count
+ fixed bug where unknown minor race could steal techs for you but you couldn't see them on the minor race screen because you hadn't met them.
+ added check for failed NewShip in function RandomEventFindShips
+ fixed a few bugs in the ship movement code to help AI ships recover if they don't have a destination
+ added code to make mini-freighters not get deleted if they're being reset
+ Fixed "stuck turn button" issue some people have run into.
+ Recalculates the civ's population if an anomaly adds to the population of a planet
+ Fixed bug where after building a ship, if you viewed the ship in the ship yard, it would cause the ship on the map to scale incorrectly
+ Fixed music volume bug: The problem was in the SetFadeIn/Out functions. These would be called before any music was playing, so the end volume would not get set to the current volume and it would remain at its default value of 1.0 (full volume) The fade in effect was then increasing the volume until it reached this full volume. So I’ve changed these functions so that they set the start and end volumes and fade direction regardless of whether the music is playing or not. That way, when the music does start, the fade effect will not increase the volume past the user’s selected volume.
+ Fixed rare crash in UpdateStackedShips
+ Added code to prevent infinite loop of messages if a ship without survey ability is on auto-survey and hits an anomaly
+ Fixed bug where engine exhaust would be added to any frame with an E in it instead of frames that began with E
+ Fixed "String Not Found" message when trying to delete a custom race
+ Fixed UP Law "Minimum Constructor Speed" so any constructor below min speed will be bumped up to min speed. Any constructor above the min will not have its speed changed. Previously all constructors were having their speed set to the min speed.
+ Performance Improvements to Planet screen: Queues and menus can be updated only when they are empty. The build menu was being updated twice when you chose a project to build. Now it is only called once.
+ Plays debris cut scene when you lose by tech victory
+ Fixed display bug where if you set difficulty to Easy, then added a Bright opponent, the difficulty would still display as Easy
+ Fixed placement of engine trails in full battles Fixed bug where engine trails for ships that die were lost when full battle was restarted
+ Fixed crash if sphere.x fails to load
+ Fixed bug where war, peace, and surrender icons would appear twice if they happened during the AI's turn
+ Fixed bug where peace notifications would not appear in some cases
+ Fixed bug where right-clicking declare war icon would scroll to enemy planet even if it was hidden by fog of war
+ Fixed broken tool tips for list grid controls
+ Added descriptive tooltips to the component icons in the ship designer
+ Fixed bug where tooltips would not show up for any items inside of a custom list box. For example: Ships in orbit, improvement summary list, etc
+ Fixed bug where fleet hit points would display show correct amount of hit points (It would add an extra bonus for HP)
+ Fixed bug where troops from information warfare would be added onto transports at the end of a battle if they were the only casualties of the invasion.
+ New Combat System: 1 on 1 Ship Battles:
If both sides kill each other in the same round, the ship with the most max hp will escape as the winner with 1 hp. If they have the same max hp, the attacker wins.
+ New Combat System: Fleet Battles:
If both sides kill off the attacking ships in the same round, the last attacking ship on each side is compared for max HP. The one with the most max HP survives with 1 hp. If they both have the same max HP, the attacker wins.
+ Added option “Move Camera to Selected Colony in Colonies List “
When this option is checked, the camera will scroll to a planet when it is selected in the civ manager colonies list
+ UI Tweak: Selecting a planet no longer deselects ships. This allows you to select ships, then select a planet, see if you want to send ships there, then click another planets to check it out, and see if you want to send the ships there. You do not lose selection of the ships. This is similar to how it worked in Galciv 1.
+ Fixed bug where planets that used terraform improvements did not have the correct planet quality after loading a saved game.
The stored improvement value for Planet Quality is saved, all other stored improvement values can be recalculated, but planet quality can’t be recalculated since the terraform improvements do remain after they are built.
+ Battle System: Ties go to attacker (as discussed at the meeting)
+ Combat Viewer: Ships have their frames cloned so they can scale correctly for the battle
+ Colony Manager: Population is now displayed with 1 decimal place instead of 3 ( to allow more room on the screen for other things )
+ Changed the way ship frame cloning works so it is more efficient (major memory saver!)
+ Fixed bug in frame sharing where mini-freighters and normal freighters would not be the correct size
+ Fixed a bug where only the first starbase of a type that was built would animate, others would not animate unless the first one was on screen.
+ Added GNN notifications and dropdown icons for the following events:
1) A civ declares war on another civ
2) A civ makes peace with another civ
3) A civ surrenders to another civ
+ Left-clicking the drop down icon will speak to the main civ involved (For war and peace, it’s the one who initiated it (or the other civ if you initiated it). For surrender, it’s who they surrendered to (or the icon is removed if they surrender to you).
+ Right-clicking the drop down icon will scroll the map to the home planet of the main civ involved.
+ Currently the icons are using the ship icon. Paul is making some new icons for these events.
+ Planet screen now shows max possible population
+ Planet screen now updates its data as buildings are destroyed
+ Fixed bug in the turn event log save code
+ Wormholes now have a light-yellow tactical icon to differentiate them from normal anomalies
+ You can now use the T button on the keyboard to set a planet rally point from the planet management and planet details screen
+ You can now use the T button on the keyboard to set a rally point for selected colony in the Civ Manager colony list
+ Foreign Treaties window: Race logos now have tooltips which display the race name
+ Removed debug info from frame cache
+ Implemented shield on colony list to indicate defended colonies
+ Fixed sorting by net income in colony list
+ Implemented “Ship Graphic Frame Sharing” system (increased performance, memory savings). This is a pretty significant engine change but we hope it will increase performance and set the stage where we can have larger sized galaxies.
1) Ships now share their frame data
2) ALT+TAB will clear out the frame data, and new frames are created, these also get stored the first time, and from then on ships that are restored use the new frame data
3) Frame Cache is cleared out in UIBeginGameHelper
4) Frame Cache is also cleared in galaxy destructor
5) If a ship is about to explode, its frame data is cloned, so it can be altered without affecting the other ships of the same type
6) Made changes to various screens so that they use the scene node util function that uses the cache instead of allocating their own ship graphics
+ Implemented Planetary Invasion Turn Event
+ Optimized battle code that selects a weapon component
+ Optimized code that selects a component from a ship frame
+ You can now select an improvement that is being upgraded, and select Decommission to both stop the upgrade AND decommission the existing improvement
+ You can now use the DEL key to decommission an improvement.
+ You can now use the DEL key to remove improvements from the build queue
+ If you scroll down through the list of available improvements, select an item, and then build it, the list will remain scrolled to where you were when you built the improvement.
+ Fixed bug where selecting Nothing in the Quick Build window would set a planet to build a Ranger
+ Fixed UI bug where starport icon on a planet would not show correct status after planet invasion
+ Fixed bug where if you send a constructor to the starbase, and “Prompt to Upgrade Starbase” option was disabled, the constructor would enter the starbase’s tile
+ Added GetNumIcons function to the info icon manager (Requested by Scott)
+ Civ Manager Colonies list will now display the net income for a planet and color it red if is negative, white if not
+ Fixed a crash in Ship Graphic render function so it gracefully exits
+ Improved performance on Civ Manager screen when going back and forth from colony list to planet screen. It now updates only the planet that changed instead of refreshing the whole list
+ Civ Manager: If you go to a planet screen from colony list, and return to colony list, and only if the data in the column that is being sorted changed, the colony list will be resorted
+ Reversed planet rotation direction on planet screen so it matches rotation direction on map
+ Starbase window now uses standard scene node creation function instead of using its own code to make a starbase
+ Fixed starbase trading exploit
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The "Example" Mod includes:
FleetFormations
- Adds 10 new formations to the combat viewer
Anomalies.xml
- Added 4 money-giving anomalies
- Added 2 money-taking anomalies
- Added an anomaly that increases the player's maximum number of trade routes by 1
- Added a surprise worm-hole anomaly that looks like an asteroid, but teleports the ship like a worm-hole
- Added an anomaly that adds population to a random planet that belongs to the player
PoliticalParties.xml
- Added Totalitarian party ( Economy +10%, Military Production +20%, Loyalty +10% )
- Added Expansionist party ( Speed +1 parsec, Range +20%, Population Growth +20% )
AbilityBonuses.xml
- The player can use ability points to add to their miniaturization ability
TechTree.xml
- There is now a branch of 4 techs from Advanced Hulls that increase your ship HP (2 were moved from after Master Hull Building)
- A new "Supreme Logistics" tech has been added after "Ultimate Logistics" that increase your logistics by 15
- A new branch of 5 techs for increasing your Repair ability has been added from Basic Logistics
StarbaseModules.xml
- Added "Starship Repair Bay" module for increasing repair ability for ships in the base's area of effect (Requires new "Basic Starship Repair" tech)
CustomMaps.xml
- PlanetStardock.raw
- Added custom planet with Stardock logo as a continent
Events.xml
- Added 5 more random events
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