really....is that all....c'mon....make it more than that

You won't be able to modify the core of the game (I haven't looked around in te files) but you will be able to change almost all visuals, such as planets, planet size, ships, stars, ect.

I don't think you can modify the way phase lanes are built, or how AI reacts.

You can modify any aspect of ships, including weapons, armor, speed, turn, attack behanviour, cost, time to build, command points needed, ect.

You can easily look around in the files, which you'll want to do.

In another popular thread here, it was pointed out that the max count is easily modded in the gameplayconstants file. Full instructions are included but it's really nothing more than opening it with notepad.exe and changing 2000 to 10000000 or whatever crazy number you want

As what was said the core of the game itself isnt modable, and a few things are hardcoded like the gravity well properties (you cant have more than 1 planet/object in a single gravity well), but mostly everything else is changeable.

The best way to find out is to look at the files themselves. Open em up in wordpad, and explore them. Many of the entrys are pretty self explanatory. The only exception to this now is the model files. We will have to wait until the mod tools, or a 3rd party model viewer/editor (which is in work in another thread) is available to edit those.

dont hold your breath.

what about for beta 4 allowing you to set the phaselanes back from any star to any star to certain stars to certain stars?

thank you very much guys....youve helped....i cant wait till it comes out feb. 1st....yes its really feb 1st

Keep in mind, I have not tested anything out in SOASE. I've looked through the files before, but I don't know how SOASE defines collision boxes (telling units what to avoid)


Method One (Use this method if SOASE render collision on shape of each individual object)
I'm not sure (and don't count on this being true) but you could easily make a model like this.
--
O o

O = big, center planet.
o = 'orbiting planet'
--
I don't know if SOASE supports planets having it's own animation (for example: The moon spinning), since SOASE rotates the planets with a variable.

The good thing about the game engine turning the planets, is it turns the ENTIRE model. That means, that the moon is orbited also, in a way that's very realistic to the way the earth's moon resolves around the earth (one side is always facing the earth; always).
The plus side: I THINK SOASE renders clicks based on the objects shape, so clicking the moon MIGHT have the same effect as clicking on the planet.

The bad side: It might be the opposite; SOASE might draw a 'clicking' box around all the objects in the model file, normally used for easier clicking on smaller objects. This would make it very fun selecting units that are between the moon and the planet.

The bad side: I'm not sure how SOASE targets planets. Perhaps it attacks the center of the model file (center in the model editing program) and when the bullet hits a object belonging to the model, it explodes (which would be easier on the engine, since planets vary in shape and size). Or, it might pick the center of all the objects (aka: If you have the planet and moon far apart, it will pick the center to 'attack'), which would look very stupid.


-------------------------------------------
Method Two (use this if first method doesn't work, obviously)
In SOASE b3, there are sometimes asteroids around the planet.

The astoids themselves are either many, individual asteroids strewn around randomly, or are part of a single file.

If it's individual asteroids, than you can probably modify how many asteroids, rotation speed, ect for each one.

If it's a single file, than this just made it alot easier.



Switch the asteroid file with a 'planet' file. The planet won't rotate, and I don't think it will have collision (since it would be stupid to do so, waste of resources since they're outside of the gravity well) and might 'glitch' with interspace lines. (lines going through the moon, making a bad effect)

Well, as far as I can tell, the collision is done on the ships shield model first, which is in another .mesh file. Once the shield is done, it uses the ship model itself to do per triangle collision.

yes

play that against multi's fleet