Creating a "Colonization slowdown" mod

Modding the Life support systems

I like the game except for one part, the land grab. This was my main point of contention with Civ III and I cannot take it with this game. So I figured the best way to do this would be #1. decrease the range bonuses of life support systems, and #2 increase the research time for better life support systems. But I have no idea where to start.

Are there any modding tutorials out there on where to start looking for files? Or can someone point me to the files I would need to change in order to change research times and Life support system bonuses?

Thank you very much.
10,530 views 11 replies
Reply #1 Top
Check out the MetaverseData\English folder. It has all of the modifiable xml files, I'm sure you'll be able to find what you're looking for (TechTree.xml has the research time stuff, GC2Types.xml probably has the life support stuff).
Reply #2 Top
Another way to possible slow this down would be to decrease the starting credits and starting ships but this is the one thing I cannot figure out how to modify....
Reply #3 Top
The only thing that would really work- is reducing starting credits...

That would just slow down the land rush though...
There is nothing that doesn't make that the optimal strategy- outside of possibly making the maintenance cost for colonies much much larger, then have an early-game tech to cut it down...

Reply #4 Top
The only thing that would really work- is reducing starting credits...

That would just slow down the land rush though...
There is nothing that doesn't make that the optimal strategy- outside of possibly making the maintenance cost for colonies much much larger, then have an early-game tech to cut it down...

Reply #5 Top
I would just like the actual pre-build colony ships to be REALLY expensive, like 2000 bucks or so, so that you cant afford them until you actually have nothing else to spend the money on, hence leaving some planets uncolonized until later in the game.
(this would of course also apply to the colony module cost.)
Reply #6 Top
I think just increasing the cost of the colony modules would do the trick the best as then the colony ships would be built really slowly. They would be expensie to buy of course as well.
Reply #7 Top
I think just increasing the cost of the colony modules would do the trick the best as then the colony ships would be built really slowly. They would be expensie to buy of course as well.
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I agree. That would make a colony ship a major project, not something you just pop out of your starport every three turns and fritter away on class 3 and 4 worlds. It should, after all, be reasonably costly (even relative to other ships) to construct a ship capable of transporting 250 million colonists across vast distances, not to mention the difficulty of coaxing those millions of people onto a starship bound for terra incognita. I'm totally in favour of slower colonisation (in principle, at least -- although it might just destroy GC2).

J.
Reply #8 Top
If you want something that slows down colonization, Download "The Bringers of Light" (total conversion mod for TA) when the next beta (currently it is unavailable for download)comes out. It's going to be really cool and 1. you have to research colonization and 2. you can only increase your range by researching the "hull" techs.
something like this would really put mass colonization on hold until later on in the game. if you want to check the mod out, go to I-Mod-Productions.com and check the TBL forum.
-DSep(DangerousDave)



I-Mod Productions
Reply #9 Top
something like this would really put mass colonization on hold until later on in the game.
End of quote


Do you mean that this mod postpones the colony rush until later, or does it actually slow down the colonisation process (i.e. does it obviate the old colony rush?)

J.

Reply #10 Top
it slows down the rush because 1. you have to research colonization and it's not cheap and 2. you have to research hulls (also not cheap) in order to get more range to colonize planets far away.
Reply #11 Top
if you've researched all of the techs necessary, then at the moment you can rush. i'm still developing the colonization slowdown but hopefully i'll have it completely done for the next release.