looking for a tech mod

from GalCiv2 Forums
I'm looking for a mod that will give the small 18x18 galaxy map the feel of a large map.
As well I'm looking to an even slower tech progression rate so that you get "Eras" to ship building.

I'd to see a reduction to speed and range of ships by 1/4. Ie the base speed of a ship isn't 1 pc/week but 0.25 pc/week. Is this even possible?

The main thrust is to make the distances between systems significant. If you can't have a larger area to play with we can at least make the travel between systems slower and reduce the range of ships to make the illussion on a full size galaxy. This should make range and engine techs more valuable as they become vital to move around the map.
modding
5,911 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I don't think you can adjust speed in fractions (AFAIK, anyway), but you can reduce the speed increase for each type of engine as well as increase the research times.

There are two files you would need to edit for each component - TechTree.xml and GC2Types.xml.

The best engine is the Hyper Warp Drive Mk. III, and I'll use that as the example.

Since each newer engine would naturally give a speed boost, and they only increase by 1 (at most - many are just a smaller size/sizemod/cost with the same speed as the previous) with each new type, it is rather pointless to try and reduce the actual speed.
Instead, increasing the 'Size' would make it so less of them could be fitted on any given hull, and an increased 'Sizemod' would make it even harder on the larger hulls.
Increasing the 'Cost' in TechTree.xml would make them take a longer time to research.

TechTree.xml

[Propulsion ID="HyperWarp III"]
[DisplayName]HyperWarp III[/DisplayName]
[Cost]3200[/Cost] (changing the cost to 6400 would double the research time required)
[Description]Superior form of HyperWarp propulsion system.[/Description]
[Details]Who would have thought that HyperWarp could get even better? We sure didn't, but here it is![/Details]
[Requires]HyperWarp II[/Requires]
[Model]hyper320[/Model]


GC2Types.xml

[Drive Name="Hyperwarp2"]
[DisplayName]Hyper Warp Drive Mk. III[/DisplayName]
[Cost]10[/Cost]
[Size]5[/Size]
[SizeMod]5[/SizeMod]
[Speed]6[/Speed]
[Model]Hyperwarp2[/Model]
[Category]Engine[/Category]
[Tech_Requirement]HyperWarp III[/Tech_Requirement]
[/Drive]



You can do the same type of thing with the hull techs.

And, there is a mod in the Library that will allow you to adjust the overall tech speed by increasing or decreasing the research times. I have not used it, but I have noticed it.
WWW Link

(The 18x18 sized galaxy is the largest, by the way.)
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ta Moosetek.

I don't like the engine size solution as it upsets the balance for ship construction and could screw up the AI.

I just tried the program you linked for me and it worked great.

Is there any word about moding range can you reduce range significantly.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, you could adjust the 'RangeAbility' value for the Life Support techs (which are listed under Logistics) in TechTree.xml.
Right now they range from 20-50, so you could reduce them to something like 2-10.

Then in GC2Types.xml, adjust the 'Range' value as well. Those go from 6 to 14, so you could make them have a range of perhaps 1 to 5.


If you are modding the core files, make sure you make backups first.
And it is always safer to leave the core files alone, copy them to the correct locations in the mods folders and edit the copies.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ta.

i agree about the core files i have a back-up folder for any file i work on and then I have a work folder where I work on the file seperate from the back-ups and the game files. keeps things from going boom.

Thanks for the help about teh range issue i'll give that a go and see how things play out. I think that at least things will feel larger in that I have limited range and can't go 1/2 way across the map with little effort. its too bad speed isn't moddable but two out of three isn't bad.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I tried to make the range changes and failed. Think i screwed up something when I worked on it. So I'm going to try again tonight.

i heard that it is possible to mod speed as well. So I'm trying that but it doesn't appear to be as straight forwards as range mods.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually looking at the post I thought delt with speed doesn't he only addressed the range issue.


Still range will at least make the map seem bigger.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Let us know how that pans out please!



Ok range appears to most dramaticly effected by the racial range ability and not by techs. So the only way to dramaticly reduce range is to modify the racial range stat to -150. This reduced the range to about a 3 sector radius. Which greatly increases the feel of the galaxy because you can't explore a large chunk of it right away which means investing in colonies and statbases.

Ironicly I think i figured out how to reduce speeds in the game. I just have to make sure that the effects i make wont screw up the Ai. I have effected engine sizes for speed 1 and speed 3 engines and reduced the speeds of engines 1 to 3 to speed 1 speed 4 to speed 2 and speed 5 engines to 3. I removed all speeed bonuses from techs as well. The problem with speed 1 engines being so big is that it has completely make them unuseable for tiny and small hulls so I have to increase the space in those hull sizes. The main issue is how will the Ai deal with these changes and if it can't resolve them then I'll have to deal with speed in another manner.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Are you going to release this as a mod? If not please email me with a list of changes you have made and what i need to do to copy this

Great work!