Would anyone be able and willing to take on a mod-enabling project (EXE editing)

[Buster's Uncle]

I know scient is familiar with some of that; I made up a set of negative resource icons for him almost four years ago, now, that's never, to my knowlege, gotten used -yet.  I couldn't say how familiar for sure, just that he either knew what code or was very confident.  He knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it arranged, anyway...

My impression was that the UI part was pretty straightforward; know the screen coordinates, know the coordinates in the graphic file.  Couldn't speak to the rest - I never finished learning BASIC back in the day, though I know the basics.

[Yitzi]

I know scient is familiar with some of that; I made up a set of negative resource icons for him almost four years ago, now, that's never, to my knowlege, gotten used -yet.  I couldn't say how familiar for sure, just that he either knew what code or was very confident.  He knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it arranged, anyway...

My impression was that the UI part was pretty straightforward; know the screen coordinates, know the coordinates in the graphic file.  Couldn't speak to the rest - I never finished learning BASIC back in the day, though I know the basics.

Maybe I'm mistaken and it isn't that difficult.

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, you know, nothing in programming is ever that simple.  If it was only the GUI, I'd be sure it was doable - but there's no way that changing one thing wouldn't change others we haven't thought of.

I'm just saying the the interface problem ought to be possible to overcome...

[Pickly]

Out of curiosity, what sorts of programs are you using to do this sort of modding?  (Might try some stuff out, unless doing this sort of thing can screw up the rest of my computer.)

[Buster's Uncle]

Check at Petek's link:

Yitzi asked upthread how the SMACX exes were modified. In post #117 here scient provided links to the programs he used. Reading the entire thread (if you have several hours to spare) will give you an idea of the effort that went into scient's patch.

[Kilkakon]

I'd also like the AI to actually use PSI Gates.

[Green1]

I'd also like the AI to actually use PSI Gates.

Unrelated, but there was some alternate Alien faction called the Cthullu cult that got automatic Psi Gates in one old AAR I read? I thought the AI did use them.

[Buster's Uncle]

That would be in chuft's Lazymod, and what you say sounds fuzzily familiar.

[sisko]

being an aquatic faction they are almost 'forced' to use the psi gates..

[Kilkakon]

My concern with the gates is that I have my new faction in LE: (-3 SUPPORT, -1 PROBE, -1 PLANET, free Psi Gates). The AI plays them like a normal faction and doesn't use the gates frequently like they should be.

[kyrub]

alpha.txt/alphax.txt is a wonderful tool.  But there are some important (often balance-affecting) variables which theoretically could be in there (thereby enabling mods) but aren't.  I'm wondering if any of the more programming-capable members of this forum would be interested in taking on the project (preferably for both SMAC and SMAX). 

Just to quote this first post idea again:
The general idea to mod alpha.txt usage is actually quite good because it should be relatively simple to do. Simple means it does not require a lot of time to do, probably, so I could actually try a few changes.

There are however severe limits (for the sake of simplicity) :
1) we need to use unused/unfonctional entries in alpha.txt
2) or we need to free the options that are not modded in general or those that are in most cases not used for modding
3) these addresses should then be easy to employ for new values
4) alternatively, we can modify the way things in alpha.txt work now

However, the more complicated you make the condition (special flags doing this or that), the harder it is to put it in the code. The simplest way is:  write the value in alpha.txt, use the value. Personnally, I am fond of new units value formulas, the original system is quite inflexible.


So, first the community needs to find a consensus about the priorities for alpha.txt, the unused entries, the new ones, then we may look into the possible changes.

[Kilkakon]

Hey Kyrub! Good to see you here, thanks for encouraging me ages ago.

Should we have a poll or decision about what's most important?

[kyrub]

-Include variables for ecological mechanics (this is a big one, because it's potentially so important to the game):
   -Starting clean minerals (i.e. base is 16)
   -Clean minerals given per fungal pop (i.e. base is 1)
   -Clean minerals given per "magic facility" built (i.e. base is 1)
   -Clean minerals given per major atrocity (i.e. base is -5)

   -The bonus ecodamage from mirrors, condensers, and boreholes (base value is 6, 4, and 8 respectively.)

-Change the formula for upgrade costs, with more variables:
   -Cost per mineral line of the new unit. (base is 10)
    -Cost per added weapon cost (base is 10)
   -Cost per added armor cost (base is 10)
 
-A variable that determines how far apart bases have to be from each other, and whether diagonals count.  (Base value is they need a distance of 2, not counting diagonals.)
-For each facility, entries that determine common effects (labs boost, psych boost, economy boost, mineral boost, drones suppressed.)

   -Allow zero-movement units (probably at a cost decrease or defensive bonus.)

These things are examples of what I think (without looking in the code) should be relatively easy to achieve.

[Yitzi]

Just to quote this first post idea again:
The general idea to mod alpha.txt usage is actually quite good because it should be relatively simple to do. Simple means it does not require a lot of time to do, probably, so I could actually try a few changes.

I've actually started working on it, but if you want to coordinate just send me a message.

1) we need to use unused/unfonctional entries in alpha.txt

Actually, this is not true.  I found how to add more lines and have it load them.  The maximum landmark count was an unavoidable casualty, though (down from 64 to 47, though that leaves room for a lot more variables.)

However, the more complicated you make the condition (special flags doing this or that), the harder it is to put it in the code.

Actually I've found it to be fairly easy; complicated effects are difficult, but flags are fairly easy (just have it check the value and do a conditional jump.)

Personnally, I am fond of new units value formulas, the original system is quite inflexible.

I've currently got a whole bunch of my own ideas (not exactly those in the OP, and including the planetpearl multiplier idea suggested by Impaler) to work through, but if you want to do it, or want to help me with mine and then get my help with yours, we can do that.  (Just let me know if you want to do it, so I can give you my current version and instructions on how to add more values.)

These things are examples of what I think (without looking in the code) should be relatively easy to achieve.

Now that I have more of a sense of how things work, whether diagonals count for minimum base distance might actually be tricky (default apparently is actually that diagonals do count).  The following are the only ones that were mentioned that I can find that I think might not be feasible:
-All the ecodamage flags I mentioned in the OP, except "value of 3 eliminates ecodamage completely".  However, there are a few more ecodamage flags that I thought of afterward, and have almost finished implementing.
-The AI modification if cross-species cooperative victory is disabled; you're the expert on AI, though.  (That said, I think it might be better just to house-rule that bit anyway.)
-Diagonals for minimum base distance.
-Monolith building
-More social engineering options
-More than seven factions

[Yitzi]

While we're on the topic, I might as well give the list of what I'm planning to add in the first batch, together with the default values (it also is followed by (inactive) and a sequence of numbers and letters; that's for my own personal use when modding and I just haven't bothered to remove it):
8        ; Bonus borehole ecodamage (inactive) (0094A180)
6        ; Bonus mirror ecodamage (inactive) (0094A184)
4        ; Bonus condenser ecodamage (inactive) (0094A188)
0        ; If non-zero, borehole count per base is squared when determining ecodamage (inactive) (0094A18C)
16,      ; Starting "clean minerals" (inactive) (0094A190)
1,       ; CM per fungal pop (inactive) (0094A194)
1,       ; CM per relevant facility (inactive) (0094A198)
5,       ; Extra damage per relevant atrocity/missile (inactive) (0094A19C)
0,       ; If non-zero, fungal pops and facilities reduce the effects of atrocities/missiles but do not increase CM (inactive) (0094A1A0)
0,       ; If non-zero, ecodamage is based off Planet Busters rather than major atrocities (inactive) (0094A1A4)
1,       ; Mineral divisor for ecodamage (applied before clean minerals) (inactive) (0094A1A8)
300,     ; Ecodamage divisor (inactive) (0094A1AC)
0,       ; Extra ecodamage per base (inactive) (0094A1B0)
10,      ; Upgrade cost per row of new unit (inactive) (0094A1B4)
0,       ; Upgrade discount per row of old unit (inactive) (0094A1B8)
0,       ; Upgrade cost per square of new unit rows (inactive) (0094A1BC)
0,       ; Upgrade discount per square of old unit rows (inactive) (0094A1C0)
10,      ; Upgrade cost per weapon difference (inactive) (0094A1C4)
10,      ; Upgrade cost per armor difference (inactive) (0094A1C8)
10,      ; Planetpearls multiplier (inactive) (0094A1CC)
-1,      ; Nutrients granted by condenser; -1 is +50%, minimum 1 (inactive) (0094A1D0)
2,       ; Bonus speed per reactor for needlejets (inactive) (0094A1D4)
2,       ; Bonus speed per reactor for copters (inactive) (0094A1D8)
2,       ; Bonus speed per reactor for gravships (inactive) (0094A1DC)
2,       ; Bonus speed per reactor for missiles (inactive) (0094A1E0)
0,       ; Crawler resource penalty (inactive) (0094A1E4)
0,       ; If nonzero, energy-boosting projects boost the total amount (inactive) (0094A1E8)
1,       ; If nonzero, creches increase morale of units built with negative morale (inactive) (0094A1EC)