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

[Kilkakon]

Oh agreed.

I still want:
- Diplomacy overrides in faction.txt. E.g. tech trade offer
- More units.pcx slots
- AI only chats once per turn
- Faction theme music/stinger which plays on diplomacy
- Faction specific citizens (and maybe talent/drone popups)

[Flygon]

This is way off the track, but would someone, anyone, please please PLEASE find a way to crack the (antique and proprietary) .cvr format most of the units are saved in so they can be modified?

A while ago, I contacted as many people as possible about if they had any information about the format. I didn't really get anywhere, beyond the whole Caviar viewer.

Honestly, I'm suspecting this'll either need really diehard fans of games that use this format that have the skills regarding cracking this sort of file format... or a lot of money.

[Buster's Uncle]

DrazharLN put a lot of work into researching that and contacting people as well a few years ago.  No joy for him, either.

...

So, when you've used up all your faction's basenames, and you've burned through all the [Greek letter] Sector defaults, you get [Your Faction Name] 52, yes?  It's not a thing of beauty, but it serves adequately.  Trouble is, the base after that still defaults to [Your Faction Name] 52. 

How impractical would it be to jigger that sucker to count up automatically, so I don't have to keep canceling base foundings to go look up what the number is up to now?

[Yitzi]

How impractical would it be to jigger that sucker to count up automatically, so I don't have to keep canceling base foundings to go look up what the number is up to now?

It would take some investigation (mainly of where it determines the base name, possibly of how it determines what number base it is, and various existing functions for adding strings), but unless there are some extremely unexpected surprises, it should be doable.

[Buster's Uncle]

Betcha it's not, alas.

[AndroAsc]

Is there any change that the source code of SMAX can be obtained, so that we can mod stuff like the incredibly limiting unit limit of 2048? I don't need a unit limit of 2 billion (in reference to Scient's original patch), even even a 20k unit limit would make wonders in making the game more playable as it is, cause I can never finish a game....!

[Yitzi]

You might want to consider simply increasing unit/facility/project costs in order to keep unit numbers down.

[Petek]

I suspect, but am not certain, that GOG has the source code for SMAC and SMAX. I say this because GOG's versions of terran(x).exe are slightly larger than both the pre-GOG official versions and the unofficial patches. Perhaps one of the exe-modders can comment. My understanding is that to alter the size of one of the exe files requires recompiling the source code. Is that correct?

[Yitzi]

That makes sense.

[Kilkakon]

Maybe--I say maybe because several rom hacking utilities allow increasing rom sizes and they wouldn't have source. GOG probably does have it though.

[Sigma]

Is this still the patch wishlist thread?

What about modifying random events such as Prometheus outbreaks, power surges or meteor showers? Not necessarily their functions but their names, probably or game text, or maybe the facilities/projects that negate their effect?

[Yitzi]

Is this still the patch wishlist thread?

What about modifying random events such as Prometheus outbreaks, power surges or meteor showers? Not necessarily their functions but their names, probably or game text, or maybe the facilities/projects that negate their effect?

The game text (which probably includes all mention of their names) is found in Script.txt and can be edited as plaintext.  Which facilities/projects negate their effects could be a future modification.

[xoid]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but would it be possible to have a unit require two techs?

Also, what about fixing prototyping? I’m given to understand there are minor issues with it and modding new units into alpha(x).txt.

Finally, I’d like to tinker with the tech tree but there’s only 2–3 unused techs in SMAX.

[Yitzi]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but would it be possible to have a unit require two techs?

There could probably be a special ability added "requires an additional tech" with that tech determined in the RULES section.  It could not, however, be added directly to the unit data.

Also, what about fixing prototyping? I’m given to understand there are minor issues with it and modding new units into alpha(x).txt.

I don't know enough about the problem to say whether it can be fixed.

Finally, I’d like to tinker with the tech tree but there’s only 2–3 unused techs in SMAX.

You could remove techs that are already there to free up more...but increasing the total number is not feasible.

[xoid]

Figured as much, at least regarding 1 and 3. I know you can get around it by skilfully manipulating the tech tree so that the two techs in question enable a third that also seems like an adequate predicate, and then screwing around elsewhere to fix imbalances introduced by having jumbled the tech tree. Or, alternatively, by opening potentially new paradigms (Sea Formers→DocFlex; Formers→None; most basic terraforming options→Ecology), but neither is usually feasible without a lot of forethought, and even then there’s no guarantees.

As for 2, IIRC, pre-designed units with components you technically lack can be built (which is a good thing) but building them counts as prototyping all components thereof… even the ones you lack. e.g., Stock probe teams use the speeder chassis so building them counts as prototyping the speeder chassis, but not only without the tech required, but also without having to pay the premium associated with prototyping. At least, that’s been my experience. I’m not sure if that was what one of the forum veterans was talking about, or if his was another unrelated issue regarding prototyping and stock units. I’ll try to hunt down the thread later.