Would anyone MOD for my game?

[stefanhendriks]

I am working on making my engine MODable. Actually, i want as much as possible to be editable via INI files. I wonder if some people are actually interested in modding for this game.

I do not have much time these weeks, but i do get some progress slowly, i usually code when i want to do something else but homework.

My engine is now capable of loading units in via INI files, reading bitmaps and such, drawing the unit , including its properties. Not 100% of the properties loading is in, but to give you an idea how it looks like in 'ini' format:

[BULLET: Normal Turret Dot]
Bitmap=bitmapbulletsMediumDot.bmp
BitmapExplosion=bitmapbulletsEXPL_Rocket.bmp
BitmapWidth=4
BitmapFrames=0
BitmapExplFrames=1
Damage=20
; How to define it in this INI file for UNITS?
Definition=TURRET_DOT


; --------------------------------------------------------
; Unit types
; --------------------------------------------------------
; Note: unit timer is 10th of a second
[UNITS]

[UNIT: Trike]
;BitmapTop= NOT USED
Bitmap=bitmapunitUnit_Trike.bmp
BitmapWidth=14
BitmapHeight=14
BitmapFrames=0
BitmapStartPixel=0
HitPoints=100
MoveSpeed=
TurnSpeed=
AttackFrequency=

; Above bullet type
BulletType=ROCKET

MaxBullets=
MoveType=
Sight=
Range=
Icon=bitmapiconuniticon_trike.bmp
Cost=150
IsAirborn=
IsInfantry=
FreeRoam=
AbleToCarry=
SecondShot=
Description=Trike

;[UNIT: Trike]
;BitmapTop=
;BitmapBottom=
;BitmapWidth=
;BitmapHeight=
;BitmapFrames=
;BitmapStartPixel=
;Hp=
;MoveSpeed=
;TurnSpeed=
;AttackFrequency=

; Above bullet type
;BulletType=ROCKET

;MaxBullets=
;MoveType=
;Sight=
;Range=
;Icon=
;Cost=
;IsAirborn=
;IsInfantry=
;FreeRoam=
;AbleToCarry=
;SecondShot=
;Description=

The engine will 'create' a new UNIT entry whenever you do:

[uNIT: <any name you want for the INI reader/editor]

<properties>

Description=How it is called in the game

Do mind that it should be possible in the end to mod it almost Dune 2000 like (for example). I also want to MOD my own Arrakis game into this engine once it works.

[Frodo]

i would mod for it, great work stefan!

[Dunenewt]

I would...try

[Apollyon]

I think I probably would too =).

[stefanhendriks]

Cool. I will be releasing my source of the game aswell, but having some mods for it would make the game more 'wanted' ;). The ultimate goal is to make it completely customizable. Yes, even the sidebar is customizable in color, the icons, the buttons, the sounds (menu sounds, music, etc). All via one file.

A complete conversion would be cool to watch ... and to play :)

[Inoculator9]

Great job Stefan, I would love to mod for your engine :)

[stefanhendriks]

I wonder, does the current engine you mod for, report any messages when you do something wrong? Or does it simply crash the game?

I am trying to get my engine working as much as possible, even if you do not have a valid INI file. The error and warning messages are stored in a log file, you can watch there how the GAME.INI file is parsed.

snippet:

----

GAME

----

Parsing apropiate GAME.INI file:

Bullet 'MISSILE' created.

Bullet 'MEDIUM_ROCKET' created.

Bullet 'SMALL_ROCKET' created.

Bullet 'SMALL_DOT' created.

Bullet 'TRIKE_DOT' created.

(BITMAP) DATA-ENTRY - Cannot find or add -> [dune2bitmapdunno]

WARNING: Creating new bullet without setting 'definition' of previous one!

Bullet 'QUAD_DOT' created.

Bullet 'TANK_DOT' created.

Bullet 'SIEGETANK_DOT' created.

Bullet 'DEVASTATOR_DOT' created.

Bullet 'DEVIATOR_DOT' created.

Bullet 'TURRET_DOT' created.

Parsing apropiate GAME.INI completed

[Inoculator9]

Some types of errors get messages, like strings problems.

[Apollyon]

With emperor you can often tell what the problem is by the stage of the game that it crashes at. Say half-way through the game or towards the end of loading etc.

[stefanhendriks]

in one way i understand the programmers do not care about a perfect format and make the engine crash. But on the other hand, i find it quite uncomfortable. It does not actually tell you why it crashes.

Another snippet:

----

GAME

----

Parsing apropiate GAME.INI file:

Bullet 'MISSILE' succesfully created.

Bullet 'MEDIUM_ROCKET' succesfully created.

Bullet 'SMALL_ROCKET' succesfully created.

Bullet 'SMALL_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'TRIKE_DOT' succesfully created.

ERROR: (BITMAP) DATA-ENTRY - Cannot find or add -> [dune2bitmapdunno]

Bullet 'BULLSHIT' created; WARNING: Defined bullet with no (valid) Bitmap property!

Bullet 'QUAD_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'TANK_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'SIEGETANK_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'DEVASTATOR_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'DEVIATOR_DOT' succesfully created.

Bullet 'TURRET_DOT' succesfully created.

Parsing apropiate GAME.INI completed

I think this will be sufficient enough to tell you what is wrong. The game will work, the bullet will actually hit stuff. But you won't see it. And the engine tells you why, and where you can find it!

[Apollyon]

Sounds very useful. Much better than the shot in the dark technique we have to employ while modding emperor =/.

[Inoculator9]

I agree, it sounds very useful. And, will you be hosting these mods at your site, just out of curiousity?

[stefanhendriks]

that is my intention, yes.

[Frodo]

that's incredible stefan, this will make modding for your game so much more possible and so much easier as you won't have to start over if you can't find out what you did wrong.

[Inoculator9]

Grand :) I intend to start as soon as possible :)

[vidiware]

I will look at it when i got some free time!

But this would be really NICE!!!

I love things like that, sourcecode AND modding!! YEEHAA!!

[Cyborg]

when will it be released ready for modding?

[stefanhendriks]

progress is slow; thats why i started this topic. To see if its worth the effort, i think it is :)

I got my units almost working 100% now via INI files. After that i will add explosions. After that Structure loading, and if that works i need to add a way to organize UPDATE stuff and even techlevel stuff.

After that, i need to get the saving work in a nice INI like manner.

I don't want to rush, i want it to as much bug-free and as user-friendly as possible whenever i release a new version.

Maybe i will post up a tutorial how to work on the INI file, but i think you can learn the most by just figuring out yourself. There are plenty of comments in the INI file.

[Cyborg]

I was just interested because I want to make a program for editing your ini files :)(if you think that's a good idea).

Like powerlgt, but more easy to use and with many functions. ::)

I haven't seen much of the ini format yet, so I don't know if there's any need of an editing program, but I like to program stuff like editors.

[stefanhendriks]

Well actually, i am in the need of a good INI editor, because it reads very difficult imo with NOTEPAD. I have attached my INI file, in ZIP format here. You can base your editor uppon that.

Its incomplete, but if you want a newer INI file, mail me and i will send once in a while an updated INI version.

An editor with colored text would be nice, and with some functions like you can easily add stuff.[attachment archived by Gobalopper]

[Cyborg]

np, I will make the editor as good as I possibly can.

[Inoculator9]

From what I can tell from that file, modding it will be very simple. The one problem I might foresee, are some terms that don't make sense. You might want to make that tutorial you mentioned.

[stefanhendriks]

Could you list the items you did not understood correctly? This INI format is still under construction. I might rename some of them to make more sense.

[Inoculator9]

I understand all of them personally, I just think some people unfamiliar with ini editing would have trouble.

[stefanhendriks]

Aha, well, that makes sense. ::)

I won't change anything yet then; after fixing the code so everything works as it should i might consider writing a shot tutorial.