Ideas for star system topology in extensions

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george moromisato
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These are some ideas for how I'm going to implement changing the star system topology from extensions. Please let me know what you think.

1. Allow StarSystemDescription elements within extensions. This will allow an extension to override an existing star system definition. This is probably the first task that I will work on.

2. Allow StarSystemTopology elements within extensions. Node elements will override nodes with the same ID. For example, this will allow someone to splice in a system between Rigel Aurelius and the next system (it will also allow someone to add a branch anywhere). This change will be next, but might take a little longer.

3. Allow Node elements to be spliced in randomly. For example:

Code: Select all

<Node ID="MyNewNode">
<System ... />

<StarGates>
<Table>
<StarGate chance="25" Name="Inbound" DestID="C3" DestGate="Splice"/>
<StarGate chance="25" Name="Inbound" DestID="C4" DestGate="Splice"/>
<StarGate chance="25" Name="Inbound" DestID="C5" DestGate="Splice"/>
<StarGate chance="25" Name="Inbound" DestID="C6" DestGate="Splice"/>
</Table>
</StarGates>
</Node>
The above code would create a new star system and randomly connect it to either C3, C4, C5, or C6 (adding a new stargate as appropriate).

This last idea is not as well-thought-out and will probably take me much longer to implement.
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Betelgeuse
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adding a new stargate as appropriate
This would be very useful for systems in general so you don't have to make a new system for every variation in the number of stargates in a system.

Only one problem though. Say that you have already been to C2 and C3 then later go to MyNewNode. Would the new gate just appear out of nowhere? When going through C2 and C3 would those both have gates to MyNewNode even if there is a chance that there are no gates to that system?

For number two can we overide SE (the starting one) so it has a random chance of going into two seperate networks or multiple if need be. (Elysium would have to be taken out of those kinds of mods). Would there be no problem with having duplicates of set systems and having more than one end?
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george moromisato
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Betelgeuse wrote:Only one problem though. Say that you have already been to C2 and C3 then later go to MyNewNode. Would the new gate just appear out of nowhere? When going through C2 and C3 would those both have gates to MyNewNode even if there is a chance that there are no gates to that system?
Just like today, the topology would be computed at game creation time. At the beginning of the game we would figure out which system to add the gate to. By the time you got to C2, the game would already know whether it needed to create a new stargate or not.

Betelgeuse wrote:For number two can we overide SE (the starting one) so it has a random chance of going into two seperate networks or multiple if need be. (Elysium would have to be taken out of those kinds of mods).
Sure, SE could be overridden just like any other node.

Betelgeuse wrote:Would there be no problem with having duplicates of set systems and having more than one end?
It's OK to have duplicates of set systems as long as each is a unique topology node. In other words, you would have

<Node ID="SK-Branch1" ...>

and

<Node ID="SK-Branch2" ...>

But both can refer to ssStKatharine
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Betelgeuse
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ah ok I was assuming topology was being generated along with the system as you play the game. Right now the systems are generated as you play the game and not at game creation and I assumed topology was the same but sence it isn't that solves that problem easily.

heh I even sudgested adding a new stargate as appropriate thing in my mod wants thread under Make it able to allow for different amounts of gates. Would there be a way for it to adjust the amount of gates on how many you need? (I am thinking random systems here) Sorry for going off-topic in your thread.
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the_holy_thom
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that all looks brilliant George! thanks, large scale mods will be so much easier with this
guest

This is a un-developed, ill thought out idea, but still:

What about having one stargate gate to multiple systems. This would allow for a much, much, bigger universe. I've always wondered why pirates can jump out of the st. Kathrine's gate into the system after/before.
kaibutsu
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Branches sounds like a great idea... An excellent way to provide 'side-quests' or alternate 'feels' for different parts of the game. (And what would Nethack be without the Gnomish Mines and the Quest levels, after all?) I definitely like the idea of lessening the linearity of the game. If I were an ancient race of aliens building stargates, I would expect the result to look kind of like a map of airline routes, winstead of a big straight line. (But then again, I'm not an ancient race of aliens, am I?)
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