A Plethora of Questions about Galaxies, Stargates, Weaponry

[apolarbear]

I'm currently trying to add an entire galaxy to the game and I'm at the point that I don't get any errors when Transcendence loads. However, I don't think the galaxy is being created or if it is, I can't get to it. So, I'm just wondering how the stargates work since I've been through the .tdb file and I still don't really understand stargates and how they are designated. If I can't actually get the galaxy shoved in after an existing galaxy (such as St. Ks), I'd be happy with being able to replace one of the galaxies that always appears. I've tried to replace St. Ks, but it doesn't seem to be taking the new .xml file and is instead using the original stuff in the .tdb file.

I've also been messing with some weapons, and I'm just wondering if its possible to make a laser with 5 beams (I've noticed the dual, spread3, alternating and wall configs), and how I would go about doing this. I also made a missile launcher that launches two missiles at once, but for some reason my ammo count only goes down one each time I fire. Is there a way to make it so that my ammo count actually goes down by two?

So any help at all would be much appreciated.

[Yugi]

I'm pretty sure you mean star systems, not galaxies...
If you do mean "galaxy" (as in changing the entire game), then I don't think that's possible.
If you mean "star system", then that's tried and has been found to function correctly. You can even get binary star systems, hundreds of planets, a massive asteroid field, etc,.

Anyways, I can help out with the modding bit:

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			<Configuration aimTolerance="5">
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="-4"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="-3"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="-2"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="-1"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="0"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="1"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="2"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="3"/>
				<Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="4"/>
				</Configuration>

That will fire 9 shots. Just remove/add some
The angle is to determine what angle that particular shot is fired at (well, that was obvious...)
0 means straight in front (0 degrees/360 degrees), 1 means one degree to the right, 2 is two degrees, -1 is 359, -2 is 358, etc.
I believe there is a limit to the number of shiots that can be fired - something like 50-60. Once I kept adding and adding but after a while it stopped firing the stuff I added.
In that code, you can also choose where the weapon fires - from the left of ship, firing right (always looks strange) - for example.

[apolarbear]

Actually, yeah I do mean star systems and how are they adding them? I dont' believe I've seen a star system mod out there, so if there is one, can you point me in the right direction?

I've seen that weapon configuration and that gives me a pattern that expands the farther out it travels. I've messed with it a bit, but I cant figure out how to get the beams spaced out a bit so that one can see 5 beams parallel to each other side by side.

[Yugi]

Ah, I see...
Try spread5? Just a guess - I haven't actually tried it.

[Mingan]

The posRadius property refers to the distance from the centre of the ship. So if you want to have five separate beams, you should put something like this :

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<Configuration aimTolerance="5">
            <Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="-4" angle="0"/>
            <Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="-2" angle="0"/>
            <Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="0" angle="0"/>
            <Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="2" angle="0"/>
            <Shot posAngle="0" posRadius="4" angle="0"/>
          </Configuration>

Note that values are in pixels, So if you just put shots 1 pixel apart, you can fake a wide beam. Another thing of note : posRadius places shots along a left-right line for an upward facing ship. posAngle is used to change the angle of the line, making the shot appear a bit forward or backward, relating to the centre of the ship, in an up-down fashion, for an upward facing ship.

That's about all there is to it. So get modding.

[evilbob]

I've messed with it a bit, but I cant figure out how to get the beams spaced out a bit so that one can see 5 beams parallel to each other side by side.

that would be the wall config. I think its 5 beams in wall...

[Burzmali]

apolarbear, to add a system to the game you have to modify the base xml file (Transcendence.xml). In order for a system to be "created" in a game, it needs a definition in the <StarSystemDescriptions> section and an entry in the <StarSystemTopology> section. For example, if you have created a definition for a system called 'ssTestSpaceStandard' you would then modify one of the nodes in the <StarSystemTopology> to include the chance of generating 'ssTestSpaceStandard'. For example:

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<Node ID="C8">
  <System               level="6" variant="ungoverned">
    <Table>
      <Item chance="25" name="Nobunaga" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceStandard;"/>
      <Item chance="5" name="Cinder" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceRedDwarf;"/>
      <Item chance="20" name="Galgaliel" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceNebulae;"/>
      <Item chance="25" name="Numerianus" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceAsteroids;"/>
      <Item chance="5"  name="Alembra" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceDesert;"/>
      <Item chance="20" name="Exael" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceVolcanic;"/>
    </Table>
  </System>

  <StarGates>
    <StarGate Name="Inbound" DestID="Prev" DestGate="Outbound"/>
    <Table>
      <StarGate chance="50" Name="Outbound" DestID="C8A" DestGate="Inbound"/>
      <StarGate chance="50" Name="Outbound" DestID="C9" DestGate="Inbound"/>
    </Table>
  </StarGates>
</Node>

Would become

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<Node ID="C8">
  <System               level="6" variant="ungoverned">
    <Table>
      <Item chance="25" name="Nobunaga" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceStandard;"/>
      <Item chance="5"  name="Cinder" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceRedDwarf;"/>
      <Item chance="20" name="Galgaliel" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceNebulae;"/>
      <Item chance="25" name="Numerianus" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceAsteroids;"/>
      <Item chance="5"  name="Alembra" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceDesert;"/>
      <Item chance="5" name="Exael" UNID="&ssEarthSpaceVolcanic;"/>
      <Item chance="15" name="NewSystem" UNID="&ssTestSystemStandard;"/>
    </Table>
  </System>

  <StarGates>
    <StarGate Name="Inbound" DestID="Prev" DestGate="Outbound"/>
    <Table>
      <StarGate chance="50" Name="Outbound" DestID="C8A" DestGate="Inbound"/>
      <StarGate chance="50" Name="Outbound" DestID="C9" DestGate="Inbound"/>
    </Table>
  </StarGates>
</Node>

[apolarbear]

Thanks guys. Been busy most of the week so its nice to be able to mess with Transcendence over the weekend.

I actually don't have a Transcendence.xml file, instead i have a Transcendence.tdb file, and everytime I mess with it, Transcendence fails to load. Just wondering if I'm missing something...

[Yugi]

To get the xmls you either need to use TransData or download them from Xelerus.

[Psycholis]

Okay. I'm trying this right now to make an elysium type system that can be accessed via a gem but not by stargate. I have all the coding for it but it returns:

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03/11/2007 21:29:49	Start logging session
03/11/2007 21:29:49	Transcendence 0.97a
03/11/2007 21:29:53	Loading extension: Extensions\Alcurean2
03/11/2007 21:29:53	Unknown design element: StarSystemDescription
03/11/2007 21:29:53	Unknown design element: Node
03/11/2007 21:30:01	End logging session

I tried to move it into the main transcendence xml and it gives me ingame: unknown node: alcurea. I'd post the whole trans xml, but it's huge. I'll copy them into a zip thing and upload it soon.

The system in question is called alcurea.

http://rapidshare.com/files/20635058/Tr ... e.xml.html

Sorry about the rapidshare, but I can't think of any other free uploader at this time of night. (not that they don't exist at this time, just that i can't think in general at this time of night)

[Blitz]

Sorry about the rapidshare, but I can't think of any other free uploader at this time of night. (not that they don't exist at this time, just that i can't think in general at this time of night)

Try using the unofficial Transcendence forums. They let you upload files. And most people who have accounts here also have accounts there.
http://z8.invisionfree.com/Transcendenc ... index.php?

[Burzmali]

You can't put a star system in an Extension, it has to be in the base xml, or at least in a module.

[Blitz]

You can't put a star system in an Extension, it has to be in the base xml, or at least in a module.

Is there any way to recompile Transcendence.tdb?

[Burzmali]

There's no need to, the presence of a Transcendence.xml file will override it.