Game Resources Help-
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Periculi
- Fleet Officer
- Posts: 1282
- Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:48 pm
- Location: Necroposting in a forum near you
kaypy wrote the Network mod on Xelerus, which makes some random connections- but it's a tough trick to pull off. My opinion on it now is that it will be best to work with some simple random switches, just as the topology contains now.
Let me tell you about the connection between SE and C1, the first two systems in the game- with just some simple random switches in the new topo I am writing there exist 4 separate paths from Eridani (SE) to C3. Path one contains the original C1, better known as Groombridge, et al. and it leads to a new branch node that splits the path to SK in two directions. This is the short path, it has fewest nodes, and it has a large chance of appearing. Easy to accomplish with no special random link code.
Path 2, 3, and 4 have progressively smaller chances of being generated- they all lead to same place, but they contain random branches that may or may not contain a new class of dead end systems that will be using a rare and very rare set of tables for stations and other items.
So, this method allows me to add random nodes that are rare in a given set of games, with potential for large or small paths between 'landmark' nodes, hopefully that and the rest of the bag of tricks I am using should help you to forget all about those pesky random connections and validation checking arrays.
I realize that there are better ways to do what i am doing, but I wanted to get things rolling and the methods I am using are simple matters of repetition and careful planning. Some static qualities to the star network MUST remain, because otherwise we will get lost too easily and there isn't a way to map the links in the game at this point in time. I have read dozens of posts about the star network in the forums here and at UTF, and I feel that the best application of an average of the opinions I have read is to keep the linear style of the game but add some random qualities to make the feeling of a network of stars more robust. To make it interesting there are many new rare systems and entire branches that you may never see, except that one game in a hundred.
The other benefit of getting a crude system together is that we can develop and test new content- which will be handy in future versions of Transcendence. Even if the topo system gets entirely revised, the ground work we are doing can transfer to more and better mods and that means more fun with Transcendence gaming.
Too many words syndrome.. eek
Let me tell you about the connection between SE and C1, the first two systems in the game- with just some simple random switches in the new topo I am writing there exist 4 separate paths from Eridani (SE) to C3. Path one contains the original C1, better known as Groombridge, et al. and it leads to a new branch node that splits the path to SK in two directions. This is the short path, it has fewest nodes, and it has a large chance of appearing. Easy to accomplish with no special random link code.
Path 2, 3, and 4 have progressively smaller chances of being generated- they all lead to same place, but they contain random branches that may or may not contain a new class of dead end systems that will be using a rare and very rare set of tables for stations and other items.
So, this method allows me to add random nodes that are rare in a given set of games, with potential for large or small paths between 'landmark' nodes, hopefully that and the rest of the bag of tricks I am using should help you to forget all about those pesky random connections and validation checking arrays.
I realize that there are better ways to do what i am doing, but I wanted to get things rolling and the methods I am using are simple matters of repetition and careful planning. Some static qualities to the star network MUST remain, because otherwise we will get lost too easily and there isn't a way to map the links in the game at this point in time. I have read dozens of posts about the star network in the forums here and at UTF, and I feel that the best application of an average of the opinions I have read is to keep the linear style of the game but add some random qualities to make the feeling of a network of stars more robust. To make it interesting there are many new rare systems and entire branches that you may never see, except that one game in a hundred.
The other benefit of getting a crude system together is that we can develop and test new content- which will be handy in future versions of Transcendence. Even if the topo system gets entirely revised, the ground work we are doing can transfer to more and better mods and that means more fun with Transcendence gaming.
Too many words syndrome.. eek
No, I completely agree with you. You just work on the base mod. (can I say wow again?). For anything else you can ask the modding community to do. I am sure they are behind you (I certainly am, when I have some time).
It would be nice if you could show me what kind of branches it will create as I won't be able to play for...likely until summer.
You have done everything right so far Periculi...I so hope this mod succeeds.
It would be nice if you could show me what kind of branches it will create as I won't be able to play for...likely until summer.
You have done everything right so far Periculi...I so hope this mod succeeds.
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Periculi
- Fleet Officer
- Posts: 1282
- Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:48 pm
- Location: Necroposting in a forum near you
I have quite a few random structures devised, from basic branching nodes all the way up to entire constellations of 10+ systems.
I also found that I can 'recycle' nodes in a structure, which saves on code.
And I found that I can create self-contained mini-networks that can be accessed in different methods than the usual gate network.
The idea behind the branches is that you won't really know the structure until you go and find out what it is. For now the branches are simple structures, but there doesn't seem to be a limit.
Too bad you can't play for a while. But it might take until this summer to get this mod truly in a finished state anyhow.
I also found that I can 'recycle' nodes in a structure, which saves on code.
And I found that I can create self-contained mini-networks that can be accessed in different methods than the usual gate network.
The idea behind the branches is that you won't really know the structure until you go and find out what it is. For now the branches are simple structures, but there doesn't seem to be a limit.
Too bad you can't play for a while. But it might take until this summer to get this mod truly in a finished state anyhow.
I just keep going "wow" when I think of the scale of this mod.-
Ttech
- Fleet Admiral
- Posts: 2767
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:03 am
- Location: Traveling in the TARDIS
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So this is a complete rewrite of the orig systems?
Wouldn't it be cool if we would have the systems after the Heradic gate? That would be cool, then you could let the player play the orig game, and add in for the ending, that would be so cool.
Wouldn't it be cool if we would have the systems after the Heradic gate?
That would be cool, then you could let the player play the orig game, and add in for the ending, that would be so cool.