Help getting started...

[Grove]

I want to start modding and I was wondering if someone could help me get started.

I have a text editor if that makes a difference.

[Tovec]

What do you mean by text editor? As far as I know SF is on dat files and those are readable by notepads best.

To start you might want to decide what you want to modify or just start opening up the notepads and playing around.

[myname]

A good start is to try finding the folder that has all your dat files. the DAT is the server and the .sec files are parts of what make up the server. ships, weapons, planets and all that.

Once you find the folder with all those files look for the file called server. It should be a dat file. Just open up notepad and open that file with it and you should see it then. But make a backup cause ive always had screw ups and I needed that backup so I could fix it and all. Hope this helps ;D

[JP]

you also might wanna check out this website , storm.prohosting.com/jkane/SF_FAQ.html

due to time restrictions nobody can spend alot of time showing you how to mod its all trail and error for the most part

[Havik]

i use a program called mIRC to mod, and chat to them sfdc folk

[Havik]

*ALERT* sf.stardock.net is gone ** War with Skillet is over ** Go to nexus.game-server.cc *ALERT*

^^^^^^^^^^is that true ^^^^^^^^^^^

[Tovec]

It may be. Where did you get It from?

Has anyone seen Albert or tried asking him about that?

What do you mean - Gone?

[myname]

I talked to Albert yesterday. He said that skillet was deleting everyones name on the nexus one by one. So it was shut down to stop that. But hes saying that its shut down for good now and wont go up again. So in a way thats kind of like pulling the plug for it. But we still have the sfdc nexus. If the stardock nexus wont go up again there should be something on the sf page saying to use the sfdc nexus so newcomers can see it.

[Tovec]

So much for the Stardock will support indefinately attitude. Yes, at least we have SFDC.

It is a sad day when even Stardock admits they give up on SF. A sad sad day.

Albert is or was currently in control of the stardock SF site, he could and should put up details to connect to SFDC unless stardock decides along with this rash or removing support that they delete the site too.

[SFWebmaster]

myname said:

I talked to Albert yesterday. He said that skillet was deleting everyones name on the nexus one by one. So it was shut down to stop that. But hes saying that its shut down for good now and wont go up again. So in a way thats kind of like pulling the plug for it. But we still have the sfdc nexus. If the stardock nexus wont go up again there should be something on the sf page saying to use the sfdc nexus so newcomers can see it.

My_Name is correct. In order to preserve the remaining data on the Nexus, I had to turn off the entire Nexus shell. It remained off until this morning when Kris got in to work and then he turned the shell back on but kept the Nexus part off. So sf.stardock.net is effectively gone. It will stay that way unless Doug Hendrix protests and asks Stardock to turn it on again. He probably won't, so that's the end of it. So effectively the plug has been pulled.

I will put something about the SFDC Nexus on the SF website and let people know where it is but will not ask everyone to go there nor will I indicate that it is the 'official' SF nexus.

I have also been tasked with writing an epitaph for SF that will be posted on various (Stardock and other) sites and I am soliciting input from both CoEFers and non-CoEFers on the CoEF forum at coef.proboards78.com/ about what to include in this epitaph. Once completed the epitaph will be posted on the SF website as well as on any other website Kris deems appropriate to post it on.

[Tovec]

Mind telling us what an 'epitaph' means to you and your's Albert?

lol I just realized that without Stardock and it's site you aren't the SFWebmaster.

Anyway, Non-CoEFers? I'm not going there.

What would you like to know or what do you want me to say? This description will go where to do what for SF?

[sandtrooper]

AL, I've added some stuff about this at my article.

[Grove]

Thanks for all your input guys .

Man, that is sad ... Will this afect new players in a bad way?

[Tovec]

It may.

Grove how did you get onto SFDC?

New SF games come default onto the Stardock nexus so new players will see nothing and think SF is dead. Only if they get the knowledge to come onto SFDC will they even get the chance to play online.

If I still had access to computers that wouldn't delete SF every time I logged off I'd install the base game on a bunch of them just to let new people SF is out there.

[SFWebmaster]

sandtrooper said:

AL, I've added some stuff about this at my article.

And where is your article?

[Grove]

admin said:

Grove how did you get onto SFDC?

I was playing on the SD Nexus and one day there was a server, in the name it said to switch the nexus name to Nexus.game-server.cc. And so here I am, and lucky to be here I guess.

[Grove]

Ok, can someone tell me how to add AI? Spok already told me how to increase the number of players and AI but I don't know how to create or even add AI into my servers.

[sandtrooper]

EXAMPLE:

* name      login     rank  race   st  ship_name    nm nk
* -------------------------------------------------------
 SharpClaw  SharpClaw  14     0 0006  ArceusPrime   0  0
 RedFang    RedFang     0     0 0001  Ursa          0  0
 LittlePaw  LittlePaw   1     0 0000  Claw          0  0
 BadWind    BadWind     2     0 0000  Fang          0  0
 LongLegs   LongLegs    3     0 0001  Slasher       0  0


First 5 AI on SF_Data_Robots.sec

Obviously, rank is done by number

(count from Cadet, number 0 to Deity, number 16 to determine a AI rank).

0006 means SharpClaw obviously gets the Starbase.

Stock ###s are this:

000# = Arcean
100# = Terran
200# = Drengin
300# = Pirate

same goes to the number before ship design number which on the file says RACE.

Name the AI anyway you'd like to use.

Example of Sirius.dat

robot data {
#INCLUDE si_data_robots.sec
 William    William    15     Terran  1006  Normandy     0  0
 Hannibal   Hannibal   15     Drengin 2006  Cannae       0  0


This code above adds the 2 Emps on Sirius. They are also included in the mentioned Sirius Robot data .SEC

*      player      race        population    design          location    
*--------------------------------------------------------------------
      William     Terran      2000          Starbase        SiriusAII+(100,100)
      Hannibal    Drengin     2000          Starbase        SiriusAI+(100,100)


This data above tells us Where to plant the AI. (not sure what the +'s do..)

Please not that I have never added additional AI to any of my scenarios as of yet. Trial and Error might occur for you.

[Tovec]

He is correct in all his explainations. The +(100,100) tells the code where to place the AIs at start up. The preprogrammed AIs spawn at locations already near the planet but not on the planet like they would if they weren't told as if they were normal AI.

The first AI code is in the dat file on its own. These are generally AI that are spawned in the given game conditions that they are loaded. The second ones from the Sirus dat are auto set to join the game no matter what conditions - I'm not sure if they auto start on a reset of the server.

When using the planet+(##,##) you don't have to set values. When you don't I think they just start at the centre of the planet and not to its side.

Also the coding for the races that sandtrooper gave was (Arcean = 000#) is actually more like (Arcean =0###) because the ship design starts with ships numbering from 001 to 010 or something like that. In any case you can use any non-registered ship number to create new ships - Ie. 999,890,456,etc.

[myname]

Is the stardock nexus up? lol I was just thinking about grove said when he saw a server that said somebody was hosting a server that said switch to sfdc nexus. ;D I have to admit though what timing.. I only hosted that server for a few days until I heard skillet was attacking it the last say before it shut down. If grove was the last newcomer to sf does that mean hes special?