Fractal Softworks Forum

Starsector => Mods => Modding => Topic started by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 08:47:22 AM

Title: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 08:47:22 AM
Hello,

Intro:
Spoiler
I am a long time SS player (after first TotalBiscuit YT WTFis videos).
I tried out SS 0.8 and I am unhappy that the game is still punishing player for "scaling up" his fleet - without offering tools to scale the foundation that supports scaled up fleets (think X universe games);
I find it a bit tiring to be worried about groceries (supply/fuel) instead of my every harder enemies.
I tried to search the forum for similarities (I love Uomoz's sector for what it does and I believe it went in the right direction).
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Why this mod:
Spoiler
I am bored, on the brink of leaving current employment, dire need of creative work
I want to create something
I want to have fun when I play SS, without going to every planet/station asking: "Y'all Got Anymore of them fuels?" (after spending same amount of space dollars, that I accrued in a mission, that required that amount of fuel to complete it, on fuel - i spent too much time building this sentence).
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Vision of mod and what it:
Must do:
- Allow to invest credits in Infrastructure (think entrepreneurship) - build a factory/complex/buy shares/<insert brainstorm idea here>/etc.;
- ROI yields what the fleet needs (credits, supplies, fuel, crew, volatiles, officers, etc.);

Should do:
Monthly report - green is good/<insert brainstorm idea here>;
Pan-galactic delivery of goods to your fleet (set % values of your max holding space) - if you think this is OP ? Think Amazon, think drones, now think a lot of space dollars to create that infra, now think again;
Every comfort/idea/extra should cost space dollars to build infra for it;
Build actual entities in space that resembles your infrastructure;

Could do:
Gate network - expensive late game infrastructure (possibly requiring science effort/infra;
Science infrastructure - giving purpose to surveys/exploration for faster science progress;
Reverse engineer destroyed enemies - the more you destroy a particular enemy the cheaper it is to "order" one (up to a hard % cap);

Will not do:
Any interaction with mission system;
Any interaction with trading system - no merchants coming/going from/to your entities;
Any interaction with any system that would require code maintenance (dream on);


Roadmap vision:
v0.0:
Learn where to start  ;)
Sketches on paper
Share, get feedback

v1.0:
(Must do) scope in a text-based interface

v1.1:
Pan-galactic delivery of goods to your fleet

v1.2:
...


Thanks to:
Spoiler
HELMUT - pointed out that there is discord for SS, that helped to connect to modder network
joaonunes(discord) - encouragement at the very start of the mod
Aron0621(discord) - kept explaining things even though I felt like a brick wall
tongo(discord) - pointed out nice sources of info in the sea of chaos
Inventor Raccoon(discord)
...
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Folks that Inspired me the most:
Spoiler
Uomoz, Dark Revenant, Lazy Wizard, Histidine
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Disclaimer:
Spoiler
I have no experience with SS modding;
I have minor experience modding Factorio;
I can get my head around code;
I am a believer of "less is more";
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Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: PCCL on May 29, 2017, 09:04:27 AM
best of luck to ya, but having created several mods of various degrees of complexity, I will say I think this is far too ambitious for a first mod.

Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 09:13:02 AM
It is,
That is why I created MoSCoW scope and separated the most basic/wanted things;

Is text based scripts, triggering on in-game monthly basis, really that hard to implement ?
I need to learn how to manipulate the content visible when landing on vanilla planets/stations.
I need to learn what scripts to write, that trigger based on game state.

I think that is not too complicated for v1.0, I might be wrong of course, still yet to figure out what needs fiddlin';


Update:
v0.0:
currently reading https://s3.amazonaws.com/fractalsoftworks/doc/StarsectorRuleScripting.pdf
Hope that it is the right source of information at the moment.

Update:
Figured out how mod packaging works, thx to info here:
http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=4760.0
http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=5016.0
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: HELMUT on May 29, 2017, 10:00:54 AM
Ambitious, yes, but far from impossible, at least the basic ressource production feature. Verrius tried something similar a (long) time ago :

http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=3758.0

Otherwise, snooping into Uomoz Journey mod's files or even Nexerelin might give you some clues on how to get things to work. Eventual modders on the Starsector Discord channel might also answer some of yours questions if they can.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 10:29:37 AM
Thanks,
I did not know that SS has a discord channel.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: cjuicy on May 29, 2017, 11:46:23 AM
Thanks,
I did not know that SS has a discord channel.
Unofficial. It is quite active, especially with individuals such as Tartiflette, Mesotronic, and Soren actively providing help.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 12:06:56 PM
I've heard the name "Soren" a lot, I can't quite recall why.
Thanks for the heads up.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: SainnQ on May 29, 2017, 02:46:11 PM
I've heard the name "Soren" a lot, I can't quite recall why.
Thanks for the heads up.

Soren's the mod creator for Dessault Mikoyan Engineering

One of the premier mods along the lines of Diable Avionics by Tartiflette

Mesotronic manages his own higher quality mod by the name of Exigen Industries(I think)
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Harmful Mechanic on May 29, 2017, 04:46:17 PM
I have no idea why people think I can help them, I can only just code my way out of a wet paper bag with minimal outside help.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Uomoz on May 29, 2017, 05:02:13 PM
Cool idea! Good luck with the learning!
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Ragni on May 29, 2017, 05:46:46 PM
Update:
v0.0:
Fiddled with IntelliJ, this thread is very valuable: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=10057.0 ;
Loaded from sources the whole "Starsector\starsector-core" directory;
after ctrl+shift+f figured out that rules.csv file controls what shows up in planet view;
Got myself a starting point:
(http://i.imgur.com/x9R3GQV.png)
For now "Entrepreneurship" simply opens comms view (probably that is the reason for why I do not see vanilla comms view button)

Now to figure out how comms view "works" and how i can copy it and control scripts from there.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Johnny Cocas on May 29, 2017, 06:59:01 PM
I suggest you spend some time analysing the Nexerelin files regarding menus and such.
"Why?", you may wonder...
First, it's easier to look for what you need in a dozen files than to do it in a hundred, even if using the search tool.

Very interesting idea nevertheless.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Death_Silence_66 on May 29, 2017, 07:35:17 PM
Good luck, i'll be watching to see where this goes.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure" [mod]
Post by: Ragni on May 30, 2017, 02:30:41 PM
Update:
Experimented with rules.csv
Figured how to add a new option so it does not overwrite existing one
And a bit of $variable experiments

Still need to figure out how to create a completely new dialogue window for my own needs.


Spoiler
(https://images.discordapp.net/.eJwNyEsOhCAMANC7cADKV9TbECRo1JbQGheTufvMW76PesalVrWLdF4BtoMLjU2z0Mit6kbUrpr7wbrQDVkkl_2uKAzemmhT8j7EOZkpBPevxbngYvSLma2x1sGDJ9KLumNT3x8EqSLE.-zkafE5lpH6JSVjlraU34EUNoDU)
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Update:
Described an issue I am facing here: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=12526.msg212459#msg212459

Might be connected with bug: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=5061.msg203328#msg203328
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Kreuzberger on June 02, 2017, 06:28:41 AM
" Must do:
Allow to invest credits in Infrastructure (think entrepreneurship) - build a factory/complex/buy shares/<insert brainstorm idea here>/etc.;
•Figured that metal could be used for construction, and it is obtained often after salvage. Player can choose to buy it in markets or salvage.
ROI yields what the fleet needs (credits, supplies, fuel, crew, volatiles, officers, etc.); "

Idea: Why not using the already existing abandoned structures in the game (astropolis/mining stations/ect) in a scavenger/improvised way? There is already a scavengerlike mod faction, where you can bring seized ships to their planet/stationmenue and gift them for faction relation. Now imagine the player seizes an abandoned place, repairs most of the basic infrastructure of a part of it, then brings in seized ships and links them to the station, adding their energylevel and technology to the place, thus giving him the possibility to start mining and producing (according to the planets/resources of the solarsystem it is in and "bought" with machinery)? Also stationing mining ships there? Of course the ship"slots" for linked shiphulls per station should be limited to let´s say 3-6 places and defined in small, medium and large. This could be done randomly every time you start a new game, so it does not get boring. Also then, this personal hideout should be attackable by enemy factions the time you choose your own and always by pirates(the player has to decide to setup near all civilisation or far from it with lower chance of discovery). Then the player should be prompted for spacebattle, whereever he is in space...and the ships linked to the station have to fight stationary like for example the domain era mothership or a remnant station. Of course the linked ships should be refittable anytime as like the normal fleetships with hullmods ect...  

And with a place to return to fetch new fuel and supplies, a transport system to your fleet is not really necessary. The map is not that big....

Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Johnny Cocas on June 02, 2017, 07:05:01 AM
...
Idea: Why not using the already existing abandoned structures in the game (astropolis/mining stations/ect) in a scavenger/improvised way? There is already a scavengerlike mod faction, where you can bring seized ships to their planet/stationmenue and gift them for faction relation. Now imagine the player seizes an abandoned place, repairs most of the basic infrastructure of a part of it, then brings in seized ships and links them to the station, adding their energylevel and technology to the place, thus giving him the possibility to start mining and producing (according to the planets/resources of the solarsystem it is in and "bought" with machinery)? Also stationing mining ships there? Of course the ship"slots" for linked shiphulls per station should be limited to let´s say 3-6 places and defined in small, medium and large. This could be done randomly every time you start a new game, so it does not get boring. Also then, this personal hideout should be attackable by enemy factions the time you choose your own and always by pirates(the player has to decide to setup near all civilisation or far from it with lower chance of discovery). Then the player should be prompted for spacebattle, whereever he is in space...and the ships linked to the station have to fight stationary like for example the domain era mothership or a remnant station. Of course the linked ships should be refittable anytime as like the normal fleetships with hullmods ect...  

And with a place to return to fetch new fuel and supplies, a transport system to your fleet is not really necessary. The map is not that big....

That idea is awesome. Approach an abandoned base/station, spend some machinery to boot it up and restore production/mining/whatever.
Afterwards the player could get supplies, items and/or money from the production facilities which seems to be Ragni's goal with his mod anyways.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: SainnQ on June 02, 2017, 07:37:15 AM
>Buy Shares


Look here bub, don't you go getting my hopes up for some macro economics in mah starsector, y'hear?
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Jay2Jay on June 02, 2017, 02:49:55 PM
Uomoz's sector has a version of the ship building so if you need help with the code look there.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Ragni on June 02, 2017, 08:09:08 PM
Update:
Finally got my "mod" to at least load with a custom rules command called from rules.csv.
Figured that mod_info.json needs entry about jars path.
Code
"jars":["jars/TheInfrastructureMod.jar"]

AND my project's java language level had to be set to 1.7 (1.8 threw an error about incompatible versions).
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Az the Squishy on June 02, 2017, 09:48:26 PM
I like this guy...

Keep running you gloriously-soon-to-be-unemployed-creatively-pent-up-nutter, keep running!  From manure comes roses, this is a very intreguing idea and I like your attitude on it. GUN HO and welcome from the shadows into the light! :)
Read that as, welcome to development hell please enjoy your stay and don't forget ailses 10 9 and "Oh god it burns" for all your needs.
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Elijah on June 05, 2017, 11:26:04 AM
Sounds like a really great idea, best of luck with the development! :)
Title: Re: "The Infrastructure Mod" [TIM]
Post by: Ragni on June 05, 2017, 04:20:06 PM
Histidine's mod: Steiner foundation, gave me an idea how to use the UI.
http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=10398.0
I will study that mod and see how he triggers scripts from comms view with the steiner foundation "NPC".