Hi, actually we can't open variant files?
The thing is, the variant files that come with the game aren't valid JSON. It's just a matter of a few commas and possibly comments here and there, but the parser still does not like it. For example, if you try to load the unmodified wolf_Assault variant
{
"displayName":"Assault",
"hullId":"wolf",
"variantId":"wolf_Assault",
"fluxVents":0,
"fluxCapacitors":0,
"mods":[], # array of strings
# mode is either LINKED or ALTERNATING
# slot ids (WS ***) must match what's in the .ship file
"weaponGroups":[
{"mode":"LINKED",
"weapons":{
"WS 001":"irpulse",
"WS 002":"irpulse",
"WS 003":"irpulse",
},
},
{"mode":"LINKED",
"weapons":{
"WS 004":"pulselaser",
},
},
{"mode":"ALTERNATING",
"weapons":{
"WS 005":"annihilator",
"WS 006":"annihilator",
},
},
],
}
it'll throw an error during parsing. The fixed version (comments and trailing commas removed) looks like this
{
"displayName":"Assault",
"hullId":"wolf",
"variantId":"wolf_Assault",
"fluxVents":0,
"fluxCapacitors":0,
"mods":[],
"weaponGroups":[
{"mode":"LINKED",
"weapons":{
"WS 001":"irpulse",
"WS 002":"irpulse",
"WS 003":"irpulse"
}
},
{"mode":"LINKED",
"weapons":{
"WS 004":"pulselaser"
}
},
{"mode":"ALTERNATING",
"weapons":{
"WS 005":"annihilator",
"WS 006":"annihilator"
}
}
]
}
and
will load successfully. You can check if a file will parse by using jsonlint.com and correct the errors that pop up there. The variants exported by the editor will always load successfully as its using the built-in serializer. I know this is a hassle, but there isn't really anything I can do about it short of putting together an ugly hack.