Modding

[UesugiKenshin]

http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... schlachten
In the ship battle section, you can click on details and have more options.

You also can choose to "avoid" and may escape unscathed.

But there is a hail function too where in theory you could hail them to stop the battle from progressing.

One of the necessary functions players need is a hailing protocol so with better range and higher accuracy scanning, the diplomacy screen would be triggered so those large minor race fleets don't think you are invading. It's hit or miss with colony ships.

It seems hard coded that one neighbor will automatically hate you regardless of what you do.

[UesugiKenshin]

http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... lforschung
Every time you level up in all six areas of technology, then you get a chance to gain special technology. But it doesn't say what happens and if you can later go back and learn the other options when you have completed all the tech levels. I hope so.

Why not mod up to 20? Of course we can do this. Maybe the Terrans have a secret military program like we do in America where we have officers who studied recovered USSR technology. And continue to do so with Russian tech from defectors.

So maybe at very high levels, the Terrans gain some Khaoran ships? It makes sense and would be fun.

Like this.
Independence Day
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6uPD5fPfU

[UesugiKenshin]

http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... e=ToDo%27s

Someof the things I want to implement were similarly considered by the programming team and community. Like Dyson sphere around stars for advanced levels.

.
[Einklappen]Dyson-Ringe und Sphäre
Voraussetzung: Tech größer 10 (wo paßt es rein?)
Sphäre wäre Ausbaustufe, Schwarm ?
Kosten: 30 Energie
Wirkung: + 50 Industrie, + 500 % Truppenbau
Idee von: permutator
Thread: http://birth-of-the-empires.de/phpBB3/v ... 905#p24905
"Dyson-Sphäre" können wir verwenden, ist keine Erfindung von ST oder anderem (s. Wikipedia)
von den Systemhöchstgrenzen ausgehend (z.B. max. 125000 Titan) wären vll. 100.000 Titan etc. angebracht - und Industrie auch 100.000 (es gibt ja Systeme, die 10.000 Industrie zusammenbringen (manche mehr), da würde der Bau 10 Runden dauern...
Dyson-Sphäre (Todesstern)
Idee von Dennis0078 http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/me ... ile&u=3180
Thread: http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... =40&t=2069 (search entry t=2069)

See there are parts of the German wiki that don't translate. Here.

. [Collapse] Dyson rings and sphere
Prerequisite: Tech greater than 10 (where does it fit?)
Sphere would be an expansion stage, swarm?
Cost: 30 energy
Effect: + 50 industry, + 500% troop construction
Idea from: permutator
Thread: http://birth-of-the-empires.de/phpBB3/v ... 905#p24905
"Dyson sphere" we can use, is not an invention of ST or other (see Wikipedia)
starting from the system limits (e.g. max. 125,000 titanium) 100,000 titanium etc. would be appropriate - and industry also 100,000 (there are systems that bring 10,000 industry together (some more), so the construction would take 10 rounds ...
Dyson Sphere (Death Star)
Idea from Dennis0078 http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/me ... ile&u=3180
Thread: http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... =40&t=2069 (search entry t = 2069)

[UesugiKenshin]

In reality, to make a dyson sphere would be a monumental late game creation as it's a structure that surrounds a star and harnasses energy. So the requirements would be HUGE say all six techs at level 25. And enormous ore and crystals.

But we scale it down and make death star starbases that move across the galaxy. That would awesome!

[UesugiKenshin]

This alludes to a plan to implement some things that I would also like.

. Messenger.ini
Transfer into Bote.ini:

Limits of Victories eg Research: not fix "10" but level available

(DONE) Change of Standard-Difficulty: viewtopic.php?p=27743#p27743 (search entry p27743)
(PARTLY DONE) Checkboxes which EventScreens shall be displayed (some threads, for eg here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/phpBB3/v ... 346#p28346 )
Last saved game (one, two, three ..) to continue previous game
Auto-Combat option http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 719#p28719 (search entry p28719)
Start Conditions: Amount of Titan, Food, Deritium, Credits

A modder could specify how much of these exist and so have a building period where things get set up with plenty of credits amd no fear of famines, and plenty of deritium which is required for ship building. Then the AI and the player begin huge building campaigns so not slow plodding games. And in multiplayer then a modder would set all of these up 100 times faster.

[UesugiKenshin]

You could have a late game sandbox aspect where you not only make your empire but might start with no minor races and then introduce "refugees" back into their homeworlds. If there are lots and lots of planets in each system, the empires don't need them all. And so you would rebuild their fallen civilization that had suffered a post apocalyptic event, and now they are returning from suspended animation. They would repopulate through your intervention.

OR you could find artifacts on these worlds that post Level 14 would allow you to use their technology evenif they are not around.

BotE could be so much more. All the Civ and GalCiv players would be filled with joy to have such a program.

It could be a double edged sword like Khan Noonian Singh who is put on Ceti Alpha V and it blows up due to a solar flare too. Then he's out for revenge.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Al9hSo9Pdys

[UesugiKenshin]

When you export the save game settings, I recommend you create a folder in the \Download part of the Android SD card. And then have several subfolders or since they can't be named, the same ones will confuse you. Luckily the png is attached too. That map jogs your memory

BUT there is also the Bote.ini as a legacy from the Windows program. Now there is a curious feature in it.

.Values: ON / OFF Deutsch-Symbol.jpg Englisch-Symbol.jpg
only before starting a complete new game, saved in *.sav
not included in GameSettings, so manually editing of BotE.ini is neccassary
durch diesen Wert kann Forschung beschleunigt oder verlangsamt werden (höher = Forschung is langsamer)
1.25 = normaler Fortschritt
2,5 = halber Fortschritt
0,63 = doppelter Fortschritt
by this research can be speed up or down. (higher = research is slower)
1.25 = normal progress
2,5 = half progress
0,63 = double progress

This is how the rate of technology is governed. That was a major way to mod Civ2. You could really speed things up or really slow tech changes to simulate eras. So ships would be around for far longer and not get outmoded by new tech so quickly.

[UesugiKenshin]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=575&start=15
You see at one time, the save game information had both the ASCII planet names on the right side and hex addresses on the left for planet class. Thus you could look at the save game file and not only derive a fully uncovered map, but could alter the hex address so now it would be something else.

That is extremely useful for modders to start the game and immediately save it. Then that snapshot of the galaxy could be carefully altered in the uninhabited systems. Then a fantastically open galaxy would be available that would never show up by random assortment.

An ideal map would be terrific for players.

I'm of the opinion that while terraforming is great to improve relationships between the minor races and the major empires, it would be challenging to make the minor races very strong and difficult to conquer.

It would be far more interesting to play the minor races as having clues that would be uncovered by careful clever players through diplomatic negotiation as hidden elements hidden in the dialogue would reveal the story. Or it would reveal secret technology by now dead races that can be rebuilt on certain planets.

And it isn't necessarily a superweapon. It could lead to being incredibly persuasive, or a new faster mining process, or ends famines, or a new type of victory by a defensive shield.

Victory isn't just conquering but could be evolving beyond the other empires so they cannot stop your advancement, thus they pose no threat. Maybe it leads to a cooperation victory?

You could have the Xibren say that before they were artificially enhanced lifeforms, there were rumors of systems comprised of all R class planets. And on that now forgotten system, a technology exists that makes the hunger for credits unnecessary. So you terraform it and maybe in level 20 it unlocks this tech and now you have endless credits or free energy.

Or a system is one sought by the Catare in their backstory and helps them accomplish their goals. So you then are able to help them and diplomatically then your empire has perfect relations and they won't attack you anymore.

You go the utopia route by such modding. You could have a completely peaceful victory. Alternative victories through storytelling would have as great an appeal to some niche audiences as total conquest where you could create a vast empire on a maxed out map.

You could have a weighted scoring system where the goal is not eradication, but to conquer all the originally uninhabited systems, and preserve the rest, even the minor races. So say a minor race is subjugated, you emancipate them from another empire.

[UesugiKenshin]

Interesting minor races have techbuildings that fulfill some goal of their people. So you could have a coexistence goal where all minor races want five such buildings on their systems. You take over their system, but build them up and so the minor race not only lives among you, but thrives as you accomplish goals it never could have prior.

That has a score and you try to accomplish this in half the galaxy where the minor races live. Five buildings multiplied by 125 minor races for a cultural victory. Sandbox players would love that. It's like Civ 3 and wonder victories. It's a heroic victory but the very opposite of the Prime Directive (non-interference in the development of a species).

[UesugiKenshin]

In Civ2 and Civ3, as your cities thrived, they produced pollution, so you had to build buildings to eliminate it. Thus this was a limiting factor. So similarly is morale in systems as it leads to unrest. But doing things well leads to a high morale score in systems that cause fanatical levels of support.

But some buildings may have such high value that it makes every system in turn have this reflecting no chance of rebellion (ie bliss) as the people are so thrilled under your leadership. That score could then be tabulated for a cultural victory.

"50 systems at bliss state."
"100 systems at bliss state."
"150 systems at bliss state."

Look to history. Few successful empires existed and they always fall with the Romans lasting longer than anyone. But this would be a perfect victory.

[UesugiKenshin]

It's alluded in the tech that on the highest level even gas giants can be terraformed. So likely these special buildings for a cultural victory are buildings on gas giants meaning the highest levels, even new levels of tech, have to be unlocked to win a cultural victory.

So then the gas giants are vital to BotE as an endgame.

[UesugiKenshin]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jrjsVGkI2PI
The premise of the film Chain Reaction is about the search for limitless free energy that is safe and non-polluting. And so war becomes unnecessary.

[UesugiKenshin]

If I had a windows computer and 48 hours, I could make a mod that would fix BotE and everyone would love it. It's so easy to remedy this with minor adjustments to the buildings file and add more income at first or persistently (whatever players desire) and no sabotage until turn 800+. By then many major races would likely be eliminated by standard fleet battles so might never happen.

But I don't so I can't.

Or if we had a working Android tablet editor for buildings, races, ships, and troops then easily fix it as well in two days.

If I had graphics to create new races, I could probably make two major race alternatives in two weeks, and I bet players would prefer them as they would be balanced.

It would be very fun to have stolen technology and empires then make all the minor races' ships as well as their own, but then later make other major empires ships. And maybe some troops too if mechanized and not race-specific.

I would call them the Mimics.

One major race might be totally obsessed with the art of war (Budo) and not really desire to harm anyone. Then they would be like Jeet Kun Do students like Dan Inosanto or wild man Hawaiian Wally Jay who made small circle jujitsu his own art form. Or Moreihei Ueshiba who was a veteran soldier who could fight like no other, yet was very short, and then embraced peace.

If you know you can win, you don't have to fight. I want a very limited major race that could if it so desired seize the galaxy, but its goal is peace. Then attack the bullies. I could get into that. They are like RoboCop.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9cySKHPqIjw

[UesugiKenshin]

I can't figure out a way to implement it...yet, but part of the premise of the Carl Sagan book, Contact, is that some people fear what the code tells humans to invent. They most fear it creates a portal that let's an enemy invasion begin. Or that it creates a doomesday weapon so humanity destroys itself.

So one weapon a major race might employ is a "poisoned pill" technology. Or to emulate the severe dangers of nuclear war, major races furiously lusting for power destroy themselves as the weapons technology is mighty, but is ruinous to their economy and morale.

[UesugiKenshin]

For Android modders, the wiki has a vague reference in a link that has a dropbox attachment that is labeled BuildLabels837.txt. And that is a marvelous resource as it explains each building attribute in a single place. So a modder could pull up every building and see what it does within BotE and adjust it however they desire.

This is how to fix it.

I have posted so many attachments as examples, I think I have to delete some before posting more. It's too many characters to cut and paste.

BuildingsFields837.zip

(17.47 KiB) 151-mal heruntergeladen

Since we have no building editor, you change the building data file the old school way...but by hand in notepad. It's easy to make typos. It's the way modders used to do things. It's very boring but has a HUGE PAYOFF. Players would love you if implemented in an update or an alternative apk from Google Play. Serious scifi fans would give that version a 5.0. It would be endlessly entertaining and challenging.

Sure some ships don't seem correctly configured by that is a WHOLE SCIENCE in of itself. That is not something you just change as typically thousands of game testing hours was done to balance it.

But the Buildings being altered easily fixes the most inexplicable irritations. 95% of BotE rocks.

Some elements of some major races don't seem right. That is a whole topic on its own. As the AI it's weird to see Terrans destroying innocents and breaking treaties that they never would.