Customization

Anything else to do with MoM IME
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elliott20
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Post by elliott20 »

In the IME, how much customizing can we do with each facets of the game?

I understand that certain abilities are tied to mechanics to the game itself and so tweaking those would probably be rather difficult.
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Implode
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Post by Implode »

Download the editors and take a look at what's in the XML files. My aim is to make everything customizable within reason - so you can add new units, buildings, retorts, spells, map tiles, graphics, sound effects, even entire races or new magic realms.

Two things with this - firstly the biggest barrier to adding new things is going to be drawing the graphics for them, in particular there's I think 33 images of each unit (1 overland, 4 images facing in each of 8 direction in combat). And I know personally I'm no good at drawing things from scratch.

Secondly, what I mean by "within reason" is there are, as you've guessed, various special abilities and game mechanics that just have to be hard coded into the game. So you won't be able to add these types of special abilities unless I also add them into the game. Although you could add spells which modify unit stats, or special abilities that negate various spell effects and so on. e.g. there's an Eternal Night spell that casts Darkness in every location, but there's no Life equivalent ("Eternal Day"?) that casts True Light in every location - this is just a unit stat spell, you could add this no problem.

Implode.
elliott20
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Post by elliott20 »

ahh, sweet. Yeah, I was just thinking that chances are most of the "stats" stuff you could probably change fairly easily.

But as for images... well... hmmm.... would it be possible to simply just point to the other unit graphics for the new units? I mean, personally, I wouldn't even dream of drawing up images from scratch myself. Chances are, I would just use the old images and just make little adjustments to them.

Of course, I'm not asking all this so that I can add on to YOUR workload. I know you got enough to do already. I'm simply asking to see if it's a possibility.

If you give people the ability to add content, people most definitely will, regardless of the difficulty.

edit:

okay, I tried the IME on my comp finally. I couldn't seemed to add any new entries into the database. But the customizing part works pretty well. I like it. Keep up the good work dude. I don't know nearly enough about coding to be of any real help nor do I have any extra time on my hands. But I'd be more than happy to contribute some funds to help pay for things via a paypal or some thing.
Lupinedreams
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Post by Lupinedreams »

Yeah, I feel very much the same way, wish I could help.
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Implode
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Post by Implode »

elliott20 wrote:nor do I have any extra time on my hands.
lol, I have an 18 month old running around... you think I've got extra time on my hands? :D
elliott20 wrote:But I'd be more than happy to contribute some funds to help pay for things via a paypal or some thing.
Someone else asked that and I avoided the question but now its come up again so I'll answer it... I really really appreciate the sentiment, however two things.

Firstly, I do not want to think that I'm going to give up on MoM IME, especially not now I've gotten this far, but its always a possibility that its not going to get finished - you never know, I could be hit by a bus tommorow. If I accepted donations and then didn't finish it, I'd feel like I'd done you out of your cash. Even if I do finish it, accepting donations for it will make me feel pressured to work on it, and I know there's nothing that'll make me drop this project faster than if it starts to feel like work instead of something I'm enjoying doing in my spare time. (The one time my wife gets annoyed at me over MoM IME is when she knows I'm frustrated over something I can't get to work - and she (quite rightly) tells me I'm supposed to be writing MoM IME it to enjoy writing it - getting stressed over things is only for paid work!)

Secondly, I don't want to get on shaky ground with the copyright holders of MoM. I may be on shaky ground already, but I'm rather hoping they're going to ignore MoM IME on the basis that they're surely not still selling copies of MoM 1, and MoM 2 is going to be so far advanced (in terms of graphics, etc.) that MoM IME being freely available isn't going to dent their sales. In fact, I'd much rather think that I'm doing them a service by promoting interest in MoM. But if I start to accept money for it... that's entering into a whole different area and something I'm not comfortable in doing.

So again, I really appreciate the offer, but at very least hold off until MoM IME is finished. (Well, its never going to be "finished" per se, I'll be adding bits to the engine probably forever, but I mean until its basically fully functional).

Implode.
ikanreed
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Post by ikanreed »

Copyright wouldn't be a problem if Ubisoft would actually do something with all those rights they aquired.

However, to my knowledge, the ESA is actually treating MoM like abandonware and not worrying about it(whereas for titles like warcraft they lock it down whereever they see it)
Richrf
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Post by Richrf »

Although you could add spells which modify unit stats, or special abilities that negate various spell effects and so on. e.g. there's an Eternal Night spell that casts Darkness in every location, but there's no Life equivalent ("Eternal Day"?) that casts True Light in every location - this is just a unit stat spell, you could add this no problem.
Wow, very cool.

Being able to Modify the numeric parts of spells and retorts would be amazing enough but it seems you want more.
elliott20
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Post by elliott20 »

ahh, I see.

Yeah, I can totally understand your sentiment. As of recently, I've picked up a couple things to work on in my spare time as well. (Mostly in the form of boardgames and what not)

the very notion that I *HAVE* to work on something probably will kill the project as opposed to help it.

So yeah, I can see what you mean, implode. In any rate, you get all the emotional and spiritual support on my end.
elliott20
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Post by elliott20 »

Hey I also have a question on customizing spells, namely

- can they be done?
- if so, what kind of parameters will be required?
- and what about mechanics breaking spells?

The way I see it, in order to ensure full customizability for magic, a lot of spells would probably have to be broken down and categorized into types in order to fully illustrate the effects. It seems to me that MOST spells would be pretty easy to make customizable, except some mechanic breakers. But of course, I'm not the one coding it so it's easy for me to say that.
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