Starmap

Well?

First of all the interface for this forum is awful; why not use the Invision package ?

because stardock prefers to use asp and not php, i honestly like this. Besides, since they designed it, its alot easier for them to change things and make the look of the forums fit the site, (not a great reson, but...)

Anyhow I would have thought that an editor would have been included in this game - apparently no. And no need to mention XML, I didn't buy a developer's kit, I bought a *game* - which should be playable right out of the box. And it is until such time as you want something more out of the map than Anderson star sitting next to Sol where Alpha Centauri should be... Funny no one at Stardock thought of creating a valid map of the Orion sector.

If im interpretting this right, you have been playing the exact same map choice? 1. there is a sandbox mode that will allow you to customize your own galaxy (size, amount of planets/anomilies/habitable planets/stars) just make sure to not have an custom map or scenario selected. Also for further entertainment, there is a campiagn (3rd button down on the main screen?) just click newgame to get to the sandbox mode.

Anyhow speaking of stars, why is there so few of them and is it possible to expand both that number and the number of grids ?

see above comment on sandbox game

Well?

WOW! You waited a whole minute for a reply! I can't imagine a person with more patience!

(Original post: 9:55 AM, agry second post: 9:56 AM )

WOW! You waited a whole minute for a reply! I can't imagine a person with more patience!

Marty would you please keep your bitching for Languish ? Thank you.

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Zak,


I know all about the various options at game start. That wasn't my question. I asked whether or not it was possible to increase the total number of stars & star systems on the map. There must be a variable somewhere that defines how many stars appear on the map on a gigantic setting. I also asked whether or not it was possible to increase the number of quadrants/sectors on the same setting.



G.

Please be patient when waiting for replies. The forum is quite busy and so are the developers, but generally someone will endeavour to answer your questions or address your problems if you'll only give them time.

First of all the interface for this forum is awful; why not use the Invision package ?

Stardock uses its own home-brewed forum system across all the sites the company owns and operates (Galciv2.com, JoeUser.com, WinCustomize.com, etc). As noted above stardock uses ASP.NET for its various web coding jobs, but they also use their own system from a mantainability (no need to try and integrate third-party updates in constantly across many sites) and moddability (since you don't have to worry about keeping compatibility with patches made by another company, you can do as you like with it) standpoint.

Anyhow I would have thought that an editor would have been included in this game - apparently no. And no need to mention XML, I didn't buy a developer's kit, I bought a *game* - which should be playable right out of the box.

The game is perfectly playable out of the box--there is no need to modify anything if you simply wish to play it as designed.

An editor is not needed for most modifcations due to the extreme ease of doing so with a common text editor or XML editor (no doubt someone will make one at some point though), but the devs do plan to release a map editor (the one they used is very rough and unsuitable for release) at some point to make that aspect easier. Even now it can be done by hand as any other modding, but is a good bit more complex.

They made some scenarios with the game, but obviously that took a distant second palce to the main game itself, as the majority of people prefer to play random maps. If you desire one though, it can be done with a little knowledge and elbow grease.

FYI, you can at least get realistic star names (though placement would still be random) by simply changing the STARS.TXT file in your Data/English directory. It's just a list of names, one per line.

I asked whether or not it was possible to increase the total number of stars & star systems on the map. There must be a variable somewhere that defines how many stars appear on the map on a gigantic setting. I also asked whether or not it was possible to increase the number of quadrants/sectors on the same setting.

To my knowledge the star counts and map sizes are held internally in the game code, and thus not modifiable by end-users.

Both of those otions are available in the sandbox mode. All you have to do is enter it. So he really did answer your question.

Those options are not available in the campaign mode, if that is the problem. I am not sure what you really want, as those are some of the first things that the game asks you when you start a new sandbox map. Just click on "new game" at the top and go through the initial steps. It is one of those steps.

But I was just trying to be as rude as you were in your first response to your own post. If you can't take it, maybe you shouldn't be a glass house throwing stones.