Galaxy file question: how to put pre-built structures at precise locations in a grav well?

from Sins Forums

After some tribulations with even getting the desired planet upgrade levels (which you can read in this thread: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/454904/page/1) I've managed to make a semi-useful map for my sandbox tests, except for one annoying aspect: the initial cluster of 2 frigate factories and cap ship factory appears to be randomly placed every time I start the map. It's not a completely random placement but close toward one of the two lanes exiting the homeworld. But my map (http://pastebin.com/CTixrG7C) has a "backwater" moon and a frontline roid. (I'm planning to add more planets later to test a less limited econ expansion, but for now this is quite suitable for my purposes.) I'd like to somehow make the cluster of production structures always spawn toward the frontline roid because it turned out that the player getting them at the back has fair bit of initial disadvantage. While I've figured out how to add extra start-up structures, I still don't know how to add any structures at a predetermined location in a grav well. Granted, I could change the map geometry so that all lanes from the homeworld are so close together that the random placement wouldn't matter much (i.e. move both moons toward the center), but that would change the time it takes to raid the "backwaters" as well (flight time through the homeworld would be significantly reduced).

For now, I restart the map a few times until I get the right locations for production structures in both homeworlds (probability of that is alas only 1/4 [or 1/2 if I'm willing to accept both clusters to the at rear as well, but that introduces some undesired variability as well]) every time I change the starting factions (or other game start parameters), so I suppose I could save all possible combinations of that as starting save games once I get them right; but that's actually 21 save games, because repetitions are allowed in the faction combinations and combining that with 1/4 [or 1/2] probability, and I'm looking at something like a 100 [or 50] game starts to try... So I'd rather have a reliable way to place structures at well determined locations if that's at all possible in galaxy files.

 

modding
7,371 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Not that I am aware of unless you use the dev to spawn place them maybe and then save the game and play straight from the save game.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

to my limited knowledge, it is NOT possible to place closer than inside a gravity well  for spawned structures ( I think that the ENGINE is hard coded to use random locations(between min build radius and max build radius for the planet type) inside a gravity well.

harpo

 

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Best bet, sandboxing, is to not do quick start.  Consequently, increase each player's starting resources to the equivalent of the quickstart structures and/or ships you want, then (again, seems you're sandboxing) manually build the structures and/or ships where you want them for both players once you start your test session.

I say to do it like that vers spawning them with the dev.exe cause I'm not sure the dev.exe will allow you to choose exact spawn location for the structures, either.  I think it uses the same system/concept as how it loads your galaxy files.  I do think, however, there is a toggle somewhere in there for instant build times.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

There is no way to define the location of spawned planet structures I'm afraid, either in GalaxyForge, templates or abilities.