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- Jun 29, 2013
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This simply needs to be in a configuration file of some sort, accessible through the Starmade/data
I suggest that the game pull spawn algorithms from a settings file, or rather, a library that is accessible to server owners. The spawning algorithm and necessary conditions may be set for individual blueprints in specific folders - including hooks for currently used functions such as checks to determine whether a pirate station is being fired upon or not. I also recommend adding a few other things as well to fill it out, such as including a pirate activity variable in system loading (perhaps based on distance from faction-owned territory and distance from galactic core).
The end result I'm looking for:
The ability for servers to set Pirate squadron spawns similar to Trading Guild spawns. The ability for servers to set Pirate stations to spawn in the vicinity of certain level Pirate squadrons. Specific ships jumping in/spawning under specific scenarios (ship mass between X and Y in vicinity, firing on pirate station spawns Pirate Defender Z). Trade stations spawning wherever the server owner wants them to spawn.
Hopefully with enough options, PVE and RP servers will be capable of being complex. I would consider this to be the first step towards true modding.
The method:
A database/config file and simply moving some of the NPC station/ship spawning methods to a different file. Doesn't need to use simplified code - people will find a way to make it work no matter how complicated it looks. It DOES need to have, at the very least, functions that may be commonly used, and the ability to create new functions in that database file. If a server owner breaks their server like this, that's their problem, not Schine's. Have a default spawning config as a backup to pull from if the modified file has errors or is deleted.
tl;dr: Let server owners make PVE and NPC factions suck less
I suggest that the game pull spawn algorithms from a settings file, or rather, a library that is accessible to server owners. The spawning algorithm and necessary conditions may be set for individual blueprints in specific folders - including hooks for currently used functions such as checks to determine whether a pirate station is being fired upon or not. I also recommend adding a few other things as well to fill it out, such as including a pirate activity variable in system loading (perhaps based on distance from faction-owned territory and distance from galactic core).
The end result I'm looking for:
The ability for servers to set Pirate squadron spawns similar to Trading Guild spawns. The ability for servers to set Pirate stations to spawn in the vicinity of certain level Pirate squadrons. Specific ships jumping in/spawning under specific scenarios (ship mass between X and Y in vicinity, firing on pirate station spawns Pirate Defender Z). Trade stations spawning wherever the server owner wants them to spawn.
Hopefully with enough options, PVE and RP servers will be capable of being complex. I would consider this to be the first step towards true modding.
The method:
A database/config file and simply moving some of the NPC station/ship spawning methods to a different file. Doesn't need to use simplified code - people will find a way to make it work no matter how complicated it looks. It DOES need to have, at the very least, functions that may be commonly used, and the ability to create new functions in that database file. If a server owner breaks their server like this, that's their problem, not Schine's. Have a default spawning config as a backup to pull from if the modified file has errors or is deleted.
tl;dr: Let server owners make PVE and NPC factions suck less
