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Mods and Languages - extracted from one of Luke's blog.

Started by RedKetchup, July 04, 2014, 02:18:51 AM

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RedKetchup

this is a quote from one of Luke's blog on his website where he talks about his Mod Tools and what and whatnot he plans to be done with his mod Tools. very interesting.

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Quote:

Mods and Languages



The tool I wrote and use internally to create the data for the game is pretty much the perfect mod tool for it. My hope is to provide this tool and a bit of the core data so that the community can reskin the game, change game balance, and add new buildings, professions, and workplaces.

The tool knows how to deal with all the data in the game, and would allow users to change and add to the game data. That includes textures, models, animations, string tables, audio, music, fonts, character sets, user interface configuration, user interface graphics, sprites, vertex and pixel shaders, and render state. It also compiles game data that configures all the objects in game – workplaces, trees, plants, resources, animals, buildings, citizens, weather, environment, lighting, professions, toolbars, general game balance, and more.

In addition to being able to change almost anything in the game, the tool can also package a set of compiled resources into a single file which would be great for distributing mods.

I've had many people ask about translations for the game. The code for supporting multiple languages in Banished is only partially complete and could use some work. I also don't have any plans for official translations yet. However the mod-kit would allow for community made translations distributed as mods.

I would love to see mods that extend the game. You could add an apiary that has beekeepers and produces honey, a miller that grinds wheat into flour, milk production could be added to cattle, and then a baker could take honey, eggs, milk, and flour and produce honey cakes. Or you could reskin the entire game for different time periods or locations. Or add a lumber mill and add a new class of houses and construction. Or make better character models and animations. I can think of so many directions to take Banished that I can't do them all myself – but I think the community could do some amazing things with it.

As I wasn't thinking about modding when I started coding Banished, there are some things the modkit won't be able to do. You won't be able to change behaviors or add new ones, and you can't make new UI behaviors. You can't make soldiers that fight off packs of wolves or change the AI of the people, or change the deer simulation. All that is in C++ code, and at the moment I don't have a good way to allow plug-ins with new code to extend the functionality. This is something I'm considering, but I haven't really examined the effort or implications this sort of code change would require.

There are a few things I still need to resolve for the mod kit, like making an interface to load multiple mods at once, and dealing with mods that override the same base resource. I also need to think about mods in relation to patches – if I make a patch for the game or extend the game with new functionality, the binary data formats may change, which will require mods to be recompiled with a new tool that goes with that particular data version.
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rkelly17

This is most interesting and sounds exciting. I am a bit disappointed that it doesn't sound like someone could reprogram the citizens so they don't idle at the hospital.  :-[

irrelevant

Right. They should idle at taverns, as in real life  ;)

rkelly17

Quote from: irrelevant on July 04, 2014, 11:08:14 AM
Right. They should idle at taverns, as in real life  ;)

Here's my mod idea: Sidewalk cafes that can be built on the market square and beer halls and gardens that can be built near the tavern. These would then become the prime idling areas.

salamander

@rkelly17 -- Would these beer halls/cafes need to collect ale from taverns/markets as a resource, or would having ale available in the town be enough?

irrelevant

#5
Quote from: rkelly17 on July 05, 2014, 07:53:31 AM
Here's my mod idea: Sidewalk cafes that can be built on the market square and beer halls and gardens that can be built near the tavern. These would then become the prime idling areas.
That's a great idea. It would be well worthwhile to set up a few of these here and there, to get some control over where idlers go. Playgrounds for children would be good as well, otherwise they tend to idle on construction sites and at Trade Posts, just where they can expose a variety of transient citizens to any diseases they may be carrying.

RedKetchup

but ... can children 0-19 years and student 10-17 can enter where are alcool being served ?
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rkelly17

Quote from: salamander on July 05, 2014, 08:00:06 AM
@rkelly17 -- Would these beer halls/cafes need to collect ale from taverns/markets as a resource, or would having ale available in the town be enough?

I hadn't thought too seriously about details. Maybe the halls and cafes would have 1 or 2 staff who could collect ale from the market?

Quote from: RedKetchup on July 05, 2014, 11:29:36 AM
but ... can children 0-19 years and student 10-17 can enter where are alcool being served ?

Given that a person can be an adult and get married at 10 in Banished, I'm thinking that there would be no rules against kids in cafes or beer halls. I'm thinking something along the lines of a French cafe or a German Gasthaus or Gartenlokal where families could go.

mariesalias

Cool ideas!  My citizen do idle at Taverns already, it was very noticeable in my 500 farmers challenge town before I built any wells in the area with multiple taverns. Maybe those people just like their fruit ale though.  :D

RedKetchup

but but but .... we need a new ressource, a crop or orchard , i dunnno which one would fit best .... we need coffee grains :) so we can make coffee :)
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rkelly17

Quote from: RedKetchup on July 08, 2014, 04:03:01 PM
but but but .... we need a new ressource, a crop or orchard , i dunnno which one would fit best .... we need coffee grains :) so we can make coffee :)

Of course the coffee would have to be only available from merchants--and then you could build a coffee house where the town intellectuals hang out and talk about post-modernism.  ;D

RedKetchup

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