Well I would like to see a base editor that can edit bases, what commodities they sell, equipment, Ships, MaYBE even bribes!

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Dont mistake Santa for Santa Claus
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Ok... A good editor will have the ability to
1. Change the ships sold at various locations... even extra ships like in Porche's star wars ship pak.

2. It will allow you to modify the weapons, not only the power, but what the projectile looks like (what it looks like by switching around what is already in the game from photon cannon, laser cannon, missile, plasma cannon etc.).

3. Edit the look of the weapon itself (again using what is already there by switching around various parts).

4. This is the important one... Allow the addition of hardpoints onto various ships and adjust what they will shoot! Some ships already have hardpoints that are just not "awakened" and that is the easy part, but also be able to actually add a hardpoint where there is none presently there. I would be very cool if you could also edit those things on modded ships once they are visible in the game, again like those in Porche's star wars ship pak. For this you need a graphic of the actual ship or some "protoship" that will transfer the info to the actual ship in the game.

5. Edit and add sounds to the various actions that ships, guns, missiles and torpedos make

6. Allow a person to make a new weapon from existing parts including class, power, etc... give it a new name, make an infocard for it, make it for sale at various locaitons at whatever price they fix. In other words create a new weapon start to finish with parts available already in the game.

7. The same for ships... Create a new name for some existing ship, give it new stats like speed, power, gun, missile and torp mounts, nano's and shield batteries, set hull strength, shield strength, cargo hold capacity, etc... sell it at various locations under the new name with a new infocard.

8. As a matter of course, identify all market locations, what they now sell, what you could make to sell there, add ship sales to places that currently do not have them, modify the commodities sold there and the prices thereof. That would make it more feasable to run shipments from closer ports at a decent profit at the beginning of a career so you don't have to go about murdering future allies if you can get around it. Your promotions always depend on cash on hand... let's give another way to earn it.

9. A way to open up all the gates as a matter of course, and put all locations in the game on the map from the beginning so you could actually go somewhere and know where you are going. There are several programs that attempt this now but all leave something out, or muck up the ini's so other mods won't work. Some open the gate but don't mark the game map with all the locatiions after the gates are open. This is essential. No universe with commerce already happening would be devoid of a map marking all trade routes and known planets. I think it was dumb of the creators to try to hide this stuff from you. If someone dosen't like this feature, they don't have to activate it. For the rest of us, especially those who want to make new stuff and have it available it is essential. You cannot be searching around in the dark with a ship while being pelted with laser fire from brigands and pirates with no port in sight and no knowledge of where to go.

10. The ability to edit other essentials like shields and thrusters to go with the ships and make them available in the places necessary at whatever price you fix.

11. Make sure the appropriate files are automatically backed up when you start an editing session, and the new files saved at the end of the session so the game can be immediately launched and moded stuff tested without having to "hand place" the various files into the Freelancer directories... but that is perhaps too obvious to ask for.

I am sure there are more things that I have overlooked but these I would consider the essentials. If you got these, you can play this game forever with new universes that will be added by other persons with other editors they will create.

JustSomeGuy

Yup, that about covers it. I hope you can do this, it would be the most useful tool for freelancer yet! In later realeases would it be possible to have a system editor??? just a thought.

Zytec

Yat...... That guy just about sums up what a dream editor would have built in to it , however if you could incorperate half or even most of his sugesstions that would be an awsum editor, hope too use it soom

jeah,it sounds very great,i hope i can use it soon,too!

The Engine of Darkness is the
Black Hole

Also, can you add in the 2d FL system editor, Shadow51689 is talking about in his post. Anything easier to add new systems would be much appreciated.

Spectre

D'oh! Looks like I've got my work cut out for me now

Ok, just to answer Just Some Guy...

1: One of the main things I want to do.
2: Stats shouldn't be hard, and I'm sure I can figure out the projectiles...
3: Hmmm.... That might be for a later version...
4: This is the hardest part, but I have some ideas....
5: Shouldn't be too hard.
6: See 3 (once I do the editing thing, adding in a new one should be easy).
7: Hmmmm.... Interesting... Will see what I can do.
8: One of the first things I'm doing.
9: I agree with this one. I liked Privateer where you bought system maps (you started with the one for the system you were in). The biggest problem will be the system editor, but I'll see how I go.
10: Should be easy... (famous last words ).
11: lol... I was going to do that, just trying to figure out the best way of doing it.

One other thing I want to do is make it 100% compatible with FLMM, so you can click a button to save it to the folder and it can be used straight away. It will make it easier for testing.

What I will do is a roadmap of what I am doing, and what I plan to do. It will be written in VB.NET (as I know VB better that C++), and will utilise various other programs that support command line functionality, such as Bini and ResHacker (as long as I have the authors permission).

One other idea I had (which will be a later add-on) is a ship price calculator. You set prices for the hulls and components, and it spits out a price. Might even see if I can include the ability for people to write plugins...

Also, it needs a name. I am going to use Marauder's Mod Maker, but would like something better. Freelancer Mod maker is out for two reasons: 1) the acronym for it clashes with the mod manager, and 2) I want to avoid using any Microsoft trademarks anywhere in it to cover myself. So... any ideas?

"The Freelancer's Guide to the Universe" sounds good to me!

EDIT: I meant "The Freelancer's Guide to the Galaxy" but either would be great.

As to your want of avoiding trademark infringement, Freelancer is a commonly used word in the dictionary. I don't think they can TM it. If they did, my title with a " 's " would not infringe on that.

Spectre


Edited by - Spectre-Man on 12-06-2003 05:44:39

I dont care what this is called - it is gonna be awesome! I cant wait for you to release it!

As for names, a mod maker type name, like freelancer edit, or... well, you know...

Zytec

If you can pull this off, you're the man !

Just an update to what I am up to....

I am currently working through the ini files seeing how they are laid out and what info they hold. I think the first beta will be mainly complete, as the inis are all fairly well related. Hopefully I can get a bit done this weekend (fingers crossed).

I'm trying to figure out the best output for this. It will write to the directory of your choice, and be fully FLMM compatible. It will also create the XML script for the thing (I will have to work on a way to see whether the file is worth editing or replacing....)

Anyways, I will keep you informed.

I know this is early, but do you have any idea on when this will be complete??? Sorry for being impatient, its just that I cant wait to use it!

i would like to see everything incorporated. at the moment ive got an editor for systems, an editor for ships, and they both work on a different system (one is FLMM and the other is...not) so it all should be contained in the one program, it should be easy for n00bs (which practically everyone is cos the game is new and damn microshaft didnt say anything about editing it) if you do all this, i think it will become the standard editor everyone uses and you will be a GOD (literally)

Also, can you add in the 2d FL system editor, Shadow51689 is talking about in his post. Anything easier to add new systems would be much appreciated.

Spectre


Whoa! someone actully pays attention to what i gotta say.. lol
Yeah some kind of editor like that would be great man... till then i got Freelancer Explorer.