If this is the wrong place, I apologize. Still fairly new to the forums. I've recently begun looking at the game files, and trying my hand at tweaking settings and creating scenarios (all after backing up everything of course). I have had limited success, but I'm still learning. I am trying to make a few simple changes to the singleplayer mode (not a scenario - the random start SP survival - I have to do that because I can't find a way to emulate random planet and terrain generation in a scenario). I've successfully edited the solarsystemconfig.yaml under Content > RandomPresets to do two simple things in an effort to make games more difficult: increase the difficulty range of all planets, and allow starting on nearly all planets. This has worked, and I was able to successfully run a SP survival game (again, not a scenario) on a randomly generated desert planet with high difficulty. There is one more change I would like to add: I would like to have Zirax patrols roaming the entire planet, just as they do within Zirax territory. This will, I hope, make the game substantially more difficult. However, I can't get this to work. My main problem is lack of experience/information. Under Content > Playfields > Desert there are three yaml files: debug, dynamic, and static. I don't know the difference. I was editing the dynamic yaml, using the EPD tool, but eventually figured out that the game is not running the planet on that yaml file. Assuming the debug is for debugging, I went to the static yaml and tried to make the same changes (adding Zirax patrols to the creature list for specific biomes). The problem with the static file (as EPD let me know once I tried to save), is that it has no biome information. I checked the yaml file in brackets (akin to notepad++ or Dreamweaver), and sure enough, there's just no biomes in it. At the same time, it has references to biome information all throughout it, like creature spawns. EPD won't save without any biomes, and I don't know how to add biomes (or if I should), so I'm stuck. Could someone explain to me the differences between the three types of yaml files, and how I can simply add Zirax patrols planet-wide? Thanks.
Dynamic contains the Biome data Static contains ore, pois and rest of the stuff Debug isnt really used then just by us To add patrols you edit the Static file at the bottom somewhere
Thanks for the reply and info, Taelyn. That clears some stuff up. When I resume the game to see if the patrols are there, I still don't see any. I have amount 12, delay at 20/24, just like most of the other creatures. It could be that I'm just missing them, but I've flown around the planet in god mode quite a bit, over several day/night cycles, and haven't seen any. Is there a way I can quickly test to see if changes are working?
I was able to get it working. I think I needed to start a new game, and once I set the initial delay to zero I started seeing patrols. I'm not sure what changes require a new game to load and what changes are implemented when I resume a game, but at least it's working now. Thanks again, Taelyn.
If you want to change stuff on an existing save you have to edit the files in the save game folder/templates There names as playfield.yaml thats a Static and Dynamic file in one. Some stuff can be changed on a existing save some things not
Speaking of some things can and some cannot, - can you edit the playfield.yaml on an existing server and add the 'NoShieldReload: True' ? I currently have a game going with some drone bases that have infinite shields and it is frustrating.
I'm no expert, but an infinite shield sounds like a bug, not a yaml file setting. Shield reload just means the shield regens just like the player's.
It's not a bug, it's just has to do with the timing on when my group started this game. It was right in between the time when certain POIs were updated with sheilds, and the time when they added the noreload attribute. Just bad luck on our part. It was a very small window and that's when we decided to do a restart on our galaxy. I'm just trying to see if I can retroactively fix that.