This is a little tool I have been working on over the course of the past week. I was modifying the YAML files and of course, made some mistake that caused it to not work properly. I had the idea that I could easily design a small tool, which would allow admins to create and export customized planets. Once completed, there will be a biome creator and server creator which will create a random biome based on the overall files. Currently, the sector data tab is the only tab that works fully, minus the export process at this time. Clicking the Orbit (the red text), will load all of the local Biome fields (the green text) in that orbit. In the picture below, you can see it has loaded the Sun into the Biome location below. The original zones have been imported into tool already, for easy use. Download: coming soon! Requirements: Windows 32 or 64 bit, Microsoft .net 4.52 Current Features: Add sector spaces with verification Add playfield spaces with verification Override duplicated locations Filter the existing created spaces to view only those Displays all created Orbits in the Orbit list Displays all created Biomes per Orbit in the Biome list SQLite database driven for storing all of the files Exporting SectorData Default Game supplied in database Individual Biome Creation/Modification Playfield customization with color picker Exporting custom biomes, planets and more to share with other servers. Pending Features: Drone Creation/Modification Server Generator (will randomly generate entire systems either randomly or from settings selected (number of planets, moons, asteroid belts, plants, creatures, drones) Biome Generator (will randomly generate entire playfields either randomly or from settings selected (number of planers, moons, asteroid belts, plants, creatures, drones) Database Schema update tool Custom Sectors usage: Create a space first: Select the Space location, enter any notes for that location and click add Space, only one space location is allowed. You may override this; however, there may be unattended consequences of doing so. Select the newly created Space Location, this will be where your Planets reside. Enter the Biome Location of 0,0,0 and select Orbit Biome to create the space playfield where all the objects will reside. Enter your Playfield Location, checkmark the option to spawn in the location if desired, enter the playfield name and the biome for that playfield. Enter any notes into the system, these notes are not exported at this time into the sectors file and are used for the tools purposes. Click the Add Playfield button to add the object into the Space location that was selected. Continue this until satisfied that you have entered all of the data properly. Click export Sectors to create the file that is required. Custom Biome creation: (read sector section above pending list, it's almost identical) Set available options for each of the Playfields that are in the system and enabled.
About time. The devs should have had a config program from the very beginning. Instead of the barbaric editing and saving files by hand method . That type of config went out in the 90's. Good job. Note: I didn't see config for sky colour, water levels etc.
That will be under the biome generation section once I get to that section. The tool has an autoupdate feature built in, so I can do rolling releases as I finish those parts. I just started playing and am really interested in seeing how the engine handles stacking of biomes and large generated planetary systems. I want to make highly customizable worlds, with full control of all flora/fauna/biome settings and I am importing more to the database as I go and see whats possible.
so you complain that mp functionality distracts from the game development, and then complain the devs didnt do enough on their first attempts with mp function. between the hypocrisy, hostility, and excessive post count (with little contributed) i am curious why one would waste so much time on something they clearly don't enjoy.
I did my time in Multiplayer years ago with ownership of a 125 member strong clan. I still wear the tag. But I hate to see players jump into Multiplayer only to have there game crash, get griefed on, looking on forums for answers to why there projects have been deleted. Or why a update has now locked them out of multiplayer. The list is almost endless. What this OP is doing is great news for this game till the devs can figure it out. Lots of reactive but very little proactive with this game. Need I say more.
great tool and yes devs should have done this to begin mp with... thus i like to see more of this work thevisand more of what you planned at the top....one isue i like to point out ... when one adds planets to a server that already has been running and has saved files...it will cuase isues .. later down the line.. like within 24 hours to a week your server will crash and will need a wipe...thus this is a great SETUP tool and i will be using it .... job well done... i just hope you get to finnish this tool in full....
great work man ...any word on your release date yet?..cause i would love to testdrive that little toy....
Sorry, I have been really busy the past week or so at work/home. I am hoping that I can finish enough of the exporting functionality to be able to release something by Sunday. The database side of things is already done and hooked up, just need to finish the second settings page. That will finish out the core of the application and the rest can come along later.
Just an update, finished the Playfield settings tab connection to the database (see pics above). I just need to finalize the settings page 2 and the export for those two pages. This will provide the majority of the functionality and I can release an alpha version for you guys to begin testing with.
Its a great idea and I have asked the developers on many occasion to make a thing like this built into the game, when they get time maybe we will see it hard coded into the game.
Well, he IS after all Blarg, the Space-PIRATE... But, yes, usually it is against the rules to hijack/kidnap someone elses Thread like that. Because, as we see already, some people are expressing their good feelings for the project without adressing which project they mean, which can lead to confusion and a false sense of accomplishment on the side of the one that is not meant by the... uhm... Expressor. Now, before we all short-circuit here, may i serve some calming tea maybe?
This looks fantastic TheVisad, nice work! Are you going to continue development? If not, will you pass the source on to someone who will? If you're not planning to do either, would you please (respectfully of course) remove your post so people don't continue to get a sense of false hope?
Phobes, I appreciate your kudos and since so many seem to wonder why I stopped development, here it is. I stopped playing the game first and foremost; however, I had continued development for a while after I had quit, simply because others were interested in it. I completely stopped development the day another user snipped my post and released his script/tool/whatever using this post as a launching pad. Awesome that he wrote a script/tool to do anything, especially in open office; regardless, it was still egg in my face. Rather then make a public issue of it, I allowed other users to comment on the issue and I just stepped away. Yet, here I am being dragged back into it and told that I should release my tool or delete my posts. Regardless, I cannot simply delete the post, there are no options for that. I looked when I first stepped away and again today. I could blank out the top post, but seriously, me coming here and commenting on this was more effort then I wanted to put into it in the first place. So if it's really bothering people so much, feel free to reach out to the admins/moderators of the forum and ask them to do so. All of this being said, my current gaming community has asked for a Empyrion server, so most likely it will be finished. The question remains if I feel like posting it here, to be used by others or just keep it for our private use. The code is sitting in a state where I simply need to write the exporter, all databases have been completed and finalized and I showed Vexray the "finished" (minus export functions) product the other day after he sought me out on Steam and had a couple of hour conversation with me. I offered him the source code when he asked, as long as he purchased the automatic updater that is embedded in the tool. Since this is paid for software (85$) I cannot just "give" it away since it is licensed per developer and I use it in all of my tools. This is something I "never" do as a rule, but I verified that none of my core code is inside of this, all of the code was written specifically for this tool.
Neat tool. Games need people like you more often. That being said there is a report button and I'm more then happy to assist with your issues. The user not making his own thread was in the wrong but you were also in the wrong by not standing up and asking for help when needed. You only put yourself down and that is no fun for you or anyone else Anyways back on topic all I was actually recently looking into adding new planets and such. But I was a bit of a lazy person to even bother. Suggestion: Playfield String Generator so people can share their playfield settings with others in the community. It would just string up the settings into one neat string and people can import and export playfields and share them via a thread on the forums
I apologize if I came off as rude, I have a hard time being direct and polite at the same time! I also didn't realize the other person that was participating in this thread had hijacked your work; I just skimmed over their posts and assumed they were trying to contribute to your work, my mistake. I understand that you can't give away the software you used, that wouldn't be fair to you or the developers. May I ask why you stepped away from the game, being that you've developed such a useful tool? I am curious! I've also stepped away as I don't want to burn myself out before the game is released, which I have a tendency to do, so I can understand if that's the case for you as well! Kane is right, games need more people who take initiative the way you did, especially when it's something that can make a server admin's life easier. He's also correct that the blatant theft of your work (or even concept for that matter) should have been reported and dealt with, if not by you then someone else participating in the thread.
This is a great idea and that should be fairly easy to implement. Maybe a ticker with the latest submissions in a forum thread.
I was pulled away from the game by other games and work/life has been incredibly busy for me the past couple of months. I really enjoyed the game and just logged back into it last night for the first time in months. This is one of the few games that I actually went out and gathered resources to craft items for. I was geeked with all of the changes that were made so far and hope they continue.
Yep! Glad to see your still around Visad =P. Was starting to think i was going to have to sacrifice my left hand to the gods to get some sort of ritualistic program >_>;;
