Author Topic: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding  (Read 4171 times)

Offline NeoWorm

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
[QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« on: August 04, 2014, 10:20:01 am »
Have anyone tried to change Geoscape geometry? For example making different planet? I was investigating a little and as far as I know Geometry is stored in WORLD.DAT in quite well documented format. Manually choosing around 700 numbers in hex code seems like a lot of work but far from being  impossible even without any specialized program. And regions, countries and Cities are already in rulesets. Or is there some kind of hidden problem that I can't see? Cause I am very tempted to try to make a Mars...

Offline luke83

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 1558
    • View Profile
    • openxcommods
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2014, 01:10:09 pm »

Offline NeoWorm

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2014, 11:29:41 pm »
see this topic
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=530.15

That's very nice. The world.dat editor works quite well. After a little Photoshop magic I already have pretty nice Mars reference image. So Globe itself shoudn't be a problem. I will try it a little and see if it shows ingame.

Next thing is to edit the Geoscape palette and the TEXTURES.DAT to introduce Mars colors. Than we should have a nice looking Mars Geoscape ingame.

Offline Arthanor

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 2488
  • XCom Armoury Quartermaster
    • View Profile
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2014, 12:03:46 am »
A mod for a "follow up" game where you invade Mars? That would be really cool!

Get your first base by assaulting an alien base successfully and start the campaign by using the game save from finishing the last one. Then, of course, once Mars is taken care of, crazy stuff starts to rise from the oceans back on Earth and you scramble back! That would be incredible!

Offline NeoWorm

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2014, 12:39:41 am »
Yeah, something like that. It can bring some nice mechanics to the game.
You are far from Earth, that means everything you want to buy is a LOT more expensive, including rookies. On the other hand you can buy everything up to Laser. With exception of a Skyrangers and Interceptors - you are stuck with either elerium based crafts or ground solar powered tanks that are slow as hell but can operate outside of base for days. Terror missions could be replaced by  Dimension rift missions that would incorporate elements from Apocalypse and are crucial for finishing game. Also there could be Psi interference caused by dimensional instability which means that normal Psi-Amps dont work, unless you have alien artifacts that makes it possible. Artifacts which you can't manufacture.
Could be fun.

Offline Dioxine

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 5433
  • punk not dead
    • View Profile
    • Nocturnal Productions
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2014, 04:50:23 am »
I think a major hurdle to this project are the (insofar) un-moddable state borders (the ones drawn on the map, not the ones actually used by the game)...

Offline NeoWorm

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
Re: [QUESTION] Geoscape modding
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2014, 05:37:59 pm »
Well I think finding the draw method in source and commenting it out shoudn't be problem and I don't need to mod it, just remove it.