Modding Meld

[wghost81]

I was able to easily turn off meld canisters placement on missions by changing two bytes in XGBattleDesc.ShouldSpawnMeldCanisters (true -> false). If someone want to eliminate Meld from the game totally, they can set MECHTOID_MELD and HFLOATER_MELD in DGC.INI to 0. With anti-EXALT mod it will result in almost-EU game with new maps, aliens and UI features. That is something I'll definitely try sometimes. :smile:

 

But I want meld in my game, although in different form. Personally, I don't like ticking clocks. It makes me nervous. :smile: So I want to have meld, but get rid of that annoying timer, which forces me to change my tactics.

 

EW already have other ways of collecting meld: as resource from killed Heavy Floaters and Cyberdiscs and, if I remember correctly, as some DLC mission rewards.

 

So, theoretically, we could receive Meld from

• alien bodies;
• ship salvage;
• special mission rewards.

I don't like getting meld as a reward, but getting it from alien bodies and some ships like abductors and supply barges seems logical to me. Small amount, may be randomized.

 

Artifacts collected from alien bodies are determined through XGSummaryUI.CollectArtifactsFromDeadAliens. It's a big function, but I think it can be rewritten to collect meld not only from Heavy Floaters and Cyberdiscs, but all the other aliens too. Same could be done with the ship salvage, although I haven't looked into this yet. I doubt it is possible to add meld values as constants to DGC.INI, it would be awesome.

 

My plan is to work on aliens bodies now and see what can be done in that aspect. Stay tuned! :smile:

Edited November 24, 2013 by wghost81

[Krazyguy75]

You might be able to re-write the multiplayer and re-use DefaultMPGame to allow you to essentially have a ini for your mods. Only downside would be the loss of multiplayer (which probably won't work with most mods).

[wghost81]

Thanks, Krazyguy75, I'll look into this.

[Amineri]

Another possibility is to turn off one or the other meld containers.

 

Check out XGBattle_SP.InitMeldContainers

 

Basically each map defines a set of possible meld container spawn points. Each such spawn point is labeled as "easy" or "hard". The timer amount is also configured in the map file.

 

The vanilla code always spawns 1 easy and 1 hard meld container per map. However this InitMeldContainers function could be modded to:

• Only spawn a single "hard" container
• Only spawn a single container, randomized between easy or hard
• Have a random roll to spawn an easy container

Lots of options, in addition to being able to mod the amount of meld per container.

 

----------------

 

Regarding the CollectArtifactsFromDeadAliens -- I'd heavily modded that function for Long War EU. The new function:

1. Destroyed corpses (and basically everything) from aliens killed by explosives
2. Allowed collection of some artifacts even on failed missions
3. Allowed fractional accumulation of alloys/elerium for alien robots .. each drone was 0.5 alloy and 0.34 elerium

[Tycus]

I agree with OP on a subject of getting rid of meld, albeit for different reason. Those Meld canisters seem out of place in most missions (who will bring extremely valuable resource, where it can easily get captured; it is not like they require it for immediate use), but I'm ok for getting Meld from bigger UFO ships (Supply Barge has it in its name, after all) or from some missions (like Alien Base Assault). Getting Meld from the bodies of cybernetic and robotic aliens should require more difficult approach - like special meld extraction process, which irreversibly destroys corpse, but amount of meld granted via this process should be some small random amount (like 3-7 points; who knows what kind of damage that body already suffered on the battlefield), but this meld extraction process totally should apply to captured aliens as well (granting full amount of meld, like 10); maybe even different amount for different alien types.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Tycus

[Krazyguy75]

Treat it as a engineering project, with a 1 day time period. Cost: 1 body.

[wghost81]

Amineri, there are a couple of interface-related stuff, connected to Meld (timer UI, for example). So you have to be careful, when disallowing Meld spawn directly from Map Manager functions. But yes, Meld containers are moddable in many different ways.

 

Tycus, I don't want to complicate things too much. "Complex is fun, complicated is not". :smile: I want meld, I want Meld collection to be more logical when it is now and I want less Meld to have actual choice between genetic mods and MECs.

Edited November 25, 2013 by wghost81

[Tycus]

Treat it as a engineering project, with a 1 day time period. Cost: 1 body.

Yes, this should do the trick.

 

<..>

Tycus, I don't want to complicate things too much. "Complex is fun, complicated is not".

I don't believe that my proposal complicate things too much (have you played original X-COM by any chance?), because it will enrich the game; obviously simply selling stuff is dull, and you don't have to use arcthrower that much (usually it is capture one of each alien type and ditch it for rest of the game); I just want to get some incentive of getting arcthrower earlier on the field and keep it use use mid-game; and finally get some use for those captive aliens (I got few other ideas on how those can be used). This is a sort of "earn your reward" type of gameplay I'm trying to achieve here.

 

<..> I want meld, I want Meld collection to be more logical when it is now and I want less Meld to have actual choice between genetic mods and MECs.

Me too, especially early-to-mid game (when it most important). And original Meld collection mechanic clashes with principles of gameplay in my mod horribly.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Tycus

[Krazyguy75]

I use arc throwers all the time!

 

 

 

...because I want to see if I can complete the game with minimal enemy casualties. Call me too nice.

[wghost81]

have you played original X-COM by any chance?

I'm a big fan of OG, but I still think JS did a great job of removing micromanagement and keeping the essentials in EU. Manually dissecting each and every body to get meld from it is as boring to me as re-equipping soldiers each time in OG (XCU helps, but it's not perfect and can't auto-buy ammo, for example).

 

My idea is to not generate any artifacts, including corpses, if alien was killed by explosion. On higher difficulties you'll have to choose between saving your soldier and getting artifacts, so yes, everything you collect you earn.

 

If you want to make arc thrower more useful, you can tie in meld to captured aliens, not the dead ones.