More Notes on Custom Soldier Skill/Perk Trees

[PaxEmpyrean]

People, listing an ability as five values (like 04 2C 5C 06 86) is liable to screw something up when people start moving them around, because one of the values on the end indicates that an ability is the last for that class. Only the middle value (5C in the example I gave) matters. Only change the middle value.

Listing a bunch of values so people can search for it is bad form. Just give the address for the values that you need to change and you can change it as much as you want. Searching for clumps of data instead of knowing where the data is supposed to be is useless if they've already changed it.

[graaa]

Right, its obvious to people who have done this before that the middle hex is the one you gotta change. I'm including 5 hexes in my lists because that's most guarenteed way to search for it and find it (3 hexes will result in too many duplicate results). My method of finding them requires 5 hexes because I'm changing them in the main gigantic xcomgame.upk. However, I'll admit I'm not sure if my methods are the most efficient. Can you clarify what you mean when you say "just give the address"? As far as I know the 5-hex code is the address.

 

Also BTW in my toolboks mod I isolate a single hex on a single line for the user to change, making it way easier to change and keep track of these things.

[PaxEmpyrean]

If they've changed anything, when they search for it they won't find it. The five hex code only works if they're playing with unmodified values. If they've added the same ability elsewhere, they'll get duplicate results as well.

 

Can you clarify what you mean when you say "just give the address"? As far as I know the 5-hex code is the address.

Specifically I'm talking about the offset. When you open up XComGame.upk with a hex editor and search for to 04 2C 12 06 4A (which is the default for Fire Rocket as the first ability in the Heavy tree) and move the cursor over the 12, your hex editor (they should all have this, so the one you use doesn't matter) should display an offset value somewhere to show you exactly how far into the file you're looking. The offset for the first ability in the Heavy tree is 6D6613. No matter what you change the ability in that slot to, the offset remains the same because it's just telling you where the value is, not what it is.

 

I posted the list a while ago. Here it is again: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/891202-quick-list-of-abilities-and-their-offsets-in-decompressed-xcomgameupk/

Edited February 16, 2013 by PaxEmpyrean

[dubiousintent]

Alright, here are my first attempts at a custom skill tree for each class. These are ToolBoks Custom Mods, for use with ToolBoks v0.91+. They will probably work with older versions but in that case you would be forced to strip out the comments in the [FIND] and [REPLACE] sections, so why not upgrade now? Bokauk has added a number of great features to v0.91.

 

Each class has it's own separate mod, so they can be tweaked, mixed, and matched as desired. They are heavily commented internally and should be pretty self-explanatory.

 

Edit: BTW, I provided Bokauk with some 'templates' which might make it into the next release. They don't make any actual changes, but provide the basis for someone to just plug in the new skills they want. Exact same structure as these, but these have some specific skill sets I want to test.

 

Edit: Bokauk pointed out that these might not work with Patch 2, due to byte-code changes. They have not been tested with Patch 2. Suggest that line in the description be deleted (it was simply copied from the original template in ToolBoks). My apologies if it causes anyone issues.

 

-Dubious-

Edited February 17, 2013 by dubiousintent

[PaxEmpyrean]

The trick to custom ability trees is to rebuild them each time you play through the game. Mix up abilities, start over, play through the game and see how it goes. Finished my fifth rebuild now.

Some abilities require prerequisites to function properly. If you have Smoke Grenade anywhere but the starting slot, other abilities based on it have no effect if they are chosen and Smoke Grenade is not, which makes a single ability choice the same as choosing a whole block of alternative abilities. To make it so this isn't actually a problem, I just make sure the alternative abilities all complement each other well to begin with. The alternative is to make it so prerequisite abilities sit at the top of every ability tree like they do now so that player skill picks are idiot-proof, but that kind of sucks. Idiot-proofing is only worthwhile if you care about idiots.

Edited February 16, 2013 by PaxEmpyrean

[graaa]

I posted the list a while ago. Here it is again: http://forums.nexusm...ed-xcomgameupk/

Ah yes, I see what you mean now.

 

If they've changed anything, when they search for it they won't find it.

The five hex code only works if they're playing with unmodified values.

If they've added the same ability elsewhere, they'll get duplicate

results as well.

Roger, thats why I listed the changes that people made in post #10 for a couple of mods (Wextension and Long War), albeit in the difficult hex form ;)

 

Edit: BTW, I provided Bokauk with some 'templates' which might make it into the next release.

Cool! would you mind posting it?

[dubiousintent]

By request, here are the 4 class templates for ToolBoks Custom Mods:

Please note that as they stand, these templates make no actual changes. The REPLACE section is identical to the FIND section.

 

-Dubious-

Edited February 17, 2013 by dubiousintent

[graaa]

I've created templates that are compatible with certain MODs you may be using. Both Warspace Extension and Long War have made changes to the trees and these files will allow you to make your own changes to THOSE changes. This way you can have the mod installed AND make changes to their skill trees.

 

Obviously, must use ToolBoks.

 

If you have any requests, I'd be happy to make a file for other mods that have made changes to the ability trees so you can tweak em.

 

*Versions 1.1 Released with better perk tables for reference*

Attached Files:

 

New Versions 1.1

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2013 by graaa

[Yzaxtol]

This is my current version of my Ability Tree for my Merciless mod I'm planning on making so this probably won't be the final version.

 

Anyone got any feedback for what they think works and doesn't with this set-up. The game play does depend on the 'worse' perks being first.

 

http://test.gandcdesign.co.uk/Ability%20Tree.jpg

[AleddJones]

No real complaints with that. I've probably revised my perk trees a dozen times, sometimes fairly similar to yours. Only changes I'd make would be personal preference.

Saying that, I think Sprinter is a bit of a dump skill. It's good, but considering the same effect can be achieved by changing the level up values to +3 move at whatever rank you so choose, it seems like something else could go there.

 

What's your opinion on Damn Good Ground? I've never really seen it to be useful, Snipers aren't really in active combat, especially with compulsory Squadsight. It's also such a small buff :/

Personally I'd switch DGG with Snapshot, although presumably you left that out for a reason. I just think it goes so perfectly opposite Gunslinger...