SS2 just updated to 3.1.0 and the SS2 Loadout changes have finally been implemented thus requiring an update.
As of right now to only thing that has been updated for the tutorial and template downloads is the Injectors, specifically which FormID's are having information injected into them.
The injectors had to be updates or else the mod wouldn't work, this isn't to say other things don't need to be changes, its just to say the most critical problem caused by the update has been fixed.
It should be noted now, however, that you can no longer turn default units that you recruit into template units by changing their load outs form the loud out menu as the the loadout system has been changed by the update, to get Template units you must now use the special unit recruit system to recruit template units.
This is what was changed in the template injectors and the Injector tutorial section.
- Special units must now connect to
"SS2_C3_AllUnitTypess"
"SS2_C3_PlayerUnlockedUnitTypes"
If you are updating your injector then “SS2_C3_DefaultUnitTypes” Must be changed to “SS2_C3_AllUnitTypes” and “SS2_C3_DefaultPlayerUnlockedUnitTypes” Must be changed to “SS2_C3_PlayerUnlockedUnitTypes"
Updated the Template and Script Injector to include Uniforms and a new loadout for power armor.
Also added some new information to the front page tutorial explaining the new power armor loadout, uniforms, and updated the formID lists that need information injected into them.
Download the template and follow the tutorial and you'll be well on your way to making a faction pack.
Just remember to get permission for any mod you plan to include in you faction pack or plan to reference in your faction pack if you plan to publish it, but if its for personal use they you can do whatever.
If you have any question please feel free to ask.
If you wants some ideas for faction names read my *SPOILER* article.
Also, it may help to download one of my other faction pack so you can compare and contrast between what your doing and what I've done.
One last thing, all faction pack including this template require a new game to start and if your flags don't appear in your flag menu then you need to clear the flag cache in the City Manager 2078 Holotape; to do so open the holotape and select tools, then Advanced Tools, then Reset Settlement Flags Cache.
I'm going to update the template in response to a few of the suggestions made in the comments.
What I plan to do is this,
1. The direct edits that I made to the form lists will be replaced with a script that will inject all the necessary information into the needed form list. The up side is that the patches wont be necessary and any update that changes those form list wont require an update of the faction pack (probably), the down side is that the script needs to be made in Creation Kit and the process is way more tedious then just sticking the data into the form list. But, I'll tell you how to do it so it wont be that bad.
2. I will also remove the direct edits made to the outfit manager by deleting the override with my edits as I couldn't use a script to inject my changes into it like with the form lists, but what I will do, which has seemed to work in my testing, is to make a copy of the outfit manager quest file and delete everything from that file except for the reference to my mods ranks and loadouts, so now the template will have its own unique outfit manager quest file.
I've tested these changes my other faction packs and everything was working there; ranks, loadouts, and special units appear where they should in the war planners desk, the soldiers are wearing what they are suppose to, and I can change their outfits with no problem. A new game was still necessary from what I observed so I don't know what's going on there, but other than that my testing was a big success.
Hopefully I got everything right this time, but If anything seems wrong with what I have planned then please let me know.
Hey blacklight, just got a fresh install and this mod is likely going to be a permanent part of my LO. I saw that you're looking into how to use scripts to broaden this mods compatibility. I'm very excited to see how this mod progresses and I'll be keeping an eye out for updates.
Thank you for all your work thus far.
My dream is to finally bring the Black Cross Solutions Mercenary Company to my PC version of the game, and as a fully-fledged faction, thanks to the absence of external asset limitations on PC (I hope I'm allowed to use this language here, but wholeheartedly, f*#@ Sony).
Oh the scripts are already in this template and my other faction packs; they aren't that complicated although I have a feeling that things are going to get way more complicated when SS2 updates how units and loadouts are handled.
Looking forward to seeing what you make in the future too by the way, if it's one of those tactical themed factions there are plenty of armors and weapons that would fit the bill that you could reference, if you get permission.
Just want to comment that there are ways of doing this that don't require hard edits to the base SS2 formlists, so would make faction packs compatible with each other and would not require a new game, and would allow for multiple different types of soldiers and loadouts from different factions to be incorporated that don't require editing or replacing the SS2 forms.
Could you tell me what the other ways are, please? I'm sure it involves scripting, but I don't really understand how all that works, hence why I did what I did with my template and other faction packs for that matter. Speaking of which, if you do know another way could you tell me in detail what to do and how to possibly implement it?
Thanks for the comment by the way, I do want to improve this, but it had to start somewhere you know.
As Kinggath said above, tutorials will be released. Right now there are changes being made behind the scenes to improve the system. That's why there are no tutorials available right now, because the system is not finalized yet. Once it is, Kinggath will make the tutorials available.
I understand that, but its just that Kinggath's comment seems to suggest that the edits I made to the formlists and outfitmanager can be injected via scripts right now without the tutorial, I'm simply asking how to inject information via a script as I'm not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to scripting, is their a guide or a video that explains this sort of stuff, for example.
But, maybe I'm just misreading his comment and I actually do need to wait for his tutorial to comes out, if that's the case then I'm sorry.
EDIT - Figured out how to use a script to inject my ranks, loadouts, and special units into the form lists. DankRafft has a tutorial and template, well not really for form lists, but I figured it out. Now I just need to figure out how to attach the Loadout files to the SS2_OutfitManager with scripts and were in business.
Nice work. Now that the whole Sim Settlements 2 story is out, I probably should get my ass in gear and finish my Gunner Outcasts mod and use that as the base for a Faction pack.
Please be aware that I have not released the tutorials for this stuff yet as it is not ready for faction pack injection. There will be some fundamental changes coming to the Unit/Loadout systems that may invalidate some of this.
Also the edits to several of the formlists and outfitmanager are going to make this template break any future updates we do to those forms in SS2. There will be mechanisms to inject into these from the addon pack system rather than making the edits directly.
@blacklight2207 - If you also have those edits in the pack(s) you've released, you'll want to clear those out and do those changes via script instead. The overhaul to Unit/Loadout system and tutorial release is one of the first things we have planned - just have to make it through hotfix season first.
@Kinggath - As to your last point, yes, my other packs do the same thing as this template. I don't know how to inject my changes via scripts, which is why I did things the way I did them. Could you explain to me (in a lot of detail) or point me to a guide that will explain how to inject my changes via a script?
As to your other points, I'll be sure to update my mods and template for any change you may make in a future update.
Thanks for the comment, I do want to do this correctly, but as I said in another comment I had to start somewhere.
15 comments
As of right now to only thing that has been updated for the tutorial and template downloads is the Injectors, specifically which FormID's are having information injected into them.
The injectors had to be updates or else the mod wouldn't work, this isn't to say other things don't need to be changes, its just to say the most critical problem caused by the update has been fixed.
It should be noted now, however, that you can no longer turn default units that you recruit into template units by changing their load outs form the loud out menu as the the loadout system has been changed by the update, to get Template units you must now use the special unit recruit system to recruit template units.
This is what was changed in the template injectors and the Injector tutorial section.
- Special units must now connect to
If you are updating your injector then “SS2_C3_DefaultUnitTypes” Must be changed to “SS2_C3_AllUnitTypes” and “SS2_C3_DefaultPlayerUnlockedUnitTypes” Must be changed to “SS2_C3_PlayerUnlockedUnitTypes"
Also added some new information to the front page tutorial explaining the new power armor loadout, uniforms, and updated the formID lists that need information injected into them.
Well wait no longer!
Download the template and follow the tutorial and you'll be well on your way to making a faction pack.
Just remember to get permission for any mod you plan to include in you faction pack or plan to reference in your faction pack if you plan to publish it, but if its for personal use they you can do whatever.
If you have any question please feel free to ask.
If you wants some ideas for faction names read my *SPOILER* article.
Also, it may help to download one of my other faction pack so you can compare and contrast between what your doing and what I've done.
One last thing, all faction pack including this template require a new game to start and if your flags don't appear in your flag menu then you need to clear the flag cache in the City Manager 2078 Holotape; to do so open the holotape and select tools, then Advanced Tools, then Reset Settlement Flags Cache.
What I plan to do is this,
1. The direct edits that I made to the form lists will be replaced with a script that will inject all the necessary information into the needed form list. The up side is that the patches wont be necessary and any update that changes those form list wont require an update of the faction pack (probably), the down side is that the script needs to be made in Creation Kit and the process is way more tedious then just sticking the data into the form list. But, I'll tell you how to do it so it wont be that bad.
2. I will also remove the direct edits made to the outfit manager by deleting the override with my edits as I couldn't use a script to inject my changes into it like with the form lists, but what I will do, which has seemed to work in my testing, is to make a copy of the outfit manager quest file and delete everything from that file except for the reference to my mods ranks and loadouts, so now the template will have its own unique outfit manager quest file.
I've tested these changes my other faction packs and everything was working there; ranks, loadouts, and special units appear where they should in the war planners desk, the soldiers are wearing what they are suppose to, and I can change their outfits with no problem. A new game was still necessary from what I observed so I don't know what's going on there, but other than that my testing was a big success.
Hopefully I got everything right this time, but If anything seems wrong with what I have planned then please let me know.
EDIT - New Changes have been implemented.
Thank you for all your work thus far.
My dream is to finally bring the Black Cross Solutions Mercenary Company to my PC version of the game, and as a fully-fledged faction, thanks to the absence of external asset limitations on PC (I hope I'm allowed to use this language here, but wholeheartedly, f*#@ Sony).
Looking forward to seeing what you make in the future too by the way, if it's one of those tactical themed factions there are plenty of armors and weapons that would fit the bill that you could reference, if you get permission.
Have fun.
Thanks for the comment by the way, I do want to improve this, but it had to start somewhere you know.
But, maybe I'm just misreading his comment and I actually do need to wait for his tutorial to comes out, if that's the case then I'm sorry.
EDIT - Figured out how to use a script to inject my ranks, loadouts, and special units into the form lists. DankRafft has a tutorial and template, well not really for form lists, but I figured it out. Now I just need to figure out how to attach the Loadout files to the SS2_OutfitManager with scripts and were in business.
Also the edits to several of the formlists and outfitmanager are going to make this template break any future updates we do to those forms in SS2. There will be mechanisms to inject into these from the addon pack system rather than making the edits directly.
@blacklight2207 - If you also have those edits in the pack(s) you've released, you'll want to clear those out and do those changes via script instead. The overhaul to Unit/Loadout system and tutorial release is one of the first things we have planned - just have to make it through hotfix season first.
As to your other points, I'll be sure to update my mods and template for any change you may make in a future update.
Thanks for the comment, I do want to do this correctly, but as I said in another comment I had to start somewhere.