Even though this has not been updated since March 2021, some game update inbetween then and now (June 2023) seems to have fixed the issues described below. In version 6.0 I am able to simply install and use this (no need to edit mapdefaults.xml or mess with dependency settings) with no apparent errors - all sectors have sunlight values adjusted as described.
Line 121 of the mapdefaults.xml has an error, it needs to be the following: <!--Thuruk's Demise III--> <replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_Sector001_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
Also add the new official dlc's to content.xml as non-optional dependecies. That was what I tinkered with, anyway.
Looks good to me, I don't see that TOA did anything to mess with the sunlight values. It was likely just your content.xml tweaks that did the job.
Note, for completeness & formatting (since I'm pointing people at this comment in the Steam Workshop comments):
--------
The "al_starbright\libraries\mapdefaults.xml" fix is to find the following line: <replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
And replace it with: <replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_Sector001_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
--------
The "al_starbright\content.xml" fix is to find the following line: <dependency id="ego_dlc_split" optional="false" name="Split Vendetta"/>
... and add to it so it looks like this: <dependency id="ego_dlc_split" optional="false" name="Split Vendetta"/> <dependency id="ego_dlc_terran" optional="true" name="Cradle of Humanity"/> <dependency id="ego_dlc_pirate" optional="true" name="Tides of Avarice"/>
Yes, as also with 4.2. Well, b.t.w. I also saw the interview at that time :-) - and now I have to 'rebuild' my stations in order for opt. output after installing your mod - nice, like this gameplay... make more sense...
I guess you've heard the interview with Bernd Lehahn where he mentioned exactly this kind of effect for the sectors of the new Terran DLC. He also mentioned they decided to leave the old sectors as is for backwards compatibility. I wonder why this would be a problem.
I did in fact make this in response to that interview ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxt68D_H82A ). There he suggested this is something they would like to do in the base game but that it could be a problem for old savegames--not for technical reasons (I know because I can load into old savegames with it active and it works), but rather because player complexes that were built to be self-sufficient wouldn't be anymore which may frustrate the player. If you go in eyes wide open and are building your complexes with this in mind from the outset then I believe it should turn out alright.
Ultimately the overall average efficiency is ~113% of the base universe, but it's much lumpier in terms of distribution so in principle the simulation should be able to produce more energy than baseline, though it may take some time for the GOD engine and mission director to reorient the AI economies appropriately.
The mod should not conflict in any way with whatever Egosoft does going forward except if they also directly update the sunlight parameter.
The mod is set up as a diff patch. It looks at existing files, identifies specific sectors and tells X4 to live update ONLY the sunlight parameter for those sectors. If new sectors are added they won't be affected. If sectors are removed it will just bypass that update process and X4 will continue happily. If any other sector parameter changes (either by some other mod or Egosoft official patch) for the covered sectors those changes won't be affected by this mod and will just go through.
If sunlight parameter specifically is updated by some other mod or official patch then it will depend on the load order as to which will take precedence. You can just uninstall the mod and everything should work fine if you want to return to the Egosoft official treatment down the line.
It's weird, because it's a trivial check. "Am I loading a pre-CoH start game? Then I'll not use the new sunlight settings. Am I starting a new v4 game? Use the new sunlight levels"
I'd say definitely needed for immersion as they said in the Captain Collins interview that the Terran sectors will not be "constant" like the Argon/Split/Etc sectors.
15 comments
<!--Thuruk's Demise III-->
<replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_Sector001_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
Also add the new official dlc's to content.xml as non-optional dependecies. That was what I tinkered with, anyway.
Note, for completeness & formatting (since I'm pointing people at this comment in the Steam Workshop comments):
--------
The "al_starbright\libraries\mapdefaults.xml" fix is to find the following line:
<replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
And replace it with:
<replace sel="//dataset[@macro='Cluster_408_Sector001_macro']/properties/area/@sunlight">0.7</replace>
--------
The "al_starbright\content.xml" fix is to find the following line:
<dependency id="ego_dlc_split" optional="false" name="Split Vendetta"/>
... and add to it so it looks like this:
<dependency id="ego_dlc_split" optional="false" name="Split Vendetta"/>
<dependency id="ego_dlc_terran" optional="true" name="Cradle of Humanity"/>
<dependency id="ego_dlc_pirate" optional="true" name="Tides of Avarice"/>
Ultimately the overall average efficiency is ~113% of the base universe, but it's much lumpier in terms of distribution so in principle the simulation should be able to produce more energy than baseline, though it may take some time for the GOD engine and mission director to reorient the AI economies appropriately.
Feedback is definitely welcome though!
Alternative way of energy cell production (reference to Egosoft interview at 25.02.2021) - egosoft.com
I assume your mod will not conflict with Egosoft's new code. Am I right?
The mod is set up as a diff patch. It looks at existing files, identifies specific sectors and tells X4 to live update ONLY the sunlight parameter for those sectors. If new sectors are added they won't be affected. If sectors are removed it will just bypass that update process and X4 will continue happily. If any other sector parameter changes (either by some other mod or Egosoft official patch) for the covered sectors those changes won't be affected by this mod and will just go through.
If sunlight parameter specifically is updated by some other mod or official patch then it will depend on the load order as to which will take precedence. You can just uninstall the mod and everything should work fine if you want to return to the Egosoft official treatment down the line.