Medieval Times?

[stallionsden]

Post 500 hehe do i win a prize :-P.

[Guppycur]

Yes. Come get your cookie. Beware, I've licked all the bottoms.

[Valmar]

My personal recommendation is that even though Val's blocks add a ton of dimension, that prefabs be made with vanilla blocks, simply because the pimps like to change too much crap. They can always be converted, sure, but each and every build? Blah, that's a lot of work. Changing them over to newer blocks just ONCE, when we are sure the block changes are done, is a better idea, imo.

 

Even the vanilla blocks are not fully safe, though. Note how many maps were broken when A14 released. So either way the prefabs are subject to potential change whenever the game updates. If its going to be a risk no matter what then we might as well expand our options with modded blocks, right?

 

In a few days I will look at converting the IDs - provided Stompy hasn't done it already. The block ID limit is the biggest limit here. It used to be I could just add these blocks at the end of the blocks.xml and be fine. Now there is not enough free space to do that. I have to remove vanilla ID/blocks. Which isn't too bad since there are a ton of blocks a medieval mod would never need (electric signs, road signs, cars). But this also means the entire blocks.xml needs to be modded so its not a simple copy/paste of code. Biomes and rwgmixer would also have to be added.

 

So what used to be a simple copy/paste at the bottom of one file (that wouldnt even break playing vanilla games) now basically includes several files that would break any "normal" playstyle unless you have backups to switch to.

 

Stompy has provided the stepping stones for this with his biomes and rwgmixer file. Still just a bummer we HAVE to do that to use the blocks.

[Lilnightmare]

I don't know if these will help with the prefab builders now. But I have made some custom blocks for my SP. They may not be setup in the best format of stuff as honestly I'm learning as I mess with recipes etc but they are here if anyone wants to use them.

 

Blocks. Upgrades for the log stuff is off and acts like normal wood up/downgrade. I made the "thatch" based on the metal so it has more structural integrity over hay.

 

<block id="2029" name="thatchroof">
<property name="Extends" value="corrugatedMetalRamp" />
<property name="Shape" value="WedgedBackFaces" />
<property name="Texture" value="196" />
</block>

<block id="2030" name="thatchroofgable">
<property name="Extends" value="corrugatedMetalGable" />
<property name="Shape" value="Gable" />
<property name="Texture" value="196" />
</block>

<block id="2031" name="cobblestonehalf">
<property name="Extends" value="cobblestoneBlock" />
<property name="Shape" value="Half" />
<property name="Texture" value="26" />
</block>

<block id="2032" name="logcabinramp">
<property name="Extends" value="rWoodRamp" />
<property name="Shape" value="WedgedBackFaces" />
<property name="Texture" value="43" />
</block>

<block id="2033" name="logcabingable">
<property name="Extends" value="rWoodRamp" />
<property name="Shape" value="Gable" />
<property name="Texture" value="43" />
</block>

<block id="2034" name="LogCabinHalf">
<property name="Extends" value="rWoodRamp" />
<property name="Shape" value="Half" />
<property name="Texture" value="43" />
</block>

 

 

Recipes.

 

<recipe name="thatchroof" count="1" scrappable="False" >
<ingredient name="yuccaFibers" count="20" />
<ingredient name="wood" count="10" />
</recipe>

<recipe name="thatchroofgable" count="1" scrappable="False" >
<ingredient name="yuccaFibers" count="10" />
<ingredient name="wood" count="5" />
</recipe>

<recipe name="cobblestonehalf" count="1" scrapable="False">
<ingredient name="cobblestones" count="10"/>
</recipe>

<recipe name="logcabinramp" count="1" scrapable="False">
<ingredient name="woodFrameRamp" count="1"/>
</recipe>

<recipe name="logcabingable" count="1" scrapable="False">
<ingredient name="woodFrameRamp" count="1"/>
</recipe>

<recipe name="LogCabinHalf" count="1" scrapable="False">
<ingredient name="woodFrameRamp" count="1"/>
</recipe>

 

 

They are pretty rough so feel free to tidy them if it's needed.

[Guppycur]

Either way it all sounds like a giant pain in the butt.

[StompyNZ]

After some experimenting last night I am seriously disappointed to say that custom hub layouts are still very broken.

 

Using anything other than a rotation of 0 gives very unpredictable results. Everything from it randomly choosing to rotate or not, sometimes if you are too close to another prefab it will rotate one direction, if its in the clear it will rotate another, other times it wont rotate not matter what setting.

 

For the blocks we dont need to delete any blocks yet to fit the medieval ones in, but will have to use chunks of the gaps in the id's rather than all be placed at the end. TFP didnt do modders any favours by spreading the 1342 vanilla blocks out over a range of 0-1913.

 

You have a block at 1639, then the next is at 1775, then another gap to 1800, then more random blocks from 1901 to 1913 (why the hell are these here when they left gaps for new blocks?????), theres also a gap from 33 to 125... theres no way tfp will be adding another 92 terrain blocks so why would this gap need to be so big?

 

Anyway, with my site I can just paste the custom blocks in as normal then go through them and find the id duplicates and have it assign an id from the gaps. We might as well use the gaps since TFP dont seem to be using them.

 

If the statement from TFP that existing saves wont be broken going forward then in theory they should not be changing the ID of any existing vanilla block, so its only new blocks that we will have to work around, which provided there are not too many should be a simple matter of reassign the id for our blocks and run the id swap function over all the medieval prefabs to update them.

[Seraphin]

For the blocks we dont need to delete any blocks yet to fit the medieval ones in, but will have to use chunks of the gaps in the id's rather than all be placed at the end. TFP didnt do modders any favours by spreading the 1342 vanilla blocks out over a range of 0-1913.

 

You have a block at 1639, then the next is at 1775, then another gap to 1800, then more random blocks from 1901 to 1913 (why the hell are these here when they left gaps for new blocks?????), theres also a gap from 33 to 125... theres no way tfp will be adding another 92 terrain blocks so why would this gap need to be so big?

 

Anyway, with my site I can just paste the custom blocks in as normal then go through them and find the id duplicates and have it assign an id from the gaps. We might as well use the gaps since TFP dont seem to be using them.

 

 

 

Mhmm, I can't understand how a developer can use this form of indexing anyways, especially for a modable game.

 

7DTD is not the first game suffering from this sort of indexing I know.

 

I think better would be to make a indexing without the use of numeric identifiers but unique names as identifiers instead. Also there would be less problems with uncompliant mods, using a directory and individual file based system instead of indexing inside a single text file. But even if the single text file system is used, unique names whould be much more flexible. Sure, strings do use more memory than integers ... but should this really be a problem nowadays? Using 64bits instead of 32bits?

[Valmar]

 

If the statement from TFP that existing saves wont be broken going forward then in theory they should not be changing the ID of any existing vanilla block, so its only new blocks that we will have to work around, which provided there are not too many should be a simple matter of reassign the id for our blocks and run the id swap function over all the medieval prefabs to update them.

 

Yeah but in a way they've already done that. A14.6 removed a block. I assume this block was not used in any prefab and was not something you can craft (I think it was a road sign if I remember right). As such no vanilla game would be effected. But those who grab their blocks from the creative menu? Well if they used that block then their map might be corrupted. Just something to be wary about if you rely on creative-menu blocks for your buildings.

[Valmar]

COUGH

 

 

Some still need work, Im sure. Like I know the chimney needs the right texture added to it. But for now there is a rough version for those who wanted play around a bit.

[StompyNZ]

COUGH

 

 

Some still need work, Im sure. Like I know the chimney needs the right texture added to it. But for now there is a rough version for those who wanted play around a bit.

 

updated my site with the blocks

 

http://7days2mod.com/Medieval/

 

has the biomes and cleaned out rwg mixer too

 

(must get around to fixing the load speed for the blocks page)

[Guppycur]

Yay! Now I just need to stop being busy at work...

 

...btw, loading up some of your pages pretty much freezes my firefox for a few seconds, Stompy. No big deal, just thought I'd let ya know.

[StompyNZ]

Yay! Now I just need to stop being busy at work...

 

...btw, loading up some of your pages pretty much freezes my firefox for a few seconds, Stompy. No big deal, just thought I'd let ya know.

 

is it the blocks page that is the worst?

 

The method I am using to collect the extended info for blocks that extend is super bad design and for each column it adds about 2-4 seconds to the load time. I've got a few days off next week so will work on getting that fixed up or at the least provide an option to view without the extended info which should help a lot.

 

Also doesn't help that the server I host on is cheap and nasty ($4 per month) but unless people are willing to donate I cant afford to upgrade :/

[Guppycur]

I dunno about worst but it is the one where I noticed it.

[DarkDrifter]

I have been testing out in a fresh save this biome and rwg mixer, with the Valmod expansion with a few minor tweaks eg. removing the requirement of cooking pot to boil water in a clay bowl.

 

Certainly makes a very interesting play, nothing to scavenge but nests and stumps. not using blocks past cobblestone.

A very slow/lucky access to a forge as zombie drop is only access to short iron pipe.

 

Watching what you guys have been aiming for and playing this way gives plenty of ideas on the medieval theme.

For items and changes of way that tasks are done, even new ways of setting out trade skills eg alchemist, cook, brewer Fletcher/bowyer for access to recipes. Could be used to encourage group play more, making it more difficult to be Jack of trades that is a master of all.

[majewski6850]

COUGH

 

 

Some still need work, Im sure. Like I know the chimney needs the right texture added to it. But for now there is a rough version for those who wanted play around a bit.

 

updated my site with the blocks

 

http://7days2mod.com/Medieval/

 

has the biomes and cleaned out rwg mixer too

 

(must get around to fixing the load speed for the blocks page)

 

You guys rock, thank you so much for all your work - Just started building up the second floor of my larger castle (dungeon and first floor complete-ish) this will help a ton with creativity.

[Valmar]

Small update to the blocks.xml to adjust my two "branch" blocks that were using models that no longer exist.

 

Thanks to danilocoppi's awesome mod that lets me easily copy/save prefabs and paste prefabs ingame I'm feeling more motivated than ever to start building again.

[herrpohl]

Nice, I liked reading here.

[ShadexDemarr]

Like Val I appreciate all the talent and work that goes into the SD2SDX work but one should not discount Val's talent for making the XMLs sing. There are actually a lot of us that would prefer, for one reason or another, to stick with XML mods. I personally am very thankful to have Val working his butt off making new toys for us that do not require new systems to be implemented and hope he will continue to be one of our XML Champions.

[Valmar]

I have a small dedicated server I leave running for the use of prefab building. It also includes Coppi's amazing mod added for prefab tools such as saving prefabs and pasting prefabs or building walls in seconds. Great tool.

 

If anyone is interested in building please feel free to send me a PM and I'll give you the info and, should you be interested, show you how to use Coppi's prefabbing tools to help build. Its great stuff.

[Spider]

Sign me up. Shoot me the info when convenient.

[Valmar]

Certainly.

[togFox]

Val, I was on your server months ago and managed to bash out 3 dismal shanty/shacks. Whilst the prefabs are being built by better architects than I, is there other things I can brainstorm, design or mod re medieval? Have you thought about the game play? Do you need someone to strip out recipes for guns, engines, gas cans etc? Does armour need rebalancing?

 

What can I do towards gameplay?

[Valmar]

If you made some building on the old server rest assured they will still be used. That old map still exists and is in the capable hands of StompyNZ who will be converting all that over to work with the newest version. So its not like all that work was for nothing. It will be used and it is still very much appreciated.

 

The XML-side of things I can handle as it is the side I am the most comfortable in. I have a bit of experience dealing with those files so I should feel right a home. Its the actual world-building aspects that the real hurdle here. Until the world is at least 50% ready I feel all other effort/work will be irrelevant. Having a believable world for the setting is even more important than the xml side of things. And given how long this project is taking its very likely all the xml changes themselves will need to be redone when the game updates.

 

To put it into perspective when the mod first started I had done a lot of XML-related work for the mod. Such as new plants, herbs, potions, some armors and weapons, traps. A lot of various things. All this was scrapped when an alpha update released. So while a nice learning experience all that effort was wasted. This is why I think its important to focus on the biggest hurdle first and then worry about the simple things. The most difficult part, the biggest challenge to overcome, in my eyes, is the world building.

 

Now thanks to Coppi's mod on the server I am able to save these prefabs more directly (before I was just saving the entire map and sending it to poor Stompy who has the task of actually converting the buildings to prefabs to use in-game) so this should make the building process more sustainable in the long-run. Plus its great to be able to be in-game and basically paste prefabs wherever I want them. So if I build some small hut POIs I can later build a town using them by just pasting them in rather than having to rebuild them.

 

 

All this isn't to say that gameplay ideas, armor ideas and ect are not wanted. Certainly /all/ feedback is appreciated and welcomed. I'm just trying to be upfront that that stage of this mod development is still really far away and as such feedback in that area is perhaps too premature. Plus with NPCs, Merchants, UMA zombies and buffs when worn items being in the future forecasting of 7DTD I think those additions/changes will have a huge influence on things. No telling what other features the devs might add in the future that we can further take advantage of for this, either.

 

Also it should go without saying that you would be welcome back in the server for building more prefabs. I will even show you how to use the prefab tools that allow you to very quickly build walls and floors to make the process easier. Just let me know if you're interested

[StompyNZ]

I've set up a repo on GitHub for anyone that wants to be involved in adding stuff to the mod:

 

https://github.com/StompyNZ/7-Days-To-Die-Medieval

 

I've been slowly twisting vals arm into giving GitHub a try

 

If you are new to GitHub then you will need to set up an account, and learn a little bit about how to fork a repo, and submit a pull request.

 

I will make a video later today once I have a few more details worked out on how to use the system and integrate into your game folder.

 

 

Incidentally this will also work as a mod distribution system, all you have to do to update to the latest would be to use the desktop client and sync your files.

 

If you dont feel confident about using that aspect of git you can still use the issues system to leave notes and bug reports etc.

[Spider]

Hay I had an idea for your Medieval Mod. Might have already been said. How about making new city block to fit the look. So you can spawn Medieval city hubs