Also a working radius limitation for damaging spells centered on "self".

Spell Modding Improvements:

1) Add support for beam-type spell effects, so that we can make for example static lightning bolts between the caster and target

2) Option for instead of using projectile speed variable, use a fixed <time until spell hits target>, regardless of distance. This would allow for a lot of new projectile effects, such as arcing projectiles

I'd like for some way to make the AI build pre-designed units. I've tried every way I can think of to add a way for the AI to train pre-designed units, but every way I've tried has failed.

Basically, the functionality should be something like diplomacy units, but using tech instead.

This is how a diplomacy unit currently works: A diplomacy unit works like this: you get the tech, it spawns a world resource, you build on it, the closest city can now build those units (and the AI does that). Problem with that is the AI only builds those units from ONE kind of world resource, so if it ends up with two, it will still only build one. Imagine a city getting an umberdroth world resource and a darkling world resource - it will build only one of those. If the player is unlucky, the AI is only building darklings = game over for AI.

What I want: The desired functionality here is that instead of using a world resource, the AI would somehow unlock a tech (techtree, whatever). Then the AI would build these units. Right now, they are simply ignored.

I would also like a tag that allows us to limit training a certain pre-designed unit to cities with a certain level. For example, some units should only be buildable in a city that is level 5.

Particle Editor Request:

A spell preview mode would be extremely useful. A mode where you can see how the particle effect would work as a part of a spell. Especially with projectile spells, as the particle effect looks quite a bit different when used as a projectile than it does in the editor, when it's still.

The editor would just have to allow to change a few simple parameters: spell type (projectile/normal(/beam)), caster position, target position (the 5x5 tile is probably enough that's in the particle editor, though 10x10 would be better to see the spell looks good even when fired from afar), projectile speed, projectile effect and on hit effect. Would be nice to be able to choose the caster & target models as well.

It takes a whole lot of time to test how the projectiles look in game with the current system, as you need to make the effect, edit it into a mod, load a scenario with the mod, enter battle and then cast the spell. This would help effect creation immensely.

That's a good point Steven and I hope they do start implementing our requests, but I think it's best if we keep this thread clean of discussion related to the matter and just post the actual requests here.

Also, I believe things will make a turn for the better pretty soon, now that the mod-czar has been hired. It'll just take a few weeks for things to start rolling. After all integrating new people to a project is never instantaneous.

Thanks for the support StevenAus.

In reality there are two mods I'm interested in doing right now. The first one is the unique units for the expandedfactions. The second one is the tiered mount system as part of the ExpandedMounts mod. In both cases the AI is the real problem (but not the only obstacle) - it doesn't know how to use custom pre-designed units, or any kind of mount. The AI has alwas been one of the most lacking parts of the game, so it is extra frustrating to see things - things that it should be able to handle - not function when it comes to modding. But all we can do is just make a post in this list and hope that, down the line, some functionality gets added.

And you're right, it is frustrating to hear SD on the one hand talk about how they want to make it possible to design a "whole new game" out of the elemental engine through mods. And on the other hand see no movements in that direction. I feel like modding support since release, while it should have had a high priority, has actually had a very low priority. And I do not think that the rocky launch of the game is to blame for that. There are always going to be features that need polishing or adding to. That's no reason to bump modding all the way down on the list, but that's where it is - especially the AI supporting mods.

Another request. Right now with tactical spells and abilities, for each effect on a unit a text is displayed like "+Stoneskin". However, some abilities have a large amount of modifiers and this will make a large amount of texts display - "+Stoneskin +Stoneskin +Stoneskin +Stoneskin +Stoneskin +Stoneskin". A tag used inside gamemodifiers to not display this text would be welcome, then the modder could make sure that only one text is displayed.

I would like the datafiles to be consistant in the terms they use.

What I mean is that the Altarians (at least that's what i'm pretty sure this race/kingdom is) are on one hand refered to as "Men" when your talking about the race, but under all of the equipment files in the <typesupported> tag and the champions model tags they're refered to as "Kingdom". I think there might also be some examples of this in the technology files.

Now this might not be a big deal for someone going through manualy altering files, but if the community ever gets any programs designed to parse through the XML and whatever other files you end up using and automate parts of the modding process, inconsistancies like this can cause trouble (as I am sure all of you programmers are aware).

kenata, you're the man.

*Edit* Also, I agree with kenata. Confusing, isn't it?

can you not spawn a unique goodiehut that only has one quest and doesn't spawn any other way?

I think we should elect a modder captain to put together the most necessary point that need to be fixed/added into a usable list and submit it to them. I know they will probably do this in their own time, but we are getting pretty close to the point that Frog said would be love for the modders. If we consolidate things into a shortlist, they will be able to work on them faster.

I nominate Kraxis and Heavenfall.

To be honest, this thread is only four pages long, and they have a dedicated mod-czar. If this thread is too much for SD to handle, it would be a pretty sad state of affairs. Of course consolidating all the info on this thread to the original post would be useful if you guys would bother. Just remember to make a note as to up to which post the OP is up to date.