[Mod] Final Frontier - Alternative Game Startup, Customization

[Genusaus]

Final Frontier:

INSTALLATION:
1. Download mod HERE updated 15 May 2016 (0.1.8) for V 1.0.2
2. Extract to your "documents\paradox interactive\stellaris\mod" folder.
3. Launch the game launcher and select the mod in the mod's tab.
3. Hit play.

This mod provides a general overhaul of Stellaris. It has options for Sol generation and whether or not you want a pre-FTL start. It also contains additional traits, army attachments, technologies, human portrait groups, a few pre-scripted countries, real world name lists, a larger galaxy option, and a few balance tweaks. This mod also contains my 48 colors mod.

The goal of this mod is to expand the early game of Stellaris and provide greater customization options and balance tweaks. Ultimately, the mod is mostly intended to create a pre-FTL phase to the game, and add a number of customization options.

Features:
Sol generation options
Selectable pre-FTL start
New Technologies
New Army Attachments
18 New Traits
New Pre-scripted Countries (I'm open to adding more)
New Name Lists (I'm open to adding community name lists)
48 colors mod integrated
Separated ethnic Human Portrait groups
A 2000 star option (Which may be excessive enough)

Planned Features:
Early game events for Pre-FTL starts
More technologies
More army attachments
More government types
More pre-scripted countries
More name lists
More balance tweaks

Current Issues:
Early fission reactors are not selectable on ship design
Starting with 3 unarmed non-FTL drive corvettes is a bit odd

Usage:
Use, edit, modify, and adapt to your desire.
Please follow Paradox user-created mod rules.

Special Thanks:
dskod1: Bounced off a ton of ideas on format and files

FAQ

CHANGELOG

Spoiler: Hotfix 0.1.8

-Added option for a % of the AI to start with FTL based on player choice
-Added option for the player to set latest date when AI recieves FTL if it doesn't already have FTL drive
-Added human_4 portrait group
-Less likely for tech errors to occur in Engineering
-Shifted AI tech weights on the pre-FTL techs, doesn't seem to have much of an impact for the moment.

Unresolved Issues:
Conventional Early Fission reactor not available for building
Weird starting navy

Spoiler: Hotfix 0.1.7

-Added 1000 star names for 2000 star maps

Unresolved Issues:
Conventional Early Fission reactor not available for building
Weird starting navy

Spoiler: Hotfix 0.1.6

-Fixed the graphical culture issue
-Bumping into no tech options should be practically implausible now
-Added a couple of components (level 0 thrusters and reactors)
-AI may build non-FTL ships
-Infrastructure put in place for a future starting navy option

Unresolved Issues:
Insufficient star names, star name bug
Conventional Early Fission reactor not available for building
Weird starting navy

 

[Tilarium]

Well, that was fast. Good job, I'm going to be keeping on an eye on this one as it sounds really interesting with just the stuff it's got now!

 

[DaPacemDomine]

Afraid I don't follow on the portrait groups. I can't see how they're 'separated'? I get the same options when creating new empires as I did before in terms of portrait options.

 

[Genusaus]

Well, that was fast. Good job, I'm going to be keeping on an eye on this one as it sounds really interesting with just the stuff it's got now!

Thanks for the interest.

Afraid I don't follow on the portrait groups. I can't see how they're 'separated'? I get the same options when creating new empires as I did before in terms of portrait options.

I simply meant that the human portraits themselves are separated, so you can create a custom empire that follows certain racial limits for its portrait. For example, you can choose an all asian human species. Perhaps I should be more clear on that.

 

[RoboticManiac]

So I've gone with a pre FTL start. Is there any obvious reason why I don't have the ability to research any societal techs? Also, does the pre FTL bit only effect me, or everyone else that's starting out?

 

[red2401]

With both FTL and non-FTL starts I needed to force refresh tech choices using the console to be able to research anything, at all. After refreshing, technology choices worked as advertised.

FTL start gives no starting civilian ships, in addition to the no Navy it stated.

Also, all ship models were invisible while I was using this mod.

 

[DaPacemDomine]

Thanks for the interest.



I simply meant that the human portraits themselves are separated, so you can create a custom empire that follows certain racial limits for its portrait. For example, you can choose an all asian human species. Perhaps I should be more clear on that.

I thought that was what you were striking for. I tried setting a custom empire with, for instance, the 1345 'British/French' portrait group but it still inserted other racial types in game.

For reference:

Terran Star Empire"
={
name_list="HumanImp"
ship_prefix="ISS"
species_name="Human"
species_plural="Humans"
species_class="MAM"
species_adjective="Human"
portrait="human_1345"
name="Terran Star Empire"
adjective="Imperial"
government="star_empire"
ftl=warp
weapon="tech_missiles_1"
planet_name="Throneworld Terra"
planet_class="pc_continental"
system_name="Sol"
initializer="sol_system_initializer"
graphical_culture="mammalian_01"
city_graphical_culture="mammalian_01"
empire_flag={
icon={
category="domination"
file="domination_6.dds"
}
background={
category="backgrounds"
file="stripes.dds"
}
colors={
"red"
"black"
"null"
"null"
}
}
ruler={
gender=male
name="Alexius XXVII"
portrait="human_male_04"
texture=0
hair=3
clothes=4
}
spawn_enabled=no
ethic="ethic_fanatic_spiritualist"
trait="trait_intelligent"

 

[theshadow603]

Thumbs up late. Very interesting. Will try tomorrow.

 

[TGK72]

Hmm, based on comments this mod is riddled with bugs so I'll sit on the sidelines for now. Might try out of curiosity, but overall very interested. Reason I love distant world's so much is because it let's you start right from scratch. Never understood why so many 4x space games force starting ships and such on you. I like a pre ftl start because it gives me the satisfaction that I built this empire from the ground up. Keep up the good work!

Also as robotic maniac said, does the other races start out pre ftl as well?

 

[hyme]

How were you able to remove the starting FTL?

 

[Genusaus]

Also, does the pre FTL bit only effect me, or everyone else that's starting out?

Also as robotic maniac said, does the other races start out pre ftl as well?

It affects everyone. I think I should add an option that affects only the player if the player so desires.

Is there any obvious reason why I don't have the ability to research any societal techs?

With both FTL and non-FTL starts I needed to force refresh tech choices using the console to be able to research anything, at all. After refreshing, technology choices worked as advertised.

Unfortunately, Stellaris seems to have odd issues with its weight system, if you check in the console with "techweights soc" you'll see that the technology is there, but for some reason the game isn't showing you the technology.

I believe there's an oddity involving messing around with diplomatic techs (they have their own special line in the defines.lua). Usually, the techs refresh by the end of the month or by the time you research a tech in an another field. All of the "pre-FTL" techs for society and engineering are bottlenecked at the first spaceport tech, and the first colonial tech. The reason I did that is to setup for future events that revolve around those techs, and there's no way to setup a trigger for "is_researching_tech = spaceport_1" etc. I may need to revert it for the nonce, since this issue bugs me as well.

I've never had it happen to me in FTL start though, so thanks for pointing that out.

FTL start gives no starting civilian ships, in addition to the no Navy it stated.

Yes. I didn't like the starting navy or starting civilian ships, but I'll probably change it to reflect Stellaris vanilla. For now, I think I'll give additional minerals to build those ships, or give a flavor event to the player regarding their first science ship.

Also, all ship models were invisible while I was using this mod.

That's likely an interface issue that I believe comes with editing the .gui the way I did.

Thanks for the feedback! I'll get on fixing that.

I thought that was what you were striking for. I tried setting a custom empire with, for instance, the 1345 'British/French' portrait group but it still inserted other racial types in game.

1345 is all portraits but East Asian, so the portraits aren't just reflective of the native inhabitants of Britain or France; they're just a reference guide (that's not going to be entirely accurate) for me.

I didn't make every combination available. For example, there's no human_4 by itself (but I'll likely add that), and there's no human_25 because I can't really think of a real world example of that. human_12345 means all races are allowed (USA) and human_1345 is all but 2.

How were you able to remove the starting FTL?

The starting techs are changed, and the technology that is automatically awarded to the player at the start of the game gives no effect, so a new technology is used as the prerequisite for the FTL drive.

 

[Pilatian]

Why aren't the appearances of the ship types appearing during creation with this mod?

 

[Genusaus]

Why aren't the appearances of the ship types appearing during creation with this mod?

I just found out. It's because those ships aren't unlocked at the beginning of the game, so it doesn't render that ship on that screen, which is very odd. I'll see about fixing it.

 

[TGK72]

It affects everyone. I think I should add an option that affects only the player if the player so desires

Having that feature would be nice if I decide I want to role play a race starting out a little later than the other races. So the option would be welcome

Yes. I didn't like the starting navy or starting civilian ships, but I'll probably change it to reflect Stellaris vanilla. For now, I think I'll give additional minerals to build those ships, or give a flavor event to the player regarding their first science ship

I don't like it either, main reason I like a ship less pre-ftl start. So please make this optional for the ftl start as well. I like how the ftl start is ship-less

 

[Abnwtwtud]

Most importantly, how were you able to prevent Sol from being generated elsewhere in the galaxy? I'd like just that, without the other stuff.

 

[Baldamundo]

Not sure if this is actually a vanilla issue, but posting here as well just in case: a lot of stars are being spawned without names. Their nametag in the galaxy map will just be a blank, empty rectangle and their planets will be named " I", " II", " III", etc.

 

[Tilarium]

My guess would be that the name list for the planets ran out of names or is somehow not able to read all the names.

 

[Rabbit Burgher]

I'll probably wait until it's a bit more developed, but I'll certainly try this out in the future.

 

[i64man]

Excellent work, just one question, can this be found in the steam workshop?

 

[hyme]

sub