How to modify the Sol System?

[Mitchz95]

How would I go about modifying the default Sol System to make Mars and Venus desert and arid planets, respectively? I know there's a guide for adding new systems, but I want to replace/modify the vanilla one.

 

[ParasiteX]

look in the Stellaris\common\solar_system_initializers folder.

The file prescripted_species_systems.txt has what you are looking for.

To change mars to desert for instance. Then change it to look something like this.

    planet = {
        name = "Mars"
        class = "pc_desert"
        orbit_distance = 20
        orbit_angle = 60
        size = 15
        has_ring = no
        entity = "barren_planet_mars_entity"
    }

There are more advnced shit you can do, like specifying what tile resources and blockers it will spawn with and such. To figure out how to do that, then simply examine how the earth serction looks like. That has most of the things you need to know for how to do that.

For a full list of planet class name. Check \Stellaris\common\planet_classes\00_planet_classes.txt

EDIT:
Here is btw my version of my edited Mars. It has a few pre-set tile blockers i added, which make sense for Mars. As just letting it randomly spawn tile blockers, had a tendency to spawn the wild animal one.. which kinda makes no sense considering what we know of Mars..

    planet = {
        name = "Mars"
        class = "pc_desert"
        orbit_distance = 20
        orbit_angle = 60
        size = 15
        has_ring = no
        entity = "barren_planet_mars_entity"
        tile_blockers = none

        init_effect = {
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_mountain_range"
            }
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_active_volcano"
            }
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_deep_sinkhole"
            }
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_crater"
            }
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_crater"
            }
            random_tile = {
                limit = { has_blocker = no has_building = no }
                set_blocker = "tb_quicksand_basin"
            }
        }
    }

 

[Mitchz95]

Thanks. So I just modify the file? Doesn't that risk being overridden by future patches?

 

[ParasiteX]

Thanks. So I just modify the file? Doesn't that risk being overridden by future patches?

To avoid that. use the mod tools in the launcher to create a new mod. Give it name and folder name is it describes. You should then find it in your Documents\Paradox Interactive\Stellaris\mod folder

Simply create the folder structure \common\solar_system_initializers inside the custom mod folder, say let's for example have it named CustomSol.

So you would then make it look like this
Documents\Paradox Interactive\Stellaris\mod\CustomSol\common\solar_system_initializers

You can then either copy the existing prescripted_species_systems.txt and edit that. Which will then always override the original, even when the game is patched. Or create your own new .txt. This is a bit more advanced as you then have to create a new solar system initializer ID. And if you want it to look proper in game, you would also need to make a locilization file for it to display the name and such. So easist for beginners is to just edit prescripted_species_systems.txt

 

[Mitchz95]

Thank you for your help!

 

[Mitchz95]

Sorry, one more question. Does this override the custom Mars texture? Can I set it to keep that texture as a desert planet, but lose it after being terraformed further?

EDIT: And how do I add planet modifiers? I want Mars to have Weak Magnetic Field and Low Gravity, and Venus to have Tidal Locked.

 

[ParasiteX]

Thank you for your help!

EDIT: Does this override the custom Mars texture? Can I set it to keep that texture as a desert planet, but lose it after being terraformed further?

EDIT2: And how do I add planet modifiers? I want Mars to have Weak Magnetic Field and Low Gravity, and Venus to have Tidal Locked.

The custom mars texture is handled by entity = "barren_planet_mars_entity"
No idea how to make your own entities yet though.

And on your second question. Here is an example i found in the special_systems_initializers.txt

        init_effect = {
            add_modifier = {
                modifier = "stone_age_civilization"
                days = -1
            }
        }

You can find a lists of the various planet modifier IDs in Stellaris\common\static_modifiers

 

[Anthropoid]

How would I go about modifying the default Sol System to make Mars and Venus desert and arid planets, respectively? I know there's a guide for adding new systems, but I want to replace/modify the vanilla one.

I'm not seeing that guide. Can you point me in that direction?