The DJ Device: An easy mod/plugin controller

Game Talk The Lab
1

The Disaster Juxtaposition Device is an idea I’ve been working on for a bit now, still in the planning stages. As a side effect of much of the awesome work that’s been going to moving things into data files recently, there is the potential for some amazing changes to Cataclysm.

The Goal is simple:
Create the ability to dynamically, at application time, generate the world based on one or more mods or plugins. Structures, Monsters, Items, Recipes, Tiles, and more.

Want dinosaurs? Simply download the “Dinomod” and stick it in the “Plugins” folder. When starting a new game, go to the World DJ, and select which mods you want to apply. JUST want dinosaurs? Deselect the default “Cataclysm” plugin, leaving ONLY the Dinomod. Want both? Load “Cataclysm” first to let the “Dinomod” redefine what it sees fit and add stuff on top.

Obviously, I need to finish my work on items first, but quite a bit of the potential for something like this already exists. I plan on working on tiles next, but while I’m doing that I’ll be planning how to implement this.

And yes, I know I’ve basically included no details at this point. This post is essentially a promise to myself. I WILL see to it this happens, sooner or later.

2

I fully endorse this with banana’s and twizzlers.

3

Give me something that lets me choose which world to load from within the game, and I’ll help you code it.

It’d be so much better than the repeated “cp -r foo/ bar && rm -rf foo/” commands I currently use when testing save-breaking stuff >_>.

4

I’m actually hoping to save the settings as part of world gen, actually. So yes, maintaining multiple worlds, and being able to build them with different mods, is a core component of what I hope to accomplish.

5

I love games that are like: “Just chuck all the damned mods in you want in this folder and play the fuck out of it!”

6

Would this be able to override some of the more basic cpps as well?

7

The entire purpose is run time modifications, so no.

8

So basically, you’re leaving items, spawning, skills and game dynamix intact, whilst changing the the challenge level somewhat?
I humbly ask, doesn’t that look like a scenario editor to you? Lemme draw it in a bit - Airforce One has crashed on an island in the Pacific, and you’re to retrieve codes for one of the game factions; and yes, expect prehistoric beasts?
The “plugin” logic is fine, I’m just interested if it’s a whole different game…

9

…No? All of those things will be trivially editable, aside from the game mechanics and maaaybe skills.

Mapgen, Spawning, Skills, Enemies, Items, Recipes, Vehicles, etc. and so on will all be standard modifications.

10

My bad… you’re breaking egg shells while I break the egg. :slight_smile:
I’m not gonna brag about compatibility so… give me a wink if you need a thing or two. I’m pretty sure I have a wonderful miscellania list of items somewhere.

11

You have NO IDEA how much I want dinosaurs.

12

There is a dinomod in this same forum.