[A12] BackstoriesCore Update 10

[Imca]

Can this mod only load one Def of each type at a time?

While all my backstories show up in prepare carefully, they keep getting droped upon the loading of a save.

Edit: Correction, I tried merging them and I am still losing my backstory every time I load the save, it just says that there not found and it is replacing them with a random.

Even though there working perfectly fine in prepare carefully, and on dropping into a new world.

Okay, I finaly got this to work, so I felt it is kinda worth mentioning in a post.

The backgrounds were used in a bio and could not be loaded into a save, they get replaced with a random one....

Removing the Bio fixed it, Even hough I was using that to prevent a random pawn from spawning with those...

[Dragoon]

Which mod in your opinion is easier for you to update backstories or defense?

edit: I just tested this it seem to be working with alpha 11

[mipen]

Can this mod only load one Def of each type at a time?

While all my backstories show up in prepare carefully, they keep getting droped upon the loading of a save.

Edit: Correction, I tried merging them and I am still losing my backstory every time I load the save, it just says that there not found and it is replacing them with a random.

Even though there working perfectly fine in prepare carefully, and on dropping into a new world.

Okay, I finaly got this to work, so I felt it is kinda worth mentioning in a post.

The backgrounds were used in a bio and could not be loaded into a save, they get replaced with a random one....

Removing the Bio fixed it, Even hough I was using that to prevent a random pawn from spawning with those...

My apologies for a very late reply. Using a back story in a pawn bio makes it inaccessible to any pawns other than the one with that bio. So if you load a save with that has a pawn using the back story that is now in a bio, it won't be able to find it and will get a new one.

Which mod in your opinion is easier for you to update backstories or defense?

edit: I just tested this it seem to be working with alpha 11

Backstories is definitely much easier, as md2 is so huge now (code wise at least). I've just finished up dating them all now

[mipen]

Alpha 11 update!

[skyarkhangel]

Alpha 11 update!

Thanks! it would be great if it could be translated into another language. When Backstories activated all backstories moving into English.

[mipen]

Alpha 11 update!

Thanks! it would be great if it could be translated into another language. When Backstories activated all backstories moving into English.

I'd need volunteers for that, but it is doable

[Devon_v]

My apologies for a very late reply. Using a back story in a pawn bio makes it inaccessible to any pawns other than the one with that bio. So if you load a save with that has a pawn using the back story that is now in a bio, it won't be able to find it and will get a new one.

Does that mean that if you create a bio in order to have a unique character, you cannot actually play as that character because the game will strip the backstories from them? Or will a character Carefully Prepared with the two backstories and the correct name "count" as that unique bio?

[isistoy]

Thanks! it would be great if it could be translated into another language. When Backstories activated all backstories moving into English.

I'd need volunteers for that, but it is doable

I'd be glad to help, for French only though.

[mipen]

My apologies for a very late reply. Using a back story in a pawn bio makes it inaccessible to any pawns other than the one with that bio. So if you load a save with that has a pawn using the back story that is now in a bio, it won't be able to find it and will get a new one.

Does that mean that if you create a bio in order to have a unique character, you cannot actually play as that character because the game will strip the backstories from them? Or will a character Carefully Prepared with the two backstories and the correct name "count" as that unique bio?

Imagine all backstories as being in a big pot. When a pawn spawns, it gets a random backstory from the pot, says "this is what I am" then puts the backstory back in the pot. But with a bio, it takes the backstory out of the pot, says "this is mine and no others shall have it" and keeps it for itself. This let's the game have unique 'one time' characters that cancan appear once and only once per colony. For example, if you ever get Tynan as a colonist in your colony, he will always have the two exact same backstories. And if he dies, you will never see another pawn named Tynan with those backstories in that savegame; he is a unique character. I am not too sure how Prepare Carefully interacts with this system though. All backstories have a field called "shuffleable", which when true allows them to be randomly assigned to a colonist. I don't know if the prepare carefully menu takes this in to consideration when building the list of backstories to choose from. The unique characters can appear randomly in game, but they will always be the same and only appear once per colony

[falcongrey]

Hi mipen and thank you for making this mod. I've been trying to figure out how to mod in my own back stories and pawns. So far however I haven't exactly  figured out how to do this successfully with your mod on any of the 3 parts. I'm trying to follow your instructions + the in file instructions but feel I must be missing something. Every time I try to do any of the 3 files it only ends with the game locking on launch or exiting the 'mods' screen to load the mod. Let me see if I understand the instructions properly:

"To create your own backstory"

• install the mod
• then open the .zip file inside the defs folder called Templates. (The only '.zip' I found was Templates.rar in the BackstoriesCore-8 main folder.)
• Extract the BackstoryDefTemplate.xml into the BackstoryDefs folder, then open it. (Are you meaning extract the BackstoryDefs folder into the 'Defs' folder in the BackstoriesCore-8 main folder?)

"I have detailed how to go about making your own backstory inside this template file, so just follow through that If you need some points of reference, then open the CoreBackstoryDefs.xml and look at the backstories I have written."
(I have looked for this file but I have not been able to find it in any of the folders...)
"To add your own in-game name, extract the NameDefTemplate to the NameDefs folder. I have written how to make your own name inside this file, so just follow the hints." (Again, here are you meaning to extract the NameDefs folder into the Defs folder like before?)

It simply may be me misunderstanding and likely is... how to install and edit this mod's files to create the desired effect. I'm looking forward to making my own back stories; I have several in mind.

Additionally, if I can figure out how to do it, would it be OK if I made an application to do all of this easily from a User Interface using your mod? (Once I understand how to edit it and do it all that is...)

This is what I see after I extracted how I'm interpreting the instructions.

[mipen]

@falcongrey
Hey there! Okay, so. Firstly, the folder structure is very important. Inside the Defs folder, you should have a folder called BackstoryDefs, and inside this folder is where you put your xml files defining your backstories. I can't remember if I put the templates into their respective folders inside the Templates.rar file, or if they are loose.

The CoreBackstoryDefs.xml file I am referring to doesn't come with the core mod anymore, it is in the core backstories package (I think the first one listed on the OP) my apologies for not changing that. I originally supplied it with the base mod but separated it out.

Anyways, to make your own backstory:
Open the Defs folder. If it doesn't already contain a folder called 'BackstoryDefs', then create it (make sure to get the name exactly right or the game will bug out). Now, extract the BackstoryDefTemplate.xml file into 'BackstoryDegs'.
Open this file with a good editor, at the very least something like Notepad++.
To get a term of reference, download one of the backstory packages linked in the original post, extract its contents to your desktop, and open one of the files inside its BackstoryDefs folder. This will show you the structure you should follow to write your own backstory. You could even copy and paste one of these backstories into your own file and just change the data.
Anyways, inside the template file, you will find descriptions of all the expected entries required to define your backstory. I'm writing this on my phone so I can't open it and go through it here unfortunately. But by cross referencing between the template and the other backstory, I am sure you will be able to work it out
If you need some more help, let me know and I'll try write up a full in depth tutorial when I get onto my computer next. Good luck! 

As an aside, I really do need to update the original post with a proper tutorial. You're welcome to try mucking up a program to help write the backstories, I was just thinking of doing something like that myself, truth be told

[isistoy]

After giving a quick look to your work it would be of good use for Project K9 mod.

May we integrate your mod for our own specific backstories in there? We will give credits, of course.

That would help a lot actually: I could then put someone to work on it

Thanks in advance.

[Devon_v]

Imagine all backstories as being in a big pot. When a pawn spawns, it gets a random backstory from the pot, says "this is what I am" then puts the backstory back in the pot. But with a bio, it takes the backstory out of the pot, says "this is mine and no others shall have it" and keeps it for itself. This let's the game have unique 'one time' characters that cancan appear once and only once per colony. For example, if you ever get Tynan as a colonist in your colony, he will always have the two exact same backstories. And if he dies, you will never see another pawn named Tynan with those backstories in that savegame; he is a unique character. I am not too sure how Prepare Carefully interacts with this system though. All backstories have a field called "shuffleable", which when true allows them to be randomly assigned to a colonist. I don't know if the prepare carefully menu takes this in to consideration when building the list of backstories to choose from. The unique characters can appear randomly in game, but they will always be the same and only appear once per colony

Prepare Carefully allows all backstories to be selected. You can tell the ones that belong to backers because they use NAME and HE/HIS erratically or not at all and are generally much more character specific in their wording.

I'll have to experiment.

[nmid]

I wish someone uses this and Edb-prepare carefully to create a firefly crew! 
Share the .pcc and the backstory file and taadaa, a firefly landing party

[Devon_v]

Wouldn't be hard at all. I might do that over the weekend if SCa11 doesn't get released.