Editing the starting scenario

[apljee]

Is it possible to edit the starting scenario through XML code? Or will I have to man up and start using C#? I'm really just looking to edit the following of the starting colonists:

- Clothes
- Weapons
- Materials

[ItchyFlea]

You'll have to use C# for the colonists, and insert your changes into the MapGenerators.XML file, replacing <li Class="Genstep_Colonists" /> with your own.
Starting materials and weapons can be modified/added with XML. (The 3 starting weapons are a bit tricky but can be modified with XML. Probably easier to use C# for them though.)

[apljee]

(Kinda late reply, even though only one day.)
How would this be done (really only interested in editing the starting weapons and items, for now) I'll take a tutorial on the easiest route for both of them because I don't want things to get too hard before I have to get knee-deep in C# and XML.

[ItchyFlea]

I'm terrible with writing tutorials. Hopefully this makes sense:

Modify this file: \Defs\MapGeneratorDefs\MapGenerators.xml
If you want a new material to be strewn around the map like Steel and Silver is when you start a new colony, you'd use this code:

Code Select Expand

<li Class="Genstep_ScatterThingGroups">
<thingDefs>
<li>Steel</li>
</thingDefs>
<minSpacing>15</minSpacing>
<countPer10kCellsRange>
<min>1.4</min>
<max>1.4</max>
</countPer10kCellsRange>
<spotMustBeStandable>true</spotMustBeStandable>
<groupSizeRange>
<min>3</min>
<max>6</max>
</groupSizeRange>
<stackCountRange>
<min>40</min>
<max>60</max>
</stackCountRange>
</li>

If you want it appearing near your colonists like wood does, you'd use this code:

Code Select Expand

<li Class="Genstep_ScatterThingGroups">
<thingDefs>
<li>Steel</li>
</thingDefs>
<spotMustBeStandable>true</spotMustBeStandable>
<groupSizeRange>
<min>6</min>
<max>6</max>
</groupSizeRange>
<stackCountRange>
<min>40</min>
<max>60</max>
</stackCountRange>
<countAtPlayerStart>1</countAtPlayerStart>
</li>

You can do the same thing to have weapons laying about.

Modifying the starting weapons would probably be easier and not a hack if done via C# code.
I haven't tried it in A9 since the MapGenerator was returned, but in the past what I did was replace the weapon definition with that of a grass that had a lifespan of a couple of seconds and no chance of spreading seeds around.
What I then did was re-add the weapon using a different defname, so that the weapon existed, but didn't spawn at the start of the map.