include10StartingShips

[RPC]

What does this mean in 1.08g?

[george moromisato]

What does this mean in 1.08g?

SHORT STORY:
"include10StartingShips" means that an adventure should include any player ships for API version earlier than 12 even if they don't have the "00200000_PlayerShip" attribute (i.e., all 1.0 mods).

If you have an API 12 mod and you want the player ship to appear in Stars of the Pilgrim, then you need to add the 00200000_PlayerShip attribute (if the mod if pre-API 12 then you don't need to do anything).

LONG STORY:
Let's say you create an adventure that starts in the Outer Realm (where ships are much more powerful). You don't want the player to be able to select a level 1 Sapphire--instead you want to create your own starting ships. So you create a Britannia starting ship class with heavy missile launchers and a star cannon.

Of course, you have to add an attribute to the Britannia ship class so that your adventure shows it but not the lower-level ships. [E.g., you add the attribute "RPCs_Adventure_Only" to the Britannia; the adventure adds a starting ship criteria like: "* +RPCs_Adventure_Only".

But the problem is that the Britannia might show up in Stars of the Pilgrim, which we don't want. If it were smart, Stars of the Pilgrim would also have a ship criteria, something like: "* +00200000_PlayerShip;", which would exclude the Britannia.

In 1.08e, I added that exact criteria. But without a time machine, I can't change all the existing player ship mods to get them to add the required attribute.

Instead, I added an attribute on an adventure called include10StartingShips. This tells the engine to ignore the starting ship criteria for any player ship mod earlier than API 12. This takes care of the problem.

Moving forward (API 12 and above), the best practice is:

1. If you are creating a player ship mod and you want it to appear in an adventure, add the appropriate attributes for the adventure. For Stars of the Pilgrim, add "00200000_PlayerShip".

2. If you are creating an adventure, add an appropriate criteria. If your adventure is roughly compatible with Stars of the Pilgrim then you can also require the same criteria. Conversely, you can require your own attribute to be more exclusive. Or your criteria could require a level range.

See also: http://wiki.neurohack.com/transcendence ... pi_version

[RPC]

Ok cool
I guess I didn't see take notice of that feature since we're updating so fast...

[george moromisato]

Ok cool
I guess I didn't see take notice of that feature since we're updating so fast...

I should have updated the wiki (http://wiki.neurohack.com/transcendence ... enturedesc), but ran out of time.

[PM]

Does ship inclusion apply only to ships at the start game/ship select screen? I was able to acquire an excluded ship (with apiVersion 12, without 00200000_PlayerShip) in the middle of a game that included the Playership Drones mod, even though I could not start the game as the excluded ship.

[george moromisato]

Does ship inclusion apply only to ships at the start game/ship select screen? I was able to acquire an excluded ship (with apiVersion 12, without 00200000_PlayerShip) in the middle of a game that included the Playership Drones mod, even though I could not start the game as the excluded ship.

Yes, the "include10StartingShips" hack only applies to the ship select screen. In a mod you get full control of the kind of ships that you want.

For PSD, what set of ships do you want?

1. All player ships/no restrictions: In that case, I believe it's working as designed.
2. All player ships valid with Stars of the Pilgrim: This is not currently possible. We need a data field on a type that returns the API version of the type. This would allow you to include any old-style player ships. [Feel free to file a ticket.]
3. All player ships valid with the current adventure: This will also require a code change. This might be best either as a data field or as a special attribute. (E.g., "* +isStartingClass:true;")

[RPC]

Ok, linked to your post so I can update that page with your information when either of us find time.

[PM]

Yes, the "include10StartingShips" hack only applies to the ship select screen. In a mod you get full control of the kind of ships that you want.

That clears things a bit. Ship exclusion as read appeared to apply beyond starting ship select, but it does not. An apiVersion="12" Ronin without 00200000_PlayerShip attribute cannot be selected at the start of an D&O game, but that same Ronin can be acquired later during a game in progress.

For PSD, what set of ships do you want?

For now, nothing. I will add 00200000_PlayerShip to all ships in PSD.

3. All player ships valid with the current adventure: This will also require a code change. This might be best either as a data field or as a special attribute. (E.g., "* +isStartingClass:true;")

Wouldn't "*" do the same? Come to think of it, wouldn't 00200000_PlayerShip and other adventure attributes for playerships be pointless for ships with startingClass="false"?

[PM]

I wondered what a mod author of a playership mod would do, who had #2 (for his playership mod only) in mind. "Check out my new ship! Hey, why won't this ship load in any adventure?! Hmmm, I'll just use version="1.0" and call it a day!"

Maybe have startingClass="always" for those who want to force their mod ship into starting ship select of any adventure?

[RPC]

Maybe have startingClass="always" for those who want to force their mod ship into starting ship select of any adventure?

Sounds trac worthy, unless it's already implemented.

[PM]

Ticket #1141 posted!