Modding UIs

[tjmonk15]

Is there any plans to allow modders to create new UI elements and/or modify existing UI elements?

- Monk

[BeLugh]

That is about the same question i asked at the same time at help section just took a bit longer to formulate as i was asking for floating text as well!

(and i checked the wiki if it did not contain something like that hidden somehow before i sent it)

[tjmonk15]

I looked through the core.cpk file and there is no code that interacts/creates UIs, so I'm pretty sure it's not supported yet. So yea same question pretty much that will take work on their end (or a flat "no" which would not make much sense....)

- Monk

[BeLugh]

The whole gui is definitely scripted. when i was modding for starcraft 2 you could create genious stuff by scripting and it definitely looks as it would be the same principle.
But the functions to do so are not listed in the wiki, yet

[tjmonk15]

The whole gui is definitely scripted. when i was modding for starcraft 2 you could create genious stuff by scripting and it definitely looks as it would be the same principle.
But the functions to do so are not listed in the wiki, yet

Unfortunately, no it's not. They use a UI library (http://www.noesisengine.com/noesis_gui_features.htm) that while based on a scripting langauge of sorts (XAML) is not exactly scriptable without some work from AtomicTorch.

And StarCraft 2 has no point being brought up, different company, different engine, different everything.

- Monk

[BeLugh]

Oh i did not know gui has an extra engine. I took a close look into its tutorial. It does not look like it will be editable that easy if possible at all for modders.

And you are right that this can't be scripted without some decent work of the developers!

[ai_enabled]

Hello!
As mentioned above, the VoidExpanse uses the NoesisGUI library, and that creates some limitations in modding game current UI. In the future versions, we can implement some kind of "easy UI XML language with scripting" to allow modders create custom controls and windows.
What exactly do you want to mod in UI?
Regards!

[tjmonk15]

Hello!
As mentioned above, the VoidExpanse uses the NoesisGUI library, and that creates some limitations in modding game current UI. In the future versions, we can implement some kind of "easy UI XML language with scripting" to allow modders create custom controls and windows.

Good to hear! Can't wait til we are at that point.

What exactly do you want to mod in UI?

Adding Crafting, material refining, new information panels (HUD elements would be nice), etc.

- Monk

[BeLugh]

For trading i would want to make an ui which lists goods and ore prices of stations in the current system where you could switch the station you look at. so you do not nees to dock to see prices (would requirr a certain skill ability to activate just like see asteroid content

[Hammish]

BeLugh that's one of the most awesome ideas I have heard yet.

For my own personal use, crafting ability would be the most handy.  I had already thought up (and saw suggested by others as well, I know) a workaround in the form of just making them quests (hand in X materials, get a better Y back), but that is again bound to be clunky in the long run.

The other big one I can see in the much longer run is a UI for ship-to-ship trading in multi.

[BeLugh]

The feature i am planning for ui is not new. Collecting information of a station before docking is included in all parts of the x seriesfrom egosoft. but there you have to select a station and use your device on it. as you are top down this does not make sense, you will just grt information of all stations directly.

player to player trading is nice. but this should definitely be included in the game itself and not modded otherwise it would be no real mmo.

but trading at a station with another player is already enough. it does not need to be ship to ship

[Hecter94]

I don't really think ship to ship trading is a viable option right now, or atleast...I can't think of how to do it.

One fairly simple way it could be made possible, would be to allow players to scan "Crates" and see what's inside them.
This would allow players to do the simple duel trade.
Two ships hover a good distance apart from each other, both ships drop their item and scan the item the other guy dropped to ensure it's what they want...then both ships fly forward, pass each other....grab the item and fly away.

Perhaps scanning crates could even be tied into a skill? Something you could pick as a trader that would stop other players from being able to scam you and give you an upper hand in negotiations.

[BeLugh]

When we are already talking about scanning crates... Even when this gets a little bit off topic.... When a player is killed ... As he loses all his inventory. Is it stored in a crate at that position so either other players can loot it (pvp) or a player is able to get hsi stuff back when he is able to find it again (pve)
This would also improve party play as your comrade can collect the stuff you lost to give it back to you
But on the other side it increases pvp extremely on a pvp server (There should  be a level restriciton for battles or safe zones)
Or will servers always be pve now?
PVP and PVE would need different types of special ui that could be useful!

PVP:
scanning other ships seeign their current values (weapon strength, armor, hp etc... You coudl even calculate it so it would show:

Offense: 500Dps (Laser + missiles)
Defense: a value which contains hull, armor, shield, shield regen together in 1 number
Mobility: acceleration,speed, maneuverability, cruising calculated again as one value

Squad UI (hiring npcs to fight with/for you maybe?)
UI to see energy level of targeted ship, see how logn it takes until its shield raises
having a very high skilled ship: being able to set a target with ui (generator, boosters, weapons to disable it for a few seconds) (FTL)

PVE:
Trading with other players (preferable at stations to be safe for pirateS)
Scanning stations for goods (trading goods)
auto-pilot (Define location where to travel to on ui)
scanning systems for artifacts/creates
finding other players to form a group
party ui (including follow party member)
crafting ui
life-support-system ui
carrier ui (being a carrier sending out other ships with ui. ui needed for orders (mine, attack, patrol etc)
ui for crewmembers (available from heavy cruiser and upwards) (crewmembers would give a certain bonus to a specific part of the ship, e.g. generator, they gain in experience (FTL))

[IlanF]

It's been a while, Any update on this? I can't see any UI scripts with the latest version (1.2.0)

[ai_enabled]

Not yet, sorry. It  requires a huge amount of work to implement :-(.