Modification support

[IgorEliezer]

I think this is a very large step forward for developer team, but, anyway...

I've seen a lot of games and softwares that support modifications: you load a patch or add-on to change or add features, such as, dialogs and interface (GUI), themes, tools, functionalities etc. For example, the browser Mozilla Firefox allows you to load an add-on to change the way how the browser works. I, for example, use some add-ons like a advertising blocker, download manager, chat and FTP client. These features aren't in-built from "factory", I added them into the software by myself.

Simutrans already, pretty nice, supports some kind of modification: pakfiles, menus, skin and translations. But what if I would like to change the way of how a depot shows me the info?

A deep modification support could be handy here. And if any day I get tired of that, I could just remove it from the game.

Now, please, don't kill me. D:

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

I think coders are going to kill you, especially since we have such a small community... but... I like the idea anyway

[ojii]

Taking the risk to be assassinated by the coders, let me still give my 2 cents here:

It would be great that if we could have a mod system, if those mods could be written in a high level language (I'd prefer Python).

[Combuijs]

RIP Igor...
RIP ojii...

While it is a nice addition, it would take a lot of effort to program this, as the user-interface system was not designed that way. That would be a major overhaul of the user-interface part of Simutrans.

But then, Simutrans is open source, so I guess it is feasible. Just find yourself the right madman to program it...

[Dwachs]

I can understand this request  However, it would be a LOT of work to implement something like this.....

Also something like "scriptable" paks would be nice to have. But then, the system was not designed with this concept in mind. Not even reloading of paks during game is not possible.

[Ashley]

Sounds great Igor - but I think you forgot to attach your patch file

[Dwachs]

lol

[Severous]

Who decides which patches are incorporated into the next standard release?

When patches with different configurations are added to each PAK set, are the configurations aligned?

[jamespetts]

Would it not be easier just to make more of the game parameters settable in simuconf.tab? Or are people after things like scripting? Is scripting really necessary in an open source project - is it not more efficient (overall, that is) for people simply to write a patch in the programme's native language and make the effect of it optional using simuconf.tab?

[sdog]

The desire for mod support is much higher, in closed projects. In this open source project, the gui is direclty modifiable. That we don't have many forks in that direction is perhaps due to devs incorporating extension requests and patches quite often. Thus taking away the desire for forks by people who are capable to do so. the second effect might be that people who request things can be told to code it themselves, which is quite effective in turning those who do not belong to the aforementioned group silent.

When looking over the patch subforum, i can't find a lot of patches that have not been implemented in one way or another.

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

Well... I will give one example of something that I wish I could do: make bridges act like elevated ways; and make elevated ways buildable on water. A decision was made not to allow this, and I don't have anyway around it, except perhaps to learn how to program and make a fork, then keep up the fork with each new change.....

I'm not sure that there is sufficient reason/demand for a mod system; but there is definitely a use for one. So I don't expect it to happen; but I cannot argue against it from desire, only logic.

[jamespetts]

Hmm - couldn't Isaac's requests be accommodated with simuconf.tab options rather than a scripting system?

[Fabio]

A scripting I always dreamt of is to place a matrix of objects on the map with a single click. I could preset a few standard station layouts, including extensions, or whole airports, including runaways, taxiways, stops and extensions, and to place them as a single e.g. 9*9 Building.

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

Hmm - couldn't Isaac's requests be accommodated with simuconf.tab options rather than a scripting system?

Yes, but it was firmly denied.