How much of Xenonauts is hard coded in regard to a total conversion mod?

Hi everyone, Laurence here, first time poster, long time XCOM/Xenonauts fan.

I'm a somewhat experienced modder and currently our modding team Kaiser Cat Studios is looking for a platform to create a new title.

I have been thinking about using Xenonauts as a starting point for some time now, but first I though I'd check if the platform was even viable, and that's why I'm here.

To keep it short, the game we want to make is a post-apocalyptic turn based strategy game, complete with base building, multiple factions and a loot-based resource system.

Instead of a linear campaign with UFOs entering the map, you would explore parts of the map and encounter other faction's strike teams / forward outposts / main bases. Loot gained from these encounters would serve as a barter currency, a construction resource or as ammunition.

UFO encounters and interceptors would be scrapped from the gameplay.

Naturally this would also include a new set of enemies, weapons and (possibly) vehicles.

My question now is, how much is moddable in Xenonauts and what is hard coded in the Playground SDK engine?

Is a project of this scope even possible?

Thanks for the reply,

-Laurence, Kaiser Cat Studios

Not with Xenonauts it wouldn't be. You want something that's completely different to how Xenonauts runs. You're talking a total revamp of the Geoscape for one thing, and that revamp would mean re-writing the Geoscape.

Hi everyone, Laurence here, first time poster, long time XCOM/Xenonauts fan.

I'm a somewhat experienced modder and currently our modding team Kaiser Cat Studios is looking for a platform to create a new title.

I have been thinking about using Xenonauts as a starting point for some time now, but first I though I'd check if the platform was even viable, and that's why I'm here.

To keep it short, the game we want to make is a post-apocalyptic turn based strategy game, complete with base building, multiple factions and a loot-based resource system.

Instead of a linear campaign with UFOs entering the map, you would explore parts of the map and encounter other faction's strike teams / forward outposts / main bases. Loot gained from these encounters would serve as a barter currency, a construction resource or as ammunition.

UFO encounters and interceptors would be scrapped from the gameplay.

Naturally this would also include a new set of enemies, weapons and (possibly) vehicles.

My question now is, how much is moddable in Xenonauts and what is hard coded in the Playground SDK engine?

Is a project of this scope even possible?

Thanks for the reply,

-Laurence, Kaiser Cat Studios

It's possible, it'd just take an incredible amount of time and effort--something which would probably cause you to claw your eyes out in frustration after realizing most of all the changes you did probably wouldn't work.

If you still want to do modding for Xenonauts though, I'd advise starting a tad smaller, eh?

U want to make fallout brotherhood with base building. If u got a team just make a new game.

Xenonauts is not an engine, it's a game. A very configurable game, but it's still a game about shooting down things and killing the crew in ground missions.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Not with Xenonauts it wouldn't be. You want something that's completely different to how Xenonauts runs. You're talking a total revamp of the Geoscape for one thing, and that revamp would mean re-writing the Geoscape.

Indeed it would be, but can it be done? Or is the Geoscape hard coded?

It's possible, it'd just take an incredible amount of time and effort--something which would probably cause you to claw your eyes out in frustration after realizing most of all the changes you did probably wouldn't work.

If you still want to do modding for Xenonauts though, I'd advise starting a tad smaller, eh?

I would guess that much, but I used to mod for Hearts of Iron 2, my eyes have been clawed out a long time ago.

Naturally if we undertake this project we will have to start small, but this is our end goal, and if it's not possible it's not worth putting the effort in.

Are there any other total conversion for Xenonauts in the works by the way?

U want to make fallout brotherhood with base building. If u got a team just make a new game.

Yes, exactly, with tech trees, upgradable weapons and armour, and exosuits.

We have a team, but starting from scratch on a hobby project would require at least a kickstarter backing.

Xenonauts already has most of these elements in place.

Xenonauts is not an engine, it's a game. A very configurable game, but it's still a game about shooting down things and killing the crew in ground missions.

I haven't looked into the code that much seeing as there are alien bases I presume those can be edited to serve as hostile faction outposts or bases, each with a set of different types op maps.

Another thing that can be a problem is the resource system, can it be overwritten so that money is no longer a factor and you gain resources (munition, fuel) through missions only?

Hm. I didn't make myself clear. When I said "rewriting the Geoscape", I mean re-writing the .exe. The things which can be modded in the Geoscape don't extend to things like replacing the real-time nature of the Geoscape with a turn-based structure.

Are there any other total conversion for Xenonauts in the works by the way?

Nope, but we may have a few Overhauls here and there...

Hm. I didn't make myself clear. When I said "rewriting the Geoscape", I mean re-writing the .exe. The things which can be modded in the Geoscape don't extend to things like replacing the real-time nature of the Geoscape with a turn-based structure.

I see, fortunately I have no intention of altering the time progression, it would be like vanilla.

And regarding the monetary system, is it possible for that to be changed? (see last line of previous post)

Nope, but we may have a few Overhauls here and there...

Those mods look sweet, maybe I'll give those a try on my next runthrough, but none of these make any real alterations to the Geoscape, only numeral edits...

You can remove the need for money, but you can't remove money, if that makes any sense.

Those mods look sweet, maybe I'll give those a try on my next runthrough, but none of these make any real alterations to the Geoscape, only numeral edits...

Ever seen XNT or Dynamic UFOs?

Those don't change the geoscape fundamentally. A really radical change would be adding supply chains and defense batteries that could be placed anywhere. He's probably looking for changes like that.

Those don't change the geoscape fundamentally. A really radical change would be adding supply chains and defense batteries that could be placed anywhere. He's probably looking for changes like that.

That'd actually be pretty cool as an addition to the game.

You can remove the need for money, but you can't remove money, if that makes any sense.

It does actually, thanks for clarifying.

Ever seen XNT or Dynamic UFOs?

Not really, what's that?

Those don't change the geoscape fundamentally. A really radical change would be adding supply chains and defense batteries that could be placed anywhere. He's probably looking for changes like that.

Yeah that would be cool, sounds a bit like DEFCON that way doesn't it.

Anyway I think I have all I needed to know, Xenonauts might not be the platform we need for our project, too bad.

Thanks anyway for all the replies guys!

Cheers,

-Laurence, Kaiser Cat Studios

That'd actually be pretty cool as an addition to the game.

I would absolutely love to see that in game, but I don't have any coding experience to do it myself. I don't even know if the game engine would allow it at all.

If it could be done, it would be done by hijacking the Xenonauts base code. Modified xenonaut bases would be built with restrictions on buildings allowed. I do know that a lot of the code about the base setup is hardcoded and can't really be changed, but perhaps the defense battery range is moddable.