Modding the story/ final battle

[thothkins]

Just a query to see if a particular mod would be possible as things stand with the game.

Like EU, I imagine there will be a pretty sequential storyline leading to a final battle. Once completed, this would end the game.

What I'd like to know is if there is a way to either not complete the game at that point and progress to another mission or to add in missions of your own along the way and return to the game once done.

An example would be that one of the alien races had a goal of their own. Preventing them attaining that goal would be a key mission, but you'd want to return to the main storyline once it had been completed.

[IceVamp]

If we're able to mod the ticket system, and the spawner I think this would be feasible. You stop the ticker and spawn the assets you need for your "side mission" and start it again when the mission is complete. Maybe even mod how it behaves after that mission.

[thothkins]

thanks for that Icevamp. It's something I've always wanted to see done with EU.

[Jean-Luc]

Would be interesting if the final mission could be removed to create a never ending "survival mode" where you just try to hold out as long as possible against an ever increasing scale of invasion.

I'd never play that but I'm sure there are people who would.

Edit: I suppose you can simply choose to not research the final tech for the same effect. Derp.

[thothkins]

It was more for adding in additional missions throughout the game, to enable multiple resolutions to different issues. For me, this option would really open the game out to be modified in so many different ways in terms of the storylines.

[Xenonaut]

Instead of modding the story, what about a game log? one that you can play back like a documentary of the alien war for example. The log will record the history of Earth based on the player's decisions and the reactions of the funding countries. Leading up stories can be build around key (canon) events of the game. These leading up stories can be inserted into the log(for later viewing) when the key event happens.

For example a Key event is a withdrawal of funding by a nation or a player's base is destroyed, a new alien base is discovered, a new alien specie is sighted, an alien base is destroyed etc.

In the log, the inserted events to say, USA's withdrawal of funding are - heavy attacks by alien forces on random major US cities, Election is called as current leadership's ability is called into question, new president preaching friendlier relations toward the aliens is elected. etc.

Events and reactions by the world can also be inserted. Newspaper clippings extolling the deeds of the xenonaut organizations, of its commander - the player. The world can have a positive reaction when positive key events happen, negative reactions when things goes bad.

At the end of a campaign, the player can sit back and watch the history of the world being played out, with time stamps, with casualty listing perhaps in a credit scroll format. Adds a bitter sweet moment for the player to reflect on the wins and losses caused by their decisions during the war.

[thothkins]

sounds nice. up there with the soldier memorial being displayed and a bit about becoming president of Earth after the invasion (as long as they don't no that my tactical ineptitude is responsible for every name on the memorial)