Changing to Classic mode?

[Kalour]

Wondering if there's a way to change a current playthrough to classic mode?

Me and some friends play on a server and kinda miss being able to make massive iron/titanium ships without the subsystem limitations. Anyone know if its possible to switch over to Classic where its all unlocked? Or if there's a command or file edit to remove the limitations?

Thanks for any info you can offer!

[Weaver]

I don't believe it's possible to convert an existing save into another game mode. Even if there were an option to do it, so much of the game's code relies on referencing what's been established during sector generation that it would likely break everything in the process. This is one reason why turret mods don't retroactively change existing turrets; only newly generated ones. Or why adding or removing a mod won't change an existing sector.

It should be possible to use admin commands to give Building Knowledge to other players, but I don't know the method. I know the guy running the server I used to play on was able to get the job done.

Depending on how far in you are, it may be easier just to start over and hand out a fair amount of credits/materials as compensation.

[Seoc]

You can change the settings in the server config for the galaxy to potentially enable some of what you want that shouldn't mess up saves.

You need to go to the directory holding the galaxy in AppData\Roaming.
If you don't know where that is, the fastest way to get to it is

1. From the desktop, right-click on the Windows logo and select Run.
   
2. Type in %appdata%.
   
3. Open the Avorion folder.
   
4. Open the Galaxies folder.
   
5. (Optional) At this point, probably should make a backup copy of the galaxy's folder.
   
6. Open the folder with the name of the galaxy you want to edit.
   
7. (Optional) At this point, probably should make a backup copy of the players folder too.

In there is the server.ini file (or just server by default, stupid Windows wanting to be a Mac). That's what you'll want to edit.

(Edit based on testing:)
You'll need to change "Scenario" to 3 or changes may be reset when loading the galaxy.

There's a server.ini - readme text file that explains what the settings do, such as

• FullBuildingUnlocked
  
• UnlimitedProcessingPower
  
• UnlimitedShipSize

[Weaver]

The last I knew, some settings were being automatically reverted when altered after the generation of a galaxy. I don't have an exhaustive list of which options, nor do I have any information on whether the issue has been corrected.

Try it and see?

[Seoc]

I've tested it and it does reset those settings when starting in Normal or Creative.

However, if you change "Scenario" to "3" (i.e. "Free Play") changes do stick.

Player saves should be okay if going from more restricted to less restricted.
But definitely should make a backup copy of the galaxy directory.

[seagod_wolf]

Originally posted by Seoc:

You can change the settings in the server config for the galaxy to potentially enable some of what you want that shouldn't mess up saves.

You need to go to the directory holding the galaxy in AppData\Roaming.
If you don't know where that is, the fastest way to get to it is

1. From the desktop, right-click on the Windows logo and select Run.
   
2. Type in %appdata%.
   
3. Open the Avorion folder.
   
4. Open the Galaxies folder.
   
5. (Optional) At this point, probably should make a backup copy of the galaxy's folder.
   
6. Open the folder with the name of the galaxy you want to edit.
   
7. (Optional) At this point, probably should make a backup copy of the players folder too.

In there is the server.ini file (or just server by default, stupid Windows wanting to be a Mac). That's what you'll want to edit.[/list]

best bet is make a brand new game just how you want it then copy that ini and replace the one in the folder belonging to the world you want to change, that way all the settings are changed for you and you dont have to read through the whole ini file

[Narn]

I wish classic mode allowed for some of the old looping commands. Its not really classic at that point.

[rickcarson]

Originally posted by Narn:

I wish classic mode allowed for some of the old looping commands. Its not really classic at that point.

Some of the looping stuff was quite interesting and offered capabilities which there isn't really a replacement for. But the thing most people were _actually_ using it for was r-mining loops, and they're bum cancer. Good riddance to them.

First off they're basically cheating (it literally didn't work unless you figured out how to abuse sector reloading mechanics). Secondly the whole point of them was to AFK and then 'win' by building a titanium death star that trivialised the remainder of the game.

-------

Apart from the obvious AFK-FTW issues, I think the looping (or more specifically the chaining) made the game _feel_ like you had a lot more control over what was happening, because it enabled a lot more micro, but not just micro, _smart_ micro. Like you're basically building a set of subroutines for your ships to make them act smarter.

So it's probably a net-loss for everything except r-mining loops, which were a massive dumpster fire and the replacement is just as good if not better.

[Narn]

Originally posted by rickcarson:

Snip

The old loops for mining were fine in the player sector. There was no cheating involved and I typically protected my assets while they mined. I got a lot of enjoyment having a swarm of ships using their fighters devour an entire sector. As I typically employed swarm gameplay it affected me the most. I could tell my swarm to mine the sector I was in and refine it. Or I could tell them to salvage the sector I was in and refine it. I cant do that now. I cant just have them refine once their bay is full. They will just keep mining even if they have a full cargo hold. I have to watch each ships cargo hold to wait until its full to micro manage it and tell it to go refine. That is too much for me even with one ship.

The loop orders were great for creating complex behaviors in sector. You can still have loop orders in the game just make it so they dont work for r-mining out of the player sector. Let everything else have loops in and out of the player sector and it would be great. I see no cheating in that.