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[Reelya]

The idea of being able to modify some parts of the game without needing programming knowledge is already fantastic honestly. Reminds me of those Paradox games like CK2 with their events. Or Dwarf Fortress, to give a more "local" example

Part of the trick here isn't to force two branches to merge, you can in fact implement the same data structures / file structures in both projects separately, iron out any inconsitencies then share files back and forth. Basically the problem is that with LCS people are rolling their own code versions which are then incompatible with what everyone else is doing. This version is a good start towards a basis for data files, and I suggest IsaacG work on the "clean" version, but also support "mod" versions as data-only. Any code change that implements an added feature, that goes against the core rationale of why this project would exist.

[SlatersQuest]

The reason this is happening - on my end, at least - is that I have a number of features that I'm trying to add to the game and doing that requires coding. The features that I am adding will eventually be text-moddable with a set of instructions, but first the features need to exist before I can make them user-friendly. At least the TV mod is playable.

[IsaacG]

The idea of being able to modify some parts of the game without needing programming knowledge is already fantastic honestly. Reminds me of those Paradox games like CK2 with their events. Or Dwarf Fortress, to give a more "local" example

Data Driven Development.  The easier and safer it is to add features, the more people can add features.  My favorite part of LCS, the flavor, the humor, it's predominately plaintext, and as such should be some of the easiest parts to modify, but since it's hardcoded, it's easier to find a zombie mod than a few new pickup lines.  Multiple save files, multiple cities, the Stalinist Crimesquad, these are excellent features and I have the utmost respect for the people who added them, but C++ sucks!  I don't want to force anyone to learn it.  LCS lives and dies by its mods, and with all the craziness in the past ten years, there has got to be all sorts of ideas floating around, and I don't want C++ to be standing in the way of all that creative content.

Any code change that implements an added feature, that goes against the core rationale of why this project would exist.

I couldn't have said it better myself.
That said I am working on something new.  A mod folder, to allow switching between data-only mods without multiple copies of the executable.  Apart from the risk of screwing up save files if loaded with an incompatible mod, it seems surprisingly simple.

The reason this is happening - on my end, at least - is that I have a number of features that I'm trying to add to the game and doing that requires coding. The features that I am adding will eventually be text-moddable with a set of instructions, but first the features need to exist before I can make them user-friendly. At least the TV mod is playable.

Aye.  I have long fantasized of such an LCS.  I hope my efforts make the transition easier, or at least not more difficult.

[Reelya]

BTW Isaac, i see you didn't implement any of the changes I gave you for activate.cpp. I'm certain I sent that to you.

I did manage to pull out a lot of the code and text, so that it was in tables, it's kinda disappointing that you didn't incorporate that.

[IsaacG]

BTW Isaac, i see you didn't implement any of the changes I gave you for activate.cpp. I'm certain I sent that to you.

I did manage to pull out a lot of the code and text, so that it was in tables, it's kinda disappointing that you didn't incorporate that.

W-what?  No, I totally implemented the changes you made for activate.cpp.  I even updated it to include the augmentation code that Kamel-Sadek introduced in 4.10.  Just check my GitHub.  Ignore the fact that the commit for those changes was about two minutes ago.
It really simplifies things, I expect I will be able to expand these changes to much of the rest of the code.

(Sorry, I couldn't remember what your changes were or where to find them.  They're there now, and I'd greatly appreciate any further input.)

[Reelya]

Uhuh, well I opened up the DL in the OP for the thread and didn't see any of the changes such as breaking out all the college classes to a table of text values etc, so i was kinda curious.

One of the things I'd like to do as well however is break the code dependency on the game with all the creature ENUM values. Basically, what would replace that is a class with some functions that you call with the enum that returns some value for each creature. We can encapsulate all the creature-specific logic in one place basically and hide the specifics from each module that needs to know about creature types. It'd be the first step to completely being able to code new creatures in XML and the like.

[IsaacG]

Uhuh, well I opened up the DL in the OP for the thread and didn't see any of the changes such as breaking out all the college classes to a table of text values etc, so i was kinda curious.

<.<; I should have implemented those changes much earlier.
I'm finding GitHub makes things a lot easier when I only have to change two or three text files at a time.  I'm considering dropping it from mediafire.  Heck, GitHub allows "download as zip", and that's

One of the things I'd like to do as well however is break the code dependency on the game with all the creature ENUM values. Basically, what would replace that is a class with some functions that you call with the enum that returns some value for each creature. We can encapsulate all the creature-specific logic in one place basically and hide the specifics from each module that needs to know about creature types. It'd be the first step to completely being able to code new creatures in XML and the like.

That directly relates to the most requested feature: less hardcoded creature data, moving it to the XML file.

[IsaacG]

I feel the update for 4.12.5 warrants a bump.
Includes the source code.
Most of the relevant changes are in saveload.cpp
Specifically the writeVerbose() and readVerbose() functions.

[Taberone]

Save editor? Interesting. Should make debugging stuff for mods easier, I guess?

[IsaacG]

4.12.6 released.
More game gripes fixed.

2) PENDING
added a suspicion check for weapons that have been "holstered", meaning weapons carried in the squad inventory, but not equipped
Since weapons (including ammunition) cannot be taken to a site without being equipped to a squad member, this was an exploit (Unimplemented)
TODO Weapon concealment overhaul
currently basically all handguns are size 5, rifles size 15, and shotguns/smgs size 10.  Default value is 15.
All armors have a concealment rating of 5 except naked (0) and trenchcoat(10)
Dufflebag of guns seems worth considering.

3) WIP
Car chase unit quantity is now based on logarithmic progression instead of linear.  Tweaking is likely necessary, but still.

6) DONE
Mistakenly attacking innocents: if skill is 8 or higher, there is no chance of mistakenly hitting innocents (except when used as a human shield).
If skill is 7 or lower, the odds are based on skill, with a maximum of 10% chance at skill = 0;
Melee weapons only require a skill of 4.
If skill is 3 or lower, the odds are based on skill, with a maximum of 5% chance at skill = 0;

26) DONE
Able to repair clothing in bulk

34) DONE
Most skills are now trainable in the university district.
Skills not trainable in university
   SKILL_AXE,
   SKILL_HEAVYWEAPONS,
   SKILL_KNIFE,
   SKILL_PISTOL,
   SKILL_RIFLE,
   SKILL_SHOTGUN,
   SKILL_SMG,

new skills trainable in university

++   SKILL_CLUB, (Baseball)
++   SKILL_SEDUCTION, (Buying Drinks)
++   SKILL_STEALTH, (Stealth)
++   SKILL_STREETSENSE, (Police Procedure)
++   SKILL_THROWING, (Basketball)
(Now trainable, already trainable in Terra Vitae)   
 ++  SKILL_COMPUTERS,
 ++  SKILL_RELIGION,
 ++  SKILL_SWORD, (Fencing)
 ++  SKILL_TAILORING, (Weaving)

[IsaacG]

4.12.7
More creature characteristics moved to XML for easier modding

   <seethroughstealth> (interval)
   how difficult it is to fool through stealth
   default:      3
   <seethroughdisguise> (interval)
   how difficult it is to fool through disguise
   default:      3
   
   <talkreceptive>(0 or 1)
      is receptive to talking and persuasion
   <kidnap_resistant>(0 or 1)
      is especially difficult to kidnap
   <reports_to_police>(0 or 1)
      reports to the police if attempted to datenap
HUGE Bugfix:
The states were listed in the wrong order.
Correction:
"
Arizona
Arkansas
"
not
"
Arkansas
Arizona
"
Unfortunately, the state_bias of -2 for Arizona and -1 for Arkansas will only be corrected in new save files.  Old save files will continue to have them flipped around.


Another 78 external txt files
As a placeholder the new folder mostlyendings contains almost all of them.

Added external txt file "allText.txt"
It contains 476 lines from throughout LCS, meant to help facilitate translation without recompiling.

Transferred string data from help.cpp to externallyStoredData

transferred all ingame help information to helpTopics.txt

The remaining new files make up the bulk of the issue-based text now within art/talk/

This brings total external txt files to 285.

Substantial internal restructuring of includes.h
based on the work by Schmel924

Minor bugfixes:
newgames did not give the player a last name, along with certain newsstories
BUG CAUSED BY THE ABSENSE OF TYPE-SAFETY IN C++
Just when I was starting to like C++ it does this.

[Taberone]

Does successfully using unarmed persuasive attacks (Ex. brainwash a Radio Personality, make him attack people while unarmed, successfully make them Liberal) grant juice? If it doesn't already, it should at least leech juice away from Conservatives and transfer it to the one using the special unarmed persuasive attack.

Also, one gripe I've had with police negotiators is that they turn Liberals conservative despite being moderate. Shouldn't getting de-juiced and converted by a negotiator turn a liberal into a moderate?

It's also really weird how only the police station is capable of doing government raids, including Army raids when your heat is really high or you fight off the SWAT teams. Shouldn't army raids come from the military base, instead of the police station? Shoot up the police station and shut it down, and the cops or military will never raid you. Only Police Station should be able to launch SWAT raids, and only Military Base should be able to launch Army Raids in my opinion. Currently, the police station does both SWAT and Military raids against Liberals.

[IsaacG]

Also, one gripe I've had with police negotiators is that they turn Liberals conservative despite being moderate. Shouldn't getting de-juiced and converted by a negotiator turn a liberal into a moderate?

This is already listed in my notes as Gripe #25.
I think coding police negotiators to be conservative will resolve the issue, as currently conversion only works moving someone into a liberal or a conservative.

It's also really weird how only the police station is capable of doing government raids, including Army raids when your heat is really high or you fight off the SWAT teams. Shouldn't army raids come from the military base, instead of the police station? Shoot up the police station and shut it down, and the cops or military will never raid you. Only Police Station should be able to launch SWAT raids, and only Military Base should be able to launch Army Raids in my opinion. Currently, the police station does both SWAT and Military raids against Liberals.

That is a good point.
I am adding this to my notes as Gripe #51
It should also help with violence being overpowered.  Closing down a police station is one thing, an army base is another...

Does successfully using unarmed persuasive attacks (Ex. brainwash a Radio Personality, make him attack people while unarmed, successfully make them Liberal) grant juice? If it doesn't already, it should at least leech juice away from Conservatives and transfer it to the one using the special unarmed persuasive attack.

I'll get back to you on that.
I'm marking it '52?' to investigate further.

[TastyMints]

Hey I thought I'd pop in and say thank you for your hard work in making LCS more moddable. I haven't checked in on LCS for a long, long time but it's amazing to see the things coders are doing with it. Cheers.

[IsaacG]

Hey I thought I'd pop in and say thank you for your hard work in making LCS more moddable. I haven't checked in on LCS for a long, long time but it's amazing to see the things coders are doing with it. Cheers.

^.^
Thank you, it's always nice to get support.

Does successfully using unarmed persuasive attacks (Ex. brainwash a Radio Personality, make him attack people while unarmed, successfully make them Liberal) grant juice? If it doesn't already, it should at least leech juice away from Conservatives and transfer it to the one using the special unarmed persuasive attack.

I'll get back to you on that.
I'm marking it '52?' to investigate further.

I've investigated further.  Unarmed persuasive attacks do not grant juice to the user.  It is now officially Gripe #52, and will be fixed for 4.12.09