Missing Terran Accelerator model

[mr.WHO]

There is an unused model for Terran Trans-Orbital Accelerator:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... 2727518009

I recall in the past it couldn't be added because it will break save-game compactibility.

However, now that we'll get Construction vechicle model replacement in 6.0, I wonder if Egosoft found a way for easier model swap that don't break the save?


Would be nice to have those accelerators.

[SirBerrial]

The issue is probably with that that not all gates need to be replaced.

[mr.WHO]

Actually, I wouldn't mind all accelerators to be replaced with this one.
It's simplier, while with normal commonwealth accellerator I had many situations where AI went crazy due to avoidance from accellerator parts.

[linolafett]

Still not possible to patch it in.

[xant]

Still not possible to patch it in.

Out of curiosity, how is it easier to replace an entire engine than a few 3d models? Not to mention that you successfully exchanged 3d models of most construction vessels recently.

If someone put a gun to my head and asked me to choose the easier between both, I'd definitely think changing a few models of static objects would be less complicated and prone to errors.

[CBJ]

It's not just a case of which is easier, it's more about what you get for the work involved. Changing the physics engine, for example, was quite a bit of work (though possibly not as much as you might think), but the benefits are more than worth it, both in terms of performance and gameplay. Importantly, though, these changes, and those to the graphics engine, didn't require any patching, because they are engine changes rather than changes to the game universe.

Changes that require patching can range from trivial to near-impossible, and it isn't always easy to explain the technical limitations that determine where a particular change sits on that spectrum. The construction vessel changes were on the more difficult end, requiring artists to work within very specific limitations, and programming support to make it work, but they would have tipped over into the near-impossible if we hadn't planned for them from the very start (we had always wanted there to be different models, we just couldn't fit them into the schedule). Unfortunately the same isn't true in the case of the accelerators, so the amount of work involved to make it happen, and the long-term implications of that work, would be out of all proportion to the benefit, particularly when taking into account all the other things that could (and will) be done with that time.

[xant]

Oh, then I think I understand. It's not as much impossible, but merely not worth the cost. Thank you for explaining it. I found the word "impossible" a bit strange, coming from the magicians who just now changed ship models and the entire game engine while keeping savegame compatibility.

I still hope that one day you'll split off a stand-alone version of the game with more drastic changes, like sunlight intensity in the entire universe, Terran accelerator models and other things that would break existing saves.

[mr.WHO]

Unfortunately the same isn't true in the case of the accelerators, so the amount of work involved to make it happen, and the long-term implications of that work, would be out of all proportion to the benefit, particularly when taking into account all the other things that could (and will) be done with that time.

Last question to finalize the matter.
Would it be complex to enable them just for fresh game start (e.g. like those new Split stations added in 6.0 that require fresh start to appear)?

[CBJ]

For most things, the answer would be no, but for things like accelerators and gates, unfortunately, it's yes. They are part of the map, and because of the way map patching works (needed for us to be able to fix map problems and add sectors in expansions), any changes made for new games would also affect (and break) savegames.