Conquest Mod Tools
The following tools should be installed to the root Conquest: Frontier Wars directory.
ADB
This is the database editor for conquest. To run it will require that you have the Microsoft Visual C++ compiler in your path. This will allow you to change out art as well as change game balance. The user interface is also edited inside ADB.
Conquest has three databases:
All players will need the same databases or conquest will tell them that they are using different versions of the game. Very bad things can happen if you use different versions of the database.
GameTypes.db is the file most of you will want to mess with so I will briefly describe some of the data structures and what they are used for. This is not meant to be complete or even a tutorial. It is meant as additional info for the intrepid adventurer.
Spaceship types
These types are used for all of the space ships in Conquest:
BT_FABRICATOR_DATA – Ships that can construct platforms.
BT_FLAGSHIP_DATA – The admiral ships
BT_GUNBOAT_DATA – Any ship that has a launcher (see below)
BT_HARVESTSHIP_DATA – Any ship that can harvest nuggets.
BT_MINELAYER_DATA - Minlayers.
BT_SUPPLYSHIP_DATA – Ships that provide supplies to nearby ships
BT_TROOPSHIP_DATA – Ships that can take over enemy platforms.
Platform Types
All of the platforms in the game are one of the following types:
BT_PLAT_BUILD_DATA – Builds ships.
BT_PLAT_BUILDSUP_DATA – Builds ships and performs area resupply. (This is the HQ)
BT_PLAT_GENERAL_DATA – A do nothing platform. (not used)
BT_PLAT_GUN_DATA – A platform with a launcher.
BT_PLAT_JUMP_DATA - The platform that is built over a wormhole.
BT_PLAT_REFINE_DATA – Any platform that can harvest resources off a planet.
BT_PLAT_REPAIR_DATA – Any platform that performs repair/supply.
BT_PLAT_SELL_DATA – The Dissection Chamber
BT_PLAT_SUPPLY_DATA – (not used) just use a repair plat instead.
Launchers and Special Abilities
Launchers are objects that can be attached to gunboats or gun platforms. They are the different weapons that these ships can use. Some of them are generic launchers that handle a certain class of weapon:
BT_AEGIS_DATA – The Aegis shield
BT_AIR_DEFENCE – The Anti-Aircraft gun
BT_CLOAK_LAUNCHER – Cloak ability
BT_FANCY_LAUNCH – This is a generic launcher for firing network intensive weapons.
BT_FIGHTER_WING – This handles the fighters.
BT_MULTICLOAK_LAUNCHER – This is the Aurora’s Shroud ability.
BT_MIMIC_DATA – The Frigate’s Mimic ability.
BT_PING_LAUNCHER – The Ping ability of the Infiltrator.
BT_RECON_LAUNCH – (Not functioning)
BT_SHIPLAUNCH – (Not functioning)
BT_TURRET – Generic launcher. Most stats depend on the weapon type.
BT_VERTICAL_LAUNCH – The Missile Cruiser's launch system.
BT_SYNTHESIS_DATA – The Taos Synthesis ability.
BT_TALORIAN_LAUNCHER – The launcher for the Talorian Matrix.
BT_WORMHOLE_LAUNCHER – The launcher for the Portal.
BT_ZEALOT_DATA – The launcher for the Suicide Ship.
BT_OVERDRIVE_DATA – (don’t know if this works)
BT_REPULSOR_DATA – (should still work, The Tiamat used to use this)
BT_TRACTOR_DATA – No longer a Tractor Beam, now it is the Monolith Auger Ray.
Weapons (used by the launchers)
Some weapons can use different launchers for different effects but in general:
Turret Weapons
BT_PROJECTILE_DATA – generic projectile.
BT_ANMBOLT_DATA – similar to projectile except it uses a sprite to render.
BT_BEAM_DATA – Monolith or Polaris beam.
BT_GATTLINGBEAM_DATA – Taos beam.
BT_LASERSPRAY_DATA (never finished)
BT_PLASMABOLT_DATA – similar to projectile but has some complex render effect options.
BT_TORPEDO_DATA (old vyrium weapon.. don’t think it works but who knows)
Fancy Launch Weapons
BT_AEBOLT_DATA – Tempest Charge.
BT_ARC_DATA – Lancer Arc Cannon.
BT_DESTABILIZER_DATA – Trireme Destabilizer Torpedo.
BT_DUMBRECONPROBE_DATA – The Fleet Carrier Recon Probe.
BT_MASS_DISRUPTOR_DATA – The Polaris Mass Disruptor.
BT_RECONPROBE_DATA – (broken)
BT_REPELLANTCLOUD_DATA – Hive Carrier Repellant Cloud.
BT_REPULSORWAVE_DATA – Tiamat Repulsor Wave.
BT_STASISBOLT_DATA – The Scarab Gravity Well.
Fighter Wing
BT_FIGHTER_DATA
Other
BT_MINEFILED_DATA
BT_SPECIALBOLT_DATA
BT_SWAPPER_DATA
Terrain
BT_ANTIMATTER_DATA – the Anti-Matter Ribbons.
BT_ASTEROIDFIELD_DATA
BT_BLACKHOLE_DATA – can be added to the Map Generator.
BT_JUMPGATE_DATA
BT_NEBULA_DATA
BT_PLANET_DATA
Construction data
Data for the build effects:
BT_BUILDERSHIP_DATA
BT_MANTIS_BUILD
BT_SOLARIAN_BUILD
BT_TERRAN_BUILD
Map Generator
You can alter the way the random map generator populates the systems by changing this structure. Just a warning, it is really easy to break the game with bad data in this one.
BT_MAP_GEN
Nugget Data
These are debris, asteroids, or anything else that can be harvested:
BT_NUGGET_DATA
Tech Tree Data
To truly alter the tech tree you will also need to understand how the toolbar works in GenData.db. These are mostly used for the researches:
BT_ADMIRAL_RES
BT_EXTENSION_INFO
BT_RESEARCH
BT_UPGRADE
Graphics Data
BT_ANIMOBJ_DATA
BT_BLAST
BT_CLOAKEFFECT_DATA
BT_ENGINETRAIL
BT_FIREBALL_DATA
BT_LIGHT
BT_MESH_EXPLOSION
BT_PARTICAL_DATA
BT_STEAK_DATA
BT_TRAIL_DATA
BT_TALORIAN_EFFECT
BT_UI_ANIM
BT_WORMHOLE_EFFECT
Gameplay data
BT_GROUP
BT_MOVIE_CAMERA_DATA
BT_OBJECT_GENERATOR
BT_PLAYER_BOMB – this is how the game knows what to give the the player at the start.
BT_SCRIPTOBJECT
BT_TRIGGER
BT_TROOPPOD_DATA
BT_WAYPOINT
Conquest has three databases:
- GameTypes.db - holds all of the data that relates to game mechanics and graphics; ships, weapons, explosions, etc.
- GenData.db - holds the user interface data.
- StringPack.db - holds speech info for all of the units.
All players will need the same databases or conquest will tell them that they are using different versions of the game. Very bad things can happen if you use different versions of the database.
GameTypes.db is the file most of you will want to mess with so I will briefly describe some of the data structures and what they are used for. This is not meant to be complete or even a tutorial. It is meant as additional info for the intrepid adventurer.
Spaceship types
These types are used for all of the space ships in Conquest:
BT_FABRICATOR_DATA – Ships that can construct platforms.
BT_FLAGSHIP_DATA – The admiral ships
BT_GUNBOAT_DATA – Any ship that has a launcher (see below)
BT_HARVESTSHIP_DATA – Any ship that can harvest nuggets.
BT_MINELAYER_DATA - Minlayers.
BT_SUPPLYSHIP_DATA – Ships that provide supplies to nearby ships
BT_TROOPSHIP_DATA – Ships that can take over enemy platforms.
Platform Types
All of the platforms in the game are one of the following types:
BT_PLAT_BUILD_DATA – Builds ships.
BT_PLAT_BUILDSUP_DATA – Builds ships and performs area resupply. (This is the HQ)
BT_PLAT_GENERAL_DATA – A do nothing platform. (not used)
BT_PLAT_GUN_DATA – A platform with a launcher.
BT_PLAT_JUMP_DATA - The platform that is built over a wormhole.
BT_PLAT_REFINE_DATA – Any platform that can harvest resources off a planet.
BT_PLAT_REPAIR_DATA – Any platform that performs repair/supply.
BT_PLAT_SELL_DATA – The Dissection Chamber
BT_PLAT_SUPPLY_DATA – (not used) just use a repair plat instead.
Launchers and Special Abilities
Launchers are objects that can be attached to gunboats or gun platforms. They are the different weapons that these ships can use. Some of them are generic launchers that handle a certain class of weapon:
BT_AEGIS_DATA – The Aegis shield
BT_AIR_DEFENCE – The Anti-Aircraft gun
BT_CLOAK_LAUNCHER – Cloak ability
BT_FANCY_LAUNCH – This is a generic launcher for firing network intensive weapons.
BT_FIGHTER_WING – This handles the fighters.
BT_MULTICLOAK_LAUNCHER – This is the Aurora’s Shroud ability.
BT_MIMIC_DATA – The Frigate’s Mimic ability.
BT_PING_LAUNCHER – The Ping ability of the Infiltrator.
BT_RECON_LAUNCH – (Not functioning)
BT_SHIPLAUNCH – (Not functioning)
BT_TURRET – Generic launcher. Most stats depend on the weapon type.
BT_VERTICAL_LAUNCH – The Missile Cruiser's launch system.
BT_SYNTHESIS_DATA – The Taos Synthesis ability.
BT_TALORIAN_LAUNCHER – The launcher for the Talorian Matrix.
BT_WORMHOLE_LAUNCHER – The launcher for the Portal.
BT_ZEALOT_DATA – The launcher for the Suicide Ship.
BT_OVERDRIVE_DATA – (don’t know if this works)
BT_REPULSOR_DATA – (should still work, The Tiamat used to use this)
BT_TRACTOR_DATA – No longer a Tractor Beam, now it is the Monolith Auger Ray.
Weapons (used by the launchers)
Some weapons can use different launchers for different effects but in general:
Turret Weapons
BT_PROJECTILE_DATA – generic projectile.
BT_ANMBOLT_DATA – similar to projectile except it uses a sprite to render.
BT_BEAM_DATA – Monolith or Polaris beam.
BT_GATTLINGBEAM_DATA – Taos beam.
BT_LASERSPRAY_DATA (never finished)
BT_PLASMABOLT_DATA – similar to projectile but has some complex render effect options.
BT_TORPEDO_DATA (old vyrium weapon.. don’t think it works but who knows)
Fancy Launch Weapons
BT_AEBOLT_DATA – Tempest Charge.
BT_ARC_DATA – Lancer Arc Cannon.
BT_DESTABILIZER_DATA – Trireme Destabilizer Torpedo.
BT_DUMBRECONPROBE_DATA – The Fleet Carrier Recon Probe.
BT_MASS_DISRUPTOR_DATA – The Polaris Mass Disruptor.
BT_RECONPROBE_DATA – (broken)
BT_REPELLANTCLOUD_DATA – Hive Carrier Repellant Cloud.
BT_REPULSORWAVE_DATA – Tiamat Repulsor Wave.
BT_STASISBOLT_DATA – The Scarab Gravity Well.
Fighter Wing
BT_FIGHTER_DATA
Other
BT_MINEFILED_DATA
BT_SPECIALBOLT_DATA
BT_SWAPPER_DATA
Terrain
BT_ANTIMATTER_DATA – the Anti-Matter Ribbons.
BT_ASTEROIDFIELD_DATA
BT_BLACKHOLE_DATA – can be added to the Map Generator.
BT_JUMPGATE_DATA
BT_NEBULA_DATA
BT_PLANET_DATA
Construction data
Data for the build effects:
BT_BUILDERSHIP_DATA
BT_MANTIS_BUILD
BT_SOLARIAN_BUILD
BT_TERRAN_BUILD
Map Generator
You can alter the way the random map generator populates the systems by changing this structure. Just a warning, it is really easy to break the game with bad data in this one.
BT_MAP_GEN
Nugget Data
These are debris, asteroids, or anything else that can be harvested:
BT_NUGGET_DATA
Tech Tree Data
To truly alter the tech tree you will also need to understand how the toolbar works in GenData.db. These are mostly used for the researches:
BT_ADMIRAL_RES
BT_EXTENSION_INFO
BT_RESEARCH
BT_UPGRADE
Graphics Data
BT_ANIMOBJ_DATA
BT_BLAST
BT_CLOAKEFFECT_DATA
BT_ENGINETRAIL
BT_FIREBALL_DATA
BT_LIGHT
BT_MESH_EXPLOSION
BT_PARTICAL_DATA
BT_STEAK_DATA
BT_TRAIL_DATA
BT_TALORIAN_EFFECT
BT_UI_ANIM
BT_WORMHOLE_EFFECT
Gameplay data
BT_GROUP
BT_MOVIE_CAMERA_DATA
BT_OBJECT_GENERATOR
BT_PLAYER_BOMB – this is how the game knows what to give the the player at the start.
BT_SCRIPTOBJECT
BT_TRIGGER
BT_TROOPPOD_DATA
BT_WAYPOINT
Pack
Pack.exe is the tool used to compile our data files. Typical usage is:
Pack <directory> <filename>
Pack <filename> <directory> DOS
You can run Conquest with unpacked data by unpacking a data file to a directory of the same name. Then remove (or rename) the data file.
Pack <directory> <filename>
- This will pack <directory> into a data file named <filename>.
Pack <filename> <directory> DOS
- This will unpack a data file name <filename> into a directory named <directory>
You can run Conquest with unpacked data by unpacking a data file to a directory of the same name. Then remove (or rename) the data file.
ObjView
This will let you view the .3db and .cmp files. These files are our custom file format for the meshes. Hit F1 while it is running for a rundown of options.
ParticleEditor
This will let you edit the .pte files.
Vu
Vu will let you view the internal data structure of many of the files that conquest uses. For example you could use it to see how your save games are arranged or how the maps are saved if you wanted to make an editor.
Makeanim
This will let you make .anm files. These files are used to create animated sprites in conquest. I know it supports the .tga format for input.