Seeding Custom Fleets & CenterPieces

[Kraiz]

I really enjoy AI War 2.  Something I feel like is missing is the transport flagships are rather dull, and I'd love to create a mod to add some diversity.  The Office flagships and Lone-Wolves are great but typically far-flung across the galaxy (typically only near the AI Overlord planet).  In a galaxy where humanity just got its butt kicked, I'd imagine old-world warships would be available, waiting for an enterprising player to come along and revive them.

Light carriers, heavy destroyers, Logistics Cruisers etc. with a modest amount of firepower or some neat features to make the centerpieces around the galaxy more unique and varied while not overshadowing the Officer or Lone-Wolf ones.  Some middle-ground pieces to shake things up and provide a more thematic feel of old-world Human warships that are lying in ruin, waiting to be restored to service.

I've found some of the XML data on ships.  Though, I'm unsure how to go about creating these fleet templates and seed them throughout the galaxy.  Can anyone provide some guidance on where I'd find the relevant files?  Is this something i can do purely through XML or am I going to have to delve into the Unity Editor and C#?

[CRZgatecrusher]

all is done through the XML. The Golems XML can show you this for golems and arks (both are similar). for getting a ship to come with a fleet the XML tag for the entity must include (fleet_design_logic_i_grant_one_from="MobileCombatFleet"). (Mobile Combat fleet is self explanatory). C# can be used to make interesting logic (see https://forums.arcengames.com/ai-war-ii-modding/starkeep's-ships/) for an example (ask for source code from Star Keep if you know C#). standard weapons can be defined in XML and so can systems (look at the ships for details). look at how the transports are done in CMP _Ships_FlagshipsOther and just copy that into a new XML file (stored in entities). after that just edit stuff you want to change (oh and do change the name). Also unless you want new techs that's really it and of course all the balance XML files but I'll leave that for you to explore...