Author Topic: Info on DB editing  (Read 8833 times)

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Offline Froggiest1982 (OP)

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Info on DB editing
« on: November 12, 2020, 09:49:43 PM »
Hi all,

I am trying to create a game where I have 3 players controlled races starting on 3 different systems. I am familiar with DB editing so probably just ask for "directions" here.

So no problem in having 3 races and all 3 in 3 different systems.

The issue is that In Sol, with the main Human race, I can see all other races systems (I do delete all others leading to them).

Question then: Is there a way to remove from database knowledge of these systems to the human race?

At the moment I have to delete Sol all the times which includes the main race, deal with the errors, save, open DB and cancel the Humans.

I would really like to keep the Humans in play!
« Last Edit: November 13, 2020, 12:47:37 AM by froggiest1982 »
 

Offline vorpal+5

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2020, 10:38:27 PM »
Hey Froggiest

You are doing it wrong then  :D  I created 15 races, 14 being NPR and had no issue. Are you sure you are creating them as NPR and that they are not the same race as the others, and that you changed their homesystem? I'm not sure the last 2 questions can do anything though, but felt like mentioning them anyway.

As for fixing the issue after it happened, if you can't create your races properly (not offense intended here!)

a) FCT_RaceSysSurvey lists systems known 'as a whole' by a given race (not surveyed, just entered somehow, you should see one system per race, fix it so it corresponds to the HW and not Sol).

b) FCT_SystemBodySurveys list specific locations surveyed by a given race.
 
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Offline Froggiest1982 (OP)

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2020, 11:16:18 PM »
a) FCT_RaceSysSurvey lists systems known 'as a whole' by a given race (not surveyed, just entered somehow, you should see one system per race, fix it so it corresponds to the HW and not Sol).

b) FCT_SystemBodySurveys list specific locations surveyed by a given race.

Perfect, I miss those lines somehow! Thanks

PS: No problem with race creation, the errors appear when you cancel a system with a race in it as the current Aurora model cannot process it. But you can edit DB and remove the race there which is harmless.

But thanks for the concer and the advices though, really appreciated!

Offline TheTalkingMeowth

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2020, 12:03:10 PM »
If you want to have multiple player races that don't have shared system knowledge, you can do it by using the starting race as a "Spacemaster" race.

Create all 3 races in their separate systems with this race active, then delete its colonies so the Sol system race doesn't have to see it.
 

Offline Blogaugis

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2021, 02:32:49 PM »
Sorry for a... slight (or not so) necro - bringing a dead topic back to life - but, considering the name of this thread, I decided to ask here, rather than start a new one. I remember there were questions about what tools do folks use for DB editing, but I can't find it where...
So anyway - do You folks have any suggestions on database (I think file name is Aurora.db) editing? What tools/program to use?
Obviously first thing to do would be to create a backup...

My goal is to enable Conventional Industry in the game - to make various colonies and planetoids generate at least some sort of value, than just population and (Low gravity) infrastructure.

What was your experience with DB editing? Do you often edit it?

Also, does DB editing counts as modding? if yes, this should make the thread relevant in terms of thread category...
 

Online Andrew

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2021, 02:46:02 PM »


Also, does DB editing counts as modding? if yes, this should make the thread relevant in terms of thread category...
Absolutely, there is no better way to introduce bugs of your own than editing the database. Even if you are skilled with databases it is incredibly easy to make mistakes with editing so you will break the database at least some of the time and quite possibly in ways that don't show up for a long time
 

Offline Blogaugis

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2021, 02:52:37 PM »

Absolutely, there is no better way to introduce bugs of your own than editing the database. Even if you are skilled with databases it is incredibly easy to make mistakes with editing so you will break the database at least some of the time and quite possibly in ways that don't show up for a long time
Of course, this should be mentioned:

Dear readers, keep in mind, that if you do engage in the activities of DataBase modding, you will not be able to post bug reports! As Stve really hates chasing bugs that don't really exist in his original game...
You have been warned, either way...

Now with this warning aside, can we get back to the topic at hand?
 

Offline Migi

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2021, 03:25:22 PM »


Also, does DB editing counts as modding? if yes, this should make the thread relevant in terms of thread category...
Absolutely, there is no better way to introduce bugs of your own than editing the database. Even if you are skilled with databases it is incredibly easy to make mistakes with editing so you will break the database at least some of the time and quite possibly in ways that don't show up for a long time

It's less of an issue that you might mis-type something, the issue is you have no idea how the game will process the changes you made. Your goal "enable Conventional Industry" might cause the AI to do any number of weird things. There might be some part of the code which looks for this flag to determine conventional vs TN empire and prevent NPRs from forming correctly.

So to reiterate, don't report bugs if you have modified the DB, and don't complain if your 50000 hour game breaks. The only exception is that it might be useful to tell Steve about what happened if you have some reason to think it could occur in the base game.

To address the original question I think the program I've seen people mention was called something like DB Editor for SQL.
 
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Offline Blogaugis

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2021, 03:37:20 PM »

It's less of an issue that you might mis-type something, the issue is you have no idea how the game will process the changes you made. Your goal "enable Conventional Industry" might cause the AI to do any number of weird things. There might be some part of the code which looks for this flag to determine conventional vs TN empire and prevent NPRs from forming correctly.

So to reiterate, don't report bugs if you have modified the DB, and don't complain if your 50000 hour game breaks. The only exception is that it might be useful to tell Steve about what happened if you have some reason to think it could occur in the base game.
Yes, of course.
To address the original question I think the program I've seen people mention was called something like DB Editor for SQL.
And here is the fun part, for I have found the holy grail...

Ladies and gentlemen! And all you wannabe modders!

The secrets we all were seeking, are at these internet coordinates:
http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=12695.0
It is our fellow forumite, xenoscepter, that made the thread "How to mod the DB? Any free programs to do it?" in #C Mechanics category. The name, was not very helpful using search function (though this may be my lack of... intuition).
Regardless, it has been found, and all of you, now may know what the key is -
It is SQLite. And a few others, mentioned in the thread coordinates.

May your crusade to fulfill your dreams of modding you take you wherever you please...
Again, keep in mind, this may cause bugs and other unexpected NPR behavior, which CANNOT be normal bug reports.
Only as, perhaps, an experience on how Your modding went.


So yeah. Anyone want to post "tales of modding" thread or similar? Sharing stories on how Your DB modding went...
 

Offline Erik L

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2021, 03:44:54 PM »

And here is the fun part, for I have found the holy grail...

Ladies and gentlemen! And all you wannabe modders!

The secrets we all were seeking, are at these internet coordinates:
http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=12695.0
It is our fellow forumite, xenoscepter, that made the thread "How to mod the DB? Any free programs to do it?" in #C Mechanics category. The name, was not very helpful using search function (though this may be my lack of... intuition).
Regardless, it has been found, and all of you, now may know what the key is -
It is SQLite. And a few others, mentioned in the thread coordinates.

Technically, the database is SQLite. There are no native database editors for SQLite, unlike Access, SQL Server, Oracle, etc. I personally use Valentina Studio to edit SQLite databases.

Offline dsedrez

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2021, 10:01:14 PM »

Technically, the database is SQLite. There are no native database editors for SQLite, unlike Access, SQL Server, Oracle, etc. I personally use Valentina Studio to edit SQLite databases.

I use DB Browser for SQLite, it's been serving me well. I'm even using it more to get info on my games, such as the total sum of RP spent by each race in the game, that I can't easily access otherwise.
 

Offline nuclearslurpee

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2021, 11:24:09 PM »
I'll second DB Browser which has worked well enough for my purposes. I actually maintain several DB versions, including an untouched 1.13 (or latest version) install which I use for some gameplay and bug testing before reporting any bugs found in a modded DB. Otherwise I keep a 1.12 DB for my Duranium Legion game and currently two modded 1.13 versions; one aiming to just rebalance and tweak some things which I will reimplement into v2.0 for a possible AAR setting, and one which has been an experiment in more radically changing game conditions to create a very different setting.

IMO the important thing is to always maintain a base install which you can use to test bugs before reporting. I find most bugs to be surprisingly reproducible without a lot of effort once you know how to use SM Mode to its full effectiveness.
 

Offline Zook

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2021, 09:02:20 AM »
Does anybody know if it's possible to open two tabs for tables in DB Browser?
 

Offline trabber Shir

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2021, 05:10:13 PM »
Does anybody know if it's possible to open two tabs for tables in DB Browser?

I do not think you can have 2 "Browse Data" type tabs, but for most cases where it is useful to have 2 tabs, a pair of script tabs (under ExexuteSQL) will probably serve you better once you get familiar with basic select statements.
 

Offline serger

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Re: Info on DB editing
« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2023, 12:00:17 PM »
Looks like I've managed to break Trojan Asteroids mechanics with some BD modification. It's an old campaign, no other severe bugs, did nothing with astro tables except of DIM_SystemAbundance remake to have TN-poor space, and yet looks like no Trojan Asteroid group generated gains proper orbital parameters - all of them are just making oversun stright-line runs like pre-elliptic comets did in former times.

Nobody mentioned this in bugs topic, so I think it's because of my DB modification, though I have no clue how it's possible to ruin Trojan Asteroids and them only.