EmperorFool
Deity
Save game compatibility means that you can continue playing games started with BULL even after you've uninstalled it. Breaking this would require you to use BULL to complete any such games and all players in an SG to use BULL.
Example: Pre-Chop
I added an option to make all your workers pre-chop forests. To complete the chop, you must issue the chop order again. If you tell two or more groups of workers to chop, they will fully chop the forest. The reason is that there is no pre-chop action.
I think it would be better to add a pre-chop action. This way you could order multiple workers to pre-chop and you could order any number of workers to fully chop, and it would always do what you wanted. This would break save game compatibility because it would add an action that other DLLs would not understand.
Example: Sentry While Healing
Pep created a mod that adds a new action that tells your unit to stop and heal but wake up whenever it spots an enemy unit--it acts as if it was given the sentry order until fully healed. This also breaks save game compatibility because it adds a new action.
Right now this is an optional component in BULL--you must compile a DLL yourself to get it to work. I added an option to have all Heal orders act in this manner, but it means that all units behave the same way when told to heal. You cannot decide whether to sentry or not while healing on a case-by-case basis.
Yes or No?
So, how many of you would actually use a version of BULL with these additional actions and other features that broke save game compatibility?
Downgrading a Save
This means that you could load a saved game and tell BULL to save it in a format that would work without BULL. It would strip out the information (e.g. extra actions) that BTS doesn't understand on its own. It might take considerable effort to do, but I want to know how important it would be. Only select this option if you truly would not consider using a version of BULL that didn't have this ability.
Altered Gameplay?
Note that this has nothing to do with altering gameplay. These features are user interface enhancements only that make the game easier to play by removing some of the more tedious micromanagement aspects.
Edit:
For anyone answering "No," could you please tell me why? Are you simply uninterested in features such as these or would the save downgrading not work for you?
Example: Pre-Chop
I added an option to make all your workers pre-chop forests. To complete the chop, you must issue the chop order again. If you tell two or more groups of workers to chop, they will fully chop the forest. The reason is that there is no pre-chop action.
I think it would be better to add a pre-chop action. This way you could order multiple workers to pre-chop and you could order any number of workers to fully chop, and it would always do what you wanted. This would break save game compatibility because it would add an action that other DLLs would not understand.
Example: Sentry While Healing
Pep created a mod that adds a new action that tells your unit to stop and heal but wake up whenever it spots an enemy unit--it acts as if it was given the sentry order until fully healed. This also breaks save game compatibility because it adds a new action.
Right now this is an optional component in BULL--you must compile a DLL yourself to get it to work. I added an option to have all Heal orders act in this manner, but it means that all units behave the same way when told to heal. You cannot decide whether to sentry or not while healing on a case-by-case basis.
Yes or No?
So, how many of you would actually use a version of BULL with these additional actions and other features that broke save game compatibility?
Downgrading a Save
This means that you could load a saved game and tell BULL to save it in a format that would work without BULL. It would strip out the information (e.g. extra actions) that BTS doesn't understand on its own. It might take considerable effort to do, but I want to know how important it would be. Only select this option if you truly would not consider using a version of BULL that didn't have this ability.
Altered Gameplay?
Note that this has nothing to do with altering gameplay. These features are user interface enhancements only that make the game easier to play by removing some of the more tedious micromanagement aspects.
Edit:
For anyone answering "No," could you please tell me why? Are you simply uninterested in features such as these or would the save downgrading not work for you?
