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 Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership 
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Post Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Hi All,

So as I begin working on my SO7 mods, mainly the 2019 US Update and getting the data ready for trying to figure out the new format, was wondering who would be interested in working with me to universalize a lot of the mods that we use, so that they work together and cover a lot more of the game than what one person can do alone (it took me nearly the whole lifespan of the game to finish my mods... and even then I am not done).

One of my biggest gripes with having so many different mods is that there isn't a general format of naming races, trainers, jockeys, etc. and for designing of courses. I'm a very OCD person so having things being as close to reality as possible and for very accurate courses is important to me. This became a huge reason why I only really played the US game and when I did play other countries, it was with courses that I made. Having consistency amongst the creators helps make mods look better together and very seamless between one and the other.

Anyway, enough with the antics. I'd like to work together with modders to create basically one super mod. We can discuss as we near SO7 with what needs to be done on this mod, but I would like to know who would be interested in helping. I know a few people have brought up this idea in the past but would really like to see it implemented.

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Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:14 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
You can 100% count me in bud, this is something I have really wanted, and honestly this is something that SHOULD get the entire SO community quite excited. With modders working TOGETHER, people are going to be able to come onto this website and quick download their way to perfect gameplay without any of the current frustrations that exist.


Mon Nov 05, 2018 2:54 am
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Count me in too, bud. I have been updating the UK flat 2018 season and the 2017-18 NH season. I echo both your views that we should work towards getting our mods as close to reality as we can get them.

I have been creating entirely new course maps for those UK and Irish and French courses that were incorrect in the generic game. I would love to share these into a single megamod.

Mark said to me that SO7 will have a facility that lets you convert the old format for the showcase dat file to the new format. I was relieved about that as all my showcase mods, intended for SO7, are still in the SO6 format for testing purposes.

We should arrange a good division of labour so we don't duplicate eachother's work. I know that we have all borrowed from eachother. Simpleminds will be a good colleague as his Irish and French mods are excellent. We will also need someone to do Australasia and East Asia.


Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:46 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
I definitely think this is the way forward. I think if more people got involved with this and chipped in with doing something and kept their part of the mod updated then it could work really well. I wouldn't be confident doing any graphical work but I could do some on the data. For example I'd pick UK trainers and jockeys and make sure all of these are updated along with portraits for new jockeys and trainers that come into UK horse racing over the season(s)
Of course, you guys could do this but it would free up your time to work on other areas of the game.

Btw, is there any chance could you create the Cagnes-Sur-Mer racecourse for me, MJ?


Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:54 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
The only thing I'd like to see is quality over quantity. People have gone too far in SO6 for me, trying to get all countries into one game. I'd sooner do without a lot of the global stuff and just aim for absolute perfection with the UK, IRELAND, and US. I understand there are people that want great detail from around the world, and that can and should exist, but in it's own area. Lets not try to fly before we're walking, and definitely don't stretch the game beyond it's limits (whatever those limits might be). Lets aim to get content out that people can play through hundreds of seasons. Lets face it, there was never anything worse in SO6 than getting a save you really liked only to find it would start crashing out after 20 seasons. Compromises have to made.


Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:47 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
I am Currently Doing New UK And Irish Schedules Using the Current Season Schedule 2018 I have done up To August Jumps Both UK And Irish (Not Tested Yet ) as I do them monthly so I will join them together Month by Month and test after each month I add I am up to just April Flat.

I have altered some Japanese racecourses and have already done Jump courses on these tracks just waiting for SO7 to test them I continue to built Point To Point Courses (UK) which I expect only I will use
unless I can just do a new Point To Point Schedule and add it as a new Country but alter it from UK to UKPTP.

I have done most of New Silks UK Game already and am doing totally New Jump Silks which includes Might Bite Silks etc.

I did Cagnes Sur Mer in SO6 in French Courses but I need to Revamp them as they was poorly done and have improved Course Building Vastly since then.


So I will Offer my Irish Schedules and Bob do the UK Mike if you want any of the other stuff let me know.

Gray

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Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:46 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
So basically scrap that, Simpleminds has already done everything lol. This won't work really, we have to agree upon a certain way of naming the races, for easier merging. The whole point of this was to preplan what we're going to do, and discuss beforehand. Otherwise, what we'll end up with is a total shit show in 12 months time, exactly what SO6 is now. No offence intended, but it's the truth.


Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:04 am
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
I agree nathd88, tho wouldn't put it exactly that way. I have complete mods of schedules, trainers; jockeys, owners, and silks for every country in SO6 and many others not in game - pretty sure within my own bank of mods I have more than anyone else combined... Tho many have gone unreleased due to balancing issues, which should end up resolved in SO7.

I will more than gladly continue work on the US game and courses, and will like to add Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and South America to my workload for SO7 mods, since I have the base for much of that and either am working or have already released those courses. (And savio, I'll look to get you a Cagnes-Sur-Mer this month)

But that still leaves soooo much more to do. I personally would like to see every course in game updated, much like what I did with Ascot, Flemington, Randwick, and Meydan. Even then, we need to have prepped but balanced European and Australian schedules, updated trainers, jockeys, and owners, unique silks for every trainer/owner, and much more that I'm not even touching upon yet.
----------

However, the first thing we need to set is getting everything we make from a data standpoint unified in naming conventions and what not so that then race names are similar in style, rather than something like "Betfair Let's Go Bet Handicap" and "Btfr LGB Hdcp" or if we include sponsors or not, or saying stakes or omitting it. Things like that. Then we can start dividing the work, seeing what to focus on, and sharing information. The end goal is that we can release our kids around the same time, that they work together, and that it's an easy download for anyone who comes onto the forum, rather than it being multiple downloads and then hours of troubleshooting.

I'm glad so many are into this and I know it will be great! It may be a lot of work, but together I think we can tackle it and leave more time to actually play the game once we finish!

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Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:42 am
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Nath, I know how much you, Simple Minds, MJ and others enjoy working on the mods so I say more the merrier. Those of us who don't have the talent to mod are very thankful for all the work you guys put in. What I'd love to see is a "Pick N Mix" of mods. You could have a section for each, so for example "Owners Colours" I know you've been working on them and it sounds like SM is too. I'd love to be able to download both of these but without having to download a huge package of other things at the same time. So SM could have some colours you don't have and vice versa or I may have a preference for one set over the other(s). Same for courses, I might not like one of the courses in my game and it would be great to look up a list of individual course and just download that one course not a whole hosts of courses. I know this would be a bit more time consuming uploading individual mods into each section but those of us who use the mods would be very thankful.

As for the schedules, I would just do away with all sponsors. Personally speaking they don't add anything to the game for me. The sponsors of races change so often these days and some even go out of business. Tinpot bookies like Sunbets and whatnot. I like MJ's idea of having a basic uniformed code for each type of race. Maybe you guys can create a "Race Chart" that you all adhere to?

I'm looking forward to how this all pans out and I hope you chaps can all pull together on this.


Last edited by savio1978 on Thu Nov 08, 2018 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.



Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:08 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
I like the idea of a mix and match - and that's only feasible if we all work together. Then say naths silks work with mine which work with Grays, etc (tho silks would be tough since they are numbered but you get the point). Basically make all the mods exist in say one giant folder where players can go in and either download everything at once or go "shopping" and download only what they want. It would make it a bit tricky to make sure that the data files work, but I think I know a couple workarounds.

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Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:54 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
You're right, MJ. I hope you modders can all work together to make this happen. As you say the silks are numbered. So, my suggestion is after everyone who's interested in making silks has submitted theirs, someone could then make a Master Folder of the said silks. They can then be updated from time to time by those worked on the silks that make up the Master Silks Folder. Something like this? Then players who only require silks can go shopping in this one giant folder and pick them up. :)

Btw, I'm looking forward to seeing how yours and Simple Minds, Cagnes-Sur-Mer turns out.


Thu Nov 08, 2018 12:27 am
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
This sounds like a great idea. If you create an improved schedule that works well in terms of trainer placements Ill be happy to include it in the main package during the BETA phase so everyone can enjoy it (as I know many just dont like or can't be bothered to install mods).

One thing. I included some user created racecourses in the new game but some have been modified due to waypoints positioning. The main thing is to make sure the waypoints are right (next to the rail). Some waypoints on certain courses were in the centre of the course or way off the rail. In jockey mode this does not work as it restricts the players location. So I fixed some of the newer courses. Please use these so if I do include anything I don't have to go through them again. Thanks.


Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:01 am
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Few questions, has the silks template changed? Because the silks I've done have been high on the attention to detail (ocd being the issue lol) I know I haven't finished them, but knowing they'd work for SO7 would encourage me to continue?..... On the one hand I hope the template is the same for that reason, but then I hope it isn't because of the limitations of only being able to create silks that are symmetrical


Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:26 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Also Savio I agree with a lot of what you've said. It's important that website users voice up in this thread, let us know how you'd like things to be! .... Before I learned how to mod I'll be the first to admit that using this site was so full of frustrations, the amount of times I would have to uninstall and reinstall the game because of a bad download or something. I remember this well seeing as it was only just over a year ago I was in that position. You now have modders on here willing and trying to make life easier for users of the site, so give us your opinions guys.


Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:31 pm
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Post Re: Starters Orders 7 - Modders Partnership
Mark wrote:
This sounds like a great idea. If you create an improved schedule that works well in terms of trainer placements Ill be happy to include it in the main package during the BETA phase so everyone can enjoy it (as I know many just dont like or can't be bothered to install mods).

One thing. I included some user created racecourses in the new game but some have been modified due to waypoints positioning. The main thing is to make sure the waypoints are right (next to the rail). Some waypoints on certain courses were in the centre of the course or way off the rail. In jockey mode this does not work as it restricts the players location. So I fixed some of the newer courses. Please use these so if I do include anything I don't have to go through them again. Thanks.


Awesome Mark. I'm sure any of us modders would be happy to see our work included in the full game. I'm sure we will be able to create some great work.
On the topic of schedules, I know that you mentioned you changed the format for the SO7 data files - do the showcase and schedule files need any additional information than what was in SO6 (age, sex, grade, purse, track, surface, race name, race month for Showcase; date, track, race name for Schedule)? Just want to know if I need to grab anything additional during my data collection.

And good to know. I think all the courses I've made have the waypoints as close to the rail as I can make them but I'll make sure to correct any that aren't.

Very excited to see SO7 once it's ready - always a joy to play this series.

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Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:58 pm
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