Subset Games Forum

Here is my question: Do you (modders) believe there are some hidden hardcoded features in the FTL executable ? Did you ever try to find them and how ? It has probably been asked before but I want some specifics.

So I suspect the FTL creators hardcoded many extra features in the FTL executable when messing around. They didnt use them in the released version, because there werent too helpful, but left them in the FTL executable just in case. Now if enthusiast modders were aware of those extra features, they could definitively have a blast to create new content !

Let me take an example to be clear. There are several types of systems known by modders and players: shields, cloaking, drones, weapons, hacking... Modders use these to create a whole range of new ships (by editing the .dat files). Now just imagine there is an extra system type, say a death pulse that renders opponents ship twice as vulnerable to damage for a short time (i am making things up obviously lol), that is hardcoded in the FTL executable (in C++) but never used in the .dat files. The modders are unaware of it (they only read/edit the .dat files), but if they were they could definitively use it.

The same goes for weapons types: known ones (because used in the .dat files) are LASER, BEAM, MISSILE, BOMB..., but there could be another one. Same for drone types or augments, or other features. There could also be some extra characteristics to tune (for example know weapon characteristics are speed, damage, firechance...).

I am pretty sure many modders have though about it before. For example I saw on this forum some attempt to reverse engineer the FTL executable. Did you find anything new/useful ?
Also (this may be a stupid question), did someone simply ask the FTL creators about it ? Thing is, it wouldnt cost them too much to release a list of extra/unused hardcoded features. Just quickly give some hints (for example the name of extra systems, extra weapons) and let modders do the dirty work. They wouldnt have to ensure it is working properly either, and wouldnt have to release the entire FTL code either (which they shouldnt for obvious legal reasons). Im also pretty sure they are nice guys that care about what modders do lol.

Well modders did find Ghosts and Ghost Ship events that were cut out. There have also been dummied out augments like a device that recalls your crew if the enemy ship jumps. I tried that once and after spending several sectors trying to find a ship that will jump and not instantly kill my crew through airlessness, it didn't actually work. I don't think my teleporter was even recharging.

So who knows what hidden features are lying under the surface?

cool, I will definitively check the mods on ghosts for more info. I wonder how they did it, maybe they inserted some random crew types names until one actually did something ? Would definitively try that for system or weapon types, but then i guess its tedious. Btw you answered all my questions today stylesrj thanks a lot.

Well actually the ghosts were sort of in the blueprints.xml document, just that they were commented out or something. The other augments also popped up when searching that document.

So I really didn't answer your main question of "What's hidden beyond the .xml files"

Gotcha, I also saw some augment ADV_HULL_ARMOR there that was commented, but apparently it doesnt do anything. There is a ton of augments also like PERSONAL_TELEPORTER (probably the one you were talking about), FLIGHT_SUITS, SHIP_SEALING,... it could be worth a try to see if they actually do something (though i am pretty sure someone already did).

sul wrote:Gotcha, I also saw some augment ADV_HULL_ARMOR there that was commented, but apparently it doesnt do anything. There is a ton of augments also like PERSONAL_TELEPORTER (probably the one you were talking about), FLIGHT_SUITS, SHIP_SEALING,... it could be worth a try to see if they actually do something (though i am pretty sure someone already did).

Considering how Personal Teleporter didn't work, I'm certain the others don't either or else we'd see them in Captain's Edition.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Sleeper has "commented in" all the unused stuff, and found that most of it does nothing.