A small (ok, not so small) history of Modding in Bridge Commander, Part 1

[MLeo]

For those interested, I've written a bit about the history of modding (mostly scripting, sorry) in BC.

http://my.opera.com/MLeo/blog/2009/01/25/a-small-ok-not-so-small-history-of-modding-in-bridge-commander-part-1

One thing that should be said, when I first appeared on the BC scene, Foundation was already released and the base for all mods, so most details I've learned while looking through the various mods and trawling the threads/archives in the, 5, years I've been here (might be 6 or longer now).
So I applogize if I got some details wrong.

[Rob Archer]

Thats a Great Read Mleo   Maybe you should call it Memoirs of a Modder.. just a thought 

[MLeo]

Thats a Great Read Mleo   Maybe you should call it Memoirs of a Modder.. just a thought 

Well, for the most part, it isn't about me.
And memoirs about a 7 year period? Sure, it's a lifetime on the internet, but still.

[ACES_HIGH]

that is awesome, I came in after Foundation was firmly established so I really had no idea about any of that

[JimmyB76]

im getting a 500 Internal Server Error when clicking on the link?

[SMBW]

very interesting...
can't wait toread the next part! 

[MLeo]

im getting a 500 Internal Server Error when clicking on the link?

It shouldn't, but then, I don't control it either.

I fear you may just have to try again.
If it keeps doing it, then I'll send you the text via mail if you want to.

[NeoKaede]

Good read Mleo. Just two things:

To solve these problems a fellow named "Dasher42" (also of Homeworld fame with the mods Favour The Bold and Sacrifice of the Angles) created a Dynamic Ship Plugin (name unsure, it's old, and it was superceded before I even got BC, I only know of it because 2 persons came across it on 2 days with atleast a year across).

I seem to remember years ago, in BCU, Dasher or LC mentioned Foundation was called originally "Dynamic Tables", though I'm not 100% sure.

With this system a person could write a plugin in a directory called scripts/Custom/Ships (the entire Custom directory was originally meant for extra missions, for example addons by Totally Games), and then you could add a single line to a file in that same directory, to "import" the ship into the game.

The original folder for ship plugins was "scripts/plugins/custom". At least it is for Dreamyards ships, and those are some of the oldest mods around here.

Still, as I said, good read, especially for those of us who came later to all of this

[Bren]

I had completely forgotten about editting Custom.py!

I think I didn't realise for a long time that I didn't need to do it, or to use BCMP to install ships! We're talking 2 years of me wasting time before I forgot to do that one day, and lo and behold, the ship worked, right off the bat!

I thought "WTF!? Some update to foundation or something?!", hehehe, so stoopid!

[MLeo]

@NeoKaede: Thanks, while I didn't know of scripts/plugins/custom/ I did think it was Dynamic Ship Plugin, atleast I remember a tech support case where it mentioned that.

And feel free to send redactional points through e-mail. I'm doing this to improve my writing for the most part.

@Bren: Thanks, that was the file name I was looking for, I had forgotten which file that was.