You could have made one script per ship component, and pirate guild as a separated plugin, why all of them in one pack ?
Of course I could, but it would have been a nightmare to manage. Moreover I want this plugin to create a whole universe around the “dark side” of the galaxy. Until now pirates, smugglers and mercenaries never had a real place in the X-Universe. I hope this addon will prove that the game engine is able to handle both style of gameplay. Moreover putting all of this together allows me to include various features that would have been much harder to include otherwise.
I'm skeptic, does all of this really work ? I'm tempted by this script but I am afraid to loose my game, what should i do ?
I would be too frankly. Still, yes it works great. Try it by yourself ;) I've probably let some little bugs here and there, and prices aren't really well balanced, but this is secondary, nothing that one or two little patches won't handle easily. Pirate Guild won't “break” your game or your savegames. As soon as you disable to plugin in the AL Settings, old relations are restored, ships handled by the guild destroyed and the pirates are stupid again ;)
Some of your ship components/software have already been written by other authors, what should i do ?
You can probably use both (not on the same thing at the same time of course). But don't forget that most of my own ship upgrades are used by the Pirate faction.
Pirates hates me and now they are attacking my transports, my whole empire is on its knees, that's unfair ! What should I do?
If it's true, then I have well designed PG. Until now it was virtually impossible to loose or to go to bankruptcy. Where's the fun in endlessly planting factories watching your credit counter climbing ? Anyway, nothing prevent you from restart the plugin and set back the pirates as your friends. Alternatively, buy some defenses for your empire.
Why don't I see the new software I have bought at the independent shipyard in my ship cargo ? Why there's nearly no new commands ?
The amount of commands and software upgrades X3 can handle is limited and currently it's mostly full, so i had to find an alternative to avoid being incompatible with tons of scripts due to the lack of room. The software/upgrades are virtual , they won't be displayed in the ship cargo (on the other hand they won't be destroyed when your ship takes hull damage). I only use one slot (in the “piracy” ship command menu). If you use this command you'll get a menu that will list the installed upgrades and allow to configure some of them. Anyway most of the upgrades are “Buy & Forget” type, they work automatically as soon as installed and there's no valid reason why you would like to deactivate an automated repair bay on your carrier.
Where's the Camouflage Device / Signature Scrambler for the player !?
There's none. There's no clean and efficient way to implement this in X3 to be honest. Don't get me wrong, it's possible to have a script that act more or less like it, it has already be written but it's very far from being a clean way to do it. For the scripter (me ^^), handling Pirate and Yaki ships undercover is already a nice way to get some headaches.
Can I do the plot while Pirate Guild is enabled ?
No.
Hey ! With your big script you've stolen my idea. I've written the same [whatever] as you ! And i am unhappy.
I sincerely hope you will find a way to survive such a disaster ^^
Any chance to see this script signed ?
Not a single chance. First, I don't think they accept scripts that change the game so deeply. Moreover to be signed I'd need to rename about 150 scripts files manually through the ingame editor (and of course to modify each one of them). And i guess that X4 or even X5 will be out before I'm finished doing so :p Anyway what's so important about signed ? I promise that PG won't make your computer explode, not even your game.
Can i include your plugin in my uber mod package with 203 new shipz 25 sectors full of cool emptiness and 75 random other scripts stolen from people who've left the board ?
Yes at your own risk, with proper credits and links to my website.
It doesn't work ! Nothing happen ! What's a .rar file ?! where is my X3 folder ? and what's a folder anyway ?
If this documentation file can't help you, I am afraid no one can, find someone who know how computers works, and even if he never played X3 before, I am pretty sure he'll be able to at least install this script :p