Game Setup, Game Configuration, Init Screen, Mod-Config

[ssilk]

This is about what directions a good setup should cover.

Note: There is currently a discussion about the configuration interface for mods: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=32890 [0.15] Mod setting/config interface - give your input

There are many ideas. The problem with them is, that all are good ideas, but there is no way to implement them all in one init-screen. This will overwhelm every player - and also programmer. There are only 2 ways:
- The game-init screen is changed/cleaned up in a way that is a compromise, to target everybody needs.
- The game-init (or game-config) is made completely open, free for modding. It is something like a scenario, but it includes more aspects. This idea is just based on the fact, that many mods already have own config-files, where the player needs to change things by opening a text-editor.

There is also a suggestion which goes into a direction of how to setup the generated world:
viewtopic.php?f=80&t=13022 World Generation

That thread mentions also the idea, that a game setup should be part of a mod, that provides just sliders/input fields/buttons etc. to the game-init-screen and that a mod guarantees, that the promises are kept within the mod. (There is also a former version of this idea: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4692 )
For that feature there is also a thread in Modding-Interface-Requests: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=26166 Mod "Setting"/"Config" Interface


So the following list could be interpreted either as
- a number of ideas for game-configuration and the devs pick up the best or
- the devs don't try to implement a more or less multipurpose game-config, instead they implement better modding possibilities, so that modders can also overtake the init-screen. This list is then just a list of possible mods, that implement specialized ideas.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1487&hilit=config%2A World map (old : Some idea list) [very old!]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5750&hilit=config%2A Multiplayer / Dedicated Factorio Ideas Thread.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6508 Master Settings
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7751 Game modes/setup: recipe list multiplier
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13243 Mod reloading at "runtime" [not really matching here, but that would be needed, if a game-setup is nothing else than a mod]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16286 Configure the distance [Which points to the RSO-Mod]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16581 Better new game setup [very clear vision]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16659 Starting Settings Warning
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21143 Difficulty Presets
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24960 Multiple victory conditions (a la CIvilization)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25393 Lane Swapping and Difficulty Settings
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25870 UI improvement for setting starting resources
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26931 Easy start of the freeplay game?
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27902 Mod Configuration Files
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28213 Remember New Game settings
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28900 Add a slider to increase research and build times
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=30265 Map Generator - Random
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35530 forest frequency, size, richness - map generator options
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35784 Map options for water are confusing
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37683 New Game Profiles


Load/save config:
This is of course really complex if every mod has own configuration...
viewtopic.php?f=66&t=105 Save/Load map generation config as String
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4233 File based configuration options (for mods)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26713 Map Gen Settings in Load Screen/Save Game Overview


Related:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15405 Separate Launcher for Mods

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=32890 [0.15] Mod setting/config interface - give your input

Mods:

There are just toooo many mods, which already change the default behavior of the game in a way like desribed. They just need to be able to have easier configuration-possibilities. Some examples:
viewforum.php?f=79 RSO
viewtopic.php?f=91&t=13567 Marathon Mod
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=7702 Infinite Research (0.11 only!)
And there are about 10 more I think...