BlackBox mod for StarDrive

Unofficial Stardrive 1 patches.

• Latest Release can be found here. Note that you only need to install the release. If there are patches, the auto patcher will prompt and install the latest patch for you.
• Readme in Github
• Discord Chat feel free to drop by with questions, requests, problems or say hi.
• ChangeLog and discussion on Facebook.
• Steam Forum here.

Set up a Patreon Donation

I just want to play the mod Crunchy!

Great! The process is simply:

• Downloads will be more up to date from here
• You can check this video for install instructions
• Note that mods not updated to work with blackbox will not work with blackbox.

Stardrive BlackBox

Let's play . Youtu.be

Play guides
Youtube.com
Explorminate.co

Feature list for Latest Stable Radical Elements build. (there is more than this I just dont have it all written down). Recommend getting and installing the latest mod pack and then latest stable test.

General Game Things

• Larger Maps.
• Many many crash fixes.
• troop management improvements.
• troops will autoland on planets you send them to. orbit a planet with a shift right click.
• planets will auto resupply troop ships.
• solar system info expansion will show special resource marker and player troop counts.
• Large Access Aware exe to reduce out of memory issues.
• money based on population rather than production.
• Much better ship targeting code.
• Reduced volume when warping and launching troops.
• full control over audio volume.
• running without force full sim will use weapon ranges and fire arcs and beams will use power correctly. this allows a more realistic combat model when not using force full sim.
• mouse back button will select the previously selected ship. so you can select a ship go to an area you want to move the ship to. hit the mouse back button and move it.
• center mouse will zoom and lock to the select item.
• mouse wheel will zoom in select ship.
• single tap a fleet icon to select it. double tap to zoom to it.
• changing arcs in shipyard more predictable. left click and hold to allow selecting of the arc to move it. Arc should not change without at least a half second hold. or enable the options setting to only move arcs when holding the alt key.
• ships with experience can fire at targets of opportunity and will target more worthwhile ship parts.
• save games will remember last camera position.
• more screens with buttons to send troops.
• AI and player will fire and engage targets where non aggression or alliance treaties do not exist.
• Governors are better at governing.
• Sorts are remembered and saved with save games.
• Real Lights option enabled and toggled via F5
• open bit bucket issue tracker with F6.
• Many fixes to weapon effects and abilities.
• Setting a colony to military will send idle troops to defend planets.

Performance increases.

• more multi threading.
• AI ship count limiter
• allows the game to have more ships for the AI and adjust the ship performance load for your system.

AI improvements

• AI will chose techs by what it needs and will choose ship techs that it can use and give it the best ship.
• AI will manage its troops better.
• AI will use more diverse fleets.
• AI can use carrier designs.
• AI will use troop carrier designs.
• Fighters will return to carrier when out of ammo.
• Fighters will more effectively return to carrier when warping.
• Fleets will stay together when formation warping.
• AI can build defensive platforms and star bases and will do so taking into account defensive needs.
• ship sensors effect target picking radius
• fighters use carrier sensor range
• AI will better manage its economy.
• AI fleets will be more formidable.
• Freighters will deliver goods and population smarter.

many mod only additions

• mods can run entirely from the mod directory.
• Currently only CombinedArms will work with blackbox

More automation controls.

• Auto Taxes
• Auto Technology

New Espionage screen

• more info about other empires
• New spy code.

So what is black box? its a decompiled recompiled version of stardrive. It contains fixes and enhancements to the basic game while trying to keep the game as close to vanilla as possible.

BlackBox is Coded by:

• McShooterz
• The Doctor
• General Axure
• CrunchyGremlin
• YoyoXyz
• fbedard
• allium_sativum
  
• Red Fox
• Sean
• Fat Bastard (Fizban)

And many others

STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS (deprecated - check readme file linked above)

• Set your game completely back to vanilla. IE if you installed a mod revert back so that vanilla runs.
• if you have never installed a mod you can skip the revert to vanilla section.
• How to revert to vanilla or Nuking from orbit... Its the only way to be sure. (warning: This requires basically downloading the game from steam again):
• go to the stardrive program folder. usually something like: Program Files(x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\StarDrive
• delete the "content" folder.
• go to steam.
• right click stardrive
• properties.
• find the option that lets you "verify content"
• do that.
• your game should be vanilla after it replaces the gigabyte of data in the content folder.
• When installing normal mods do not overwrite content folder items with the mod files. mods content must exist all in the mod folder for it work right with blackbox. properly formatted it will. all the mods in the mod super pack are formatted this way.
• go to the download section and download the test version.
• extract the zip into the the game directory usually located in Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\StarDrive
• Note that all current releases are self extracting executables that will default extract to the standard steam location. if you have a non standard install adjust the path shown in the exe as needed.
• Overwrite files if asked.
• To Uninstall follow the revert to vanilla instructions above.
  • This mod should be compatible with normal content mods but please dont install them as you would vanilla SD. The mod should run entirely out of the SD mod folder now. It just needs to be formatted to do this.
  • Most SD mods require overwriting of game files. We removed that need and not reverting to vanilla or overwriting game files with a new mod may result in inconsistent behavior. If you find a mod that doesnt run right solely from the mod folder contact us. Here: Bitbucket.org
  • THE SAVE GAMES FROM THIS MOD WILL NOT LOAD IN VANILLA SD.

Notice: we have the stardrive devs publicly and privately stated approval for modifying the game for educational purposes but this software is still under the steam license restrictions. Do not use this for immoral or personal financial gain, donations requests are ok but can not be demanded or required. Do not attempt to circumvent game DRM. Be reasonably respectful of the dev and the original software and steam. please read the steam EULA and understand that game modding is a common concept. Steamcommunity.comStore.steampowered.com