Modding:Custom Weapons

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Custom Weapons

Due to Starbound's fully randomized loot tables, we can use chat commands to build, customize, and create weapons that fit into this current scheme, allowing you to essentially create any and every possible combination of visual appearance, abilities, damage, and speed values. It is highly recommended to unpack or otherwise view the .../StarBound/assets/packed.pack file to get a look at some of these commands in context, as most of them are simply commands used in .activeitem and .animation files. Learning how the game treats existing items can be helpful in constructing new ones.

The spawn item command lays out some parameters used, with commands from .activeitem files, entirely new weapons can be created without modifying the games files. It is advisable to 'build' your command in an advanced text editor like Notepad++.

JSON Commands

Desired Change	Syntax	Function	Example	Notes
Item Name	"shortdescription":"item name"	Changes the item's name.	'{"shortdescription":"The Best Sword In The World"}'
Description	"description":"item description"	Changes the item's description (flavor text/lore).	'{"description":"This is quite a good sword."}'	Will not work on everything
Rarity	"rarity":"some kind of rarity"	Changes the item's rarity.	'{"rarity":"Legendary"}'
Level	"level":(tier level)	Changes the item's tier level.	'{"level":6}'
Elemental Type	"elementalType":"ice,fire,poison,electric"	Changes the item's element.	'{"elementalType":"electric"}'
Seed	"seed":(number)	Makes the item you spawn in have a specific seed.	'{"seed":237}'
Animation	"animation":"animationfile.animation"	Allows manual assignment of animation file. (Used to create moving parts, holding style etc.)	"animation":"broadsword.animation"	Animation tells the game how to construct the item, and what should move when shot etc.
Visual Appearance/Sprite (Animation Parts)	"animationParts":{"part":"part.png", "part2":"part2.png"}	Assigns an image for a piece specified by the animation file.	"animationParts":{"handle":"10.png", "blade":"14.png"}	The actual image file(s) for the item
Replacing Colors	part.png?replace;hexcode=newhexcode;hexcode2=newhexcode2	Replaces a specific hex-color with another one provided.	"animationParts":{"handle":"10.png?replace;FFFFF=0F0F0F", "blade":"14.png?replace;F78896=33F449"}	Can be added to almost any image file referenced via this command
Custom Projectile Type	"projectileType":"projectile-name"	If the weapon uses a projectile, it will be replaced with the given type.	"projectileType:"homingrocket"
Custom Projectile Stats	"projectileParameters":{"parameter1":value1, "parameter2:value2}	Uses JSON parameters to define specifics for projectiles, including speed, knockback, etc.	"projectileParameters":{"power":10.5, "speed":90, "knockback":2}

Examples

From ThatThunderCookie's Youtube channel

(may be slightly changed)

Spear of Flight

 /spawnitem rarespear 1 '{"shortdescription":"Flight Spear","description":"Better then a    Hoverbike!","rarity":"Legendary","elementalType":"fire","primaryAbility": {"fireTime":1.50,"baseDps":5.5,"knockback":100},"altAbilityType":"rocketspear","altAbility":{"baseDps":0,"cooldownTime":0.1,"energyUsage":0,"inaccuracy":0.25,"boostForce":-250,"projectileParameters": {"speed":10}},"tooltipKind":"base"}'

(a modification of above spear of flight which feels more convenient to me, -force is finicky when pointing downwards)

 /spawnitem rarespear 1 '{"shortdescription":"Flight Spear","description":"Better then a Hoverbike!","rarity":"Legendary","elementalType":"fire","primaryAbility": {"fireTime":1.50,"baseDps":5.5,"knockback":100},"altAbilityType":"rocketspear","altAbility":{"baseDps":0,"cooldownTime":0.1,"energyUsage":0,"inaccuracy":0.25,"boostForce":250,"projectileParameters": {"speed":10}},"tooltipKind":"base"}'

Ion Laser Rifle (kinda shoots through walls)

 /spawnitem npcassaultrifle 1 '{"shortdescription":"Ion Laser Rifle","level":6,"seed":237,"primaryAbility":{"projectileType":"shortbeam","baseDps":30,"inaccuracy":0,"energyUsage":30,"projectileParameters":{"speed":200,"power":15.5,"knockback":10}},"rarity":"legendary"}'

Gravity Cannon (A.K.A a rocket launcher that allows you to rocket jump which is amazing for becoming a guided missile in Zero-G}

 /spawnitem rarerocketlauncher 1 '{"seed":666,"level":10,"shortdescription":"Gravity Cannon","rarity":"legendary","altAbility":{"fireTime":1.0,"energyUsage":0,"projectileCount":5,"inaccuracy":0.1,"baseDps":30,"projectileType":"ngravityexplosion"}}'

Shadow Aura Gear

 /spawnitem aviantier6mchest 1 '{"shortdescription":"Shadow Aura Gear","description":"Let the shadows take you.","statusEffects":["runboost","minibossglow","jumpboost","nude","beamin","rage"],"level":10}'

Hover Pants (use with Flight Spear)

 /spawnitem aviantier6mpants 1 '{"shortdescription":"Hover Pants","description":"Whee! This is so fun.","statusEffects":["runboost","lowgrav","levitation"]}'

(another modification which feels better to me, no fall damage lets you thrust downward at a not painfully slow speed while preveting you from splattering yourself)

 /spawnitem aviantier6mpants 1 '{"shortdescription":"Hover Pants","description":"Whee! This is so fun.","statusEffects":["runboost","lowgrav","nofalldamage"]}'

Phase Fist (goes through walls}

 /spawnitem rareshotgun 1 '{"shortdescription":"Phase Fist","level":6,"seed":491,"primaryAbility":{"projectileType":"energyfist","baseDps":30,"cooldownTime":0.3,"inaccuracy":0,"projectileParameters":{"speed":70,"power":15.5,"knockback":10}},"altAbility":{"projectileType":"energyfist","baseDps":30,"cooldownTime":0.3,"inaccuracy":0,"projectileParameters":{"speed":70,"power":15.5,"knockback":10}},"rarity":"legendary"}'

Static Defender

 /spawnitem rarestaff 1 '{"level":10,"primaryAbilityType":"electric","altAbilityType":"elementswarm","primaryAbility":{"projectileType":"staticdischarge","projectileCount":1,"maxCastRange":1000,"projectileDistance":0,"projectileParameters":{"timeToLive":1}},"altAbility":{"projectileType":"electricbarrier","projectileCount":60,"maxCastRange":20,"projectileDistance":10,"projectileParameters":{"timeToLive":10}},"elementalType":"electric","rarity":"legendary","shortdescription":"Static Defender","seed":20}'

User-Created Examples

These are creations created by the members of this wiki. If you add something, please sign it by using ~ 4 times in a row.

Ion Sniper

 /spawnitem raresniperrifle 1 '{"shortdescription":"Ion Sniper","level":6,"seed":237,"primaryAbilityType":"electric","primaryAbility":{"projectileType":"shortbeam","baseDps":40,"projectileParameters":{"speed":200}},"altAbility":{"projectileType":"shortbeam","baseDps":100,"inaccuracy":0,"projectileParameters":{"speed":300,"power":15.5,"knockback":10}},"rarity":"legendary"}'