The XML Toolkit Mod, 1.3 is a codebase project that's been developed for the Freelancer® game engine. You can download it here.
Here's what it's all about:
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The XML Toolkit Mod is a fully-functional rebuild of FL for SP, OpenSP and MP, made for gamers who love FL, modders who want to improve it, and server operators who don't know a lot about modding and want to make some minor changes to FL's game-balance, but keep the same "feel". This mod has been made to specifically address a lot of the game-design problems with MP, but is also a very interesting experience to play in the SP storyline.
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Modders and server ops should feel welcome taking this and making the mod of
their dreams. This mod includes a lot of in-depth documentation to help you get
started and guide your steps. It is one of the most modder-friendly designs ever
made for this game engine, and makes a lot of things that were a real chore to
do, like adding new Ships to the game... much, much easier.
But this is not just some technical widget. I have put a lot of subtle touches
and improvements into the mod, such as:
6 new flyable ships, including the "lost" FL ships- the Starblazer, the CSV, the
Blood Dragon HF and the Liberty Torch.
Every FL ship has been re-balanced. None of the original ships has been left
unchanged, and they've all been balanced with an eye towards fairness- armor and
cargo both effect the mass and turning speed of ships- and heavier ones get more
Power for their weapon systems. Freighter pilots will enjoy this mod
considerably!
Every weapon and Shield has been re-balanced. There aren't any more weapons that
don't track right, for example, and each weapon's advantages and disadvantages
have been very carefully re-balanced.
The AI has been improved, especially at the high end. It's quite a bit "smarter"
now.
Missiles now feature visible projectiles and reworked sounds- you can actually
hear missiles being fired at you.
Sounds of all sorts have been edited or replaced. High-pitched Cruise engines
have been toned down, for a less irritating audio experience on those long
Missions.
Players should give FL's storyline another try, and enjoy the differences, some
of which are subtle, and others are profound- everything from the way the
weapons work to the way that ships fly has been touched in various ways.
Assuming that you do not abuse Wrecks, you will find the SP campaign to be
considerably more challenging than the original, but perfectly fair.
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This mod has many, many features, added via XML scripts, CMP modifications and INI coding. I have rebuilt substantial parts of the FL SDK in an effort to really improve how we mod things. Every major area that's been modified has been well documented, so that people can see what's been done and why. This mod is intended to help newbie modders, or experienced modders who don't yet use XML... to learn how to do so. You do not need to install the FL SDK to use this mod, but it'd be helpful, especially if you're wanting to learn more about how to mod FL- this is an extension to the SDK, not a replacement.
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Rebuilt AI. In a first for a FL mod, I have completely deconstructed FL's AI
schema and have rebuilt it from the ground up. Every ship in the game uses new
AIs, from ships in the Storyline to Random Encounters. Modders can use my
"template" AIs as a model for building their own.
Rebuilt Weapons, with much better balance. All weapons shoot accurately, and the
advantages/disadvantages of each Weapon Type have been revamped. Trust me, you
will immediately notice the differences. Missile behavior has been radically
altered, making Cannonballs and other heavy missiles much less unbalanced for
MP. Moreover, weapon levels have been taken out, giving MP a much greater range
of options- VHFs no longer have a monopoly on Class 10 weapons.
Rebuilt Physics. This includes both major and minor changes to the way that all
of the ships in the mod fly.
Rebuilt Ship Balance. Every buyable/flyable ship has been totally re-balanced
from the ground up. There is now a point to buying a Defender, for example- it's
actually a pretty nice ship, when it's properly balanced.
Rebuilt Thrusters. This includes XML extensions that allow people to revamp
Thrusters very easily, among other things.
Rebuilt Shields. All ships use the same shields. This has been done before in
many mods, but the way it's been implemented in this mod is different- all
AI-specific Shields have been totally removed.
Power Upgrades via XML. In a "first", I have built XML scripts that can add
Power Upgrades (or other equippable upgrades) to any ship which has the
appropriate Hardpoint installed. Take the XML script out... and no more Power
Upgrades. Simple but elegant.
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That's just a summary... basically, if you're new to modding, or have been modding for awhile now but are interested in improving your craft... check this out. I have distilled everything I've learned in the last 7 months into this package, and documented my work so that you don't have to pick things apart just to understand what I've done or why. Good luck, and have fun!