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bk3k's Tech Helper

This is primarily intended as a prerequisite/requirement for people like myself who make tech mods, but adds a little better experience for all.

• The techs are properly sorted by name - although non-enabled techs are still on bottom. Great when you use a lot of mods with techs!
  
• Your tech console UI is slightly larger with more room to read descriptions.
  
• A mod you want to use may require this.
  
• If you already happen to have bk3k's More Powerful Techs, you don't even need this mod because that mod already incorporates everything internally - https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=772812959

It can be a bit annoying to allow people to obtain your new tech, and annoying on the user's end too. Usually you either make a quest to unlock them, or tell people to use administrator commands. That's just not very friendly. I intend to change that.

You can now control the conditions you unlock a tech with several nice options - aka all this is optional

• Simple default unlock and enable. Once the user opens the console, they instantly have the tech available and enabled!
  
• Unlock only setting - They don't get it enabled for free, but do have it available.
  
• Administrator enable - administrators get the tech unlocked and enabled for free
  
• Species requirements - only certain species (via list) get the tech! I'm sure some race modders will love this.
  
• Exclude species - the opposite but the purpose is so you could have a species specific version of a tech, and exclude them from the regular version intended for all others.
  
• A certain quest must have been completed
  
• Modify the last option to accept active quests too.
  
• Another specific tech must be available (it might not even be from your mod)
  
• Another specific tech must be enabled (unlocked/paid for)
  
• Universe flag set - aka how the Outpost handles different shops. So accomplishments from one character can unlock for all.

The stuff I just listed can all done with a fairly simple /interface/scripted/techupgrade/techupgradegui.config.patch file. You can examine my own tech mod to see how that all works for real-life examples. You can also read this thread - https://gtm.you1.cn/workshop/filedetails/discussion/1279678818/1692659769940060684/

You can also control what items are necessary to enable your tech! It doesn't have to be Tech Cards anymore! You can do that within your .tech file itself. They're still the default if you don't specify otherwise. Using player currency ("money", "essence", etc) is now fully supported too.

What's more, the GUI won't reflect "Tech Cards" if you've chosen to use another item. It will reflect the "shortdescription" of the item. It will also automatically alter the "shortdescription" to be plural as needed. An "description_override" object is available in the configuration patch (with "Ancient Essence" already added). It will also display the icon for your item (with automatic scaling).

For practical UI reasons, you're limited to require a single type of item (any count). You can easily get around that by making a recipe to get the required item - a recipe that uses more than one type of item.

• I eventually want to optionally support "upgradable/configurable" techs. That doesn't exist yet, but look at the Matter Manipulator for an idea of how it would work. More like one of the mods that replaces the MM upgrade UI to allow you to downgrade too, and toggle some features.
  
• I'm open to more requirement options if you have any good ideas.
  
• I'm open to enlarging the tech selection buttons a bit so you can use a longer "shortdescription" for your tech, although you already can now use 2 lines. Upon request if needed. You also can already use a longer "description" to describe the tech or provide use instructions.
  
• I haven't tried this yet, but I think it might be possible to add a tech to more than just "head", "body", and "legs". During beta we had "implant" too, and maybe more would work. Obviously that means notable UI changes/supplimentary UI screen. If could open up the possibility for modifiers too - like a tech that increases energy capacity/improves regen but also increases hunger, weapon type specific techs, elemental specialization, etc. This is just an idea currently.

http://gtm.you1.cn/id/bk3000/myworkshopfiles/?appid=211820&p=1&numperpage=30

For those that prefer to download from the official Starbound Forums
http://community.playstarbound.com/resources/authors/bk3k.395551/