Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:47 pm
Muahaha! Yes, it''s another Fun Idea...
I just came up with this one, while thinking of all of the weird things I've already figured out how to do with Shield hardpoints (while finishing a ship's skin, of course- I'm multitasking here):
How's about customized "license plates"?!?
Think about it: you're running some server, and you want to have clans participate on the server as part of RP. Great stuff, but clans very quickly start asking for... erm... slightly unlikely things, like their very own custom CMP/MAT for the uber-clan-ship of their choice. While you could do this, it might take you several days... and that's if you're already familiar with all of the steps involved. Quite a lot of work for some little clan who maybe has one to five members on your server, right?
Instead of going to all of that trouble, why not deploy customized license plates, and show your clanners how they can make new ones (and submit them to you, so that you can issue a new "plate pack" update every once in awhile) using very simple tools:
1. Use the example code in the XML Toolkit Mod (which I sort've borrowed from Chips' Evolutions Mod and have cleaned up pretty nicely for version 1.4, which will be done soon) to make custom license plates a valid attachable objects. I've done this as an example with Cargo Crates, and 1.4 will feature a better explanation of the process, but it's basically very simple to do. Basically, each custom plate should have code that assigns it as a valid Good, etc., etc., etc.
2. Use an easily-customizable CMP (which I should probably make, eh) that is your "license plate template". Just use FLModel Cloner to make new versions of it and the Icon 3DB file (a process I should document sometime soonish, since it beats the heck out've the old way of doing that, but I digress).
3. Hehe... now the fun begins. If you wanted, you could have different sizes, modify the CMPs in your mod to have different locations, etc., etc. and do other fun things... like have various Factions scan the plates (after all, they're a Good like anything else) and attack you if you're carrying the wrong "colors"... or have bounties be available if you deliver license plates of a hated enemy to their Bases... hehehehe...
I've gotta admit, this seems like a really fun idea to me. It'd give server ops a much easier implementation path to follow to have clans, etc., have customized ships, and the concept could be stretched in various ways:
A. You could use funky shapes, so that the license plates looked like mini-wings or something kewl like that.
B. You could attach FX to them
C. You could have contests for "best new plate", etc., etc., etc...
How's about customized "license plates"?!?
Think about it: you're running some server, and you want to have clans participate on the server as part of RP. Great stuff, but clans very quickly start asking for... erm... slightly unlikely things, like their very own custom CMP/MAT for the uber-clan-ship of their choice. While you could do this, it might take you several days... and that's if you're already familiar with all of the steps involved. Quite a lot of work for some little clan who maybe has one to five members on your server, right?
Instead of going to all of that trouble, why not deploy customized license plates, and show your clanners how they can make new ones (and submit them to you, so that you can issue a new "plate pack" update every once in awhile) using very simple tools:
1. Use the example code in the XML Toolkit Mod (which I sort've borrowed from Chips' Evolutions Mod and have cleaned up pretty nicely for version 1.4, which will be done soon) to make custom license plates a valid attachable objects. I've done this as an example with Cargo Crates, and 1.4 will feature a better explanation of the process, but it's basically very simple to do. Basically, each custom plate should have code that assigns it as a valid Good, etc., etc., etc.
2. Use an easily-customizable CMP (which I should probably make, eh) that is your "license plate template". Just use FLModel Cloner to make new versions of it and the Icon 3DB file (a process I should document sometime soonish, since it beats the heck out've the old way of doing that, but I digress).
3. Hehe... now the fun begins. If you wanted, you could have different sizes, modify the CMPs in your mod to have different locations, etc., etc. and do other fun things... like have various Factions scan the plates (after all, they're a Good like anything else) and attack you if you're carrying the wrong "colors"... or have bounties be available if you deliver license plates of a hated enemy to their Bases... hehehehe...
I've gotta admit, this seems like a really fun idea to me. It'd give server ops a much easier implementation path to follow to have clans, etc., have customized ships, and the concept could be stretched in various ways:
A. You could use funky shapes, so that the license plates looked like mini-wings or something kewl like that.
B. You could attach FX to them
C. You could have contests for "best new plate", etc., etc., etc...
