Yeah, that was happening for me too. I thought i'd have a play when i saw your post.
To be honest, i felt pretty sure that it isn't possible, but i did have some success.
The armour should be in select_equip, the good in st_goods and the name be in equipresources.dll.
I couldn't buy the thing (using similar values to yours), but it does work if you add it to the starting loadout and, most likely, the "buying a ship "goods package.
That isn't very handy, but it at least means there is a possible chance of us gettng it to work. Its quite a nice idea, the player can choose what they want to use for their armour slot. It can be either typical armour increase or cargo hold benefits. If it was included with the ships package then it would be fine as long as they didn't sell the thing. If they did then it is lost and un-mountable.
I did try giving the thing a "hold_size =" value, but, i wasn't very hopefull. Sure enough, it ws ignored. Maybe if you could buy archetype and have a simple statement in shiparch similar to the generic_pilot. This isn't one of the things i'm best at. Hopefully, somebody else has some good ideas.

I have a few armor upgrades in misc_equip and the good in misc_good with the ids in a custom dll and they seem to work just fine. It's just the cargo increasers thats giveing me trouble.

hmm maybe Alcander (i think he's the one who's been finding some instristing things in the exe) could have a look around for something in the exe that could make it possible.


PS. and off topic My spelling sucks

If you're trying to increase the size of the ships cargo hold
look in the shiparch.ini file Data\Ships\shiparch.ini
see the line hold_size = 30

[Ship
ids_name = 237033
ids_info = 66567
ids_info1 = 66568
ids_info2 = 66608
ids_info3 = 66569
ship_class = 1
nickname = li_elite
msg_id_prefix = gcs_refer_shiparch_Libhf
mission_property = can_use_berths
LODranges = 0, 75, 150, 1300
type = FIGHTER
DA_archetype = ships\liberty\li_elite\li_elite.cmp
material_library = ships\liberty\li_playerships.mat
material_library = fx\envmapbasic.mat
envmap_material = envmapbasic
cockpit = cockpits\liberty\l_elite.ini
pilot_mesh = generic_pilot
nanobot_limit = 14
shield_battery_limit = 14
mass = 150.000000
hold_size = 30
linear_drag = 1.000000
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship01, 0.000000, 400
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship02, 0.000000, 200
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship03, 0.000000, 133
max_bank_angle = 30
camera_offset = 8, 34
camera_angular_acceleration = 0.050000
camera_horizontal_turn_angle = 17
camera_vertical_turn_up_angle = 5
camera_vertical_turn_down_angle = 25
camera_turn_look_ahead_slerp_amount = 1.000000
hit_pts = 3200
explosion_arch = explosion_li_elite
surface_hit_effects = 0, small_hull_hit_light01, small_hull_hit_light02, small_hull_hit_light03
surface_hit_effects = 150, small_hull_hit_medium01, small_hull_hit_medium02, small_hull_hit_medium03
surface_hit_effects = 300, small_hull_hit_heavy01, small_hull_hit_heavy02, small_hull_hit_heavy03
steering_torque = 50000.000000, 50000.000000, 230000.000000
angular_drag = 40000.000000, 40000.000000, 141000.000000
rotation_inertia = 8400.000000, 8400.000000, 8400.000000
nudge_force = 30000.000000
strafe_force = 20000
strafe_power_usage = 2
bay_door_anim = Sc_open baydoor
bay_doors_open_snd = cargo_doors_open
bay_doors_close_snd = cargo_doors_close
HP_bay_surface = HpBayDoor01
HP_bay_external = HpBayDoor02
HP_tractor_source = HpTractor_Source
num_exhaust_nozzles = 2
shield_link = l_elite_shield01, HpMount, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_gun_special_4, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02
hp_type = hp_gun_special_3, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_2, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_1, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_4, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_3, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_2, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_1, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_thruster, HpThruster01
hp_type = hp_mine_dropper, HpMine01
hp_type = hp_countermeasure_dropper, HpCM01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_4, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_3, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_2, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_1, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_1, HpTorpedo01
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_2, HpTorpedo01

Bakedpotato
I mean i want to make a item you can buy that will increase the cargo hold past the hold size in the shiparch.ini but will make it so you use up the armor slot so you can't mount a cargo increaser and a armor upgrade and takes away some of your armor.


PS i already knew you can change the cargo hold size in shiparch.ini

I think some one tried this several months ago. Problem was getting the game to "see" the new hold rather than the one in the ShipArch file. As I recall, it was dropped.

i was working on the same equipment for my Crossfire mod
first i also tried it with negative volumes but this turned out to be wrong coz negative values are not known by FL -> they will be threaten like endless high values

even if i stopped working on this topic i still think its possible
at least i have an idea how it could work... its totally crazy and hard to realize but as soon i have some time i will try it

You would need to have the good replace the hold size in the shiparch.ini like a script would do when you load a mod, except it would do this when you buy the item. Which might mean making several upgrades of cargo per ship in the game, or just make certain ships upgradeable. Just a theory of mine full of bugs I’m sure. I have been working on this for a while now.

What I think I need is a programmers mind to help me with this. How can I make an Item bought replace the cargo hold size for a specific ship in the shiparch.ini
In my thinking it would be like an in game script. Problem is how to do it.

a few tantalizing bits i've found:
0x9) EQ_ID(0x23) EQ_ARCH(0x843039c0) cannot find a cargo pod attached to hardpoint internal for 0x85f1048a(it says internal because i was attaching it with code from a loadout, ive changed that)
this is from rh_fighter for the powersupply.Note that its looking for a cargo pod to attach to?i got this by giving the power a model and mount point then applying CARGO_BAY_HP_NAME to the goods which is a string i found with IDA disassembler

I have a idea and i'm going to test it.

__________________________________________________________
Hey SWAT_OP-R8R I've played on your server before my name is Sil2

... Now i got a new problem. My mod doesn't show up in the mod manager anymore but when loading up the mod manger it says there's a problem loading up one of the mod and my backups messed up.

never mind i got it to work again Well the mod i got to work not the cargo thing

Edited by - 5i1 on 10/1/2005 12:31:30 PM

My idea didn't work. anybody have any ideas?


Ps sorry for all the posts in a row

Why not have a special set of items that take up hold_space, are attached to your ship when you buy them, and can be sold to increase your hold_space... and decrease your armor? You wouldn't be able to buy them back, but them's the breaks- otherwise this would work perfectly

Argh
I like your idea but won't everyone sell them right away so they can buy there ship for less and have more cargo. and then if the things that take up cargo are gone they can just buy a armor upgrade to make up for the lost armor unless the the things that take up your cargo increase your armor to a amount that a armor upgrade won't recover. But then your armor from the thing that takes up your cargo is there you'll have a crazy amount of armor. Witch i kinda don't want in my mod.