hmm - moding of someones mod is 'frowned' upon really - but it aint me changing it is it?

Its in the weapon_equip.ini file - this is the fun part - finding the weapon you are after!!!

Then - you will see this line:
hp_gun_type = hp_gun_special_10

Now if the weapon doesn't have this line, then it is mountable on just about anything you have (weapon mount that is) so removal of this line makes it mountable on the torp mount. either that, or change it down to
hp_gun_special_5 to make it a class 5 weapon - you get the idea. To amke equipement mountable - it all depends upon what on earth you are makeing mountable. You see - if its engines etc - i have that in a previous post - if its other things, i am affraid i get touchy round that area due to MP cheating causing havoc on servers...............

Whatever the reason/object though - someone poured in alot of hardwork to make the mod you are using (i am making one, it has taken me well over 200 hours so far). They spent alot of time trying to make it enjoyable and challenging as well - so circumnavigating this by 'cheating' in the game kinda ruins the point of the game, and nullifies all the work they did. It is cool to be able to use all weapons - but there is a reason why they have you as unableto utilise them. Also - if you intend to play it online - then you will be booted if detected, and it will be detectable if you are changing things client side!

I am not trying to be rude or nasty, and i hope it doesn't come across that way, but i think we all need to respect other mods alot more these days. Respect the makers and their wishes.
Chips

p.s - to recap as it was lost after reading that lot - what are you wishing to make mountable??!?! If its not harmful - then no probs!

The mod in question, I've played to death

I'm trying to mount a weapon. Its found on npc's and forced onto the last and "best" ship of the mod.

I'm getting ready to leave work for a few hours, when I get home, I'll post the info on the weapon, in-game and in the .ini (if I can find it)

I would also like to post, that I'm just adding fun to single player. I would never do anything like this on multi-player (I don't even play mp honestly)

Okay, that was a quick run

I found the weapon in the weapon_good.ini file with an id number, but I can't find the weapon in the weapon_equip.ini folder.

I booted the game, the weapon is listed as a class 10. It also has the "mouted" icon, when I click it, it unmounts but does not have an "unmounted" icon. Its just sitting in my hull.

I'm still scouring the weapon_equip.ini file

edit

Edited by - gravitywell on 06-10-2003 16:31:54

You mean that the weapon is not remountable - take a look in the shiparch.ini file for your ship, and what are the weapon Hardpoints called?
ie - you can find it under this part
hp_type = hp_gun_special_10, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpTurret_U1_01, HpTurret_U1_02 etc - meaning class 10 mounts are held on two weapon mounts, and two turrets mounts of a different class all together!

I'm hoping someone knows exactly how damage is worked out - I thought I knew but...

Explanation:

I'm running a large custom SP mod, among the things added is mountable armor.
I was playing a new game - Starflier 1100 hitpoints - Fighting some Xenos -
Lost shields, was hit by a missile - died...?

Level 1 missiles do less than 600 damage, Level 2 less than 900 - I was in Jersey debris field...

Why would so little damage have killed me? - Does mounting armor unmount the correct hit_points_scale?...

I guess I could've really had hull damage and I didn't realize it...
Has anyone tested this?

My only other insight into this is that a Xenos StarFlier nearly dies from a 600 damage Javelin hit. I checked the loadouts.ini and it seems Xenos have armor_scale_2 giving them a 27% reduction...

I thought they should live through 2 hits...

Phez

did what was on first page chip but they dont use???? printed out all pages to do it
but they have shield bots when u scan them only triple checked to see if i forgot some thing but all what u said is done
if you can tell me where the battle ship stuff is ill try to see if that works the one i have is from some where else n it crashes all the time or the ships cloak when you go about 10 k from them /dissapear.
n how do you increase ai # when they come out??? tried changeing some stuff but dont work or maybe missing a step thats all not sure.
n speed that they respawn would be nice.
n how to make them shoot better looked around cant find any info there
n making ai appear in differant system like nomads all ofer the place to spice it up or maybe the pirates ??
did every thing you said runs good no crashes even thow they dont use the bots
if you want you can email me every thing you have on server side mod stuff n ill try all them have some iam trying this week end to see if others can see the stuff
n made the vault but not shure it will work going to add that in but not sure where to try it might have to manipulate save files to work will see

sort = 8
toughness = 2
density = 10
repop_time = 10
max_battle_size = 4
pop_type = jumpgate
relief_time = 15
faction_weight = li_n_grp, 3
faction_weight = co_be_grp, 10
faction_weight = co_nws_grp, 10
faction_weight = co_ss_grp, 5
density_restriction = 4, unlawfuls
encounter = area_defend, 2, 0.080000
faction = li_n_grp, 1.000000
encounter = area_trade_freighter, 2, 0.080000
faction = co_ss_grp, 1.000000
encounter = area_trade_transport, 2, 0.190000
faction = co_be_grp, 0.400000
faction = co_nws_grp, 0.400000

okay - for increasing the appearance of the NPC's - just take a look in the zone of which you are modding (think this is from LI02 - just plucked it out for an example. Now - the important bits:


toughness = 2 ;total rank of all ships added up (so Giskard tells me anyways)
density = 10 ;Amount of ships in area
repop_time = 10 ;time between one spawn out and in etc
max_battle_size = 4 ;how many will battle away
pop_type = jumpgate ;type of population - lots of variations
relief_time = 15 ; apparently time between hostiles spawned or something

regardless though - hike up the denisty of the zone, and teh maxe battlesize and toughness , this will get you a hopping zone

toughness = 90
density = 30
max_battle_size = 24

Okay - you should have what can only be called large encounters in this zone now - but you also get large lag if you do this too much!! LOL
ag - forgotten what else - oh, NPC shooting. Its in the pilots_population.ini file again - check out all areas saying this:
This is just an example - there are TONS of these to be changed;


[GunBlock
nickname = gun_solar_med_style_a ;type of pilot -
gun_fire_interval_time = 0.100000 ; length time shootin?
gun_fire_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000 ;between shots (varying time)
gun_fire_burst_interval_time = 2 ;time shooting you (bursts)
gun_fire_burst_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000 ;varying round that
gun_fire_no_burst_interval_time = 1.500000 ;hold off shooting
gun_fire_accuracy_cone_angle = 4 ;firing 'cone' accuracy =1 is a hotshot!!!
gun_fire_accuracy_power = 1.100000 ;hmm?
gun_range_threshold = 1.100000 ;huh? - further away less likely to hit?
gun_target_point_switch_time = 0.300000
fire_style = multiple
auto_turret_interval_time = 0.200000 ;stuff to do with turret shootin ya
auto_turret_burst_interval_time = 1 ; ditto for hte next few
auto_turret_no_burst_interval_time = 2
auto_turret_burst_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000
gun_range_threshold_variance_percent = 0.300000
gun_fire_accuracy_power_npc = 6 ;not sure here

Personally i don't change it too radically - in fact i change the cone angle down by one for each one, and also alittle bit of timing on stuff - ie burst inteval time and accuracy cone - i usually just give them the hardness above - ie for medium i give them the setting of hard pilots, for easy - the setting for medium, for hard, the setting of Ace, for Ace i average the differences and make the setting up from the old ace settings. That is about it, i am not amazing in this area, but then again - i cannot be arsed to sit fiddling values to work out what each one does. Here i get the effects i desire, and leave it at that. IF you pump up the pilots too much, then people won't play much due to the fact they get a kicking instead of a game. Keep it moderate in changes, up the level of pilot difficulty fine, but for the rest - no chance!

Now -for the nanobots - you did put this in the loadouts.ini in the ships folder (the nano bots/bats) yes?

Like so:
cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3
cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3

and give it too all loadouts needing it, like this: This is for liberty police pilots - here is the entry in the loadouts.ini file;

[Loadout
nickname = li_p_li_fighter_loadout01
archetype = li_fighter
equip = ge_lf_engine_01
equip = npc_shield01_mark02, HpShield01
equip = li_fighter_power01
equip = ge_s_scanner_02
equip = ge_s_tractor_01
equip = ge_s_thruster_01, HpThruster01
equip = li_gun01_mark02, HpWeapon01
equip = li_gun01_mark03, HpWeapon02
equip = li_gun01_mark03, HpWeapon03
equip = co_gun02_mark02, HpWeapon04
equip = ge_s_cm_01, HpCM01
cargo = ge_s_cm_01_ammo, 20
equip = LargeWhiteSpecial, HpHeadlight
equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight01
equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight02
equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight03
equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight04
equip = contrail01, HpContrail01
equip = contrail01, HpContrail02
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight01
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight02
cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3 ;HERE
cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3 ;HERE

Now - you also DID get the repair block correct, and change some values yeah?

[RepairBlock
nickname = repair_fighter_both
use_shield_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000 ;wait before repair
use_shield_repair_post_delay = 5 ; won't repair after 1 repair for this time
use_shield_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.800 ; repair when damaged this much
use_hull_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000 ;same as above
use_hull_repair_post_delay = 1.500000 ; ditto
use_hull_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.800000 ;ditto

You then changed all the pilots parts at the bottom (ALL OF THEM!)

[Pilot
nickname = pilot_pirate_easy
gun_id = gun_pirate_easy_style_a
missile_id = missile_fighter_easy_style_a
evade_dodge_id = evade_dodge_fighter_corkscrew_easy
evade_break_id = evade_break_fighter_style_e
buzz_head_toward_id = buzz_head_toward_fighter_corkscrew
buzz_pass_by_id = buzz_pass_by_fighter_style_c
trail_id = trail_fighter_style_a
strafe_id = strafe_fighter_style_a
engine_kill_id = engine_kill_fighter_style_a
mine_id = mine_light_fighter_a
countermeasure_id = countermeasure_handicap_3
damage_reaction_id = damage_reaction_fighter_style_a
missile_reaction_id = missile_reaction_fighter_style_a
formation_id = formation_never
repair_id = repair_fighter_both ;HERE
job_id = basic_job_no_formation


[Pilot
nickname = pilot_police_easy
gun_id = gun_fighter_easy_style_a
missile_id = missile_fighter_easy_style_a
evade_dodge_id = evade_dodge_fighter_horiz2_easy
evade_break_id = evade_break_fighter_style_a
buzz_head_toward_id = buzz_head_toward_fighter_horiz2
buzz_pass_by_id = buzz_pass_by_fighter_style_a
trail_id = trail_fighter_style_a
strafe_id = strafe_fighter_style_a
engine_kill_id = engine_kill_fighter_style_a
mine_id = mine_light_fighter_a
countermeasure_id = countermeasure_handicap_3
damage_reaction_id = damage_reaction_fighter_style_a
missile_reaction_id = missile_reaction_fighter_style_a
formation_id = formation_stay
repair_id = repair_fighter_both ;HERE
job_id = basic_job_formation


Basically as with all trouble shooting, you can see them carrying the nanobots and bats around - so loadouts are correct - basically its the other parts that aen't done, these ones above MUST be incorrect. Match them to these entries here, then shoot some police - give em a battering though - don't slack off - let em have it till their hulls are truly shot at, then watch closely. Sometimes you just might not notice it, but i think your probs didn't either a) get the settings rght for repair , or b) gave them the wrong repair id.
The other stuff shortly!

okay - making them appear in different systems - you need to include them in a couple of ways - ENCOUNTERS PARAMETERS!

So - here is an encounter parameter (guessing your using Nephilms battleships example here - so lets role with it). You have this first part as it refers to a file:

[EncounterParameters
nickname = capitalships_Liberty
filename = missions\encounters\capitalships_Liberty.ini

Inside that file we have this (its a formation f[EncounterFormation
ship_by_class = 1, 1, sc_battleships ;1 battleship
pilot_job = assault_leader_job
make_class = wanderer
ship_by_class = 4, 4, sc_cruisers ;four cruisers
pilot_job = assault_job
make_class = wanderer
formation_by_class = battleships
behavior = wander
arrival = cruise
allow_simultaneous_creation = yes
zone_creation_distance = 0
times_to_create = infinite

[Creation
permutation = 0, 3ile)

This is telling them what comes out, how many and how they behave, so increase it too;

ship_by_class = 3, 3, sc_battleships ;3 battleship
pilot_job = assault_leader_job
make_class = wanderer
ship_by_class = 3, 3, sc_cruisers ;3 cruisers
pilot_job = assault_job
make_class = wanderer
formation_by_class = battleships

So now you get more battleships - however there will eb a limit - but i aint bothered fiddling here much..........very large groups cause very large lag - specailly when fighting!

Now then - that is the file, it tells it what ships are coming and how many (all related to NPCships and other files, including loadouts!)
Now then - back to the grinder(so you can increase amount of hsip like that above). Now you know that this :

[EncounterParameters
nickname = capitalships_Liberty
filename = missions\encounters\capitalships_Liberty.ini

Is at the top of your system - it means when something refers to this in the rest of the system text - it is then referred to what ships etc appear. That is why it has to be in the system file once!! Now - moving on, that is the ref to what is to appear, now, how do we make them appear???
we need an ecounters zonE!

Here is manhatten:

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li01_001_Planet_Li01_01
pos = -33020, 0, -27925
rotate = 0, 104, 0
shape = SPHERE
size = 7000
comment = Manhattan
sort = 1
toughness = 100
density = 12
repop_time = 10
max_battle_size = 12
pop_type = li_p_grp, base_cluster_law
relief_time = 10
faction_weight = li_p_grp, 12
faction_weight = li_p_grp_prisoners, 4
faction_weight = co_be_grp, 10
faction = co_rs_grp, 0.100000


Now this is missing out tons of other entries here - but they are all referring to the stuff that appears here, so to put ours in we need to add it (referencing the encounters parameter above!!)
So we put in:

encounter = capitalships_Liberty, 19, 0.01000
faction = li_n_grp, .1000000

Why? Well - it says its an enctouner - AI spawn, in THIS zone stated by its boundaries (zone size). capitalships_liberty refers to the entry at the top of the page remember - which ships and how many etc - which is linked all the way back through the files to he ships themselves. NOw the 19 means the level of these ships(to do with difficulty of them - for missinos etc etc i think mainly) and the 0.01 is the chance of them appearing (capitalships_leiberty). One word of warning - this must never be a) More than 1 as 1=100%
b) All the encounters parameters for each zonemust only add up to 1 as well - so if we had this:
encounter = area_trade_armored, 1, 0.320000
faction = co_os_grp, 1.000000
encounter = area_lifter, 1, 0.330000
faction = co_me_grp, 0.500000
faction = co_ss_grp, 0.500000
encounter = area_repair, 1, 0.330000
faction = co_me_grp, 0.500000
Notice that the parts in bold add up to 1?? that is because all together the probabiltiy of these spawning must NOT equal more than 1 either!!
Now for real confusion - the last part........

faction = li_n_grp, 1.000000

This is the faction that they belong too - and the chances of spawning this faction.....erm - how does this work he asks?
Well - notice here its 100%liberty navy for the liberty capitalships yes?
Well - if you use the capitalships_escorts instead (fighters) you could do this..

encounter = capitalships_Escorts, 19, 1.000
faction = li_n_grp, 0.3300
faction = rh_n_grp, 0.33
faction = ku_n_grp, 0.15
faction = fc_n_grp, 0.15

Notice that under this parameter there is now 4 factiosn with the CHANCE of the capitalship_escorts belonging to them (liberty = 33% chance, rheinland = 33% chance, nomads = 15% chance). word of warning- you can't use nomads unless you give them the correct loadouts of fighters etc etc.
So to the bottom of your zone, add the encounter type for your encounter parameter at the top. then the faction and the percentage. Now the fun bit - do it all over the dam place for effect - however, a few favs by me are; capital planets, jumpgates to other areas (eg Rhienland to sig13 i hae nomads vs Rheinland, sig13 to honshu is nomads vs Kusari) etc etc. Now i have forgotten the other question......doh

@phezzan -there is a kinda explosion resistance factor - i haven't looked into this, but seeing as frostworks make some of their ships more resistant to missiles and mines than others i will try if i have time to look it up.

OKay - last few points - not sure what you mean about the battleships - you want to make them flyable? If so - people will need a client mod to be able to fly them as well - unless you want them as an admin ship..........however, you will also have to alter some docking charactersitics etc etc.

I know about explosion resistance - well - I know that 1.0 is supposed to be resistant and all equipment is set to 1.0...

Still the question is why does the missile do more than the stated amount of damage - or - why can't the ship take the damage that the file says it should.

There are ramifications here into the area of gameplay balance, and since I haven't seen a discussion of it - I assumed it was straight forward.
Armor - damage = new Armor
if Armor < 0 Then dead

I'm thinking it isn't so straightforward.

My Difficulty scale is set to 1.0

Phez

i think the damage sytem is more along the lines of where the missle hits, for
example, in SP, towards the end, you are told to hit the engine of a gunboat
as the gunboat is vulnerable there.
(armor - (damage * {resistance or weakness})) * {difficulty level} = new armour
the above is just a shot in the dark, but based on my experience, thats my
opinion. i'm pretty positive about the damage being multiplied by difficulty level, as
that would explain how the SP god mode cheat works.
EDIT: changed brackets

Edited by - deathwalker10982 on 07-10-2003 01:35:31

Okay!! Hey I found out why I had no rumors available to me....I had read them all. Yeap, no kidding....

I used Ioncross's character editor to figure out if my not seeing any rumors was an issue that dealt with where I was in the game. I found an incredibly long list of rumors in the saved file. I cross ref them all and found I had in deed read virtually all of them. And, yea, I had completed a run to almost all places. And after seeing the BiniQDU files and where rumors are placed, I won't necessarly have to go to every base to finally read them all.

When I used the utility and deleted the list of rumors from the saved character file...then rumors returned and I could read them again. This also included new ones that I created...(thank you chips for that tutorial...)

Edited by - Ricardius on 07-10-2003 03:28:41