Requests for Extra Modding Control

[Chilvence]

Hmm. Well, now that I've poked around the forums and uncovered whats been going on, I feel a bit of an idiot. I didnt realise what a lamentable state the development was in.

I'm certainly dissapointed with some of the vindictive attitudes that people have been keeping here, over such trivial things. In my short time here I've seen people act like children just because they cannot have things exactly as they want. I just want those people to know that they have pissed on something I dearly loved, for no other reason that they cannot see past their own distorted personal views. On the flipside thanks to all those here who kept a cool head, regardless of the fact that the fun has been spoiled for you.

GSH, if you're reading, I hope all your future projects attract more forgiving fans. And I hope you at least find the energy to finish 1.3 the way you wanted to, because I can guarantee there will be 50 quiet, appreciative people to every one outspoken, opinionated jerk. And Overmind, I hope you make a million before you're 30, because that will mean I'll no doubt be playing my idea of the perfect game


Yes, there are newbies still, and yes, this is what they think of you.

[OvermindDL1]

Heh, believe it or not, multiply that million by about 15 and it might have a chance of a complete popular game, you have to pay for development, manufacturing, and advertising.

[Slaor]

Chilvence, If you have a closer look at Fish.xsi there is a very easy tute there by yours truly, that details about 5 easy steps to export game ready XSI's via free (or at least extremely cheap) tools. There are actually more than 5 steps but some of them involve pizza.

I've tried Softimage - It's a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Could barely figure out how to draw a cube primitive, even then could do nought with it

A combination of Threed (free) and 3D explore 1.8 (or so) will have you peering down the barrel at your own baddies in no time.

BTW: if anybody is after a cheap powerful modelling program try Silo.

After 5 minutes of random playing I have concluded that it is perhaps the most powerful and streamlined modelling interface I have ever seen, hoot u not. Seriously gonna be learning it very shortly. At $110 US its a steal.

[SkyNET]

At $110 US its a steal.

I'd say. 3DSMAX costs $3000! I doubt anyone could easily afford that.

[Huscar]

But everybody could rip it off their site, they really need to change priorities...

Back on toppic, back on toppic, back on toppic
The thing I would love the most is being able to make some kind of dll-like script in the unit ODF. This could bring us very close to almost total modding control.
Like you could have a vehicle entry "extraCom# = insert your command here" that makes a unit have an additional command when you select it listed as number #. And under [script] have "action,command name" that defines te actions a unit makes when the command is selected.

Other things that trigger something could be "wait,#" that makes a number of actions (switch team, goTo, autokill, atack closest) happen each # amount of seconds.

Or "near,odfname,#", were odfname is the name of the odf of the unit you want to calculate the distance to and # the distance in m.
And the opposite of near, far, that makes the actions happen whena unit is farther than # meters from odfname.


I think you could do most of the modding with those commands (and a few others). Although I doubt it is doable...

[BS-er]

I could never get the DLL function SetWeaponMask function to work.  If I understand correctly, this should let you select which of weapon the AI unit will shoot.  So if this is a bug, it would be nice if it was fixed.

[Spawn]

only rockettank class listens to the weaponmask, so avengers and maybe lancers.

[OvermindDL1]

SetWeaponMask?  I do not know of it, I probobly tested it once, found it doesn't do anything useful to me, and forgot about it... heh...

[Scout]

Geez monkey, its probably not considered constructive critisism if you know there is no chance of it being changed back.

tbh its sounds alot more lazy to be keying in and out of a sp map at will rather than noting everything that needs change and then doing it all.

maybe its too much for you :O

[spAce]

Something grandiotic; taps enabled for vehicles

[Scout]

heh i also wanted to post about taps as well..

i know of the "work around" the recycler turrets and such use.

but could a line be added telling the engine not to expect the building linked to the tap have power for it, so we can drop the odf trickery?

and is there isnt a line specifing a building cant be demolished can that be added? if such a line exists for it someone please let me know?

[Fishbone]

just use
addHealth = 5000
to the ODF and you get an indestructable building.

re: taps for vehicles
There is already something similar to taps for vehicles that next to no modder is using:
visualHard1 = "HP_GUN"
there is a lot of potential in visual hardpoints. If I had more help in DuneC, all vehicles would have weapon mount stations and the weapons would be seperate models so an upgrade of weapons would actually change the look of the vehicle. (same as with infantry).
spAce, care to elaborate what you would use taps on vehicles for?

[TimeVirus]

Ken Miller said the correct way to make indestructible buildings is a zero health setting.

ZTV has been using visual hardpoints for long time now. Note you do not need a seperate visual hardpoint in the XSI. Simply describe the visualHard as the weapons hard point and it should work fine. This makes it very easy to go back and retrofit mount points on all odfs.

Code:

weaponHard1 = "HP_GUN_1"
visualHard1 = "HP_GUN_1"

[Avatar]

Zero health is the only true indestructable building, the 'addHealth' bit only works against 'normal' weapons.  

Someone did use the visualHard stuff once, I remember the weapon powerup crates looked like the weapons they were...  very cool.

-Av-

[spAce]

spAce, care to elaborate what you would use taps on vehicles for?

Defensive turrets.
Additional parts with independent health.
Could do ai controlled weapons that would shoot in any direction.

Is it possible set pilotable turret to tap ? If it was possible there could be  units that could be piloted by multiple human players.
One handling ship movement and traditional weapons, other(s) would be gunner for an example.