Request Special FOLoader / Modding Q's

[TChapman500]

posted on December 21st, 2010, 3:20 pm

Last edited by TChapman500 on December 21st, 2010, 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I've decided to make my Armada 2 rebalance mod with the fleet-ops engine and I would like a special fleet-ops loader that does the following:

1 - Puts the resource ODF commands (like tritanCost, tritanAdd, supplyCost, supplyAdd, ect) back to what they were in stock.
2 - Puts the map height option back into the advanced game settings.
3 - Puts the alternate physics option back into advanced game settings.
4 - Puts the warp option back into the advanced game settings.
5 - Puts the create random map option back into the advanced game settings.
6 - Puts the finite/infinite resources option back into the advanced game settings.
7 - Puts the ODF directory structure back to the way it was in stock.

I decided to use fleet-ops as a base for the following reasons:

1 - It'll be easier on the fleet-ops developers to revert some features back to stock.
2 - It has features that I can take advantage of when creating new special weapons.
3 - It has the features I need to make all of the factions just the way I want.

The mod I'm working on was going to be a rebalance from stock, but I've decided to transfer this rebalance to fleet-ops using the stock A2 stuff instead of the fleet-ops stuff.  Although, can I keep the fleet-ops tooltip font?

By the way, I would like the Ultritium Burst back into the game as well.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 3:49 pm

Usually people also include reasons why should the devs be interested in one's ideas. I don't think it is likely to happen that the devs would release such custom version, as it would require work and maintaining also and even the patch project haven't been updated in quite a while.

Blade have been working on a A2 conversion of FO. I don't know its current status. Fleet Operations 3 - Stock A2: Alpha

I don't know what is the problem with ultritium burst, but some related odf stuff is renamed in FO. Guide - Odf commands

posted on December 21st, 2010, 4:20 pm

i dont mean to sound rude or pessimistic, but what you have asked for is unlikely to happen.

the devs probably wont do it for you since they have their own modding stuff to do

i doubt anybody else has the skill to do what you ask.

[TChapman500]

posted on December 21st, 2010, 4:37 pm

Last edited by TChapman500 on December 21st, 2010, 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The thing is, I want this mod to act just like stock with the exception of the enhanced fleet-ops ODF features.  Like the removal of the annoying 14-unit build limit.  Having all of the stock special weapons plus the fleet-ops special weapons available, with weapon icons on the ship and station display, a maximum fleet size of 32 ships, and sensor and weapon range rings, it'll work exactly the same as stock Armada 2 except it'll be rebalanced in an attempt to make the game-play more fair.

Well, I am going to try to replace all of the Borg units with new models and textures while at the same time trying to preserve the stock Armada 2 playability.  With the exception of the orbital processing facility, assembly frameworks, and probe relays, the Borg won't have stations.  There will be two special stations for the missions.  The Uni-Complex, and the Transwarp Hub.

I though I included reasons.

1 - It'll be just like stock Armada 2, but rebalanced and taking advantage of the extra ODF features.
2 - It'll run faster by using the stock Armada 2 models and textures.
3 - There are features in the map editor I want to take advantage of.
4 - It'll be easier to transfer maps from stock Armada 2.
5 - It'll be easier to transfer mods from stock Armada 2.
5 - I need the experience.

---

I'm sure the fleet-ops developers have the skill to do what I'm asking.  Especially since they had the skills to do so much with STA2.

By the way, I would also like for other multi-player map types to work just like they did in stock (eg: assault, collect latinum, collonize planets, defend planets, capture the flag, ect), except allow an odd number of starting locations instead of requiring an even number of starting locations.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 5:08 pm

I'm sure the fleet-ops developers have the skill to do what I'm asking.  Especially since they had the skills to do so much with STA2.

of course they have the skill, but why should they make your mod for you? they have their normal lives and their superhero lives making fleetops, they dont have time to do everybody's work for them.

i understand what you are asking for and why you want it, but i think the only way you will get it is by doing it yourself.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 5:22 pm

Which I do not know how to do.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 5:30 pm

I believe I can answer some of these comments.

All commands are being reverted to Stock A2 next patch.

Random maps that are useful are too time intensive to create at the moment due to the complexity of the current map setup.

ODF structure will not be reverted as the current system improves loading time, handling, and creation of ODFs via FOscript.

Ultritium Burst works in FO already, it's just been renamed.

The rest are mostly features (with the exception of map height, which is hardcoded) that you can set back yourself using the configuration settings and simple ODF manipulation. They won't be in FO.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 5:53 pm

Okay, well, I like how easy it is in stock Armada 2 to identify where all of the ODFs will be located, however, I'll adapt.

I take it that the commands are being reverted to stock A2 because of another mod that's going to be a stock A2 transfer to fleet-operations, right?  Could you keep the descriptive shield ODF commands like shieldDown, shieldHit, etc?

Since this mod will use only stock map objects most of the time, would it be possible to reactivate that option in a separate loader, since it already works in stock.

What about the Borg GUI scrambler?  I liked that weapon.  Doesn't seem to work on the AI, but the AI seem to make good use of it on players.

What files would I modify to activate the other options?  The map height option has been disabled via the Fleet-Ops loader?

A few more things:

1 - Would it be possible to add the "unipulse" class label and have that plus the "unitorpedo" and "unibeam" act just like the "pphaser", "phaser" and "photontorpedo" classlabels do when they hit the Corbomite Reflector?

2 - Can I modify the holding beam to drain the shields of enemy units?  Can I set it to drain the shields at a different rate depending on unit?

3 - Does the assimilation beam still work?  Can I set it to assimilate weapons from certain units faster or slower than others?  Can I set it so that one vessel can assimilate weapons only from certain vessels while another one assimilates weapons only from other vessels?

posted on December 21st, 2010, 6:55 pm

there is an odf structure in fo its just thedevs dnt use it but the reason stock a2 can load its odfs fast is because compared to FO there aint many at all

posted on December 21st, 2010, 8:07 pm

To be quite honest, I find it inordinately difficult to find files in the stock installation, as they are not properly lined with what files they do use...

You'll need to adjust the GUI configuration files, and the config files in the main directory.

Unitorpedo already can cover pulses. I'm not sure what you are asking about the Carbomite Reflector, but if you have a specific request, you should probably make it into a separate thread.

It does not appear that Holding Beam weapons can be modified in that way.

I presume you mean the Technology Assimilation Beam? It should work, if you find a bug, you should report it. I'm not too familiar with the weapon, but I presume that the speeds can be modified for Pod construction. Using the assimilateable command you should be able to determine what units can be assimilated, what pods are created etc.

Since this is now becoming about modding rather than any feature request, I'm moving this thread to modding.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 8:13 pm

I don't think the Tech assimilation beam can assimilate different weapons at different speeds or only get certain ones. It's an indiscrimate weapon that works at a set speed, just like the holding beam, and would assimilate any weapon set to be assimilatable.

I did like the stock method of putting all odfs in seperate folders, even if the names were flawed, the location wasn't.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 8:25 pm

I was requesting the directory structure of the ODFs to be put back to stock, not the file names.  I'll handle the ODF name structure to be more descriptive myself.  A whole lot more descriptive.  With the exception of the orbital mining beam, which appears to have be a specific name in order to work properly.

posted on December 21st, 2010, 8:32 pm

I don't think the Tech assimilation beam can assimilate different weapons at different speeds or only get certain ones. It's an indiscrimate weapon that works at a set speed, just like the holding beam, and would assimilate any weapon set to be assimilatable.

Interesting - that's too bad. AH well, that's what feature requests are for

I did like the stock method of putting all odfs in seperate folders, even if the names were flawed, the location wasn't.

That I couldn't stand, and I even if loading could be done as efficiently with that system, it wouldn't make sense for so many FO weapons I think. I mean, what do you do with a weapon that has 16 ODFs associated with it, and some trigger special weapons for some units, and others are a standard weapons....

posted on December 21st, 2010, 9:27 pm

I do mean the tech assimilation beam.

I would like for it to be more adjustable.  EG:  An adaptor with a Federation adaption module can assimilate only Federation weapons using one of the assimilation beams, but if the vessel has a Klingon adaption module, another beam of the same type could assimilate only Klingon weapons.

What do you think of my idea to make the Borg holding beam drain the shields of a vessel it locked onto?  And I wonder if it would be possible to prevent the holding beam from locking on to vessels with certain shielding or armor technology.  Eg: multi-layer or high-density shields.

I understand what you are saying about weapons having so many ODFs that go with them.  But in my opinion, it would still be better to have the ODFs in separate directories.

[TChapman500]

posted on December 21st, 2010, 9:40 pm

Last edited by TChapman500 on December 21st, 2010, 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

By the way, excactly how do I get certain menu options back without modifying the loader?  Like the warp allow/disallow, map depth, multi-player map types other than standard, physics options, ect?  The map depth is the most critical part of this mod.