Hard Light Productions Forums

Hosted Projects - Standalone => The Babylon Project => Public Development => Topic started by: FUBAR-BDHR on September 02, 2013, 06:56:05 am

Title: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on September 02, 2013, 06:56:05 am
Installation instructions:

First
-Download Zathras 2.8
-ModDB (http://www.moddb.com/games/the-babylon-project/downloads/zathras-28)
-Download.com (http://download.cnet.com/Zathras/3000-2115_4-10964935.html)

Second
-If you already have an older version of Zathras
--Rename or backup your existing Zathras directory then extract the archive in your TBP directroy it will create a new Zathras directory.

-If you are installing for the first time
--Just extract in your TBP directory.

Thrid
-Grab the appropriate 3.7.0 builds and updated launcher from the release thread (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=85435.0).

Fourth
-Run the launcher and select Zathras as the active mod.

That's all there is to it.


Note:  There were no changes between 2.7c and 2.8 so if you already have 2.7c you do not need to get this version. 
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: wesp5 on September 03, 2013, 04:20:11 am
So if 2.8 seems like some final version, why not update the front page and offer it bundled with needed builds or links to them?
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: rockelino on September 28, 2013, 10:48:11 am
Can someone help please? I'm getting this error when applying the Zathras mod to TBP (I have the latest build and Launcher 5.5g).

Thanks ya'll!

[attachment deleted by ninja]
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on September 28, 2013, 10:51:30 am
It appears that you are using FS2_Open 3.6.9.  You need to be running FS2_Open 3.7.0 with Zathras 2.8. 
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: rockelino on September 28, 2013, 11:14:05 am
My bad, I got it to work now, thanks. Does anyone know if the Zathras mod is optimized for Widescreen Resolutions (16:9, e.g. 1920x1080) or I should stick to 4:3 aspect ratio (1280x960)?
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: Slasher on October 01, 2013, 11:56:27 pm
I don't think you lose anything if you go widescreen but the HUD will stretch a little.  Non-stretchy HUD might be in a future update.
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: Col. Fishguts on December 24, 2013, 09:29:37 am
Thanks for putting this together, this adds a lot of polish :yes:

Now I've got the problem that the big explosion shockwaves are completely black (see screenshot) when using the official 3.7.0 exe. Has there been a change the way transparency is handled?

EDIT: It seems to be happening only if 3d-shockwaves are disabled, so its not a big problem.

[attachment deleted by an evil time traveler]
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: Col. Fishguts on January 07, 2014, 10:10:34 am
Another potential bug. In the ships.tbl entry for the EA Omega, you added the "no replace" flag to the 4 engines subsystems:

Code: [Select]
$Subsystem: engine01a, 3.5, 0.0
$Alt Subsystem Name: Engine01
$Engine Wash: LargeWash2
$Flags: ( "carry no damage" "no replace" )
$Subsystem: engine02a, 3.5, 0.0
$Alt Subsystem Name: Engine02
$Engine Wash: LargeWash2
$Flags: ( "carry no damage" "no replace" )
$Subsystem: engine03a, 3.5, 0.0
$Alt Subsystem Name: Engine03
$Engine Wash: LargeWash2
$Flags: ( "carry no damage" "no replace" )
$Subsystem: engine04a, 3.5, 0.0
$Alt Subsystem Name: Engine04
$Engine Wash: LargeWash2
$Flags: ( "carry no damage" "no replace" )

This results in the engine submodels disappearing once destroyed, even though you added "engine01-destroyed" submodels to the POF?

Also, the "fire down normals" flag is making some multipart turrets to fire shots at empty space, for example on the Primus or Warlock.
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on January 07, 2014, 10:38:00 am
If I recall the engines are that way because the original model did not have destroyed versions of the engines.  This resulted in some wired effects with the engines if they were repaired during a mission.  As the engines were quite large targets they were tabled with the no replace flag to keep the original behavior so mission balance wouldn't be affected while allowing newer missions to enable the destroyed versions via sexp. 

As for turrets firing into empty space that should not be happening.  Fire down normals should make them only fire when pointed at the target instead of firing one direction while the barrels are pointing another.  Looking at the Primus it seems the turrets are set up correctly in PCS2 so if they are firing at empty space it could be some kind of code issue. 
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: General Battuta on January 07, 2014, 10:49:07 am
Last time I worked with 'fire down normals' it had some odd behavior on multiparts, iirc.
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: Col. Fishguts on January 07, 2014, 12:03:24 pm
If I recall the engines are that way because the original model did not have destroyed versions of the engines.  This resulted in some wired effects with the engines if they were repaired during a mission.  As the engines were quite large targets they were tabled with the no replace flag to keep the original behavior so mission balance wouldn't be affected while allowing newer missions to enable the destroyed versions via sexp. 

Ah yes, now I vaguely remember hat issue. But still, the flag could be removed from the zathras table, since the POF in Zatrhas 2.8 comes with "engine0Xa-destroyed" submodels (which are now hidden, but the original "engine0X" still disappears when destroyed)
Quote

As for turrets firing into empty space that should not be happening.  Fire down normals should make them only fire when pointed at the target instead of firing one direction while the barrels are pointing another.  Looking at the Primus it seems the turrets are set up correctly in PCS2 so if they are firing at empty space it could be some kind of code issue. 

It seems it's forcing the shot along the barrel, no matter if it's pointing at the target or not. And target tracking seems somehow borked... I'll have to take a closer look at this.
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: wesp5 on March 19, 2014, 08:20:08 am
Hello again everybody. There hasn't been anything new here for months! Are you cool people still developing Zathras and wait for 3.0 as the next official release or wouldn't it make sense to update the main page with Zathras 2.8 if this isn't the case? Because right now the time for a space combat simulation comeback looks promising with Star Citizen raking in big money and all the other kickstarters! I think it would be only fair if The Babylon Project could profit a bit from all the buzz to get acknowledgement for the fantastic work it is, but for that to happen there need to be some new releases that get publicity. Maybe Zathras 2.8 or even a DVD 2.0 release with some missing campaigns and updated missions included?
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: darkmaster on April 14, 2014, 06:40:51 pm
Thanks for putting this together, this adds a lot of polish :yes:

Now I've got the problem that the big explosion shockwaves are completely black (see screenshot) when using the official 3.7.0 exe. Has there been a change the way transparency is handled?

EDIT: It seems to be happening only if 3d-shockwaves are disabled, so its not a big problem.

Hello, I am having the exact same problem in game, and I don't know how to enable 3d-shockwaves, any help please ?
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: niffiwan on April 14, 2014, 07:26:58 pm
Go to your launcher's advanced tab, then check "Enable 3D shockwaves" (under graphics)
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: darkmaster on April 15, 2014, 05:24:39 am
Go to your launcher's advanced tab, then check "Enable 3D shockwaves" (under graphics)

When I go to the launcher "Advance Tab", I see only this message : "The executable did not generate a flag file. Make sure that the executable is an FS2 Open Executable"

The exe that I point to is "FS2_Open_3.7.0 No SSE", so it should work but it didn't :(
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: StarfuryTH on May 15, 2014, 09:51:29 pm
So...how on earth do I get this running?  I just downloaded and installed TBP, and I've got Zathras 2.8 extracted into \TBP\Zathras, but Zathras 2.8 apparently requires fs2 open 3.70, and the latest TBP build is built on fs2 open 3.69.  Since TBP is a standalone product, I'm not quite sure how to integrate what is now an out-of-date version of fs2 open into the TBP directory.  Do I just need the .exe?

Anyone left here who can help?
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: General Battuta on May 15, 2014, 10:01:56 pm
TBP should run fine on any modern FSO build. Aside from Wing Commander Saga, all FSO games run on a common executable; there aren't any 'standalone products' in the sense you mean.
Title: Re: Zathras 2.8 Official Release
Post by: StarfuryTH on May 15, 2014, 10:16:31 pm
By standalone, I mean the dvd install which does not require you to have any existing FS2 data on your computer.  The TBP files don't get dropped in a subdirectory of FS2 like all of my other mods and run off the main game files, the TBP install is all-inclusive.

However, I did manage to figure it out.  Copied the fs2 3.71 executable from my fs2 directory and figured out how to point the launcher at the new executable.  Runs fine now.