[CT27]

Two things I noticed:

1-If I may ask, and I mean you no disrespect, why did you nerf the Maxim in this game?  It only has a 2KM range and fires in a weird shotgun pattern making accuracy harder.

2-Something seems to be wrong with the achievement system in this new version of PI.  Usually when you get one of those special achievements...didn't it tell you in the previous version you did something special (there were something like 20 bonus points to be got during the game)?  In this version I'm not seeing any notification.

[CP5670]

There were a few reasons. The enemy fighters use Maxims frequently in PI, but its stock range is so much higher than anything else that many missions had you dodging Maxim fire for a long time before you got into range with other weapons. It doesn't do much damage but became annoying to deal with repeatedly. Also, a general theme of the gameplay changes is to make capital ships more powerful and fearsome. The Maxim can still hit ships outside of the 1500m range of anti-fighter beams, but requires a bit more skill to stay outside that range. The slightly reduced accuracy allows it to hit a ship but not its turrets at the longest range, which also fits in with its shudder effect and brings the Akheton back into the game (which is otherwise useless and obsolete). It still makes sense to use the Maxim in many missions, but it's no longer overpowering.

I'll need to look into the second issue. There is an extra hud gauge for that, but maybe it's not working anymore in current builds.

[Macfie]

Any plans to upgrade the PCF Apollo, PCF Serapis, PCB Zeus, PCB Bakka or the Loki 2? 
I know the textures are different for the PCF Apollo and the PCB Zeus, but is there any difference from the retail textures for the PCF Serapis, PCB Bakka or the Loki 2? 
If not I have some Upgraded models for all the PC fighters and the Loki 2.  Let me know and I will get them to you to include in the upgrade.

[CP5670]

Yes, they all have different textures, based on "DH" versions various people made in the past. I actually used to have an HTL PCF Serapis in one of the old versions of PI, but the model was buggy and full of collision holes, which made it very strong and messed up the balance in several missions. I think any model upgrades that involve texture changes are best left to a separate update.

The Loki 2 is just a Loki that doesn't move. It looks like the modified model for that has no insignia. I'm trying to remember now why I did this.

[edit] Apparently the game just puts the player's squad insignia on fighters not in a wing, which looks silly. I guess this was my way of avoiding that. These are only used in one place in the nebula mission, but might just be worth the trouble to replace. I'll add this into the PIassets file.

[CT27]

Yes, they all have different textures, based on "DH" versions various people made in the past. I actually used to have an HTL PCF Serapis in one of the old versions of PI, but the model was buggy and full of collision holes, which made it very strong and messed up the balance in several missions. I think any model upgrades that involve texture changes are best left to a separate update.

The Loki 2 is just a Loki that doesn't move. It looks like the modified model for that has no insignia. I'm trying to remember now why I did this.

[edit] Apparently the game just puts the player's squad insignia on fighters not in a wing, which looks silly. I guess this was my way of avoiding that. These are only used in one place in the nebula mission, but might just be worth the trouble to replace. I'll add this into the PIassets file.

Should I now replace the link in the OP?

[blowfish]

I remember opening up the PCF Serapis texture at some point in the past and it just being a luminance inversion of the regular version - quite easy to reproduce.  Were there any other meaningful changes to it?

[CT27]

I got the moddb account working again and put it up there. I'll need to update the links on the PI site, which are now dead.

Does this link from the first page now contain these recent updates you're talking about CP5670?

[Macfie]

These are some pictures of the models.
These are using the original textures with a new model

[attachment kidnapped by pirates]

[CP5670]

Those actually look pretty nice. I wonder how much work it would take to modify the new textures themselves and make them look like the PCA versions. If it's not much work, I'll add those in.

I remember opening up the PCF Serapis texture at some point in the past and it just being a luminance inversion of the regular version - quite easy to reproduce.  Were there any other meaningful changes to it?

That might be all it has, in which case we should be able to convert it easily. I got it from some modeldump on here a long time ago.

Does this link from the first page now contain these recent updates you're talking about CP5670?

Not yet, I'll upload it there once I'm done with everything. Still looking into the issue with the broken hud gauge.

[Macfie]

The textures on the models are the ones used on the current PCA versions.  I just used the models from the FSPort_mediavps and the mediavps_2014 and replaced the textures with the ones from PI.

[CT27]

Not yet, I'll upload it there once I'm done with everything. Still looking into the issue with the broken hud gauge.

Cool.  Looking forward to hearing when it's done.

[CT27]

Something else may have come up:

It may be just me but does the GVCV Sobek look different in this campaign than in others?  This campaign uses mediavps_2014, but it looks like the Sobek from the previous mediavps_3612.  I played some other campaigns using the 2014s and the Sobek looks 'newer'/different.

[CP5670]

Yeah, I didn't notice there was a new HTL Sobek in the 2014 VPs. I'll replace the model in here with that one. It's one of the ships that needs a copy of the model for turret FOVs.

I fixed the score gauge. It seems the gauges system was completely changed at some point, and the hud_gauges file had be rewritten in the new format.

I switched the textures as Macfie did, and the models look surprisingly good. I think the larger maps those HTL models normally use are essentially the same as the original maps, only with some post-processing effects added on, so the difference is not as big as you would think. The Serapis is an exception, as it has significantly different textures from the original map. If anyone can reproduce the look of that ship with the HTL texture, let me know.

[The Dagger]

Send me a picture of the look you want  for the Serapis and I'll look into it. I won't be abgle to do it until next week though.
EDIT: it would be great if I could have the altered map.

[CT27]

I got the moddb account working again and put it up there. I'll need to update the links on the PI site, which are now dead.

So has everything been put into the original download file you provided ^here (i.e., it's ready to download and the fixes are in there)?

One more thing about this:  since I believe pilot files are saved in "data/players" and not in the campaign folder themselves, I should be able to move the current PI folder to the recycle bin and put the new updated PI folder in and not lose my current campaign progress, correct?

[Macfie]

Correct, as long as the campaign has the same name, you should be able to pick up where you left off.

[CT27]

Cool.

When CP5670 says the new download link is up, I'll give it a go.

[CT27]

Some more technical details I noticed:

In mission 14 (where you're supposed to scan an asteroid base and follow the SC Agni into a Knossos, the SC Agni (Lilith class) looks like it was from retail FS2 and not even 3612 mediaVPs.  Is this particular ship supposed to look like an older version?  It also just has a regular dot on the radar and not a cruiser icon.

In the next part of that mission (where you're flying in the nebula):
-In this next part the SC Agni looked like it was a mediaVPs2014 Lilith and had a cruiser icon on the radar
-Alphas 1 and 3 (both in Pegagus stealth fighters FYI) never fired on the enemy so I'm guessing for some reason they didn't have primary or secondary weapons)
-The disabled Lokis looked like they were of a mediaVPs version previous to 2014 (i.e., the didn't look new)

In the final part of that mission (where you go back into Procyon and survive for 30 seconds)
-Alpha 1 didn't have any weapons...same as the past mission
-However...almost none of the enemy craft seemed to have weapons either.  They didn't chase after me or fire on me.  Even the sentries didn't fire on me


An interesting thing to note is that in the mission prior to mission 14 (mission 13 where you assaulted a small enemy cargo depot) my wingmen did have weapons and attacked stuff.  That mission seemed normal.  However, after a "Red Alert" transition to mission 14, the problems I noted began to come about.

[CP5670]

I messed around with the HTL Serapis texture a bit and have something I'm reasonably happy with now. It's a bit different from the original map, but that wasn't all that great to begin with. I think that takes care of most of the models, except for the Saturn and Akrotiri (which I don't want to hold up this update for as I mentioned earlier).

I fixed the issue with the Agni, and a few other ships like it. That mission uses a Lilith copy class and the HTL model filename is different, which needed to be accounted for. The Loki in that mission has also been updated.

The weapon issue sounds like somehow the red alert corrupted something in the pilot file. It might be a sporadic glitch (which people have occasionally reported in the past), as I can't reproduce it on my end. Let me know if it stays like that in mission 15.

[CT27]

I used the most recent link you provided and the Sobek still looks like 3612.