Author Topic: A WoD dev blog  (Read 422610 times)

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Offline Spoon

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Fs2 default control scheme sucks donkey
I'm just gonna throw out this controversial statement like its nothing. But it's true.
It's one of those things I got used to over the years and haven't spend much time thinking about, until I let a friend of mine (experienced gamer, newbie to space sims) play the first few missions of WoD. Watching him struggle against the controls opened my eyes to the atrocity that is the default FS2 control scheme. Let me elaborate:

First off all, Freespace has a huge amount of utterly redundant keys. Look at the default keys, 6 different keys just to set your throttle! That's not counting Forward/Reverse thrust and afterburners. Over 20 targetting keys! Holy ****, I never use more than like 6 of these (which is still a lot). And worse of all, the keys you use the most are literally all over your keyboard. Thankfully some wise coder made Controlconfigdefaults.tbl a while ago (which Axem pointed me to after hearing me ramble about this subject), allowing me to give WoD an actual nice and sane WASD casual/accessible/streamlined layout. With all the commonly used keys right within hand reach.

And for those that are now going "Spoon, your face sucks donkey, give me back my classic control scheme!", you can easily switch between the new and classic control scheme by hitting the default key in the controls config. Everybody wins.

Also in my ungoing struggle to make WoD casual accessible, lets talk about shield management.
Equalizing shields under fire allows a player to easily take three times as much punishment. But it often just comes down to mashing the Q button a lot when under fire. Yet I've heard of players who don't actually manage their shields at all. Either because they are playing on a gamepad, are not very good players, or are simply not thinking about it because there is often so much stuff going on in a freespace mission. Consequently they get stuck on missions because they keep dying with plenty of unspend shield hitpoints to spare. Therefore I asked Axem to write me a simple script that makes your shield automatically equalize. It frees up one more key on an already crowded keyboard, makes lesser skilled pilots survive for longer and allows veteran pilots to focus on hitting those other important keys instead of mashing that Q.

In other news, Dahblount told me that I had show off the MkIIIW






With two medium and two heavy gunmounts, the W variant allows for a completely different weapon set up than the normal Ray MkIII. Mostly employed by the Delest Dynasty who favor putting heavier armaments on their strike craft.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Commander Zane

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That is shiny and pretty, albeit on the dark side. Again, I really like the glow on the intakes and vanes(?).

 

Offline Lorric

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Spoon! I strongly dislike shield management, so that is beautiful! Can the script be used on other mods too?

I'll also be interested to try out your new control scheme.

That must be a DD colour scheme on the Ray III-W. I love it.

So yeah, I'd been thinking you'd been quiet for a while, but this is all brilliant news! :nod:

(EDIT: Of course, a big thanks for Axem too. :))
« Last Edit: July 12, 2014, 05:51:06 pm by Lorric »

 
But Spewn, I get a raging boner when I beat a mission on insane knowing that I had to do everything myself. Is there an option to disable the auto-equalisation so that I  can still feel smugness and superiority because I'm a better FS2 pilot than the medium/hard playing scrubs?

EDIT: This is a joke, I don't actually get a raging boner(just an ordinary one) when I beat a mission on insane.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2014, 06:23:33 pm by FrikgFeek »
[19:31] <MatthTheGeek> you all high up on your mointain looking down at everyone who doesn't beam everything on insane blindfolded

 

Offline Dragon

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Yeah, disabling it would be nice. As a HOTAS user, I've got shields bound to one of the numerous HAT switches in my setup, making it really easy and intuitive. As such, automatic management could even be a hindrance.

  

Offline Spoon

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Spoon! I strongly dislike shield management, so that is beautiful! Can the script be used on other mods too?
Yeah, its actually a super simple script.

But Spewn, I get a raging boner when I beat a mission on insane knowing that I had to do everything myself. Is there an option to disable the auto-equalisation so that I  can still feel smugness and superiority because I'm a better FS2 pilot than the medium/hard playing scrubs?

EDIT: This is a joke, I don't actually get a raging boner(just an ordinary one) when I beat a mission on insane.
Yeah, disabling it would be nice. As a HOTAS user, I've got shields bound to one of the numerous HAT switches in my setup, making it really easy and intuitive. As such, automatic management could even be a hindrance.
I had originally intended for the script to only work on medium and lower difficulties but Axem informed me that we can't check for difficulty with LUA (at least, not at the moment).
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Droid803

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You could make the script not run always, but only when called via script-eval, no?
Then just use a difficulty check every mission and script-eval when not difficulty-at-least hard.

Thus difficulty checked. :P
(´・ω・`)
=============================================================

 

Offline Lorric

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Why tie it to difficulties at all though?

Couldn't there be a way for the player to choose? Is there a way the script could be a separate download, so those who don't want it can leave it out?

 

Offline LoneFan

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How making it a select able function such as "auto match speed", and "auto targeting", that can be switched on and off as the player sees fit in mission. Now that would be something truly remarkable.

 

Offline niffiwan

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Yeah, disabling it would be nice. As a HOTAS user, I've got shields bound to one of the numerous HAT switches in my setup, making it really easy and intuitive. As such, automatic management could even be a hindrance.
I had originally intended for the script to only work on medium and lower difficulties but Axem informed me that we can't check for difficulty with LUA (at least, not at the moment).

Since there's already a SEXP to get the current difficulty, adding scripting access to the same thing should be really easy...
Creating a fs2_open.log | Red Alert Bug = Hex Edit | MediaVPs 2014: Bigger HUD gauges | 32bit libs for 64bit Ubuntu
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Debian Packages (testing/unstable): Freespace2 | wxLauncher
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m|m: I think I'm suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Bmpman is starting to make sense and it's actually written reasonably well...

 

Offline Lorric

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How making it a select able function such as "auto match speed", and "auto targeting", that can be switched on and off as the player sees fit in mission. Now that would be something truly remarkable.
Yes that would be the best set up if possible, those who don't want it just switch it off and leave it off. And me, I can toggle it off on those occasions when my shields are mostly stripped and I want all protection channelled to one quadrant (likely the rear.)

 

Offline Spoon

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SVN commit message:
Shield Equalizer now uses Alt-Q to toggle
Windshield script fixed
hud gauges thing fixed so it doesnt crash debug

Now even the hardcore of hardcore progamers can get their shield managing fix.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Lorric

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Shield Equalizer now uses Alt-Q to toggle

 

Offline Lepanto

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I approve of these efforts to bring common sense to FS2's outdated control scheme. :yes:
"We have now reached the point where every goon with a grievance, every bitter bigot, merely has to place the prefix, 'I know this is not politically correct, but...' in front of the usual string of insults in order to be not just safe from criticism, but actually a card, a lad, even a hero. Conversely, to talk about poverty and inequality, to draw attention to the reality that discrimination and injustice are still facts of life, is to commit the sin of political correctness. Anti-PC has become the latest cover for creeps. It is a godsend for every curmudgeon and crank, from fascists to the merely smug."
Finian O'Toole, The Irish Times, 5 May 1994

Blue Planet: The Battle Captains: Missions starring the Admirals of BP: WiH
Frontlines 2334+2335: T-V War campaign
GVB Ammit: Vasudan strike bomber
Player-Controlled Capship Modding Tutorial

 

Offline Veers

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Surprisingly FS2 is the only game that I use the default binds in (I do have ETS mapped to the Gx keys on my keyboard though). Every other game I chop and change everything,

Oh god... I am going to die. I can already see my ship exploding before I can even turn it on. :D
Current Activities/Projects: Ideas and some storyline completed.

ArmA 2&3 Mission Designer and player.


WoD - I like Crystal. <3

 

Offline tarasis

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SVN commit message:
Shield Equalizer now uses Alt-Q to toggle
Windshield script fixed
hud gauges thing fixed so it doesnt crash debug

Now even the hardcore of hardcore progamers can get their shield managing fix.

I presume this change/fix won't be in the 3.7.2 release candidates?

 

Offline niffiwan

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Scripts like this are not included in the FSO engine. i.e. they're completely independent of FSO releases like 3.7.2.
Creating a fs2_open.log | Red Alert Bug = Hex Edit | MediaVPs 2014: Bigger HUD gauges | 32bit libs for 64bit Ubuntu
----
Debian Packages (testing/unstable): Freespace2 | wxLauncher
----
m|m: I think I'm suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Bmpman is starting to make sense and it's actually written reasonably well...

 

Offline Spoon

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For those thinking "ded mod" and for those thinking "Spoon you handsome beast" here is a completely empty post to assure you all that I am in fact still doing WoD related things. (Never minding my small detour into modding a hentai game  :nervous:) The fact that there hasn't been a single release in years is mere a testament to my devotion to a quality bar that is set slightly higher than the original WoD.
Surely.


Man, I really do like boobies.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Flak

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You mean picture of a hen wearing a tie right?

 

Offline Spoon

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S-sure... let's go with that.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them