Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: blackhole on November 26, 2006, 09:28:21 pm
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Been ages since i've updated this, but ghhryd and I have restarted work on my shivan campaign. This brought to my attention a few missing features of the shivan datafiles, so here is another update:
Shivan Datafiles v0.7 (http://www.freewebtown.com/blackhole12/software/mods/data_shiv.rar)
Changes from version 0.65- FINALLY fixed those blasted weapon load screens! Rejoice! All load screens now look absolutly prestine and pretty.
- Bundled Red Nebulas by Pez
- Bundled Red Warp by Thunder
- Bundled Red Planets by Thunder
- I also managed to break the credits, becuase they no longer show up. I've had no success in trying to fix this, i even reverted to the normal FS2 credits and they failed to show up! :( if you can find the problem, it would be much appreciated.
I found Dark's port of the 2 shivan ships from FS1 but i can't seem to add them in without sacrificing other ships. :| Until i can find 2 ships (or just one) that expendable i won't be including them. There are still no shivan secondaries, as no one has made any.
The main hall, unfortunatly, still has the horrifically bad exit animation. I will look into removing/replacing that in future versions.
To-Do-List- Add shivan secondaries (finished)
- re-do main hall (Finished)
- Fix those damn credits (Cancelled)
- re-do selected ship icons
- create shivan persona and extend number of (made-up) shivan speech samples
- shivify the warpmap.ani file (Finished)
Any more suggestions, feel free to post.
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Why not have the exit animation be Capella exploding?
As for the ships: why do you want to bring back the Shaitan? That bomber had no value whatsoever.
I'd vote for inserting the Vindhyachal. You could replace Orion2 (the Bastion nameplate) with it, unless of course the Bastion is in the campaign.
Looking forward to a campaign from a Shivan perspective. I think only Into the Depths of Hell has thus far had pilotable Shivan ships with actual Shivan weapons. (Chapter 3, if you're wondering)
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You've seriously reached the ship limit? Isnt it 130? Or is it dynamic yet?
What is your intention with this? Is it supposed to be a sort of extra campaign based on the original FS2 canon? Or are you throwing in ships that you think are cool?
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No, i haven't reached the ship limit! I haven't added a single ship in there - problem is, when i do, FS2 crashes.
Remember, this is for retail FS2, not FS2_open.
Using the capella animation... mmm, will look into that...
Some people were vouching that they wanted that ship. I don't care, i'll (attempt to) insert any ship that someone gives me all the files for.
These datafiles are the basis for a shivan campaign i am building. I decided to seperate the actual data from the campaign itself so anyone who is making a shivan campaign can use them.
The campaign itself follows a lone shivan in a very mysterious nebula, and ends up doing a lot of rather unorthadox things. It will answer some questions, and raise others. Its doubtful much of the original campaign will be included. While the storyline of the campaign does take place during the FS2 campaign and at one point is influenced by a certain event during the FS2 campaign, it is largely a standalone.
Besides, i'm not as good as the folks over at Hidden Terror are at writing storylines :lol:
Also... Scratch "shivify the warpmap" off the to-do-list!
(http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4724/screen03oj8.th.png) (http://img180.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screen03oj8.png)
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Actually hitting the limit isn't hard to do.. it seems I can't use my models with all of the fs2 models (40+ some i think)
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IS there a usable animation of capella going kablooie, or must i go make my own?
EDIT: More progress! I've made the Unknown Bomb and the Unknown MegaBomb (shivan bombs) player-choosable. I used the belias and the helios icons/anis, respectively.
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*downloaded*
...*browses VP file*
...:-D Shiny...
I feel a little spoiled by FS2_Open now, but these are nice. I 'specially like the red warp effect - gorgeous!
An idea though - that FS1 vid of the troopers boarding the shivan vessel - couldn't one of those shots have been used for the Shivan "main hall"? The usage of shivan ships is really cool, but I can't help thinking a main hall should be... well... a hall. Or interior of some kind. :-\
Or perhaps just a "window" overlay that makes it appear as though you're looking out onto the fleet from the inside of something?
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Actually i did indeed look into using that as a mainhall... But there is a serious problem. Resolution, being the prime concern. I doubt there are many of us around here using 640x480, and my new main hall only works for 1024x768 anyway. I'm glad you like my red warpmap ^_^ i will be using it for the replacement exit animation in the main hall.
Window idea is interesting. If i had modelling skills worth ****, i'd try it, but i don't :\
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Uh, why aren't there any missions here? :P
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Because its not the campaign. Its a set of shivan datafiles that my campaign just so happens to be using. They are ment as generic shivan datafiles for use in any shivan campaign.
EDIT: Added a few to-do-list items.
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Window idea is interesting. If i had modelling skills worth ****, i'd try it, but i don't :\
You wouldn't need modelling skills to do that... just pop open Photoshop and layer some kind of window view over the current hall image - nothing terribly fancy or tough, although it might take a little trickiness to "shivify" it. Put some nebulae, stars, etc out there for good measure...? Just thoughts. Lemme try something and get back to you... :D
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Ok, how about this, i'm not exactly that good at photoshopping either. Hell, i'm not an artist, all i can do is manipulate images, not create them. Besides, putting all those nebulas and stuf in there would require a full rework and i'd rather redesign the entire thing. Preferrably using some kinda in-game render.
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(http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f321/Kieve/WIP-%20Robofish/shivanMHex.jpg)
Just a quick, crappy example (and since it's blocking other ships and therefor, "rooms" it obviously wouldn't work as is), but that's kinda what I meant.
[edit:] I see... well, come to that an in-game render rework wouldn't be so horrible would it? Use the red nebulae (and mebbe planets), perhaps cue some fighter wings to jump in and out so you catch that beautiful red warpglow... ^.^
I don't mean to offend, it's cool as it is now. I'm just tossing out some ideas for... "atmosphere."
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I don't suppose you could slice out the middle of that image and let me use the border?
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*chuckles* Sorry, I didn't bother to save a PSD of it or I'd gladly send it to you. However, I'm kinda a sucker for shivan anything...
If you can get me a decent 1024x768 screen/render of that fleet (nebula, ships warping, etc), I'd be willing to rework the main hall for you - mask file, ANIs, exit anim, and .tbl all.
You mentioned it was built around FS2 retail, so I suppose everything would need to be in .PCX format?
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Ok, i'll send over a picture soon. Keep in mind that the main hall i was hoping for would be a window with buttons for campaign, tech room, exit, etc. at the bottom. You can do what you want with it though.
Course, i'm snowed in over at a friends house right now so i have no idea when i'll be able to fire it over... might be tomarrow (SNOWBALL FIGHT :nod:)
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WAAAAAGGGGHHHH *smashing sounds*
:mad:
could someone explain to me why, after quickly installing just the fs2_open 3.6.7 exe (and its launcher, no media vps or anything) THIS (http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/219/screen0000rs0.png) happened? Its happening in both fs2_open and retail. WHY THE BOXES?! :ick:
And while we're at it, why do all the interface images in my fs2_open have a nice blue border on the bottom and right side?
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3.6.7?
No, you should be using this build. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,41891.0.html)
Trust me, everything is much better.
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What i'm more concerned about is that the problem exists in my FS2_retail as well, which is very very worrisome because it didn't exist before!
And... no beans, its still boxes. Well, to be more precise, the nebulas are not having any transparency being applied. wtf? :sigh:
although, as a side note, theres no more blue borders :D
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most recent SCP build is 3.6.9 RC 7.9x (http://icculus.org/~taylor/fso/testing/rc7dot9x.rar).
There shouldn't be any problem with your retail install. You installed which files? Where? Have you tried making a new pilot?
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Currently i don't really care about the SCP builds, what i'm worried about is my retail. The only open files i installed were fs2_open_whateverversion.exe and fs2_open_whateverversion.map (and the respective debug version of those files), along with the launcher. I loaded up my mission and BLAMMO, ugly nebulas. i installed nothing else.
Creating a new pilot did nothing, the effect occurs, well, everywhere. All pilots, and all missions - however it (seems) to only occur with the red nebulas mod pack.
Launcher version is 5.3
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i don't remember a .map file...... anyways.
try removing what you just installed. Putting 3.6.7 on any machine is a bad idea. I haven't seen this problem, but there's a whole host of other ones.
If everything looks better after removing those 5 files, try installing 3.6.9 RC 7.9x above.
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Nothing. Could it be a problem with the red nebula pack or is that not supposed to be a problem?
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check your detail settings, and try making a new pilot.
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Nada. Nil. Zip. Nothing.
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I did note that in the .tbl you have your nebs set as "bitmapX:" - a setting reserved for "solid mass" background objects like planets and the Sathanas fleet. Try setting it as "bitmap" (no X) instead.
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I didn't make that table :P
*editzorz*
EDIT: IT IS T3H FIXZ0RZ3D! THANKZEE!!!!
Now, time to move the nebulas apart so my screen isn't glowing bright red ::)
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A note on that screenshot - don't worry too much about it. I doubt I'll have time to seriously focus on [anything] until after Finals (should be done with those next Tues. or Wednesday).
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ehhh...
Could you, persay, make a border for me? I could make everything else.
Or i could just make a temporary one with the screenie. I have lots of options :P
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;) A crap-ass border like that example would take maybe half an hour... a decent one might take four to six. I'll give it a shot when I get back to Dell Diablo (at home doing laundry atm, my own PC is back at the apartment)...
...at any rate, make it a tentative "sure" but probably not for a day or three.
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Eh, take your time, i'll make a temporary one that will look pretty for now. When you get the time you can make an OMFG border and i'll put it in. :D
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(http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6349/screen01fv2.th.png) (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screen01fv2.png)
Preliminary main hall. The thing i'm hovering over spawns a cool looking red warp animation, the buttons will eventually have text on them and light up when you hover over them.
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Nice...
Great idea with the warp-out exit too. ;)
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Main hall's finished. Finally got some progress with troubleshooting my messages.tbl, once thats done i'll redo an icon and release 0.8 :nod:
Odd, i've been fixing my messages.tbl and i've managed to get in one shivan wingman. But thats it. If i try to add in another the game crashes. :wtf: Anyone know why?
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Main hall's finished. Finally got some progress with troubleshooting my messages.tbl, once thats done i'll redo an icon and release 0.8 :nod:
Odd, i've been fixing my messages.tbl and i've managed to get in one shivan wingman. But thats it. If i try to add in another the game crashes. :wtf: Anyone know why?
Maybe it hasn't been made dynamic yet, and you're hitting the limit?
You'd have to ask a coder about that.
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this is FS2_retail, not FS2_open
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Exactly. Use FSO. :P
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Ah, no, mainly because FSO isn't completely stable and many people don't like to use it. I'll be keeping this retail-compatible for as long as possible. Once i've pushed the retail to its limits then i'll release a final retail version and continue the datafile development in FS2_open.
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Ugh, get RID of that red planets thing! It is undeniably ugly and it always stares me in the face, everytime I see that I just want to DIE!!!! No!!!
And also, get someone to do that mainhall again using FSO and have them use the 'clear hud' thing, it's currently not looking great like that. And pressing F1 will open up the help overlay. See if you can make that point to the buttons for a real finishing touch.
Also, I'll mail you a few Shivan weapons if you'll tell me yer Email.
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Ah, no, mainly because FSO isn't completely stable and many people don't like to use it.
Wait, what? I've never even heard of these people. Who prefers retail to Open? :wtf:
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I know quite a few people who don't like FS2_open and thus don't play FS2.
TBH i don't care, its for retail, at least until i've finished with everything that CAN be done in retail. Then i'll expand it for FS2_open, if i get the time.
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I could give it a shot. I've already got the nebulae and whatnot plugged in. And honestly, I did like the idea of using ships for buttons better... but whichever. I've been studying the mainhall.tbl in preparation for the Kh'aj and Naga locales (Hehe, just wait... ;)) but some practice probably wouldn't hurt.
Then again, if you're avoiding all the FS2open capabilities... :p
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Eh, whatever. I've got my layers all set up in photoshop so i can stick in any old screenshot and then generate all the needed animations and stuff for it.
Buttons vs Ships depends on which looks better. We'll just have to see :D
Also i can make a mainhall.tbl very easiely, so all you have to do is give me the media. Unless you _WANT_ to do it all yourself :P
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Erm the only thing I can see wrong with about 90% of the backgrounds...
There is no colour in space that our eyes can pickup.
Colour is unobservable by the human eye. Why? Because, our rods (black and white) can see during low-light conditions while ours cones (colours) cannot see in low-light conditions. If you looked at a nebulae, it would not appear to be brilliant oranges, greens, yellows, blues, and whatnot. Our eyes cannot pickup the different colours without some other form of light that trigger our cones in low-light. Just getting light into our eyes is enough to activate our cones...
Perhaps one can argue that all GTVA fighers have lighter cockpits so pilots can see more colour-oriented details.
Good job, though! It makes space very pretty!
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There's no sound in space either :D
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Ah, no, mainly because FSO isn't completely stable and many people don't like to use it.
Wait, what? I've never even heard of these people. Who prefers retail to Open? :wtf:
I'd like a list of names, please.
And addresses, if they can be supplied.
No, I'm not cleaning my sniper rifle. What gives you that idea?
On a more serious note, I'd prefer the ships-as-buttons option. Fits more with the style of the original mainhall, you know?
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Its for retail. *nods head toward supermegabeamcannon sitting on his desk* ;7
I've gotten some messages to work, the temp main hall has been finished, but i've become recently busy so i'm just going to release what i have as 0.8:
poof!
Shivan Datafiles 0.8 (http://www.sectorgame.com/blackhole/storage/data_shiv.rar)
I hope these files come in handy for someone.
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Its for retail. *nods head toward supermegabeamcannon sitting on his desk* ;7
I've gotten some messages to work, the temp main hall has been finished, but i've become recently busy so i'm just going to release what i have as 8.0:
poof!
Shivan Datafiles 8.0 (http://www.sectorgame.com/blackhole/storage/data_shiv.rar)
I hope these files come in handy for someone.
don't you mean 0.8?
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er, yeah :D doesn't matter the files themselves have the right version. :p
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When this nastiness with finals is over and I get some breathing time, I'll see what I can do with these. :) Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner, blackhole.
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Eh, i'm in a tough spot myself, so we can mutually accomplish absolutly nothing :D
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Hi :) . I have a small release of a mod for flying as Shivan in multiplayer here:
http://www.game-warden.com/forum/showthread.php?p=54858#post54858 (http://www.game-warden.com/forum/showthread.php?p=54858#post54858)
Maybe you could give it a try - a bit feedback would be nice :) .
Though as of yet I'll have to Fred some more - it currently only includes the gauntlets and the dogfights. I think I'll have to look into some TvT next (or reset some changes to the aforementioned, depending on feedback).
And I recently DLed your stuff blackhole, but yet didn't check it - should I find anything interesting inside, then might I use it? :)
Btw. , good luck with your mod and hope you'll still get it finished :) .
Maybe we could help each other a bit or so :) , but currently I'm quite busy, as I'm also trying to get going again at modeling...
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*dig* *dig* *dig* *dig*...
This is a giant gravedig and i'm probably violating 20 or so forum policies, buuut....
Is anyone still interested in this concept? Is anyone developing something similar to this? Is there a campaign using this or something similar? Has anyone done anything or referenced my Shivan Backstory? Or should i just crawl under a rock for another 5 months? :p
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can i stick my shivan carrier in there when its all textured and pof'ed?
(yes, thats why i wasnt here for a week or so)
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No.
taka, if you want your Shivan carrier in there, put it in yourself, and don't mess up this mod.
Oh, BTW, I'm using it but I've tweaked it a bit... Yeah.
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Well this mod is by and large mostly done, it just needs a few tweaks here and there but i've been unsuccessful and making them. I could release a new version tweaked for FS2_open, now that i have it (and it works! PURDYNESS! ^_^).
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please no 4k poly models. after seeing what the mediavp orion does to my computer, i would hate to see that.
otherwise: include as many decent effects as you can. (including engine glows to replace those horrible lava vortex's.)
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Just have the mod.ini reference mediavps.
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but that might overide things. just like running mediavp's in inferno.
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In that case i probably won't touch it. It'll be there for any shivan campaign makers though.
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AHEM
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As long as your things take priority, it won't override. The only things I can really see it overriding is the Shivan weapon effects, and if you have them flagged in the main table as "player allowed", I don't think they'd be changed. So I'd have the hook into the mediavps.
The reason Inferno R1 doesn't work with the mediavps is because it was made for retail, the reason INFA doesn't work is because it was originally designed for a standalone release but was later changed for a mod release, but Woo didn't want to change all of his own effects so they stayed.
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...and Inferno Alliance works well without mediavps. Furthermore, only a limited number of ships used in the mod are constantly revamped with mediavps.
Ah, in Qwer's mod you can fly Shivan fighters. Remember the screenshots?
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The reason Inferno R1 doesn't work with the mediavps is because it was made for retail
*cough*
This was designed specifically for retail.
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Yes, but if you said you would upgrade it to use FS2Open features.
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and fred with fred open, to take advantages of new SEXP's.