[Zombimode]

Hey FS modding comunity
I'm a long time lurker around this forums and have enjoyed several of the great mods and campaings. Good work
Concerning FS modding Im a real noob. All I have done so far ars some minor bugfixing of missions (like deselect "red alert" in the mission specs), and some "dogfights" between cap ships to test their strenght. Yeah, nothing to speak of.
But there floats an idea for a plot set in the TVW era (thats Terran-Vasudan War) in my head for some time now. Nothing big, maybe only 3-4 missions. And I have somehow the urge to make it real (although I dont realy have the time for this kind of work, but who has? ).

It involves a Leviathan cruiser modified for anti fighter purposes. The techroom description of the Leviathan mentions different configurations, so I though this could be one. My idea was to make all turrets fire Fighter Killers (I mean those anti fighter missles every capship in the FS universe, regradles of race, seem to carry). Fighter Killers are farely weak by FS2 standarts or even by Great War standarts, but in the TVW timeframe, with no shields, weak fighter primaries etc. they could be quite deadly, espacially if there a many of them.
Sadly I couldn't test it, becaus I had to realize that it is not possible to change most of the Leviathans turrets to Fighter Killers.
So I ask you, is there a way to change turrets of capships whether they can mount primaries or secondaries?

Ah, please forgive me any spelling or gramar mistakes. I do what I can, but english just isnt my best language. Thx

[Hades]

Oh you have to edit the model file to do this, I will do it for you and upload it.
EDIT:Do you have the SCP?

[Zombimode]

So that means by editing the ship model would creating a "new" class of vessel, since I dont want to override the original Leviathan, right?
Well, it would work for me, as long as different models can have the same class name (my anti fighter Levi should be classified as "GTC Leviathan" like every Levi else).
What kind of tools would be needed to edit the model?

Yeah, I have the SCP.
The sad part is, while Im intending to make a FS Port campaing, I've not been able to get the FS Port working

[Wanderer]

No. Do not edit model files. That is totally waste of time in this case.

First find the turret entry you want to change in the ships.tbl entry. Especially the line '$Default PBanks:'. Change this to '$Default SBanks:' and then include the weapon name as done normally.

If you want to do this for 'alternate Leviathan' class then you'll need to make a 'copy' of the Leviathans ships.tbl entry and rename it into something like GTC Jormungandr (or what ever).

[Zombimode]

Thats sounds easy enough
And the different name wouldn't be a problem since I can still name the vessel "GTC Leviathan" using the "alt name" string in FRED, right?

It leaves only one question: where can I get the necessary tool? I have TBLVIW, but that is just that, a viewer.

Thanks for the answers btw

[Wanderer]

For table editing there is a very special tool also known as 'notepad' - tables files are unformatted text files so any text editor will do...

Few important considerations. First there is still a fixed limit of 130 different ship types in ships.tbl. Do not exceed this. Second even though table files are normal text files avoid using 'word' or 'wordpad' when editing those files as they have ugly tendency to add formatting (especially if you are not careful) into the file making it useless for the game.

The alternate name thing ought to work just fine.

[Zombimode]

For table editing there is a very special tool also known as 'notepad' - tables files are unformatted text files so any text editor will do...

Oh, well, I told you Im a noob.

Few important considerations. First there is still a fixed limit of 130 different ship types in ships.tbl. Do not exceed this. Second even though table files are normal text files avoid using 'word' or 'wordpad' when editing those files as they have ugly tendency to add formatting (especially if you are not careful) into the file making it useless for the game.

Hm, thanks for the advices, but are you sure about the ship limit? Ive just counted the entries in the ships.tbl form TBP and I've counted 132. But maybe it was a miscount on my side.

[TrashMan]

HM...is it jsut me or would it be a good idea if the code wizzards could tweak the code so that you don't need to specify a laser to missile turret AT ALL? In other word, you can put any weapon in any turret you like, no pof editing required...

[Wanderer]

AFAIK code couldn't care less what 'mode' the turret has been set in the .pof file. All that matters is the entry in the .tbl file. Seems like it's just there to fool modders

[karajorma]

Yep. You've never needed to edit the pof. Simply use the pof options to help you organise because FS2 doesn't care.

What might be nice would be to fix FRED so you don't even have to edit the tables. It's always struck me as stupid that you have to edit the tables to make a change that should be possible from Ships Editor -> Weapons

That said It's likely knowing my luck that any attempt to fix this would spiral completely out of control and take days or weeks to fix

[jr2]

Yep. You've never needed to edit the pof. Simply use the pof options to help you organise because FS2 doesn't care.

What might be nice would be to fix FRED so you don't even have to edit the tables. It's always struck me as stupid that you have to edit the tables to make a change that should be possible from Ships Editor -> Weapons

That said It's likely knowing my luck that any attempt to fix this would spiral completely out of control and take days or weeks to fix

**** the excuses, full speed ahead!!

[karajorma]

Time I spend fixing that is time I don't spend adding NEW features.

[TrashMan]

Real men need no stinkin' new features. Real men play with 1-bit graphics. Real men store all data in their brains and do all calculations by themselves! Real men code with just their pinky finger using nothing but rocks!

[Hades]

Real men need no stinkin' new features. Real men play with 1-bit graphics. Real men store all data in their brains and do all calculations by themselves! Real men code with just their pinky finger using nothing but rocks!

Ok that was funny the first time.

[jr2]

Time I spend fixing that is time I don't spend adding NEW features.

*recalls hearing someone complaining about people only coding new features, instead of bugfixes*