[FUBAR-BDHR]

Alpha 3 is up.  Changes since Alpha 2 include swarm primaries converted to burst fire, AI table updated to reproduce buggy 3.6.9 secondary firing range behavior to maintain mission balance,  and EA Warlock uvmap issue fixed.  Dang thing was off by 1 dang pixel.  Also redid the LODs, added debris,  fixed some turret problems (invalid normals, not firing down barrels, and shooting through hull), and opened up the other 3 docking bays since the code now supports more then 10 paths. 

If your wondering about the Warlock changes breaking anything as far as I can tell only 5 missions use it.  2 are apparently cutscenes and 0rpheus is checking those just in case.  Other 3 are MAG's and I'm waiting on a response.  If anyone else has use it let me know if there are issues.  I checked every mission that I know of that was released so far. 

[Vidmaster]

currently writing an ant simulator 

sounds great nonetheless FUB. Fixed Turret issue for what ships?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

The turrets, debris, bay paths, and redone LODs were all on the Warlock. 

Current project LODs for B5. 

[Slasher]

No problems so far but I haven't played any real missions yet, just mashed together a few tests after getting TBP reinstalled.  I noticed the EA Phalanx seems to fire in bursts of greater than four now and it looks nice. 

[FUBAR-BDHR]

The EA Phalanx should not be firing in bursts of more then 4.  ISA Phalanx is the one with 8.  There should be no difference in the number of shots being fired with the exception of heavy battles where the limit was being hit causing then not to fire when they should have fired.

OK bug confirmed.  I'll post an updated tbm in a few.

And here it is:  Zathras-wep.tbm

When I went to +override on the $swarm and $flags instead of an entire entry I forgot to remove $swarm so it was firing 4 swarms of 4 bursts.

I'll update the vp but that will take about an hour to create and upload.

Updated and uploading.  Should be available in about 30 minutes.

[0rph3u5]

To talked to FUBAR earlier about the implimentation of the fiction viewer with Zathras 2.0 (part of the 3.6.12 compability)....
I've finished a WIP version of the interface (We can discuss the background ) and made a mission file that uses the fiction viewer...

Do you mind testing it? - I'm not at home right now...

EDIT: the files from the archive go to Zathras/data
EDIT2: for those who already have it: "2_fvw-m" and "fvw-m" have to be renamed to "2_fictionviewer-m"/"fictionviewer-m" - I'll have that fixed with next upload
EDIT3: NEW UPLOAD! - that should do it, not as flawless as the rest of the interface art but better than nothing

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[Slasher]

Never actually used or seen the Fiction Viewer features before now but I like what you've done.  I was hoping for an actual mission after the briefing though.   Just to clarify, all you have to do to use this is put a text file in the data/fiction folder, then tell FRED2 to use this text file? 

On an unrelated note, the Maintenance Bot is equipped with a Wielding Laser by default but can't use it because, I'm guessing, the ship has no weapons subsystem.  Was this intentional?  No, I don't know why I felt like flying a Maintenance Bot.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Strange that used to work.  Is this player only or AI controlled ones too?  If you can reproduce it file it in TBP Mantis and I'll get it fixed.

Still haven't had a chance to test the fiction viewer.  I made it as far as downloading it then got sidetracked.

Just tested the fiction viewer.  Couple of issues.  First the button masks are wrong.  Put cursor on scroll up and scroll down arrows are highlighted.  Cursor on scroll down and up arrows highlighted.  Same for clicking.  Also the background image worries me a bit.  If you get a long text you are going to end up with gray on gray when you get half way down the page to the jumpgate arms.  Didn't test it but it's something to check.  Finally is it supposed to be the same size pic for 640x480 as 1024x768 interface?

[The E]

My bad, again. Please use these mask files.

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[0rph3u5]

the Maintenance Bot is equipped with a Wielding Laser by default but can't use it because, I'm guessing, the ship has no weapons subsystem.  

The MainBot used to break some missions 'cause it had no gun-points and could still be ordered to "attack"... somehow the engine didn't like that back in the days of 3.6.9
That's why I stepped in and added two gunspoints (GUNPOINTS! not turrets!) and an alibi-weapon and it fixed that - never thought I had to go so far as to add a weapons subsystem, hardly anyone used the Bot up until now

Just to clarify, all you have to do to use this is put a text file in the data/fiction folder, then tell FRED2 to use this text file?  

Exactly - but it has to be a .txt as far as I know

Just tested the fiction viewer.  Couple of issues.  First the button masks are wrong.  Put cursor on scroll up and scroll down arrows are highlighted.  Cursor on scroll down and up arrows highlighted.  Same for clicking.  

The E's mask files fix that ... it's an issue with the template I got from Wiki; but I didn't until he checked the masks again... I'll wrap it up into working DL until monday

Also the background image worries me a bit.  If you get a long text you are going to end up with gray on gray when you get half way down the page to the jumpgate arms.

As I said the background can still be discussed; I just wanted something to be there - I still have the WIP-file with which I can easily swap the background
I'll throw in a longer text for test tomorrow to see if the background interferes with the text

EDIT: just threw together a new variant from the same source material as the first one: before - after
EDIT2: tested with longer text - works out fine even with the old background

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Well if the original works then we can go with that.  I'll retest in a bit. 

As for the welding beam issue I think I've narrowed it down to the ship not having any weapon energy.  If you notice the indicator is off and even though the beam uses 0 energy it blinks as if you are out of charge.  So that leaves 3 options.  Leave as is.  Add weapon energy and leave damage at one, try to turn it into a repair beam (I think negative damage might be legal now).  Of course there is always option 4 of adding a repair beam. 

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Uploading Alpha5 now.  Changes since last version:

EA Explorer:  Fixed buggy turrets, enabled rest of hanger bays, fixed bay paths to keep fighters from doing loops in the hanger. 

EA Defense Platform:  Now has LODs and added some live debris.  Improved collision detection.  Also some turret tweaks. 

Babylon 5:  Also now has LODs and some live debris on the solar panels.  Hate when big objects just vaporize. 

Added the fiction viewer stuff which BTW works fine now. 

This will probably be the last Alpha.  Only other change I have planned before Beta is that Maint Bot beam.  Need some input on which way to go with that. 

[Slasher]

A repair beam sounds cool but if it takes serious work to implement I'd chuck the idea and just go with a normal, low damage beam maybe.  

I don't think the EA Poseidon's rotating section is working at the moment.  It doesn't look like the subsystem has an axis of rotation assigned to it in the model file.  I tried to edit this in PCS but the program crashed.

[edit]   Hmmmmmmm, I bet if Slasher used an up-to-date version of PCS and not one that dates back several years it wouldn't have crashed!  What an appropriate thread to be talking in the third person.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

You are correct it is missing the rotation.  Fixing right now.  And done.  Will be in the next version.

I'm actually going to mantis that as well as it will quit rotating and jump back to default position at LOD1 distance. 

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Alright last thing on the list is that welding beam issue.  I confirmed it worked in 3.6.9 but there was a bug fix for player beams after that to keep ships with <= 0 energy from firing instead of just <.  Easy solution is to just give it some energy.  Amount wouldn't matter as it was always infinite fire. 

We can always worry about a repair beam later and adjust energy then. 

[FUBAR-BDHR]

OK that's done and switching to Beta testing.  Only 2 real changes since the last Alpha.  The Poseidon rotation and the energy on the maint bot.  Hopefully this will be not only the first but final Beta. 

[Slasher]

Downloaded and have been messing around in random missions.  Haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary.