[Executor]

Anybody have experience programming AI? It'd be nice if your wingmen can fly straight and the cap ships can avoid running into each other.

[Stryke 9]

If you want, you can go p1mp to the TMP people... 's not like there's a hell of a lot to do over there and, since we've had to use scripters since the game came out, quite a few have decent AI skills. Hit Zuxxez, I think pretty much everyone still visits there. (Oh, and for best results learn German)

[an0n]

http://members.cox.net/milod/links.htm

Milo's useful links to all manner of gaming things. Including some AI links.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Stryke 9
I think Venom is just being cranky and needs a nap. Too bad there's no more nice, restful VBB to go piss off to.

huh, yeah, actually, I was in a bad mood.
apologies etc etc.

[an0n]

Originally posted by venom2506
huh, yeah, actually, I was in a bad mood.
apologies etc etc.

That was you in a bad mood? **** man, you is tame. Release the evil and be merry.

[Stryke 9]

You must learn the ways of forceful use of rage, my son.

First lesson- attack this stone pillar- with your bare hands!

I will demonstrate- YAAAAH!

[foams at mouth]

[leaps onto pillair]

[takes a fair-sized bite out]

[Martinus]

Originally posted by Stryke 9
You must learn the ways of forceful use of rage, my son.

First lesson- attack this stone pillar- with your bare hands!

I will demonstrate- YAAAAH!

[foams at mouth]

[leaps onto pillair]

[takes a fair-sized bite out]

You forgot to finish:

[pillar collapses]

[crushes demonstrator]

[pillar demonstrates the way of forceful retribution]


Now please attempt to stay on topic.

[7andmaN]

maybe i have a solution for the copyright issue
try to do it like the football simulations that don't have the rights for the players names (eg ISS Pro Evo), just slightly change the names of all FS related stuff (GTF Hercules = T(erran)S(pace)F Herkules or anything like that) and then include an ingame name editor or simply put all the names in a txt...
And Good Luck to ya all!!!:)  I hope that ya can finish this project!
PS: Does anyone have a clue on how to get any information about the FS story that Volition had in mind so that it could be of some use in this project (any lawyers here:))

[Executor]

Even if you change the names of the ships, there's still the problem of the models looking awfully similar. Unless you scrapped all of them, but that would mean setting the story at least a hundred years later in order for it to be plausible why there aren't any Hatshepsuts around.

[7andmaN]

i think that thay have copyrights only on the original models, so i think that as long as you make 'em from scratch they can look almost identical as the originals and your project is'nt in "danger" ( there was a similar issue regarding the stuff imported in the generations project for Quake 2)
and BTW i think you should take a look at the DPGE project for Quake 2 'cause you get the original q2 source with all the carmack goodies plus some good innovations. it's hosted on planetquake somwhere undeer the name of "the strogg wars" or something like that

[Zeronet]

I thought everyone had explained their stance on these "copyright issues". If they dont market it and try to make ££££, they're good.

[an0n]

And what are they gonna do? Not like they can sue, no-one has any money. All they can do is tell you not to distribute it and I doubt they'd even do that. "Game company tries to crush fan creativity" wouldn't go down too well with their PR and Marketing divisions.

[Kazan]

read the gd-thread before posting please

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by venom2506

nah, you misunderstand me: assembler is probably the best language, I've been told ( coz it uses direct orders to the CPU or something like that so it's very efficient), but my brother told me it was amongst the hardest to code. So -> lot of work

Assembler is direct register access, like

add $3, $2, $3

(reg 3= reg 3+ reg2)

It's basically the thing that tells the CPU what to do - reg transfers, conditional logic, etc.

Every other language has to be translated to this - that's what compiling is.  So the efficiency of every high level language depends on it's compiler.... at best, this is almost as good as an expert aseembler programmer.

BUT (and this is a big but), there is a major difference between the assembler vocabulary of a programmer and a compiler.  Because the Intel CISC is an utter ***** to use, Intel designed in a lot of sepcial case, very fast instructions.  Because they are rarely used, most compilers ignore them.

The other thing is that expert assembler programmers - especially in Intel code - are hard to find.  The likes of MIPs, etc, isn't so bad, because a lot of coding on stuff like mobile phone chips, etc, is still assembly level for efficiency reasons.

Oh, and java is the easiest language for learning O-O, and fairly versatile, but I found C the most fun in the brief semester I used it - mainly cos you can do fancy **** to speed up programs.

[Sandwich]

About file formats and dropping in a new .EXE and having it run FS2: keep POF, VP, etc compatability, but stop there. Just keep it as backwards compatability, but decide on better formats for future use.

[Kazan]

i'll be basing the new POF loader off my current code for POF 2117 - so it'll check the version and an older POF [versions 2116 and 2117] will automatically be updated to 3000's format

the biggest change between POFver <= 2117 and POF version 3000 will probably be an 3D data format change

[Inquisitor]

Before making a blanket statement like that, I'd be interested in finding out how collision is going to get handled.

For instance, in TQ, the model format stores the collision info as well for most objects. Where is are the collision meshes dealt with in FS2? Do you have to create a collision mesh for the model when you make a new ship? or is that all handled without the modellers knowledge?

Collision is a bugbear, so, be thinking on that. It's one thing to VIEW the model, it's something else entirely to have that model interact in the engine.

[Kazan]

the collision handling is currently integrated with the BSP/IDTA data for the geometry

and i just found something that is satisfactory for initializing openGL in a cross platform manner

the SDL from Loki - open source, and simple initialization, and keystroke handling.. im working on writing an OOP initialization class right now

[KARMA]

mm i still have to finish reading all the pages (actually i've processed the first 4:p), so maybe my contribute isn't so original or useful...


first point: good idea;)

second point: why make only "freespace forever"?
i propose to make something bigger, not only freespace related:

a project of an engine built specifically to support mods may have more success and you will found more help, even outside this community, in my opinion, than if it will be related mostly on freespace.

then, we may decide to make a freespace mod for this engine.

This will not mean that the engine will not be compatible with freespace2...
you already knows how the fs2 works, and fs2 is surely one of the most moddable games out there...this is something to work on....the new engine so may be build in a similar way of freespace2,
what i mean is that you can put as objective to improove the moddable capabilities... more possibilities in an easyer way than actually...even if it means to have less compatibility with freespace....this engine will be, so, the BEST support to any "artist" that is interested in space sims...


in an engine like that, the graphic capabilities will surely be important..but they will be secondary compared to other points..


talking about the "engine of my desires"...i'd like, compared to freespace, a better rendering engine (obviously), maybe that supports ani's as textures and layers, the possibility to make hyperspace jumps and play in different sectors in the same mission, a good support for "atmospheric" environment, maybe with the possibility to reach the surface of a planet from space, more dinamic missions with strategic possibilities (dinamic sets of missions, dinamic objectives and dinamic quality, type, number of your forces), more freedom in inserting movies, even in the middle of a mission, more parameters in the tables, and a better netcode:)
and, why not, a "space sim-on line"....

[Zeronet]

Originally posted by Kazan
read the gd-thread before posting please

Is that another thread to this one?