Topics

16

Help / world.dat editor, terrain colors

« on: September 05, 2021, 12:58:55 pm »

I wanted to change/expand the colors in the editor (to match the changed/expanded textures on my globe).
It pretty simple, you just have to add extra

Code: [Select]

terrain #RRGGBB lines for the extra textures, or change the code in the existing lines to change the color for existing textures.
The problem is that in the editor the custom colors are rendered darker or plain wrong.
Does the editor use special colors/palette?
(It does not seem to be the geoscape palette...).
Thanks

17

Help / change the world

« on: March 27, 2021, 02:48:12 pm »

I have three goals:
- modify the landmass so it matches a 70m sea level rise (see picture attached).
- add an urban texture (replacing a forest texture I guess, since there is an overabundance of them and I don't have a forest terrain); it is going to be used in small polygons representing mega-cities.
- adding some minimal improvements to make it look less blocky.

I'm not sure about the proper way to proceed.

I started tinkering with World Edit (by volutar), editing the included world.dat... is it how it's done?
There is a ruleset file with polylines: does it mean I have to change one by one these values, to match the modified polygons of my world.dat?

I tired to search the forum and I read some topics about globe editing, but the discussion was in general too advanced, I need a more "for dummies" introduction about this.

Any modder did this and wants to share the general steps?

Thanks

18

Help / bypass terrain "height" from alienDeployment ?

« on: January 31, 2021, 12:21:45 am »

Is there a way to tell the deployment to "use the selected terrain height", instead of using the fixed height?

The problem with the fixed height is that it needs to work for all the terrains, but the terrains can be very different to each other.
So you use the highest height to make it work, but then you get a problem with indoor terrains: you need to manually add levels filled with dirt to match the max height, otherwise they get automatically padded with "air" and any flying unit would be able to fly above them.

I'm okay with padding with dirt. But I was wondering if there was a workaround that I don't know of.

edit: I guess there's no workaround. I already padded all my maps.

19

OXCE Suggestions DONE / [DONE] Custom hit/melee animation frame count

« on: December 26, 2020, 03:17:53 pm »

EDIT: new ruleset described below: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,8944.msg135061.html#msg135061

According to the documentation, melee weapons should use meleeAnimation stored in HIT.PCK, instead of hitAnimation stored in SMOKE.PCK.
1. - does it mean that the stun rod anim has been moved to HIT.PCK? Because AFAIK the stun hit anim is inside SMOKE.PCK; the default HIT.PCK should only hold the default melee hit (https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/HIT.PCK).
2. -  is the maximum number of frames supported for HIT.PCK animations = 4? The anim below is 8 frames, but it seems not fully rendered ingame.
2.1 - the stun rod animation has 9 frames, so IF it has been moved to HIT.PCK, does it mean that not all the frames are rendered?
3. - what about the max frames for animations in SMOKE.PCK? The default smoke animation is 12 frames, so all my custom animations use 12 frames.. but I'm suspecting that the limit is actually 10...
 

20

Help / "glue" weapon ?

« on: December 09, 2020, 09:44:22 pm »

The idea is that this alien hunts by spitting a sticky slime/whatever that hinders the movement of the prey, making it easier to reach and bite/sting.
How would you guys think it's best to implement such idea (if possible)?

I know that I can use damageAlter to damage TUs and Energy, but last time I checked the damage (or penalty) didn't carry over to the next turn; so for example if an alien hit a soldier with such weapon, on the next player turn the penalty would have gone (am I wrong? AFAIK TUs would completely restore; on the other hand Energy would restore partially... I'm almost tempted to give every action an Energy cost...)

21

Help / WestWall MCD placed as Object

« on: December 05, 2020, 03:31:27 pm »

Usually wall corners are type: WestWall
But this is problematic when there is a fence adjacent: the fence itself, being too WestWall, prevents the placement of the wall corner.
Visually the missing corner looks bad and AFAIK might cause line of sight problems (i.e. can see behind the wall). See attached image.
So the question is:
is there a problem if, in those cases, I place the corner MCD in the Object slot (since the West slot is used by the fence)? See other attached image.
Thanks.

22

Help / mapscripts, "addLine" and "size: 2" maps

« on: November 13, 2020, 10:24:39 pm »

is it possible to make roads with large (20x20 tiles) map blocks?
anyone tried?
thanks

23

OXCE Support / [Solved] mapScript:terrain and aliendeployment:objectiveType questions.

« on: April 05, 2020, 03:25:52 pm »

This is a little difficult to explain, I'll try my best.
I have two separate terrains that are meant to be used together (I can't merge them into single terrain, too many MCDs):
 - FARM (the "main" terrain)
 - FARM_INFECTED (the "slave" terrain)
Therefore what I'd do is to slip some FARM_INFECTED map blocks into a FARM map, using the mapScript:terrain command.
Everything should be doable.

The problem is that the missions that are going to use these hybrid maps, are supposed to have aliendeployment:objectiveType, that is a bunch of MCDs you have to destroy to complete the mission.
First problem:
What should aliendeployment:objectiveType indicate? The index of the MCD within the whole terrain or the specialType (AKA Target_Type:59)?
I have two different MCDs that needs to be destroyed and they can appear together on the same map. They share the same specialType (AKA Target_Type:59). So, if objectType refers to specialType  this problem is solved. If not.. how do I solve it (if even possible)?

Second problem:
Within both terrains, the wannabe-objective MCDs have same index (it's also the same specific MCD library), see picture attached. But the actual MCDs placed on the map are from the FARM_INFECTED terrain, and these map blocks are placed in the map by the mapScript:terrain command. If aliendeployment:objectiveType refers to specialType, again this problem is solved. If not.. how to correctly define the objectiveType to the MCDs inside the FARM_INFECTED terrain?

Thanks.

24

OXCE Support / [Answered] textures attribute in terrains definition?

« on: March 20, 2020, 11:33:38 pm »

Wasn't there once the possibility to hijack the globe terrains from the terrains themselves?
Like this:

Code: [Select]

terrains:
  - name: MY_TERRAIN
    textures: [1, 2, 4]
    ...?
It doesn't seem to do anything anymore and ruleset reference doesn't mention it.


My problem is: I made a new terrain to use in place of the vanilla CULTA terrain, so I was looking for a way to say: "use my new shiny FARMN terrain whenever you should have used the CULTA terrain". That "texture" entry IIRC enabled me this temporary solution, without touching the globe (which is veeeeery scaaaaary, along with regions, they're nightmare-ish).
Thanks

25

Help / customize "Prime Grenade" text?

« on: December 23, 2019, 11:48:58 pm »

is it possible?
in a similar way you do for shots:

 - type: STR_BIGGU_GUN
   confAimed:
     name: STR_BOOOM

I made a portable robot that you activate and throw, so it is a bit silly that you "Prime Grenade" it.
I need it to be a grenade because in case the soldier in knocked out in battle, I want the robot to activate automatically (provided it has been "primed" beforehand).

thanks.

26

Help / standHeight vs floatHeight

« on: December 23, 2019, 11:22:26 pm »

I have a doubt.
The total height of the unit is standHeight + floatHeight..? yes they are it seems.
Or maybe floatHeghit simply represents the "empty" part of the standHeight value?
For example: with the following I wanted to define a 10-high unit standing at 10 from ground (which means the top of the unit is at height=20):

    standHeight: 10
    floatHeight: 10

Or should i set:
    standHeight: 20
    floatHeight: 10
?  # setting this is not allowed

Edit:
Alright they are summed. But then the selection arrow on the unit is drawn in the wrong position. It seems to me that floatHeight is not taken into account to calculate the arrow positioning. Which means, in units with large floatHeight and small (relatively) standHeight, such in this case, the arrow is drawn on top of the unit itself. Pretty ugly.

27

OXCE Support / [Solved] Alien Bases detection ?

« on: November 28, 2019, 10:05:10 pm »

In my mod the enemies main activity is to build bases, so the mod gameplay relies a lot on the player actively searching for them.
For this reason one of the very first equipment the player can research, is a craft radar that increases the sightRange of the craft, making -on paper-, the detection simpler.
The problem is that the detection change is still lackluster, unless I make the sightRange basically world-wide.  (Vanilla sightRange is already large, so 'm not really making it much bigger, because otherwise it's ridiculous).
Is there something more I can do to make the alien base detection more fast and reliable? This would also help with testing, because without being able to find the bases quickly, it's hard to tell if the mission I designed is working correctly (AKA spawning the base) or not.
Thanks

28

Work In Progress / scratching my head on missionScripts

« on: November 16, 2019, 02:56:01 pm »

As far as I know, missionScripts are executed monthly.

  - type: alienA
    executionOdds: 100
    startDelay: 1000

The above script will start executing STR_MISSION_A after a delay of 1000 + the 'timer' of the first wave, from the beginning (day 1st) of the month (let's call it "month x")?
If the waves timers are short enough, will STR_MISSION_A be run many times during month x, or will it be executed only once?

Then comes "month x+1" and alienA is interrupted, to be executed again for month x+1 ?
This time though STR_MISSION_B is selected and STR_MISSION_A is halted after the last wave. Is it correct?
STR_MISSION_B will start executing from:
 - month x+1 day 1st + 1000 + timer
 - STR_MISSION_A last wave end (let's say the mission  is so long it goes on on month x+1) + 1000 + timer

Thanks.

29

OXCE Support / [Answered] blaster launcher firing arcing/non-arcing ammo

« on: November 12, 2019, 10:57:15 pm »

My mod has a missile launcher that, in theory, launches two types of missiles:
- a guided missile that uses waypoints (see blaster bomb)
- a missile that flies in an arcing trajectory
I instinctively placed the peculiar entries (waypoints/arcinShot) in definition of the ammo, respectively, instead of the launcher. The waypoint missile seemed to work perfectly but the arcing missile was just flying straight.
I tried to put arcingShot into the launcher.. and now also the waypoint missile flies -not unexpectedly- in an arcing trajectory (with comical, but also quite buggy results).
Is it impossible to have these two different type of ammunition for the same launcher?

Ruleset:

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_GUIDED_LAUNCHER
    requiresBuy:
      - STR_CONTRACT_NEUTEK
    size: 0.3
    costBuy: 82000
    costSell: 61500
    weight: 12
    bigSprite: 584
    floorSprite: 584
    handSprite: 584
    bulletSprite: 0
    fireSound: 52
    compatibleAmmo:
      - STR_ROCKET_HE_LARGE
      - STR_ROCKET_GUIDED
    confAimed:
      name: STR_LAUNCH
    accuracyAimed: 120
    tuAimed: 70
    battleType: 1
    twoHanded: true
    invWidth: 2
    invHeight: 3
    recoveryPoints: 4
    armor: 50
    attraction: 1
    aimRange: 200
    snapRange: 200
    dropoff: 0
    tuLoad: 10
    tuUnload: 8
    noLOSAccuracyPenalty: 0
    #arcingShot: true
  - type: STR_ROCKET_HE_LARGE
    requiresBuy:
      - STR_CONTRACT_NEUTEK
    size: 0.2
    costBuy: 2300
    costSell: 1725
    weight: 7
    bigSprite: 325
    floorSprite: 325
    hitSound: 0
    hitAnimation: 0
    power: 120
    damageType: 3
    clipSize: 1
    battleType: 2
    invWidth: 1
    invHeight: 3
    arcingShot: true
  - type: STR_ROCKET_GUIDED
    requiresBuy:
      - STR_CONTRACT_NEUTEK
    size: 0.2
    costBuy: 13500
    costSell: 10125
    weight: 8
    bigSprite: 324
    floorSprite: 324
    hitSound: 0
    hitAnimation: 0
    power: 100
    damageType: 3
    clipSize: 1
    battleType: 2
    waypoints: 5
    invWidth: 1
    invHeight: 3
    recoveryPoints: 1


30

Work In Progress / Player controlled civilians (brainstorming) ?

« on: October 22, 2019, 10:59:24 pm »

Wanting to discuss an idea.
Theoretically, exploiting the item-spawn-unit mechanic, you should be able to populate the map with civilians under direct control of the player.
You have to disseminate the map with such items, with the flag that the unit spawned is player-controlled, pre-primed to go off on round 0 (this last bit should be doable, it is already used in X-Piratez to make minefields AFAIK).
The units spawned in this scenario are civilians (at least looks-wise) and they could also be armed too (using the builtInWeapons entry on the unit definition); but of course they could be any third party units that fit whatever narrative the mod adopts (soldiers, cops, friendly aliens).

(Then -but this is unrelated- I guess it is also possible to bring home the surviving "civilians" on the craft and turn them into regular soldiers... still haven't looked into those mechanics tho').

It it feasible or am I missing something?
Is anyone already doing this?

Thanks