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Previous thread title: "Need Firestorm to have alien Scout's battlescape appearance"
Reason: Initial requirement met. Alien small scout reverse-engineered for X-Com use.
Original (old) message:
The alien Scout is a ship I want, no scratch that. NEED at this point to be able to use it both in geoscape combat and battlescape combat as my commando unit (Yes I am a cheater and no I'm not ruining my fun, cheating and modding makes games more playable for me).
Thought of getting back into X-Com/OpenXcom again but first I need to get Firestorm to use UFO1/Scout's sprites and my modding know-how of what little I understood has gotten rusty so all I'm asking for is some help with this (better if someone else did it entirely, still recharging my mind).
As you can see this is my first post here and I've played OpenXcom from time to time. The need for making Firestorm be useable on battlescape but with UFO1's sprites and layouts, finally forced me into making an account on the forum and this post.
Thanks goes to Hobbes and various others here.
Playable alien ship Fhyr:
(https://i.imgur.com/EGkSsnE.png)
Commando's items in the ship. Can take off/abort. Shoot down other crafts.
Drop quickly into the mission and rain hot plasma into foes with the Gazer unit.
Final product still needs proper geoscape and ufopedia graph stuff, both OP and normal versions along with descriptions. Download below:
Small update: Got the colors working with a trick with GIMP!
Playable alien ship Fhyrra:
(https://i.imgur.com/Q7v3EgM.png)
New playable alien space car known as Fhyrrian Space Car 1 or Fhycrath for short:
(https://i.imgur.com/wg24S2t.png)
Also a quick showcase of my ship work so far: https://imgur.com/a/bVmbDEn (https://imgur.com/a/bVmbDEn)
(https://i.imgur.com/dlT39Yo.png)
Update (May 08, 2021): Fixed slow refueling rate for both Fhyr and Fhyrra. Gazer Commando can fly now (in battlescape)!
Update (May 09, 2021): Fixed crashing when trying to see Fhyr's and Fhyrra's Ufopaedia. Added a new space vehicle.
Also made repair and refuel time quick for Fhyr, Fhyrra and Fhycrath.
Update (February 25, 2022): Added crouching sprites to Gazer spritesheet in GazerArmor mod
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First off, how experienced are you with modding OpenXcom? I think this can be done with a few edits to a ruleset file, and is a great place to start getting into modding if you haven't done much or any with OXC before.
Secondly, just to make sure I (and the rest of the forum) understand what you're saying, you want to make the Firestorm a dropship for a single soldier, using the alien small scout as the appearance on the Battlescape, correct?
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First off, how experienced are you with modding OpenXcom? I think this can be done with a few edits to a ruleset file, and is a great place to start getting into modding if you haven't done much or any with OXC before.
Secondly, just to make sure I (and the rest of the forum) understand what you're saying, you want to make the Firestorm a dropship for a single soldier, using the alien small scout as the appearance on the Battlescape, correct?
Last time I modded X-Com was without OpenXcom and that was me trying to make my soldiers into aliens (been ages since succeeding in doing that, OpenXcom allowed more modding so my units can be Gazers now by wearing an unique impervious armor) and also making Firestorm an alien dropship for a commando in the past too (didn't achieve that, couldn't figure out, yet to figure). So yes. At the moment trying a few combinations to achieve the latter in the .rul file.
- STR_NEW_FIGHTER_CRAFT
sprite: 4
fuelMax: 30
damageMax: 600
speedMax: 4200
accel: 12
weapons: 2
soldiers: 1
refuelItem: STR_ELERIUM_115
refuelRate: 10
score: 250
battlescapeTerrainData:
name: UFO1A
mapDataSets:
- BLANKS
- UFO1
mapBlocks:
- name: UFO1A
width: 10
length: 10
Still crashes, with or without deployment entry. Think I need a map tool to designate soldier/item spawn point or something along those lines. Could use a link to necessary new tools if there are any as what I once used either crash or I can't do much with them.
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Are you editing the original .rul file directly, or creating a mod directory with a new file? Also, where in the file are you making this change, that is, under what heading? It might be helpful to look at the ruleset for the XcomUtil Fighter Transports mod:
crafts:
- type: STR_FIRESTORM
soldiers: 10
vehicles: 1
battlescapeTerrainData:
name: FIRES
mapDataSets:
- BLANKS
- LIGHTNIN
mapBlocks:
- name: FIRES
width: 10
length: 10
deployment:
- [5, 3, 1, 2]
- [5, 4, 1, 2]
- [4, 3, 1, 2]
- [4, 4, 1, 2]
- [4, 2, 1, 2]
- [4, 5, 1, 2]
- [3, 2, 1, 2]
- [3, 5, 1, 2]
- [2, 3, 1, 2]
- [2, 4, 1, 2]
This mod might be as simple as replacing the above battleScapeTerrainData: with the corresponding lines from the small scout's definition, setting soldiers: to one and vehicles: to zero, and editing the deployment coordinates for your single soldier.
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Was adding it to the "Xcom1Ruleset.rul", now I separated some data to my "FirestormUFO1.rul" and it still crashes.
# FirestormUFO1
crafts:
- type: STR_FIRESTORM
soldiers: 1
vehicles: 0
battlescapeTerrainData:
name: UFO1A
mapDataSets:
- BLANKS
- UFO1
mapBlocks:
- name: UFO1A
width: 10
length: 10
deployment:
- [10, 5, 1, 2]
Would help to know where the center point of the UFO1 is as I don't know how to work with deployment values.
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The mods should not go in the same folder as the base ruleset for the game, and it sounds like you're still using the 1.0 milestone release, which is quite out-of-date for doing anything with mods. I'd suggest updating to the latest nightly release, as that will make it much easier to keep mods organized.
Also, it does look like you'll need a map editor to place a spawn point for XCOM units. I haven't done any map editing myself, but here's a site which should help you get started:
https://openxcommods.weebly.com/general-map-creation.html
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You could also try the simple solution of making a copy of XcomUtil's fighter transports for just the Firestorm, setting the soldier count to one, and keeping that map. It's not exactly the small scout, but it does feel more like an X-COM craft.
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The mods should not go in the same folder as the base ruleset for the game, and it sounds like you're still using the 1.0 milestone release, which is quite out-of-date for doing anything with mods. I'd suggest updating to the latest nightly release, as that will make it much easier to keep mods organized.
Also, it does look like you'll need a map editor to place a spawn point for XCOM units. I haven't done any map editing myself, but here's a site which should help you get started:
https://openxcommods.weebly.com/general-map-creation.html
Nightlies? No thanks been doing good with 1.0 so far along with the mods being in the same folder, have noticed no issues in game with that. My OpenXcom 1.0 install has been dormant for about a year or so (until now) and when I played it I played a lot of it.
But yeah so far the issue can be zeroed down to the Scout missing that nospawn zone node for items and still need proper values for deployment, working on right now getting the node in.
You could also try the simple solution of making a copy of XcomUtil's fighter transports for just the Firestorm, setting the soldier count to one, and keeping that map. It's not exactly the small scout, but it does feel more like an X-COM craft.
No thanks. Doesn't work for me. Alien Scout or Alien Scout.
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Fair enough. I hadn't done much at all with 1.0, since my jump into modding started by looking at FMP, and that required the upgrade to a nightly version.
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Still crashes, with or without deployment entry. Think I need a map tool to designate soldier/item spawn point or something along those lines. Could use a link to necessary new tools if there are any as what I once used either crash or I can't do much with them.
Was adding it to the "Xcom1Ruleset.rul", now I separated some data to my "FirestormUFO1.rul" and it still crashes.
Would help to know where the center point of the UFO1 is as I don't know how to work with deployment values.
The crash happens because the game can't place any XCom units on the map.
You need MapView to change the spawn point in the Small Scout from Alien to XCom. This is the version I use: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,1321.msg39286.html#msg39286
Nightlies? No thanks been doing good with 1.0 so far along with the mods being in the same folder, have noticed no issues in game with that. My OpenXcom 1.0 install has been dormant for about a year or so (until now) and when I played it I played a lot of it.
1.0 works but it is completely outdated and has a ton of bugs that have been already fixed on the nightlies - you'll either run into issues while trying to use newer mods that were designed for the nightlies, or you may find impossible to use some of the modding features.
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Added nodes in MapView, still crashes. Tried nightly a bit. Good grief, even more hassle.
EDIT: To elaborate. I wasn't planning to have tons of mods to sort through (or re-download) I have in my OpenXcom data folder. At least not today but frell, it should work even in 1.0!
EDIT2: Also the MapView doesn't show some of the ufos right, especially the Scout. just bunch of walls from bigger ufos.
EDIT3: Frelling frell! About more than 10 years since I first played X-Com, still can't get my alien Scout, just crash, crash, crash and more crash. If you only had any idea how pissed off I am. So please... can somebody just do it for me as I get overly aggressive and unstable due to my own mental issues to a point I can't even mod and it pisses me off. Just tried another trick I thought would work and nope, crash (DAMNIT!!!).
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(https://puu.sh/qgwLC.png)
At least got my customized armor mod to work (sprites from Gazer mod, everything else, OP on purpose by me) but that was a simple case of putting the files in the proper place. I need that ship! >:( Please.
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Are you editing the small scout's map directly, or working on a copy of it? Also, could you attach a copy of the openxcom.log file and any modded rulesets to help us debug?
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Are you editing the small scout's map directly, or working on a copy of it? Also, could you attach a copy of the openxcom.log file and any modded rulesets to help us debug?
I don't have that file, just did a search.
Nevermind. Nothing conclusive to me.
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Data folder is:
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Data search is:
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] - C:\Users\[REDACTED]\Documents\OpenXcom\
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] - C:\Games and Stuff\OpenXcom
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] - C:\Games and Stuff\OpenXcom
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] User folder is: C:\Users\[REDACTED]\Documents\OpenXcom\
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Config folder is: C:\Users\[REDACTED]\Documents\OpenXcom\
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Options loaded successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] SDL initialized successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] SDL_mixer initialized successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] requested file not found: openxcom.png
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Attempting to set display to 1440x900x8...
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Display set to 1440x900x8.
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Loading data...
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Scanning standard mods in 'standard'...
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Scanning user mods in 'C:\Users\[REDACTED]\Documents\OpenXcom\mods'...
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Mapping resource files...
[27-07-2016_23-15-39] [INFO] Resources files mapped successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Loading fonts... Font.dat
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Loading extra resources from ruleset...
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Data loaded successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Loading language...
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Language loaded successfully.
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] OpenXcom started successfully!
[27-07-2016_23-15-40] [INFO] Using software scaling routine. For best results, try an OpenGL filter.
EDIT:
And yeah I'm using MapView on the files directly which IMO is an outdated inconvenient tool as trying to figure out what causes this crashing exactly. I just attached a similar node from FIRES.rmp file from the fighter craft transportation mod, made sure to the best of my knowledge which isn't much when it comes to modding this game that the stuff is set up right. It crashes, i just attach the FIRES stuff to my WIP mod for Firestorm and it works fine and I can see a cobbled together thing which I did not alter for reasons of benchmark and clarity.
The crash happens because the game can't place any XCom units on the map.
Which is the main cause under the suspect now. How the frell do I even make it so that it DOES spawn the necessary stuff and WHERE the HELL is the frelling thing to change.
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It doesn't seem to have any information about the crash, only just the startup log. When does the game crash? Before you reach the main menu? Or when you start an instance of the Battlescape with the new map?
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It doesn't seem to have any information about the crash, only just the startup log. When does the game crash? Before you reach the main menu? Or when you start an instance of the Battlescape with the new map?
The latter, when I select Firestorm as a craft and go into battlescape.
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Can you upload all the files that you're working with to make the mod, including the new map file and the ruleset?
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EDIT3: Frelling frell! About more than 10 years since I first played X-Com, still can't get my alien Scout, just crash, crash, crash and more crash. If you only had any idea how pissed off I am. So please... can somebody just do it for me as I get overly aggressive and unstable due to my own mental issues to a point I can't even mod and it pisses me off. Just tried another trick I thought would work and nope, crash (DAMNIT!!!).
We are not here to solve your mental issues - if you can't cope with modding because it affects your health, then you better find something else to do.
And I'm not here either to do somebody else's mod for them. I can give pointers but if you want something done, you do it yourself. If you can't accept this, see the end of the previous sentence.
I just tried editing the spawn points and I got a crash as well. I suspect it's related with the fact that the Small Scout is a special UFO for the engine and it can't properly place the UFO as an XCom craft. You can either design your own pod or figure out what is the issue with the Small Scout.
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We are not here to solve your mental issues - if you can't cope with modding because it affects your health, then you better find something else to do.
And I'm not here either to do somebody else's mod for them. I can give pointers but if you want something done, you do it yourself. If you can't accept this, see the end of the previous sentence.
I just tried editing the spawn points and I got a crash as well. I suspect it's related with the fact that the Small Scout is a special UFO for the engine and it can't properly place the UFO as an XCom craft. You can either design your own pod or figure out what is the issue with the Small Scout.
I did not ask to solve mental issues (I only mentioned it because it's haltering me big time, just incase). I asked for modding help or get someone to do it. the previous seems to be the case here.
Thanks for making me think of making a new pod. Gonna try it with FIRES files. Also thanks for at least trying yourself what I tried.
--- posts merged ---
Woah, an entire nerve-racking day. Frellin' ow. At least.. no this is not at least. This is the next (bit minor but still) best thing:
(https://i.imgur.com/8VpwyxO.png)
Has an X-Com Elerium reactor in the middle and is mimicking both the Firestorm and the alien Medium Scout. Got it to only work by using already existing name of FIRES from the mod along with using the FIRES files as a base/template and apart from the node, I axed the cobbled together ugly thing by expanding it and making something IMO something far more enjoyable (to me at least).
This thread should still on go in pursuit of getting alien craft playable because I am just sick of this humans vs evil aliens trope.. nothing personal to someone, just some variety helps alot and yes, I know what X-Com is about, doesn't mean non-existance of playable aliens and no this is not up for an arguement (save it for someone else, I'm having none of it anymore), playable aliens or playable aliens.
Eh, don't let my seemingly aggressive behavior trouble you folk. I'm a bitter being by now and I can't help it much. The need to vent over this has been long coming for 10 or so years ago when I first saw that alien scout.
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Eh, don't let my seemingly aggressive behavior trouble you folk. I'm a bitter being by now and I can't help it much. The need to vent over this has been long coming for 10 or so years ago when I first saw that alien scout.
My previous post was more like advice: this is a great modding community and with the right attitude you can do a lot of nice things with the help of some great people :)
It made me happy that you have already modded the Lightning - map designing has a few quirks but you'll either figure them out by yourself or just ask :)
I've been actually thinking and trying to figure out why the attempts to use the Small Scout haven't worked so far. I'm gonna to try to see if I can figure out this issue, I must be missing something. Also, for it to work, it will be necessary to add a specific map tile as an 'exit area' so that you can abort the mission, without losing your soldiers.
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Success :D
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18824603/screen159.png)
The reason why it wasn't working was exactly that it was missing the 'exit area', so I changed the purple ground' properties to act as one (using MCD Edit). You can find all the required files on the attached post (the .MCD, .PCK and .TAB files go into the TERRAIN folder)
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My previous post was more like advice: this is a great modding community and with the right attitude you can do a lot of nice things with the help of some great people :)
It made me happy that you have already modded the Lightning - map designing has a few quirks but you'll either figure them out by yourself or just ask :)
I've been actually thinking and trying to figure out why the attempts to use the Small Scout haven't worked so far. I'm gonna to try to see if I can figure out this issue, I must be missing something. Also, for it to work, it will be necessary to add a specific map tile as an 'exit area' so that you can abort the mission, without losing your soldiers.
Ah, whew. I didn't really know how the community here was even like. I just thought of diving into X-Com after a long while in the morning and the modding need jolted from there plus I refuse to let my mental issues drive me so much at this point as it has brought nothing but problems, no way am I gonna let those control me and what little mental screw-ups I had today, let's just say it has been MUCH worse in the past.
Anyhow, while I was messing with the Small Scout. It did occur to me a few times that there must be something more, something that MapView doesn't seem to offer or is somewhere abstractly hidden away, from what I've seen in landed scout encounters is that the alien in question always roams about somewhere on the map. So the alien crafts lack the important data for things like X-Com items, spawns, exits, etc, indeed. One other idea I have is pallet merging UFO1 sprites and stuff with LIGHTNIN and then building the pod from scratch, kinda what I just did with the FIRES stuff from XcomUtil_Fighter_Transports mod folder as the custom Lightning craft there already has a smaller map area. Hence why I think MapView is clumsy/outdated (doesn't seem to even allow to select custom crafts).
As for my customized Lightning model, I'm probably gonna change a few tidbits later on but for now. Awesome and thanks!
Woah.. just as I was to post this. Double awesome. :o Definitely, gonna investigate the files. Much appreciated!
Yup! It works! A million thanks and in turn you just motivated me past one of my mental issues, or one of the mental blocks really. Woah, I had MCDEdit installed all this time and some how I completely managed to over look the number values of things like gravlifts and whatnot. Right under my nose and I had I used the program about 4-6 times. Mind blown.
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Anyhow, while I was messing with the Small Scout. It did occur to me a few times that there must be something more, something that MapView doesn't seem to offer or is somewhere abstractly hidden away, from what I've seen in landed scout encounters is that the alien in question always roams about somewhere on the map. So the alien crafts lack the important data for things like X-Com items, spawns, exits, etc, indeed. One other idea I have is pallet merging UFO1 sprites and stuff with LIGHTNIN and then building the pod from scratch, kinda what I just did with the FIRES stuff from XcomUtil_Fighter_Transports mod folder as the custom Lightning craft there already has a smaller map area. Hence why I think MapView is clumsy/outdated (doesn't seem to even allow to select custom crafts).
To properly edit maps/terrain you need both MapView and MCD Edit (version 1.17g (https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/MCDEdit)). MapView allows you to change the disposition of the map "tiles", which are technically known as MCD entries, and also to edit the route nodes used by the engine/AI. Each entry is either ground, walls or objects, and you use MCD Edit to modify their properties.
You have 2 ways of adding custom crafts/maps to MapView. First is choose Edit -> Paths -> Map Files tab and then create new Groups/Subgroups and add to them the .MAP/RMP files. The 2nd way is by manually editing the MapEdit.dat file using Notepad/Notepad++ (latter is recommended). For the MCD files you'll need to manually edit the Images.dat file. Both .dat files can be found in the /settings subfolder which is located where you installed MapView.
And yeah, MapView has issues but for the past 15 years it has been the only tool available to edit map files, and it still works because of the work of some awesome people updating it :)
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Thank you so much. Like I said, you just motivated me into modding X-Com further and push myself past my own mental problems today. Just learned/figured out how to add existing or new map entries to MapView. Looking at non-garbled unaltered UFO1A right now, for some reason it is UFO_01a there by default and is missing the UFO1 entry (hence the garbled mish-mash of walls), think my patched dos install of X-Com might be interfering with that a bit, not sure. Definitely helps to have a updated MapView from the forums as some of the features that were originally missing weren't there yet so I was a bit biased due to old ugly memory of it I guess.
Alrighty, triple awesome. Got the pod to show up with all its own data in MapView, I see what you did with the nodes, I wasn't as through as I was just copying the default crafts and failing and I think I see why. Also good to know that lifts in fact do work for X-Com craft too. That is.. just so much awesome. I been.. I'm speechless. I been wanting and then needing for years to somehow mod the thing in or at least get some basic knowledge to do it myself as the more complicated things are the more prominent my mental health gets and its the main reason I just have so much struggle with modding when I really want to and things are seemingly overly complicated, eh. Just speaking of a fact and not seeking advice for that as yesterday/today made me overcome a major obstacle.
Thank you, Hobbes. From the bottom of my heart.
To commemorate this truly momentous occasion of you finally getting the alien small scout to actually be a separate craft which means a great deal to me since childhood. Cue the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2W1Wi2U9sQ
Around 2000-2003 was the time I first saw/played X-Com. So yeah, more than 10 years ago since I wanted that alien craft. Means a lot to me.
Alrighty, another update about an hour later. Couldn't resist. Had to replicated what you did to know for sure if I had gotten it too eventually. Used both MCDEdit and MapView to turn UFO1 and its counterpart UFO1A files into a functioning useable alien craft in game with its own nickname "Fhyr". Reverse engineered the Pod so to speak. So much feeling like 1812 Overture Finale music. Again thanks!
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To properly edit maps/terrain you need both MapView and MCD Edit (version 1.17g (https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/MCDEdit)).
@ Hobbes: is there a reason why you recommended 1.17g, instead of 1.17i, the latest version? Was it an oversight, or is there something better about the previous version?
Also: @ Droggarth. Just a little introduction. Hobbes is probably one of the most experienced map makers in the community and knows the ins and outs to an incredible degree (Also a long time curator of the Terrain Pack, and now author of the Area 51 mod). . Hellrazor is another prolific map modder, with great attention to detail and the ability to spot bugs and make improvements in maps. He would be a great person to learn from, and may be able to help you over new hurdles that you may run into. Hellrazor has his own Hard Mod Difficulty mod, but he continually tinkers with maps.
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Hi Droggarth,
welcome to our little community here. Unfortunately we still do lack a proper How to Section for useing the map view. It can be quiete tedious to use.
Feel free to ask questions if you like. Sometimes they also have been answered.
So searching never hurts.
Route Nodes for example are a important part in map making, because they control the aliens movement patterns.
I wrote a description about them here (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4521.msg62649.html#msg62649), is the screenshot still visible?
If you have question feel free to ask ahead. For specific question also feel free to catch me on the IRC. Ot
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Also: @ Droggarth. Just a little introduction. Hobbes is probably one of the most experienced map makers in the community and knows the ins and outs to an incredible degree (Also a long time curator of the Terrain Pack, and now author of the Area 51 mod). . Hellrazor is another prolific map modder, with great attention to detail and the ability to spot bugs and make improvements in maps. He would be a great person to learn from, and may be able to help you over new hurdles that you may run into. Hellrazor has his own Hard Mod Difficulty mod, but he continually tinkers with maps.
This is quite some impressive news for me, last time I modded X-Com was years ago, it was less than ideal and there wasn't much info going about and if there were any on the websites I still ran into some problems for the things I needed to do but still managing to use a XComApoc tool to make a soldier (or was it armor? can't remember) to a permanent Anthropod was quite an achievement for me to the point I've forgotten how I even did as it was seemingly irreversible.
Heh, think I saw some of your beginning videos of X-Com 1 and TFtD a few years ago, memory is in the grey due to meds I was taking. Found something calming and yet entertaining to watch X-Com let's plays on Youtube especially when around the corner was a bunch of aliens ready to trigger-happy with the plasma and oh dear, did those moments crack me up, even in my own plays in X-Com and TFtD, I find that one corner with a party and I'm not invited and go "yikes..".
Anyhow, good to meet you folks and thanks for mentioning/introducing the two guys more. As far as map making goes my main interest is in spaceships and things that are alien and fly, just happens that the ships in X-Com games usually are stationary map pieces in battlescape but still awesome.
Hi Droggarth,
welcome to our little community here. Unfortunately we still do lack a proper How to Section for useing the map view. It can be quiete tedious to use.
Feel free to ask questions if you like. Sometimes they also have been answered.
So searching never hurts.
Route Nodes for example are a important part in map making, because they control the aliens movement patterns.
I wrote a description about them here (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4521.msg62649.html#msg62649), is the screenshot still visible?
If you have question feel free to ask ahead. For specific question also feel free to catch me on the IRC. Ot
Hi, Hellrazor. Aye, was kind of noticing that with the nodes on the Abductor and its grav lifts. Sad to say though but the screenshot(s?) in your post are not visible. :-\
Never used IRC but when something comes up, I'll just dive into it and ask. Anyhow, I really should get some sleep because this modding frenzy kept me up from yestarday morning to today's morning.
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This is quite some impressive news for me, last time I modded X-Com was years ago, it was less than ideal and there wasn't much info going about and if there were any on the websites I still ran into some problems for the things I needed to do but still managing to use a XComApoc tool to make a soldier (or was it armor? can't remember) to a permanent Anthropod was quite an achievement for me to the point I've forgotten how I even did as it was seemingly irreversible.
Heh, think I saw some of your beginning videos of X-Com 1 and TFtD a few years ago, memory is in the grey due to meds I was taking. Found something calming and yet entertaining to watch X-Com let's plays on Youtube especially when around the corner was a bunch of aliens ready to trigger-happy with the plasma and oh dear, did those moments crack me up, even in my own plays in X-Com and TFtD, I find that one corner with a party and I'm not invited and go "yikes..".
Anyhow, good to meet you folks and thanks for mentioning/introducing the two guys more. As far as map making goes my main interest is in spaceships and things that are alien and fly, just happens that the ships in X-Com games usually are stationary map pieces in battlescape but still awesome.
Hi, Hellrazor. Aye, was kind of noticing that with the nodes on the Abductor and its grav lifts. Sad to say though but the screenshot(s?) in your post are not visible. :-\
Never used IRC but when something comes up, I'll just dive into it and ask. Anyhow, I really should get some sleep because this modding frenzy kept me up from yestarday morning to today's morning.
Jeah I linked them in from dropbox, which for some reasons didn't seemed to work properly...
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Ah. Curious about what those pictures showed. I myself did a few more polishes to the useable small scout outside of battlescape. Mainly added an ufopaedia entry and three images where need be but I ran into this with one of them:
How it should appear:
(https://i.imgur.com/bj1qt4R.gif)
The issue:
(https://i.imgur.com/IErnAad.png)
How it appears wrong with sprite id of 22 (only non-crashing sprite id). Sprite in that picture is a different version of the sprite I made, that's why the shadow textures are missing but that's beside the point as the colors appear all white and not grey and purple.
Ack, the tiny retro one is barely seen so here's a close up view:
(https://i.imgur.com/kAV9RuG.png)
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What palette and editor you used? one of it could messup your graphic.
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Paint.NET is what I use.
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Paint.net does not work correctly with indexed palettes.
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2676.0.html
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Thanks. Wondered why the other mod crafts worked (used them as base to set up my image files) but mine didn't. I may seem lazy with doing searching but that's because of the fatigue. Gonna try those paint tools out.
Yup, copied my scout's base image over to a base image file of a mod craft with mtPaint and instantly the ingame color issue is seen but, ugh. Can't paint something small without zooming in.
Nevermind, but still. For now i just slapped Firestorm's id on it for geoscape and ufopaedia still retains the custom picture of it from battlescape.
This is in the ship's ufopaedia:
(https://i.imgur.com/tO6P4S4.png)
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The crash happens because the game can't place any XCom units on the map.
It's because the floor block isn't calibrated to spawn XCom units.
I fixed it by swapping the tile out for a Skyranger tile. You could alternatively edit the characteristics of the purple tile to make it able to spawn Xcom units, but you'd want to make a copy tile because if you edit the original tile like that you could have soldiers spawning in the alien ship, or cause a crash.
Here's a working mod using the Skyranger tile:
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It's because the floor block isn't calibrated to spawn XCom units.
I fixed it by swapping the tile out for a Skyranger tile. You could alternatively edit the characteristics of the purple tile to make it able to spawn Xcom units, but you'd want to make a copy tile because if you edit the original tile like that you could have soldiers spawning in the alien ship, or cause a crash.
Here's a working mod using the Skyranger tile:
It's nice to see a third person to do it. Hobbes and I already did it in a way so the regular small scout should remain separate from the modded useable/playable one thanks to MCDEdit and MapView route nodes.
On an off note. I'm so worn out today thanks to modding frenzy and updating my OpenXcom install to the latest nightly from 1.0 and also today I realized I can dig up my TFtD install from somewhere on the hard drives and get it running with OpenXcom but that's something for much, much later because I feel like I've just gone through a literal modding hell to the point I'm just happy thinking about the fact that I can boot up the game, start a new campaign and get my Gazer (even though it's and armor, atm) and customized advanced small scout nicknamed "Fhyr" that I made quite OP in terms of stats.
Why OP? Personal gaming reasons coupled with minimizing mental health issues plus I love the idea of one man playable alien army in games. After all I am a being who loves using the Thargoid ships through cheating in Frontier First Encounters (yes I'm that anal about NOT playing as a human, even renamed the OpenXcom mod called Terran Plasma Weapons mod to Furian instead of Terran so I could have different set of OP plasma weapons and not be irked by the human name thing, no offence to the creator of the mod).
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Someone should probably make a super easy mode for people with difficulty playing under normal conditions. I sure could have used that when I was younger. Maybe I'll make such a thing.
Several years ago, I used an attribute editor for Warcraft 1 to make the game playable--I buffed the stats of human units slightly and nerfed orcs slightly. The only tough part at that point was the mission where your humans go up against other humans, but I was able to beat it when I realized the human AI over-uses clerics and ignores archers, so I buffed archers and nerfed clerics.
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Someone should probably make a super easy mode for people with difficulty playing under normal conditions. I sure could have used that when I was younger. Maybe I'll make such a thing.
Several years ago, I used an attribute editor for Warcraft 1 to make the game playable--I buffed the stats of human units slightly and nerfed orcs slightly. The only tough part at that point was the mission where your humans go up against other humans, but I was able to beat it when I realized the human AI over-uses clerics and ignores archers, so I buffed archers and nerfed clerics.
Interesting. I myself like to do it by maxing out/making the character invulnerable in a normal or hard setting, I like having clever/aggressive AI but at the same time a unit/character that cannot be killed and just mow down the opposition. That's just what I consider to be fun, anything too challenging/competitive and that's where my issues with gaming start and it always jolts to crud from there. Trust me I've tried playing games legit and afterwards I feel like driving my keyboard through the monitor or doing a similar harmful thing elsewhere.
Major edit to the original post. Made my own take of the small scout available finally in hopes of getting the geoscape graphics in too and non-messed up ingame ufopedia entry.
EDIT: Nevermind. Had a crash and the cause was one of my attempts at making alien soldiers that I forgot in somewhere. Crash happened while saving a game.
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Trust me I've tried playing games legit and afterwards I feel like driving my keyboard through the monitor or doing a similar harmful thing elsewhere.
I often feel the same way. Usually it's due to the binary nature of punishment in the game. You're doing fine until suddenly you're dead, and you have to retry the spot a few times and die again each time until you figure out what mistake you supposedly made.
I like to change games to preserve the challenge while eliminating the struggle, perhaps by giving the player character(s) more hit points or more time to respond. I've been reasonably satisfied with the toughness of X-Com troops since I am able to use tanks to distract enemies, and also a dead soldier isn't a game over. But there's still a part of me that never likes seeing a soldier be fine one moment and dead the next.
One thing you could do is give your unit low armor but high health and resistances. Then there's still a challenge because you want to avoid being hit, but if you slip up and get hit once, it'll just tick off a bit of HP and you try not to do that again.
You might also toy with using two units. I get not wanting a whole squad, but there's also something to be said for being able to sweep the map. I rarely struggle to find the last alien because by the time I'm done sweeping the map, none have had a chance to slip through.
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(Droggarth: Rest of the post I've read.)
I get not wanting a whole squad, but there's also something to be said for being able to sweep the map. I rarely struggle to find the last alien because by the time I'm done sweeping the map, none have had a chance to slip through.
I'm no more interested in challenge in any game anymore so the concept of challenge and competitions just do not compute for me anymore. If I was able to play as the aliens of X-Com 1, I'd just wreck the whole human planet without a second thought, I just hate humanity in general, I hate challenge, I hate competition and I loathe being stuck in a human body. With that rant out of the way now...
I do use more than one unit in a larger craft but that amount is very small as I have one unit inside my spacecraft as a mind controller whenever my commando unit sees hostiles to reveal if there are more hostiles around the seen hostile, and then I have a second unit somewhere who is there for support, either with mind control if the main mind controller unit has depleted its TUs or if my main commando in combat has still hostiles around and is out of TUs or needs some stamina rest. And it is mandatory for me to first edit all three units of mine with very high stats to make them jack-of-all-trades and skip the whole level-up chore entirely to keep my own sanity intact.
I have tried the high health thing long ago but it puts the wounded unit(s) on a long recovery time and I need my alien commando quickly back in action so I avoid the whole issue by having very high armor points.
Anyway, this got off-topic and right now I'm not sure what is on-topic as I haven't visited this site for a long while now.
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Added missing craft files to my version 0.3 because previous versions were missing that crucial substance due to my at-the-time stressed out state. Good grief, why didn't nobody mention this!? Yikes, I could've fixed it ages ago! :o
Anyhow here's a working (I hope) attachment of my mod, please let me know this time if it works or not. Checked it on my end and it works (then again I use older version of OpenXcom so I'm not sure as I'm not that tech-savvy due to some mental problems).
I've also tweaked the craft's hangar sprite with Aseprite in my current version. And.. to keep things tidy for now, I've added my Gazer Armor mod. Both that and the Fhyr ship are cheat mods basically because that's how I usually roll.
All that aside, I'm not quite the person I was 3 years ago. The old me was too stressed out and angry way too often.
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(https://i.imgur.com/WbrtpCo.png)
Added some shading to it and made shadow look a bit better.
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Thanks! Though my modding skills aren't good enough for some large overhaul. I'm still struggling with making a custom pyramid ship be able to spawn onto battlescape without giving errors. So far it's the routing I have the most issue with, errors seem to be saying the game is not able to spawn xcom units onto it.
A comprehensible short guide to making routes for custom ships would be nice.
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A comprehensible short guide to making routes for custom ships would be nice.
Perhaps you can find some info here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7664.0.html
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All that aside, I'm not quite the person I was 3 years ago. The old me was too stressed out and angry way too often.
I'm glad to hear you're doing better! I've had my fair share of hard times, and happy to say I have mostly been doing better also!
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Perhaps you can find some info here: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7664.0.html
Uh,that Mapping_manual.pdf file there can't be downloaded due to 404 error. :-\
I'm glad to hear you're doing better! I've had my fair share of hard times, and happy to say I have mostly been doing better also!
Thanks! Though my brain hasn't improved much as I'm already having a headache trying to make routes work with that old MapView for a prototype alien craft. Currently I haven't bothered with making a unique looking ship yet, I only have only the bare essentials set up for a new ship with placeholders put in place for modding which is why it looks exactly like the small scout (that bigger one) as I'm trying to understand routing with no results. Game just keeps crashing, unable to spawn X-Com units and I'm no longer sure what the hezmana it wants at this point. The WIP mod file of mine is under this post, feel free to explain it to me in layman's/caveman's terms as I'm at the edge of frustration and at the edge of my wits here. :(
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Still crashes, even with mimicking the placement of routes, elevator and landing legs of the tiny scout but with a bigger saucer on the landing legs. Good grief, please someone tell me what the frell am I missing here
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Got it somewhat working, somewhat.. unfortunately for some reason the craft doesn't spawn with more crew than 1 and it seems to be based on some unwanted RNG that decideds if the craft is wrecked or not. I'm even more confused now
All I ask from this current project is being able to haul 6 troops with X_UFO_111/X-111 prototype saucer without any boll yotz issues which I've been trying to get rid of for 9+ hours now
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*Deep sigh of some relief* Okay, got the 6 crew to spawn! Also managed to get rid of the odd damaged/wrecked states in battlescape. Turns out I missed some crucial MCD modding. That aside I still don't understand routing.
I still need to make custom icons for it and for that I need Lightning's image files to adjust for my new ship as it is in the same size in battlescape as Lightning, where are those files located?
Here's some screenshots:
(https://i.imgur.com/bJZzZUD.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/pnNQqiz.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/uCYQLci.png)
Landing strut cluster:
(https://i.imgur.com/i4jnvKR.png)
Changed it to something better:
(https://i.imgur.com/Q7v3EgM.png)
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Uh,that Mapping_manual.pdf file there can't be downloaded due to 404 error. :-\
Yeah... I attached the file in the opening post instead, you can get it from there: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7664.msg120521.html#msg120521
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Yeah... I attached the file in the opening post instead, you can get it from there: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,7664.msg120521.html#msg120521
Splendid! Downloaded it, will read it after I've gotten some rest and cleared my head. Modding mahyem made my zen out and skip a day so I haven't slept for about 40 hours now
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Got some more progress done, this time with playable super Gazers. Finally was able to make them fly/float properly thanks to PckView and Aseprite! Used one of the existing Gazer walking animations which fit for floating/hovering state:
(https://i.imgur.com/yT9XYm3.png)
Only thing missing now are crouching sprites. :-\
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I made a new playable vehicle Fhyrrian Space Car 1 with a name Fhycrath:
(https://i.imgur.com/wg24S2t.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/d1crcou.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/rvRMUKv.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/w48JgTz.png)
Downloads in the OP (Original Post).
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Got tired of seeing Gazer's legs disappear when crouching so I updated the spritesheet, used existing sprites that looked closest to crouching and slapped them onto previously empty crouching set
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👍 thumbs up! 👍
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Good initiative, but to be honest they don't look kneeling enough.
I cannot say anything productive though, I don't know how they should look... So I just disabled kneeling for Gazers.
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Thanks, I agree that they don't look kneeling enough. Unfortunately I'm not skilled enough to alter that crouch sprite set properly, perhaps I figure something out later down the line but not sure