Messages

1

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: March 30, 2025, 10:23:49 pm »

Hi everyone, the day has finally arrived!
Today, I'm releasing an early *beta candidate* for the next patch. Stay tuned for the mod portal and the first page, where i'll post the update in a few hours.

### First of all, I want to sincerely thank you all for your patience. 
The past year has been pretty turbulent for me, so I wasn't able to dedicate as much time as I wanted to this project. However, working on it has been an invaluable source of joy and a way to express my creativity. Let me be clear: *this project has never been abandoned, nor will it be.*

### Now, onto the important part: 
🔴 THIS IS NOT THE FINAL VERSION OF THE UPDATE. 🔴 
So please expect: 
- Tons of issues 
- Half-baked features (again) 
- Placeholder elements that will be refined later 

### About this beta: 
- In theory, it can be played in a campaign, but the same tech tree issues from previous patches remain. 
- This fork was created specifically to implement PhilipH's sprite scripts. 
- Tech tree changes have been quarantined in a separate branch to avoid even more instability. 
- The main focus of this beta is gathering feedback on recent graphical changes (e.g., main menu, UFOpedia palette changes). 
- I also tweaked weapon balance, so any feedback on damage values would be greatly appreciated. (Nothing is final—balancing will evolve alongside the research overhaul.) 

### What's working and what's not: 
✅ BigObs dynamic sprites should be working correctly 
✅ More than two-thirds of FloorObs are finished 
⚠️ HandObs still need work—this is where most placeholders are 
🚧 The tech tree remains a major issue, so I'm prioritizing a more coherent and functional research flow over fixing minor visual inconsistencies 

### Lore & Future Plans: 
The entire lore is now fully outlined, including the tone, underlying themes, and even the final ending. 
(And, in the far future... I might have even sketched out a sequel! 😂) 
Huge thanks to @Efrenspartano, who has been invaluable in providing feedback and brainstorming ideas. 

### Final Notes: 
I hope players enjoy testing the mod, and fellow modders feel free to reuse any assets! 
- If you can give credit, that'd be cool—especially for things I borrowed from other modders—but no pressure! 
- If you have any questions or requests, feel free to reach out—I'll be happy to help if I can. 

Enjoy, and thanks again for your support! 🚀

2

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: March 03, 2025, 06:13:38 pm »

Good news, everyone!!! I have some updates to share!

After a few more days of work, I can officially say that all weapon sprite work is done. Every tier, both human and alien, has been fully completed. I even finished earlier than expected, which gave me time to revisit and refine some of the older weapon sprites. 

Weapon Overhaul & Changes:

• Starting Ballistics Tier: The existing rocket launcher has now been split into two separate weapons.
• The original sprite has been repurposed into an AT4 disposable bazooka, lighter and intended as an emergency anti-armor option.
• The classic rocket launcher got a full redesign, now based on the Mk153 SMAW, with rockets redone to match.
• Some Ammo Compatibility Adjustments. Since the rocket launcher is now a different class of weapon, I removed the full cross-compatibility between different "RL" introduced in past patches. Compatibility now only remains between the eXperimental and HYbrid tiers, which are both modeled after the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle.
• Alien weapons now have two distinct ammo lines, which should significantly help with balance.
• Multiple Melee Weapon Improvements.
  
• Their "stashed" sprites now feature a scabbard or holster, making them look properly secured when stored in the inventory.

What's Next???
Now that all BigObs are done, my next focus is getting HandObs and FloorObs fully functional. I want everything working correctly first. I’ll refine minor details later, rather than delaying the update over something like a fifth-tier weapon not recoloring properly in a soldier’s hands. This part might take about a week. 

To keep things moving, I’ve also made the next armor tier barely functional as a placeholder. However, just like everything I initially implemented, these first iterations were a bit rough. Now that I have more experience, I’ll be reworking the paperdoll layering system to integrate my latest ideas more efficiently. This should be much easier since:

• Most of the sprite work is already done—only helmet variations remain.
• I can reuse 80% ~ of the previous layers, saving a lot of time.

Plan Moving Forward:

• Finish and test FloorObs/HandObs.
• Release an early betafor feedback on the new artwork.
• Finalize the tech tree and clean up rough edges.
• Tackle the armor sprite rework and implement long-planned tank sprite updates (more details on this soon!).

Thanks again for all your support and interest in the mod. Stay tuned for more updates! 

3

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: February 13, 2025, 05:03:19 am »

Good news everyone!

Explosives are done both Terran and Alien variants. Next up is properly implementing the feature across the entire alien plasma weapon line along with the Elite (black) variants. Also finishing some tweaks, extra details, and a few loose ideas… like explaining why swords are held upside down in the pocket.

After that, updating both handobs and floorobs should be a breeze.

With those changes in place, I'm considering releasing an extremely early, unpolished, and unfinished (but playable) beta to gather feedback on the recent artwork decisions. After that, I'll move on to wrapping up the implementation of the second tier of armors.

Once those (mostly art-related) goals are complete, I can finally shift focus back to revisiting all the changes I originally planned for (and ironically i might add), the very reason this patch started in the first place—like refining the tech tree, campaign progression, and overarching lore.

As always, thank you all so much for your continued support and interest in the mod!

4

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: February 09, 2025, 09:02:50 pm »

Welp, another weekend, another pass over the project. At this point, I can happily announce that all standard weaponry has been implemented, both Terran and alien equipment now work with the new sprite script.

However, so far, all the work has been done exclusively on bigobs.pck (inventory images). Now, I need to replicate these changes for floorobs and handobs... Thankfully, my foresight in the last patch where I renamed and reorganized my entire resources folder means this will mostly just involve changing a few suffixes and ensuring everything is named correctly, sparing me of the hassle compared to the bigobs implementation (where I was still learning the ropes), this should be much faster.

But, because I just love to complicate things for myself, and with the help and clarifications from Wethan2 over in the IDT Discord, I finally understood how should i implement a system where sprites dynamically change between sheathed and unsheathed depending on whether they're being held or stored in the inventory. That system is now working correctly.

Next, I’ll be tackling explosives and ordnance, where I want to implement dynamic sprite changes based on whether an explosive is primed or still has its safety pins intact. I'm currently struggling with this, but I'm confident I'll find examples to guide me through the implementation.

Thanks again for your interest in the mod! The final update product is really starting to take shape, and I’m feeling very proud of the results so far.

5

Help / Re: Converting 300 gifs to png

« on: February 06, 2025, 07:32:29 am »

I use Aseprite. It keeps the palette untouched and saves me that extra step.

I still have to convert each file one at a time using the 'Save As' tool and then manually add .png. I managed to convert approximately 750 files in about two hours… definitely a hassle, but so far, it's the safest method I've found.

6

Help / [Help Needed] Dinamic sprites script configuration for explosives and melee

« on: February 05, 2025, 05:53:12 am »

Hi everyone, apologies for the long absence. I'm getting back into modding and have a small question regarding Filip H  Ammo script.

With a lot of help from efrenspartano, I managed to implement the changes I wanted for all the gun tiers, but now I’m working on my melee and ordnance sprites, and I need some guidance:

a) I’m looking for a way to make a weapon change its base sprite depending on whether it's held in hand or stashed in the inventory. I tried using foldstock, but I couldn't get it to work.

b) I also need a way to make explosive sprites change based on whether they are primed or not.

I've already created all the necessary artwork, so now it’s just a matter of organizing the index properly. I tried searching on the mod site but didn't have much luck. Hopefully, someone can shed some light on this so I can figure out a solution. Thanks in advance!

attached some samples below

7

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: February 03, 2025, 06:02:46 am »

Just a small update to show some signs of life.

To keep it short, last year, my life took an unexpected 180° turn due to real-life issues. It took a lot of effort to get things back to a more stable and coherent situation, and in the process, I got stuck in a loop where I struggled to wrap up the final touches for the next update. I deeply apologize for the unexpected and unwelcome (yet entirely necessary for my well-being) delay.

I also want to sincerely thank you all for your continued interest and support in the mod. The good news is that work has officially resumed, and this is far from the end—I'm still pushing forward to complete all the improvements planned for this update.

Given the size and scope of the changes, I'll be releasing an early beta version so you can test and provide feedback on some of the new additions. The techtree will be temporarily delayed and won't be included in the beta, but rest assured, it will be completed for the full update.

The beta will be published once I finish implementing Filip H’s ammo script feature, which allows weapon sprites to dynamically change based on the type of ammo loaded, whether the weapon is folded (held in hand or stored in inventory), and, in the case of explosives, whether they are primed and ready to use.

In my opinion, this feature will breathe new life into the mod and significantly enhance the overall artwork. I'm happy to report that all of the required BIGOBS artwork is finished, and about 75% of floorobs and handobs are complete. The remaining 25% is already in place as placeholders, meaning everything should be functional.

So far, I've fully implemented two tiers—starting ballistics is working flawlessly, while the eXperimental tier still has a few minor kinks to iron out (which I'm already working on). These two were the most challenging since I was still learning the ropes and laying the foundation for this overhaul. Now that I’ve got a solid grasp of how everything works, the next ten tiers should be much smoother to implement. I'm particularly excited to reach the melee tier since I've created some designs I'm especially proud of.

With all that said, I just want to thank everyone who's stuck around and kept interest in this mod. Hopefully, the final results will be well worth the wait  .

8

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: January 26, 2025, 10:18:12 pm »

Syntax errors that crash in OXCE 8.0:
- in facilities_reorderAndClean.rul, remove trailing spaces pls
- in craftAndWeapons_reorderAndClean.rul, remove trailing spaces pls

Done, i'll try to finish wrapping up the changes with the dinamic sprites for weapons and try to post an update ASAP. Thanks for your help.

9

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Background Image alternatives for Ufopaedia armor Pages

« on: October 10, 2024, 12:09:47 am »

Done.

Code: [Select]

interfaces:
  - type: articleArmor
    backgroundImage: BACK08.SCR


I haven't been able to test this feature yet, i guess is pending to be added into a future update, right?

sorry for the dumb question.

[Spoiler]

10

OXCE Suggestions DONE / [DONE][Suggestion] Background Image alternatives for Ufopaedia armor Pages

« on: September 25, 2024, 07:44:16 pm »

Hi, sorry for reviving this thread, even if this was solved, i have some imputs related to this general idea. My current work on Xeno Operations can require some of what what Alex_D was asking for (it might be exactly what I need).

For context, in the XENOPS mod, every Ufopaedia image has an intricate background. Therefore, something needed to be done to avoid the plain black background you get when you assign a Ufopaedia page to the armor.

Currently, this is achieved by adding a "dummy" version of the armor with the suffix "DISPLAY," which uses a special custom spriteinv. This sprite is manually created.

This is the REAL ARMOR

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    ufopediaType: STR_PILOT_UFOPEDIA_DISPLAY
    spriteSheet: XOPS_XCOM_0.PCK
    layersDefaultPrefix: HUMAN
    layersSpecificPrefix:
      8: FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    layersDefinition:
      M999: [this repeated a bunch of times, dont need to add it in this post]
    spriteFaceGroup: 6
    spriteFaceColor: &SpriteFaceColorAgent [same as above for this post]
    spriteHairGroup: 9
    spriteHairColor: &SpriteHairColorAgent [same as above]
    customArmorPreviewIndex: 0
    storeItem: STR_NONE
    loftempsSet: [ 3 ]
    corpseBattle:
      - STR_CORPSE_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    frontArmor: 6
    sideArmor: 2
    rearArmor: 2
    underArmor: 2
    stats: &StatsForJumpsuit [avoided, same as above]
    damageModifier: &damageModifierJumpsuit [same as above]
    builtInWeapons:
      - STR_NULL_POCKET_LS
      - STR_NULL_POCKET_RS
      - STR_NULL_BACKPACK
      - STR_NULL_BELT
    units: &CompatibilityWithPilotUnits
      - STR_PILOT
This is the DUMMY

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_PILOT_UFOPEDIA_DISPLAY
    spriteSheet: XCOM_0.PCK
    spriteInv: PILOTUFOPEDIA
    weight: 2
    loftempsSet: [ 3 ]
    frontArmor: 6
    sideArmor: 2
    rearArmor: 2
    underArmor: 2
    corpseBattle:
      - STR_CORPSE_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    stats: *StatsForJumpsuit
    damageModifier: *damageModifierJumpsuit
- If I use the dummy, it shows as expected in the rest of the Ufopaedia [1].
- If I directly add the armor in the ufopedia.rul, it has a black background [2].
- I tried modifying the interfaces.rul to put a custom background by adding the tag "backgroundimage:" hoping to have the Ufopaedia article include that background and then display the unit paperdoll as it usually does, but this was not successful.

Code: [Select]

  - type: articleArmor
    backgroundImage: BACK08.SCR #same as weapons?, for testing
    elements:
      - id: button
        color: 239    # Blueish gray
      - id: text
        color: 8   # chalky
        color2: 71  # green
      - id: list
        color: 6   # grey
        color2: 71  # greenI wish it would work[3] like in the same manner like facility or weapons screens [4], as I already have the "empty" background image ready[5].
(regardless I still use typeufopaedia to signal which article the MMB should open when clicked for all color variants of the same armor).

My issues with the current problem:

Spoiler:

Even though I'm taking advantage of the nodes "&" and "*" to simplify the process of updating stats, I'm now working on adding extra versions of the armors intended for pilots. This requires me to add another EXTRA dummy armor for each one I create, and also a custom image for the specific armor. Due to the compound nature of this images, every little change or tweak I make to the paperdoll requires the whole spriteinv image to be redone entirely.

Expected benefits:

Spoiler:

Simplifying the process of creating new Ufopaedia armor articles with custom-made backgrounds would save me from all the extra work on images and reduce the amount of clutter and unnecessary bloat. In this specific example, around 15 dummy armor definitions and the images related to them would be eliminated. As I mentioned before, every time I change even a single bit, the spriteinv file must be redone to match both versions.

TL;DR:

Spoiler:

1).To have custom background images for the Ufopaedia armor articles, a duplicate dummy armor with a custom spriteinv is currently required.
2).Trying to change the background image associated with "type_id: 5 (armor)" inside the interfaces.rul "articleArmor" doesn't seem to work.
3).Is there anything that can be done about this, or is it entirely hardcoded, forcing me to keep the current approach despite the bloat?

Thank you very much Meridian for any insight.

11

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: [DONE][Suggestion] listOrder on Armors

« on: September 25, 2024, 07:16:36 pm »

Done.

Armors now also have listOrder.

The sorting is FIRST by armor storage item listOrder, and then SECOND by the armor listOrder (if the armor storage item listOrder is the same, or there is no armor storage item).

Simply wonderful, Thank you very much for fullfilling another request.

12

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Option to Define UFO Landing or Crashed Status in Mission Generator

« on: August 12, 2024, 06:55:09 pm »

Implemented as a small toggle button in the top-right corner, see screenshot.

Absolutely wonderful, i'll check it out when i get home later this day 

13

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: [Suggestion] Saving Inventory Loadouts in .rul Files

« on: August 12, 2024, 06:41:27 pm »

and when should the data be copied from *.rul into *sav ?

1. on new game?
2. on every load?
3. on hotkey?
4. something else?

TL;DR:
1. would be more convenient.
3. in case first option doesnt apply into the "new/quick battle" screen.


Long Answer:
If I'm completely honest, my preferred option would be the one that doesn't create an insurmountable hassle to implement. However, I'll leave that decision in your hands, as it's clear you're more knowledgeable about this topic than I am.

1. I think this option might be the most convenient for new players who try mods and find themselves overwhelmed by multiple new weapon additions. It could help mitigate the 'shock' of the sheer number of new options. For veteran players, or in my specific case, most of the time spent in the loadout screen is during the initial setup when creating templates. After that, I just replace weapons as new tiers are unlocked. The critical point, in my opinion, is at the very beginning.

2. I might be completely wrong, but wouldn't this create extra load time, especially in some mega-mods with hundreds of additions? It feels like a less convenient version of option 1, to be honest.

3. This could be an excellent tradeoff, with the added perk that players who create their own exotic loadouts based on their preferred playstyles won't have their lists cluttered with more 'standard and conservative' suggestions. Also, this is the only scenario I can imagine affecting the quick battle generator, right?"

14

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP] Xeno Operations LEGACY

« on: July 26, 2024, 07:26:50 pm »

Those are interesting maps, but what are you going to do with ufopedia craft art?

To be absolutely honest, I don't have the slightest idea. I'm not very skilled at creating large images, especially in the XCOM art style. The best I can do is mix and match some pictures and pass them through a filter to reduce the resolution, hopefully achieving the desired effect. Currently, I'm working on the Firefly image, but I don't want to spend too much time on it since I still have a lot of pending tasks.

[Spoiler]

15

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: [DONE][Suggestion] Image options for the Ufopaedia and armors

« on: July 26, 2024, 06:35:00 pm »

Hi, sorry for reviving this thread. I'm currently working on Xeno Operations and can explain the situation better, as what Alex_D is asking for is exactly what I need.

For context, in the mod, every Ufopaedia image has an intricate background. Therefore, something needed to be done to avoid the plain black background you get when you assign a Ufopaedia page to the armor.

Currently, this is achieved by adding a "dummy" version of the armor with the suffix "DISPLAY," which uses a special custom spriteinv. This sprite is manually created.

This is the REAL ARMOR

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    ufopediaType: STR_PILOT_UFOPEDIA_DISPLAY
    spriteSheet: XOPS_XCOM_0.PCK
    layersDefaultPrefix: HUMAN
    layersSpecificPrefix:
      8: FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    layersDefinition:
      M999: [this repeated a bunch of times, dont need to add it in this post]
    spriteFaceGroup: 6
    spriteFaceColor: &SpriteFaceColorAgent [same as above for this post]
    spriteHairGroup: 9
    spriteHairColor: &SpriteHairColorAgent [same as above]
    customArmorPreviewIndex: 0
    storeItem: STR_NONE
    loftempsSet: [ 3 ]
    corpseBattle:
      - STR_CORPSE_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    frontArmor: 6
    sideArmor: 2
    rearArmor: 2
    underArmor: 2
    stats: &StatsForJumpsuit [avoided, same as above]
    damageModifier: &damageModifierJumpsuit [same as above]
    builtInWeapons:
      - STR_NULL_POCKET_LS
      - STR_NULL_POCKET_RS
      - STR_NULL_BACKPACK
      - STR_NULL_BELT
    units: &CompatibilityWithPilotUnits
      - STR_PILOT
This is the DUMMY

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_PILOT_UFOPEDIA_DISPLAY
    spriteSheet: XCOM_0.PCK
    spriteInv: PILOTUFOPEDIA
    weight: 2
    loftempsSet: [ 3 ]
    frontArmor: 6
    sideArmor: 2
    rearArmor: 2
    underArmor: 2
    corpseBattle:
      - STR_CORPSE_FLIGHT_JUMPSUIT
    stats: *StatsForJumpsuit
    damageModifier: *damageModifierJumpsuit
- If I use the dummy, it shows as expected in the rest of the Ufopaedia [1].
- If I directly add the armor in the ufopedia.rul, it has a black background [2].
- I tried modifying the interfaces.rul to put a custom background by adding the tag "backgroundimage:" hoping to have the Ufopaedia article include that background and then display the unit paperdoll as it usually does, but this was not successful.

Code: [Select]

  - type: articleArmor
    backgroundImage: BACK08.SCR #same as weapons?, for testing
    elements:
      - id: button
        color: 239    # Blueish gray
      - id: text
        color: 8   # chalky
        color2: 71  # green
      - id: list
        color: 6   # grey
        color2: 71  # greenI wish it would work[3] like in the same manner like facility or weapons screens [4], as I already have the "empty" background image ready[5].
(regardless I still use typeufopaedia to signal which article the MMB should open when clicked for all color variants of the same armor).

My issues with the current problem:

Spoiler:

Even though I'm taking advantage of the nodes "&" and "*" to simplify the process of updating stats, I'm now working on adding extra versions of the armors intended for pilots. This requires me to add another EXTRA dummy armor for each one I create, and also a custom image for the specific armor. Due to the compound nature of this images, every little change or tweak I make to the paperdoll requires the whole spriteinv image to be redone entirely.

Expected benefits:

Spoiler:

Simplifying the process of creating new Ufopaedia armor articles with custom-made backgrounds would save me from all the extra work on images and reduce the amount of clutter and unnecessary bloat. In this specific example, around 15 dummy armor definitions and the images related to them would be eliminated. As I mentioned before, every time I change even a single bit, the spriteinv file must be redone to match both versions.

TL;DR:

Spoiler:

1).To have custom background images for the Ufopaedia armor articles, a duplicate dummy armor with a custom spriteinv is currently required.
2).Trying to change the background image associated with "type_id: 5 (armor)" inside the interfaces.rul "articleArmor" doesn't seem to work.
3).Is there anything that can be done about this, or is it entirely hardcoded, forcing me to keep the current approach despite the bloat?

Thank you very much Meridian for any insight.