Messages

2071

Released Mods / Re: [MAPS] (UPDATE v1.4) Hobbes Terrain Mods for OpenXCom

« on: June 18, 2014, 04:43:10 pm »

Version 1.7 published, now including the Native terrain. Should only appear on Terror missions on the southern hemisphere.

2072

Open Feedback / Re: Yaay 1.0 %cough% TFTD %cough yaaay woooo 1.0

« on: June 18, 2014, 09:14:44 am »

If you guys are really that enthusiastic for a hybrid game, essentially the first step is developing and perfecting support for all of TFTD's assets... by which time a TFTD ruleset will most likely be complete and OpenTFTD will be done. So either way it's better to focus on what can be done to code in support for TFTD.

Hybrid game? I thought we were discussing Lovecraftian porn flicks...

2073

Programming / Re: AI & .RMP files

« on: June 18, 2014, 08:20:26 am »

flags (21) are used as a "priority" for patrolling aliens inside the ship, or any alien if there is no UFO. they will search for the connected node with the highest flag value (that they didn't just come from, and no one else is headed to) and try to move towards it, for example: in battleships the commander moves between two nodes with priorities 8 and 9 repeatedly.
note that this is different from byte (23) which is sometimes also called "priority" but is used for SPAWNING and not PATROLLING

reserved (22) is used to denote what kind of behaviour should take place at the node. the only value that means anything here is 5 which means "look for base modules to destroy"

This sums it up basically what I've observed from experience about byte 21 and it's nice to confirm this from the engine itself. I had already written most of this on the UFOPaedia on a Tactical AI page. The value for 5 for byte 22 has also been noticed by others that only occur during base modules although I can't remember exactly to have seen this behaviour .

Thanks for the clarification

2074

Work In Progress / Re: Map Modding Questions

« on: June 18, 2014, 07:09:42 am »

if maxcount = 1 it has 1/n chance, where n is the combined total of probabilities for all the map tile types combined

caveat: being used as a landing zone will NOT decrease its usage count, as the maxCount could potentially be less than the total number needed to fit the ufo and the landing craft

Okie dokie, thanks a lot for the explanation.

So, if I'm understanding correctly then you should use either frequency or maxCount but not both?

2075

Programming / AI & .RMP files

« on: June 18, 2014, 07:07:30 am »

There's an issue that has been an enigma since I started modding maps, which is if the AI use some of values contained on the .RMP files, namely bytes 21 and 22 of each route node (whose function has always been a mystery), and for what propose.

So I'm wondering if someone could shed some light on if and how these 2 values are used. My interest on this comes precisely from designing maps since knowledge about this issue could make new maps a lot more... interesting

2076

Suggestions / Re: What you have done here is a work of art

« on: June 18, 2014, 06:38:16 am »

Another scenario that occurred to me was, with some kind of limit, and the 80 item limit in the main game, there was another strategic decision that came up. With a squad of 24 men, it was generally the case that you knew those 24 men would be spread thin in terms of equipment. You might get, say, a plasma weapon, one clip, and a grenade, with a few more items for spice. However! If you decided you wanted better armed, more elite troops, now there are more decisions to be made. You might purposefully take less men in total in order to better equip those that did come along. This gives the player another reason to use the sometimes maligned HWPs. Or, perhaps you might decide to switch to laser weaponry, specifically to save yourself another 24 items on clips. Now, you've traded some firepower in order to be more versatile. Or you might combine the two, both replacing some men with HWPs, and also choosing to use laser weaponry. Now, you have soldiers that are equipped for a wide variety of situations, but you've sacrificed both pure firepower and boots on the ground (keeping in mind that trained soldiers own HPWs) in order to bring along more secondary equipment. These are the types of decisions you'd expect to see in a game of this type; it's merely happenstance that in X-Com they exist because of an oddly implemented limit on total carried items. I would argue however, that if the nature of the decisions is correct to the game, it doesn't matter that the reason you're making them is to avoid an arbitrary item limit. Really the absurdities only reveal themselves when you start trying to carry 150 rifle clips into battle or give every soldier a half-dozen grenades, three clips, a stun prod, and flares.

The point I'm trying to make in general is, simply removing the item limit wholesale rather than making it more configurable is not quite so obvious a choice as it might seem at first. The item limit had many effects on the game that affected the way one played, and similarly, removing it also has many effects on gameplay, both good and bad.

However, if adding a configurable item limit to transports is too difficult or otherwise not worth the time, perhaps a compromise? A simple counter of total items on the plane in the equip transport screen. This would make it easier on those of us who would like to preserve the kinds of strategic decisions discussed above, whilst not putting entirely on us the responsibility of self-policing item count by manually adding up line-items on the equip screen.

I completely agree with everything said up here.

Yes, the item limit could be annoying, specially during base defense missions where you could end up equipped with only Stun Rods and Flares and I'd say to remove it on that kind of mission since it's nonsense.

But having to choose between 80 items when equipping the Skyranger/Lightning/Avenger is a different matter since it forces you to make hard choices (extra rocket or sidearm? Flares or ammo? HWP or items for 4 soldiers?).

But to me the issue could be solved by adding an option to choose between:
a) Having no 80 items limit
b) Limit applies only to craft
c) Limit applies to craft and base defense

And you can even add more options:
d) Limit for the Skyranger is 80 items, 100 for the Lightning and 120 for the Avenger.

2077

Released Mods / Re: [MAPS] (UPDATE v1.4) Hobbes Terrain Mods for OpenXCom

« on: June 18, 2014, 06:24:34 am »

The port was a very nice idea, I hope to see it work in the future

Why did you had to remember me that Port is my favorite terrain in UFO/TFTD? Why, why, why...

Version 1.6 has been released with the bugs fixed in Port

While fixing Port I noticed that 2 UFO2000 terrains (Industrial & Railyard) can be added more or less easily since the TFTD tilesets they use have been already converted for UFO, although creating the RMP files for them will take some work. I think I'll focus on them since they'll also allow me to test maps different that the usual 10x10 and 20x20.

2078

Work In Progress / Re: Map Modding Questions

« on: June 18, 2014, 04:35:23 am »

frequency is the odds of it's occurrence, maxcount is the maximum number of times it can be used.

if maxcount = 3 it has 3/n odds of being picked. if it is picked, the next time it will have 2/n odds.
if frequency = 3 it has 3/n odds of being picked.

Ah ha! Thanks, I'm going to update the wiki with that info.

So if maxcount = 1 then it has 3/1 odds of being picked the first time?

2079

Open Feedback / Re: Yaay 1.0 %cough% TFTD %cough yaaay woooo 1.0

« on: June 18, 2014, 04:01:44 am »

I vote for an hybrid game

I vote for such game to be called TUFTFOD: Terror Unknown From The Flying Object Deep!

2080

Released Mods / [WEAPONS] Anyone interested in adding M-16, AK-47 and other real weapons?

« on: June 18, 2014, 01:06:32 am »

I've got in my computer a number of files that were used by the UFO2000 project (a multiplayer version of UFO) which include the sprites and inventory weapons on .png format for the following weapons (includes ammo clips):

*BA50 rifle
*M-16 assault rifle
*AK-47 assault rifle
*M-4 carbine
*FAMAS assault rifle
*G-3 assault rifle
*MP5 SMG
*SA80 assault rifle
*SAW LMG

Plus, there's also graphics for bazooka, M16 + M203 Grenade Launcher, Claymore mines, Glock/P227 pistols and a couple more.

I wasn't the designer for these images and they were only authorized for use in UFO2000 and I don't have time to implement them but if someone is interested I can give the email of the guy who originally designed them for you to contact, and if he authorizes, I'll share the files.

Any takers?

EDIT: meanwhile, this has been posted elsewhere and it seems you don't need to ask permission as long as you credit the images.

2081

Released Mods / Re: [MAPS] (UPDATE v1.4) Hobbes Terrain Mods for OpenXCom

« on: June 18, 2014, 12:49:51 am »

but forgot to adjust the deployment level for the Avenger and Lightning, resulting in the game trying to place a ship into 15 feet of dirt.

That's what I call a rough landing 

2082

Released Mods / Re: [MAPS] (UPDATE v1.4) Hobbes Terrain Mods for OpenXCom

« on: June 18, 2014, 12:31:24 am »

I suppose that last building will not be compatible with OXC due to the height level limit, am I right?

What's the height level limit? Still 4 levels?

2083

Work In Progress / Re: Map Modding Questions

« on: June 18, 2014, 12:21:19 am »

thanks

i apologize but i do not know previous version of mapview

I use it as a map viewer but i see a lot of features:

Tiles are limited to 255 as you said in an other post

Yup, I use an older version but the funcionalities look the same.

I have definitely no competence in map creation, but your question frightened me, given that I mod some missions to be 50X80 (or 80X50)
What will happen if I decide to mod a 50X80 mission with elements that are 20X10, even 20X20 ?

The side of the Battlescape shouldn't be an issue since the engine most likely arranges the possible map blocks according to the mission defined space. My question has to do with the sizes for the individual map blocks and how they are used during the battlescape generation. Usually the larger blocks (20x20 and bigger) are placed first, in random positions, and afterwards the rest of the free space is filled by the smaller 10x10 blocks. This usually also allows to have rectangular shaped maps but I never tried using 10x20 or bigger with the original game or OXC and I don't know how the engine works exactly.

isa there a 30x30 map somewhere ?
i always wanted to test if i could get a 3x3 hangar with space for 4 crafts to work i have a fair idea how to do the geoscape stuff but no idea how to make a base-attack-map

You mean you need a 30x30 map to be used during base defense missions that is capable of holding 4 craft?

Would you also like to have a couple of Skyrangers to be present on the map during the base mission? Although with 4 of them it might get a little crowded...

2084

Released Mods / Re: [MAPS] (UPDATE v1.4) Hobbes Terrain Mods for OpenXCom

« on: June 17, 2014, 11:57:04 pm »

Meanwhile, I've done a ton of work today and finished adding more tiles to Mad City as well as starting work on the upgrade to Dawn City. I think I can tell now for sure that things are going to get big with Dawn City. I'm not going to promise anything at the moment since this will require a lot of work but I'll post a few of UFO2000's maps for you guys to get an idea of what I'm talking about

2085

Work In Progress / Re: Map Modding Questions

« on: June 17, 2014, 09:19:04 pm »

A few additional questions:

6) Map sizes need to be in multiples of 10 (10x10, 20x20, I'm guessing 30x30 and higher as well) but do they need to be square or can they be rectangular shaped (10x20, etc.)?
7) What is the difference between frequency and MaxCount in the rulesets?