[COMMENDATIONS] UFOPedia Mod 3.2 (Updated by hellrazor)

[ivandogovich]

Edit by Meridian: latest version 3.2 is attached to this post: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3048.msg133802.html#msg133802 or https://openxcom.mod.io/commendations

Edit: 7/16/2017  hellrazor graciously updated this mod for the latest nightly builds.  (Thanks!!)  I've added it the to this post as Commendations_v2.1.zip
To use the newest build, ignore any instructions below from earlier versions of this mod.  If you have a Nightly version newer than June 20, 2017 simply unzip Commendations_v2.1.zip into your Mods folder and enable from the Main Menu (Advanced>Mods).  There is no more need for Shoe's custom .exe because Soldier Diaries and Commendations code has been integrated into the nightlies.

Edit: 11/28/2015 With  Stat-Tracking now merged into the Nightlies, I have uploaded the Medal Template file that I used in creating the UFOPEDIA medal images.  Feel free to use it to create your own awesome medals!!!

Commendations UFOPedia Read Me:

What is this mod all about?

This mod is a supplement to the excellent mod by Shoes called Commendations.  Commendations relies on a custom executable for OpenXcom called Stats/Soldier Diaries  (<< this is a link. Click it.).  Together these mods from Shoes track a soldier's combat history and the Commendations mod, awards them medals based upon time in service, number and type of kills etc.

 

This Commedations UFOPedia Mod aims to make this experience a little more immersive by adding a section in the UFOPedia that explains the different awards in greater detail with additional flair text.

What is included?

The first thing that is included is the "/Resources/Medals" folder.  In this folder are all of the back ground images for the UFOPedia entries.  These have custom artwork with enlarged ribbons and medallions for each commendation.

There is also a new ruleset: CommendationsUFOpedia.rul which sets up the UFOPedia sections and adds all the flavor text. 


What changed in this mod?

There is only one change that this mod makes to the vanilla commendations mod.  Two of the commendation ribbons are switched to match the new UFOpedia images:
   
   Honor Cross  (/Commendations/medal_105.png )
   Weapon Proficiency   (/Commendations/medal_107.png)
   
   The images have been renamed and replaced in the /Commendations folder.


How do I use this?

Simply copy the /Resources/Medals and the /Resources/Commendations folder into your /Resources folder in your OpenXcom location.  Copy the rulesets into the corresponding /Rulesets location as well.  Enable the CommendationsUFOpedia mod in OpenXcom from the Options screen.

• OpenXcom>Geoscape>Ufopedia>Weapons&Equipment
• OpenXcom>Geoscape>Ufopedia>Commendation Entries

Once you are in OpenXcom from the Geoscape, open the Ufopaedia.  All Commendation entries are in the "Weapons and Equipment" section at the bottom of the list.   "Commendation Entries" Section.  Heavy Weapons Platforms have been moved to the previous category, in version 2.0 allowing for an entire section devoted to the Commendations.


I can see the Ufopedia Entries but there are no names or commendations for my soldiers! Help!  What do I do?

Set your language to English- US on the Video tab of the Options menu.  (Edit: Version 2.0 Now includes support for English - UK).

This mod needs Shoes' Stat Tracking/Soldier Diaries Mod.  https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1718.0 
 It includes "Commendations."   My Commendations UfoPedia mod won't work with out them.   Please install Shoes' mod at this that link, then try Commendations Ufopedia again.

Spoiler:

What is coming?

Shoes is planning on developing an additional UFOPedia section in his custom executable that will be specifically for commendations.    Version 2.0 now adds a "Commendation Entries" section to the UFOpedia and moves the HWPs to the first category.




Additionally, he may chose to merge this mod into his Commendations Mod.  At that point the CommendationsUFOpedia Mod will be obsolete and no longer needed.  I have made this a standalone mod for testing and distribution only, mostly as a way to give something back to this awesome project.


Can I modify this?

You are welcome to modify this in anyway.

Can I help?

The en-GB is a copy and paste in this mod  and could maybe use an overhaul.  It should be consistent with the vanilla Commendations mod ruleset en-GB, translation. 
Any and all other translation efforts are completely welcome.


Thanks to Shoes for the awesome Commedations Mod!  Thanks also to those folks in the forums that provided feedback and input as I tackled this project.  Some of these fine individuals are Dioxine, Xracer, Arthanor, falko, Solarius Scorch, XOps, Moriarty, RandomCommander, and Vulgar Monkey.

Is there anything else here?

Yes there is!  I have created another mini-mod with three new commendations.  They are included in a separate ruleset with resources.


The ruleset is Commendations_added_ID.rul.  This ruleset adds 3 additional commendations for a bit of extra immersion.  These are Sapper, Melee, and Sectopod.  Because the Melee kill award relies on custom weapons (combat knife, etc) I have separated these from the main ruleset.  You are certainly free to use them, or modify them etc.

With the modsite back up, I've posted this mod there as well. : https://www.openxcom.com/mod/commendations-ufopedia-mod

[xracer]

Awesome mod, can't wait to try it out

[Helmet_Hair]

I can't get this to work. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have activated the mod, placed the stuff where it is supposed to go... and well. I can see the medals in the ufopedia, some have the right name but some just look wrong. When I open the medals I have no texts. It says STR_MEDAL_ALIEN_BASE_ASSAULT and so on.

[ivandogovich]

I can't get this to work. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have activated the mod, placed the stuff where it is supposed to go... and well. I can see the medals in the ufopedia, some have the right name but some just look wrong. When I open the medals I have no texts. It says STR_MEDAL_ALIEN_BASE_ASSAULT and so on.

To quote the first line from the opening post in the thread:

"This mod is a supplement to the excellent mod by Shoes called Commendations.  Commendations relies on a custom executable for OpenXcom called Stats/Soldier Diaries."

Please download and install Shoes' mod "Stat Tracking/Soldier Diaries" here. 

https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1718.0

It includes "Commendations."   My Commendations UfoPedia mod won't work with out them.

Cheers, Ivan

(Edit: I've updated the opening post to try to make this more clear.)

[Helmet_Hair]

I guess I should have clarified that I have actually downloaded and installed Shoes mod.
The mod works as it should. It's the extra fluff you made that don't work, no matter what I do :/

[ivandogovich]

What language are you using?  The mod only has en-US right now.

[Helmet_Hair]

Default English.

This is how it looks for me:

[ivandogovich]

Do you have Shoes' Commendations turned on in the Options?



Edit:  Also it only works with US English:

[Helmet_Hair]

Haha, thanks man. It was the us-english thing. I had uk-english. Thought the game only had english english. I feel kinda stupid now

Finally it works. Good mod!

[ivandogovich]

Haha, thanks man. It was the us-english thing. I had uk-english. Thought the game only had english english. I feel kinda stupid now

Finally it works. Good mod!

Awesome!  I'm glad you could get it working! 

I'd just clone the US English, but I kind of don't want to without help.  There are a number of changes in the UK English version of the mod - .i.e. commendation names, and the obvious British spelling differences.

Cheers, Ivan

[volutar]

Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion for the 24bit->paletted conversion doesn't look good, and doesn't fit conventional xcom gradient.

I recommend using ordered Bayer 4x4. And don't go beyond single colorgroup. Mixing different hues in single gradient looks not really nice. And with HQ filters it will become even worse.

And for medal itself - better not to use any error diffusion, not dithered, nor ordered.
====
Floyd-Steinberg/Ordered:

[ivandogovich]

Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion for the 24bit->paletted conversion doesn't look good, and doesn't fit conventional xcom gradient.

I recommend using ordered Bayer 4x4. And don't go beyond single colorgroup. Mixing different hues in single gradient looks not really nice. And with HQ filters it will become even worse.

And for medal itself - better not to use any error diffusion, not dithered, nor ordered.
====
Floyd-Steinberg/Ordered:

Awesome!!  and thanks for the tip... I wish I understood half of what it meant and how to do what you just said.

[volutar]

These names are just ... algorithms named after inventors.
In the photoshop: To make those gradients look really good, you should use custom (xcom) palette, remove everything except for only "wanted" colorgroups, and simply use "pattern" dithering, instead of "diffusion" dithering.
Then convert them back to RGB and save.
And then use them with medals WITHOUT any dithering.
I know it gonna be pretty used MOD eventually, and it's better to get it looking really neat.

BTW, this "outline" border, and vertical line between the text and image wouldn't hurt too. Just to keep xcom athmosphere.

Cheers.

[ivandogovich]

Thanks, Volutar! I really appreciate the feedback.     I'm learning alot.  There is still a ton I don't know about PhotoShop.   (like deleting colors in the pallette to get rid of the "purple" look).

Here is an example of the current remastered award:
https://i.imgur.com/i0kOK5O.png

Dioxine helped me out with some better backgrounds a while back so the current medals look a little better, and yeah, I did turn off dithering on the medallions.

https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,1718.msg34205.html#msg34205

We didn't go with Pattern dithering.  Maybe the contrast was too great.

Also, I'm using the Alien Lifeform Ufopedia entry for the format.  The location of the text would slightly clip the border at the top, if we used the border similar to what you proposed.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on the eventual mod popularity.

[ivandogovich]

The mod has now been updated to include a English - UK section, and Commendations Entries section in the UFOPedia:

   

YouTube Video Clip of the New Commendations Section:
https://youtu.be/IGWogZ8eyfM?t=32m43s

The New Zipfile is attached in the Opening Post.

Unfortunately the en-GB section is simply a copy and paste from the US section so spellings have not be anglicized, nor any really translation work done there.