Enemies Spawning Inside the Craft?

[TaxxiDriver]

I was searching for crafts in other mods, and tried testing various transporters in Piratez mod. Everything worked beautifully, except the craft called 'Miner'. Note that I didn't install the full mod: I just copied (1) the map and routes files (2) corresponding extrasprites (3) of course, ruleset.

Every other crafts worked perfectly fine, but the problem with the Miner was that enemies spawn inside the craft!!! Holy crab... I found nothing unusual other than the fact that the craft uses XBASE1 terrain files, and the craft has a ground level inside. Does anyone have any idea how could this happen? If there is a way to define a region where enemies can spawn, then perhaps I can handle it...

I'm pretty sure that in the full mod the problem doesn't exist. I'm also pretty sure I've done nothing wrong since every other crafts works perfectly fine. MAYBE I didn't copy enough files: I've only copied 2 files for it. One for the map, one for the routes. I couldn't see any additional XBASE terrain files (there were XBASS files though ), but who knows?

Any idea that seems to be helpful would be great

P.S. The reason I put this question on this general board is that I rather want to know if there is a way to define the region enemies can spawn. I mean if I can make them into the craft, maybe I can make them a bit more away from the craft...?

[Hobbes]

You should report this to robin on the Piratez mod thread, if you haven't done so already, so that he is aware sooner about this issue.

As for your last question, you can define where enemy/friendly units spawn by editing the .RMP files through MapView, but it some missions the unit generation rules are hardcoded, IIRC.

[robin]

robin on the Piratez mod thread

Piratez mod is from Dioxine!

[Hobbes]

Piratez mod is from Dioxine!

Awwww, sorry, sorry, sorry. I stand corrected 

[TaxxiDriver]

You should report this to robin on the Piratez mod thread, if you haven't done so already, so that he is aware sooner about this issue.

I did send him a message before. I didn't post this on the thread since I haven't notified any such a big issue about the craft on the thread, so I was rather reluctant: maybe after all it's just because I've done something wrong and I haven't even installed the full mod anyway. I couldn't trust my skills yet

So could you tell me where the MapView is? I've seen many people talking about it, but on the tool section there's only one luke83's thread about it and I can't see any such a program...

[Hobbes]

I did send him a message before. I didn't post this on the thread since I haven't notified any such a big issue about the craft on the thread, so I was rather reluctant: maybe after all it's just because I've done something wrong and I haven't even installed the full mod anyway. I couldn't trust my skills yet

So could you tell me where the MapView is? I've seen many people talking about it, but on the tool section there's only one luke83's thread about it and I can't see any such a program...

It's Dioxine you should msg, not robin (my mistake).

You can get the Win 7 version of MapView https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1321.msg23519#msg23519. It's the Release.rar attachment

[TaxxiDriver]

It's Dioxine you should msg, not robin (my mistake).

I indeed sent him correctly

You can get the Win 7 version of MapView https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1321.msg23519#msg23519. It's the Release.rar attachment

Thank you very much! Oh man, but it seems to take quite a lot of time to get used to it, even with the tutorial link given at a post in the thread. I think I'd better wait for Dioxine's answer just in case I'll start trying it, though.

[Hobbes]

Thank you very much! Oh man, but it seems to take quite a lot of time to get used to it, even with the tutorial link given at a post in the thread. I think I'd better wait for Dioxine's answer just in case I'll start trying it, though.

I've been using MapView for years. Ask if you need any explanation.

[TaxxiDriver]

I've been using MapView for years. Ask if you need any explanation.

That's very kind of you And yes, I need help... I do not even know how I should assign the path: one for the UFO and one for the TFTD it says but I have no idea. I just assigned the openXCOM folder or DATA folder to the first path and nothing to the second path, and the only message I've got is the error message. Later it refused to work so I just erased every files in the folder 'settings' and it's OK now. Even in Luke83's site there doesn't seem to be any install instructions... Is there any instruction in this site about the tool? If not, then maybe I think I'll just have to rely on your kindness from time to time

[Hobbes]

That's very kind of you And yes, I need help... I do not even know how I should assign the path: one for the UFO and one for the TFTD it says but I have no idea. I just assigned the openXCOM folder or DATA folder to the first path and nothing to the second path, and the only message I've got is the error message. Later it refused to work so I just erased every files in the folder 'settings' and it's OK now. Even in Luke83's site there doesn't seem to be any install instructions... Is there any instruction in this site about the tool? If not, then maybe I think I'll just have to rely on your kindness from time to time

Those paths should point towards the folders where you have UFO (and TFTD) installed, not OpenXCom.

If necessary you can manually edit them by opening the Paths.pth on /settings file with Notepad. But since you deleted everything it's better to copy back the files from the .rar file. My Paths.pth file has this inside:

Code: [Select]

${tftd}:D:\Terror
${ufo}:D:\UFO
mapdata:D:\UFO\settings\MapEdit.dat
images:D:\UFO\settings\Images.dat
useBlanks:false
cursor:${tftd}\UFOGRAPH
First two lines define the location of the UFO and TFTD game folders, next two where MapView is installed (I recommend unzipping it to the UFO folder, rather than the OpenXCom).

[TaxxiDriver]

Those paths should point towards the folders where you have UFO (and TFTD) installed, not OpenXCom.

Thanks Now it seems to work. All I have to do is to put some time into it, but so many things to do in December

If necessary you can manually edit them by opening the Paths.pth on /settings file with Notepad.

Ha, that was dumb of me. Why didn't I even try to open anything in the folder lol

[TaxxiDriver]

Could you tell me how to open the new map files? From Luke83's site, it says

NOTE: IF you create your own Tileset ( or you borrow someone else's) you will first need to add the Tile sets Name into the Image.dat file , then you need to add them to your maps "Image List" via the Mapedit.Dat file OR through the Mapview "Map Files " Tab.

So I first opened the Image.dat file. I think it has something to do with terrain files, and the mining ship doesn't have additional terain files, so I just passed it. Next, I opened the Mapedit.Dat file. Now if you look at the Piratez ruleset, the code is something like

Code: [Select]

    battlescapeTerrainData:
      name: MINER
      mapDataSets:
        - BLANKS
        - AVENGER
        - LIGHTNIN
        - XBASE1
      mapBlocks:
        - name: MINER
          width: 10
          length: 20

and it only adds one map file and one routes file. I don't know what to do about the routes file since there's any command line that says 'routes' or something. Instead, in the Mapedit.Dat file, there was something like

Code: [Select]

Tileset:UFO - Ships
type:1
rootpath:${rootPathUFO}
rmpPath:${rmpPathUFO}
blankPath:${blankUFO}
palette:ufo
files:XCom
PLANE:plane
LIGHTNIN:LIGHTNIN
AVENGER:AVENGER

so I just naively wrote down MINER:MINER right down the AVENGER:AVENGER. And of course, it wouldn't work! The title 'MINER' does appear on the left side of the mapview, but when I click it an error message pops up.

P.S. Dioxine answered to me that indeed it's a known bug. I'm trying to get rid of the spawning node of it for aliens



[/code]

[Hobbes]

You have two ways of adding new maps/terrain files:
1) By using the Edit - Paths option on the menu (but it doesn't work for the mapDataSets)
2) By manually editing the MapEdit.dat and Images.dat files

First, a mod can either use the original tilesets and/or new ones. Tilesets are called mapDataSets on OpenXCom and they are composed of a .MCD, .PCK and .TAB files, all with the same name like AVENGER or DESERT. If a mod uses new mapDataSets then you'll have to add them to Images.dat for MapView to recognize them. In your case you won't need to do anything since the MINER map only uses original mapDataSets.

Next, you'll need to assign mapDataSets for maps in order for MapView to be able to display them. The issue when you added MINER:MINER is that you assigned the MINER mapDataset to the MINER map but that mapDataSet doesn't exist since the MINER map uses the BLANKS, AVENGER, LIGHTNIN, XBASE1 mapDataSets.

The easier way (until you figured out MapEdit.dat) is to use Edit - Paths - MapFiles tab. Click to expand  UFO Ships, then right click on XCom and choose 'Add New Map'. After selecting the Miner map it will appear on the list under XCom, click on it and select the Images (mapDataSets) it requires (use the < button to assign them) - keep in mind that their order matters. After you've done click Save. The Miner map should be available for viewing in Map View

[TaxxiDriver]

Thanks I'm outside now so I'll check it as soon as I can.

And also thank you for keep answering my questions. I could have just sent you PM but I found there is no organized instruction for using several great modding tools, so I thougt perhaps this thread could be helpful for future gamers. And it's quite shameful if one compares it to the amazing modability of the openXCOM...

P.S. Sorry for the previous post. Didn't I really even notice the whole white mess...

[TaxxiDriver]

OK, I think I got the idea. But I still have some questions!

(1) It almost seems to work. But the graphic tile isn't shown at the main screen. I at first thought it's because I haven't added the mysterious 'BLANKS': it wasn't on the availabe map files. But everything worked fine. For curiosity's sake, I added the word 'BLANKS' in the MapEdit.dat, but then it just crashed. So is it natural for the graphic to be not shown? If I click the Avenger or Lightning, the overal hull can be shown on the main screen, unlike the Miner.

(2) So there are Top, Tile, Rmp view, and it's impossible to see all of them at one screen at the same time. Is there any way to see them all at once? (I'm wondering if there is a way but it's just me not being able to find how to do it).

(3) Here's the picture of the RmpView. My mission is to get rid of the nodes where the enemies spawn: I've seen them spawning on the ground floor and on the 1.5 floor or something (they spawned on a stair up to the second floor, I guess).
  But before removing anyting, I'm just getting more and more curious. So the 'type' seems to be a factor deciding which can pass the point and which cannot. Then what does the 'rank' do? Does it decide which units to be spawned? But I've never seen a civilian spawning inside the craft, unlike the aliens, and the rank is set to '0: civilian' (or civ-scout, whatever it means). Lastly, there's also that 'any' part on the 'use info' section. So I think it's a factor deciding which can pass through the line between the nodes. Then... which factor decides which unit to be spawned? Maybe those numbers in the 'spawn' but then I have no clue which refers to which

Thanks as always