[TC][OXCE][I.D.T.] Terminator: Tech-Comm - Alpha

[Hobbes]

Tech-Comm Alpha updated to v0.29 - http://www.mediafire.com/file/ayeqcuvo3chilv4/TechComAlpha.zip

The Terminator music has been moved a separate download - you can get it here. Just extract the zipped file to \Documents\OpenXCom\Mods\

Change Log for v0.29
* Added buy/sale prices to rocket launchers
* Fixed bug responsible for crash when placing new 2x2 facilities
* Geoscape borders adjusted
* Changed starting soldiers to 25 and removed advanced ammo from starting Osprey
* Added requirements to advanced facilities and weapons
* Fixed bug with Prowler craft weapons
* Added more craft sprites by efrenespartano (and more to come)
* All major continents are now minimally playable, with the exception of Arctic/Antarctica (will come later)
* Skynet missionScript changed to take into account the entire world
* All Skynet missions/HKs/sites now don't generate negative points, making it impossible to lose the game through score (it's temporary, will be changed in the future)
* More Intelpedia articles
* More original strings converted
* Skynet terminator weapons now require research before use
* Removed music files, they're now available as a separate download

[efrenespartano]

Tech-Comm Alpha updated to v0.29 -

Great! A new update always makes me happy. 

Change Log for v0.29

* Fixed bug responsible for crash when placing new 2x2 facilities

Yes, fixed!

* Added buy/sale prices to rocket launchers

The rocket laucher crashes, aparantly this is caused by STR_SMALL_ROCKET not found.

* Changed starting soldiers to 25 and removed advanced ammo from starting Osprey
* Added requirements to advanced facilities and weapons

Yes, yes, I like this too.

* Fixed bug with Prowler craft weapons
* Added more craft sprites by elfrenespartano (and more to come)

The Prowler it's still crashing.
Hahaha by the way, I'm efrenespartano, because my name is Efren. 
And yes, i have many new sprites to add in the new updates. 

* Geoscape borders adjusted
* All major continents are now minimally playable, with the exception of Arctic/Antarctica (will come later)
* Skynet missionScript changed to take into account the entire world

I've tried Western Europe, Siberia, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. All of they work! At least, in all of that countries I found HKs who tried (and failed) to shoot my crafts. AWESOME!
The machine hunt has become global. 

* More Intelpedia articles

I'm working in backgrounds for this new Intelpedia articles. 

* Removed music files, they're now available as a separate download

Great, now we have a smaller download!

I liked the new update, it was worth the wait time. The mod is on the right way, Hobbes. It's an honor to be part of this project. 

[Hobbes]

The rocket laucher crashes, aparantly this is caused by STR_SMALL_ROCKET not found.

Just uploaded a new version that fixes this

The Prowler it's still crashing.

And now this is fixed, it had the wrong dogfight image assigned. I had fixed something else regarding the weapons carried.

Hahaha by the way, I'm efrenespartano, because my name is Efren. 

Sorry man! Fixed

I've tried Western Europe, Siberia, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. All of they work! At least, in all of that countries I found HKs who tried (and failed) to shoot my crafts. AWESOME!

Good thing you didn't try the Middle East or Indonesia

The strategic layer has definitely changed a bit.

I'll update the Tips post later with some important info about the resistance missions - the red/cyan marked ones last for 30 days, for instance, so that it's possible to build a base nearby to get to those sites.

I'm working in backgrounds for this new Intelpedia articles. 

Nice!

I liked the new update, it was worth the wait time. The mod is on the right way, Hobbes. It's an honor to be part of this project. 

Glad to have you aboard

[efrenespartano]

And now this is fixed, it had the wrong dogfight image assigned. I had fixed something else regarding the weapons carried.

Oh, I didn't even imagine that! :0

Sorry man! Fixed

Haha no problema.

Good thing you didn't try the Middle East or Indonesia


I'll update the Tips post later with some important info about the resistance missions - the red/cyan marked ones last for 30 days, for instance, so that it's possible to build a base nearby to get to those sites.

Hahaha no, not even Skynet dares to settle there. They would face retalation missions every day. 

---------------------------------------------------
I've just finished the generic sector reports. I researched military bases and stuff like that to add realism to the reports, hope you like them. If they are too abundant or you would like to change something, feel free to do it.

WARNING: Spoilers in attached file, read with caution.

[Hobbes]

I've just finished the generic sector reports. I researched military bases and stuff like that to add realism to the reports, hope you like them. If they are too abundant or you would like to change something, feel free to do it.

Just had a read and I'm impressed by your writing work. It will later have to be slightly adapted to the final mission structure but I won't change anything more than correcting typos and such.

The sector reports are unlocked through research, and for each sector there will be 5-6 reports, each revealing one or more possible locations for Skynet bases. There will be some sort of a limit on the number for reports for each individual sector that a player can get in a campaign though.

And I'll also implement another type of reports, that when researched will unlock missions at specific sites (to recover weapons, intel, craft, etc.), like you hint on your descriptions.

Question: would you be interested in seeing the actual possible locations for Skynet bases on Geoscape, or would that be too much spoilers for you?

[efrenespartano]

Just had a read and I'm impressed by your writing work. It will later have to be slightly adapted to the final mission structure but I won't change anything more than correcting typos and such.

Thank you so much! I really care for the story. I don't know how to code, but I know how to write.
Haha sorry for the bad english, i'm a spanish-speaking. Almost everything is writted by myself, that's why some words are incorrect.

The sector reports are unlocked through research, and for each sector there will be 5-6 reports, each revealing one or more possible locations for Skynet bases. There will be some sort of a limit on the number for reports for each individual sector that a player can get in a campaign though.

I agree with this idea.  Adds some replay to the mod.

And I'll also implement another type of reports, that when researched will unlock missions at specific sites (to recover weapons, intel, craft, etc.), like you hint on your descriptions.

Sounds great! If you want, I can write them too.

Question: would you be interested in seeing the actual possible locations for Skynet bases on Geoscape, or would that be too much spoilers for you?

Yes, I would like to help you writing some of the especific reports for each sector, based on the possible locations. I know that will be a little predictable if you already know where the Skynet HQ is located in the Urals, per example. But to make this congruent, the Resistance has many years watching some bases, so they already know where the enemy is.

Don't worry about me for the spoilers, I don't care much about them. I still enjoy the mod, even if I know how it works.


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[efrenespartano]

While reviewing the document that I attached in the morning, I noticed that it was the first version I had made. I added to this post the updated version, it includes a couple of corrections in some sectors and information from sector 21, Antarctica.

[Hobbes]

While reviewing the document that I attached in the morning, I noticed that it was the first version I had made. I added to this post the updated version, it includes a couple of corrections in some sectors and information from sector 21, Antarctica.

Thanks!

Over the next days I'm going to use this to do some design/implementation work on research/missions.

[efrenespartano]

Thanks!

Over the next days I'm going to use this to do some design/implementation work on research/missions.

You're welcome!

I was thinking about what use to give to all the images I have collected for use in Intelpedia. I'm making a list to assign an image to each report.

Spoiler:

For example, for the Tech-Comm report is a picture of the Future War scene from T2 of John Connor and the minigunner by his side.

At first I considered using post apocalyptic photos of cities for the backgrounds of the sector reports, but I did not find many, I'm better taking screenshots of the Geoscape regions. But I have some very good photos of Moscow, Tokyo, New York and Berlin destroyed. Do you think we can give them some use?

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[Hobbes]

At first I considered using post apocalyptic photos of cities for the backgrounds of the sector reports, but I did not find many, I'm better taking screenshots of the Geoscape regions. But I have some very good photos of Moscow, Tokyo, New York and Berlin destroyed. Do you think we can give them some use?

Before I edited the post about the debug mode, I had written that because of the specialized part of the reports I'd like to use Geoscape images of the regions, with terminator markers to show the areas where possible bases can be found. It's more useful to the player this way than mentioning cities/locations in Siberia/Indonesia/Africa that no one has ever heard about.

As for the photos of Moscow/etc., those can definitely be used somewhere. One good reference to have an idea of the background images that will be required is this: https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/BACK01.SCR-BACK17.SCR

It shows the background images used on the original game: BACK06 to BACK11 don't need to be replaced right now, but all the other ones will need their own Terminator image (some already have something)

[efrenespartano]

Before I edited the post about the debug mode, I had written that because of the specialized part of the reports I'd like to use Geoscape images of the regions, with terminator markers to show the areas where possible bases can be found. It's more useful to the player this way than mentioning cities/locations in Siberia/Indonesia/Africa that no one has ever heard about.

Yes, you are right. I didn't even knew about Yekaterinburg haha.

Are you going to make different pages of the Intelpedia for the specialized reports?

As for the photos of Moscow/etc., those can definitely be used somewhere. One good reference to have an idea of the background images that will be required is this: https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/BACK01.SCR-BACK17.SCR

It shows the background images used on the original game: BACK06 to BACK11 don't need to be replaced right now, but all the other ones will need their own Terminator image (some already have something)

Yes, I'll check them and remplace them with a proper image.

EDIT: BACK11.SCR is used for all of the UFO Research pages. My idea is use a single different image for every entry, could be this possible? Or I need to use a single image for all of them?

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[Hobbes]

Are you going to make different pages of the Intelpedia for the specialized reports?

Do you mean the page layout? If so, at the current time I'm simply using the existing layouts (BACK06 to BACK11) since I'm not sure if it possible to add new ones.

[efrenespartano]

Do you mean the page layout? If so, at the current time I'm simply using the existing layouts (BACK06 to BACK11) since I'm not sure if it possible to add new ones.

No, I did not really mean that. I'm talking about of the image that you uploaded the other day, the Report of Sector 02, the generic information and below the tactical information of the location of the HKs. My question is about whether you will separate the generic reports from the specific ones in different pages or they will be separated (which you say will be unique for each game)

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[Hobbes]

No, I did not really mean that. I'm talking about of the image that you uploaded the other day, the Report of Sector 02, the generic information and below the tactical information of the location of the HKs. My question is about whether you will separate the generic reports from the specific ones in different pages or they will be separated (which you say will be unique for each game)

Good question.

My current idea is to only have the specific sector reports, which consist of generic information (the descriptions you already wrote) and the specialized part (location of bases). They'd shown up in the Intelpedia like:
* Sector 00 Report A
* Sector 00 Report B
* Sector 00 Report C
etc.

But, since we're merely using images to display the location of bases, then it might make more sense to have a general report (description + sector image) and then the specialized ones (just images showing the possible locations for bases).

Which would make more sense to you?

[efrenespartano]

But, since we're merely using images to display the location of bases, then it might make more sense to have a general report (description + sector image) and then the specialized ones (just images showing the possible locations for bases).

Which would make more sense to you?

But, all in different pages, right?

Actually, I like the second idea, it makes sense. Thus, we will not overload text on a single page and the specific reports can be even more detailed. It is important that they are clear to the player.

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