Prototyping Mod

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?l20z0ax1d47r9y0" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 2.6</a>

well, this version has not alot coding involved, but it's a milestone since it marks the completition of the resource model changes.
here is a summary of that resource model:

- all actions field players can do, or items they can buy, cost p.res (as in vanilla) for the commanders
- all actions / items that are available only for commanders cost t.res (medpack, ammo pack for example)
- tech points multiply now the p.res income for the whole team by the number of captured tech points
- hive / command stations cost 40 res to make them "better" than 3 RTs + 1 techpoint in terms of cost
- p.res for kills is now fixed, 1 res when you have 1 tech point, 2 for 2 tech points etc. (its not random 1-3 p.res anymore)
- introduced team res for kills. you get 1 t.res pre kill
- resource towers cost now 15 res, but their t.res income is slightly increased (so they don't pay off much later than in original NS2)
- to give the alien commander an option to dump his res, he can now drop life-form eggs (players can "use" them and gestate for free, equivalent to weapon/equipment drops)
- to make p.res income not explode, income rate has been change to 0.2 res per 8 seconds (down from 0.25). That means expanding (capture a tech point) with 2 or 3 RTs will become the next best step to increase your economy

Sewlek

i found a stupid bug in version 2.6. Seems that floating numbers in the comm interface cause problems. It's just visual (you don't have suddenly 30000 resource towers), so it is not affecting game play. will be fixed in new version together with:

- MAC mines (i managed to import the ns1 model and coding is almost done)
- PowerPack Electrification
- maybe even proto-lab + jetpacks (depends on twiliteblue)

note please, that this jetpack would not be in any means official. It's custom, although we try to implement it in "the correct way".

if there is enough enthusiasm i might export the ns1 heavy armor and include it aswell. but I think I should ask for permission from uwe first :)

Kurrine

Since you already imported the mine without asking, I guess go for it! I miss those heavy clunk footsteps and bulky gauntlets. It's not like it'll be the same implementation as theirs in NS2 anyways, unless you're going to attempt to add the weapons too.

Sewlek

well, the mine is something else somehow. it's small, barely visible and might not even be included officially in ns2. but JP / HA (exosuit) will come and a complete player models ripped from the previous ns will be an eye catcher (positive or negative). also, i didn't release the mine yet, so I still have time to ask for permission :)

Kurrine

It looks like mines will be anyways, it's part of the command HUD right now, and I don't see any reason yet why it wouldn't be in. I guess it'd be polite to ask either way, I'm sure they'll have no problem with it, it's an asset from a free game being used in another of their own games.

Sewlek

they have no problem with it. just asked today. so i can also use onos / ha / jp whatever i want

Sewlek

im still having problems getting the textures on the mine... tried various things know, but i always end up using either absolute file paths (what I don't want) or wrong file paths (what i also don't want.

my recent error messages when opening up in viewer:
<i>
Couldn't open file 'models/marine/mine/mine2.material'
Couldn't open file 'models/marine/mine/mine1.material'
</i>

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?6mcj3rw5vnp207k" target="_blank">here is a zip</a> file with all content required to compile the model. any help would be appreciated!

I included a milkshape model file, the exported dae (maybe the error is there?), psd texture files and a compile.bat with CompileModel.exe. Builder is not working here, I don't know why (I did setup correctly. but anyway, I needed another version of nvcompress aswell (was not compatible), so I have to to everything by hand.

I managed once to display the .material files in the model viewer. I was ignoring certain parameters for compilemodel.exe which resulted in absolute file paths for those files (stored in .model). now judging from the error message and 1 day trial and error later I think im already close to the solution, but I don't want to waste any more time for this :)

so please, if anyone has the time, take a look at it.

Sewlek

update: omg, i solved it. I copied the .material file in the ns2 folder, instead of my mod folder. now its working.
But that's not my fault I would say? :D

edit: I revert that, it was my fault. I didn't start the viewer from the launchpad with the correct game specified. I started it directly, in which case it assumes that you are running the game ns2, so it takes all paths relative to the ns2 folder. The good news is, i know now how to compile models properly. I might release a tutorial or make a "smarter" batch file (as alternative to the builder, for those who have the same problem as I). I think simple click&run is anyway appreciated by anyone :)

edit2:

have a new idea : <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=114498&view=findpost&p=1868311" target="_blank">Shotgun Alt-Attack Flechette</a>, which i would try to implement and test

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?qyt4y63moc8sssl" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 2.7</a>

- included MAC Mines
- included PowerPack Electrification
- fixed that resource display bug (was caused by myself)

SN.Wolf

"- included MAC Mines" = Awesome
Are there visuals indicating Power Pack Electrified?

Sewlek

when you look at the structure its written "ELECTRIFIED_POWER_PACK", thats all :)

but, i trigger animations and sounds when its charging and shocking, aswell as hit notification. so you will understand that it's electrified, but i didn't make any new assets.

twiliteblue

Bug #1: MAC mine (model) is not destroyed when the mine detonates.
Bug #2: Console error messages (see image)

I'd like to test out a different ability for Fade's weapon2. It seems that Charlie's making Swipe the Fade's standard attack (by increasing its RoF and decreasing energy cost), and the fact that Stab damage cannot be upgraded, will turn it into a redundant ability. So, why not give the Fade an ability with more utility instead?

<img src="http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n638/tsalerk/NS22011-08-1215-00-33-65.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Sewlek

ah, thats an error from an older version (a pathetic attempt to consider gamerules for radiusdamage). delete Entity.lua from prototyping_mod and this error will disappear

edit: or delete the installation and make a fresh one

Sewlek

update on the shotgun:

I've done some first effects for the shotgun alt attack. It's not very beautiful, I should invest more time on the effects. But it's working!

You have 6 flechette projectiles, but they are currently not indicated in the hud. I want to make this 6 lights on the side of the shotgun show you the amount of bullets you have left (for the alt attack), but I'm not sure how to change the textures, maybe I can make an "overlay" or something, have to figure that out first (then I could also fix the Flamethrowers' ammo display)

for a summary how exactly the alt attack work, <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=114498&st=100&p=1868311&#entry1868311" target="_blank">check this post</a>. Those numbers might change again, so don't complain about balance (yet)

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?o078nmeiaddvkmd" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 2.9</a>

- added alt attack for shotgun: flechette rounds (weakening target for 5 seconds, increasing damage taken by 35%)

Sewlek

the flame thrower was causing some script error, i did not track the bug down, just uncommented few parts to make the mod still run (will look at that later, just want the mod to be stable for now)

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?1rvr20952a05226" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.0</a>

SN.Wolf

<!--quoteo(post=1868432:date=Aug 11 2011, 02:47 PM:name=Schimmel)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Schimmel @ Aug 11 2011, 02:47 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1868432"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->when you look at the structure its written "ELECTRIFIED_POWER_PACK", thats all :)

but, i trigger animations and sounds when its charging and shocking, aswell as hit notification. so you will understand that it's electrified, but i didn't make any new assets.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

You may have an answer that no one has been able to answer for me.

Can an cinematic event be triggered by a player? I was trying to get a cinematic that i did of a building collapse to trigger when the power for that area is destroyed. Is that possible with the current entities ?

Sewlek

yes, its possible. but you cannot do that in the map editor only. That requires some additional lua coding currently (altering the game)

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?d0ojhesn7tgptp7" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.1</a>

- added placeholder model for the Morpher (alien RT from ns1)
- added build menu icon for the morpher
- moved spawn egg abilities to the drifter. spawning an egg will now consume a drifter (note that drifter cost has been lowered to 15 energy)

Sewlek

i found a few bugs wit hthe mines and powerpack which will get fixed in next patch. also, i will change the resource cap: 200 p.res, 400 t.res aswell as reducing the techpoint multiplier.

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?4xydqem3tw5bkyk" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.2</a>

edit:

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?qd99g96na6t5j37" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.2.1</a>

- adjusted grenade launcher damage (it felt somehow little bit too strong against structures)
- changed fade to 200 health / 70 armor
- polished shotgun alt attack effect a little bit

edit2: posted the wrong the link, corrected that

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?y28rsz3l387pkmi" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.2.2</a>

- made the fade now 250 / 60
- increased the lerks full damage hit zone a little bit (he is still more robust than normal ns2)

Sewlek

i uploaded a video showing shotgun alt attack an mac mines:

<center><object width="450" height="356"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DItRtVflwc0"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DItRtVflwc0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="356"></embed></object></center>

Sewlek

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?ubpsigs34ewg8b6" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.2.5</a>

- structure icons in the build menu which would consume a tech point are now marked green. (applies only for alien commander when you assign a chamber to a hive)

- you can now supply marines directly with ammo / med without spawning a pack. Selecting them and clicking on the buttons there. Thuse supplies should work for groups of selected marines, but be aware that it will always cost res, even if the marine has maximum ammo / health.

Sewlek

I started with a new idea from RisingSun: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=114617&view=findpost&p=1868872" target="_blank">Gorge Mini Structures</a>

<img src="http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8867/minicrag.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

you can drop a mini crag, mini shade, mini shift if somewhere on the map is already a normal Crag / Shade / Shift placed.
Those have only the passive ability of their grown up form, with reduced range and effectiveness. The commander can click on them and let them grow to normal Structures (saving a drifter and being able to have structures on walls)

update: im making progress. Everything is working already, except of the passive effects.

update2: passive effects are now also working

douchebagatron

ministructures is a great idea, I hope the devs look into that idea, it would add a lot more function to the gorge.

Obraxis

<!--quoteo(post=1868990:date=Aug 14 2011, 09:54 PM:name=6john)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (6john @ Aug 14 2011, 09:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1868990"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->ministructures is a great idea, I hope the devs look into that idea, it would add a lot more function to the gorge.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I would agree with you - once a commander unlocks them by placing a first, I would agree with mini-ones being able to be placed by gorges for only short-range passive functions.

Sewlek

I implemented now the basics (mini crag and shade are working), hopefully bug free :)

here is the new version, if you find any glichtes (not graphical, i know it looks poor), let me know:

<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?hd9hqxa8kvt3s2z" target="_blank">Prototyping Mod 3.3</a>

Sewlek

I felt little bit bored and implemented my version of the shift. Judging from the code which was already present, I think uwe has another plans for it. I use as passive ability "energize" (which should be a stackable targeted ability I think), as targeted "Echo" (requires mature, teleports other buildings to the shift), and triggered I'm not sure. I think frency would be better here for the Shift, for the Whip a direct damage increase would fit better.

edit: there was a bug with the shades and mini shades (some shades lose their passive effect). A fix for that will be included in 3.4

Sewlek

im working already on something new. you can all guess by the picture what it is :)

<img src="http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/962/jetpack.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />