****NEWBIE QUESTIONS?? - look no further2!!****

Can be done server side: - Change things to do with NPC´s and access to current systems (eg locked jumpholes). Ie - loadouts, encounters, behaviour - ie - battleships for NPC´s are already in game - so you can make them appear where you want to and have everyone see them. This is because the clients run off of your files for encounters. why? Cause otherwise it would have the biggest nightmare trying to communicate with up to 40 connections as to what they see, and what others see. Much easier to tell the forty comps what they should see, not what each one sees(if that is made clear enough) Can´t be done server side: New items etc. Cannot plonk new system in and people see it, cannot change non flyable ships to fly and customers get them, cannot include new weapons, ships etc etc. All the people who log on server will need the changes you make for these. Anything NEW needs them to mod. Anything that includes stuff not in game before - needs them to mod (ie new commodities, transforming ships - couldn´t fly them before, can´t now unless they mod too) &quot;I don´t <i>suffer </i> from insanity, I enjoy <i>every </i> minute of it!&quot;

erm - i think its actually like programmed into the files or something. You don´t get rumours etc etc. Not sure - will take a peek, but am busy (kinda) right now, so it will eb tomorrow sometime Got a little thingy to post right now <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

<b>How to get big ships into tradelanes, out of docking rings etc </b> - <i>a new discovery! </i> Well - this isn´t new at all -i have known about it for about 3 months now, but it didn´t come from me either! Thanks to someone called Triggerfinger for this litlte gem. I only thought about it as i had trouble docking my battleship! What is causing the problem? Tradelanes? Open up that solararch ini file and scroll down until you find the tradelane object. Now then - this little line means it is now insubstantial - kinda... Add the following line: <b>phantom_physics = true </b> Now this means you can fly through the rings themselves (can do the same for teh docking ring object statement too) IN fact you can do this for anything - i used to have it on my ship, so in the shiparch.ini - every entry for the ship and collision boxes i had that line underneath it. this meant i could fly through stations, through asteroids, through tradelane rings, docking rings, other ships, everything. Best yet - you still take damage when shot -unlike the removal of sur files! You can also add this line under guns and stuff - so that nothing on that dock ring or tradelane ring can catch you - even lights as well! Its a great little trick for sorting out things - but althourgh it sounds good to make a ship that can fly through anything - it also removes the fun of navigation as well as the problem that is basically keeping this fairly real! If you made a mod where the ship has this statement - it might be cool - but it would not make for good playing. This is very useful however, for problems like tradelanes iwht capships, docking rings and mooring points with capships too! Means you can get closer to the moor point as you will actually travel through the moor point instead. (just add to solararch object of the mooring point!) Enjoy Chips ps - as with all my mods here - you can use it for whatever you like - include it in your mods - no permissions necessary or wanted! However, you may NOT claim this as your work, or make anyone else refer to you as the originator of the work Chips p.p.s - Best one liner in modding eh? that little line can solve so many problems <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Edited by - chips on 06-10-2003 01:33:36

You need to effect the NPC behaviour in actions firstly - so you have to go back to page 1 and start off earlier. You need to edit the pilots_population.ini in the missions folder - otherwise the guys don´t know that they are holding the nano bots and bats to use. Its all on page 1

hmm - moding of someones mod is ´frowned´ upon really - but it aint me changing it is it? <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Its in the weapon_equip.ini file - this is the fun part - finding the weapon you are after!!! Then - you will see this line: <b>hp_gun_type = hp_gun_special_10 </b> Now if the weapon doesn´t have this line, then it is mountable on just about anything you have (weapon mount that is) so removal of this line makes it mountable on the torp mount. either that, or change it down to <b> hp_gun_special_5 </b> to make it a class 5 weapon - you get the idea. To amke equipement mountable - it all depends upon what on earth you are makeing mountable. You see - if its engines etc - i have that in a previous post - if its other things, i am affraid i get touchy round that area due to MP cheating causing havoc on servers............... Whatever the reason/object though - someone poured in alot of hardwork to make the mod you are using (i am making one, it has taken me well over 200 hours so far). They spent alot of time trying to make it enjoyable and challenging as well - so circumnavigating this by ´cheating´ in the game kinda ruins the point of the game, and nullifies all the work they did. It is cool to be able to use all weapons - but there is a reason why they have you as unableto utilise them. Also - if you intend to play it online - then you will be booted if detected, and it will be detectable if you are changing things client side! I am not trying to be rude or nasty, and i hope it doesn´t come across that way, but i think we all need to respect other mods alot more these days. Respect the makers and their wishes. Chips p.s - to recap as it was lost after reading that lot - what are you wishing to make mountable??!?! If its not harmful - then no probs!

You mean that the weapon is not remountable - take a look in the shiparch.ini file for your ship, and what are the weapon Hardpoints called? ie - you can find it under this part hp_type = hp_gun_special_10, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpTurret_U1_01, HpTurret_U1_02 etc - meaning class 10 mounts are held on two weapon mounts, and two turrets mounts of a different class all together!

sort = 8 toughness = 2 density = 10 repop_time = 10 max_battle_size = 4 pop_type = jumpgate relief_time = 15 faction_weight = li_n_grp, 3 faction_weight = co_be_grp, 10 faction_weight = co_nws_grp, 10 faction_weight = co_ss_grp, 5 density_restriction = 4, unlawfuls encounter = area_defend, 2, 0.080000 faction = li_n_grp, 1.000000 encounter = area_trade_freighter, 2, 0.080000 faction = co_ss_grp, 1.000000 encounter = area_trade_transport, 2, 0.190000 faction = co_be_grp, 0.400000 faction = co_nws_grp, 0.400000 okay - for increasing the appearance of the NPC´s - just take a look in the zone of which you are modding (think this is from LI02 - just plucked it out for an example. Now - the important bits: toughness = 2 ;total rank of all ships added up (so Giskard tells me anyways) density = 10 ;Amount of ships in area repop_time = 10 ;time between one spawn out and in etc max_battle_size = 4 ;how many will battle away pop_type = jumpgate ;type of population - lots of variations relief_time = 15 ; apparently time between hostiles spawned or something regardless though - hike up the denisty of the zone, and teh maxe battlesize and toughness , this will get you a hopping zone toughness = 90 density = 30 max_battle_size = 24 Okay - you should have what can only be called large encounters in this zone now - but you also get large lag if you do this too much!! LOL ag - forgotten what else - oh, NPC shooting. Its in the pilots_population.ini file again - check out all areas saying this: This is just an example - there are TONS of these to be changed; [GunBlock nickname = gun_solar_med_style_a ;type of pilot - gun_fire_interval_time = 0.100000 ; length time shootin? gun_fire_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000 ;between shots (varying time) gun_fire_burst_interval_time = 2 ;time shooting you (bursts) gun_fire_burst_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000 ;varying round that gun_fire_no_burst_interval_time = 1.500000 ;hold off shooting gun_fire_accuracy_cone_angle = 4 ;firing ´cone´ accuracy =1 is a hotshot!!! gun_fire_accuracy_power = 1.100000 ;hmm? gun_range_threshold = 1.100000 ;huh? - further away less likely to hit? gun_target_point_switch_time = 0.300000 fire_style = multiple auto_turret_interval_time = 0.200000 ;stuff to do with turret shootin ya auto_turret_burst_interval_time = 1 ; ditto for hte next few auto_turret_no_burst_interval_time = 2 auto_turret_burst_interval_variance_percent = 0.500000 gun_range_threshold_variance_percent = 0.300000 gun_fire_accuracy_power_npc = 6 ;not sure here Personally i don´t change it too radically - in fact i change the cone angle down by one for each one, and also alittle bit of timing on stuff - ie burst inteval time and accuracy cone - i usually just give them the hardness above - ie for medium i give them the setting of hard pilots, for easy - the setting for medium, for hard, the setting of Ace, for Ace i average the differences and make the setting up from the old ace settings. That is about it, i am not amazing in this area, but then again - i cannot be arsed to sit fiddling values to work out what each one does. Here i get the effects i desire, and leave it at that. IF you pump up the pilots too much, then people won´t play much due to the fact they get a kicking instead of a game. Keep it moderate in changes, up the level of pilot difficulty fine, but for the rest - no chance! Now -for the nanobots - you did put this in the loadouts.ini in the ships folder (the nano bots/bats) yes? Like so: cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3 cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3 and give it too all loadouts needing it, like this: This is for liberty police pilots - here is the entry in the loadouts.ini file; [Loadout nickname = li_p_li_fighter_loadout01 archetype = li_fighter equip = ge_lf_engine_01 equip = npc_shield01_mark02, HpShield01 equip = li_fighter_power01 equip = ge_s_scanner_02 equip = ge_s_tractor_01 equip = ge_s_thruster_01, HpThruster01 equip = li_gun01_mark02, HpWeapon01 equip = li_gun01_mark03, HpWeapon02 equip = li_gun01_mark03, HpWeapon03 equip = co_gun02_mark02, HpWeapon04 equip = ge_s_cm_01, HpCM01 cargo = ge_s_cm_01_ammo, 20 equip = LargeWhiteSpecial, HpHeadlight equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight01 equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight02 equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight03 equip = SlowSmallBlue, HpRunningLight04 equip = contrail01, HpContrail01 equip = contrail01, HpContrail02 equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight01 equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight02 cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3 ;<b>HERE </b> cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3 ;<b>HERE </b> Now - you also DID get the repair block correct, and change some values yeah? [RepairBlock nickname = repair_fighter_both use_shield_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000 ;wait before repair use_shield_repair_post_delay = 5 ; won´t repair after 1 repair for this time use_shield_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.800 ; repair when damaged this much use_hull_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000 ;same as above use_hull_repair_post_delay = 1.500000 ; ditto use_hull_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.800000 ;ditto You then changed all the pilots parts at the bottom (ALL OF THEM!) [Pilot nickname = pilot_pirate_easy gun_id = gun_pirate_easy_style_a missile_id = missile_fighter_easy_style_a evade_dodge_id = evade_dodge_fighter_corkscrew_easy evade_break_id = evade_break_fighter_style_e buzz_head_toward_id = buzz_head_toward_fighter_corkscrew buzz_pass_by_id = buzz_pass_by_fighter_style_c trail_id = trail_fighter_style_a strafe_id = strafe_fighter_style_a engine_kill_id = engine_kill_fighter_style_a mine_id = mine_light_fighter_a countermeasure_id = countermeasure_handicap_3 damage_reaction_id = damage_reaction_fighter_style_a missile_reaction_id = missile_reaction_fighter_style_a formation_id = formation_never repair_id = repair_fighter_both ;<b>HERE </b> job_id = basic_job_no_formation [Pilot nickname = pilot_police_easy gun_id = gun_fighter_easy_style_a missile_id = missile_fighter_easy_style_a evade_dodge_id = evade_dodge_fighter_horiz2_easy evade_break_id = evade_break_fighter_style_a buzz_head_toward_id = buzz_head_toward_fighter_horiz2 buzz_pass_by_id = buzz_pass_by_fighter_style_a trail_id = trail_fighter_style_a strafe_id = strafe_fighter_style_a engine_kill_id = engine_kill_fighter_style_a mine_id = mine_light_fighter_a countermeasure_id = countermeasure_handicap_3 damage_reaction_id = damage_reaction_fighter_style_a missile_reaction_id = missile_reaction_fighter_style_a formation_id = formation_stay repair_id = repair_fighter_both ;<b>HERE </b> job_id = basic_job_formation Basically as with all trouble shooting, you can see them carrying the nanobots and bats around - so loadouts are correct - basically its the other parts that aen´t done, these ones above MUST be incorrect. Match them to these entries here, then shoot some police - give em a battering though - don´t slack off - let em have it till their hulls are truly shot at, then watch closely. Sometimes you just might not notice it, but i think your probs didn´t either a) get the settings rght for repair , or b) gave them the wrong repair id. The other stuff shortly!

okay - making them appear in different systems - you need to include them in a couple of ways - ENCOUNTERS PARAMETERS! So - here is an encounter parameter (guessing your using Nephilms battleships example here - so lets role with it). You have this first part as it refers to a file: [EncounterParameters nickname = capitalships_Liberty filename = missionsencounterscapitalships_Liberty.ini Inside that file we have this (its a formation f[EncounterFormation ship_by_class = 1, 1, sc_battleships ;1 battleship pilot_job = assault_leader_job make_class = wanderer ship_by_class = 4, 4, sc_cruisers ;four cruisers pilot_job = assault_job make_class = wanderer formation_by_class = battleships behavior = wander arrival = cruise allow_simultaneous_creation = yes zone_creation_distance = 0 times_to_create = infinite [Creation permutation = 0, 3ile) This is telling them what comes out, how many and how they behave, so increase it too; ship_by_class = 3, 3, sc_battleships ;3 battleship pilot_job = assault_leader_job make_class = wanderer ship_by_class = 3, 3, sc_cruisers ;3 cruisers pilot_job = assault_job make_class = wanderer formation_by_class = battleships So now you get more battleships - however there will eb a limit - but i aint bothered fiddling here much..........very large groups cause very large lag - specailly when fighting! Now then - that is the file, it tells it what ships are coming and how many (all related to NPCships and other files, including loadouts!) Now then - back to the grinder(so you can increase amount of hsip like that above). Now you know that this : [EncounterParameters nickname = capitalships_Liberty filename = missionsencounterscapitalships_Liberty.ini Is at the top of your system - it means when something refers to this in the rest of the system text - it is then referred to what ships etc appear. That is why it has to be in the system file once!! Now - moving on, that is the ref to what is to appear, now, how do we make them appear??? we need an ecounters zonE! Here is manhatten: [zone nickname = Zone_Li01_001_Planet_Li01_01 pos = -33020, 0, -27925 rotate = 0, 104, 0 shape = SPHERE size = 7000 comment = Manhattan sort = 1 toughness = 100 density = 12 repop_time = 10 max_battle_size = 12 pop_type = li_p_grp, base_cluster_law relief_time = 10 faction_weight = li_p_grp, 12 faction_weight = li_p_grp_prisoners, 4 faction_weight = co_be_grp, 10 faction = co_rs_grp, 0.100000 Now this is missing out tons of other entries here - but they are all referring to the stuff that appears here, so to put ours in we need to add it (referencing the encounters parameter above!!) So we put in: encounter = capitalships_Liberty, 19, 0.01000 faction = li_n_grp, .1000000 Why? Well - it says its an enctouner - AI spawn, in THIS zone stated by its boundaries (zone size). capitalships_liberty refers to the entry at the top of the page remember - which ships and how many etc - which is linked all the way back through the files to he ships themselves. NOw the 19 means the level of these ships(to do with difficulty of them - for missinos etc etc i think mainly) and the 0.01 is the chance of them appearing (capitalships_leiberty). One word of warning - this must never be a) More than 1 as 1=100% b) All the encounters parameters for each zonemust only add up to 1 as well - so if we had this: encounter = area_trade_armored, 1,<b> 0.320000 </b> faction = co_os_grp, 1.000000 encounter = area_lifter, 1,<b> 0.330000 </b> faction = co_me_grp, 0.500000 faction = co_ss_grp, 0.500000 encounter = area_repair, 1,<b> 0.330000 </b> faction = co_me_grp, 0.500000 Notice that the parts in bold add up to 1?? that is because all together the probabiltiy of these spawning must NOT equal more than 1 either!! Now for real confusion - the last part........ faction = li_n_grp, 1.000000 This is the faction that they belong too - and the chances of spawning this faction.....erm - how does this work he asks? Well - notice here its 100%liberty navy for the liberty capitalships yes? Well - if you use the capitalships_escorts instead (fighters) you could do this.. encounter = capitalships_Escorts, 19, 1.000 faction = li_n_grp, 0.3300 faction = rh_n_grp, 0.33 faction = ku_n_grp, 0.15 faction = fc_n_grp, 0.15 Notice that under this parameter there is now 4 factiosn with the <b>CHANCE </b> of the capitalship_escorts belonging to them (liberty = 33% chance, rheinland = 33% chance, nomads = 15% chance). word of warning- you can´t use nomads unless you give them the correct loadouts of fighters etc etc. So to the bottom of your zone, add the encounter type for your encounter parameter at the top. then the faction and the percentage. Now the fun bit - do it all over the dam place for effect - however, a few favs by me are; capital planets, jumpgates to other areas (eg Rhienland to sig13 i hae nomads vs Rheinland, sig13 to honshu is nomads vs Kusari) etc etc. Now i have forgotten the other question......doh