Quote from "Alfa Astrix"I feel really bad saying this, and I'm so sorry, but a true ionic current is more like the tractor effect / lighting.
Too true, guess I should have figured that out myself. I'll work on getting a tractor effect on that beam, shouldn't be hard, I've worked with tractor effects before, if only changing their color.
No ideas on getting an explosion to work with a beam effect? That's what's causing me the most trouble.
How's this? If you want it purple or blue or something "electrical" in color, you'll have to do .ale editing, and I don't know how to do that.
Still need some help on getting an explosion and beam effect on one weapon, anyone?
Ok, I got the effects to work but there's a few things that need to be worked out:
One, the only way I could get the explosion to actually occur was to make the game think the projectile is a missile, so holding the right button on your mouse to fire only shoots it once. I don't know if there's a way around this or what, but I don't know of it.
Two, all the NPC's have infinite power supplies that recharge like none other, so in order to disable an NPC you'll have to switch out all their loadouts in loadouts.ini to be regular power supplies. Not hard, just time consuming.
Also, you can select the projectile in-game, and the selection doesn't disappear when the projectile dies, it just registers as having an empty hull bar and keeps going in the same direction the projectile was going.
Another thing I discovered: while this does eliminate your power, if your power plant has a recharge rate greater than the energy your engine requires, it doesn't matter if you have 0 power in your ship, your engines will still work because your power plant is still generating enough power for your engines, and there's no way to eliminate that. So, unfortunately, there really isn't any applicable way to implement this into the game unless you can get a weapon to temporarily remove a ship's engines, which of course isn't possible. *sigh* all that work for naught, but at least I got some cool weapon effects out of it 
Here's the code I ended with, if anyone wants it (it's the script for an FLMM mod):
<data file="DATA\EQUIPMENT\weapon_equip.ini" method="append">
<source>
[Motor]
nickname = ionic_motor
lifetime = 0.000001
accel = 0.000001
delay = 0
[Explosion]
nickname = ionic_explosion
strength = 100
radius = 50
hull_damage = 0
energy_damage = 10000
impulse = 0
[Munition]
nickname = ionic_ammo
explosion_arch = ionic_explosion
loot_appearance = ammo_crate
units_per_container = 10
hp_type = hp_gun
requires_ammo = false
hit_pts = 2
one_shot_sound = fire_bolt_micro <= for some reason, the gun never made a sound =/ but I didn't troubleshoot that, wanted it to work first
detonation_dist = 12.500000
lifetime = 1.000000
Motor = ionic_motor
force_gun_ori = false
const_effect = ionic_proj
HP_trail_parent = HPExhaust
seeker = LOCK
time_to_lock = 0
seeker_range = 1000
seeker_fov_deg = 179
max_angular_velocity = 50 <= I made the missile home in to the target because it was nigh impossible to hit it without it aiming itself
munition_hit_effect = ci_laser_03_impact
cruise_disruptor = true
mass = 1
volume = 0.000000
[Gun]
nickname = ionic
ids_name = 0 ;GENERATESTRRES("Ionic Current Prototype")
ids_info = 0 ;GENERATEXMLRES("<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?><RDL><PUSH/><TRA data="1" mask="1" def="-2"/><JUST loc="center"/><TEXT>Ionic Current Prototype</TEXT><PARA/><TEXT> </TEXT><PARA/><TRA data="0" mask="1" def="-1"/><JUST loc="left"/><TEXT>NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE</TEXT><PARA/><TEXT> </TEXT><PARA/><POP/></RDL>")
DA_archetype = equipment\models\weapons\li_heavy_ion_blaster.cmp
material_library = equipment\models\li_equip.mat
HP_child = HPConnect
hit_pts = 400
explosion_resistance = 1.000000
debris_type = debris_normal
parent_impulse = 20
child_impulse = 80
volume = 2.000000
mass = 10
hp_gun_type = hp_gun_special_5
damage_per_fire = 0
power_usage = 1.348091
refire_delay = 0.030000
muzzle_velocity = 1000
use_animation = Sc_fire
toughness = 1.800000
projectile_archetype = ionic_ammo
separation_explosion = sever_debris
auto_turret = false
turn_rate = 90
lootable = true
LODranges = 0, 20, 60, 100
</source>
</data>
<data file="DATA\EQUIPMENT\weapon_good.ini" method="append">
<source>
[Good]
nickname = ionic
equipment = ionic
category = equipment
price = 500
item_icon = equipment\models\commodities\nn_icons\EQUIPICON_gun.3db
combinable = false
ids_name = 0 ;GENERATESTRRES("Ionic Current Prototype")
ids_info = 0 ;GENERATEXMLRES("<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?><RDL><PUSH/><TRA data="1" mask="1" def="-2"/><JUST loc="center"/><TEXT>Ionic Current Prototype</TEXT><PARA/><TEXT> </TEXT><PARA/><TRA data="0" mask="1" def="-1"/><JUST loc="left"/><TEXT>NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE</TEXT><PARA/><TEXT> </TEXT><PARA/><POP/></RDL>")
shop_archetype = equipment\models\weapons\fl_raildaddy.cmp
material_library = equipment\models\ge_equip.mat
</source>
</data>
<data file="DATA\FX\effects.ini" method="append">
<source>
[Effect]
nickname = ionic_proj
effect_type = EFT_WEAPON_PROJ
vis_effect = rh_tachyon_03_proj
vis_generic = rh_tachyon_03_proj
</source>
</data>
if you want to make a nice beam effect, then stop now, WRONG WAY! All you need to do is to use a long laser effect as muzzle flash. You know if projectiles are too fast, they won't be shown correctly.
Also, it is possible to make beam with even a 2.00 refire rate (0.5 in weapon_equip.ini) if you use this method. However, there is only 1 effect in FL that would be good for this: gf_laser (or gf_laser02 I don't remember exactly). I will be working on new beam effects soon, but ATM I'm doing something else. And about "more than disabled cruise": working on it 
alfa , I don't play a whole heck of alot o games but Dues Ex series rocks!
Back to topic, well for the weapon problem just make a normal gun like you had first time and then create an explosion in explosion_effects.ini in data\fx folder (or borrow a pre-existing one, but Im thinking you don't wanna see the explosion, right?)
Under the [Munition] section change this line;
munition_hit_effect = ci_laser_03_impact
to
munition_hit_effect = *your explosion name*
Now open up explosions.ini in data\fx folder (this is where explosion damages and forces, radius, debris, basically the way an explosion for a missile is set up in weapon_equip.ini) and create basically the same entry as you had for your fake "missile" with the same name you used above and walla. You have a weapon with a fully defined explosion.
About the power damage thing, I'll take your word for it.
If you wanna make changing the npc loadouts easier then why not create a new powerplant that is maybe a bit more powerful and faster recharge than a titans and then just replace all the lines:
equip = infinite_power
with
equip = new_npc_power (whatever you called it)
in loadouts.ini.
Just a suggestion, it'll be big for some npc's but it still beats infinite supplies. 
At least my idea worked. And no, I'm not a newbie. I was a member of the old site for 3 years. lol.
When I first got LS's ale editor I thought "hmm a lightning gun would be cool..." but then I figured what purpose would it really serve? Just for show? Now its a different story, here's my first attempt at a really simple one for now.
Aden,
Once again I'm having difficulty getting an explosion tied to an energy projectile. You say create an effect in effects_explosion.ini that munition_hit_effect references, then create an explosion in explosions.ini that the effect I created in effects_explosion.ini references? If so, what is the line I use in effects_explosion.ini to reference the explosion in explosions.ini?
Quote from "aden"Now its a different story, here's my first attempt at a really simple one for now.
"Really simple?" You blow me away! I can't even get the whole muzzle flash to go out of the front, and it only shows when I'm not firing, which is rather odd... but that's when I'm trying Firekiss's idea. Awesome effect though, I'd say that's just about perfect, but that's up to Alfa.
Quote from "aden"When I first got LS's ale editor I thought "hmm a lightning gun would be cool..." but then I figured what purpose would it really serve? Just for show? Now its a different story, here's my first attempt at a really simple one for now.
Now that is an ionic current. Any chance you could add the file on this thread with all you did for that?
So I got the explosion to visually work with it not being a missile, but it refuses to cause damage. Any suggestions?
@ Oblivion, it seems I was incorrect. I wrote that off the top of my head without even knowing if it worked (which I have been testing). Apologies. :?
See, explosions.ini references explosion_arch entries, they can have damage and stuff, but they aren't actual effects and the effects they reference for the visual part cannot have damage. 
Sorry, but you'll have to stick with the missile so long, unless you found a way?
I'm sure a munition can have some sort of radius damage.
As for the effect, it really is simple, just an appearence section and an emitter.
If you've looked at ales you'll know what I mean. I used the gf_electricstar.ale
and took away the head, which uses the missilstar texture and I took away the tail, which uses one of the beam textures. So all that was left was the middle which uses the bllightning1 texture. And then I added 2 to every size entry.
It looks nicer in the screenie cause the texture is a ball texture, so its more like a really fast lightning *ball* gun, , but I am trying to make it more solid.
There is the tradelane powerout effect that uses and animated lightning texture but it looks phoney as a projectile effect, for now that is. I will post what I have in a mo.
Quote from "aden"See, explosions.ini references explosion_arch entries, they can have damage and stuff, but they aren't actual effects and the effects they reference for the visual part cannot have damage.
Sorry, but you'll have to stick with the missile so long, unless you found a way?
I'm sure a munition can have some sort of radius damage.
Ok, maybe I should explain the code that was working in that screenshot...
Basically I have the basic energy cannon code (gun and munition block) but with an explosion block and an explosion_arch line added into the munition block referencing that explosion block, and in the explosion block I added the line
effect = explosion_small_ship_breakoff, 0.000000
So when you fire, this is the order things are referenced in:
Gun=>Munition=>Explosion=>Effect
So, since the effect shows, the explosion is actually occurring, however for some reason it's not causing damage. Oh, and it's not disrupting cruise, either. I think there's really no way to get this to work without it being a missile.
Ok, for some reason that stopped working. I could have sworn it worked fine...
But, one thing that would make this a whole lot easier, is there a way for an effect to reference an explosion? That would make things rather easy I think, but I've thought that before.
EDIT:
After a few more tests, I've confirmed that you can't have a non-missile munition reference an explosion, so the only way to make this work without it being a missile is if an effect can reference an explosion, as far as I know, anyway.
Oh, thats what I was trying to say, I tried the explosion_arch as well. All explosion blocks have an "effect =" entry.
So you will only see the effect the explosion references but as you said, if its not a missile or CD, FL will ignore all the other parts of the explosion block. See, I am with you.
Edit: I believe that only ships, missiles, CD's, mines, debris and a few other *objects* can only have an explosion_arch or seperation_explosion entry, not an effect. Not 100% sure tho.
I've heard of some people managing to edit .dlls or .exes to get a block to recognize commands that aren't normally recognized, does anyone here know how to do that, and if so, how easy is it?
Man, if that is possible then we can also scrap makin an ion current ale and just make munitions recognise the tractor stuff. That would actually be really helpful. Don't remember where you heard it?
Somewhere on the TLR forums, before the whole server transfer thing. It's been months since I've even looked into modding FL, and that was something I looked at merely with mild interest, so I have no idea who or where it came from. I do remember it being a major contributor to the forums that mentioned it, though. I think, anyway, not really sure. Lol, that helps a lot, doesn't it?
