More Than Disabled Cruise

    Quote from "JONG"

    I mean that, FL doesn't recognize a second shield_link line, so if you want to add the second shield_link line, it's will not work.


    Hmm. I could have sworn I got a second shield_link line to work at some point in time. Not sure, though, that was when I was working on differentiating shield capacitors and regenerators. Wish I could test this...

    Quote from "JONG"

    Think about that, if FL can let us to make engine slow down or stop it, why haven't any mod can do that ?


    Do you mean when you use the increase and decrease throttle commands to manually slow down and speed up your ship? In order for a mod to do that, it would have to manually override the player's control of the ship to stop it, essentially take over those specific commands, and I highly doubt that would be possible. Good thought, though.

    It should be that I have not said clearly.


    I mean, if the game can let us make the weapon, to let the engine be reduced or stopped, why not see any mod having so far that accomplish this point ?

    Ah. So what you're saying is, if this is possible, why hasn't it been done before? Well, every invention has an inventor. Someone has to do it first. It could be someone else has managed it, it could be that we're the first, but as far as I know, no one else has managed it, so we're the first.

    two points:
    1. Extended disruption time.
    2. "Detachable" hardpoints (dp) (engines included) where "engines"
    can be knocked off of a ship.
    (#2 option is really nice because it prevents sun & planet diving)


    very possible.


    Someone is gonna ask: "how do you land on a base for repairs?"
    Answer: "Soccer Time".

    @ Alfa,


    Do you mean to tell me that knocking off a person's engines is something that would work for how this weapon works? You have got to be kidding me... I've known that would work for this entire time, but thought you wanted the ships to come online again so I didn't say anything...grr...

    Rankor


    Yes, detachable hardpoints is possible.


    But if you were make a lot of ships, I think that's a very hard work to change all of ships.


    0blivion


    I agree, but don't forget that, there has very many mod, and those mod author wish to make it work (I mean let the engine be reduced or stopped by weapon), but no one can finish it.


    Freelancer has many limit, unless you write the whole game code again, or make some hook tool.

    Quote from "0blivion"

    @ Alfa,


    Do you mean to tell me that knocking off a person's engines is something that would work for how this weapon works? You have got to be kidding me... I've known that would work for this entire time, but thought you wanted the ships to come online again so I didn't say anything...grr...


    I was saying it may work, not what my original idea was. I had another idea that kinda goes along with this, but if we can find a way to immobilize the enemy...that's what I originally was asking.


    I thought about this while I was at work one night doing dishes. Is there any way to make the engines a "component" so to say? Like make it so that using the sell able engine tweak, make it so that the ship doesn't have any exhaust ports until you by the engine (make the engines physically the exhaust ports).This would make it so that any weapon could destroy the engines (like other sci-fi games do), but it would be a start to finding a way for the "Ion Cannon" or whatever you want to call it to work how I originally asked about.




    P.S.: I've never seen a simple question get so many people working on something like this before.

    Hehe, sometimes a question you first think is simple doesn't turn out to be that way...


    As far as making engines "equippable" so you could destroy them, quite possible. I understand what you're saying about making the destructible the engine exhaust itself, and it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Make the game more believable. I think all you would have to do is make a .cmp file that has Hp_mount and Hp_engine I think is the right hardpoint for an engine? Something like that, the hardpoint name that creates where the exhaust is... Anyways, make a file like that, assign it a certain hardpoint in engine_equip.ini, give it a good file, standard things like that, and it might just work. You'd have to create a .sur for it, I think, so that it would actually be hittable, but yeah I think it would work. Can't try it as I'm way too busy right now, but it just might work.

    I'm going to talk to my modeler (Griffin Pyros) with a custom ship he made with what you said man...get the results back asap.




    ...I just had a random thought...if you're engine's are destroyed, you can't land on bases...

    Not quite true. You can still use your thrusters, but you'll have to be in the exact spot to dock when you select dock. Well, even then, I'm not sure, but maybe. I wouldn't recommend removing thruster regeneration if you do make engines destructible, though, make sure the player is able to do at least something.


    Oh, and I have a mod with a ship with destructible engines, I can give that to you if you want. I stopped working on the mod because I got bored of it, but the ship works fine, as far as mechanics go.

    If your engines are complete destroyed...there's no way for FL to get you into a station without being EXACTLY and I mean EXACTLY on the right spot. If you want to test this, take your normal engine, and set the linear_drag and max_force both to 0. You'll only go places with your thruster and...well try it and you'll see. If you want to be realistic, that's the best way to be. You won't get more modern space travel than that either.

    That's about what I figured. Not easy, but possible.


    I would be working on this but I'm dead tired and I have a lot of things to do... two math classes and two computer science classes, despite being introductory, are most likely going to be a large workload. I probably won't have too much time to work on any of this, if any. I'll be checking this forum and posting, but might not be able to actually run some tests to their full extent. Soz, but that's how things go.

    Nah. Thanks though. All I have time for at the moment is to check the forums and reply. I'm getting a few hours less sleep than I should anyway. I might have some time tomorrow, though, who knows. We'll have to see. Best not to count on it though.

    Quote from "0blivion"

    Hehe, sometimes a question you first think is simple doesn't turn out to be that way...


    As far as making engines "equippable" so you could destroy them, quite possible. I understand what you're saying about making the destructible the engine exhaust itself, and it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Make the game more believable. I think all you would have to do is make a .cmp file that has Hp_mount and Hp_engine I think is the right hardpoint for an engine? Something like that, the hardpoint name that creates where the exhaust is... Anyways, make a file like that, assign it a certain hardpoint in engine_equip.ini, give it a good file, standard things like that, and it might just work. You'd have to create a .sur for it, I think, so that it would actually be hittable, but yeah I think it would work. Can't try it as I'm way too busy right now, but it just might work.



    Actually, from what I've been looking at in HardCMP editor on the
    FL stock ships, "knockable" Engines are sort of set up this way:
    You'll find on the complete model all the hardpoints.
    I've noticed the engines especially, rather than being simply "fixed",
    HpEngine01, HpEngine02, etc, it was annotated as DpEngine01.
    It's primary attaching attribute is HpConnect with the main hull
    being the "parent" and the engine as the "child" (root health proxy = true)
    Then all the engine attributes are associated with the engine component:
    such as fx, "engine01", and the "playtrail".
    Knocking off the engine = no propulsion and the ship is set adrift.
    It would also be associated with the # of exhaust ports.
    2 dp engines, (dp01 & dp02) ... in theory, knocking off one engine would
    reduce the overall speed and manuverability of the ship.


    Also, since you would now have "knockable" engines, they could also be
    set up in the blank file: Engine_Goods.ini since each engine has it's own
    ids name and info. (Engines sold for a price).
    Then: to make sure each engine is mountable only on a certain ship class,
    that's where engine volume becomes a useful tool. Then, ensure the engines
    are classified with specific ship class types.
    This is a wild guess:
    engine_class = 0 (light fighter)
    engine_class = 1 (heavy fighter)
    engine_class = 2 (freighter)
    engine_class = 3 (very heavy fighter)
    engine_class = u (utility)
    engine_class = t (transport)
    engine_class = g (gunboat)
    engine_class = c (cruiser)
    engine_class = de (destroyer)
    engine_class = dr (dreadnought)
    engine_class = b (battleship)


    It might not make much difference between class 0 - class 3 since
    they all have the same output force and drag coeffecient with
    the only difference being the particular "flame effect".
    But it effectively limits what engines can be mounted on specific ship types.


    Increasing the disruption time from the standard 5 seconds to whatever value
    would give you that extended "disabled" effect. Perhaps if the missle (or gun)
    is set up to "drain" energy (engery_dmg = ###.######) and hull damage
    set to "0", a person could sit on a target and shoot their guns on the objective
    all day long. Missles on the other hand would have to be resupplied.
    But, keeping a ship disabled all day long by shooting at it produces nothing
    more than wasted time and flared tempers (imho).
    Knocking the engines off would be less time consuming and setting up
    "player looting" where the cargo drops automatically at a certain health
    point is better than killing the ship and permitting it to respawn with no penalty.


    There you have it, a battle damaged ship with no cargo and they're forced
    to go land somewhere for reapairs.

    Quote from "Rankor"

    I've noticed the engines especially, rather than being simply "fixed", HpEngine01, HpEngine02, etc, it was annotated as DpEngine01.

    Quite true, there are DpEngine0X hardpoints on stock models, however if you look a bit further there are also HpEngine0X hardpoints. I have made a ship that has destructible engines, however you replace them by repairing your ship and not buying new engines, if that's what you were getting at. Same principle, anyway, it costs money to fix. And, when some of the engines are destroyed, you don't lose max speed but you do accelerate slower. Not sure about maneuverability, whether you lose some of that or not, but considering that information is all in the same spot you probably do. And, if you do lose all your engines, you have no thrust and therefore stop, but you can still use engine kill and drift. If you don't kill your engine, then you stop as if you decreased your throttle to 0. You can still turn, but nothing else.


    EDIT: Check that: just did a test, losing one engine when you have two or more does not affect speed, acceleration or maneuverability at all.

    I have proof that there is a devicein every ship. In the Discovery mod (and every other possible mod) the bigger ships you can only see the inside of in the buy menu. There is a small square box thats just floats in the exact center of the ship. I took away a chunk of a mesh, and fired a few shots onto this box(pretty good aiming), and that took out his engines, shields, and weapons. Not thrusters though. If that is not what your talking about, I do not know what is. I have a few screenshots of the box if anyone would like it.

    Quote from "Chazz"

    I have proof that there is a devicein every ship. In the Discovery mod (and every other possible mod) the bigger ships you can only see the inside of in the buy menu. There is a small square box thats just floats in the exact center of the ship. I took away a chunk of a mesh, and fired a few shots onto this box(pretty good aiming), and that took out his engines, shields, and weapons. Not thrusters though. If that is not what your talking about, I do not know what is. I have a few screenshots of the box if anyone would like it.


    Hmm... That sounds exactly like what we're looking for. Just one question though: did shooting it permanently take out his engines, shield and weapons, or was it only for how long you were shooting it?


    Also, if we're going to use this feature, how will we make it so this ionic current weapon is the only one that hits it?