Posts by Colonel Chris

Tried a newer Version of FLMM? Perhaps you have to wait for FLMM to finish!

Of course this primarily is a SP mod, but ANY mod only makes sense in MP (thought in long terms). A mod that is compatible with MP will become significantly more famous than a SP-only one. Currently MD´s mod works fine in MP, so there´s no need to cry. But you should always have an eye on MP compatibility.

Anvanced/Order Thrusters should be HF/VHF only. This adds a new aspect to HF/VHF ships. Perhaps you should increase cruise to 500 to satisfy everyone here. On the other hand: extra speeds slow down the server even more. Perhaps we should just keep speeds where they are. Ever thought decreasing freighters to lower than 80? I don´t think speeds are this important. They were fine in 0.5, perhaps they are even better now (havent checked out .5c yet). Have a look at encounters like Reynen and Thundercleese did. I would really like a fleet of Libertonian cruisers protecting Planet Manhatten.

In fact working with FLMM scripts is easier than you might think. Upsides: - your mod remains compatible with other mods - makes teamwork easier when working on same files - if you can read the XML files, you can understand where and what changes will be made - small file size Downsides: - takes more time to write than simple editing in original files - no loop or advanced filter functions (UPDATE... WHERE...) - no editor yet, you have to use html editors or notepad

Very nice mod! This is what I´ve been waiting for. No huge, annoying changes, just intelligent re-balancing. Keep working, this is the right way. Perhaps you should talk to Xerx and Thundercleese. They are working on a similar re-balancing mod and your work seems to be "compatible". Joining your work could result in a real kick-ass-mod. Here´s a thread about Thunders ideas: http://www.lancersreactor.org/…lancer+Editing&M=True And here´s his website: http://www.damnrecursion.com/fl/mod_index.shtml

Make it sticky!

Now these infocards just don´t exist. You need to write them yourself. I haven´t tried that so far because this is a less important problem. BUT they can be written. There are some threads about that topic in this forum.

Hmm, let me think about that for a while. I´m still not sure whether I have the time for all that. What has Wheatevo done so far? Adding ships is nice, but not important, to my mind balancing (speeds etc.) should be our main task right now. This can be done without touching the game´s code. It´s all in the inis. Balancing also means changing the markets. It´s totally stupid that all planets of a faction have exactly the same ships for sale. There could be a standard line (eg the Patriot and the Rhino in Liberty), and every planet could have its own special ship. Why don´t have shipyards any ships for sale? Why can´t you buy a starter´s ship in the edge worlds? Never wondered where the Hogosha get their CSVs from, or where the Blood Dragons get their Dragons from? If the starting location and faction can be changed, this should be changed too. I´ve begun working with IGx89´s FLMM. It is able to change existing files line by line, so modding becomes very safe and compatible, as you can turn it off without any problems if you wish. We should try to work this way, because then it should be easy to merge several projects.

Go buy X2. FL is not an economy simulation. All prices are taken from the constants in your inis. You might have a chance by writing a program that changes prices by changing the program´s memory values. Good luck.

Well Thundercleese, when I look at your web site, it seems like I can´t keep up with you. My non-computer life takes too much time :-/. All I can do is encourage you. But I´ve modded the game now a little bit myself and I really think that there´s lots of cool stuff still in the code kicked out during the design process. I´ll have an eye on this thread. If you really keep working, you might make it, you might come up with the kick-ass-mod for freelancer. It would be nice if you could post some files for beta-testing regularly. We could analyze it (with file difference highlighters) and try to keep up with you.

IGx89 Its scripting language is clear, simple and compatible. Thats the way to go.

No problem Wheatevo! He just forgot that! I´ve managed to make a FLMM Script for this mod. Now you can just activate and deactivate it by clicking. BTW it´s compatible with other mods. I just need some space to upload the zip. Could somebody please help me with that?

Hi Shank! I´m rewriting your mod for IGx89´s FLMM. It´ll be redy in a few minutes.

If you have it running, could you send it to me? I´ll try to make it FLMM compatible. So everyone will be able to enjoy it.

Do you really want to hook up into the game´s memory? I think this is a BIG mistake. This could make the mod incompatible with upcoming patches. First, we should have a look at what can be done by the game itself. Dynamic prices will not be possible to some degree as they are client stuff. Popup messages and server-wide events (like plagues etc) might be possible, but how do we send them to the clients? If we can get this working somehow, then we could add some other dynamic events: Random wrecks, quarantine, temp. production stops, battle zones (temp. war between corsairs/outcasts and police/navy). There are a thousand possibilities, we just have to decide which to include. IF we can manage to send stuff like that to clients... BTW: Your website is great. Could you make some of those tweaks ready for download? Edited by - Colonel Chris on 01-04-2003 23:09:58

I´m really sorry that noone answers you, but it´s a fact that we don´t know that either... Look, we can only change existing settings and files, but we cannot force the program to show something completely new like subs. If you´re REALLY a localizer, than you might try to contact the programmers. Everything else seems to be very hard work. In fact I don´t think that FL will ever have subs without additional info from Digital Anvil. Anyway, good luck, but I don´t think it´ll work.

First of all: I have no active modding experience though I know how to do it. I´m a C++-Programmer but I have few experience with professional code such as Freelancer or any other games. Your initial posting was quite fine, what followed.. well not that much fine. In fact, you have the right ideas. The game does not REALLY need new ships. The existing ones are just too unbalanced for hardcore mp gaming. Some additions to your ideas: - problem: missions don´t require teamwork, missions are too easy in general +++ my solution: That game should support more extreme mission. What does that mean? Well, we need more distance (missions to other systems, especially border and edge worlds) more enemies larger enemies (full fleets if needed) enemies with different strengths and weaknesses, so that you can never have the right shild-gen or gun more variation in mission tasks (escort, rescue, spy, taxi, trade missions) - problem: the best ships in the game have almost no flaws - the Humpback has awesome shields, and the best fighters have the cargo capacity of a Rhino +++ solution: tame down the ships a lot, give them strategic weaknesses Thats not enough. We also need different ship speeds, different thruster forces, diffenrent cruise drive speeds and load times. Heavy fighters should be much slower, light fighters much faster. All of them should have almost no cargo space. Some of the models may have more cargo space, but less fighting capabilities. Another fine addition to the game would be more traffic. Big planets like Manhatten or new London should be covered by heavy cruiser patrols. This would make smuggling more ... intense. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Thats what I would (additionally) suggest. Perhaps it´s useful for you...

Please try some further systems/planets. Are the planets perhaps bigger/smaller? Have the atmospheres changed (smaller/bigger radius from planet)? thx Chris

As already said in other threads you can OPEN, EDIT and SAVE DLLs as &quot;Resources&quot; via Microsoft Visual Studio or comaparable programs. It should be possible to add new IDs and assign them to your new ship type.

There was a screenshot of it in german &quot;Gamestar&quot; magazine, issue 2/2003. Now, the starmap was TINY, a mid-size HUD (no full screen!) with some decorative brown, yellow and green nebulas, twenty-six rather symmetrical aligned dots (systems), many jump routes, the empire names (Liberty central, Kusari north, Bretonia west and Rheinland east) and a big &quot;Sirius Sector&quot;-label in central bottom. Perhaps it wasnt complete, but it looked rather disappointing. Some jump routes led out of Sirius Sector and some were cursive.