Posts by aden

It involves no1: manipulating shield generators, i.e., only for power supplementation and non-regenerating shield "barriers" and no2: adding a new HP (or 2, or 3) to each ship (to make it fair ) and linking that Hp in the shiparch.ini file for each ship you want this to work on. Just the Hp thing will work fine if you just want to use more than one shield, but thats a bit boring imho. :lol:

Like so: shield_link = *, HpShield01, Hp_xx01, Hp_xx02 <--- if thats what you called em

don't woory about *, I just don't remember what goes there off the top of my head

The file he edited was freelancer_frontlogo.tga (I'm not sure if thats the name tho but its close I know ) but its in DATA\INTERFACE\INTRO\IMAGES and it does not have any *doubles*, the only tga with its name basically.

I find that I cannot edit it in Photoshop (it just shows a white picture) but you can edit/add to it if you use Paint.NET, free and pretty darn awesome.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.getpaint.net/">http://www.getpaint.net/</a><!-- m -->

You'll might need the hardware database update from louva-deus, here's the link:

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Don't know if this is your prob but you might as well use the update anyway.

On a more serious note, I think the percentage rate for them to drop weapons, if they actually do (I can't remember) is really low.

But I'm almost certain theres a wreck in one of the omicron systems with some nomad weapons too.

Maybe they know you are an evil pilot who will just use them for evil stuff.... :twisted:

Copy that, I hear you and I know its a touchy subject.

However, I was under the impression that the FLHook version was more than acceptable considering it is available for download and specified as a modders resource.

I'm not releasing anything really just pointing the man in the RIGHT direction, the one that doesn't involve cheating per say.

I have tried like you cannot believe to figure that one out. If you check in effects.ini you will see the tractor is set up like so:

[Effect]
nickname = tractor_effect
EFT_TYPE = EFT_TRACTOR_EFFECT
effect_snd = tractor

Thats out my head so it might be a wee bit wrong but the trator does not have a vis_effect reference because no _ale.ini has a tractor definition. I have searched the standard_effects.ale as well but nothing.

Though I remain ever faithful that the source of that effect will someday be uncovered.

My max option is 1280x960, which looks perfectly fine thank you :lol: .

Wrong section to post this but as far as I know, when you try to join a server it tries to connect to the global server first, which does not exist anymore. So you need the global server workaround which can be found here:
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This will download the file, as for using it well look at the site itself for info.

cheers

exe hack or ini change? (I assume exe hack)

Well, I must totally agree with JONG, I had just about given up on the rest and here you come with another angle :shock: .

Good stuff lad, thats what really makes a modder Not just changing what is already there, but figuring out how to implement new ideas via manipulation of existing code and features.

I am REALLY trying to make a real lightning beam and am finding it near impossible so I can't give you feedback any time soon.

Kyk voor en moenie ophou nie!!

OK to answer your first question, in stock FL cloaking does not work for the player. Don't ask why, this subject has been fully discussed and researched, ALOT. There is however a way, if you play multiplayer, you can use FLHook to workaround the issues and give a working cloak. (Third party plugin software)
You can find info here:
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As for all the mods you used to play, you will have to search the archives I'm afraid, they're here somewhere I think. They can also be found here:
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Hope this helps.

Ha, I knew it was a joke!

So you combine your ini's hey, hmm. I split mine LOL, probably not the best idea but I have turrets in a seperate ini and explosive weapons also have their own (have you seen how much weapons are in the weapon_equip file!) it makes it easier to find stuff. I also rearanged st_equip and most equip files actually.

@ Oblivion, the visual is almost there but I was under the impression you had achieved a sort of power damage but just weren't sure how?

You're welcome, glad I could be of value to your day, do come again. :lol:
Oh, and don't call me a god. Its not cricket.

@ Alfa, you're talkin bout editing the ale right? Not the goods and market entries?

Well, OK then, love me if you must but its really not necessary :?

Alright Alfa, and anyone else really, as promised , heres the file that I have for now, its still not the way I would like it to be but it doesn't look phoney at least.

I've realized that the way FL draws beams (or projectiles) for weapons means that a projectile from a weapon will never look OR draw like the tractor effect. It'll take too long to fully explain why. The screenshot sort of hides this but I don't have FRAPS installed yet (just reformatted), then you could have seen what I mean.

I will try to implement the animated lightning texture from the tlr_powerout.ale (from which I've discovered a jump tunnel effect and now lightning discs!) if I can get Firekisse's method for *true* beam effects to work, perhaps he could elaborate....

Anyway, the projectiles are basically "balls", it you turn your ship or weapons while firing you will see, it does look good though, much nicer than when I tried to make it a "beam" type. I've only worked on it last night and a bit this morning so if anyone else here can decode the tale (its still a valid effect) and see if they could help, I would be most grateful.

This is for the weapons_ale.ini:

[VisEffect]
nickname = lightning_spark
alchemy = fx\weapons\lightning_spark.tale
effect_crc = -3854478259
textures = fx\lightning2.txm

This is for the effects.ini:

[Effect]
nickname = electro_flash
effect_type = EFT_MUZZLE_FLASH
vis_effect = gf_misc_miningship_sparks

[Effect]
nickname = electro_hit01
effect_type = EFT_DAMAGE_SHIELD
vis_effect = gf_misc_miningship_electricity02

[Effect]
nickname = lightning_spark_proj
effect_type = EFT_WEAPON_LARGE_PROJ
vis_effect = lightning_spark

And the weapon entries for weapon_equip.ini:

[Munition]
nickname = electro_ammo
hp_type = hp_gun
requires_ammo = false
hit_pts = 2
hull_damage = 0
energy_damage = 100000
;weapon_type = W_EMP
;one_shot_sound = fire_electro1
munition_hit_effect = electro_hit01
const_effect = lightning_spark_proj
lifetime = 1
force_gun_ori = false
mass = 1
volume = 0.000000

[Gun]
nickname = electro_gun
ids_name = 470009
ids_info = 470009
DA_archetype = Equipment\models\weapons\no_fighter_gun.cmp
;material_library = equipment\models\hardware.mat
HP_child = HPConnect
hit_pts = 4215
explosion_resistance = 1.000000
debris_type = debris_normal
parent_impulse = 20
child_impulse = 80
volume = 0.000000
mass = 1
damage_per_fire = 0
power_usage = 1
refire_delay = -1
muzzle_velocity = 800
use_animation = Sc_fire
toughness = 8.500000
flash_particle_name = electro_flash
flash_radius = 15
light_anim = l_gun01_flash
projectile_archetype = electro_ammo
separation_explosion = sever_debris
auto_turret = false
turn_rate = 90
lootable = false
LODranges = 0, 20, 40, 80, 100

I commented out the weapon_type = W_EMP and one_shot_sound = fire_electro1 cause I really don't wanna post all that stuff as well, and possibly have to explain it too, Power usage should be really high imho, but this is still incomplete so for testing purposes its low. Refire rate is -1 (no delay) but that still didn't solve my problem .

I'm sure you guys can do the weapon_good and market files yourselves

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?

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.

@ 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.

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.

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.