Total Conversion Mod Starter Pack by DwnUndr

DwnUndr

I will leave this as a beta for a week or two in case I, or anyone else, can think of anything else to add. Feel free to add your suggestions!

Total Conversion Mod Starter Pack by DwnUndr, May 2010.

Please include this unaltered text file in your mod release so the credits are given properly. Create a separate text file for your own credits.
You may remove the other text files in the root directory that start with DWN_ to a safe place on your hardrive and add to them for your modding ease.

This Pack is intended to help with the hardest part of creating your own TCM; getting rid of the vanilla systems and starting from nearly scratch with no current errors (but not so stripped that you would have no clue where to start).
This would also be useful for creating small mini-mods. For instance a Start system, a system with only fighters and a system with only Capitol ships for having inter-server tournaments. Or each new system could have ships from a specific mod (get permission first!).

What resources are built into this Pack?
The official 1.1 server patch by Microsoft
Quickfix 1.0c by =EOA=Louva-Deus
No-CD exe
Aldebarans Modular Station Resource One and Two
Thousands of additional fixes beyond the above patches and tens of thousands of syntax and whitespace corrections. Lots of non-TCM related ini fixes (like vanilla systems and singleplayer files) but needed to show the zero errors. Many of the singleplayer fixes to remove the errors may break singleplayer, so use these fixes on your vanilla mods at your own risk! Open singleplayer will still work fine.
Please note that I have not gone through every single vanilla ini to fix syntax and whitespace, only the ones I used in the UnderVerse (reverse engineered for this Starter Pack).
Bejaymacs OSP tweak to allow single player mode
Gibbon’s Rapier Gun and Tizona effects fix
FlyByU’s Ew02 and Ew06 hole fixes
3.0 Mod version number for this Total Conversion Mod Starter Pack. See below on how to change this before you release a mod!
The newest known Hardware update pack
The Global Server Workaround v1.0 by w0d4a
StarArch fixes (from a post on the old TLR board, author unknown)
Three dlls from ‘Empty DLL’ made by Giskard. I used the first DLL for name and info cards, the second for commodities and the third for weapons and ships. Choose the method that works best for you. From the tutorials you will notice that many things NEED to be added to the original vanilla DLLs or they will not function properly.
There are some additional text files in the root folder for your enjoyment
Please note that since the Start System has a jumphole exit, any waypoint set from it will be invalid (a vanilla feature heh). The bonus is that if you make it so you can’t return to the Start System, then waypoints set from other systems will not try to cross into the Start System as a shortcut.
Sur fixes for Aldebarans stations, by Mirkha

What things exist in this Starter Pack?
A start system (with one planet, missions and npcs), a jumphole to a second system (with a base, missions, npcs, a wreck and a nebula) and a jumpgate to a third system (with one planet, a tradelane, missions, npcs, and a small asteroid field with mining turned on).
The wreck has the flag to allow it to be looted by the same player each time the flserver is restarted.
The start ship has been changed to the Rhino so you can see where and how to change it.
Everything has been named to make it easy for you to find them in the dlls so you can change them to your own names.

Please visit http://FreelancerCommunity.net for more information, download and suggestions.

EDIT…EDIT…EDIT

This is now a final release:

TCM Starter Pack version 3.0

http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-underverse/downloads/freelancer-total-conversion-mod-starter-pack-30

Intended to help with the hardest part of creating your own TCM; getting rid of the vanilla systems and starting from nearly scratch with no current errors (but not so stripped that you would have no clue where to start).
This would also be useful for creating small mini-mods. For instance a Start system, a system with only fighters and a system with only Capitol ships for having inter-server tournaments. Or each new system could have ships from a specific mod (get permission first!).
Aldebarans Station Resource I and II are built in as well as sur fixes by Mirkha. Open Single Player has been activated (thanks to Bejaymac) and works like a charm.

All Support for This Mod starter pack can be found at the Freelancer Community Site By Team [RIP].

ENJOY !

Xarian_Prime

Most Excellent Idea there DU… totally “non” heinous

Why485

I actually wanted to create one of these for myself. This is a really good idea. I haven’t given it a try, but I’ll definitely look into this if I ever go ahead and make the “sequel” to Itano Circus.

Mirkha

very good idea yes
i see that you have included the Aldebarans Modular Station Resource
but not the last update with new hitbox
don’t hesitate

DwnUndr

Mirkha wrote:
very good idea yes
i see that you have included the Aldebarans Modular Station Resource
but not the last update with new hitbox
don’t hesitate

Is this the Modular_Station_V2.zip by you?

Mirkha

yes

DwnUndr

Thank you, adding now!

Can I just replace the sur files or should I add the cmp as well?

Do I need to add any of the other files?

oZed

Hay, thanks for this DwnUndr, I’ve been looking for something like this and after trying this its everything It should be I’m just moving everything from another freelancer install into this and everything is working great!

Thanks!
Ozed

Mindhunter

U need to add this:
http://the-starport.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=689&forum=9&post_id=20128#forumpost20128

8-) 8-)

Mirkha

DwnUndr wrote:
Thank you, adding now!

Can I just replace the sur files or should I add the cmp as well?

Do I need to add any of the other files?

no, you also need the cmp,
the cmp are changed in the process.

DwnUndr

@ oZed, you are welcome.

@ Mirkha, thanks, I will add the sur and cmp files.

@ Mindhunter. Thanks! However, the download link in post 1 is 404, got a fresh download link?

DwnUndr

Bump for Mindhunter. That link you put into your post works, but the download:
http://ftp.the-starport.net/New.Universe.1.7/MMS_resource_v.1.0.7z
is a 404 so I can’t get the file. If you wish this inserted, do you have a fresh link? I can’t find it in the Downloads section either.

DwnUndr

This is now a final release, links added to the bottom of the first post.

Mirkha

great ^^
thx a lot for these starter pack

DwnUndr

You are welcome.

Why485

After looking through the pack I thought it was a little heavy for me, so I’ve slimmed it down to nothing but the essentials. Basically it’s just all the stuff in the EXE folder, plus the empty universe.

I’ve tested it a bit and it seems to be stable. Everything else has been removed. I suppose it might not be as useful for someone completely new, but I found the lack of whitespace in the files too hard to work with, plus it contained all sorts of things that I didn’t really want to use.

If it’s okay with you I can upload my version as an alternative. It’s an alternative for anyone who might want a lighter version of the starter pack.

DwnUndr

People have done lighter versions before but a new modder would have no place to start with literally everything removed. This pack is for beginners., not expert modders.

And, if you have removed nearly any single file then you have started to introduce all of the vanilla errors back into it again. Then a new modder has to track down these errors again.

The TCM Pack was for two reasons.

Not so stripped that new modders would be lost
Totally error free through the listed error checkers.

This was my intent, hope you understand.

StarTrader

Nonetheless, it would be a good starter kit for certain modders.

How about you release it as an “advanced modders’ Mod Starter Kit” ??