Hardpointing Planets

Hardpoints can’t be done on actual Freelancer-style planets (IE SPH files).

You can, however, make a CMP-based planet and hardpoint that

Just a spherical model with a planet texture and you get that in MS3D and it should be fine and dandy.

Bit beyond my skill level that, but on an after thought, the planets themselves don’t necessarily have to be a model, deaths occur as a result of the atmosphere don’t they?

So in theory, you could position some form of weapon, such as those weapon platforms or a small base within the actual planet and they would be able to fire out?

Death occurs due to a zone, not anything to do with the planet.

Thanks for the clarification! I see that now looking at the li01 files, I’m still learning, the atmosphere radius just defines where the atmospheric entry effects kick in then I take it?

Regardless, bases and other items that exist in space can also exist within such a zone, providing they have unlimited hitpoints I imagine?

So in theory, you could position some form of weapon, such as those weapon platforms or a small base within the actual planet and they would be able to fire out?

yep

but its probaly better to use a .cmp planet though… this way you can add a ton of groovy things that SPH planets won’t/cannot handle… IE: Shields… (via a spherical .sur file). As lancer said… the atmos is just a zone and can be added too around the .cmp… even a cool looking “Planetstorm” as a FX HP… the list is endless…

I have planets sporting massive Ion cannons & Shields… just for fun really, but it can be done!

You sir have just made my mind explode with possibilities, but however for the moment I would have difficulty creating such a feat, I have literally zero modelling knowledge, coming from a coding background in terms of basic web programming I can just about manage some pretty basic photoshop.

Maybe when I’m a little more advanced hehe.

I’m planning on using Ion Cannons though as they are one of my favourite space guns from Stargate, the Tollans planetary defence. It gave me the idea to have something more powerful shooting from the planet but not from just the dock rings, which I believe to be unrealistic.

Shielded planets I imagine the Ancients doing however.

At the moment I’m coding their ultimate weapon into Freelancer, the Drones. I’m having to adapt that energy missile tutorial a bit, but I’m getting there.

Xarian_Prime wrote:

So in theory, you could position some form of weapon, such as those weapon platforms or a small base within the actual planet and they would be able to fire out?

yep

but its probaly better to use a .cmp planet though… this way you can add a ton of groovy things that SPH planets won’t/cannot handle… IE: Shields… (via a spherical .sur file). As lancer said… the atmos is just a zone and can be added too around the .cmp… even a cool looking “Planetstorm” as a FX HP… the list is endless…

I have planets sporting massive Ion cannons & Shields… just for fun really, but it can be done!

Xarian ol chum,

I’ll debate the atmosphere subject that it’s just a zone. All you get by adding an atmosphere zone is the particles that you get when you enter the atmosphere, that’s not the atmosphere itself. For that you have to do some nifty utf editing and add an atmosphere with a mat file like on standard FL planets. Do that and you end up with a proper atmosphere

This shows you what i mean

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Wargibbon/Galacticum/Venus.jpg

Gibbon, fancy sharing a tutorial on that? That look is what I’d love to have on my planets

hehe ye right m8… i was just refering to the “death zone”

I surmise however… one could put a very thin sphere cloud around the .cmp to “simulate” the atmo? …

But than agian… you’ve actualy done it… im just in theory mode hehe…

so yeah i’ll ask too … any chance of a “adding atmos to mat files” rundown m8?.. Ive got a few planets .cmps here not in game yet… but this is somthing i’d want to add to them… before i do…

many bannanas to you

If he provides a tutorial I’ll buy him his own personal banana company

On a side note, I think I’m going to do away with docking rings, as from what I can tell from my tinkering, I could extend the dock to the same size of the atmosphere and position it right in the center.

That way someone would just have to be quite close to the planet and hit dock and off to the landing sequence, yes?

Even our space vessels can enter the atmosphere, and they don’t even have shields so I always thought that a bit silly really!