Some questions for the weapon modders.

So now that I think I’ve got the IDS issues sorted out (thanks for the tips) Couple graphical questions.

#1 Beamspear looks more suited for projectiles with big heads and more narrow tails. While the values under beambolt seem suited for more elongated (or pencil shaped I guess you could say) projectiles?

#2 Regarding that I’ve come to love the Kusari capship graphic (ku_capgun_01_proj) And wanted to play around with it, tweak the color some and all. But unlike the some of the other capship graphics it doesn’t seem to have an entry in beam_effects.ini. So does anyone know where it would be hiding, or pehaps I should just attempt to recreate it using a custom beambolt?

#3 Does the size of a beam have any impact on it’s accuracy? Say just for a silly and extreme example you made a laser bolt that took up a third of the screen. Impossible to miss with, or does some core or center point of the beam have to hit the target for it to count as a hit?

Just for a little update I think I solved the IDS problems I was having. Genius me still had FLserver up and running while trying to edit IDS’s. And for some technical reason that kept them from saving properly. Haven’t had any problems since in that regard. But am having a color me confused moment regarding the scatterguns I’ve been making.

The weapons all have an explosion tab added in above munition and gun, along with a detonation distance value (despite being modeled off the info and stats from a liberty plasma cannon) And I know the explosion part is working, I can fire at tightly packed npc’s as they spawn for a mission, and I’ll damage all three.

Problem is I wanted to make a mini mine launcher / flak cannon, crank the det distance up way past what normal missiles or mines have, along with a bigger blast radius to boot. But it doesn’t seem to be working visually or otherwise. I tried some above normal values like 100 radius and 50 DD then went silly and even raised them up to around 10000 then even 500000 just to see what would happen.

As for what didn’t happened, I get the feeling either i ran into another hardcap of some kind i’m unaware of, or just missing something in the weapon itself. Here’s what it looks like currently too
–--------

[Explosion]
nickname = scattergun_explosion
effect = li_missile02_impact
lifetime = 0.000000, 0.000000
process = disappear
strength = 100
radius = 10
hull_damage = 125
energy_damage = 0
impulse = 0

[Munition]
nickname = scattergun_ammo
explosion_arch = scattergun_explosion
hp_type = hp_gun
requires_ammo = false
hit_pts = 20000
detonation_dist = 6
hull_damage = 125.0
energy_damage = 0
weapon_type = W_Laser01
one_shot_sound = fire_plasma1
munition_hit_effect = li_plasma_01_impact
const_effect = li_plasma_01_proj
lifetime = 0.800000
force_gun_ori = false
mass = 1
volume = 0.000100

[Gun]
nickname = scattergun
ids_name = 458779
ids_info = 458780
DA_archetype = equipment\models\weapons\li_heavy_ion_blaster.cmp
material_library = equipment\models\li_equip.mat
HP_child = HPConnect
hit_pts = 400
explosion_resistance = 1.000000
debris_type = debris_normal
parent_impulse = 20
child_impulse = 80
volume = 0.000000
mass = 10
hp_gun_type = hp_gun_special_1
damage_per_fire = 0
power_usage = 5.090000
refire_delay = 0.060000
dispersion_angle= 4
muzzle_velocity = 750
use_animation = Sc_fire
toughness = 1.300000
flash_particle_name = li_plasma_01_flash
flash_radius = 15
light_anim = l_gun01_flash
projectile_archetype = scattergun_ammo
separation_explosion = sever_debris
auto_turret = false
turn_rate = 90
lootable = true
LODranges = 0, 20, 40, 80, 100

Yes, if the bullet actually scores a hit I get the explosion effect as you would with a missile. Nice normal radius too like it’s still set around 16 or so.

May try setting in seeker = dumb, but not sure how well it’ll work, seems like every time I try to make a laser into a missile by adding homing and such into the gun, or a missile using laser graphics for the projectile effect things get wonky. Still worth a go though, i’ll see how it works.

Forgot I still had the blast radius set at 10000
fires gun once
watches entire area around Planet LA go hostile

Yeeeeah adding seeker = dumb gave it missile like properties without a doubt, now if I tweak the blast or det dist it behaves at those ranges.

But on the downside this has caused one other lil problem, FL is treating the gun like a missile launcher. So holding down right mouse won’t chain fire it anymore like with lasers. The only way I can get a fire rate that makes it effective is to click right mouse like mad, or hold down the fire missile button, which is a no go when other missiles are equipped on the fighter.

Tried the fire weapon group buttons too but no luck there, any suggestions on how to get around this problem?

Found the weapon pack, but the only thing inside it that i could see was an .xml file. What would I need to go digging through that to really see the weapon stats and such for the things he created?

On a side note too. If I wanted to get past just editing the .ini files, and say editing the actual game projectile graphics (among other things) I’m gonna guess I need to get my hands on an .ale editor? Try searching the site for a link to one?

has another one of those amusing I feel bright moments

Yeah, try opening xml with notepad, works a lot better =p

And those shockwave missiles… Heh I want to make one now, but it’d feel like copying someone else’s work so unsure there.

The info inside is kinda helpful too for what I’m working on, and at first I was curious how Silverlight got the rocket pods to fire with right mouse. Helpful yes, it’s been bugging me trying to figure that part out.

That and I noticed that weapon type was listed as W_rocket instead of W_laser01. Yet I couldn’t find any other reference to it in the script. Something that references a different weapons related file? Or just a way for an editor to keep track of his guns?

But after a bit more study it seems like they’re really just a laser gun with missile graphics. As there’s no explosion tab attached with them, and no seeker = DUMB. Which I seem to need to get the explosion to behave right, but which still kills the ability to right mouse fire the gun.

Though on a side note i did figure out one workaround by simply keymapping fire weapon 7 to E instead of it’s usual use. Hold it down and weapon will chain fire. But this seems like a bit of a band aid approach, not exactly fond of it.

One other problem has cropped up that’s I’m fairly sure is also tied to adding in Seeker = The gun seems to fire any normal in game proj file just fine. But if I make it a custom beam effect I get no graphic at all. Thought my initial one had a typo or something was added in improperly so afterwards I tried using a custom effect from another gun which I’ve seen so I know it works. Still no graphic that way either.

Any ideas what could be causing that?