Essentially, what I want the tool to do is create a buy/sell listing to a user-specified ini file (e.g. gci_power_good.ini), from a user specified equipment listing (e.g. cgi_power_equip.ini).

What this tool should do is create good listings at a formulated estimate, which varies from equipment type to equipment type.

Price for Power Plants can be defined like such:

capacity * charge_rate \ mass = price

I figured this would provide fair estimates, eliminate guesswork, and save time on creating good entries.

Anyone who’s happy to program a prototype, is welcome to share it here.

You can, but there’s a lot of hoops to jump through:

1. After Updating disco, Copy your Discovery Folder as another instance, to make a clean slate for modding.

2. disable directplay8.dll, dsace.dll, and dsupdate in your modded instance’s dacom.ini. A semicolon beside the troublesome libraries should do it.

Explanation for disabling the aforementioned dlls:
These libraries are meant to regulate the content consistency in the game, when they check the dacom.ini, any libraries found in the list considered an unfair edge like jflp.dll 1.21, crashes your game on startup. Well, without the Directplay Library it started fine, but I recommend disabling the Disco exclusive libraries, just to disable all security checks.

3. Besure to add the FL_Dev includes to your dacom.ini:

Before [DACOM], add “@include FL_Dev.ini”

Then betwixt [Libraries] and [System], add “@include FL_DevOnlyLibs.ini”

4. Install jflp and hudshift, like always.

5. Profit, your modded instance is ready for editing!

The Crit Module is great, but in case guns do have explosive munitions, will it work regardless?

This gives me an idea for a special plugin that can be associated with criticalhit.dll. I’ll post the idea in a separate thread.

UPDATE: For now, when using criticalhit.dll, add the parameters for the following in weapon_equip.ini:

; For Missile Explosions, add this clause
[Explosion]
critical_hit = 10, 1.5

; For Mines, add this clause
[Explosion]
critical_hit = 15, 1.5

; For Torpedoes, add this clause
[Explosion]
critical_hit = 25, 1.5

You may tweak these values individually, afterwards. To improve ratio for higher end armaments, and/or tone down ratio for lower-class launchers. Either way, Corsairs are about to get dunked on!

First, the proper music for tone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjBVwjTOxmk

Ok, I came up with a new Power Plant variation for the Surveyor.
From misc_equip.ini:

[Power]
nickname = gci_elitelf_power_01
ids_name = 589840
ids_info = 590840
DA_archetype = equipment\models\hardware\li_fusion_reactor.3db
material_library = equipment\models\hardware.mat
mass = 10
volume = 0.000000
capacity = 10000
charge_rate = 1250
thrust_capacity = 1000
thrust_charge_rate = 100
lootable = false

The Name and Infocard is done, and I’ve even added an entry in misc_goods.ini:

[Good]
nickname = gci_elitelf_power_01
equipment = gci_elitelf_power_01
category = equipment
ids_name = 589840
ids_info = 590840
price = 250000
combinable = false
item_icon = equipment\models\commodities\nn_icons\equipicon_powerplant.3db
shop_archetype = equipment\models\commodities\crates\crate_grey.3db

Ok, I plan to sell this good at select bases in Liberty Space, in the Disco Mod, is there a base that accepts the sales of experimental hardware in Liberty, according to the lore? It must be a lawful/quasi-lawful faction.

Also, I plan to make power plants interchangeable, sell an old for a new, how do I make the power plant visible in the sell box?

I’ll beta test what you compiled already, PM me a dropbox link, I’ll let you in on some bugs, crash-inducing or otherwise.

Looks interesting, but where are the Hardpoints?

OK, in my endeavors of weapons coding, I’m in a bit of a roadblock coding custom ALE files. Yes, I am aware of the fact that the wrong CRC for the effect in question will likely cause catastrophic failure to the game. My case is different, unlike beam effects, I want to make photon effects. After decompiling ku_photon_01.ale I was aware that I would get two files.

I want to make my own photon effects from scratch, but I lack documentation of the Alchemy Effects Code. I barely have a clue as to what each command does towards the BIG picture. Any idea on where to start?

UPDATE: On second thought, nix the code, now I face something confusing. Node_LifeSpan, is that value in seconds or something else? Also, how do you calculate keyframe time from real time? Is it referenced time/end time?

But what if the ship takes a distinct shape it must follow? What then, Sizer?

Besides I tried to keep everything Quads, but I keep getting n-gons when I add detail with Bevel. chamfer and the likes, and you have to remove any byproducts of the mirror modifier before you export the mesh.

I know that I mean Tessellate a dummy model before exporting the real one. Because the mesh is likely to not triangulate cleanly upon export. The CMP Exporter for 3ds MAX can be an ass when tessellating n-gons. Of course if your model is centered on the Y Axis (?) it’s not a problem, right?

Good to know, but it’s better to tessellate your mesh before exporting it. Otherwise, you could end up with a mess, especially if you have Hardpoints in the middle of the mesh. But it’s like my CAD Professor said, don’t sweat the small stuff, just make it look pretty.

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=Vdx70AExNyg

You think this will be a leg up for modelers, or a nightmare for the engine?

You do realize you will have to tessellate the mesh prior to actually exporting it to CMP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdx70AExNyg

Dan Forden - Goro’s Lair (from Mortal Kombat)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHHJ-qs5bF4

I’m thinking about making a Flagship for Goro, something that let’s him utilize his four arms. Any ideas?

Actually, I need to model the mount points in my model, to give clues as to where to put the Hardpoints.

Looks promising, but I can neither do SURs nor Hardpoints. Isn’t there a vid tutorial on utilizing CMPs for FL?

Ok, perhaps this will clarify things. An outline ref is a reference showing only the exterior outline of the concept. This type of reference is commonly used in tests involving creativity, because no detail is given inside the outline. It’s like an deciphering an inkblot, it can be whatever you mind tells it to be. Unlike the inkblot, the outline determines the models bounds and proportions.

If you’re still confused, go back to the inkblot analogy, heck, even look at inkblots. You’ll understand what I mean.

How about I make partial refs (i.e. outline only) that way I’ll decide how to mold it from the initial shape. I’ll need help making the textures afterwards.

I can’t provide my own ref material, and I will certainly not use anyone else’s reference material. I’m not the best modeler, and never will be. I’ll just end up killing scratch work, and end up with an empty portfolio. It’s no wonder why I never got the game development career I should have got. I have a fear of commitment, I fear of having to put my personal life behind, to work as a lowly unskilled laborer, leaving no time to practice my skills.

I’m telling you this, because my parents think I could only afford the bottom tier, because they think I don’t know how to handle myself in public. I’m sick of being babied all my life, I want to make a difference in the world, but I can’t do it the way people tell me to!

EDIT: Ok, I’m sorry I doubted myself, I’m at a stage where my parents need me to grow up. I can make reference material, I just need to know how to do it, all I have is physical medium, a scanner, a tablet, yet I have a problem with concentration.

Sizer wrote:
if you’re going by standard rules, 3-6k polys for a fighter, 10-30k for a capital. If you go by my rules and also use the Max .CMP exporter, I shoot for ~10k polys for fighters, and anywhere between 40-150k polys for capitals. Also note that if you’re going to use higher count models, use aggressive loding to keep performance on older machines, if you care about supporting legacy hardware.

Dang, what graphics card do you use, a Quadro?

BTW, your modeling and texturing tutorials, how can those same techniques be applied to a VHF?

I need examples of what FL will accept for new player ships. Anything like that?

What is the max poly limit for a typical player ship in vanilla FL? I’m using a budget module for Blender.

Installed DirectX Runtimes, but I still get this when I try to “Show Model”.

EDIT: Didn’t you say something about a tweak towards recompiling the application?

EDIT2: Never mind, the SVN build works better.