Deadly Ship&Station Mod w/Scripts by RS (RC4 Available) - [Image Warning]

[DeadlyDa]

UPDATE - Release Cantidate 4, with all of the initial 24 ships, is available for testing.

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Preview Release of Deadly Station & Ship mod with Scripts by Red Spot

Revision A - altered the Asteroid Base to use old X2-style textures to allow people with "normal" computers lof load the bloddy thing. It's no longer as pretty...but I hope to have the matter resolved shortly.

Ah well...so it begins, my friends

While there are a number of things yet to do, ships to add, and scripts to write...the basic mod is working and stable.

Rather than make you wait, we decided to let you have a play with what we've got.

Please remember, this release is a only a "preview", and does not include all of the ships and stations that will be in the first full release. It is also important to note that the current script set is really just a temporary measure to get the ships and primary station into the game so you can try them out.

Red Spot is in the process of preparing a significantly more interesting (and complex) script set that will provide a much more challenging way of introducing the new ships and player HQ (the Asteroid Base) into the game in a "gradual" fashion. (After all...ya' wanna play, ya' gotta pay!)

We'll be detailing the new functionality in the Egosoft forums over the next few days.

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Release History:
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++ Preview Release - Revision A: Switched the Asteroid Base to old X2-style textures, until I can figure out why the load times are excessive.

++ Preview Release: This is primarily a "technology" demo, to show off some of the custom ships and new features and textures of X3. It includes some "bare bones" scripts to create (and re-spawn, as needed) a shipyard, equipment dock, and Asteroid Base (as the Player HQ). This version is fully functional, and contains 16 ships and 1 custom station.

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What this mod is not:
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It is not (yet) a full mod, with all the bell and whistles. It does not have the full set of Red Spot's scripts and missions that will be included in the initial release, not does it have all the ships and stations.

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What this mod is:
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1. A fully playable compilation of 16 new (additional) ships, and one new station which is currently given to the player as an HQ "free of charge" the first time you start a game, or load a save game.

2. The mod can be played with, or without, the X3 plot.

3. There is a new shipyard and equipment dock spawned in a remote sector (one which you discover during the plot). The shipyard offers all of the new ships for sale, under the standard notoriety/reputation race logic in effect for all X3 shipyards...of course the shipyard is owned by the Split, so you'll want to be on very friendly terms with them.

4. The player HQ is based on a custom station model using an Asteroid as the core element. It is spawned into an Unknown Sector...but since it is automatically given to the player, you should have no problem finding it. It is capable of docking all classes of ships, with capacity for 4 M1/M2/TL class ships, 10 TP/TS/M6 class ships, and all the fighters you can get.

5. For the Preview release, the player HQ has all standard trade wares added to it (but with no inventory). This makes it an ideal warehouse, as well as a place to store ships, and transfer cargo.

6. The default race for all ships in this release is "player".

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Ship Types and Screen Shots:
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M5 Class Ships...

Starfury
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Tie Interceptor
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A-Wing
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M4 class Ships...

Y-Wing
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Banshee
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Tie Defender
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X-Wing
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M3 Class Ships...

Terran Thor
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YT-2400 Outrider
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Dralthi
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B-Wing
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M6 Class Ships...

Monsoon Gunboat
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M2 Class Ships...

Grendel (aka Protector)
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M1 Class Ships...

Sulaco
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TL Class Ships...

Roger Young (temporary...will be an M1 once I get the TL in)
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TS Class Ships...

YT-1300 "Millennium Falcon"
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Installation Instructions:
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1. Extract the .rar file to your X3 directory.
2. On the initial X3 start menu, click on Select Mod Package, and select this mod package.
3. Once you are at the main menu (in the game), you can start whatever type of game you wish, or simply load an existing save game.

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Downloads:
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The straight .RAR archive:
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/wolf/images/ ... d-RevA.rar

The self-extracting .EXE:
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/wolf/images/ ... d-RevA.exe

UPDATE: If you'd like to play with the full 24-ship version, we are currently testing Release Candidate 4 of the full mod. It is pretty stable, and baring a few last minute glitches will be what I publish as Version 1.0 in a few days.

With that said...here are the links to RC4 (both RAR and EXE are available: http://www.flatrock.org.nz/wolf/images/ ... .0-RC4.rar
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/wolf/images/ ... .0-RC4.exe

[Wolfkin]

A very big thank you to you DeadlyDa and to Red Spot for this

Will sure try it out and I look forward to the complete mod and any addons later on.

[Gridd]

Hi there,
Wanted to say Awesome Job. Keep up the great work. and Wish i could help but dont have many skills in scripting modding. (currently learning though)
also quick question, Are you wanting reports of how your mod plays (issues, bugs, and Requests)? If so, where would you like them? Posted in thread or PM'd?
Once again great work I am really enjoying Yours and RedSpots work.

Couple issues so far.

1. New NPC shipyard has 0 ships or products.
2. bigtime slow down in that sector after a few of the New split ships spawn and start fighting.
3. TL Mamoth will not dock with Astroid Base from dock at commands.
4. Suggestion, could you move the Player HQ closer to center of sector? for the slower ships not to take so long to get there.
Thank you greatly for you effort on this. As well as the work done for X2
Look forward to upcoming releases as much as I was looking forward to X3

Gridd
Edit, also noticed interesting Jumpgate effects? Pretty cool, Like Big Red Spots,

[ajsarge]

YAY! Here's to Deadly's ship mods!

[Red Spot]

Deadly..

Did you get my mail yesterday ??
(havent got a reply yet .. but it had kinda important changes in the scripts)

Hi there,
Couple issues so far.

1. New NPC shipyard has 0 ships or products.
2. bigtime slow down in that sector after a few of the New split ships spawn and start fighting.
3. TL Mamoth will not dock with Astroid Base from dock at commands.
4. Suggestion, could you move the Player HQ closer to center of sector? for the slower ships not to take so long to get there.

1) I'll be on that one ..(this afternoon)
4) you should read 'secret player HQ' ...



G

[Red Spot]

ok new script-pack ..

These scripts come with the mod .. however the scripts in the mod have some small booboos in them .. also 'regular' code didnt work on installing ships in the SY .. this new pack should fix them all ..
(communication between Deadly and me is going slow .. seems it takes a couple hours for him to recieve my mail ..)

changed one setting .. I've set the Roid-base to spawn a little closer to the center of sector (for now ..)

get it here;
http://www.geocities.com/g5_11/DD/DD-Mod-Scripts.zip



G

[paulatwork6]

Hi

Your work is great,

However, if this is a preview version and I install the mod onto my X3 and play from my save, will it :-

1. Work with the save game.

2. After a full version is released, will the pre-release be able to be un-installed and full version installed without damaging save game.

Thanks.

[Mailo]

Hi

Your work is great,

However, if this is a preview version and I install the mod onto my X3 and play from my save, will it :-

1. Work with the save game.

2. After a full version is released, will the pre-release be able to be un-installed and full version installed without damaging save game.

Thanks.

That is also my question ... I spent the whole weekend looking forward to this (as my wife will attest to ), but am undecided if installing the preview now will keep me from enjoying the full mode when it is released.
Although I will test it in a new game, I guess.

Another one ... why did you decide to classify the TIE Defender as a M4, and the TIE Interceptor as a M5? I would have guessed Defender M3, Interceptor M4, TIE Fighter M5 (would be funny, make it really cheap, but unable to carry shields ).

[Red Spot]

Hi

1. Work with the save game.

2. After a full version is released, will the pre-release be able to be un-installed and full version installed without damaging save game.

Thanks.

1)yep it will work on your save-game or a new game

2)most likelly NOT (this is just a preview to show you some of Deadly's ships and stations.. the 'final' version will hold several plugins and station-commands and a whole bunch of ships that arent in there now ..)

Another one ... why did you decide to classify the TIE Defender as a M4, and the TIE Interceptor as a M5? I would have guessed Defender M3, Interceptor M4, TIE Fighter M5 (would be funny, make it really cheap, but unable to carry shields ).

ships havent been balanced yet .. as it says .. its a preview ..
(ships will be divided between the 5 main races and will be balanced according to that race for the 'final' version)



G

[paulatwork6]

Thankyou Redspot

So does mean that there is no point in getting the MOD in it current state or once the full MOD is released, just select that one on startup instead.

Also, does this mean the new scripts included in the preview MOD alter my current gaming in normal gameplay without selecting the MOD on startup.

Sorry for the extensive questioning but, I am always very wary in putting scripts & MODS into games when I don't fully understand them.

[NightmareKato]

The station seems busted - only the docking clamps are visible, and the rest are all gone. Did I screw up on installation?

[DarthVain]

How long does it take for the HQ to spawn as I cannot see it as it just shows the target box and not the HQ.

Also I would really like to keep the cockpit addon which doesn't seem to work (having it placed in the X3 Directory as 06.dat/cat files)

One cannot dock at it either as docking is denied.

[paulatwork6]

Is there any idea of when the FULL release is due please?

[X-it]

This looks great! *drools*

But like the others, I'm wondering:

If we install this now, we will not be able to replace this with the final version? So any save games we use this with will not work once the final version is installed, and we can't uninstall it? (two similar questions there, just not sure how I should word myself... )

- Bottom line: Any games we test this with should be test games only, and we have to go back to an earlier save when the final version is released? (another one )

Anyway congrats on some great work on this to both of you!

[DJ | Wolf]

For safeties sake I would suggest testing this with a new save game, this is my plan. I'll be testing it very shortly - been looking forwards to this

Cheers guys

[IKCBlade]

Excellent work deadly. But, at the risk of nitpicking, the Aurora's engine pods are too far foreward. The verticle and horizontal RCS thrust ports are supposed to be slightly foreward of the center of the engine pylons

Aside from that nitpick, absolutely kick ass job. The Monsoon is quickly becoming my escort vessel of choice

[DeadlyDa]

All,

Sorry for being MIA...I was up late working on the mod, and had to catch an early train into NY.

The good news is that I will be working from my home office the rest of the week, and should be able to spend a fair bit of time working on the mod.

Gridd: Yes, this thread is where the bug reports, comments, and suggestions go.

A few general responses.

* The ships are not balanced, nor are they all in their eventual class (e.g. the Roger Young is clearly not a TL )

* I believe the graphics slow down is due to my not being able to produce the ship and station parts in BOB (binary) format. I am going to test this by using the old textures...which I can still output as binary files.

* No problem starting from a save game, but do not count on being able to continue using it once the full mod comes out with all Red Spot's new plugins. I tend to use the last 5 slots in my save game list for "R&D" save games, and activate and de-activate the mod as I switch between testing and actually playing X3.

* The full release should be done...er, when it's done? Probably 1-2 weeks, although I might produce an update to the Preview Release if and when I get the graphics slow down fixed.

* Since I am altering many of the X3 type files, other mods will almost certainly not work. The only exception is that I have included in TWaresT the 2 ware type required to run AalaarDB's Salvage Mod (Repair Drones and Salvage License). So while AalaarDB's Salvage Mod is not included, if you install the scripts and text file it will work.

* I will need to look into the asteroid base not showing up. It works on my system, but that may be due to residual bits & pieces left laying around. I'll test it on a clean install folder later today.

Thanks for checking it out, and your comments are invaluable...keep 'em coming!

[X-it]

Tried it a bit now, and first the bad news:

The asteroid base is not working for me either. All I see are the docking arms (I think), and it's showing up as blue (not player owned). Screenshot here (my Elephant in the background). I did NOT have to wait long when entering the sector (5-10 seconds), so I suspect this is related to the missing base?

Also it's not possible to dock, and when comm'ing it you only get the 'Request comm with person on board'-option. It's also full of almost every commodity in the X-Unverse as far as I could see, but there is no way to get it.

Anyway, I bought one of each ship from the shipyard to check their stats and have a look at them (not enough rep or money for the 3 big ones though) and I love them! Recently started using Myros' Combat Pilots script, where you have to give the pilots M5s training craft before they increase in rank and can fly bigger ones (M4s then M3s and then M6s and so on), so this was very welcome mod indeed.

Love the Tie Interceptor, stats and looks. The Starfury is incredibly cool too, but with only BIREs I'm afraid to use them in a task force.

The engine 'smoke' from the X-Wing and other Star Wars ships were brilliant! X-Wings will be my M4 choice, and also Tie Defenders to go with the Interceptors.

The Mill. Falcon also looked great, and the glowing engines were beautiful. I see X3 is a great base for mods like these.

The Monsoon really looked like a gunboat - like it could handle intself nicely.

Some of the ships didn't appeal to me at this point though, but that's maybe bacause they're not fully ported from X2 yet. They were less detailed and 'shiny' than the others. Examples are the Dralthi, Banshee, Outrider.

Best part (imho) was the THOR! This will be my one and only M3 choice from now on.

This is actually better than X-mas for me, thank you very much for this! Now go get that asteroid base fixed...

Cheers.

Edit: Didn't see your post until now, Deadly. Thanks for the update.

[DeadlyDa]

Some of the ships didn't appeal to me at this point though, but that's maybe because they're not fully ported from X2 yet. They were less detailed and 'shiny' than the others. Examples are the Dralthi, Banshee, Outrider.

All ship in the full mod will have the new textures. You're correct in thinking that the ships you mentioned are still using the old "flat" JPG textures. While they do look better in X2 than they did in X2, there is no comparison to the new DDS textures.

The "ownership" of the base was a miscommunication between Red Spot and myself. I ask RS to make a change to the script whish spawns it.

Your post sheds some interesting "light" on the asteroid problem. Some (like myself and Red Spot), have the asteroid in all it's graphic glory...but it takes forever to render it when you are in the same sector. A couple of other have noted it doesn't showing the asteroid...only the docking arms and parts. I was not aware that for those with no 'roid, the spawn times were shorter.

I will try for an interim fix using X2 textures for the asteroid, leaving the other bits "as is", and see if works.

[X-it]

Thanks, happy if I could help shed light on something... I also have an LCD display on my keyboard showing CPU and RAM usage at alle times, and RAM usage was quite low in that sector compared to the other ones (about 60%, while Seizewell is about 98% (I have 1GB)). But that is probably mainly because it's such an empty sector in general, and probably doesn't mean anything.

Just remembered I also noticed one of the ships didn't have 'light' in the right engines, only the left ones (4 engines in a square pattern). Can't remember which one it was, but I think it was one of the unfinished ones, so you're probably aware of it.