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Post by Aves Dominari on Jan 14, 2013 15:14:50 GMT -5
Say, Kyzrati, when you say 'add the new styles file' for an 8.4 mod, do you mean the specialability/combat/interface_styles files? Those are the only ones I can find.
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Post by Kyzrati on Jan 14, 2013 19:43:56 GMT -5
Say, Kyzrati, when you say 'add the new styles file' for an 8.4 mod, do you mean the specialability/combat/interface_styles files? Those are the only ones I can find. specialability_styles.xt, as listed in the changelog. File changes are always listed in brackets. It's generally a file that you'd need to just copy over since no one would really make changes to it at this point except me.
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Post by coolio678 on Feb 2, 2013 18:51:09 GMT -5
Where's a good place to start modding? I've read the whole guide, but the fact that everything is so interconnected is a little daunting, for me.
edit: period swapped for comma
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Post by Kyzrati on Feb 2, 2013 21:06:10 GMT -5
I understand what you mean. It can be difficult to start when it seems like there's so much to do. But you don't really need everything in there to make a good mod.
The best place to start, just for practice, is the core files: entities.xt and items.xt, and later props.xt, and cells.xt. Make sure you've got the fundamentals of how they work by modifying an existing mod like Cataclysm+. Just add single entities/items/etc until comfortable with that then move on to adding extra bits and pieces.
Try to create a testing ground for your ideas. For example, the Rookie's Tale cataclysm_areas.xt file ends with my testing area, where I can simply turn it on/off by changing the required number to 1. It's just a copy of the open grass area where I can spawn individual objects and see if they work properly.
Basically, learn the system piece by piece and it's not too complicated. Once ready to do your own mod you can switch over to using Empty Mod. Do you have a specific idea/theme for your mod yet? I could offer more advice if I knew what direction and how big you're thinking here.
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Post by Kyzrati on Feb 3, 2013 5:23:22 GMT -5
(Created a new armor.xt thread for your armor-specific question, 10101.)
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Post by coolio678 on Feb 3, 2013 17:37:08 GMT -5
I understand what you mean. It can be difficult to start when it seems like there's so much to do. But you don't really need everything in there to make a good mod. The best place to start, just for practice, is the core files: entities.xt and items.xt, and later props.xt, and cells.xt. Make sure you've got the fundamentals of how they work by modifying an existing mod like Cataclysm+. Just add single entities/items/etc until comfortable with that then move on to adding extra bits and pieces. Try to create a testing ground for your ideas. For example, the Rookie's Tale cataclysm_areas.xt file ends with my testing area, where I can simply turn it on/off by changing the required number to 1. It's just a copy of the open grass area where I can spawn individual objects and see if they work properly. Basically, learn the system piece by piece and it's not too complicated. Once ready to do your own mod you can switch over to using Empty Mod. Do you have a specific idea/theme for your mod yet? I could offer more advice if I knew what direction and how big you're thinking here. That's really helpful, actually. As for the mod, I was thinking of making a VIP search style mission, but adding in some extra things not in vanilla xcom (like cataclysm)
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Post by Kyzrati on Feb 3, 2013 20:15:17 GMT -5
Cool, looks like you'll be able to use the Empty Mod and its core X-COM data, and just add on to that as necessary. You could also copy over the props and cells and base your map-making on them, or if you want to avoid blueprints entirely at this point, you can just mod cataclysm itself and change up the spawning, areas, and scenario files, adding any other objects as necessary, though cataclysm is a bit cluttered with a large amount of stuff by now.
Lots of possibilities for VIP rescue: they could be locked away and guarded by aliens in a specific few locations (make sure they're not visible to the aliens so they aren't killed on sight); they could be wandering around with their own guards (perhaps have a VIP follow a lead guard, then followed by a guard to keep them in the middle); or they could just be wandering around by themselves, though that would probably not end well. To get them out of the map: you could use the standard evac system found in cataclysm; define your own using special abilities on an invisible prop around your starting area, or some other area, like a light/marker that designates an evac zone (this is probably the most flexible, interesting way); or just make the VIPs disappear/teleport out when you meet up with them (the easy way, which also removes any escort component). Of course many more possibilities I haven't though of yet.
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Post by 10101 on Feb 10, 2013 12:09:17 GMT -5
Ok, screw that, i'm too dump reading.
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Post by 10101 on Mar 24, 2013 5:14:50 GMT -5
So the terrorship, the supplyship and the battleship all use Lifts from bottom to the top.
So i'm not sure i did understand that. Do i use > at the top and every Cell beneath is a <?
By the way those Lifts despite being Firm=-1 crumble when hit by a HWP Blaster Bomb.
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Post by Kyzrati on Mar 24, 2013 5:51:21 GMT -5
So the terrorship, the supplyship and the battleship all use Lifts from bottom to the top. So i'm not sure i did understand that. Do i use > at the top and every Cell beneath is a <? I can't say I understand that perfectly myself, either. So much for an explanation good enough for "the record" ;p Since I've never done it before I don't quite know, but I'll be testing it out myself soon enough and get back to you (though I'm guessing you'll probably figure it out before long...). By the way those Lifts despite being Firm=-1 crumble when hit by a HWP Blaster Bomb. Firmness only has to do with entity smashing terrain, not destruction by weapons. A lift (or any cell) can still be destroyed if the terrain supporting it is destroyed and it doesn't have a high enough stability to remain intact. Stability is what matters here--that's what makes things fall apart, since we generally don't want hovering terrain. EDIT: Oh, and congratulations on your promotion to Captain
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Post by 10101 on Mar 24, 2013 6:35:23 GMT -5
Thank you, sir. Hope you like the little cake i baked at the farm to celebrate that.
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Post by Kyzrati on Mar 24, 2013 8:05:26 GMT -5
Now I'm going to have to look for it, searching for a cake rather than aliens ;p
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Post by 10101 on Mar 24, 2013 8:16:22 GMT -5
I don't think you'll miss it...
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Post by Kyzrati on Mar 24, 2013 8:23:40 GMT -5
Oh, it's going to shoot missiles at me now?
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Post by Kyzrati on Mar 24, 2013 21:22:04 GMT -5
So the terrorship, the supplyship and the battleship all use Lifts from bottom to the top. So i'm not sure i did understand that. Do i use > at the top and every Cell beneath is a <? I can't say I understand that perfectly myself, either. So much for an explanation good enough for "the record" ;p Since I've never done it before I don't quite know, but I'll be testing it out myself soon enough and get back to you (though I'm guessing you'll probably figure it out before long...). So I tested this out again, and recall what the heck I was talking about there. The full explanation would be: Vertical lifts, no matter how high, would require two different cells to implement properly, a base-level cell, and one to use above that on every other floor. The only reason for the difference is that lifts are essentially floor tiles, and at the base level the floor should be opaque while all levels above that should be transparent--assuming you want to be able to see/shoot through them, that is. It's now easy to make this difference invisible to the user by using the new cell tag feature, giving each of the two lift cells a different tag, but calling them both "Lift". As an example, here are my lifts: LiftU "Lift" 8 < < red_4 "Alloy" 1 0 200 80 -1 - - 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 8 1 VERT 0 - 0 - - LiftD "Lift" ) > > red_4 "Alloy" 1 0 200 80 -1 - - 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 8 0 VERT 0 -
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