Star Trek Armada Classic Modding

[Chiletrek]

Hello:

Ok, so I got it to work now, but it only works in FO or FO Classic. Using the classLabel UniTorpedo allows the torpedo to use an SOD base, allowing it to turn as its tracking its target, be targetable by PDP, and cause damage to both the shields and hull on impact.

Do you know if FO Classic allows you to change the hitchance value of PDPs?

 

[dvatreknerd314]

I found it.. add this line of code to your fighters and shuttles


mapicon = "mapicon_empty"

That line's already in the fighter files so no it doesn't work.

Hello:

Do you know if FO Classic allows you to change the hitchance value of PDPs?

Sorry to say that I'm not sure. Glancing at some of the stuff on the Hitchhiker's Guide to FO site, it looks like a new class label for PDP weapons was added by FO that might give you that ability but I'm not entirely sure

 

[dvatreknerd314]

So it looks like the map issue was that the texture for icon_empty wasn't present in the textures folder. Adding it in significantly reduced lag and now hiding the map doesn't have an impact on the game's lag

 

[Chiletrek]

...
Sorry to say that I'm not sure. Glancing at some of the stuff on the Hitchhiker's Guide to FO site, it looks like a new class label for PDP weapons was added by FO that might give you that ability but I'm not entirely sure

That is interesting information, thanks!

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Has anyone come up with any interesting ideas for minelaying/minelayers and/or minesweepers? I usually play just for pretty shiny space ship pew pews but I'm thinking about how to expand the default ship role set beyond what's available in vanilla A2. I know Future Wars added some specialized destroyers for minelaying but I think the idea of the opposite, a mine sweeper, might be an interesting concept.

Anyone had any experience trying to implement such beasts?

 

[CABAL]

Has anyone come up with any interesting ideas for minelaying/minelayers and/or minesweepers? I usually play just for pretty shiny space ship pew pews but I'm thinking about how to expand the default ship role set beyond what's available in vanilla A2. I know Future Wars added some specialized destroyers for minelaying but I think the idea of the opposite, a mine sweeper, might be an interesting concept.

Anyone had any experience trying to implement such beasts?

Mine layers shouldn't be difficult. The antimatter mine off of the Defiant and the gravity mine off of the BoP don't allow for much variety, though.

The anti-mine weapons are the hard part. The point defense laser doesn't target them in vanilla. Even FO's improved ordnancedefenseweapon only targets Missiles, specifically.

 

[kjc733]

Mines, no. However, a looooong time ago on the BSG HRM (which was in vanilla not FO) I did some really twisted stuff to make flak guns and nuclear missiles and it might be possible to do something following the same basic concepts. If I recall correctly (and I may be getting it wrong) the nukes worked something like this:
Ship launches an Ion Storm torpedo (stock version creates some sort of storm, point is it spawns an object). I used it to spawn a MUBall which I think by default has some sort of lightning bolt type weapon. Strip the default off and add shockwave weapon of your choice to make a variety of EMP type warheads.
The thing about the MUBall is that it is spawned as a neutral (or hostile to all) so any damage it does will affect all sides. This made them perfect for nukes and flak. If you can figure out how to make the MUBall persist and detonate only when something comes in range then you may have a nice mine weapon. I don't recall if it could be targeted by a PDL though, and I think FO may have changed the mechanics such that the out of the box flak weapons I made didn't work. But the general concept may be of interest.

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of items I can place in Sprites.spr?

 

[K_merse]

Does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of items I can place in Sprites.spr?

There is no limit.

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Does anyone know if there's a way to keep fighters from showing up in the Admiral's Log?

 

[CABAL]

Does anyone know if there's a way to keep fighters from showing up in the Admiral's Log?

Only if they're being spawned in with a replaceweapon. Adding replacementRegisterAsNew = 0 to the replaceweapon that spawns the fighters will prevent the log from including entries for the fighters and will attribute their kills to the carrier.

 

[Hath]

@CABAL does this work in stock vanilla A2 or just Fleetops? If it works in A2 could you show an example of a complete replaceweapon fighter file? Thanks.

 

[CABAL]

@CABAL does this work in stock vanilla A2 or just Fleetops? If it works in A2 could you show an example of a complete replaceweapon fighter file? Thanks.

Just FO. The replaceweapon type wasn't part of stock A2 and was added by the FO team.

 

[Hath]

Ok thanks thats what I thought but if there was even a tiny chance of it working in A2 I wanted to know.
Since we are on the subject did your ever mod fighters into your own mod?
How did you do it? (I'm just not sold on the way I did my fighters.)
If not what mod would you recommend for fighters?
Thanks again.

 

[Starfox1701]

didnt the replace weapon get added to stock with the FO patch?

 

[CABAL]

Ok thanks thats what I thought but if there was even a tiny chance of it working in A2 I wanted to know.
Since we are on the subject did your ever mod fighters into your own mod?
How did you do it? (I'm just not sold on the way I did my fighters.)
If not what mod would you recommend for fighters?
Thanks again.

Only within FO. I used a replaceweapon based on one of the FO fighter launch replaceweapons, but I managed to enforce the shot delay somehow so fighters wouldn't be instantly replaced and there would be a delay between launches to simulate a build time. I still have the file, but I don't entirely remember which parts did it. Code below.

wpnname = "Hangar"
tooltip = "Hangar"
verbosetooltip = "AUTOTOOLTIP-fed_avalonFR.odf"
buttonslot = 0
replacementkeepowner = 1
replacementresetspecialenergy = 1
selectmode = 2
replacementinstantai = 1
replacementinstantplayer = 1
replacementinstantcycle = 4
replacementinstantdelay = 4
shotdelay = 4
transferstats = 0
replacementmode = 2
replacement0condition = "test_carrier"
replacement0class0 = "test_fighter"
concurrentchilds = 7
preservestatus = 1
classlabel = "replaceweapon"
special = 1
replacementmaintainorders = 1
overridesubsystem = 1
speakonattack = 0
attackspeech = 0
replacement0Class0Position = 0,-13,0

didnt the replace weapon get added to stock with the FO patch?

Yeah, the Patch Project. Not sure how featured the weapon type is compared to FO's, though.

 

[Hath]

Thanks for posting that Cabal. I'll take a look at your code and see about changing mine to match.

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Only within FO. I used a replaceweapon based on one of the FO fighter launch replaceweapons, but I managed to enforce the shot delay somehow so fighters wouldn't be instantly replaced and there would be a delay between launches to simulate a build time. I still have the file, but I don't entirely remember which parts did it. Code below.

wpnname = "Hangar"
tooltip = "Hangar"
verbosetooltip = "AUTOTOOLTIP-fed_avalonFR.odf"
buttonslot = 0
replacementkeepowner = 1
replacementresetspecialenergy = 1
selectmode = 2
replacementinstantai = 1
replacementinstantplayer = 1
replacementinstantcycle = 4
replacementinstantdelay = 4
shotdelay = 4
transferstats = 0
replacementmode = 2
replacement0condition = "test_carrier"
replacement0class0 = "test_fighter"
concurrentchilds = 7
preservestatus = 1
classlabel = "replaceweapon"
special = 1
replacementmaintainorders = 1
overridesubsystem = 1
speakonattack = 0
attackspeech = 0
replacement0Class0Position = 0,-13,0

Yeah, the Patch Project. Not sure how featured the weapon type is compared to FO's, though.

If I remember correctly, replacementInstantDelay is the one that delays the deployment of fighters for a while at first, and then replacementInstantCycle is the one that extends the amount of time between successive fighter deployments

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Is it possible to change how the fighters fly so it's a circle around the carrier instead of a cloverleaf?

 

[K_merse]

I don't think its possible. But it is possible to change how far they can fly away. I didn't play around with that, but maybe it changes the trajectory as well, although I doubt it.

If I remember correctly, replacementInstantDelay is the one that delays the deployment of fighters for a while at first, and then replacementInstantCycle is the one that extends the amount of time between successive fighter deployments

That is correct. However, the problem is that if you spawn a fighter from a carrier, it will keep spawning them as long as the carrier exists. Or it will spawn only a single one.

 

[CABAL]

If I remember correctly, replacementInstantDelay is the one that delays the deployment of fighters for a while at first, and then replacementInstantCycle is the one that extends the amount of time between successive fighter deployments

I think it also had to be a special weapon instead of a normal one, but with no button and no tech tree requirements so it behaved like a normal weapon.

Is it possible to change how the fighters fly so it's a circle around the carrier instead of a cloverleaf?

I don't think its possible. But it is possible to change how far they can fly away. I didn't play around with that, but maybe it changes the trajectory as well, although I doubt it.

The Guide says they're hard coded to cloverleaf. RangeScan affects the shape of the cloverleaf, though.

That is correct. However, the problem is that if you spawn a fighter from a carrier, it will keep spawning them as long as the carrier exists. Or it will spawn only a single one.

That's why you need preservestatus = 1 and concurrentchilds = x. That'll cap the fighters at whatever concurrentchilds is set to.

 

[dvatreknerd314]

Does anyone know if the 8472 super weapon consistently uses the same ship for its main discharge? I'm trying to adapt the weapon for use by the Sheliak with only three ships, but the formation isn't working right. I'm trying to get two frigates to fire into and through the dreadnought but one frigate and one dreadnought are firing through a frigate. I've got the weapon ordinance files set up in the main weapon correctly for what I'm trying to do, but it seems the fleet formation is behaving weirdly

 

[Chiletrek]

Hello:
The Species 8472 super weapon has that oddity, sadly, I am not sure if it can be solved... but at least it seems it can be used with other factions too... it's something!