[MOD] Improved PPC weapons for capital ships [1.3]

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beyer_garratt
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[MOD] Improved PPC weapons for capital ships [1.3]

Post by beyer_garratt » Tue, 2. Dec 08, 12:21

MOD DESCRIPTION:

The standard Photon Pulse Cannons found in X3 posses, at best, limited use against anything smaller than an M2. Capital craft often need a wide assortment of weaponry to defend themselves against both capital craft and groups of fighters.

Many M1/2 ships lack adequate defense against small aggressors. We've all seen a capital ship taken down by a group of pirates or a Xenon or Kha'ak force, simply because every corner of the ship had PPC on it and thus could not fight back.

With the enhanced PPC weapons found in this mod, capital craft can now be armed with a lethal combination of defined weapons to protect themselves against almost all assailants.

On the flip side, you may wish to reconsider attacking capital ships without adequate protection with this mod installed. You can no longer hope to win against a capital ship without a capital ship of your own.

The Α Photon Pulse Cannon is specifically designed to be a potent anti-fighter weapon. A relatively short range is outweighed by superior accuracy, it can take down most smaller craft - and anything it can't is usually to small to be a threat.
  • -1200m/s bullet speed
    -4.2km range
    -Bullet life of 3.5s
    -89 rounds per minute
    -240 energy usage per round
    -2126 hull / 7284 shield damage per round
    -Turret turn rate set at 0.246 (was 0.046)
Β Photon Pulse Cannon is a "middle of the road" laser. Capable of hitting most M6/7 class targets as well as capital craft and stations, but lacking the superior range of the Gamma PPC. Useful on faster craft which can be flown through incoming Gamma PPC barrages.
  • -800m/s bullet speed
    -6.4km range
    -Bullet life of 8.0s
    -76 rounds per minute
    -280 energy used per round
    -3307 hull / 12140 shield damage per round
The Ɣ Photon Pulse Cannon is the most powerful and longest-ranged of the PPC variants. Best used against other capital class craft and stations, this laser has limited effectivety on smaller targets.
  • -800m/s bullet speed
    -9.6km range
    -Bullet life of 12.0s
    -89 rounds per minute
    -288 energy used per round
    -4252 hull / 24281 shield damage per round
There are two versions of this mod. Version one is as detailed above. In version two, the refire rate has been halved, with the damage output & energy usage of each round doubled. This is for people who have difficulty with problems caused by either graphics or CPU issues related to the number of bullets which can exist in space during a capital vs. capital fight.



INSTALLATION AND COMPATIBILITY:

Most users will find the .spk file the easiest way to install this mod. To install you will need the X3 Plugin Manager installed(?). Just double click the .spk file and the mod will run automatically.

However, if, for whatever reason you need to install as either a false patch or a standalone mod, you should download the .rar file.

Detailed instructions for installing as a false patch are available here.

This mod should be compatible with any mod or script which does not alter the TBullets or TLasers files. I haven't any experience with mods that do, so I can't tell you what might happen if you run this and another weapon mod at the same time.

To uninstall this mod, simply delete the appropriate .cat and .dat files from your X3 directory. All PPC weapons in use on all ships will safely revert back to the default specifications.


DOWNLOAD DETAILS:

A preview video of questionable quality can be found here. (Youtube)

Standard Version:

Plugin Manager install file: Improved PPC Mod 1.3.spk
.rar containing .cat and .dat files: Improved PPC Mod 1.3.rar


Low-spec Version:

Plugin Manager install file: Improved PPC Mod 1.3 (low-spec version).spk
.rar containing .cat and .dat files: Improved PPC Mod 1.3 (low-spec version).rar



PROTIPS:

This mod works exceptionally well with Mergelsberg's M6 Pocket Destroyer Mod . Most M6 class ships will mount A PPC and some even B PPC, making them extremely deadly and more than worth the 7-15 million you fork out to buy one. I cannot recommend this mod enough!

I strongly urge you to avoid heading into battle against a PPC-equipped foe until you have some experience using the new weapons yourself, else you may find yourself sucking space quicker than expected.



Enjoy! :) :)
Last edited by beyer_garratt on Wed, 10. Dec 08, 08:43, edited 19 times in total.
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

mad man57
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Post by mad man57 » Tue, 2. Dec 08, 13:04

Hey dude, sounds awsome!

I'll give it a go.

Thanks!
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Treelor
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Post by Treelor » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 00:09

No .spk format really makes me unsure about downloading it. I'll give it a go either way, it's just that installing as a fake patch makes getting rid of it later if it's causing a compatibility issue much more of a hassle than simply clicking a disable button. Testing her out now.

Also, since they've been given speed boosts, does this mean I'm not going to have my computer come to a screeching halt whenever a capital ship fires all of it's PPC's at a target?

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 00:29

Treelor wrote:No .spk format really makes me unsure about downloading it. I'll give it a go either way, it's just that installing as a fake patch makes getting rid of it later if it's causing a compatibility issue much more of a hassle than simply clicking a disable button. Testing her out now.

Also, since they've been given speed boosts, does this mean I'm not going to have my computer come to a screeching halt whenever a capital ship fires all of it's PPC's at a target?
You can "uninstall" the fake patch simply by deleting the appropriate .cat and .dat files. Just be sure to record which number you assign them. At least, thats how I've done it many times while messing around with the mod.

If you know how to create .spk files please tell me and I'll get to work on one.

The "life" of a Gamma PPC bullet is now 12 seconds, and it will travel about 10km in that time. A 'standard' Gamma PPC bullet lives about 30 seconds. So yes, you should notice a decent increase in FPS during heavy barrages.
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

HalcyonSpirit
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Post by HalcyonSpirit » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 02:38

I don't really have time to test this out at the moment (coming up on exams week AND have a critical design report to write), but while on the topic of performance increases:

Have you considered making the Beta and Gamma versions fire at a slower rate (Alpha > Beta > Gamma) but still have the same damage per second for each as what you have right now? It might emphasize even more the different roles the weapons have (Alpha = fighters, Beta = anything but better against midsized to capital ships, Gamma = almost purely capital ships...? I'm just speculating here). It'd also help with the performance of the game; you can have Alphas firing faster because you aren't likely to have too many capitals fighting purely fighter craft, but reducing the firing rate of the Beta and Gamma versions (particularly the Gammas) would help immensely since they're used against other capitals, which are ALSO firing PPCs. You could compensate for the reduced firing rates by adjusting the speed of the projectiles accordingly.

I'd really like to hear if this is possible, since my game is virtually unplayable with more than two capitals fighting at the same time when using the vanilla PPCs.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 03:12

I've found that the current settings already have a considerable positive effect on FPS since a single round will 'live' for only 12 seconds instead of 30, thus reducing the total maximum possible rounds in space at any one time.

To be clear, it's the bullet speed thats gone way up (285 m/s to over 1,200m/s). The refire rate is the same as a standard PPC.

There is already a mod around that reduces the fire rate of PPC weapons, it should be around here somewhere. It also bumps up the damage per round so there is no actual benefit or loss, just less rounds in space at any one time.

Nonetheless I will have a crack at making a version for you when I get the chance later tonight. :) The more practice I get the better.
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

HalcyonSpirit
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue, 22. Jul 08, 21:46
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Post by HalcyonSpirit » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 03:54

Awesome, thanks! Between the projectile speed increase and the altered firing rates (assuming you are successful (I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN YOU!)), I may be able to handle capital ship battles on some level. I've been completely avoiding that part of the game thus far because my computer is so horrible at handling those vanilla PPCs. Plus the differences between the variations may make each variant more viable in the game, which I'm also looking forward to.

Once again, thank you!

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Wed, 3. Dec 08, 12:19

Well, here it is.

I took the statistics of my existing mod, halved the rounds per minute (to about 45 rpm) and doubled each round's damage rating (GPPC now does almost 50MJ of damage per shot!)

Is this what you wanted? :?: I am seriously tired right now (almost 11pm here in Backwatersville Ausralia) :pisa: so I probably wont see this thread for a while.

Download it here (Megaupload).

Treelor
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Post by Treelor » Thu, 4. Dec 08, 06:02

Alright, well, I hopped in mah Hyperion and jumped into Xenon 101 to mess with the local K's and forgot that I had the better PPC mod installed (I hadn't seen it in action yet) and can I say, wow, those things hurt. Lost a load of my shields rather quickly, had to turn back around real quick.

Also, the performance has gotten a significant boost, my computer no longer chugs along at half a frame a second anymore when there's capital ships firing their guns :D

I downloaded the X3 editor to try tinkering with some weapon files myself (Was gonna make me a vulcan laser out of an IRE, like the sort of guns we put on modern aircraft) but it errored out. I don't remember the messages exactly but it seemed like it couldn't read the .cat's and .dat's. I suppose it doesn't like the steam version of X3 very much.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Thu, 4. Dec 08, 06:11

Haha, yeah. Hyperion vs. K isn't going to work any more unless you're a god tier pilot. :P
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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Mergelsberg
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Post by Mergelsberg » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 13:59

Megaupload has removed your file it seems for "violating terms of service" or some nonsense like that. Could you upload it somewhere else maybe? ISP homepage space or something like that perhaps?

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 22:57

Now why the :paranid: did they do that? :?

My ISP, being the money-grabbing monopoly they are, do not have an amount of free server space for each customer. I have to pay a minimum of $2.50 for 100m/b transfer per month.

I'll upload it to my Freewebs account, each file is only a dusting of k/b wide so that should be sufficient.

The opening post will be edited to reflect the new links.


(I also added a plug for your pocket destroyer mod... you know how much I like this one :wink: )
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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Mergelsberg
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Post by Mergelsberg » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 23:20

$2.50 for 100MB a month?? Teladi-star Internet or something? It is clear that they do not perceive the holy three dimensionality...

Back on topic...

Did you change weapon turret speeds? If so what numbers did you use?

Also should the ship computer give notice once you get within range? I didn't get a notice until I was well within firing range.

I made a .XSP version with the bullet stats you posted, but I didn't change anything about the actual weapons themselves. If you'd like I could email it to you or host it for you, since an .XSP is much easier to install.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 23:30

Mergelsberg wrote:Teladi-star Internet or something?
Telstra Bigpond. :shock:

The APPC turn rate was given a boost to 0.246 (was 0.046), to make it able to chase its targets (which are now M4/3 fighters - hence the need), but B and GPPC were unchanged.

The range notice thing would have nothing to do with my mod, since all that's changed is a few numbers which the game engine seems to interpret without fault - it works just fine on my machine, except for the fact the BPPC out-ranges the Laser Autoaim by about 2km.

Email me the .xsp. :)
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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Mergelsberg
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Post by Mergelsberg » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 10:25

I'll add the turning speed change to the .XSP as well then.

Could you PM me your email adress? Makes it easier to mail it to you.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 12:47

I thought it was in my profile... check your inbox. :)
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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Mergelsberg
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Post by Mergelsberg » Tue, 9. Dec 08, 12:55

It's enroute...

Only the basic version though, this doesn't alter the weapon firing rate.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Wed, 10. Dec 08, 05:00

Updated the front page with spk's and neato colours and stuff :)


edit: I seem to be having problems with the script packager program... even when I use the .xsp file it is installed as a standalone mod into the /mods folder, which I don't want. How do I convince it to install into the pluginmanager mod like most other scripts do?


edit2: I suspect its because this does a lot more than what most other scripts do. I've reverted back to the false patch versions for now.


edit3: Now I have problems with the .spk nuking every weapon except the ppc's.... back to the drawing board for me. :roll:


edit4: After teaching myself .spk use from scratch I now have functioning pluginmanager files for my mod. w00t. :)

Please report to me if you use the .spk files... even if they work. thxbai.
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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Mergelsberg
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Post by Mergelsberg » Thu, 11. Dec 08, 14:30

I'm using the .SPK that I sent you and it seems to be working just fine for me.
I also have a little mod installed in the same way which makes 1GJ shields recharge in about 5 minutes and 10GJ shields in roughly 9 minutes.

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beyer_garratt
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Post by beyer_garratt » Thu, 11. Dec 08, 23:04

Strange.

When I install the .spk, and run as "original game" from the "Select Mod Package" screen I get neither the pocket destroyer mod, nor the improved weapons.

When I run as "PluginManager" I get the new ships, but not the new weapons.

When I run as "impPPC", all weapons except for the PPC disappear form the game, and even the PPC do not fire. I do not get the new ships either.


In found that in order to fix it I needed to have all weapons in the .cat file, not just the ones I modified.

I also discovered that renaming the .cat file to anything else than a two digit number (ie. 08.cat) forced the PluginManager to install it into the /mods/ folder instead.

What am I doing wrong? :?
Q) What do you call an unimpressed Kha'ak scout?

A) A bemusa triangle!

Bazza's better PPC mod! - Makes flying a capital ship much more... satisfying.
Mergelsberg's Transport Drone & my own version. -M3 freighter for TL ships.

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