[SCR] Jump Beacon [24th May 2010 X³:TC 3.1.02]

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Saetan
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[SCR] Jump Beacon [24th May 2010 X³:TC 3.1.02]

Post by Saetan » Mon, 9. Nov 09, 17:47

Jump Beacon is developed by Lucike. This topic is released with his permission.

Jump Beacon is also part of Lucikes Script Collection.

Content:

Part 1: Jump Beacon

Part 2: Change of command-slots

Part 3: ( -- reserved -- )
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------



Jump Beacon
(Version 3.1.01 – 27th March 2010)


[ external image ]

[ external image ] [ external image ]


Overview Jump Beacon
  • This device supplies encrypted coordinates for ships fitted for it, which can then be used to jump to certain positions. The beacon can supply a guidance signal to its own position. To do such a calculation a trained navigator is required. He can be recruited from the military transport.



Jump Beacon Preparations

Download

Lucike left after he got temporarly banned from the X-Universe Forums and asked me to remove the direct download links. Of course I respect his wish, so I replaced the download links with links onto his own homepage.

-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.1.02)
-> Befehlsbibliothek "Libraries" (Required, newest version during revision of the manual: 3.4.14, 23rd May 2010)

-> Military Transport (Required, for needed personell)

Prerequisites: X³: Terran Conflict Version 2.5 or higher (not compatible with X³: Reunion) !!

Activation of the Script Editor

Jump Beacon doesn’t require the script editor to be activated. Jump Beacon includes a script, that automatically sets the game to “modified”.

With the script editor activated, additional technical information can be displayed. This can be enabled in the script editor menu (Script Debugging: Additional Information) but is recommended to be left "off" as it might be confusing to some players. It is possible to run unsigned scripts without activating the script editor. This requires a change in the scripts boot file. In any case the save game will become “modified”.

Installation

Simply extract the *.zip file to your X³ TC folder. The .zip file includes the folders “\scripts\...” and “\t\...” which also exist in your X³ TC folder. Any additional folders in the *.zip file are for maintenance and uninstalling and should also be extracted to your X³ TC folder.

Uninstallation

The folder “\scripts.uninstall\...“ includes the file “setup.plugin.jump.beacon.pck”. Copy this file to the script folder (\scripts\...). Start X³ TC and load your save game. The uninstall process will start automatically and send a message to your log upon completion. The process can take up to 20 seconds from loading the savegame. Save the game.

Run the batch-file „Delete all Jump Beacon Scripts.bat“ in the “\scripts.delete\...” folder. This will delete all the script’s files. The uninstall process is now complete.

Important: Never simply delete scripts, because they are connected to your savegame.

Updating older versions

Simply extract the *.zip file to your X³ TC folder. The .zip file includes the folders “\scripts\...” and “\t\...” which also exist in your X³ TC folder. Any additional folders in the *.zip file are for maintenance and uninstalling and should also be extracted to your X³ TC folder.

The batch-files “Delete old Jump Beacon Scripts.bat” in the “\scripts.delete\” folder takes care of deleting old and unneeded script files. This step is not required, but will keep your script folder organized.

In game nothing has to be manually restarted. All ships or station automatically restart their scripts.


Jump Beacon Manual

This device supplies encrypted coordinates for ships fitted for it, which can then be used to jump to certain positions. The beacon can supply a guidance signal to its own position. To do such a calculation a trained navigator is required. He can be recruited from the Military Transport.

Jump beacons can be bought anywhere, where the normal jump drive can be bought. There are also some factories of different races which sell jump beacons.

Ship and equipment requirements for jump beacon deploying:
  • A ship of any class (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, TL, TS, TM or TP)
  • Special Command Software Mk1
  • Jump beacons


Ship and equipment requirements for jumping to jump beacons:
  • A ship of any class (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, TL, TS, TM or TP)
  • Cargo Bay Life Support System
  • Navigation Command Software Mk1
  • Jump drive
  • Navigator (ship crews require the Military Transport script to be installed)


Handling

Deployment of jump beacons
The command for the deployment of jump beacons is located in the special command menu. The command is visible if the Special Command Software Mk1 got installed in the ship. After selection of the command you have to select a sector position in the sector of the ship, which must be within 5km from the position of the ship. Is a jump beacon on board of the ship and you have selected a position, the jump beacon gets deployed at that position. The deploying can be done by any ship, even remote controlled.

Jump to jump beacons

[ external image ]

The command for jumping to jump beacons is located in the navigation command menu. The command is visible, if Navigation Command Software Mk1 and a jump drive are installed. A working navigator is needed too. After selection of the command a menu opens with additional choices. Taken under consideration of jump beacons, the commands "Jump to Jump Beacon", "Jump and Fly to station", "Jump and Fly to position", "Jump and Fly to homebase", "Jump and Fly to ship" and "Jump and Fly to me" are available.

Jump Statistics

How often jump beacons got jumped to, can be seen in the jump statistics. It will be opened via hotkey. The statistics tell you how often a jump beacon got jumped to but also how often per hour. The first use of a jump beacon gets documented too. The statistics can be sorted by frequency, sector name and beacon name.


Additional Information

Who uses the jump beacons too: Until now Commercial Agents, Commodity Logistic-pilots, Economy and Supply Traders and Prospectors use the jump beacons to shorten the ways to their destinations.

Limited amount of jump beacons: Only five jump beacons can be deployed per sector.

Jump to a jump beacon in the same sector: It is possible to jump to a jump beacon in the same sector, but the distance to it has to be at least 10km.

Consumption of jump energy: Exactly the same amount of energy like for jumps to jump gates is used for a jump to a jump beacon.


Technical Data Jump Beacon

Language File
8018-L007.xml (ID 8018)
8018-L044.xml (ID 8018)
8018-L049.xml (ID 8018)

Command-Slots
COMMAND_TYPE_NAV_19 (219)
COMMAND_TYPE_SPECIAL_19 (519)

Object-Task
None

Official abbreviations
"die SPB"
"the JPB"



Changes at Jump Beacon

Downloads

-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.1.02)
-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.1.01)
-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.1.00)
-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.alpha.06)
-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.alpha.05)




Changelog

6th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.01)
  • First version.


7th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.02)
  • Jump beacons as ware added.
  • Jump beacons can be remotely deployed now.
  • Optical improvements of the commands.
  • Several small improvements.


8th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.03)
  • The command "Jump to Jump Beacon" opens an additional choice.
  • Added possibility for uninstallation.
  • Several small improvements


9th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.04)
  • English language file added.
18th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.05)
  • Added freighters to sell jump beacons from their factories.
  • Russian language file added.
  • Several small improvements
29th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.06)
  • BugFix: The freigthers didn't sell the jump beacon as the selling price was wrong. Fixed.
  • Several small improvements
7th March 2010 (Version 3.1.00)
  • BugFix: Jump Beacons where added to player-owned Equipment Docks which had Jump Drives on stock. Fixed.
  • Alpha-phase finished.
  • Beta-phase finished.
  • Several small improvements.
27th March 2010 (Version 3.1.01)
  • Jump statistics added.
  • Several small improvements.
24th May 2010 (Version 3.1.02)
  • Adjustments for the CODEA Weapon Base.
  • Several small improvements.
Last edited by Saetan on Fri, 12. Aug 11, 11:41, edited 26 times in total.

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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Mon, 9. Nov 09, 17:47


Change of the Command-Slots
(After an idea by SymTec ltd.)

The Jump Beacon uses two command-slots in Navigation Commands and Special Commands. They own to the groups 200 and 500. You have to search two unused slots inside these groups.

To change the command-slots you just have to modify the language file. The scripts don't have to be modified themself. The language file "8018-L044.xml" can be found in the language directory (..\t\..) which is placed inside the X³ main directory. First open the language file with an simple text editor. Notepad.exe of MS Windows® is best for it. Don't use MS Word® or MS WordPad® for it.

The command-slot settings have to be changed at five positions (marked in yellow: page id's 8018, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2022). The standard slots are 219 and 519 (marked in red). You can find them easily at the end of the language file.
8018-L044.xml wrote:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<language id="44">

.....<page id="8018" title="Jump Beacon" descr="">

..........[...]

..........<t id="20000">219</t>
..........<t id="20001">519</t>
.....</page>

.....<page id="2008" title="Script Object Commands" descr="">
..........<t id="219">COMMAND_JUMP_BEACON_JUMP</t>
..........<t id="519">COMMAND_JUMP_BEACON_BUILD</t>
.....</page>

.....<page id="2010" title="Script Cmd Names" descr="">
..........<t id="219">Jump to Jump Beacon</t>
..........<t id="519">Deploy Jump Beacon...</t>
.....</page>

.....<page id="2011" title="Script Cmd Shorts" descr="">
..........<t id="219">Jump Beacon</t>
..........<t id="519">Jump Beacon</t>
.....</page>

.....<page id="2022" title="Command Info" descr="">
..........<t id="219">This command starts the countdown for the Jump Drive. When it is finished, the jump is executed and jumped to an existing Jump Beacon.\n{2022,99999}</t>
..........<t id="519">\This command deploys a Jump Beacon. You have to select the desired position for the Jump Beacon. This position must be within 5 km from the ship.\n{2022,99999}</t>
..........<t id="99999">\n\033B© Machiel Software Corporation\033X\n\033BHerrons Nebula\033X</t>
.....</page>

</language>
After you replaced the command-slots with the unused ones at these five positions simply save the file. After that, start your game.

Information: If the language file is packed, that mean the file extension is ".pck" you have to unpack the language file first. It can be unpacked by every packer software which handles GZ-compression. For example, such programms are WinZip, WinRAR or 7-Zip. After the change you can pack the language file again. If you don't want to pack it, save the unpacked, modified language file with the file extension ".xml" inside the language directory. You have to delete the packed one then, because X³ prevers packed versions of the files.


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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Mon, 9. Nov 09, 17:47

( -- reserved -- )

garchan
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Post by garchan » Tue, 10. Nov 09, 04:59

wow! now this is too cool! i had no idea that it existed... but i am very glad that it does! :D

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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Tue, 10. Nov 09, 17:27

garchan wrote:i had no idea that it existed...
?!? ... it just got developed and released? ^^

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BeagleRush
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Post by BeagleRush » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 09:54

Beautiful. I was just looking for an answer to NPC Carriers constantly jumping wherever they please in my sector and wreaking havoc and myself having no way to get my slow Battleship in position to defend against them, but I didn't want to open the floodgates and get a jumpdrive that lets me jump anywhere. This is perfect!

garchan
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Post by garchan » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 19:00

since it is possible to have up to 5 jump beacons, would it be possible to create a command for CODEA to coordinate between the 5 jump beacons so that you can have up to 5 fleet ships jumping in to a sector at the same time, instead of just 1 at a time? this could be useful for when you want to have an immediate response to larger threats.

if there was a large enough threat, and your carrier jumped in to the sector first, you could possibly lose your carrier before the rest of the fleet arrived.

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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 19:09

CODEA isn't optimized for Jump Beacons yet, but I know Lucike already plans to include a "task force" in CODEA which, for example, should try to etablish a bridgehead using jump beacons too.

I don't know what exactly he plans in that case, but I'm sure it will rock. ^^

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Lucike
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Post by Lucike » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 19:45

garchan wrote:since it is possible to have up to 5 jump beacons, would it be possible to create a command for CODEA to coordinate between the 5 jump beacons so that you can have up to 5 fleet ships jumping in to a sector at the same time, instead of just 1 at a time? this could be useful for when you want to have an immediate response to larger threats.

if there was a large enough threat, and your carrier jumped in to the sector first, you could possibly lose your carrier before the rest of the fleet arrived.
Interesting idea.
Saetan wrote:CODEA isn't optimized for Jump Beacons yet ...
Objection! :D

CODEA 1.08 is optimized for Jump Beacons.

Regards
Lucike
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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 19:55

CODEA 1.08?!? ... Released 8th Nov. 2009? Today is 11th Nov.? You bastard ;-) You didn't tell me about that release and therefore I must have overseen it, because of all updated trading scripts. ^^



*sight* ... ok, I've got work to do now. ^^


edit:
Any changes in the manual? I guess not? Only update of the Changelog needed?

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Lucike
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Post by Lucike » Wed, 11. Nov 09, 20:15

Saetan wrote:CODEA 1.08?!? ... Released 8th Nov. 2009? Today is 11th Nov.? You bastard ;-) You didn't tell me about that release and therefore I must have overseen it, because of all updated trading scripts.
Ups ... my mistake. Sorry. :)
Saetan wrote:Only update of the Changelog needed?
Jep.

Gruß
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Alexfighter
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Post by Alexfighter » Sat, 14. Nov 09, 18:00

-- Deleted --

If you got to read my question, forget it. I figured out my problem. I was able to take my stupidoty to the point of transfer the Navigator I was using to another ship. So I couldn't jump because I needed time for my other navigators to get to grips with their maps... :D

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Saetan
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Re: [SCR] Jump Beacon [18th Nov. 2009 X³:TC 3.alpha.05]

Post by Saetan » Wed, 18. Nov 09, 22:19

Jump Beacon
(Version 3.alpha.05 – 18th November 2009)



[ external image ]

[ external image ] [ external image ]


-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.alpha.05)
-> Befehlsbibliothek "Libraries" (Required, newest version during revision of the manual: 3.4.03, 15th Nov. 2009)

-> Military Transport (Required, for needed personell)



18th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.05)
  • Added freighters to sell jump beacons from their factories.
  • Russian language file added.
  • Several small improvements

Realspace
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Post by Realspace » Sun, 22. Nov 09, 13:52

I wanna give this a try...it seems very interesting, mybe fot the actual game not very additive, but imagine the use of it for a gateless universe! a universe where only big ships can use jumpdrive and jumping is not that easy, you need coordinates and leave beacons to jump and a personnel to calculate routes....great.

I'm retaking modding of the game since long time so I forgot some details...but wanted to ask, what if you have no sectors showed in the 749.bod, so no sectors showed in the map, but you have a beacon in one sector that is invisible in map but is there so you can select it, can you select a beacon in it to make a jump?

moving from my continuum mod for Reunion to TC I'd like to elminate sectors but in core planets and to leave "empty space" in between (actually, not visible sectors), so I'd like to know if you can put beacons in these "empty" sectors to make jumps...

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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Sun, 22. Nov 09, 14:35

I guess, ships which are running one of lucikes scripts will be able to target a jump beacon in a sector which isn't shown in the universe map.

For the players ship, I don't think so, because you have to choose the sector first in the universe map and then the jump beacon in the secor map.

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Post by Realspace » Sun, 22. Nov 09, 15:07

well this is a good news anyway, since the big problem is always to make NP ships to fly to other sectors whitout gates, taht's why I implemented a huge invisible gate instead of removing them at all...but with this it is finally possible to remove them

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Post by Saetan » Sun, 29. Nov 09, 19:30

Jump Beacon
(Version 3.alpha.06 – 29th November 2009)



[ external image ]

[ external image ] [ external image ]


-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.alpha.06)
-> Befehlsbibliothek "Libraries" (Required, newest version during revision of the manual: 3.4.04, 21st Nov. 2009)

-> Military Transport (Required, for needed personell)



29th November 2009 (Version 3.alpha.06)
  • BugFix: The freigthers didn't sell the jump beacon as the selling price was wrong. Fixed.
  • Several small improvements

Bobisback
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Post by Bobisback » Mon, 30. Nov 09, 18:12

For some reason none of the jump becon factorys are building anything, what is going on? any one else having this issue?

X3 TC 2.5

jerry7890
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Post by jerry7890 » Fri, 4. Dec 09, 20:06

Hi, great script!
I have some design remarks and ideas:
-mouse right click on beacon leads to Best Buy/Sell option, which is kind of weird option for beacon;
-the 5km placing range - can you make it to move in range and place the beacon to given position on sector map instead of beeping back, in large sectors 5km on sector map is just one press of button (i'm too lazy to enlarge the map :wink:)
-the 5 beacon per sector limit for Aldrin or other large sectors is very limiting probably checking the sector size if >250km set limit to 10;
garchan wrote:
since it is possible to have up to 5 jump beacons, would it be possible to create a command for CODEA to coordinate between the 5 jump beacons so that you can have up to 5 fleet ships jumping in to a sector at the same time, instead of just 1 at a time? this could be useful for when you want to have an immediate response to larger threats.

if there was a large enough threat, and your carrier jumped in to the sector first, you could possibly lose your carrier before the rest of the fleet arrived.

Lucike wrote:
Interesting idea.
-for military use temporary jump beacons (pl. scout enter sector and place array of 5 beacon in 5km range which selfdestruct after 5min or patrol from CODEA place the array and call for backup)

And some wishes:
-Jump Beacon factories in shipyards;
-Navigational Command Software Mk2 for all Jump Beacon nav commands (an alternative for Navigator's only nav commands, not for other improvements the Navigator's make or probably Navigator's use jump beacons for military purpose like in idea above for deploying temporary array of jump beacons)

Sorry for bad english!

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Saetan
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Post by Saetan » Sun, 7. Mar 10, 21:41

Jump Beacon
(Version 3.1.00 – 7th March 2010)



[ external image ]

[ external image ] [ external image ]


-> Jump Beacon (Version 3.1.00)
-> Befehlsbibliothek "Libraries" (Required, newest version during revision of the manual: 3.4.06, 15th Dec. 2009)

-> Military Transport (Required, for needed personell)



7th March 2010 (Version 3.1.00)
  • BugFix: Jump Beacons where added to player-owned Equipment Docks which had Jump Drives on stock. Fixed.
  • Alpha-phase finished.
  • Beta-phase finished.
  • Several small improvements.

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