[SCR][MD][TC][AP] LIFE-V0.95b (update: 06-May-2014)

[enenra]

Awesome work, mate.

A lot of these features are things that I knew would be possible but never got around to trying out, sadly. Glad someone actually looked into it and was even able to make it work!

I'm really curious as to how you implemented some of this stuff. Will have to look through your code at some point. Especially the part about the unused voices. Could never get that to work properly.

btw. I'm not sure on whether you know about this but in the XTC plots we sometimes used this trick for conversations in space where we put the lines into tip-popups and display the NPCs portrait at the same time. It makes it much more obvious than subtitles that some people might even have disabled. And it's really easy to set up. Just need to work out the timing for how long to display lines.
Makes the whole thing fairly immersive even if you don't have voice samples available.

Finally, I'd really be interested in using this together with the XTC but as I haven't tried it yet I have no clue on how many problems that would or would not cause.

[Shush]

Awesome work, mate.

Cheers

A lot of these features are things that I knew would be possible but never got around to trying out, sadly. Glad someone actually looked into it and was even able to make it work!

There's nothing truly difficult in terms of the code or what it tries to accomplish, the most tedious part was having the MSCI and MD communicating and sharing data in a reliable and repeatable fashion; that took a lot of trial and error.

I created LIFE almost 4 years ago and a lot in the MSCI and MD has changed since then, so I've spent a lot of time refactoring code to use new commands; a lot of it has still only seen 1 or 2 iterations though.

I'm really curious as to how you implemented some of this stuff. Will have to look through your code at some point. Especially the part about the unused voices. Could never get that to work properly.

All the cool stuff in LIFE comes about because I can leverage the functionality of the MD through the MSCI and also because I built my News Engine on top of the GNS!

btw. I'm not sure on whether you know about this but in the XTC plots we sometimes used this trick for conversations in space where we put the lines into tip-popups and display the NPCs portrait at the same time. It makes it much more obvious than subtitles that some people might even have disabled. And it's really easy to set up. Just need to work out the timing for how long to display lines.
Makes the whole thing fairly immersive even if you don't have voice samples available.

I originally had all the actor's voices being produced in the MD which made it trivial to attach working faces to the speech; now though I have the player owned actor's speech generated in the MSCI, which makes it much more difficult. Your idea of having text popups in sync with the faces sounds pretty cool.

Finally, I'd really be interested in using this together with the XTC but as I haven't tried it yet I have no clue on how many problems that would or would not cause.

The major stumbling block is that LIFE uses the GNS, I have renamed all the GNS News scripts so that there will not be a clash with other scripts/mods that use the GNS, but I have embedded all my dynamic news template text and dynamic missions text within the original GNS 9500 text file. For LIFE to have any chance of working, you'd have to overwrite XTC's 9500 GNS file with LIFE's 9500 file, but of course that would mean that some/all of XTC's news functionality might suffer.

The right way to do this, is for me to strip all of LIFE's text out of the 9500 text file and allocate a LIFE specific text file, it's on my TODO list

[enenra]

Sounds good.

Here's the relevant code for the popup messages though it's not really that hard to figure out in the first place.

Code: Select all

  <cues>
    <cue name="dialog test" comment="use of actors with show help dialog">
      <condition>
        <check_age min="11s"/>
      </condition>
      <action>
        <do_all>
          <create_actor name="this.actor" face="101" race="argon" voice="7217"/>
          <set_value name="this.talktimer" exact="{player.age}"/>
          <play_text actor="this.actor" textid="721710" priority="99" comment="5500ms"/>
          <show_help text="==TextID== goes here, blah, blah blah" duration="5250" comment="NPC speach 1"/>
        </do_all>
      </action>
      <cues>
        <cue name="Line 2">
          <condition>
            <check_value value="{player.age}" exact="{value@dialog test.talktimer}+6s"/>
          </condition>
          <action>
            <do_all>
              <play_text actor="dialog test.actor" textid="721710" priority="99" comment="5500ms"/>
              <show_help text="more text goes here" duration="5250" comment="NPC speach 2"/>
            </do_all>
          </action>
        </cue>
      </cues>
    </cue>
  </cues>

I honestly couldn't answer many questions about the code though. I wrote that like 4-5 years ago. ^^

[Shush]

Code: Select all

 
          <show_help text="==TextID== goes here, blah, blah blah" duration="5250" comment="NPC speach 1"/>

I'm not sure how I never tried this MD function, very simple and very cool especially as it aligns perfectly with the face window. It's only limitation appears to be the length of text you can send it before it starts to extensively wrap around.

I honestly couldn't answer many questions about the code though. I wrote that like 4-5 years ago. ^^

It was self explanatory

[Tiek]

Hi Shush, you really did an amazing work here, my compliments for the quality achieved

I have a question... as in XRM and XTC mods there're ships with drone pilots called "AGI" and "Computer Components" I found that the audio selected for these pilots, do not falling into categories known, is associated with a random race; for obvious reasons of immersion there is an audio track... mmm... how I can say... "robotic" or "metallic" to be used? Alternatively you can mute the sound in the presence of pilots with those names?

One more thing... maybe I didn't understand rightly (if so my apologies) but the file conversation_AP.xml should be compatible with the XRM mod, right? Be careful because Paul has added a few lines at the end of the file relating to the "Treasure Hunt" plot to restore it in XRM_AP, I think (check it by yourself in \addon\t directory of XRM cat), so maybe it's better to copy & paste the conversations_insert.xml file just to be sure

However, again my congratulations and keep it up. Thank you very much for your hard work and continuous support!


P.S.: To be more specific in XTC mod and in Drone Carrier Software 2 script for the drones pilots name this code is used:

Code: Select all

  $pilot.name = read text: page=17 id=80533
  $ship ->set pilot name to $pilot.name
  $ship ->set pilot speaker: voice=0, face=0, Pirate subrace=Xenon, Argon female=[FALSE]

[Shush]

Hi Shush, you really did an amazing work here, my compliments for the quality achieved

Cheers

I have a question... as in XRM and XTC mods there're ships with drone pilots called "AGI" and "Computer Components" I found that the audio selected for these pilots, do not falling into categories known, is associated with a random race; for obvious reasons of immersion there is an audio track... mmm... how I can say... "robotic" or "metallic" to be used? Alternatively you can mute the sound in the presence of pilots with those names?

There are no robotic voices that I have found, but it would be fairly simple to add more filters to stop the offending voices.

IOne more thing... maybe I didn't understand rightly (if so my apologies) but the file conversation_AP.xml should be compatible with the XRM mod, right? Be careful because Paul has added a few lines at the end of the file relating to the "Treasure Hunt" plot to restore it in XRM_AP, I think (check it by yourself in \addon\t directory of XRM cat), so maybe it's better to copy & paste the conversations_insert.xml file just to be sure

If XRM does modify the conversations file then you are absoloutely right, you need to use the "conversations_insert.xml" file rather than the "conversation_AP.xml". I'll make some inquires and see if I can get permission to include a pre-built XRM conversations file. Thanks for the heads up.

Code: Select all

  $pilot.name = read text: page=17 id=80533
  $ship ->set pilot name to $pilot.name
  $ship ->set pilot speaker: voice=0, face=0, Pirate subrace=Xenon, Argon female=[FALSE]

Thanks for the code reference, do you know off hand what the actual class of these drone ships is? i.e. Is it class drone or some other class? I'd much rather filter these kinds of ships via their class rather than by their pilot's names. If you don't know, no worries I'll check both XTC and XRM and work up a solution.

[DrBullwinkle]

The new drone types introduced in AP are just M4's (drone haulers).

In the case of DCS2, the drones have, so far, been [FIGHTER] class (M3/4/5). Other classes may be included in the future.

However, DCS2 does not care what the voices are, so feel free to change those as you see fit. If DCS2 is used with CODEA, then the CODEA-managed drones will have organic pilots.

[Shush]

The new drone types introduced in AP are just M4's (drone haulers).

In the case of DCS2, the drones have, so far, been [FIGHTER] class (M3/4/5). Other classes may be included in the future.

However, DCS2 does not care what the voices are, so feel free to change those as you see fit. If DCS2 is used with CODEA, then the CODEA-managed drones will have organic pilots.

Ok this explains a lot and I am assuming other mods are adding non organic piloted ships in the same manner? I filter on the base class [Drone] and obviously that is not going to catch ships of M class.

This is going to be a little tricky as using pilot names as a filter is guaranteed to generate a plethora of hacks and ifelse chains for each individual script/mod that does it. If you guys are using local variables on your drone ships I could filter on those, that at least would be a little more robust, but obviously still capable of breaking when local variables are changed/removed.

I'll need to investigate this further when I have time.

[DrBullwinkle]

I don't know what mods do. I can only tell you that DCS2 does not care what you do with voices. In other words, don't even worry about voices for DCS2... just do whatever you were doing.

[Locksley]

This looks awesomnly cool

After my disapointment of X-rebirth my interest for the old x-games with mods have again raised my interest.

Really like that you are implementing the use of the Galactic news system. Allot of make belive life can be made out of that.

Well, keep up the good work. I will have a closer look when I get back to my own computer in a weeks time.

Cheerio!

[Shush]

I don't know what mods do. I can only tell you that DCS2 does not care what you do with voices. In other words, don't even worry about voices for DCS2... just do whatever you were doing.

Yup, I hear ya. The thing is for myself and a few others it's immersion breaking to have non organic pilots using humanoid speech during combat, so I need to at least provide the option of disabling it for that reason.

What happens now is that if you choose the 'Actor Name' option for the selecting of pilot voice/race/face/sex and it fails to match the pilot's name with one of the inbuilt X3 humanoid names it falls through to a random selection of voice/race/face/sex.

The easy solution to this is to provide a 'Actor Name or None' option which disables the voice if the matching of pilot name and inbuilt X3 names fails.

After my disapointment of X-rebirth my interest for the old x-games with mods have again raised my interest.

This was the exact reason I brought LIFE out of mothballs and finally shared it with others.

Really like that you are implementing the use of the Galactic news system. Allot of make belive life can be made out of that.

Yeah, I always loved the idea of the GNS and I really wanted to construct something large and immersive using it as the foundation.

Well, keep up the good work. I will have a closer look when I get back to my own computer in a weeks time.

Cheers and if you do get a chance to try LIFE, let me know how you go.

[Tiek]

Many thanks to investigate about the problem of humanoid speech breaking immersion; as regards the ships involved at the time, certainly the following must be considered:

XRM AP mod / Tships number (X3Editor 2):

Drone Hauler M4 Argon / 390
Drone Hauler M4 Boron / 391
Drone Hauler M4 Terrans / 392
Drone Hauler M4 Paranid / 393
Drone Hauler M4 Split / 394
Drone Hauler M4 Teladi / 395

#deca.cefa M3 /228
#deca.deaf M4 /362
#deca.fade M5 /363

The XRM job file spawns some AI #deca fighters like drones with a pilot named AGI

Drone Carrier Software 2 script:

All the Drones Hauler mentioned above for AP ver.; certainly, like DrBullwinkle wrote, his script takes into account other types of ships that can be customized in t file (for example the M3B class, always introduced in XRM mod, for use as a bomber drone or other standard M4 / M3 only in the TC version...and others in the future may be used). So, although the script works independently of any problems related to pilot voice is definitely unusual to hear a drone pilot talk like an organic pilot. In these cases a speech exclusion filter is certainly welcome

XTC:

Drone M4 Argon / 390
Drone M4 Boron / 391
Drone M4 Terrans / 392
Drone M4 Paranid / 393
Drone M4 Split / 394
Drone M4 Teladi / 395

These ships are builded by drone carriers and the pilot named "Computer Components" with the code I posted above.

You talked about variables... I think in all the drones builded with the DCS2 you can find the local variable 'bw.dcs2.carrier'; if the drone is a bomber you should also find the variable 'bw.dcs2.Is.Bomber'. I don't know if Doc planned to change these variables in the next script version; anyway he can be more clear on this subject

With regard XTC the local variables on drones should be ''XTC.DRONE.CARRIER' and ''XTC.IS_DRONE'.

However, given the potential number of ships in question and related variables if the filter is simply hooked to the name/kind of pilot you may prefer.

I hope I was helpful. Sorry for the troubles caused

[Shush]

Many thanks to investigate about the problem of humanoid speech breaking immersion; as regards the ships involved at the time, certainly the following must be considered:

Thank you for the detailed info, it certainly shed some light on a bunch of issues and solutions.

The solution I came up with is three fold, (it'll be available in 0.94b some time this coming weekend):

• 1) I added an extra option for the 'NPC Speech/Face/Race' and 'Player Owned Speech/Face/Race' menu functions under Configuration -> Audio named 'Non Organic' - this option works exactly the same as the 'Actor Name' option in that it searches for the pilot's name through the text page of X3 humanoid names, but unlike 'Actor Name' if the search fails instead of falling through to a random selection it disables speech for that pilot. *Note* if CODEA or similar scripts/mods assign valid pilot names to your drones/ships then pilot speech will function normally.
  
  2) I added a new 'Disable or Enable Player Race Actor Names:' option to Configuration -> Audio that generates random names of the correct race for all 'Player Owned Speech/Face/Race' options. What this does, (if you are NOT using scripts/mods like CODEA), is replace the player's name for ALL your player owned ships with valid pilot names based on the race chosen by the 'Player Owned Speech/Face/Race'.
  
  3) I added a backup filter on the names 'AGI' and 'Computer Components' to stop ships with pilot's of those names speaking as humanoids, no matter what options you have selected.

I hope I was helpful. Sorry for the troubles caused

No trouble at all.

[Tiek]

Thank you so much for the quick solution found!

[Centurion2008]

@Shush

Thank You for update, just keeps getting better and better!!!

if only there was a way to turn off attention your ship is under attack, while your in the same sector, cuts in right in the middle of my fav smack talk lol

http://tempsend.com/B7540B2531

X3ap 20140411.mp4
(right-click and “save file” to download)

video/mp4 - 95.13 MB
7 days until expiration

High lvl Zenon

[dfm5000]

lol I love this mod probably 1 of the best I've I seen in a long time.

I couldn't stop laughing at one of my pilots telling the enemy he could help him by performing a mind melt.

[PDouma39]

@ Shush

Thanx for the great update, ingame it is now even more lifier than before.
Even the laughs of other nps pilots are great.

[Steninger]

* Sigh * - this is an excellent mod, one of the best on the forums in my view. It is hampered by one thing only. NPC Bailing is simply too frequent.
I use XRM so battles are frequent, large scale and intense.

I simply wait for the entertaining madness to subside and, like a vulture or some other carrion bird, I swoop in and collect any abandoned ships.

The biggest problem is the equipment left over. The vessels can be stripped and sold for millions. A Terran cutlass I found had 8 guns which went for c. 350k each! Why bother with any other endeavour when you can 'rubber neck' the battles rinse and repeat. If it wasn't for lowly race rep I'd be sorted guv'nor.

Can we have an option to switch this off in a future update? Everything else is marvellous (the shockwave stuff is worthy of Hollywood - it really adds to the immersion).

[Shush]

X3ap 20140411.mp4
(right-click and “save file” to download)

video/mp4 - 95.13 MB

That was a great video, I really enjoyed it.

lol I love this mod probably 1 of the best I've I seen in a long time.

Thanx for the great update, ingame it is now even more lifier than before.

No problem; expect a big update shortly.

* Sigh * - this is an excellent mod, one of the best on the forums in my view. It is hampered by one thing only. NPC Bailing is simply too frequent.
I use XRM so battles are frequent, large scale and intense.

I'm glad you're enjoying it, the next update will have a configurable bailed pilot's setting, from none to lots.

[Shush]

LIFE-V0.95b is available for download; it has had some major structural changes in preparation for a huge update. Unfortunately due to some last minute visual glitches, (mostly on Nvidia cards), I've decided to hold back about 50% of the update for another week or so.

Instead what you get is a proper installer, more control over dynamic missions and audio actors as well as lots of bug fixes; see the first post in this thread for a detailed update.