Important Note: This is a library aimed to be used by other scripters. If you are an user there's no point in downloading this.
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ECS: Extended Communication System
ECS is a library that can be used by any script or plugin. It is intended to be easy to use and implement. It includes several functions to add the following features to your scripts without efforts:
- + An easy to use and configure News System (much like the old X2/X3R BBS, but better)
+ Various commands to display windows looking like standard communication dialogs
+ The ability to link one of your scripts to the ECS keyboard shortcut
ECS 2.5 has been used by the Pirate Guild, Yaki Armada, Anarkis Defense System and Military Base Response revamp AL Plugins for X3TC to handle communications between the player and other objects. The previous 1.0 version was used in X3 Reunion by various scripts and plugins. By itself, ECS is perfectly stable when used correctly. It has no known bug or compatibility issues.
[ external image ] - Download ZIP Archive
Also, you can look at the online Online Documentation (also included in the archive)
The News System
Instead of sending popup after popup to the player to inform him about a sector changing hand (sector takeover scripts and plugins) or that a new mission is available somewhere or that a Xenon invasion is going on in a sector. Why not use a news system that the player can see whenever he wants, or whenever you want, according to your needs? This system, even if called "News" system, but it can be used for any kind of logging action.
Here's a screenshot taken from Pirate Guild:
[ external image ]
ECS Keyboard Shortcut
As ECS was initially a script used to handle comms (and it still mostly is) an hotkey system was included, so that several scripts can share the same hotkey to handle communication with different factions. But it can be used for other purposes. Basically it allows you to call the script of your choice when the player targets an object that fills the parameters you've used in the registration procedure and press the ECS hotkey.
Custom Communication Dialogs
ECS also allows you to easily display dialogs that looks like the standard X3 communication dialogs. They feature the video usually displayed next to the message and optional sound sample. Here's a sample screenshot of what you will get using these commands:
[ external image ]