[Script] HCF Capture Hotkey 0.01

[Dejuan N. Onley]

Version 0.01 released Jan. 9, 2008

*************************************

The Otas HCF in the XTended Mod is excellent. However, the long process of implementing the actual capture command can be cumbersome. So I whipped up something to help with this.

Ever tried capping OWPs with the HCF? It's a great way to make money. It's also real fun to implement the capture command while trying to strafe and stay out of the way of the OWP's guns. You have to choose your target, select your troops (usually Marines), then select the number of troops. Wouldn't it be great to have a hotkey that simply ran the HCF capture command for your current target?

Here's my attempt at a solution. The script will register a new hotkey named "Board/Capture Target". When run, it will call a script that passes the proper parameters to the HCF capture script in XTM. It will check your bay for available troops (Borgs, Marines, Slaves, etc.) and automatically choose which ones to use (even if you have more than one type). Then it passes your current target to the HCF Capture script. Works with 0.7.3 of XTM scripts.

Includes a Readme file and uninstall script. Includes both Zip and SPK versions.

Requires XTM!

XTU thread for this script.

Download from my server.
Download from XTU.

*************************************

Changelog

0.01

• Initial release. Haven't seen any bugs (it's a simple script), but I'd love some feedback.

[Lancefighter]

hey cool, this looks interesting.

Maybe i should actually download XTM sometime... naw, ill stick with my own modifications for now.

[Sandalpocalypse]

Convenience wise, this seems logical enough, but I think encouraging the HCF to be less mobile is a good thing... heh

[Dejuan N. Onley]

Convenience wise, this seems logical enough, but I think encouraging the HCF to be less mobile is a good thing... heh

I thought about that. I assume you mean because it makes capping with the HCF take a little bit of work. But here's my thinking:

First, capping with the HCF is a time-consuming process anyway. This script doesn't change the actual capping process. It still takes just as long, and you still need to stay in range during the lengthy troop-launch process.

Second, I know this is a game, but let's say it was RL. If you were sending troops to attack a target, you wouldn't need to specify all the details at the last minute. You would just give a single command since you (presumably) planned your attack in advance.

That being said, I do feel that one change to the XTM HCF capture script should be made to add realism--troops shouldn't be able to board the target while its shields are up. Currently, the script only requires that the target shields be down when you start the capture command. IMHO, the troops should pause their boarding process when the target shields come back up and you should have to bring them back down again (would certainly make outfitting the HCF with Ion guns useful). In order to balance this out, we may want to speed up the actual boarding process. This would definitely make the HCF feel less like a cheat in my opinion. However, I didn't alter the actual capture scripts at all as I didn't feel it was my place to do so.

Edit: also, I was thinking that the HCF script should send troops faster the closer you are to the target. As I assume the long boarding process is the result of the time it takes for troops to get to the target. And... we could make the process go significantly faster if your HCF is equipped with a transporter device. What do you think?

That's my two cents anyway, for what it's worth. I would love to hear more feedback, though. Tell me what you feel would be best and why. I'm going to be helping out the XTM team more from here on out, so it would be good to hear what everyone thinks.

[AtomicDryad]

Oh thank gods this was so needed o.o
The only problem is...it doesn't seem to send any troops over. Test run, 500 cyborgs, hit the hotkey, and shortly thereafter 'troops defeated'. I check cargo and there's 500 cyborgs. Do I need to specify a number somewhere?

[Dejuan N. Onley]

Oh thank gods this was so needed o.o
The only problem is...it doesn't seem to send any troops over. Test run, 500 cyborgs, hit the hotkey, and shortly thereafter 'troops defeated'. I check cargo and there's 500 cyborgs. Do I need to specify a number somewhere?

Did you have other troops as well? Marines, etc? Perhaps it used them instead. I need to make some changes to the way it chooses which troops to use, but I need to determine relative strength first.

I'll do some testing with cyborgs and get back with you in case it's a bug.

[heifi]

Oh thank gods this was so needed o.o
The only problem is...it doesn't seem to send any troops over. Test run, 500 cyborgs, hit the hotkey, and shortly thereafter 'troops defeated'. I check cargo and there's 500 cyborgs. Do I need to specify a number somewhere?

Did you have other troops as well? Marines, etc? Perhaps it used them instead. I need to make some changes to the way it chooses which troops to use, but I need to determine relative strength first.

I'll do some testing with cyborgs and get back with you in case it's a bug.

i have the same problem, so it seems to be a bug...

[AtomicDryad]

No, just cyborgs, cheated in for testing. I'll try others later tonight.

[AtomicDryad]

Nope, the same thing happened with Mercenaries. 1000 mercs aboard, 0 sent.

[AtomicDryad]

I turned on debugging and for a manual boarding I got:
Type=Marines, Pos=3
When I use the hotkey it's
Type = null, Pos = -2

I added debugging statements to the script, and both $target and $troops are not null.

[x-freewing]

I had same problem, In received message with that
Type = null, Pos = -2

And no any forces send to tahe target ship.

[Locksley]

Xelonir made a working hotkey wich he posted in the same thread as the original - here is the Link http://www.thexuniverse.com/forum/showt ... 661&page=3 to the thread were you can download Xelonir's working hotkey - read the description -