Work in Progress Port of "New" (Old) Clusters and Stations

[tomchk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy3GZ57 ... sX4kE0B6J3
Is there still demand for this?

[Baconnaise]

Yea looks good.

[Axel6430]

I'm certainly down

[MHDriver]

Hell yes, bring em all over. Omicron Lyrae, Home of Light, Toride..

[vadiolive]

Yes give me true stations not this "kind meh station from X4
Zones/Clusters/Sector is cool to.....

Ships depend awalts find XL Arawn/Taanis/Fulmekron/Omekron/Lynea broken ......... that made S/M/L bit useless
with W.evans IZ/OZ mod very cool see suceluss and balor doing job.... and others S/M figth against XL or even Station

[tomchk]

The clusters and sectors and zones are pretty easy--it's not clear yet whether these stations can be made to work with X4 wares and ships *easily,* but maybe with some help. I probably won't be touching ships as that is a pretty huge job from what I hear.

[BlackRain]

The clusters and sectors and zones are pretty easy--it's not clear yet whether these stations can be made to work with X4 wares and ships *easily,* but maybe with some help. I probably won't be touching ships as that is a pretty huge job from what I hear.

Is it following the same map structure as X4? The way XR did clusters/sectors/zones is very different.

[tomchk]

The clusters and sectors and zones are pretty easy--it's not clear yet whether these stations can be made to work with X4 wares and ships *easily,* but maybe with some help. I probably won't be touching ships as that is a pretty huge job from what I hear.

Is it following the same map structure as X4? The way XR did clusters/sectors/zones is very different.

Glad to attract your attention--I've loved your mods! XR clusters do work surprisingly well in X4's map. If they had more than 4 sectors per cluster, that would be an issue with the current code, but they don't, and it looks pretty good with minimal work! Here are a couple examples of the map in action. I probably would put the clusters closer to each other, but this was the initial placement I used:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9o185qsmr0x3c ... m.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wgf4tpljc42vt ... m.mp4?dl=0

[BlackRain]

The clusters and sectors and zones are pretty easy--it's not clear yet whether these stations can be made to work with X4 wares and ships *easily,* but maybe with some help. I probably won't be touching ships as that is a pretty huge job from what I hear.

Is it following the same map structure as X4? The way XR did clusters/sectors/zones is very different.

Glad to attract your attention--I've loved your mods! XR clusters do work surprisingly well in X4's map. If they had more than 4 sectors per cluster, that would be an issue with the current code, but they don't, and it looks pretty good with minimal work! Here are a couple examples of the map in action. I probably would put the clusters closer to each other, but this was the initial placement I used:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9o185qsmr0x3c ... m.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wgf4tpljc42vt ... m.mp4?dl=0

I don't know anything about playing around with the map, so this got me interested. How difficult is it to edit the existing universe map?

I started thinking it would be cool to create a new universe map in the style of X Rebirth. So for example, we could have Argon prime, but there are a few areas which make up Argon Prime, etc. We could also add in the X Rebirth sectors to the map and maybe even add in more. I just don't know how time consuming it would be to do this as I just started thinking about it when I saw this.

I was thinking of doing a full blown foundations of conquest and war with a more interesting universe map and corporations included as well with a lot more activity going on. Would you be interested in working on a universe map for something like this since you have been fooling around with that already? Currently, I feel like the factionlogic in X4 vanilla is pretty good and doesn't require much more work or changes so it wouldn't be necessary to do too much with that. Maybe just a brand new jobs file to work with the new universe so to speak. I don't know, just thinking here and throwing around ideas but it might be cool.

[Baconnaise]

I forgot how unique(?) the map was in XR. They started the superhighway thing complete with avoidable objects. It was a partially unpopular change much like in X4. Now that I think about it the current X4 map seems more functional for a mouse/gamepad user to a degree with fewer clicks. XR in general was more keyboard-friendly even the maps. You could scan a sector and it would list resources and quantities on the sidebars which were handy. It would be nice regardless to have the old XR sectors added back in where they should go as well as some more uncontrolled areas.

[BlackRain]

I forgot how unique(?) the map was in XR. They started the superhighway thing complete with avoidable objects. It was a partially unpopular change much like in X4. Now that I think about it the current X4 map seems more functional for a mouse/gamepad user to a degree with fewer clicks. XR in general was more keyboard-friendly even the maps. You could scan a sector and it would list resources and quantities on the sidebars which were handy. It would be nice regardless to have the old XR sectors added back in where they should go as well as some more uncontrolled areas.

Well, what I am suggesting is not exactly the way it was in XR, that isn't even possible I think. I just meant a similar feel/layout. It would still be the X4 universe map but with some changes. I feel like all clusters should have more areas to feel like they are bigger for example. So like Argon prime could have a few sectors in the cluster. I think that alone would give the world a larger feel. Hopefully the way XR felt where each cluster felt like its own little world. I don't know if it is possible to get back the same feel though.

I was thinking I would make some other changes too. Like combining factions which are separated (Argon and Antigone as one, etc.) and adding in Corporations with their own sectors or something. Like large corporations which are factions of their own. There would also be much more conflict, with more dynamic relations.

[tomchk]

Is it following the same map structure as X4? The way XR did clusters/sectors/zones is very different.

Glad to attract your attention--I've loved your mods! XR clusters do work surprisingly well in X4's map. If they had more than 4 sectors per cluster, that would be an issue with the current code, but they don't, and it looks pretty good with minimal work! Here are a couple examples of the map in action. I probably would put the clusters closer to each other, but this was the initial placement I used:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9o185qsmr0x3c ... m.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wgf4tpljc42vt ... m.mp4?dl=0

I don't know anything about playing around with the map, so this got me interested. How difficult is it to edit the existing universe map?

I started thinking it would be cool to create a new universe map in the style of X Rebirth. So for example, we could have Argon prime, but there are a few areas which make up Argon Prime, etc. We could also add in the X Rebirth sectors to the map and maybe even add in more. I just don't know how time consuming it would be to do this as I just started thinking about it when I saw this.

I was thinking of doing a full blown foundations of conquest and war with a more interesting universe map and corporations included as well with a lot more activity going on. Would you be interested in working on a universe map for something like this since you have been fooling around with that already? Currently, I feel like the factionlogic in X4 vanilla is pretty good and doesn't require much more work or changes so it wouldn't be necessary to do too much with that. Maybe just a brand new jobs file to work with the new universe so to speak. I don't know, just thinking here and throwing around ideas but it might be cool.

Maps changes are surprisingly easy! Your idea is awesome, too. I might be able to help, and at the very least I could explain what I've done. Let me get back to you, as another conversation I'm having might impact my involvement.

[Max Bain]

I would love to have a mod which spreads all enemy factions a bit apart. So for example between HOP and ARG there would be one or two neutral sectors. Between Xenon and all others as well.

[BlackRain]

I would love to have a mod which spreads all enemy factions a bit apart. So for example between HOP and ARG there would be one or two neutral sectors. Between Xenon and all others as well.

yeah there could be more pirate sectors or just empty space, etc.

[Baconnaise]

I forgot how unique(?) the map was in XR. They started the superhighway thing complete with avoidable objects. It was a partially unpopular change much like in X4. Now that I think about it the current X4 map seems more functional for a mouse/gamepad user to a degree with fewer clicks. XR in general was more keyboard-friendly even the maps. You could scan a sector and it would list resources and quantities on the sidebars which were handy. It would be nice regardless to have the old XR sectors added back in where they should go as well as some more uncontrolled areas.

Well, what I am suggesting is not exactly the way it was in XR, that isn't even possible I think. I just meant a similar feel/layout. It would still be the X4 universe map but with some changes. I feel like all clusters should have more areas to feel like they are bigger for example. So like Argon prime could have a few sectors in the cluster. I think that alone would give the world a larger feel. Hopefully the way XR felt where each cluster felt like its own little world. I don't know if it is possible to get back the same feel though.

I was thinking I would make some other changes too. Like combining factions which are separated (Argon and Antigone as one, etc.) and adding in Corporations with their own sectors or something. Like large corporations which are factions of their own. There would also be much more conflict, with more dynamic relations.

I would love to have a mod which spreads all enemy factions a bit apart. So for example between HOP and ARG there would be one or two neutral sectors. Between Xenon and all others as well.

yeah there could be more pirate sectors or just empty space, etc.

Yea I don't think going back to the way XR did the map would be feasible. I'm more on the side of seeing more uncontrolled and pirate sectors or zones. I'd also love to see more zones even stations akin to the XR way. The zones or areas felt more unique and special at least back then when I played. I don't recall fully but there were mods that added new zones and areas via gates I believe in XR. Pretty sure I've played around with Deadair's universe additions at some point as well. I think many folks would be happy seeing an addon to the universe that adds XR even X3 areas to the map on top of more random areas not controlled by any faction. Corporations are of course welcome since they were such an integral part of X3 and even XR to an extent. Despite everything currently, it's a big ask for someone's free time to develop such things to make our experiences better. I'm just thankful the community is great in regards to modding to make it last.

[tomchk]

Yea I don't think going back to the way XR did the map would be feasible. I'm more on the side of seeing more uncontrolled and pirate sectors or zones. I'd also love to see more zones even stations akin to the XR way. The zones or areas felt more unique and special at least back then when I played. I don't recall fully but there were mods that added new zones and areas via gates I believe in XR. Pretty sure I've played around with Deadair's universe additions at some point as well. I think many folks would be happy seeing an addon to the universe that adds XR even X3 areas to the map on top of more random areas not controlled by any faction. Corporations are of course welcome since they were such an integral part of X3 and even XR to an extent. Despite everything currently, it's a big ask for someone's free time to develop such things to make our experiences better. I'm just thankful the community is great in regards to modding to make it last.

If you two mean clearly marked zones with "the way XR did the map," that I agree may not be feasible in X4's map without bigger changes, but the maps I posted above just worked. The only thing I had to change was in galaxy.xml, I believe, just to place the clusters using X4's style (certain numbers have to be used corresponding to what hexagons you want, basically). I think that's it. Zones still all work, just not marked separately anymore, and you can see the sectors just loaded in their clusters as shown, all by themselves. It's incredible how much just works!