[SCR][TC/AP] TCAN - Menudriven Full Auto Naming plugin v0.99.9

[Orfevs]

Expanding TCAN do deal with NPCs shouldn't prove too difficult, but I need an angle to start from. What is it that you expect to see in NPC names?

Information would be limited by what ship upgrades you have, such as freight/bio scanner. Short lived NPC updates might be possible.
To name and update all ships in the universe using scripting is not an option if you want to actually play the game. In-sector, perhaps. Besides, the roman calculator is maxed at 10 000

Ultimately, it would probably be best to make a separate script that uses TCAN for its functions. In any case, I need to finish the numbering first.

[joelR]

Thats a good question. I think that if you were to add an AI option for naming NPC ships they should be color coded at the very least. Its really only a cosmetic/immersion thing anyhow. I like the idea of named traders with the names of different companies like you would see in reunion. When I get back from work ill put down some ideas I have.

[Orfevs]

I'll give it some thought myself.
For now it appears there's a problem that arose from removing the delayed start. Having debug turned on during first install (can only be done through scripts) makes it work. Otherwise something fails and autoaspecting can't seem to fire up.

Works just fine on an already existing installation though. I'm on the case.

EDIT:
"Fine" isn't exactly right. Autoaspecting works while debug is on.

Warning: Technical babble.

Spoiler

Show

My function library used the debug number (which incidentally has the right flag set for autoaspect) instead of the global flags.

Added HotFix

[joelR]

I'll give it some thought myself.
For now it appears there's a problem that arose from removing the delayed start. Having debug turned on during first install (can only be done through scripts) makes it work. Otherwise something fails and autoaspecting can't seem to fire up.

Works just fine on an already existing installation though. I'm on the case.

EDIT:
"Fine" isn't exactly right. Autoaspecting works while debug is on.

Warning: Technical babble.

Spoiler

Show

My function library used the debug number (which incidentally has the right flag set for autoaspect) instead of the global flags.

Added HotFix

Ahh Well that explains why it wasnt working

[Orfevs]

Well - if it ain't working, sumpthin' ain't rite!

So if something seems odd, it probably needs fixing.

And yes, the funky names *will* be fixed in due time.
I'll probably have to rethink the entire nameset structure to make words fit better together, but that's absolutely last on the list since that's as far from actual scripting as you can get while still being part of TCAN.

[joelR]

Well - if it ain't working, sumpthin' ain't rite!

So if something seems odd, it probably needs fixing.

And yes, the funky names *will* be fixed in due time.
I'll probably have to rethink the entire nameset structure to make words fit better together, but that's absolutely last on the list since that's as far from actual scripting as you can get while still being part of TCAN.

Well so far so good. It does need a little tweaking in regards to those funky names but its moving in the right direction.

[Orfevs]

Well so far so good. It does need a little tweaking in regards to those funky names but its moving in the right direction.

Indeed. But for now I really need to take a little break. Been doing little else than coding on this script for the last 2 months and have to refresh my way of thinking to find a solution for the names too. Right now I'm a bit too stuck in my way. While the wing numbering options isn't implemented, you could still number the fighter aspect and include wings (by attach) . That should work for a temporary solution.

As for names, using opposites of each other works really well.
2 Aspects in particular uses opposites. Frigate and Salvage aspect. Take notes from those and customize as you see fit.
I made TCAN highly configurable for this reason: You can select what you want. And if you're keen on using numbering, using the aspect "common" name (previously "example" name) as a common base with numbers and perhaps the homebase unique name/number/common name or combination thereof.

I want to narrow down the namesets as much as possible so I can squeeze in more - or perhaps start using the custom namesets. I do believe 100 namesets are more than enough, if not too much.

One Hundred Arrays of names. That's a friggin' lot!
Egosoft got 2 arrays per race for their name gen.

So I want these in the names:
Cuddly stuff. Nothing is worse than a cute rogue.. or?
"Demon Panda"?
"Hell Kitty"?

Fish, with "Angry" nameset.. makes you wonder - is that fish.. dangerous?
"The Howling Cod"
"The Furious Halibut"
"The Ravaging Herring"

Normal people names (of the more uncommon sort) with "holy" set.
"Holy Edgar"
"Saint Mathilda"
"Blessed Bart"

Is there a limit to this?
I mean, I can't add things like "punk a$$ mofo" to my script. That's what the custom namesets are for.

Anyway - got to go find inspiration for the next bout.

[joelR]

Alright man. You deserve a break!

[Orfevs]

New revision out (v 099.9).

Some minor tweaking done to get the most out of the ship-naming.
Names won't be as dorky if you use two entries from the main namesets.

[surferx]

Getting close to ver 1.0
I think I'll go ahead and try this out, looks good.

[Orfevs]

Actually, it's more akin to version 5. 0. I'm just being modest.
It has full functionality, and everything I'm doing generally boils down to minor tweaking.
It's my own goal that marks version 1, which includes the items in the todo list. The milestone would be the inclusion of fully automatic numbering and special handling of wings though.

Feedback fuels my desire to continue doing something about it, so keep it coming.

[dispatchcompg]

Just information this is completely incompatible with XRM 1.29c. Multiple readtext errors in weapons, missiles, and ships. Happy I found the culprit finally; sad that this doesn't play well. Looks like a solid mod though; thank you for your hard work on it.

[Orfevs]

All textfiles and command slots used were previously marked as unused before registering - to avoid such conflicts.
I'm not using XRM so I cannot say where the beef's at. Yet.

[dispatchcompg]

I'm not sure either; haven't had time to dig around much in the xmls to see. Figured it might be helpful though to those who do use XRM to know what works and what doesn't; considering how [sarcasm] "simple" [/sarcasm] it is to install / uninstall scripts without cycrow's program.

[Orfevs]

Well, I'm unfamiliar with XRM, so I don't know if that yields much messages.

Anyway, I've installed XRM on a vanilla AP installation making 3 separate spk's because of the difficulties in installing it. Then added TCAN after that.
I see no problems whatsoever.

XRM and TCAN both has no text error messages in the menus I can access.
All the ships I can see have names, and I can name my ships just fine.
Adding a ship with Cycrow's cheat worked just fine, list of ships and weapons were all ok, and I got myself a brand spanking new Zephyrus named "ATMZp Charmed Dive"... so I do believe your problem lies elsewhere.

[dispatchcompg]

Well, I'm unfamiliar with XRM, so I don't know if that yields much messages.

Anyway, I've installed XRM on a vanilla AP installation making 3 separate spk's because of the difficulties in installing it. Then added TCAN after that.
I see no problems whatsoever.

XRM and TCAN both has no text error messages in the menus I can access.
All the ships I can see have names, and I can name my ships just fine.
Adding a ship with Cycrow's cheat worked just fine, list of ships and weapons were all ok, and I got myself a brand spanking new Zephyrus named "ATMZp Charmed Dive"... so I do believe your problem lies elsewhere.

Fair enough. Sounds like an incorrect installation via the script manager if you're turning the cats/dats into SPKs. I'll post some links to what I'm seeing in my install as they'll be way over the 100k limit (AP. XRM via fake patch for part 1 / part 2; copying the scripts / t folders over from part 3; then copying the scripts / t folders from TCAN over. Nothing is overwritten of course [no conflicts in that respect]. Right now I'm not using the script manager. Manual installs for the scripts I use.

With TCAN + XRM (both manual installs without using Cycrow's script manager): SS 1 (showing Argon M6s) SS 2 (showing missiles for the Sirokos; Starting ship of the OTAS Operative start)

With XRM only: SS1 (showing Argon M6s) SS2 (showing missiles for the Sirokos; starting ship of the OTAS Operative start)

[Orfevs]

While I'm not using a cockpit mod, this is what I get with the same setup using TCAN and XRM:
Stupid ISP killed my webspace. Images gone.

I do get a readtext entry in the 2 minute startup until everything starts working though. But once that's done, it's gone.

With cockpit mod
Stupid ISP killed my webspace. Images gone.

Mind, I *am* using the script manager, using the 2 first cat/dats in one spk as sorted fakepatches, the scripts and everything but the mov files in a separate spk (with TC and AP scripts marked for their respective versions), then the mov files as zip archive (with the mov folder). Works like a charm. If everytihng is installed ok on your side, then it could be due to lack of memory. I got 4Gb.
The cockpit mod were unzipped and made into an SPK fakepatch. Sorted.

[dispatchcompg]

*scratches head* I'm really stumped now then Orfevs. Appreciate you taking time out to try and work this out with me. Sys specs on my end are on the mid-high end (dual 570GTXs; AMD 810 BE OC'd to hell and back on air [though highly stable {I've had it forever; even through old XRM installs}]; matched 2 gig ram sticks [two for 4 gigs total; no read / write errors]; dual raptors [old school..kids these days and their SSDs] in a Raid 0 with a third for primary storage along with another WD 320 gig for backups. Same boat as you wishing I had more; but wishing I had the cash to blow on more too haha.

I'll try an install or three (or seven; always love having clean manual backups) using the script manager then and report back. I just don't see what could possibly be different between the install methods (Apart from flexibility on the script-creator's end to aid in ease-of-use for the end-user).

Furthermore; the cockpit mod is off XRM's OP for continuities' sake.


EDIT: Disregard any further. Dunno what the hell the game did; but it's functioning now. Literally just started up the game again after this post and it's working. I shan't question the goblins and their mysterious ways!

Sincerely though, thank you for taking time to tech this problem with me.

[Orfevs]

Did a little edit. Re read please.

EDIT:
I'm happy to help
If there are any serious bugs in TCAN, I need to fix them anyway.
(The only thing that's bugging me now though, are the wonky names that are generated per the default setup - so that will change with the next release. By re-designing the aspects.)

[dispatchcompg]

Yea. So far I haven't run into any funky names in my albeit rather short time in using it. Only so much you can do though in a procedurally generated list. Even much less ambitious projects have those issues. One example being Cataclysm DDA (ascii based roguelike zombie apocalypse styled game) has procedurally generated houses that sometimes generate with doors that lead nowhere (a door in the middle of a living room) or doors built on a T intersection of a house; spanning two rooms incidentally. So far though this seems really robust.