[MOD] IEX - AP/TC Sector Visual Enhancement - IEX 1.5b (27/07/2014)

[Moonrat]

The changelog for the 1.5.0 patch doesn't seem related to the changes that went in LU 1.5.0 vs 1.4.7 so I must ask, can we use the 1.5.0 LUi patch with LU 1.4.7?

Yes you can use either IEX LUi 1.4.7 or 1.5.0 with LU 1.4.7 or 1.5.0 - I only found out about the change when comparing the AP map file between 1.4.7 & 1.5.0 to ensure LUi was still up-to-date. The minor change in this latest release however is of no huge import in that Xenon Sector 596 is now 2x bigger than before and so everything is spaced out slightly more. May be big ships were having collision issues there?

I wonder if IEX improves on this (without a game restart).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... you can try installing IE/IEX/LUi as described in the IEX OP but it won't be 100% as the in-game sector objects & backgrounds will still be vanilla LUV and so not everything will look as it should be. A new gamestart is required for the full effect.

[Eidolan]

OK I am trying to get XRM, IEX(XRMI?) and TC plots in AP installed. The post in TCAP said NOT to use the TCAP/IEX patch but the IEX page has been more recently updated so is this still true?

And can someone who uses XRM,IEX and TCAP show me the CAT/DAT load order they used as the lists on the mod pages don't seem to have a load order for all 3 mods and some of the instructions contradict each other.

[Moonrat]

OK I am trying to get XRM, IEX(XRMI?) and TC plots in AP installed. The post in TCAP said NOT to use the TCAP/IEX patch but the IEX page has been more recently updated so is this still true?.

I think the latest copy of IEX simply had a TC map correction in it so that doesn't affect anything you might want to do in AP. If it works I'd still go with the TCAP download if that's what you are really interested in (without XRM).

And can someone who uses XRM,IEX and TCAP show me the CAT/DAT load order they used as the lists on the mod pages don't seem to have a load order for all 3 mods and some of the instructions contradict each other.

To run IEX and XRM together you need XRMi (see the IEX OP) and the install instructions make reference to the cat/dat order. On the XRM OP it states...

• PLOTS - For Terran Conflict all the plots are available. For Albion Prelude, the main Argon plot is disabled as it is not compatible with the XRM replacement "war". However, all other plots are available. Also, the Corporation and Treasure Hunt plots from TC are playable in AP.

So in theory you need IE+IEX+XRM1+XRM2+XRMi to get the all the TC plots AP (except the war) with XRM and with IEX. This is described under XRM on the IEX OP.

[solarahawk]

Hey Moonrat, I am switching threads in order to followup on your comments about some comments I made about your mod. (It's comments all the way down...)

Anyway:

Not wishing to denigrate LU in any way at all as it's a very, very worthy piece of work... but I think some factual unclarity has crept into some of these posts...

IEX has about 50 or 60 different unique sector backgrounds, LUV has a couple hundred.

Errmmm... IEX 'TBackground' has 125 elements (not 50 or 60), some are variants of others, not all are used. LU has 250 however a large number are simply re-coloured variants of the very same background elsewhere, and I'm not sure all 250 are utilised? So I think we are comparing apples and pears here... One of the design goals of IEX was to achieve some commonality between neighbouring areas of space rather than the previous random look-and-feel of vanilla. I believe that XTC also followed this design principle. Whilst it is the intention perhaps to expand the number a little, it will never be the intention to have one per sector. Less is sometimes more...

Plus, I think you may lose the new soundtrack diversity in LU, though all of that should have been corrected by the Remap.)

The IEX compatibility patch for LU has exactly the same music definitions as it was based upon the original LU map. You should not therefore lose any "diversity" by using the IEX map for LU... unless someone can point out something I may have missed... but I think the above point may be inaccurate.

yup, iex.
....
and everything solarahawk said + LUV has two sets of planets. see-through and opaque. this is one feature of LUV remap relies on for new sectors.

As mentioned before I believe the feature of having 'see-through' and 'opaque' planets is a vanilla X feature and not something Litcube has added. Both vanilla and native IEX and IEX for LU has this feature. Unless someone can show me a new planet type (in which case can I please plagiarise it! )

Always on the lookout for potential improvements however I need to look into this fog thing... however nebulous it might be!

I apologize. Yes, I made some inaccurate statements. In the specific thread comment you are quoting, I voiced some concern about the soundtrack, but I realized later that the LU patch automatically took care of that. I removed that note from the Library page, but I forgot to track down the earlier comment to fix it.

Thank you for pointing out some of the differences and the inaccuracy in my statement about IEX's background diversity. This is what I get for just mouthing off after talking about this stuff in chat, but not sitting down to verify the factual details.

I had previously been editing the Library Index page to get rid of any untoward negativity that I hadn't intended to imply about your mod. I have re-edited the notes on your mod, to remove the other inaccuracies. I just note that your mod provides a different feel to sectors, and that you are looking into the fog changes made in LU.

Again, mea culpa for stirring up the nest. I have been a huge fan of your mod for a very long time.

[Moonrat]

Hey Moonrat,....

What a nice person you are, apology of course accepted! If only the forums were sometimes more filled with people of your good grace

NB : Not wishing to wake the hornets again I'm still curious about the planets and particularly the fog performance improvement. I've always been a firm believer of trying to learn from each other. May be I ought to drop Litcube a quick note.

Thanks again, and I'm glad that IEX has added something of value to your X gaming experience...

[siddham]

Will this mark your game as modified?

Thanks

[Moonrat]

Will this mark your game as modified?

Thanks

Not sure... does it really matter?

You could always try and install IEX, start the game, save it (within 5 minutes say) and then see if it's marked your game as "modified". If it hasn't please let me know, if it has simply delete the latest save game file, delete the IEX components and restart your game. There are no scripts as such in IEX and so it might be a bit more "light" than many others which do add the "modified" tag?

[siddham]

Yes, it matters to those to whom it matters...

I like to use the uplink feature and chart my progress through the player rankings for fun

[Moonrat]

Yes, it matters to those to whom it matters...

I like to use the uplink feature and chart my progress through the player rankings for fun

I understand, any chance of running a TC/AP "test" for me and letting me know the results. It'd have to be a clean install with only IEX installed tho'...

[Moonrat]

I have updated the IEX compatibility patch for Litcube's Universe to reflect the latest changes in version 1.5.2 ...

LUV (1.5.2)

• A small 'fake' patch is required to experience IEX with the latest version of Litcube's Universe (LUV 1.5.2), this is called LUi and can be found here or here.
  
  Unpack the zip file and then order the cat/dat files as follows:
  
  For LUV (AP only) in the 'addon' folder...
  • 01-04 EGOSOFT stuff
    05-09 LUV
    10 IE
    11 IEX
    12 LUi
  A new gamestart is recommended. Please let me know of any issues and/or any other feedback on this thread.

This new release contains the following fix to reflect LU 1.5.2 :

• Omicron Channel SPPs required primary resources (map change)

[zhukov032186]

I have been gone for about three years, and have been running around gathering up "my old mods", almost all of which I'm pleased to see continued development after I left!!!

One of my "must have" mods is IEX, and wanted to thank you for your hard work and that of your contributors! I had been playing X for quite a long time, with XRM, before I installed IEX for the first time and was immediately floored by how beautiful the backgrounds were and how much it helped just... feeling. I remember sitting in orbit around Mars just... staring...

[Moonrat]

Why thank you, it's comments such as yours that makes all the work worthwhile. Believe it or not I've actually got the bit between my teeth & started adding/enhancing content again...

[Tanvaras]

Another player back from the X-Rebirth (Just can not get into it) and saw this.

One word - OMG!

Thanks for the work and to the contributors for this masterpiece to add to X3 TC/AP, just amazing work

[Moonrat]

Another player back from the X-Rebirth (Just can not get into it) and saw this.

One word - OMG!

Thanks for the work and to the contributors for this masterpiece to add to X3 TC/AP, just amazing work

IEX 1.6a gradually coming together (probable list includes)...

• Background traffic in major core sectors
  Asteroid fields in "empty" sectors (ala Litcube)
  'Litcube' fog
  Space dust tuned to sectors
  A few new suns/moons/planets
  Visual fixes to one/two sectors
  No more empty Earth XRM sector

[Moonrat]

Courtesy of whyme I have added a link on IEX OP for his XRMi-TCAP work...

XRM : Terran Conflict Plots for Albion Prelude (XRMi-TCAP)

• A compatibility patch is required to use IEX with XRM incorporating the "Terran Conflict plots for Albion Prelude" ... This can be found here.
  All credit must go to whyme for the conversion of XRMi to accommodate TCAP within XRM utilising IEX. Please report any bugs
  to either him or me via whichever thread seems most appropriate, thanks.
  
  This small fake patch needs to be placed immediately after the TCAP cat/dat files from dillpickle.
  
  For XRM (AP) in the 'addon' folder...
  • 01-04 EGOSOFT stuff
    05 IE
    06 IEX
    07 XRM (1)
    08 XRM (2)
    09 TCAP
    10 XRMi-TCAP

[Moonrat]

And some new piccies from the forthcoming new version of IEX...

Earth/Moon traffic

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New (AP) XRM Earth Sector + traffic (debris but no collision issue)

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Solarsystem 'before' and 'after' (much cleaner & less 'image 'fuzz')

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[Viliae]

Hi
I always love this mod and after a long time of no playing X3AP I've returned to game and install it as must have.
I'm eager to see this new version.

[ALien8ed]

Super excited about the new version and can't wait to try it.

Great work as per usual Moonrat...

[Moonrat]

Hi
I always love this mod and after a long time of no playing X3AP I've returned to game and install it as must have.
I'm eager to see this new version.

Super excited about the new version and can't wait to try it.
Great work as per usual Moonrat...

Thanks guys, it'd might be a while yet, but I've now got the bit between my teeth. I must admit that the Solar System background has always been a bit duff (and controversial) but I think the new one looks better in-game. I'd like to post it and see if people think it's OK?

[Moonrat]

Here is the new Solar System background that I'm still tweaking and playing about with. Please unpack the zip and place the cat/dat file after the highest numbered one in TC and/or AP depending which game you are playing.

Please let me know if love it, hate it, prefer the old one, can't get it to work... all reasonable feedback absorbed and acted upon if possible & not too time consuming. (I may also produce a dim variant for Terran sectors nearer the sun).