[SCRIPT] PiloteAI III.70 (28.09.08)

[Buck_Rogers]

Not sure about the readtext issue with this script, but you have an old version of XTM installed. You need to remove all XTM stuff from the Plugin Manager (.spk), then download & install XTM 7.5 (actually, Its 0.7.5 , but we'll let you off!)

[jumbled]

Hi all!

I just got into this after hearing about it for a while. I've been working on the TerraCorp Pilot/Task Force package for a long time trying to re-write it and modernize it to make it useful. But then I found this, and it includes much of the same stuff I had previously imagined incorporating into the TCCP package.

Since I hate re-inventing the wheel, I thought I'd give this system here a good run to see if it's worth my time to continue work on the TCCP files, or if maybe I could modify some of my work (and there was a LOT of it!) to cooperate better with PilotAI.

The first thing I noticed was the AI, and HOW MUCH work went into it to do so many things! I had ideas some time ago for the TCCP/TF package to include a complete autonomous AI that would react, coordinate and respond to danger, but it's slow going for me since I have so many distractions here, and recently my attention span and short term memory have degraded badly.

Anyway... Among other things I put into the TCCP re-write was an ordering system where a pilot could take orders on a stack from either the FBC (Fighter Base) or TF (Task Force) leader, building up a FIFO "to-do" list of commands. The system was quite nice to have and allowed the FBC/TF commander to give a series of orders to a ship and then forget about it for a while. Maybe an idea like this could be useful here, as well? Although, I see many other features here that could easily beat that system.

I was also using a colorized ship naming system which, at least in my case, made life much easier to see my ships -- who they are, what ship they're flying, and who they work for. I don't know why, but this game is horrible on my eyes. Such monochromatic text on badly highlighted backgrounds that just causes my eyes to bleed, sometimes. So I added lots of bright colors to pilot names, ship types and other data in the ship name.

Almost immediately after I started playing with PilotAI, I began to miss my nicely formatted and colored ship names. So I decided to try that here, as well. Since PilotAI uses replaceable variables to give ships their names, I first tried it out with the stock assortment of data types, but it seemed inadequate to me by comparison to my system. There's no "short" way to tell the ship type (you can use the full name or NO name), and you only get ONE color to use on the WHOLE name, and it's just as hard for me to see individual parts of it as it is without color.

So I tweaked the file azz.ext.nom.std, which has the core of the ship naming code in it. I added several new variables: One for a ship type code that we've been using in TCCP (not the full bloody name, such as "Nova Raider", but a much shorter abbreviated code, like "NvR"). This uses a custom lib file to process the ship type into a 2 or 3 letter code. All vanilla X3 and XTM ships are supported (read "hardcoded"), plus a section for dynamic creation of codes for non-standard ship types (if you add your own).

There is another variable for only the "plate number" portion of the ship ID (if the ship ID reads YM3BD-32, this would be the BD-32 part, since you probably already know it's (Y)our friggin M3). The plate number may not have a LOT of use EVERYWHERE, but if you've ever used the Remote Docked Freight Exchange script (found in the Bonus Pack, I think), you NEED that part most of all. I also find this part useful to help me identify a ship by number (depending on how the ship is named) and NOT have to focus my eyes past that YM3 part to see it, since the first part is often irrelevant.

I also put in a full set of color codes, so you can give custom color to ANY part of the name independant of the master color setting for the whole name. The only caveat is once you start using a custom color inside the name, you'll need to finish your colors for the rest of it, cuz the master will be overwritten.

As a result, instead of my ships coming out with boring names like:

• Sq-1:- YM3BD-32 Steve Jones -:Ldr

I can get beautifuly decorated names that are much more appealing to the eyes and which PULL OUT data to help you, at-a-glance, see who is flying what type of ship, if you prefer it that way. I've been converting my TCCP pilot ships over to test this, and we used pilot names in Cyan color, so my new names look like this:

• Sq-1:- M1-Gal BK-88 Venus Pemberton -:Ldr
  Sq-1:- M6-Rp ET-41 Delaney Aragon -:Wg
  Sq-1:- M3-Th2 CD-84 Nicki Calkins -:Wg

(Actual examples from my game)

Not bad, eh? This tells me that, not only is squad leader Pemberton flying an M1, she's flying a Galleon, colored green as an M1 to help me find her by color faster than by name. Pilot Aragon is in an OTAS Reaper (I use a Magenta color, so this one is not accurate due to the forum selection of choices), and Miss Nicki Calkins over there is in a Terran Thor II. Obviously, your color choices may differ, but you get the idea...

Anyway, I thought I'd share this in case anyone else likes the idea and would like to see it made a feature of the package.

[Buck_Rogers]

I know this is old now, But was wondering if there is anyone around who still uses this?

Can somone tell me how the supply ships work? Specifically the E-Cell supplier? I've got a TS assigned to a squadron, with the supply command active, but all he does is just follow the squad leader around.

Does he go buy the E-Cells or what?

Thanks

[Gqqnbig]

One suggestion: please do not send so many incoming messages! There is no need to greet me, such as when dropping passagers in a station. There is also no need to tell me a request is done. Only when it cannot be finished, tell me.

I'm tired pressing enter when operate your menu.

Though, it is a good script.

[NightxxxLord]

Hi
This script compatible to AP-XRM mod?

[X2-Illuminatus]

No, it isn't. Scripts for X3: Reunion are not compatible with X3TC/AP/FL.