Drone Carrier Software 2 (DCS2) v2.07a

[Etyneo]

I'd expand it beyond just the Hyperion (remember I'm running XRM) and allow it for all ships capable of using DCS2. This will allow the most flexibility as I can already see similar issues if I were flying a TM instead of the Hype, for example (I'd only have 3 drones on most of 'em, instead of 4).

Not necessarily a huge issue for Big Ships that can't dock at most regular stations, but for anything small enough to dock (nearly) anywhere it could be inconvenient.

[DrBullwinkle]

Great minds think alike. I was just editing my previous post when yours came in.

Yes, I will allow the override for any ship. The default will still be "capacity minus one", but I will allow the player to set the Maximum Number of Drones to fill the ship's capacity.

[foxtrot76]

I'll try contacting the author on his site to ask if he'd be willing to release a modified version.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, foxtrot, but Lucike is not going to remove pilots from CODEA just for you or me! Nor should he. The pilots are an integral part of everything that he does, and some people love them.

I am not afraid to create pilots for CODEA. My TrainPilot script has most of the code to do that already. It is the hangars that I have no clue how to do. It probably is not difficult.

My vision is to allow the player to select how many drones to build for each hangar. Should be simple to do and just what the player wants. All I need to know is "How do I add a ship to a hangar in CODEA? (by script)".

Fair enough, I was just trying to avoid you having to do so much more work. This script has completely changed the "carrier" experience for me and is a real joy. You solved the most tedious part and for that I thank you

Not having to face an enemy fleet knowing that after the engagement there will be a repetitive and boring re-suppling fighters means I focus more on the fun stuff and enjoy watching the battles.

Edit: Any chance you will allow the choice of weapons and equipment for the drones? I ask cuz having 2 sets of guns on the drones is beneficial for weapon swapping both turrets and main guns making the drones even more deadly. In addition it would make your script compatible with any mod since you'd be calling a list of guns/missiles etc... Just a thought

[DrBullwinkle]

This script has completely changed the "carrier" experience for me and is a real joy.

Nice! That's what I aim for: Peace through superior firepower (and ease of use)

I don't mind doing extra scripting work to support something as popular as CODEA. I just have trouble reading German (or understanding some of the existing German-English translations). So, if anyone finds out how to script the adding of ships to hangars in CODEA, that would be appreciated.

[firestorm79]

hmmm... don't think this is working for me/extremely buggy. XRM AP user here.

Is it only supposed to be used OOS? The drones have very strange behaviour IS.

1. building drones start spawning them in space as opposed to on the drone carrier ship... is this supposed to happen?

2. Drones seem to have a mind of their own and don't react to ADS/CODEA commands.

3. if they are asked to dock they don't dock - they try and engage enemies instead (is this what your latest version fixes? I haven't been able to install it just yet)

4. They teleport around the place! At first I thought it was just the Terran space anomaly - In segaris my M1 and its drones suddenly shifted to 80km away in the middle of space. But then I tried the drones on my own ship in a xenon sector - and they did jump around a bit.

5. the m6 bombers appear as 'unknown object' ship type, which if you play xrm you'll know is the uber powerful goner m6 with 8x200mj shielding and laser beam tower turrets - on the drone version it comes with mass drivers, which means it's weaponless since unknown object cannot mount mass drivers...

Anyway, it would have been great if this did what is said it does for me. Back to PAR shipyards for me!

[DrBullwinkle]

I haven't been able to install [the latest version] just yet

Well, jeepers, what is the point of reporting on an old version, firestorm?

DCS2 has had a huge update in the past few days. If you are seeing M6 bombers, then you are using an ancient version (2.03 or below). The current version is 2.07.

• (Also see the exchange with Tiek about the M3B bombers for XRM. Set ID 311 to 684. The default is fixed in the next version.)

[Pierre'70]

I'm also seeing some slightly odd behaviour with XRM AP, though not as extreme. Sometimes the drones don't launch when hostiles are in range, and sometimes they do but just sit motionless in space. I thought it might be because I was running LIFE and Advanced Fight Scripts but if I disable these I see the same behaviour.

Also, I followed the instructions to turn the bombers into Norns instead of Falcon Haulers but they don't seem to be doing any actual 'bombing'. If I check them they don't have any missiles on board and just seem to fly around and engage enemies with their (weak) turret weapons.

Its frustrating because when it does work properly its a joy to behold my drone legions tearing the Xenon from the sky!

Edit - I'm running version 2.07.

[firestorm79]

I haven't been able to install [the latest version] just yet

Well, jeepers, what is the point of reporting on an old version, firestorm?

DCS2 has had a huge update in the past few days. If you are seeing M6 bombers, then you are using an ancient version (2.03 or below). The current version is 2.07.

• (Also see the exchange with Tiek about the M3B bombers for XRM. Set ID 311 to 684. The default is fixed in the next version.)

lol - fair enough. Didn't realise my version was that old... will install the new one and let you know (so I don't have to change anything for XRM on the new version?)

If I check them they don't have any missiles on board and just seem to fly around and engage enemies with their (weak) turret weapons.

Yep this was one of my anomolies too... I have LIFE and XRM too...

[DrBullwinkle]

Sometimes the drones don't launch when hostiles are in range, and sometimes they do but just sit motionless in space.

Yeah, those are known bugs that I am working on. They do not happen often, in my experience, but I do see them sometimes. They are the worst bugs that I am currently aware of (which is not too bad).

Norns ... don't seem to be doing any actual 'bombing'. If I check them they don't have any missiles on board

OK, then I need to know which missile(s) the M3B's use. Name and ID number (from TMissiles), please. Preferably for ATF Norns and Teladi Hawk, in case someone wants to use the Hawk instead. (From the XRM Stats page, it looks like Thunderbolt (10) for the Norns and Needle (7) for the Hawk. Is that right?)

I do not play XRM, so you guys have to help me out with these details.

when it does work properly its a joy to behold my drone legions tearing the Xenon from the sky!

Nice!
.

[DrBullwinkle]

so I don't have to change anything for XRM on the new version?

see the exchange with Tiek about the M3B bombers for XRM. Set ID 311 to 684 in the t file. The default is fixed in the next version.

Changing ID 311 is optional. If you do not do it then your bombers will be Falcon Haulers instead of ATF Norns. Next version will default to Norns for XRM players.

[Tiek]

Hi Doc, about XRM M3B...

Accordingly to my previous tests the working number in script is the same you can read in X3 Editor 2; this means:

'Norns': '684' - compatible missile: only Terran bomber 'Phantom' / number '33' in Tmissile.

'Hawk': '524' - compatible missile: only Commonwealth bomber 'Tomahawk' / number '30'

EDIT 1:

Since you are modifying the script, even for reasons of immersion, you can automate the selection of the bomber depending on the breed to which it belongs the kind of carrier? I mean in this way:

-) Commonwealth Carrier - Hawk / 524 - Tomahawk / 30
-) USC Carrier - Falchion / 506 - Phantom / 33
-) ATF Carrier - Norns / 684 - Phantom / 33

[Etyneo]

OK, then I need to know which missile(s) the M3B's use. Name and ID number (from TMissiles), please. Preferably for ATF Norns and Teladi Hawk, in case someone wants to use the Hawk instead. (From the XRM Stats page, it looks like Thunderbolt (10) for the Norns and Needle (7) for the Hawk. Is that right?)

I do not play XRM, so you guys have to help me out with these details.

I noted some discrepancies between the XRM Stats page and what's actually in my XRM game. Nothing is missing that I'm aware of, but the IDs do not match in many cases (at least, for me).

As stated by others, Terran M3Bs use the Phantom missile, while Commonwealth M3Bs use the Tomahawk. According to the stats page for XRM, the Phantom is supposed to be ID 32 and the Tomahawk is supposed to be ID 29. However, in my install of XRM, I've found the Phantom is actually ID 33 and the Tomahawk is ID 30.

Here also are the ship IDs for the various M3Bs (as are actually in my game):

• 506: Falchion (Terran). Uses Phantom.
• 520: Quasar (Argon). Uses Tomahawk.
• 521: Guppy (Boron). Uses Tomahawk.
• 522: Acinonyx (Split). Uses Tomahawk.
• 523: Ariadne (Paranid). Uses Tomahawk.
• 524: Hawk (Teladi). Uses Tomahawk.
• 684: Norns (ATF). Uses Phantom.
• 691: R (Xenon). Uses Tomahawk.

Edit: Please note that these IDs are what X3 Editor 2 has them listed as. Bullwinkle's post further down tells me that this editor will list the IDs with a +1 discrepancy to what the game uses.

[DrBullwinkle]

Thank you, Tiek.

However, Phantoms and Tomahawks should be handled automatically. Do the Norns in your game have missiles?



EDIT: And thank you, too, Etyneo.

The reason for the -1 difference in ID numbers is that TShips is 0-based but the X3Editor shows the ID's as 1-based.

I had a different problem with reading the stats page: It requires some sub-domains that I did not allow in NoScript. After allowing them, I can now hover over the missiles and get the correct ID nubers.


Still, the mystery remains why Norns would not get Phantoms. Can anyone reproduce Pierre's report of Norns without missiles?

[Etyneo]

The reason for the -1 difference in ID numbers is that TShips is 0-based but the X3Editor shows the ID's as 1-based.

This is good to know...I guess that means I have to adjust my DCS2 config to point to the 'correct' IDs...

[DrBullwinkle]

you can automate the selection of the bomber depending on the breed to which it belongs the kind of carrier?

I could do that, but the reason that we chose Norns was because they are better. At least, that was the unanimous opinion of everyone who gave me feedback on the topic.

I realize that opinions may differ, which is why I allowed the choice in the t file.



@Etyneo: For the third time in as many pages, set ID 311 to 684. Next version will have it as the default.

[Tiek]

Thank you, Tiek.

However, Phantoms and Tomahawks should be handled automatically. Do the Norns in your game have missiles?

Nope, just softwares, weapons and shields... even before the t file change to get Norns, the Falcon was without any sort of missiles on board (I verified in a previous save game); I'm sorry to have not noticed yesterday and to give you these bad news just now, my apologies

[DrBullwinkle]

OK, good. Mysterious, but good to know.

I will investigate further...

[Etyneo]

I'd already modded the appropriate file, Bullwinkle, but had used the IDs I got from the editor instead of the correct ones.

Why was the Norns chosen above the others?

I personally have mine set to use the Quasar, then Guppy, then Acinonyx...but then, I'm flying mostly Argon/OTAS ships and have Organic Boron Hulls (thus the Boron secondary bomber).

Edit: I've checked the ingame stats of the various M3B offerings and can clearly see why the Norns was selected. I've also made the appropriate change.

[Trip_Fantastic]

My bombers aren't being built w/ missiles either, just fyi. Both the falcon, and now (having changed ID 311) the hawk and the norns -- just shields, lasers, and software. Running XRM like Tiek.

[DrBullwinkle]

Edit: Any chance you will allow the choice of weapons and equipment for the drones? I ask cuz having 2 sets of guns on the drones is beneficial for weapon swapping both turrets and main guns making the drones even more deadly. In addition it would make your script compatible with any mod since you'd be calling a list of guns/missiles etc... Just a thought

We discussed this recently.

1) Why do you want to change weapons and equipment? What changes would you make?

2) Even if you could choose weapons, that would not help you with having two sets of weapons. Under what conditions would you ever want to swap weapons on a fighter?

3) The choice of weapon doesn't matter much to fighters. SHIELDS matter; not weapons.

Theoretically, I could allow customization in the t file, as with bombers. But I have other things on the To-Do List. Which brings us back to question 1: Why do you want to do it?