[MOD TC/AP] Combat Mod 4 - v4.16 17/06/13 - AP 3.0 Compatibility

[builder680]

The new factory pack AL plugin settings get confusing looking sometimes. The stock AL options menu setting is Yes or No, but the wording changes from...

Combat Mod 4 Factory Pack Enabled
...to...
Combat Mod 4 Factory Pack Disabled

...whenever you flip it between <<< Yes >>> or <<< No >>>

This got tangled up for me recently and has somehow resulted in a situation where my AL plugin setting reads thusly:

Combat Mod 4 Factory Pack Disabled <<< Yes >>>

Pretty sure "Yes" means that it's actually Enabled, despite how it looks like it's saying it's Disabled.

Especially considering I have all my Beam forges, EMR forges, and FPD forges switched to <<< ON >>> inside the Community Configuration Plugin. And I can see them all on their respective sector maps.

Just a heads up.

[paulwheeler]

Maybe I got the text entries the wrong way round. ill check it.

Basically if the plugin is off you wont be able to access the config menu.

[builder680]

Maybe I got the text entries the wrong way round. ill check it.

Basically if the plugin is off you wont be able to access the config menu.

Yeah. It works fine (and is AWESOME btw), the display just looks funny. It's not always like that, just somehow got tangled up this time.

[Osiris454]

Paul, the Electro-Magnetic Repeater has a sudden stop right after the word 'repeater' when Betty pronounces it. Since it's a snippet of 'Repeater Gun' how about just letting her finish the entire line? You wouln't need to change any weapon tags or anything, it still would be called an EMR, but when Betty pronounces it, she would say 'Electro-Magnetic Repeater Gun'. It may give a much smoother sounding name.

[paulwheeler]

Paul, the Electro-Magnetic Repeater has a sudden stop right after the word 'repeater' when Betty pronounces it. Since it's a snippet of 'Repeater Gun' how about just letting her finish the entire line? You wouln't need to change any weapon tags or anything, it still would be called an EMR, but when Betty pronounces it, she would say 'Electro-Magnetic Repeater Gun'. It may give a much smoother sounding name.

I did that to differentiate it a bit more from the PRG. I just decided leaving gun on the end made it a little too obvious that the line was borrowed from the PRG...

What do others think?

[Mizuchi]

I can make a case for leaving it as it is as easily as I could make a case for changing it.

Although, that said, the sudden "Repeater-" stop does sound a little blunt.

I have to admit that I did pick up on it myself when you first added them.

I suppose you could change it so it says "Repeater Gun" and just smile to yourself in the dark knowledge that there may be people out there who flail in annoyance because they can't mount their Phased Repeater Guns onto their new Nagoya and the information in the encyclopedia CLEARLY states that the Nagoya can mount Electro Magne...

Oh.

[paulwheeler]

Maybe I got the text entries the wrong way round. ill check it.

Basically if the plugin is off you wont be able to access the config menu.

Yeah. It works fine (and is AWESOME btw), the display just looks funny. It's not always like that, just somehow got tangled up this time.

I've sorted this now. It was a text ID mismatch in one small part of the AL scripts. Its fixed now and will be included with the next update.

It doesn't affect the working of the plugin at all, it just shows the wrong text when you load a save. Once you toggle the plugin they will display correct again.

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

I can make a case for leaving it as it is as easily as I could make a case for changing it.

ditto...

An alternative option may be to use the initials for the "spoken" weapon name (i.e. "E M R" c/f the new Terran weapons in my AWRM mod).

[builder680]

Paul, the Electro-Magnetic Repeater has a sudden stop right after the word 'repeater' when Betty pronounces it. Since it's a snippet of 'Repeater Gun' how about just letting her finish the entire line? You wouln't need to change any weapon tags or anything, it still would be called an EMR, but when Betty pronounces it, she would say 'Electro-Magnetic Repeater Gun'. It may give a much smoother sounding name.

I did that to differentiate it a bit more from the PRG. I just decided leaving gun on the end made it a little too obvious that the line was borrowed from the PRG...

What do others think?

It's pretty obvious in either case

It does sound odd, but I don't hear it enough that it's a big deal either way. I see it more often that I hear it (the phrase), as such Electromagnetic Repeater is fine by me.

On a related note, the cutoff sound of "Explorer" (from Explorer Command Software) is also kind of funny on the new M5's, and I hear that one quite a bit. Not much to do about it though, at least we have that much!

[Familiar]

Gents, I'm working now on HUD modification based on

Military Hud by ulfius
http://www.thexuniverse.com/threads/135 ... n-Conflict

and

YS-HUD-Mod by Samuel Creshal
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=221230

I'm trying to make even more laconic and clear interface.
Military Hud is the best, but it has frames (much better then vanilla, but frames) around all objects, which is killing immersion IMHO.
Just removing frames makes harder to notice and identify objects in space, so icons will be much brighter and have glow like in second mod.
I'll just make them even brighter and clear.
Also glowing on other HUD elements IMHO makes HUD more immersive, as it projected into your eyes or even brains

In general, I took the best from both mods and adjusting some details.

And what am I thinking of right now is -
Is it a good idea to put shield & hull damage, range of weapons and missiles on icons?

let's say
2
9,5
2,3
something like that... Of cause, having CMOD 4 values in mind...

[HotSake]

It would be handy, but if you want it to be compatible with mods that change these values, I suggest you provide clear instructions for how the authors of those other mods can alter the icons to match the new values. Don't do what Gazz did with MARS and make yourself responsible for compatibility. Design for vanilla and make it easy for mod authors to patch in their own changes.

[Familiar]

It would be handy, but if you want it to be compatible with mods that change these values, I suggest you provide clear instructions for how the authors of those other mods can alter the icons to match the new values. Don't do what Gazz did with MARS and make yourself responsible for compatibility. Design for vanilla and make it easy for mod authors to patch in their own changes.

If I'll do it, I'll do it for CMOD4 only. Because I can't go without it )

Paul, any damage values expected any soon?

[HotSake]

Surely. But if you could be kind enough to leave simple instructions for mod authors who aren't used to changing icons, then they could update the values for their own stats and release patch mods for your HUD.

[builder680]

It would be handy, but if you want it to be compatible with mods that change these values, I suggest you provide clear instructions for how the authors of those other mods can alter the icons to match the new values. Don't do what Gazz did with MARS and make yourself responsible for compatibility. Design for vanilla and make it easy for mod authors to patch in their own changes.

If I'll do it, I'll do it for CMOD4 only. Because I can't go without it )

Paul, any damage values expected any soon?

Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but I made a spreadsheet about a week ago with CMOD laser/missile damage stats (using APPC pack, EMR and FPD also, and without the missile rebalance pack). Is that what you're wanting? It's in OpenOffice (.ods) format. One file for lasers, one for missiles.

[paulwheeler]

It would be handy, but if you want it to be compatible with mods that change these values, I suggest you provide clear instructions for how the authors of those other mods can alter the icons to match the new values. Don't do what Gazz did with MARS and make yourself responsible for compatibility. Design for vanilla and make it easy for mod authors to patch in their own changes.

If I'll do it, I'll do it for CMOD4 only. Because I can't go without it )

Paul, any damage values expected any soon?

At the moment the only changes coming up are to bullet speeds and reducing the energy drain on a couple of weapons. Damages are not changing at the moment.

I've managed to improve the "Repeater" phrase a little without adding "gun". It'll be in the next release - let me know what you think.

Release will probably be later next week.

[Familiar]

At the moment the only changes coming up are to bullet speeds and reducing the energy drain on a couple of weapons. Damages are not changing at the moment.

Release will probably be later next week.

Another question is - what damage data is more important?

Damage per Shot or Damage per Second?

I think 2nd is giving more sense...
Believe bullet speed will not affect DPSecond?

Anyway, v1 of HUD is ready, here :
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 26#3561026

[HotSake]

Yeah, I would go with DPS. Shield DPS if you can only show one, since shields tend to be more important than hull.

[emanon1002]

can you think abought adding shield fabs for all the races? so the player can get the needed fabs to make there own shielding. and giving all corps jumpdrives to sell i never liked the idea of a combat game that wont let you fight.you must play nice with all races or you cant get the things you need for your fleet i just want to blow things up it seems they went thrue a lot of truble to make shure you have to play nice if you pice on this guy you cant have a jumpdrive pick on that guy you cant get 25mj shielding pick on the other guy you cant get the hub or phq i dont want to play nice whats the point of haveing a huge fleet if you cant use it just a thought

[Mizuchi]

...

Try this: Mizuchi's Convenient Wares (Megaupload Link for now.)

It's a little convenience script I wrote for myself sometime in 2010 that adds pretty much every standard ware to every equipment dock (including Jumpdrives, but not including things like Signiture Scramblers and Hull Shielding), keeps Military Outposts stocked with 1000 Energy Cells, and adds some racial heavy weapons to their respective racial Military Outposts (which is redundant since Paul added Weapon Dealers).

(I basically got tired of having to send new M5s to Teladi space to get the equipment they needed to run the Automated Sat. Network scripts, and then back down to Home of Light to get a Jumpdrive, only for them to get blown up or fly into a station or something.)

It needs Cycrow's Ware Manager to work, but it's only a tiny script file. Just drop it into your Scripts folder.

It won't solve your shield issue thing, though. You really need to be producing your own shields (or buying PAR ships) if you're looking to supply a large personal fleet.

I'm not posting this as a script because it was mostly written for personal use, and I'm just putting it here to save Paul some extra work.

But if he wants to offer it as an optional download, then he can.

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

what damage data is more important?

Damage per Shot or Damage per Second?

It depends on how a weapon is used.

For charged weapons, per shot and charged multiplier is probably more important as you are interested in alpha damage with such weapons.

For most other weapons, per second is more important as you are interested in their comparative effectiveness. In this scenario, range and accuracy are also important factors.