[Mod] X-Universe nip and tuck.

[Ryuujin]

I was messing about earlier, and gave a couple of my home sectors (namely mists of eysium) the nip and tuck, so they look more aesthetically appealing - moved the planet so it was "below" the ecliptic plane, and much much closer, and then placed the sun so it was just illuminating it, very pretty:

[ external image ]



Anyway, there's more than a few sectors that are a bit "meh" to my eye, like many of the unknown sectors are just empty, they could at least reward the explorer with some eye candy. And then there's sectors like Omicron Lyrae, and Akeela's Beacon that got fuglified.

So, I was wondering whether maybe I should do a revamp of many of the sectors in the form of a custom universe, and make a list of which sectors most get your guys rag, and how they could be better adapted, I havn't visitted Split or Teladi space much in X3 so a list of those to change would be particulary handy

Here's some of the other sectors redone so far, I'll kep them updated as I go:

Mists of Elysium
Unknown Sector (South of Elysium)
Unknown Sector (Southwest of Unholy Descent)
Consecrated Fire
Omicron Lyrae
Circle fo Labour
New Sector

I may go on to add some more unknown sectors, or "bypass" routes between sectors for the more exploration minded. There's actually a sector name voice entry by the looks of things for "Magrathea", and there's a rather nice fluffy purple looking planet I could use in a new sector

The only downside of this mod, is that you'll need to restart your game in order to use it. (Eek!), and of course since it *is* a custom universe you can't prepick say Enemy of the State, or Borng Boron start modes.

[Mehrunes]

Looks pretty. Any idea if there's an ambient light setting in those background files anywhere? Everything's a hair too dark for my liking (especially since so many sectors take place in close orbit of a planet with plenty of light reflecting off them).

[Ryuujin]

There's no ambient light per-say, but I should be able to add a second light source (sun), that is quite a lot dimmer in the opposite direction to give an ambient light effect.

The lighting though *is* pretty realistic, in most instances, the light is either being reflected off the planet , or the nearest star and the backdrop.

[Ryuujin]

*bump*

Come on guys, a little more votes couldn't hurt, right now half of you reckon mods that require the game to be restart may as well never be made. Where'd Firelance be if everyone'd said "meh, I'd raher not restart"

[Harabec Weathers]

I really like the pic. I noticed that sometimes the sector design by Egosoft didn't make much sense.

I'm restarting anyway because my save games got corrupted. Though I'm going to wait to restart/install your mod until 1.3 comes out and we can make sure it's compatible with all the changes.

[Ryuujin]

Hehe, while poking around at the "specials", I found the interior models from the plot work perfectly well in any other mode.

[ external image ]

I could make some intresting bonus sectors with them. I'm thinking I should embed a gate at one end of the chase tunnel (Maybe the gate became embedded in an asteroid in the last few millenia?), and block off the other, and then dot maybe some nividium asteroids here and there, so when 1.3 fixes mobile mining, you could go "extreme mining" - I found I can also access the >> pleasure complex, and just about any other models that appear in the plot.

[Sandalpocalypse]

I think a prettified universe that adds a bunch of unknown and pirate sectors would be awesome.

[nuclear_eclipse]

Fixing Akeela'a Beacon is just not possible. If you try to add a second sun, it will ruin the X3 engine's lighting effects, so cannot be done without being completely pointless.

[unfunfofmpc]

Sounds like a good idea Ryu, go for it after 1.3.

[coldwynn]

Pirate sectors, we can always use more pirate sectors.

Xenon Sectors, we can always use more Xenon sectors.

We...okay maybe I...want a paradise sector: green planet with blue water, golden yellow sun, two moons, some sweet asteroids and accomodations. It doesn't have to be expensive or tacky. A couple pleasure palaces, EQD, shipyard, space fuel,...you get the idea. Oh, and I saw this really hot Boron girl. If you could script her in...many times...I 'd definitely download your mod and be mighty appreciative.

[RaGodofTehSun]

hehe i would like to see a gate imbeded in one end then like a paradise system at the end of the huge tunnel though i think the NPC traders MIGHT have a problem navagating through said tunnel.

I think there is a reason they didnt add any moving hostiles into the "indoor" missions. Tunnels>X3 pathfinding

[NumNuts]

Could you also change the distance at which objects can be seen? ie. Within 6Km of a station to see it when you can see a planet and universe behind it at X-million Km's away........ you know what I mean.....
The only sectors that should have that kind of filtering IMO are the deep southern Boron ones where the whole system appears to be gas/nebulae and you can't see ANYTHING until your sitting on it.
Just a question if that sort of thing is MODable? and if so, incorporate it with your eye-candy MOD.

[Ryuujin]

@SandAlpocalypse: I'm thinking the same, I'm also thinking if I connected the pirate sectors up so they attach to the edges of existing distant sectors they could form a back door smuggling route for outlaws, or dangerous shortcuts for experienced pilots to hazard.


@nuclear_eclipse: Yeah I discovered this earlier, I still have some ideas. I'm thinking maybe seeing if I can reimport the "close up" stars from X2, that'd give me a couple extra "stars" in Akeela's Beacon, and let me fix a couple other sectors that used to have very big clsoe up stars.


@coldwynn: Boron girl huh? - It's the tentacles isn't it


@NumNuts: Yeah I can change the view distances, they're actually controlled by the backdrop, but I can adjust view distances in the files (I'm 99% sure at least), Egosoft they're already going to do this in 1.3 so we'll wait til 1.3 before we go adjusting fog distances.

[andysonofbob]

@NumNuts: Yeah I can change the view distances, they're actually controlled by the backdrop, but I can adjust view distances in the files (I'm 99% sure at least), Egosoft they're already going to do this in 1.3 so we'll wait til 1.3 before we go adjusting fog distances.

Show me where they said that. I want to know that they are going to do that bit right as it is something that has upset me considerably. The way you can see a planet but less than 2 km in front of you is just risible. The programmers are obviously capable, erm.. programmers but lack common sense.

[Ryuujin]

Show me where they said that. I want to know that they are going to do that bit right as it is something that has upset me considerably. The way you can see a planet but less than 2 km in front of you is just risible. The programmers are obviously capable, erm.. programmers but lack common sense.

Hmm, there was definatly a mention somewhere. Regardless, whether they do or don't, I can easily fix it myself.

[andysonofbob]

Hmm, there was definatly a mention somewhere. Regardless, whether they do or don't, I can easily fix it myself.

Mate, that would be most appreciated.

If you could turn off the planets/stars/suns etc in the dense dust/nebula clouds so you have to rely on sensors

and

turn on the middle view distance where the nebula is medium dense

and

max those sectors where there is very little clouds (argon prime i think has a little patch of clouds but no need to restrict view distances for that amount i would say for the distances used in game

I would say boron sectors are the worst offenders

If the 1.3 patch people approach the view distance hickup and intend to fix it they should do it as above. Any other way would be stupid.

Mayby they could put some text to suggest that the nebula is not really nebulas but strange dust particles that behave like loads of miniscule very weak light sources. This allows us to see inside when it should be pitch black (if it was as dense as what seen ingame). Ship lights excluded.

[Ryuujin]

There's no way to "hide" the stars and planets, a fix would most likely just increase the visible distance enough that you can see asteroids and the like from a sensible distance. It'd be nice if those dense nebula looked dense, but that much isn't easily "doable".

[andysonofbob]

There's no way to "hide" the stars and planets, a fix would most likely just increase the visible distance enough that you can see asteroids and the like from a sensible distance. It'd be nice if those dense nebula looked dense, but that much isn't easily "doable".

Booooooooooooooooo

If you can see a star through the fog you can prolly see everything else, therefore max draw distance throughout to keep everything consistent.

[Dread]

What Ive seen so far I like a lot and would happily start over if there were a good few sectors revamped to be as pleasing to the eye as the ones already shown on here.
Im behind you on this one.

[greywolf]

I really like it , but i'm just wondering if adding planets with those atmosphere animations doesn't stress my framerates more then it already does now
I can barely play the game as it is , only in empty sectors like some pirate sectors my fps goes over 20fps , the rest is more like 12 fps or lower in AP and PP

Been thinking about wiping out some planets in some sectors and see if my framerate goes up
Tried every other solution mentioned in the forums including overclocking and partialy frying my video memory
(now i have to lower my mem clock with radlinker to get the artifacts out)

Anyway taking out those planets would make a total adverse effect and make everything sterile and dull