[Realspace MODS] "STARS" - "XRSGE" - "REM" - various

[ziplock815]

Found a small bug in Omicron A - Albion
One of the industry stations is inside the big asteroid. Are these stations generated randomly or built by npc? Have you already reworked the sector? Looks more like the good old one or I'm imagining things?
P.S. Sun shines through the asteroid too when moving through the Shw

[Realspace]

Found a small bug in Omicron A - Albion
One of the industry stations is inside the big asteroid. Are these stations generated randomly or built by npc? Have you already reworked the sector? Looks more like the good old one or I'm imagining things?
P.S. Sun shines through the asteroid too when moving through the Shw

Yes that is randomly generated. Sector has all the Rebirth zones and each zone has its unique regions, you should navigate each to see. But since the zones are lacking any rebirth station...
The previous one had not the broken moon, planet was different, there is also another far lava moon and oc superhighways were not there. Also at north a massive asteroids...not really the same
What shw has the sun shine through..because I spent hours trying different directions, previous model had superhighways going all to the center but then all had the sun-shine-through. I make them cross at the lagrange point instead for this.

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The Expanse PATCH
https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations ... ?tab=files
I've made an additional patch (install after the other patch) to fix the ships stuck at gate when command is docking. Ships will have a fly_to (jump) command before the dock if they have the jump drive and are in another sector than destination. This works for both player ships and AI. I tested, the command works fine, no ship is stuck anymore. I think this is better than having a dock_at that has jump included, you can interact with the move of your ships better.
Replace ext_03

[ziplock815]

I' ll check the sun shining when I'm at my pc
Anyway, the new system looks great, but of course it's a shame we can't have these cool mega complexes as in Rebirth.... I remember Wesley had done something close to rebirth stations, but it seems he abandoned his work
I' d suggest to rename some zones intio these of old Albion, such as Ascendancy, Inner world, Far out and so on, to increase immersion a bit
Btw, have you found a solution to the "glued to a pilot seat" issue? I disabled all mods except of xrsge, but still have this issue. Very annoying especially if you don't have teleportation

Edit: sun shining through the asteroid can be seen on the right while traveling through east Shw to the west (from the zone "Fiendich moloch")

Edit 2: Black Hole sun 4 - planet Hades has a visual glitch on the night side, ovoid shaped. Also, for some reason fps in nearby asteroid field drops a lot, what's rather strange, because in most even denser fields fps is stable

[tegatro]

Question - do all the plots work now? My plot for opening the gates in the starting version "Ascension" does not start. I join the fleet and that's it.

[Realspace]

What start is "Ascension"?
All plots should work, yes, but I've not tested all.
Guys I am momentarily OFF both playing and modding X4, see you after 8.00 release and good holiday to you all

[ziplock815]

What start is "Ascension"?
All plots should work, yes, but I've not tested all.
Guys I am momentarily OFF both playing and modding X4, see you after 8.00 release and good holiday to you all

I believe it's the boron DLC gamestart, where palyer takes part in Commonwealth expedition to the boron space

btw I think I've found what causes stucking to pilot seat problem - it's the REM Slipstream mod. I'll continue checking, but 2 hours in game without the mod and still no stucking.

Edit: started to see flickering red triangles on planets...maybe it's beta don't remember seeing them in older versions...

[Folker]

Hi everyone, I'm here to announce that the version of REM that I'm currently modifying (in terms of combat and weapon effects) to give to Realspace so he can tell me what he thinks about it and whether he wants to integrate it or not, will unfortunately be postponed until I don't know when.

I wanted to work there during the holidays, but I won't be able to continue due to health issues. I'll probably work there in two or three months.

What's done:

Terran weapons
Argon weapons
Paranid weapons
Xenon weapons

Weapon descriptions and names are fully developed in line with the lore.
Some ships can be equipped with unique weapons.
The weapons are all different.
The effects of the weapons are generally luminous (I like sound and light shows, it should make for epic content).
The L and XL classes have been upgraded compared to the original REM. Swarm attacks will suffer more losses.
Weapons fire at shorter ranges and projectiles are generally slower (although this depends on the ship class; an S weapon has faster projectiles than an M weapon, on average).

I asked Shuulo for permission to use his weapon effects, but I haven't heard back from him yet. I'm still waiting. However, I have added the effects of the VRO mod, and if I receive a response from Shuulo saying that he does not agree, I will create the effects, but it will take much longer.

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What I plan to do:

Split weapons
Boron weapons (the effects are good, I'll keep them, only the balance will be changed)
Khaak weapons

S and M weapons will be damageable in the same way as L weapons, as will shields and turrets. It's pretty simple to do, but from what I've been told, it can generate errors in the log, so I'll check it out.

Then I'll fix the log errors once I've done what I want with the weapons.

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What I can do in my situation, if realspace wants, is share my REM file with him so he can take a look and tell me what he wants, and we can discuss it.

[Realspace]

Eager to see what you will come up with When you have some playable state we can seek for testers here, balance is everything with these ship mods.

btw I think I've found what causes stucking to pilot seat problem - it's the REM Slipstream mod. I'll continue checking, but 2 hours in game without the mod and still no stucking.

Edit: started to see flickering red triangles on planets...maybe it's beta don't remember seeing them in older versions...

That issue should be resolved in latest version of Slipstream mod where I removed most of the scripts (if not all, I don't remember...)
The flickering reds started on my game after I upgraded to an RX 7800 XT...go figure
I tested all single materials used and never solved. I think it has to do with how I exported/changed/imported the models using Blender/DAE, some corruption happens. Btw there where other visual glitches, namely the normal maps of planet causing strips of colors, I solved that in latest STARS (patch for XRSGE).

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I've updated the Reshade settings in STARS mod misc tab. Added the Experimental2 settings which, to my eyes, work very good with TAA or MSAA 2X/4X (I can finally use these with the new gf card). I largely prefer MSAA 2 (or 4 is the fps allow it) for how the details of backgrounds are retained, while TAA is too blurry.

BTW, anyone testing XRSGE with 8.0 beta? I've no time to participate to the beta, again

[Realspace]

XRSGE The Expanse is updated.

Version 8.3.2 features totally redone STARFIELDS for 80% of sectors.
Plus small fixes: Albion sun fix and Aldrin damage field fix

Please download latest patch (7.5.1) for STARS first: https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations ... ?tab=files

Then download XRSGE repacked version 8.3.2 https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/1140

Mod has still not been tested with version 8 BETA of the game

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Guys how is your experience with the jump feature? Unlike all other jump mods, I had a different approach as you saw, you need the big portals to jump, not even a gate is enough. I was aware of the lame jump-everywhere that was X3's experience and is X4's with any other jump drive. Portals, other than for immersions, are to reduce travel time a bit without removing the need to physically travel. Due to the size of map they are meant to be shortcut to cross a quadrant of space.

Any precise feedback could be useful: are there too many portals? Ships still have to cross some sectors to arrive...
Should I position them more far away inside a sector?
Should I limit the jump only to very big ships (XL)? Or only to military ships?
Any other idea..

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The Expanse patch 8.3.2b available.
https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/1140
Copy/replace ext_02 in your mod's folder

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This patch changes southern superhighway and gate in Hatikvah's Choice to solve the issue of ships unable to find path.
Also changes southwest superhighway and gate in Montalaar to solve the issue of ships unable to find path.
Strangely enough this happened only for player ships commanded by the manager, free-roaming ships used to find the path without issues.
Anyway, should you notice some ships going forth and back to/from gate/superhighway's entrance, please report with details (sector, superhw coord., direction of ship), a picture of the map would be even better.
Thanks

The 8.3.2b patch also adds quite more stars to the new starfields, to have them all visible please download latest STARS patch for XRSGE (7.5.2):
https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations ... ?tab=files

[Realspace]

FUTURE of XRSGE

I've started re-arranging sectors further in the direction already outlined by The Expanse.
I am doing it steps by steps in a current playthrough in order to keep compatibility with any previous SAVE file.

The idea is simple, making vanilla sector even more dense and large, ideally an entire system inside a single sector (sort of).
An example: Hatikvah Choice sector will have also the planet Ganidion (currently in Blue Horizon, where the Jump Portal also is), as a moon of the ringed giant, reachable with an internal superhighway. Planet Ganidion (Pearly Shore on the map) becomes the hub with the jump portal, inside Hatikvah Choice. And will be dead-end (no gate/accelerator there), so ships will go there only if need to go there (portal, stations).

So the current Blue Horizon system will become a different system, rough one, far in the herron's nebula. Then it could be even deleted for XRSGE 9 (to have a more compact map...will see, deletes will happen in a latest update that starts the xrsge 9 version, while internal changes are progressive and save-compatible).

I am redoing ONLY vanilla sectors, to increase the vanilla layout's flavour but with even denser stuff inside each sector. This will also reduce the resources in order to make factions more prone to invade.
Of course, even bigger sectors will be limited to mapped resources in the very center, as it is now. But I add several fields that the player can mine directly and stations are moved towards planets, while mapped resources become special regions with few or non stations.

At the same time I will simplify the gate's connection, meaning gates and accelerators will be closer to each-other (instead of being each far and requiring an internal superhighway to reach), to avoid the pathfinding problems (few currently, but always possible). Superhighways will serve dead-end zones inside the sector (another moon, another asteroid field, a lagrange point for special stations, so on).
Important gates will be close, while gates leading to far system (Helena's Fortune in our example) will remain far.

Time for any suggestion by your part

[ziplock815]

Yeah, seems like red triangles are gpu issue. I've upgraded from ol rx 570 to rx7600 xt recently, didn't see them before.

I wanted to test beta with XRSGE, but my game started to crash for some unknown reason even in main menue, so I reinstalled it. Hope it's just some file corruption and mod is compatible to beta.

Speaking of suggestions, I definitely love the idea with big living sectors, but with adequate distances between stargates/shws/accelerators. And I'm not absolutely against local highways - they were good in X-Rebirth creating some kind of "big space city" vibe (anyway they could be made optional)
As for the universe, I thought you were telling it's completed Anyway, the perfection of X4 for me would be X3 overhaul of the map with almost all seectors of X3 (and looking like X3), but with X-Rebirth touch for some main sectors. And i still miss jumpdrive and unfocused jumpdrive especially.

Edit: mod works fine with beta so far, but player's ship acts weird when traveling through shw.

[Realspace]

Edit: mod works fine with beta so far, but player's ship acts weird when traveling through shw.

Yes, I faced this today, working on the map and testing the new superhighways just to see that the ship normally crosses the superhighway using autopilot, otherwise if you enter manually the ship is kinda pushed back and starts rolling
I tried disabling a lot of files in XRSGE but the issue persists. This is new with 8.0. Nothing of the sort in 7.60

Edit: I fixed it in a way. The ships still starts rolling but the transit is very fast so the shw is usable by the player.


Guys please write here anything that has been broken by the 8.00 update, thanks!

[Technicalitch]

Hey!

Im using your Stars mod only, I get this error in uidata.xml since 8.0. I didnt get it in 7.6. I just tought i report it because i really like what you did with textures.

"Error: File I/O: Could not find signature file '.\\extensions\\stars\\libraries\\material_library.xml.sig' (there will be no more errors for missing signatures; enable debug filter 'fileio' to get all signature verification failures)"

[Realspace]

That's a fake error, all mods lack the signature files. So when checking the log just scroll down beyond the missing .sig files that typically show at game launch even before starting a game.
Don't worry, STARS is completely safe. The only interaction it can have with the game is for the terraforming (the visual changes not the gameplay).

[Technicalitch]

That's a fake error, all mods lack the signature files. So when checking the log just scroll down beyond the missing .sig files that typically show at game launch even before starting a game.
Don't worry, STARS is completely safe. The only interaction it can have with the game is for the terraforming (the visual changes not the gameplay).

Hey! Thx for reply, after using your mod its hard to go back to pixelated gas giants

[Realspace]

Guys I've almost finished redoing the Expanse mod.
I've considered the limits of current iteration and tried to solve the big issue: internal superhighways that make pathfinding go crazy.

There is no issue with internal superhighways per se, the problem arises when ai pilots have alternative routes: one through a gate, one through another gate that requires crossing an int. superhighway. I've reworked the scripts but, for what I am able to see, there is no coding to solve it. I also noticed that the ships stuck at gate happens to pilots commanded by a manager, while free roaming ships find the path normally.

My guess is that managers impose a shorter range so because each gate, also inside the same sector (superhighway's entrance/exit inside the same sector) is considered 1 jumppath. In vanilla 1 jumppath=1 sector, in xrsge it is not. This probably makes the ai go crazy.

That said, as always I made a limit turn into a "feature". So while internal superhighways not only remain but I made them more and longer, they do not lead to gates instead they lead to other planets/moon inside each sector, Rebirth's style. Gates are instead all close to each other and concentrated in a lagrange point (inbetween 2 or more planets). This lagrange point can be or not close to resources. Resources are limited to a small area, we know, but made this area being specific (for immersion), so no random spot in a sector but a broken moon, asteroid field, etc. that has a reason to exist. Similar as in the current The Expanse but brought to 100% of sectors. Take the current Argon Prime as template: a main planet with tech stations and shipyards, several moons with other tech stations, an asteroid fiel with resources and primary stations. Then a lagrange point where all gates are. This should accomplish both higher immersion and easier vanilla-like gameplay. Gates indeed are very close (as in vanilla a few hundreds km, but in the huge sector they are all in a zone not at the borders).

In doing so I made superhighways even longer (200.000km) but they serve internal stations not other gate. This should solve any pathfinding: ship has not two ways to go to another sector. But also makes sense for immersion and lore, factions move gate and build accelerators in a lagrange point close together. But sectors remain huge and encompassing an entire planetary system (not solar system, that would require millions kms).

[Folker]

Guys I've almost finished redoing the Expanse mod.

Hi Realspace, that's great news. I like your perspective, the fact that you're turning a problem into a new feature to improve the game. I think 100 or 200 km is a bit close, but it's very interesting because the factions are close to each other. For example, the Pontifex Order will be close to Argon, and we'll be able to see more spectacular battles. Next to the gate area, the economy will be focused on mining and resource transportation. So I think the gate area is very dynamic and strategic, because if the enemy controls the gate area, a large part of the former owner's supplies and resources are cut off.

I just have a question, a new game is required ? Because I think is a lot of change

[NitramAkloh]

Hello Realspace, I think it's great that you keep coming up with new ideas. That way, it's always fun to start over again. I have to admit, the last version left me with a non-functioning economy and lots of unfinished construction sites left behind by the nations, which is why I kept quitting. I suspect this has something to do with the pathfinding problems you described above.
I'm excited and looking forward for the new version.

[Realspace]

I just have a question, a new game is required ? Because I think is a lot of change

Yes it is required, I tried at beginning to change every shw's id to keep compatibility but ended redoing all. Impossible to do such a remake otherwise. I also removed (for now) all frontier sectors, and changed the map to be more similar to vanilla. But internally each sector is a multi-planetary system. What is now 2-3 sectors is squeezed inside a single sector. E.g. what was Sonra system is all inside Argon Prime. My idea was exactly what you say: gate/accelerator zone is the strategic one. Who controls that area has a main step in the sector. All xenon sectors (that have no internal superhighways) have all the gates close. Then resources are far. Close to gate, def stations and patrols make impossible to enter without being attacked. I wish to keep vanilla gameplay (gates close) but even more immersion and sense of scale than xrsge 8.

[Folker]

Yes it is required, I tried at beginning to change every shw's id to keep compatibility but ended redoing all. Impossible to do such a remake otherwise. I also removed (for now) all frontier sectors, and changed the map to be more similar to vanilla. But internally each sector is a world. What is now 2-3 sectors is squeezed inside a single sector. E.g. what was Sonra system is all inside Argon Prime. My idea was exatly what you say: gate/accelerator zone is the strategic one. Who controls that has a step in the sector. All xenon sectors that have no internal superhighways have all the gates close. Then resources are far. Close to gate, def stations and patrols make impossible to enter without being attacked. I wish to keep vanilla gameplay (gates close) but even more immersion and sense of scale than xrsge 8.

Yes, I suppose it's easier to just modify the original version and then add a new sector later. That seems more save compatible, but I'm not sure about that I say.
For the Xenon, it makes sense, because in the lore, they terraformer and they are present everywhere in space. This difference between the other races and the Xenon reinforces this feeling, but the Xenon will be more difficult to defeat.

I'm asking you about the new game because I have a suggestion : could you add the same feature as the mod that adds the terran accelerator? This mod is cool, it replaces the accelerators in terran space with X3 like accelerators. I'll send you the link if you want to know more:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... ccelerator

I think it would add to the immersion in terran space, making it feel less “Commonwealth” and more terran. I don't know if it's easy to implement.

What do you think?