Breaching the Core Full Mod Discussion

[Hammish]

Splitting this thread into two parts for my own sanity.  Can leave discussion here since I really, really like having people checking it out and dropping ideas, ect, but setting up another less-cluttered thread with just version-related stuff and the download link.  If this is okay with the AT guys.

[Hammish]

Now, hopefully that DropBox link works okay!

Here are some pictures, as well:


A showcase of the new icons/weapons.


The new Fusion Ray weapons at full focus.

[Lurler]

Sounds very interesting! And I especially like the new graphics for items, might be even better than vanilla

But a Question... why do you need to modify the core file?

Why not make it into a normal ".mpk" file? I really see no reason why it can't be done with .mpk

Or am I missing something?

Here is an explanation on how to add new content without modifying the core file: http://wiki.atomictorch.com/VoidExpanse/modding you can modify any files this way, and not just xml, etc. You can even modify scripts as well. You can also replace existing files in core (if you have the same file in MPK it will replace the one in base game).

And here is an article on how to install mods: http://wiki.atomictorch.com/VoidExpanse/installing_mods but the simplest way of course is to use the launcher.

UPD: If you can make it into a proper .mpk file I would like to promote the mod on our website

[Hammish]

I actually hadn't looked at that page, I shall read up on it in a short while here.   All I had originally done was just extracted the core.cpk and worked with the files from there, then repackaged it.  New to modding of this type in general, I just tend to be okay with graphics and numbers.

[Hammish]

Not going to be released BTC 0.11 until after the coming VE patch, but I figured I'd give some teasers here on what to expect.

First, Joe is much nicer to you now; upon finishing his intro quest he'll offer you a choice as to what ship you want to suit the role you want to play in the game: fighter, interceptor or industrial.

Gauss cannon finished, added and tested.
Kinetic missiles finished, added and tested.

New engine, power, shield and RCS options added!

Engines follow the general path of speed or maneuverability being stressed.  RCS units are the same, with a military RCS for better maneuver or thruster rerouting systems to channel the RCS system into better speed.

Power plants come in three varieties:
-Fusion, good power output
-Fission, good fuel efficiency
-Tritium, excellent max capacitor

Shields come in four varieties:
-Standard
-Barriers that have a high capacity but recharge slowly
-Integrity fields that never go down but have a very low deflection rating (think of them as a secondary armor that is percentage-based)
-Adaptive shields that have a low capacity but can regenerate in combat (they reset almost instantly but with no reestablishment value, giving them a slow trickle of recharge)

Hulls renamed to stick with some new theming and adjusted!  They also have four ranks: Civilian, Mk I, Mk I, Experimental.
The Athena replaces the Banshee as the standard fighter archetype.  Still an energy/ballistic user.
The Apollo replaces the Avalanche as the standard interceptor type, reworked for full missile use.
The Hephaestus replaces the mining vessel, reworked for additional bonuses to miner-y stuff.
The Ares replaces the Orca, multirole mid-sized ship.
The Artemis replaces the Fang as a bomber, same basic concept of being a glass cannon missile sled.  The experimental version upgrades two of the launchers.
The Poseidon replaces the Crab, reworked slightly into a brawler with an outstanding ability to take and deal with damage.  The experimental version, even moreso.
The Hades will use the new Deathbringer hull as a heavy cruiser.  Decent hull but no innate armor, fair maneuver, lots of damage from those large mounts.  The experimental version trades the large energy along the centerline along with some agility for linked large missiles, turning the craft into a siege machine.
The Zeus replaces the Hammer, reworked into a battlecruiser.  Larger, slower-turning guns, also exceptionally durable.  The experimental version upgrades the bore on the ballistic mounts.

On the horizon:
Mine weapons.  I'll totally get around to adding my version of them.  One of them will obviously have to be the B.U.T.T. (Backward Utilized Tracking Torpedo), to score points with anyone who has played any of the Star Control games.  Spathi FTW.

NewTech (tm) versions of the rest of the gear, including radars, grapplers, modules and boosters.  Boosters in particular will have a lot of variations given the sheer number of new adjustable variables coming with the next patch.

The Dionysus hull, a refit of the Artemis.  Still testing out this concept but it plays like a very high-skill-required dogfighter.  It sports ballistic weapons instead of missiles, exceptionally limited tracking arcs with all four firing into the front arc, but gains maneuver bonuses (especially to strafe).  The key skill for this ship is to be able to strafe around targets and keep them to your nose while dodging fire, specially designed to help counter some of the heavier vessels.

The Cronus hull, brand new design (assuming my friend with actual modelling skills comes through for me.   The first true battleship concept, I'm looking to introduce the Cronus titan as the first 'boss encounter' or unique quest mob put out.  Large amounts of structure and armor as well as four large weapon mounts will make him a monster, but a monster with weaknesses (and a unique playstyle, as a playable ship, if ever.)  The basic gist will be two weapons that fire with a fairly wide (about 210 degrees) but slow-tracking arc into the front (one above the hull, one below) with a duplicated style in the back facing to the aft.  It gives the hull some teeth in any direction but makes it uniquely suited to broadside attacks where it can bring all four weapon mounts to bear.  Really looking forward to this one.

Mysterious Tech!  (Oooh, so mysterious!)  This will just be a stopgap measure until full crafting is put into the game, at which point I will revise it.  Starting at level 50, the NPCs that spawn have a chance of dropping Mysterious Tech that you can snatch up and collect.  (It will also drop more frequently from quest-related NPCs such as bounty quests.)  'But Hammish', you might ask, 'What does it do, other than being mysterious?'  Well, each faction will have a named NPC who desires to have these mysterious bits (don't ask, they have -REASONS-).  These NPCs will also have question options corresponding to each of the Experimental Gear bits in the game... and one of the requirements will be bringing them X pieces of Mysterious Tech in addition to a base item and plenty of cash.  TL;DR, if you want the highest-tier stuff you'll have to do some work as they'll no longer be shop-purchasable but only available via these quests if you have the tech fragments.

[Hammish]

Updated link to BTC 0.9.0, updated the description of the mod.  Most gear icons upgraded to my new fancy look.  Five hull types now in and (semi-) finished, basic engines/shields/power in as well.  All basic and hybrid weapons added but need additional balance testing and possible sound/graphic tweaking.

When testing out the current build make sure you choose Adventurer as your class (or, if you just want to fiddle and have fun, choose the Cheater class I use for testing and start with a good hull and 300k credits!).  All classes will be reworked once the ability to add new skills and the like is working better.

[Lurler]

Great update.

Though, what is wrong with skills? You can add your own effects and new skills - no problem. At least I am not aware of any problems in this particular area.

[Hammish]

With regards to skills, I think I actually mentioned it in another thread.   Forget which one.

If I try to add in an entirely new skill the .XMLs and everything load fine, game/server come up no issues, even universe creation seems fine... but after I make my character and attempt to log in, the usual VoidExpanse logo starts to come up before the application locks up.  (I'd say the logo is about 50% transparent still when it hangs.)  To the best of my knowledge I'm setting everything up correctly; the one I was trying to add was very simple, just an addition to the qualifications XML for hybrid weapons and then a matching skill with no prerequisites.  The addition to the qualification is even still in the current patch I just tossed up, I believe, and it loads fine; seems to be the attempt to add in the skill itself that is causing issues for me.

If it'd help, though, I can upload a copy of the mod with the exact addition I'm trying to make as well as my client logs.

[BeLugh]

for me adding skills worked fine. For me void expanse somethimes crashes when loading during loadign screen before main menu and simetiems when loading a game, but those crashes are not related to the mod itself (for me at least) when somethign is wrogn with the mod it does not show up the saves and you cant create a new game as it says unable to create local game server. or you get into the game and a function stops working after start /like all shop prices are shown as 0, mining laser does not show up etc

[Hammish]

Yeah, it honestly kinda confuses me too.  As I mentioned, it doesn't -seem- like an issue with the XML data, because the server is loading it fine; it's just the main game client that is crashing when I try to do a game with any sort of skill additions.  I do know the issue started cropping up for me with 0.9, because I had 3-5 new skills added in the previous version and it worked okay.

[Hecter94]

Wow, this is really fun. I love the new types of weapons, especially the fusion ones.
I especially like the new hulls too....some of my favorite ship types have been reworked into new versions and it makes the game feel so fresh.

Keep up the good work.

[Hammish]

Thanks!

Though I can't decide if the fusion rays are a bit -too- strong right now, given the good DPS and that they are hitscan.   They're kinda designed as a good weapon for an agile ship, but if you try to fight an Avalanche/Apollo with one... you'll get pretty screwed up given the short range.  Then again, they're also hybrid weapons (anything with a orange color is) and thus will eventually require a lot of tech and work to unlock, much like the experimental hulls.

If you keep trying it out, let me know what you objectively think about balance, if anything is too strong or too weak.  Trying to get more and more checking it out and trying different paths, though I know that might be a little rough until I get skills and classes done.  (Some of the stuff seems pretty useless for combat ships, like the efficiency-style engines that will save money in the long run but lack the throughput to really fuel energy weapons (which take a lot more to recharge in this version).

[Hammish]

Here's the log trail, so to speak... though I couldn't find anything amiss.  Just tried adding one new skill tonight, basic_gunnery, and it zoinked out again as I described previously.  I should note as well that I did this with a fresh install of VE.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1a9iv7zcyc8qtuy/Log_VoidExpanse_Client_2014-08-11_23-57.log
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nwkknpjvl1kcup2/Log_VoidExpanse_Server_2014-08-11_23-57.log

And here's the direct XML file for the skill:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k5ywn5w6bg98epe/basic_gunnery.xml

[BeLugh]

I would like to help out, but i can't access dropbox from here (im not at home) can you send me the content(text) of the xml as pm please?

[Hammish]

Trying to debug a bit more, I tried a few more iterations of this.  Created a new skill that is a direct child of light_direct_weapons instead of a 'base' skill.

Same result on trying to game: game loads, server loads, can create a new universe and get to character creation, the instant I accept my character it locks just barely after the VoidExpanse screen starts to come up.