Way to North - content and item balancing with some Q/A

[Ardanis]

2) Imo Gauss shouldn't have any projectile at all, considering the bullet's speed. Sure, air nearby may go wavy, but not with this engine.
Unless there're different kinds of burst, they do show a pro - I set Pacificator's weapon to shoot normally in quadriple mode (as per number of it's 'barrels') and it did display four things spreading around. AoE was single, though, maybe it's different for spread.
Dunno about Hit FX, but Light does display - can be seen at night with a laser rifle set to burst.

 

[jarekfall]

4) Question: How laser or plasma missile speed is specified? Is it hardcoded?

The speed of projectile is specified in projectile's sprite file. Exactly, is specified in "Step size" parameter. "Step size" is specified for each sequence frame. "Step size" specifies the move size of the projectile per sequence frame. Sequence player speed is fixed and it's about 14 frames per second.

5) Question: 3D max with some plugin - is this the only way to create new missile sprite?

If we consider real solutions, then yes, it's the only way.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

2) Imo Gauss shouldn't have any projectile at all, considering the bullet's speed. Sure, air nearby may go wavy, but not with this engine.
Unless there're different kinds of burst, they do show a pro - I set Pacificator's weapon to shoot normally in quadriple mode (as per number of it's 'barrels') and it did display four things spreading around. AoE was single, though, maybe it's different for spread.
Dunno about Hit FX, but Light does display - can be seen at night with a laser rifle set to burst.

Yes, i have same thoughts about gauss. It haven't any FX in canonical games, so it should have in FoT? Anyway THIS proj fits more for energy weapon, not gauss.

Look at laser minigun and MEC Gauss - they have projs set, but don't show them. Especially strange, when you look at Laser Minigun. AoE (you meant spread, yes?) set to "Straight" doesn't fit, cause we wan't SEVERAL targets to be hit, but not in the way Rocket Launcher does

It would be nice to see those laser missiles flying each in it own directions... Or at least showing impact Fx at each hit enemy and Light FX at weapon bursting - Laser minigun seems to show NO light FX while bursting in it's usual way...

 

[Ardanis]

Having checked things again, I can say that sucks, because Pac Bot no longer has projs if set to burst. Pity, I really wanted it to spray around.

Still, turrets in Preoria iirc do shower the floor with multiple laser projectiles. But strangely enough, the weapon's only mode shows the ammo usage of 1...

 

[TwoEyedYum]

As far as i remember, these turrets also presented in Scott City (replayed several days ago). Their missiles are different from usual laser ones.... Wll, i think so. They shoot TWO visual projectiles, but only one target gets hit.

Well, fuck with them missiles, i want just some neat FX on weapon itself (like Paci's shiny electic burst - it would look nice for all Gausses)

 

[TwoEyedYum]

"4 fails and 1 idea", or how i've tested spreadsVSprojectiles...

5 copies of Pulse rifle. Damage set to 1-10, range to 50. Added secondary mode to each, which uses 4 bullets (charges). Each copy have both modes with same spread, one spread-type per rifle.

Straight rifle: single shot works as always. Burst hits main target, showing single proj, but real number of bullets is different. That's means that first bullet hit target and it has proj, next to him haven't even if hit. IF FIRST BULLET misses, ALL bullets miss and FOUR projs shown, going to random point. Beautiful, but pretty useless I believe i've seen something about setting accuracy to -100% and seeing those missiles flying around, somewhere in old threads...

Cone: shows no proj and works like electro-pancor, showering all dummies in area =) Didn't seen any weapon FX, and that bothers.
Suggestion: good for "wave" weapon (that sends somewhat wave of energy in some direction).

Burst and Spray: woks ugly. Single shot and "burst" one haven't proj, even in case of miss. WEAPON itself shows FX of small gun These idiots hardcoded "rifle" type of weapon to show only that FX with bursting...

RADIAL. Hm, i think it's really intended for grenades, as it damages everything (or tries to) in 360 degree area around shooter. While rifle's range set to 50, resulting area was huge. Not sure about FX, but surely no proj is shown.
Suggestion: Close combat weapons, let's say "radial shocker" with range 10 and stun effect - would be great to uncover scurry-bots and stun them, while snipers take 'em down...

 

[jarekfall]

If you will use ammo of "Flamer fuel" type and set the "Spread type" to "None" you will see the projectiles and they will form a cone (it's hardcoded), but only if your character will miss the target (still the target can get some damages).
If your character will hit the target, then all projectiles will form a straight line (first projectile, some space, second proj., some space and so on up, to 5 visible projectiles, tested on 20 bullets per shot).
Unfortunately the target gets damages independently of projectiles, it gets damages immediately after the shot.

 

[Corpse]

RADIAL. Hm, i think it's really intended for grenades, as it damages everything (or tries to) in 360 degree area around shooter.

Not unless you are a suicide bomber and keep the grenade in your hand until it goes off. All explosive weapons use the damage radius for this purpose.

The pacification bot's main weapon is set to radial; IMO is best suited for a stun attack type energy weapon.

Jarekfall is right, if you set the spread to 'none' the projectile becomes visible; only problem is instead of showing up in succession you get them all at the same time which ruins the effect for autofire but is good for salvos from multi-barrel or multiple weapon platforms.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

Not unless you are a suicide bomber and keep the grenade

It was a joke, sorry By the way, does grenade damage itself?

The pacification bot's main weapon is set to radial; IMO is best suited for a stun attack type energy weapon.

Suggestion: Close combat weapons, let's say "radial shocker" with range 10 and stun effect - would be great to uncover scurry-bots and stun them, while snipers take 'em down...

Huh, i meant that

Appendix A: weapon variants
Why only energy weapon?
1) Enchanced Power Fist, model "Jax 1.0", with secondary mode (10-20 knockover radial attack);
2) Red Alert 2 - Iraq Desolator's radweapon. Both modes are easily implemented, but radiation damage is unknown (If someone knows, how game calculates "secondary" radiation effects of weapon attack - let me know )
3) And many more

Appendix B: Spray 1.1 Epic Fail
Jarekfall suggested to export *.act from proj's file, change colors in it and import back. Spray 1.1 can't even open ingame sprites from impactfx folder (they are unpacked with Booster), giving "read beyond end of file" error...
Sprite Creator can export palette, but CAN'T import modified one in existing file

 

[Corpse]

Appendix B: Spray 1.1 Epic Fail
Jarekfall suggested to export *.act from proj's file, change colors in it and import back. Spray 1.1 can't even open ingame sprites from impactfx folder (they are unpacked with Booster), giving "read beyond end of file" error...
Sprite Creator can export palette, but CAN'T import modified one in existing file

Actually it can, it has problems with some files in the impactfx but I was able to make new plasma, laser and rocket projectiles.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

Hm, looks that Spray doesn't know what to do with imported ACT file. I press "import" in palette menu, choose changed palette file (btw, i hate changing colors cell by cell) and... Nothing happens. I resave spr as new file and open it in SC - nothing changed as i see...

 

[jarekfall]

Be careful with opening sprites created in other than SC unofficial programs, because they don't handle correctly the SPR format, SC may crash after you will open such sprites. BTW, SC handles correctly all types of original game sprites, I tested it on all FT sprites several times.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

That's nice, but do you know, why i can't edit palette in a way, mentioned by you?

And again, if someone have info on radiation mechanics - let me know where to look. I'm interested in radiation effect on weapons and ammo - how much rad points it gives to target, what determines this amount etc...

If there's way to know exact radiation level of human entity (script ed one, maybe) - tell me and i will test all myself

 

[jarekfall]

It must have been someone else. I didn't tell anything like that. Take a look once again at the thread: http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7628&start=55
I always tell that it's bad way in most of cases, but sometimes may be useful but only for experienced person.

I tested for you Spray's 1.1 function for color palette importing and it works, correctly. I didn't test whether Spray works correctly if the exported palette have less than 256 colors.

Spray crashes on compressed sprites, on multilayered sprites and on sprites having the reference in the sequence to an image in the collection, which doesn't have image data (no ZAR data).

 

[Corpse]

Hm, can you make something like this function in next releases of your SC? Possibility to change color of Gauss projectile into green or red (without editing every picture manually and use 3Dmax) makes me sweat Rolling Eyes

You know you don't have to edit every frame or any for that matter; just export the palette to .act , open it in photoshop, modify the palette colors and finally import the modified palette.
I haven't tried sprite creator for this but spray11 does the job nicely.

I believe I suggested that in the FTImprover thread but somebody else might have also mentioned it somewhere else.

(btw, i hate changing colors cell by cell)

Still it is much preferable than changing every frame IMO.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

Still Spray does NOTHING when i import modified *.act file.

 

[Corpse]

What are you using to edit the palette?
I usually import it to an indexed color image in photoshop, changing the cells is not really too much hassle. I usually just alter the values by a set amount to change hues, brighten or darken it.

After saving it I have no problem importing it to spray.

BTW, just uploaded a sample of some of the sprites I changed, its just waiting approval from the mods.
Includes some laser and plasma projectiles I altered by the method I described above.

 

[TwoEyedYum]

I use usual PS, yea, with importing palette in newly created indexed image.
I didn't said that i don't try to change them. I've spent about hour to convert almost all colors from green+blue to red+orange (plasma projectile). Then i saved image, then - exported palette and imported in Spray - nothing, as i said. Looks like program didn't noticed that action

Will have some look at your uploads right now... Edit: looks like they didn't approved it yet =/

 

[TwoEyedYum]

New chalenge for my tricky mind

Is it possible to create new vehicles without using new models? I mean:
1) Can we give a tank Behemoth's or Pacificator's model?
2) Can we modify tank cannon to not show any model itself (we don't need this cannon on Behemoth ) but be able to shoot something?


Also: While nerfing some parameters for Recon Suit i've noticed somethin i didn't seen before - unknown setting being equal to 25. Accidentaly i've changed it into 0...

Now in game wearer of Recon Suit moves much faster o_O. And i'cant remeber what i've changed, cause now there's much x=0 settings

 

[jarekfall]

1. Probably yes. Just don't know whether the number of a collection directions is important. Vehicles have up to 32 directions, but not in all image collections, so the number of a collection directions is rather unimportant.

2. Try to create an attack sequence with only one frame containing special action "Fire" and for other sequences only one frame containing special action "repat all" or "jump to". Don't forget to add the "sound" special action. If this won't work, you can also try to remove images from collections or remove ZAR data from each image but leave the indexes or create for each collection and for each collection image a 1x1 pixel image with alpha value set to 1, such image will be invisible to the human eye.

Also: While nerfing some parameters for Recon Suit i've noticed somethin i didn't seen before - unknown setting being equal to 25. Accidentaly i've changed it into 0...

Now in game wearer of Recon Suit moves much faster o_O. And i'cant remeber what i've changed, cause now there's much x=0 settings

Only movement size can be increased, by modifying "step size" parameter of every sequence frame in an actor sprite file, or by increasing actor entity action points or by adding more perks that increase the number of actor action points.
Sequence player speed (the number of displayed frames per second) can only be decreased.
Is this Recon Suit an armor entity or an actor sprite?