Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Space Empires V has a script parser that creates the .csf file - which is the actual compiled script used by the game. Essentially you're just editing various AI text files and then compiling them into a .csf file.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Thank you for the answer Kwok.
But what do you do if you want to modify an existing .csf file? Can you convert it back to a text file or do you need the original text file??
Anyway it seems to me that modifying will be more complicated compared to SE IV.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

You cannot edit the .csf files directly. You'd need to make your changes in the base text files and re-make the .csf file.

Modding the data files themselves is probably a bit easier since it's one entry per item. Only the intelligence and events file use scripts of the non-AI files.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

First look at data files:
- ***_Main_Script.txt and ***_Setup_Script.txt are written in some sort of prog language (prior to be compiled into .cfs). What is this language? Looks like Delphi to me, but I'm not sure.
- Other .txt files keep following an old se4 style (no char for comments, tabs and blank line problems) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Actually Aiken you can insert comment lines into the data files. But double blank lines can still be dangerous. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

When did SE4 have problems with tabs? You can insert tabs instead of spaces between the field labels and :=. I'm not sure why anyone would really want to, due to the funky formatting issues with tabs, but that's another issue entirely.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

This is why the SEV image mod needs to include ships.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Empire styles / Ship sets are already "plug-ins" so I don't see how including them in the Image Pack would make much sense. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Simple - People could then 'build' shipsets easier.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Not really, Narf. The idea behind the image mod is to make smaller downloads and disk space use by having a common pool of images; shipsets already work like that, and nothing about the Image Mod makes building images or ships easier.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

After looking over the info on Malfador's site, plus trying my hand at implementing a ship into the Starfury demo, I can see how much more complex ship sets in SE5 will be. It's no longer a simple matter of cranking out 20 or so 2D images.

The biggest issue is with ship layouts. Now every shipset needs to be balanced as well. You can't have a single race running around with twice as many weapons hardpoints as everyone else, all with 360-degree fire arcs. The good news is the potential for far more flexibility and diversity in ship design. For example, one race may have layouts with a large number of slots, but they are mostly "outer hull", with very few "inner hull", making for fragile ships.

Can't wait for the SE5 demo.....

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

There are only armor, inner, and outer slots in SE:V - no weapon slots like SF, and also no weapon arcs. There's also plenty of slots so the number of them doesn't matter either. There is directional damage, but battles tend to be melees with little difference between ship sets.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

"Simple", of course, being a relative term http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif 51 images for a neo-standard shipset, but that's splitting hairs.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Dunno, I just remember where was something wrong with tabs. I wouldn't bet on this though.
Still, where are whose "#include", "function" and other scary words came from? Which language, that's is?

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Kwok:
Directional damage? What do you mean by that?
I'm sure I saw fire arcs in one of those textfiles. What up with that then?

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

I think the firing arcs are a graphical thing only: If your ship is firing at an enemy behind it the laserbeam will originate at the point specified by the corresponding firing arc somewhere at the back of the ship, when it is firing at an enemy in front of it, the laser beam will originate at the front of the ship.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Directional damage as in if the ship gets hit in the front, the forward components will get damaged and so on. Henk's assessment on the data file was correct.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Directional damage but unlimited firing arcs. An interesting combination.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

So I guess there is no backward engineering on this arcs thing? I mean if we can track damage coming in, why cant we track damage going out...?

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Introducing weapon arcs makes for a difficult balancing act among shipsets. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

I still don't understand how directional damage in combination with armor/outer/inner hull compartment works:
if the ship has lost all armor in the front but still has armor on the sides and rear what will be destroyed by the next hit in the front?

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

I guess that is a problem, if its tied into the shipsets as apposed to the components...

As for balancing...not many problems in SFB due to arcs, it just makes certain ships more interesting to battle with than others...

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

One of the internal components in the front, in the Outer Hull.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Doesn't this make (strategic) combat quite unpredictable and ship design complicated?
If all enemy fire comes from one side (as often the case) your ship is soon destroyed unless the AI reacts clever enough and turns the ship around to cover the weakend side. In Starfury the AI could not handle this situation well.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Yeah, I was thinking that if there's no firing arcs, then why even bother with the slot-based layout and directional damage? Seems like a lot of work to put shipset designers through for little or no gain, having to design the slot layouts for all their ships... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
Though, Kwok, are you *sure* there are no firing arcs? The Terran_Ships_XFileClasses.txt that Aaron posted in the shipset specs referred to them... are those lines just ignored or something?
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Number Of Firing Points := 6
Firing Point 1 X := 112.319191
Firing Point 1 Y := 413.506592
Firing Point 1 Z := 27.873138
Firing Point 1 Arc Start := 315
Firing Point 1 Arc End := 45
</pre><hr />

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

That is purely for animations; it defines the starting point on the model for the beam/missile/whatever.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

It may make things more complicated, but it will bring some new dimensions to the game, especially if we can convince the AI to be smart enought to realize that there is a hole in their defense that they have to protect...

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Ships in battles with several ships will tend to be equally hit on all sides unless there is a special circumstance, ie fleeing etc.

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

Work on my shipset is progressing slowly, I've got 6 models finished and UV-mapped, still need to texture them and get all the renders and slot layouts done.

Anyhow I've got another question. The following screenshot has crab-like Amonkrie troops in it:
http://www.captainkwok.net/images/se5-screen12.jpg
I guess these have some kind of walking animation, I however could not find any references to animation other than simple rotation in the text files on Malfador's site. Is animation supported?
Also, how would the Amonkrie troops survive on a gas giant world?

Re: SEV shipset instructions?
 

There are no animations for vehicles.