Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds 0.85
 

There will be a new patch out...hopefully tonight. It'll have some new stuff as well as bug fixes. Some of the new stuff will be the beginnings of ship-specific missions, just in case you were wondering "Why would I play a pirate vessel, when I can get 3 guns?" Now you'll know. And there are a few other bonuses.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds 0.90
 

Phlagm,

Just a quick note. I thought I already posted about it. But when I have the special event with the Damocles Sword when I've beaten the bad guy they game quits. Do you know why? it hasn't happened in any other of the mods I've played.

I love this Mod. I can't stop playing it.
Thanks

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds 0.90
 

Hmm really? I don't think it has ever happened with me. But I'll check that right now.

And thanks! I'll have more in the next patch. Which is done whenever I can get one quest working.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 0.99
 

I'm replying to this just to move it up to the top of the thread http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 0.99
 

I haven't yet seen a Cambrian fleet with 0.99.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 0.99
 

Funny that you mention it, but I was noticing another issue, but that's certainly true. I haven't seen them either, and I didn't change them at all. I have been noticing quirks in the randomization of events....Where I make two things mutually exclusive, and only one ever shows up.

I just moved the Cambrians to near the top of the list and suddenly they appear. This is an alarming realization, though. I have another 2 races that I'm putting in the next patch, and had intended to add three more in the future. I guess there's no point if they won't appear in the game.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

Okay, I moved some things around to get the Cambrians to start showing back up. Who knows what other race got shafted now.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I'll play with it for a couple of days and see if I notice anything.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

You know, despite that I set my tanru mainquest as the only mainquest and put the frequency to 1 and played 900 games in a row to get it just right, I ran into that quest in the game again and it was bugged severely. I guess I'll be trying to patch that once again.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

To quote the Modmaker's Guide:
"GD_MAX_RACE 32 - maximum number of races"

So it would seem there should be room. We know that certain quests have to occur in a particular order, such as the mainquests being up top, then gamequests, then always, and lastly the random event quests. Do races have a similar protocol?
How does the game tell where those lists start and end? Could that be the issue? Is it "always end with Urluquai", or is it "stop looking once a single race says random"? I'm always so curious how the inner-workings of the game function.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I think that the number just tells you where it's going to start crashing. I can get other completely inexplicable behaviors to show up as well. For example: On this lastest patch (before I put it out) the Sphyrna showed up all the damned time even though they only had two ships. Then I juggled some people around and now they never ever ever show up in the intro fight. However, the corrupted tan ru are lower on the totem pole, but they show up constantly. I can't figure it out. I mean it must be some kind of hitch in the random number generation or something.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I started a small map with the frigate, and found that the Muktian homeworld was at Glory. They immediately engaged me in combat even though I clicked Leave (I guess because I didn't have anywhere to leave to yet) but I was able to flee to a nearby star. Later I found the Mantle of Babulon so I was able to finish the mission without killing them.

I wouldn't mind if that issue is never fixed, really. It makes for an interesting game as long as it only happens on occasion.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

Haha, you're kidding!
Dammit, I KNOW I didn't do anything like that.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I ran into a Cambrian fleet on the second game.

I also ran into the Sphyrna on the third game.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I forgot to mention I also found the Combobulator.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

It happened again! This time it was a medium map, with the Zorg homeworld at Glory.

I managed to find an Aethric Mirror to get them out of the way, and then hired the Kuti to make them like me.

Maybe this has to do with how you rearranged the order of the races?

I haven't run into Tchorak or the Corrupted Tan Ru yet in this version.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

The corrupted tan ru only show up in a mainquest, although if I can't get that working to suit me, maybe I'll change that. And yeah, the Tchorak don't tend to show up like this either. The problem I keep getting now is that some race homeworld will appear on the map, but no fleet. I know this happens if you manually place a homeworld and then that race doesn't happen to randomly be in that game. I can't imagine that a quest is doing all of this, but maybe it is.

I'm going to tweak a couple of things and then repost the patch

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

How'd you like the combobulator? I was so sad when the THIF flag didn't work. My original intention was to make 4 or 5 of them, only one would load per game.

The function was to have been this: YOu click it, it steals a tech item, and gives you another. it then removes itself and gives you the next version. That one removes tech and gives a living thing...and replaces itself, then one gives you a unique item, and replaces self, then I was going to work in some other tech things, and finally end the chain with something extremely undesirable.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

The THIF flag sounds like it's for the Esmerelda event, right? In that case, wouldn't the old version of the combobulator show up for trade at an alien homeworld?

I think it might work if you use the REMV flag like the Golden Cannister does. I'll try to try this out.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

The problem is that with the REMV flag, you have to specify an item name, like dv_canister. So you can't do what I want it to do and randomly "recombobulate" items in your cargo.

In an ideal world, I'd be able to THIF with a device and also be able to specify my own item FLAGs. In addition to tech, loot, life, etc., I could put in combobulator, and then ITMS 1 combobulator, so it'd be completely random as to which one you'll get after you use it. On top of that, if I could have a way for it to set off the bomb without prompting for a time (this may be possible, I don't remember) or to put on a NOVA at the current star upon item use, then I can make the one bad combobulator REALLY bad. There would probably also be a nonfunctional one, so you couldn't just do it forever.

These flags would also help me with a mainquest I'd like in the game, but I'll share that another time.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

Ah, I missed the part about about stealing an item. I thought you wanted to use THIF on the combobulator itself.

Would it be possible to make a one time use version of it via a special quest like you did for the cambrian egg?

edit: Actually, more like the underdelve exploration. eg, you arrive at the planet and it says "You found the combobulator! Turn it on? Y/N" If yes, it does its thing. If no, say that your crew dropped it on the way back to the ship, and you get a nonfunctional combobulator.

You could have several of those quests with the differing effects, but which look identical to the player.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

Well, since it didn't work I was a bit disappointed, but it was funny.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.00
 

I noticed in 1.01 you removed the Corrupted Tan Ru. I ran into them a couple of times. Each time I caught up with the first fleet at the Tan Ru homeworld and there were so many normal Tan Ru I didn't even have to fight them.

The second time I found the Core soon after they showed up, but the second time I didn't find them until quite a bit of time after they made it to Glory. Was a warning that they reached Glory supposed to be sent, and was there supposed to be a time limit before they converted Glory?

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

In 1.00, I was using a pirate corvette, the Photosynthesis, and had two weapons -- I believe, the hydra missile launcher and the euachilid spike (the Cambrian rear-firing weapon).

When we decided to attack some Muktian fighters, those weapons didn't fire at all. What gives?

Also:
What with the Corrupted Tan Ru, the Yellow Kawangi ship doesn't seem all that intimidating in actual combat, but it can fly around blowing up stars on the main map. I think it'd be cool if it (and possibly the Prometheus station) were boosted, so as to make for more interesting battles, and to preserve their status as the ultimate threats in-game.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

I'm going to start working that quest from scratch for the third time. What should happen is this: It starts at the beginning, and the Corrupted move through converting planets to machine worlds. Then the Tan Ru send a shout out.

Here's where I face my first problem with that quest:
1) If I put the tan ru homeworld in the game, and they don't load as a possible race, then the homeworld will be completely without tan ru. If I do put a fleet there, then it's possible that the game will load them and put two at their homeworld, in which case, they'll have 3. Otherwise they'll have one.

2) I considered making this quest behave differently and only start when you encountered Tan Ru, but then I ran into issues with ability to make races neutral (or leave them neutral in this one instance and make them aggressive whenever this mainquest didn't load). Then it would be like an ultra-rare mainquest since you'd only get it when you both got a mainquest AND got tanru to load.

3) Unfortunately I ran into some issues with the quest that were completely illogical. I made sure I had all parameters initialized, but still it was giving me fits. I posted about how I changed one number and it made something completely unrelated work, but whenever I put that back, it would fail.

I'll go back and work on this some more. I've been fighting it for a while. Unfortunately, in trying to bend the rules a bit to keep the quests from all being identical, I seem to be finding ones that break.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

RE ExplorerBob: Hmm... I should make the hydra missile fire at small ships maybe. But lots of the larger slow weapons don't target fighters. So if you arm yourself with large-damage long-range missiles, you get shredded by little fighters.

I think the Kawangi may still be okay. It does, however, take two of them to break even in combat with the Megacluster. I should upgrade the station, though. You're right. And now that you mentioned that, I have an idea.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Hi, I just downloaded this mod and its great, I think I may switch to it entirely over vanilla. My favorite thing about it is the amount of higher end equipment. The thing that bothered me about the vanilla game was it was really hard for me to make any other ship in my flotilla have any survivability because decent equipment was so hard to come by.

Also: I noticed a text overrun in the little popcorn looking thing, it was some sort of sludge beast I think. I don't remember the exact name, but in the text it said it was hard to capture but didn't' say what it did to you if you installed it.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Also: I don't seem to see the stellar cannon firing, does it have extreme close range?

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Yeah, it is.

I get varying mileage with the stellar cannon; one time I used it and a nova cannon on my cloaking pirate corvette, and it worked beautifully for close-range combat. I prefer a PVC over both, though, when I can get one. The nova cannon does sweet damage, but it has a horrible range.

I rarely ever play vanilla WW nowadays; usually I load up Even Weirder Worlds, or Drives 'R Us when I'm in the mood for neptunium tridents.

One feature Drives had that I liked was the planet not having just alternate weapons; you could buy all kinds of higher-grade equipment there.

I'm always paranoid about Esmeralda stealing or destroying my high-end stuff, and wish there was a way to kill her or otherwise evade her with skill; perhaps even have the ability to chase her down and get back all the stuff she stole.

Anyhow, I'm rambling, so I'll submit this post right about now.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

The first game I played of this mod went down hill fast when I was tooling around with my flux shield, and esmerelda stole it. I was so pissed.

I prefer the PVC AND the nova cannon. I also like the the multi missile launcher, but I try to keep a mass driver or some other PD gun in my last slot. Is there a list of weapons somewhere I can look at even if it is for vanilla so I can see the stats, and most importantly tell what works as PD and what weapons won't target fighters?

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

No such list exists, but I could make one perhaps. I think most of the PD I added are the flak cannon (which is the one thing that will target fighters and missiles and NOT cap ships), the burst gun that the pirates have, the still-needing-to-be-finished future wraith polarized muon streamer, the barely-in-there-desperately-needing-to-be-finished pulse wave weapon, and the drones. I think that's it, but I may have forgotten someone. I'll put together a list when I get a chance.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Esmeralda never made sense to me (esp. on the frigate) so I remove the two lines that let her appear.

I haven't missed her at all.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

I like both the multi-missile launcher and the hydra missile launcher. If I know I'm going to face the pirates or Cambrians I like to load the hydra as it's very effective against them.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Sometimes that hydra missile is very effective against the processor too.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

And as for Esmerelda, both the Lookout Frogs and Toy Robot will stop her. I can't say that it's 100%, but very often the things she steals show up on a homeworld somewhere.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Yes, I know they stop her, but 99.9% of the time Esmeralda shows up early and the Frogs and robot don't show up until later, so they aren't much use.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

All right. Complaint noted. I've taken one small step to help with that.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Will she ever show up more than once? And can she escape from your hold if you get rid of the frogs after getting her?

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

The answer to both questions is nope.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

I can't find the thread on your race non-randomization issues. Was it just in this thread? If so, you might want to post it as a seperate thread to lure Fingers into answering your questions.

In the meantime, here's my thoughts of a possible (admittedly kludgy) work-around for the non-randomized race issues you've been having:
You could publish alternate versions: 1.1A and 1.1B, for example. Make them identical, except for the order of certain entries in the game.ini file. Always make your changes to the A version, and then every so often generate a new B by taking the latest A and swapping around the order of a couple races.
Kind of annoying, I know, but it's at least a possible temporary solution until Fingers notices these threads and can post an explanation of what's happening and why.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

When I'm looking for a generic game of Weird Worlds to play, this mod is always it. I never play Vanilla anymore. This mod is also my #1 choice for a "standard" game. Would love to see this one developed even more!

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

haha. Thanks. Well if I can get the bugs worked out, I'll have a new patch soon. Maybe with two mainquests, but certainly with one. And I should have a few other nice surprises in there as well. Okay, some may not be so nice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

I'm by no means an expert on this game, but I noticed something odd with the .ini files of the things that were having problems.

Specifically, some lines seem to be missing carriage return / linefeeds. You'll see this if you bring it up in Windows notepad.

Example from corruptedX.ini:
CONDITION 1TYPE fleetleavePAR0 -1END CONDITIONCONDITION 2TYPE fleetarrivePAR0 -1END CONDITION

Instead of:
CONDITION 1
TYPE fleetleave
PAR0 -1
END CONDITION

CONDITION 2
TYPE fleetarrive
PAR0 -1
END CONDITION

There is something similar going on in various places of game.ini, like the hulls:
gar_sprcgar_frg
zor_frtzor_sta
cam_clmcam_art
crp_mgcdol_desdol_crvodd_mnssph_crvsph_desone_crv1 one_crv2

I don't know if this is the root cause of any of your problems or not, but I saw the possibility that the game may be reading the line incorrectly like Windows notepad does, when it expects a carriage return/linefeed combo, and does not see it.

Is this of any value?

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.01
 

Wow, if this is causing problems then I'm screwed! But I have yet to have a major problem with the game.ini file. I may recruit your help if I have another quest that inexplicably just won't act logically, to look for peculiarities like this.

Thanks!

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds 1.02
 

Okay. The only major change in this version is that there's a new mainquest. There are tons of new items and a new alien, but they'll only show up that 6.25% of the time that you happen to get this quest to show up. There is one very minor bug in the quest (a display bug only) that I wrestled with forever, and cannot fix. Two things evaluate at the same time, and regardless of what I do, they will only show up in the wrong order. Aside from that, I think it's a good quest.

I've cooked up another scheme for the Corrupted Tan Ru that will make it somewhat different from previous quests. If it works, it'll come together fast. We shall see.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.02
 

Oh, and my banner still doesn't show up on my computer. If someone would do me the favor of opening it up and saving it and attaching it, I'll see if I can view it on my computer.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.02
 

I'd be curious to try my hand at your display bug, if you can give me the filename of the quest.

I've attached your banner image, in .png format.

EDIT: Scratch that. I figured out what the quest was. It looks very interesting! Hope the .png format works well for you.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.02
 

The attachment won't work for me because I have to then convert it to a bmp file myself, and then I haven't done anything differently than before.

I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm saving the banner.bmp as an 8 bit windows bitmap, and no dice. And this is true for anything I touch on this laptop. It's either a palette problem, or something bizarre with an interaction between Leopard and WW. I know photoshop distinguishes between files it made and random others. Perhaps the preview is to blame? I'll go home tonight (if I can remember) and turn on the PC and see if I can make it on that copy of photoshop and have it work.

Oh and the "display" problem I mentioned is a display order problem, not one with things not appearing. The problem is this, and it happens every time: You do something a number of times. When you do it the last time, you get a message saying that you did it again. You also get a message relating to the uniqueness of having done that for the last time. Despite that I put "break"s everywhere imaginable, it does a sort of last-in first-out. So you find out that you're finished, and then you close the window and learn that you did the last thing. It's really a minor problem, but I tried a number of things to work around it and all they did was make the game crash, or make bits stop working.

It's a minor annoyance, at worst. But don't go poking into the files too closely until you've played the new mainquest once or twice. I tried to make it a bit of a mystery to be solved.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.02
 

OMG! I forced it to play, and I didn't make it through to the end, but I like it! I'm going to try again.

Sorry I misunderstood your .bmp problem. I pulled your image into a program re-saved it in .bmp format again, and attached it here.

I have made many modifications, but I'm not getting around your problem so far. You're right. Clearly there isn't any way that EVENT B can be processed before EVENT A. Yet the popups are happening in the order of EVENT B then EVENT A, even though that is completely bogus.

So very odd, but I'm still playing with it. I'm pretty sure this isn't anything your code is doing wrong.

Re: Mod: Even Weirder Worlds *** Now 1.02
 

Without saying too much, did you find everything without cheating? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I tried to be not clever, slightly clever, and clever when placing things.