Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

SJ's Tookit #2.zip
Includes:
- New build of SFSlotModder.
- SFStoreModder

-----

My personal take on space combat and stuff, while keeping the storyline from the first campaign.
I may have gone overboard with the Meson BLasters, but it sure looks cool during large fighter battles! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
P&N - Homefront.zip

Major differences from the stock campaign:
- Don't be surprised by the inoperable display screens on your control panel. You need combat sensors or Long range scanners to get the enemy display, and system scanners or Long Range Scanners for the Radar map. Your System and Galaxy maps plus your self-status monitor need only the Bridge.
- Initial crew capacity of your ship will be VERY SMALL. You need crew quarters to boost that up and improve your resistance to psychic weapons, and other crew killing verbs and nouns.
Crew will repair your ship slowly! More crew = faster repairs.
One crew quarters for every hull class larger is a good rule of thumb.
- Armor is extremely tough to fix. Great hitpoints, but hard to fix. Best to sell the old stuff as scrap, and get fresh new armor. It'll be cheaper than repairs at a starbase, unless the armor is special (organic armor, for example).
- Beware fighters. Alone they aren't much threat, but you can't ignore it. In Groups, you'll need help. Point Defense Lasers will help muchly, but you'll need multiplex tracking in order to hit often. A few good shots by the main guns does wonders too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
- Watch out for mines. They're very hard to spot, but if you're tailing someone and hear the sound of objects being jettisioned/launched, TURN!
The small mines Skip Shields, and will roast your armor with 100+ damage. The heavy mines do normal damage, but many times more of it. There are a number of illegal bombs and stuff that can be deployed as mines. They're much more powerful per kt, but you won't have any friends.

Common Trouble for New Captains
- Watch out for Illegal Cargo. Pirate ships ofter carry Banned objects, and if you pick up every bit of debris, you're liable to snag something the authorities don't like. Scan it first, or check your inventory immediately and jettison what you don't want. Having a TCN Battlecruiser pump a volley of Quantum torpedoes into your aft hull for carrying planetary napalm is not fun.
- Beware friendly fire. If you accidentally hit a TCN ship as it cuts in front of you, run away until they calm down. (usually by the time their shield recharges after your attack) You're not likely to win against the entire navy.
- DONT RAM THINGS. Especially asteroids and planets. If you hit anything much larger than a fighter, you're liable to lose lifesupport if not be killed outright. Ships that are weak enough to ram can be killed by a few volleys of fire. Unless your guns are destroyed, just shoot it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ October 03, 2003, 18:01: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Just a Bump since folks were asking

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Yay! I was wondering where this went... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

This forum need stickies http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
*Hint hint*

Edit*
Suicide junky, P&N - Homefront campagne isn't working. The moment i try to select the campagne i get a "unable to load campaign data file" and chrashes.

[ October 01, 2003, 00:19: Message edited by: SirPeter ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

That would be because you're using a full game mod with the demo.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

WHICH WONT WORK http://images.bravenet.com/commonhtt...es/28_spin.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Nooooooooooo http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

*sigh* nobody takes the topic line seriously anymore http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Easy, make a new topic once the full is out in full and mods start poping up and add the rule that you cannot post in here unless its a link for a mod or stuff
Support must be put into seperate topics

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hey, I do! Here's some new files I've done up...

ShipNames.txt

CaptainNames.txt

I'm also at work on a wholly new UI. Stay tuned for the awesome details...

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Hi!

I just created two Cockpit Mods :

Glass Cockpit

The borders and unneccessary graphics are removed from the bottom of the main screen, so you can see through it.

Compact Cockpit

The main advantage is that your eyes can not play more tennis beetwen the originally leftmost positioned map, the rightmost ship status and the center of the 3D screen.

I found that the status of my ship is more important than the status of the enemy, hence in this mod my status is in the center.

Another eye-friendly feature is that the whole cockpit is more compact. There are some little compromise: no border graphics, and the crew/energy bars a bit overlapped by the status screens.

Just unzip it to the StarFury directory, and enjoy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Norbert Nagy

[ October 06, 2003, 09:53: Message edited by: Norby ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Hey Norby, the 'download this' link for the Compact Cockpit Mod on your site actually gives you the Glass Cockpit Mod. Might want to fix that.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Fixed, thank you.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

A newer Version of P&N-ism.
1066431410.zip

This modifies the physics of the first campaign to something I like a lot more http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Be sure to read the descriptions on everything you buy.

Be especially careful with the lifesupport requirements of ships, and keep an adequate number of crew quarters aboard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Also note that power is a more valuable resource. You may have to use Plasma Capacitors to store extra power instead of just adding more generators.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

SJ, can you explain your Storemodder? I can't seem to get it to work.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Ok, after you first run it, you'll want to load your files.

Click "Load components from file" and find your main_components.txt
This will give you a nice list of the things you can put in your stores.

Now hit the "Open Shops File" and find an existing main_stores.txt
This will fill in the first box with a list of the shops.
Click one of the shops, and the bottom box will fill with the shop categories.
Click one of the categories and press load.

The list of stuff for sale on the left will fill in.
You can drag and drop components in the list, from the list of components in the middle, or drop components in the trash can to get rid of them.
Insert Mode pushes the components out of the way to make room for the one you're dropping, and replace just sticks the new one in place of the old.

Once you are done, hit save.
If you want, you can change the Category name to make a new Category before hitting save, or even change the shop name in order to make a new shop for the Category and components you have on the left there.

Changes to the file are immediate when you hit the save button, and you must save before loading a new Category or you'll lose your changes.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Here's an odd question for you - is there any way to mod, say, the AI or something? As I'm playing through your campaign, I've noticed that the AI doesn't do much as far as actually fighting back if you're currently engaging it.

Sure, his friends will beat you up quite nicely (if he has any), but that's not the point.

Also - how do you get rid of those bLasted speed-reducing torps that the AI pirates are so fond of using? I currently have two anti-torp weapons installed on my ship, and they don't seem to do squat against those weapons of choice.

Finally, you might want to look at the 'defend the target' campaign missions you get. In the two I've done so far (defend a Starbase and defend the Dagger), I had a hard time with the first (as none of the enemy ever got close enough to the base for it to fire), and in the latter, I didn't have a chance. 6 ships verses a cruiser? If the Dagger thought about running away, instead of fighting, it would have stayed alive long enough for me to bLast everything in sight, but it didn't.

Anyway, an excellent mod. Keep it up!

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

I drastically bumped up the difficulty on the Defend the base mission, since the first time I got there, the base had killed off all the enemies before I arrived http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Now its less of a starbase and more of a small battlestation or large space station.
The base should be able to help out a little bit (Try hiding behind it to reduce the fire hitting you).
During my test, the base was barely holding off the cruisers that were attacking it, but it could only kill the fighters and destroyers.
I used my torpedoes to disable the shield generators on any nearby enemy cruiser I could hit without getting myself killed, and let the base finish it off while I repaired.

The Dagger mission is actually supposed to be impossible. There originally wasn't even any plot coded in for a mission success (possible to achieve using cheat codes and lots of luck in unmodded SF).

-----

For missile defense, you'll need Point Defense Cannons. The lasers are only good against fighters.

Do watch out for Ion mines, it sounds like you'll hate them as much as I do http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

-----

As for AI, I don't really know.
I've only dabbled a bit in AI modding for SE4, and even less for SF.
I'm more of a physics modder.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Thanks for the help SJ. Though, with the forums down I had finnally figured it out anyway..but not the catagory name thing.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I saved the Dagger without too much trouble. I was using a Xiati battleship with 4 APBs and 6 Plasma Missiles in the 180 degree broadside arcs and Ion weapons facing forward. I swear there must have been about a dozen enemy ships attacking us, but I was swatting them away like flies and the Dagger made it through with only minor hull damage. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif Impressive! Maybe there should be swarms of fighters too? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

There is a patch to fix some of the slot configurations in P&N-ism. Buying an Abbidon carrier without the patch will cause a crash.

http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/starfury

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's what I meant to say, seriously. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
I have a pair of cannons and a pair of lasers. The lasers do quite the excellent job shooting down fighters mind you, but the cannons tend to fall asleep at the wheel.

Unfortunately I've stumbled upon yet another bug. I'm at the mission where I have to take down the Mongol Clan Starbase. Every time I start to do hull damage (punch through the armor on any side), I get an 'Invalid Index' error, along with a fabled Crash to Desktop.

Any ideas? And yes, I've tried the latest patches available here in this post.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Very odd. It might be a wierd component or something...
Could you post a savegame?

ftp://imagemodserver.mine.nu/uploads
(You'll get an error message since that directory is not readable, but you can drag and drop the file into your browser to upload once you clear the message)

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">get the SF patch, which has just been released.
I got a few invalid index errors in combat during the beta test and the patch fixed that. If the error still remains, send a savegame to Aaron.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Yeah sure SJ.. imporssible the Dagger mission ey... i passed from the first try...

Actually i made a test ... using in the first battle a couple of Toxic injectors i picked up...
That killed them easily...

And on a seocnd try using a Xiati Battleship i punded them with Quantum Torpedoes...

I love the Xiati Battleships http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
I had plenty of money form killing the little injured TERRAN CARRIERS http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

You are such a chaotic evil character, Executron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

I have here an update for P&N-ism.
Rev B, which fixes even more oddities with slot configurations.
It also should get the AIs to use more crew quarters and lifesupport on big ships (which provide resistance against those nasty toxins http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif )

Made possible by a new Version of the Slot Modder!
This tool now features arcs painted onto each slot, in addition to the numbers representing the weapon firing point and ship side facing.
Also, a slot lock button, so you can prevent them from accidentally sliding around while you click around altering other slot info.

Get it all from:
Http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/starfury

[ October 23, 2003, 21:48: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Well, I've been tinkering with the files some to create a mod in which you play the heir to a small criminal syndicate. Some of the things that are different: Many spacedocks & ship dealers require bribes, stores have been changed some, starting homesystem is different, crew killing weapons are illegal cargo, and some other stuff too. I wanted to upload it, but I don't know how http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif
I've never tried uploading a mod before, and I can't seem to find how to do it anywhere. Any help is appreciated http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

SJ, when I try to start the new Version of your slot modder, all I get is a box saying "Unexpected error" and the program closes.

macjimmy, you you familiar with winzip? You need to zip the directory your mod is in, then upload it. I don't think you can do it here right now though..but if the file is under a meg or two, email it to me and I'll put it up for you.

pdse4 (a-t) cox.net

[ October 23, 2003, 23:34: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I will do a few more things to it and email it to you when done

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, I'm certainly not getting that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif can you give me any more details to work with?

I've tried updating the posted EXEs using the old application title in case that was causing you trouble.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

All I did was overwrite the directory with the new Version of the modder; it also has the storemodder in the same folder (storemodder works, slotmodder used to).

Running the older Version works fine; using any of the new ones doesn't, just pops up the same Unexpected Error dialog box.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

What OS are you using?

Perhaps it dosen't like drawing the nice graphics, since that's really all I added that wasn't there before.
I'll try commenting it out and recompiling a custom Version for you.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Ok, there's now a "lite" Version 1 (no arcs in slots) and 2(only abbreviations in slots).
See if those make a difference for you.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

I'm using XP home. Neither of the newer slot modders work either..same error.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Well, try running it in compatibility mode while I look for more things to comment out.

Is anybody else seeing something similar at all?

PS:
If you go on IRC, we can speed up this process.

[ October 24, 2003, 20:14: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Say, SJ, any chance of a P&N-ized Version of the other two campaigns? I still haven't beat the first one (even in the regular game! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ) but I imagine more skilled players might eventually http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

edit: hmm, now that Earth is smaller, that starbase looks even more impressive! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

[ October 24, 2003, 23:51: Message edited by: Ed Kolis ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Hey SJ, I've found a little bit of a bug in your P&N Mod. With the Terran Carrier III, the rear left armor slot adds armor points to the right side armor. Thought you might like to know.

EDIT: The right side bottom armor slot adds to the rear armor. Sounds like they just got switched.

Renegade

[ October 25, 2003, 00:45: Message edited by: Renegade 13 ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Renegade: That should have been fixed by the patch I made after I upgraded my slotmodder to make that kind of issue easy to spot;)
( http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/starfury )

I do plan to extend the mod to the other campaigns, but I just have to find the time.

For the most part, just dumping the components.txt, splice in most of the shops and ship setups would get you pretty far.
Testing it and rebalancing the missions will take much longer.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Playing this mod I once came across a Fazrah Destroyer with NO WEAPONS (Well ok it had a PD laser http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif ) I also came across crystalline armor being sold at an Amonkrie dock http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif ... and it seems that all the alien ships have twice as many weapon hardpoints as the Terran ships! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif (They also get built-in crew!) - OK, I know, you haven't got to modding them yet! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Now don't you always say not to put too many reactors and have some energy storage instead? The AI ships are FILLED with reactors and have no energy storage whatsoever! And not even the big reactors, but the smaller, less space-efficient reactors... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

I won't pretend to be a great AI modder.

I havent seen a way to control how many reactors the AIs use... I think they may just fill until they run out of space or manage to generate more than they can use.

I don't mind as long as they get the components they need almost all of the time.
I don't have the time or skill in this area to run down (what looks like) diminishing returns.

I might get some of the double reactors placed on the AI ships, but I don't want to make it too easy for the player to pick up huge reactors continuously...

-----

Neutral and alien docks very occasionally have rare items, such as that armor. If you want lots of it, visit the race it is associated with for the greatest chance of finding it.

[ October 27, 2003, 23:42: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

SJ, the reactors a race uses are set in enemies.txt. If you go into the P&N one and change all the

Race 1 Number of Reactors := 1
Race 1 Reactor 1 Class := Power Reactor (Double)
Race 1 Reactor 1 Chance := 100
Race 1 Reactor 1 Inc Chance Per Difficulty := 0
Race 1 Reactor 1 Inc Chance Per Level := 0

entries so they say Power Reactor (Double) or have two reactors, they'll use them.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Yes, I know:
I might get some of the double reactors placed on the AI ships, but I don't want to make it too easy for the player to pick up huge reactors continuously...
The problem is the AI will still fill the ships to the brim with reactors, and now the player will have a bonanza of double reactors which will make the singles completely useles..

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Sorry, misread the how many comment.

I think the dropped components are determined by the random component drop text file, and not by what components are on the actual ships, though.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

There may be extras, but the components on the ship most definitely do get scattered when the ship dies...

Notice how toxin injectors leave 0% damage components in the rubble? And how if you do some damage to armor before killing a ship, it drops armor that is partially damaged?
That's what I'm talking about http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Ah, bleh. That would be right. Hmm, how to avoid that..can't even make AI only components, like in SE4.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">you can make AI only components. For example I made some monster components that can only fit into modded monster slots. They don't show correctly on long range scans (like custom slots don't show in the spacedock), but they are functional and used by the AI.
If the monsters are killed the player can pick up the monster body parts, but they cannot be used on a player ship, because it doesn't have the correct slots.
For P&N it might help to give enemy purchase hulls extra built-in energy regeneration, so they don't have to place so many generators.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

New! At http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/starfury

- SF SlotModder - Another compiling which fixes the "unknown error" on startup for Pheonix.
- "P&N - Homefront" - Now links to P&N-Border Wars upon completion.
- "P&N - Border wars" - The conVersion of campaign #2 is ready!
Includes a Super-Cool prototype fighter with leaky armor, double shields, self-regeneration, and a heavy weapon slot!
Note: P&N: BW has not been playtested yet. Please tell me which missions are too hard/too easy so I can adjust things.

[ October 31, 2003, 03:24: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

If you copy over the old P&N campaign 1 with this new Version before you finish the final mission, the "next campaign" link should work fine.

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

Campaign 2? Campaign 1 links to it? YAY! (Now if only I could get my current campaign 1 game to switch over to the new campaign 1 so I can continue in campaign 2 if I finish it... I actually got past the "do 3 pirate missions" stage, which I've only done once or twice before http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif )

Re: Big List of Mods & Stuff - ok, fine comments too.
 

New 'mod'..mostly just me testing the idea before I do my actual campaign.

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/Campaign 1 - Homefront I.zip

(see SJ's post for correct link)

from the readme:
-The Xiati and Amonkrie will no longer do business with you (since you're they're ENEMY and all..) the Fazrah, having fewer scruples, will.

-"Core" systems (defined as two warps from home system) have more components and better components. Same for ships dealers. These systems also have a more powerful fleet presence.

-Neutral worlds will have less components, and things will be more expensive and of lesser quality. Systems near Terran systems will have Terran components and ships more often, and same for the other races. These systems will also have more ships of the nearby race than normal neutral systems.

-Access to the big, powerful ships has been restricted, especially by the terran government. However there are a few new ways to obtain certain ships..but buyer beware.

-The speed of bolts and torpedos has been increased by 50%.

Feel free to apply any of this to your own mod, or to the two other campaigns.

[ November 01, 2003, 23:54: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]