Mod Help

[Phoenix-D]

Sundansyr said:
*grumble*

Okay, now I've done something and it won't let me launch a new campaign. I have no idea what, since I completely wiped the game and reinstalled clean, and patched.

Currently all I am attempting to use is a new components.bmp image file and an edited components.txt file - but each time I attempt to launch a new campaign it gets to the 'generating campaign' splash at 90% and halts. Alt-F4 brings me back to the game menu.

The .BMP file works fine, it's something in the .txt file that I cannot figure out.

Anyone care to look at offer assistance in figuring out this headache?

<edit>

After some experimentation I have some clues... For instance, I've created 3 different types of 'bridge', (basic, advanced, elite). For some strange reason the starting ship loads the one with the highest 'level' requirement. I do not know why. The game chokes during startup just to do that with the bridge, and I guess if I have the other parts likewise (crew quarters, life support, et al) It just can't take the multiple instances.

Why, being my question? I've put 'min level' requirements on them, but it's apparently being ignored?

First, try playing in windowed mode; that will likely let you see any error Messages. Try setting the min level requriements back to 1, see what happens.

[Sundansyr]

Phoenix-D said:
First, try playing in windowed mode; that will likely let you see any error Messages. Try setting the min level requriements back to 1, see what happens.

How do you tell windows to launch something in windowed mode?

A debug like SEIV had would be soooo very nice.

Anyway... I've realized that it was choking on just your example:

APB I and APB II - I did that with the enhanced systems (Bridge, Advanced Bridge, Elite Bridge) while the class name remained: Bridge.

It stuck the elite bridge on my starting ship... and choked doing that. When I added in other 'enhanced' systems, that choking got worse until with 4 such iterations it crashed (or worse, froze the comp solid).

Do I need to create an entirely new 'class' for each iteration of such systems?

I was hoping to limit access to those by level - but that does not seem to be working right. Dunno. I might be using that line wrong.

On a better note: The components.bmp file works perfectly this time! I forgot to add a few things, but I'll put them in as time goes by.

[Sundansyr]

Weapons:

I've been trying to make a few high-speed, low damage weapons, but I'm finding out that 'point blank' actually occurs after the first 10 range.

The anti-proton beam, for example, level one starts at 0 at range 1, and goes up to 180 damage at range 10, and *THEN* the damage listing (as shown in the bottom of components.txt) comes into play at range 11...

Any way to reduce the damage in that first range area?

[Phoenix-D]

You don't tell Windows. You start Starfury, click the setup button and instead of selecting your resolution you select windowed.

I still suggest turning the min level back down to 1 just in case. As for the class thing- your bridges must all be seperate components still, just with the same class name.

Your point blank damage will always be the same as the damage listed initially in the component.

[Sundansyr]

By jove I've got it werking...

In going through it line by line to address my new image slots I detected two major faults:

Cargo bays had 2 effects stated, but only one in use (cargo tonnage). I fixed that back to 1.

And I had a double-line at the end of a record.

I've reset everything back to level 1 and it's working fine thus far (with game reloads, I've not yet tried starting a new game).

If starting a new game works, I'll go back and start tinkering with the levels again.

Wish me luck!

[Sundansyr]

Phoenix-D said:
Your point blank damage will always be the same as the damage listed initially in the component.

Right, that's showing up just fine... in range box #11, with the appropriate damage dec after range 10.
From ranges 1 to 10 the damage is coming from somewhere else. Perhaps the 'beam' definition in one of the other files, I'll have to look into it tomorrow.

Until then, I'm satisfied with what I've gotten working so far, and I'm off to watch the season opener for CSI (Vegas).

[Phoenix-D]

Double lines are a bad thing. I've never seen what you're talking about for the 0-10 damage, so I can't help you there.

[Sundansyr]

BTW: Windowed mode does NOT work for me. I get an error message:

TDirectX.startall - creating primary
This process has already created a primary surface

Phoenix-D said:
I've never seen what you're talking about for the 0-10 damage, so I can't help you there.

Launch the game... look at any weapon. It's damage layout is the same as SEIV. Twenty squares listing the damage your weapons do.

In my game no matter how I set my weapons, the first ten blocks count damage upward from 0. For my level 1 anti-proton beams it's 0 in damage block 1 and 180 in damage block 10. Then whatever damage is set as 'point blank', and whatever follows that as defined by the components.txt file on out to damage block 20.

Anti - Proton Beam
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 12 8 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0

Depleted Uranium Cannon
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 12 12 12 12 12 12 0 0 0 0


It does this even with the unmodded game, patched. I just cannot find where it defines these damage classes.

[mottlee]

This maybe a "Dumb" question..but...how do you get itto play in "Windowed"?

[Fyron]

mottlee said:
This maybe a "Dumb" question..but...how do you get itto play in "Windowed"?

When you start Starfury, instead of loading the game from the menu that pops up, click on Options. There is an option to set the resolution, and one of them is windowed mode.