Home » PLAYER'S HQ 1.13 » JA2 Complete Mods & Sequels » AIMNAS Archives » Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228133]
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Mon, 20 July 2009 19:15
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Headrock |
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Messages:1760
Registered:March 2006 Location: Jerusalem |
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Quote:my LMG IMP also is my field mechanic and lockpicking expert as well as explosives guy, basically a full auto substitute of Trevor.
I prefer the mechanics/explosives in the front row. This is especially true in WildFire, where urban terrain has so many doors to breach during an assault, and don't forget the landmines... Until such a time when my Shotgunners get Lockbusters.
Quote:my sniper usually carries 2 sniper rifles [...] coupled with the necessary ammo and low weight armors [...] with strength 80 and full set of armor, you can really struggle at times to keep the weight below the 100% mark
That's the thing, the "normal" weight limit simply allows carrying too much. Two sniper rifles? C'mon. And most of my men are hardly armored enough to survive a frontal. I think that lower weight ratio is very important to get the correct feel for teamwork, because you need to spread some tasks between mercs so that one doesn't get overloaded, or doesn't have to give up protection. Usuaully the ones that need lots of gear will carry MUCH less armor (often forgoing armored pants altogether, and sticking with light armor or even just a camo shirt). To compensate, my Mine_Income_Ratio is higher than normal, so I can hire more mercs. Combat is much more interesting with a larger team where each individual is much weaker tactically than in normal JA2 combat - it practically requires you to employ smart tactics if you want to survive. And it really makes the Alpha Item mod shine because of the large number of possible combinations for armor and LBEs.
Quote:but it also is a testament on how tidy your general modding and coding work seems to be.
It's just a result of being able to find places to do small changes for a large effect. The smaller the changes, the less trouble they bring.
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228145]
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Mon, 20 July 2009 20:44
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Mauser |
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Messages:756
Registered:August 2006 Location: Bavaria - Germany |
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just had a very interesting situation at the central SAM (on expert).
my 5 merc team was resting in the desert sector east of the central SAM, waiting for the night to come to assault, when during the day suddenly a larger group of enemys assaulted the sector from the west.
only due to the massive use of launcher grenades and full auto suppression fire was i able to survive and stop the enemy advance to give my mercs the possibility to fall back and set up positions behind some cover. i then managed to dispatch of the enemy assault force with relative ease due to the accumulated suppression effects of explosives and full auto fire, which enabled me then to assault the central SAM as planned at night.
i prepared for a tough battle only to find the whole SAM site almost deserted, only manned by less than 10 enemys, which were easy to take care of.
it really seems, like the SAM site garrison decided to offensively attack me in the neighbouring sector somehow, leaving the SAM site mostly undermanned. this might have been a pure coincidence, but i thought this interesting nonetheless.
oh and one more thing smeagol: the HK23 and the MG36 are way too similar statwise to make much sense, except for that the MG36 only weighs half of the HK23 and doesn
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First Sergeant
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228189]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 01:24
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Mauser |
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Messages:756
Registered:August 2006 Location: Bavaria - Germany |
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smeagolAgreed on that one, I'll make the HK23 a bit better then. Haven't bothered with that gun much, probably it sucked compared to other similiar guns, so yeah, you're right about this one. I'll also check the Russian LMGs on that occasion (that RPD for example stinks as well, it was in H10 desert weapon cache at one time and it was absolutely awful...).
nice, just try to distinguish the dedicated LMGs from the purely heavy barrelled assault rifles a little more. the extra weight should pay off in distinctively higher effectiveness, range and accuracy(especially when prone).
also maybe try to make them more in the style of DBB mod if you can. also think about making the full auto only ones also only go in full auto like DBB mod does, that would hepl to further set them apart.
the lighter heavy barreled assault rifles should play the role of the light squad supports, which are also effective in semi auto fire and standing asd well as crouched, whilst the dedicated LMGs should pump out full auto and burst fire a lot more effectively but only in prone position and with bipods deployed. so make them wildly inaccurate by default and compensate that with a very hig bipod bonus. make the different weapon classes more distinct from each other and taylored to specific roles and ways of use where they can develop their full potential but are offset by their penaltys in other roles or situations.
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First Sergeant
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228191]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 01:35
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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MausersmeagolAgreed on that one, I'll make the HK23 a bit better then. Haven't bothered with that gun much, probably it sucked compared to other similiar guns, so yeah, you're right about this one. I'll also check the Russian LMGs on that occasion (that RPD for example stinks as well, it was in H10 desert weapon cache at one time and it was absolutely awful...).
nice, just try to distinguish the dedicated LMGs from the purely heavy barrelled assault rifles a little more. the extra weight should pay off in distinctively higher effectiveness, range and accuracy(especially when prone).
also maybe try to make them more in the style of DBB mod if you can. also think about making the full auto only ones also only go in full auto like DBB mod does, that would hepl to further set them apart.
the lighter heavy barreled assault rifles should play the role of the light squad supports, which are also effective in semi auto fire and standing asd well as crouched, whilst the dedicated LMGs should pump out full auto and burst fire a lot more effectively but only in prone position and with bipods deployed. so make them wildly inaccurate by default and compensate that with a very hig bipod bonus. make the different weapon classes more distinct from each other and taylored to specific roles and ways of use where they can develop their full potential but are offset by their penaltys in other roles or situations.
Agreed on that one. I already had those penalties for general accuracy and a bonus when prone, I didn't want to make it too excessive though. maybe I'll add some points there. And you also can add bipods for even higher cth when prone.
**Edit: just added a -5 general tpo hit/+5 when prone to all LMGs in addition to the values they already had.
I just finished adding a slight range bonus to all LMGs (all got a little boost of 20-50 depending on caliber), and also added a point of damage to all LMGs, except the Shrike (which got the range bonus, however).
I'm no fan of the full-auto only, in fact I removed it from all guns. I don't feel it necessary.
Also fixed the AR57 silenced, which couldn't mount regular small scopes.
Edit:
Mauserdo you also have a feature like Night ops where you have 2 alternate maps for each sector that are used randomly or can be set to only use the original or alternative maps?
yes, some maps use alternate versions (like Barinas or most of Drassen, several roadblocks... I might add more if feel like it, but at the moment gimme time to update the regular maps That's enough work, especially if I decide that I don't like a map, like the Cambria hospital, Merida, Alma HQ, etc... it takes about 3-4 hours to make a map, if I have a general idea, what the map should look like, if not it will take much longer... and if I then even screw up on saving the map, it will freak me out and take much longer. This was the case with the hospital map... screwed that one up several times, and wanted to give up on it, but I finished it. Tokk almsot 3 days though... That Alma HQ map has already taken waaaaay too many hours of designing and I'm still not satisfied with the map, so alternate maps are not completely dismissed, but will take some time).
[Updated on: Tue, 21 July 2009 01:46] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228199]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 02:54
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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Hmmm... well, my vision of the mod is a bit unclear for me at the moment... I'm still not sure, what it should become, when it is finished one day. I tend to avoid redundancy in weapons, that's why I left out many guns in DBB//cosplay (the sources from which I started to steal pics mostly).
I started tinkering with prof.dats on the original wildfire before i got involved into modding by Jax, who originally started the WF conversion to 1.13. His efforts tend to be forgotten nowadays, but without his great work, the mod as it is now would never have been in the first place. I did most of the maps, but it was his work that started all of this.
My technical skills were practically non-existant last year. And I'm still not capable of NPC scripting and such things. I can edit maps and edit items, sure, but for "real mod work", my skills are still not good enough... (and without help from the scorpion, there wouldn't be sandbags on roof tops, as well... I'd like to see window wall tiles on roof tops someday as well, but that will probably not happen too soon, as I can't do it on my own...).
I started as a map tester for Jax, but soon developed my own ideas, and the modding work I've done so far is mostly due to stuff I personally wanted in the game (as well on stuff I did want in my games, such as full-auto only guns). Jax didn't like some of my ideas//my way of approaching modding, that's why he is no longer involved in this.
I regret that, but I can see his point. He wanted to release a "complete" version of the item_Mod, but I thought this was rather impossible to do, I like to do updates on the stuff I added as soon as possible, get feedback and re-work stuff that doesn't work out. That's my approach, and that's why the item Mod is still dubbed Alpha_Item_Mod. I don't know, if it ever will reach beta stage. And keeping up with all the changes in 1.13 is quite hard. I really appreciate it, that there are people out there who like my work, criticise it, contribute to it.
That's also why I bring up the big maps thing every now and again. I really want those bigger maps, and I'm pretty sure, that there are quite some people out there who also would like to play on bigger maps.
My idea when I started the item mod thing, was that I really wanted more diverse items (and, as some of you might have guessed, especially more LBE items), wanted to rebalance some guns, etc.
So, as far as the question for a vision goes... well there is none. I'm afraid, that's the best answer I can give at the moment...
Anyways, reagarding map updates: Just changed the locations of Carlo (formerly in D5, now in K6) and Peter (formerly in D13 now in C9). I think this will also require an updated prof.dat, which will be included in the next update pack as well.
There might be some minor changes in that prof.dat as well, that reflect my ideas of the mercs. I don't know, if everyone agrees with these changes, probably not.. so if there are things you don't like, you'll have to rechange it, I'm afraid (I remember for example, that I set Reapers skills to Sniping (expert), Maddogs to Automatic weapons and lockpicking and Scullys body type to regular... there might be more changes compared to the original WF prof.dat provided by the WF_mod, but I think I got so used to my own prof.dat, that I don't remember what I changed...). I also cut some of the top-end saleries for the MERC mercs, which seemed quite high, in fact so high, that I never hired any of them.
I'd also like to see several mercs in the mod, possibly either with an in-game recruit options or as additional MERC mercs. There are several mercs who got replaced by the WF mercs, which I start to miss... And there are quite some slots that could be used (for example all those people who only will be usefull with Crepitus... this mod isn't designed for Crepitus play, so those slots are practically wasted...). So if there's anyone out there who is capable to do such a thing, drop me a line.
KindredAny chance of seeing the Colt Anaconda added, Smeagol? It was added to the 1.13 SVN after you released WildFire, so the stats and artwork should be easy enough to find.
Sure. Will do so, when I find the time...
Edit 2: Okay, just installed the latest one-click version on a different JA2 copy and am ready to look through the XML file.
Edit 3: Also just downloading Tbirds DBB 910. Let's see what's in there to loot.
I like the two mortar round pics in basic 1.13. I might grab these pics for other mortar rounds, maybe in a different caliber or something...
[Updated on: Tue, 21 July 2009 04:08] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228263]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 12:33
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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KindredAn issue I just noticed - loading 9x18mm AP ammo from a 20 round magazine into a PMM, and they turned into regular 9x18mm.
That's strange. Never bothered with 9x18, so never noticed this.
Checked the xml file and it seems every 9x18 AP got the right ammo type. Pretty much clueless at the moment.
Edit:
Ah... I got it, the 12 rnd mag had "AP/FMJ medium" instead of "AP/FMJ small". That should fix it.
Edit 2:
Looking through the DBB Mod, I found several things that I probably add (though some will get modified and for others I only use the pics to create different items). Things I liked so far:
- Polyshok Shotgun ammo
- the 5.56 & 9mm C-Mags (think these are Kaerars, so should have replaced them some time ago already, but simply forgot to do so...)
- the 60mm Smoke and Illumination shells (which probably will become 81mm frag and white phosphorus mortar shells, which of course will require an 81mm mortar as well...)
- Bren Ten
- Carl Gustaf M3 (though the rockets don't look that great...)
- Camo Helmet Covers Desert/Urban/Night
- HK Flare Pistol
- additional Leg protectors (maybe made of Kevlar or Spectra... will be a bit heavier, but will offer slightly better protection than regular leg protectors)
- Maybe ballistic face shield
- Eagle RRV vest (amazing pic )
- Russian M22B vest
- SOE Patrol Vest
The Molle Equipment looks great, but I don't know if it will transfer too well gameplay wise. I think it would make pretty much every other LBE item obsolete. So this will most likely not be included, though the idea is pretty cool... don't know yet (and what I have seen through the screenshots where this got introduced, the handling seemed to be quite inconvenient).
[Updated on: Tue, 21 July 2009 14:04] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228331]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 18:24
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Mauser |
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Messages:756
Registered:August 2006 Location: Bavaria - Germany |
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just don
[Updated on: Tue, 21 July 2009 18:44] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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First Sergeant
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228385]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 21:11
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Headrock |
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Messages:1760
Registered:March 2006 Location: Jerusalem |
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Quote:I think I have a good feeling, what is useful//wanted and I think my item choices do reflect this a little. Some redundancy is still required and necessary, as many items simply add to the flavour//certain merc personalties//game atmosphere.
For example, it was certainly not necessary to add the Colt Anaconda, but it is a nice looking gun and there were only few weapons using the .44 caliber. Same is true for the abundant LBE items I added. Necessary? Not really. Redundant? Too some extent. Useful and nice to have? Yeah. And that's what counts.
Ivan is still wearing that hat he came with. Yeeehaw!
I like the diversity, it adds a LOT of options in my opinion, especially things like attachments which now offer several new "stages" that didn't exist before. And being able to put a cool item on a merc, even if it isn't too useful, adds a lot to the game.
Also as I said I'm playing with a higher STR-to-Weight ratio, so it is nice that the better stuff is also heavier. It means I have to make smart choices, which is really helping make the game so much more involving.
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228387]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 21:19
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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Sam_HottesmeagolI agree that the guns John Kulba sends are rather weak by todays standards. And I think that I will change them. Don't know yet, what I will have in this slot yet, but it will certainly be something customized (like the revolvers Tex uses are). In WF he sends a pair of silenced MP7s, which I find odd as well. But i totally agree, that the Automags are not such a great choice as well...
But silenced MP7 (or MP7 PDW) is a gun that is likely to be used by a variety of players (i guess).
Anyway, if you dislike both, the MP7 from WF as well as the Automag from 1.13 - then maybe the tourist quest's reward is a good opportunity to introduce the crossbow into the game?
I didn't say, I don't like the MP7 silenced, just that I don't think it fitted as the quest reward (civilians owning MP7s and sending them away by mail? yeah, right...). And crossbow wouldn't fit as well, John tells you something about special guns to scare away robbers or something like that, and scaring away robbers with a crossbow seems a bit unlikely...
Headrock
Ivan is still wearing that hat he came with. Yeeehaw!
I like the diversity, it adds a LOT of options in my opinion, especially things like attachments which now offer several new "stages" that didn't exist before. And being able to put a cool item on a merc, even if it isn't too useful, adds a lot to the game.
That's exactly what I mean. That Ushanka may not be the best helmet, but it is so fitting to Ivan, and honestly, Ivan is such a fan favourite, it would be wrong, if he didn't get a special item. Glad you like it.
[Updated on: Tue, 21 July 2009 21:21] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228394]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 22:17
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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MauserHeadrockAlso as I said I'm playing with a higher STR-to-Weight ratio, so it is nice that the better stuff is also heavier. It means I have to make smart choices, which is really helping make the game so much more involving.
well, i would expect the best and newest stuff to be lighter than the cheap and old stuff or at least be as heavy but more effective, simply more bang for the buck if you know what i mean.
i personally would make the balanced in this way:
- lowest item quality class: heavy, not very effective and cheap
- midrange item quality class: lighter, more effective and more expensive
- high end item quality class: just as heavy as midrange, but even more effective and about twice as expensive as the midrange stuff.
Look, that's no balance at all, it's a no brainer to go with the high end item, as soon as it is available. There'd be completely no reason at all to keep the NVG I, if the NVG II offers better sight bonus and weighs less.
It may seem logical at first in real life terms, agreed. In game balance terms, however, it involves absolutely no choices to be made. If however, the items with the better bonus require a choice to made (and unfortunately there isn't such a thing as minimum required stats or something), I think this is the way to go.
Money isn't an issue either, midgame you'll usually have enough money to get the desired equipment... and the good NVGs are already really expensive compared to the cheap ones (and that is mainly because NVGs are a really big advantage during night encounters).
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228428]
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Tue, 21 July 2009 23:59
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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Mauser
well then change that! make the multifunctional items more useful for more diverse things, but also less effective at the specialized tasks.
Don't you think, I would have done so already, if it was possible through xml editing? The specialized tasks can either be activated or deactivated, there is no way at the moment to make items with, lets say -20% on lock picking attempts.
That's unfortunate, but maybe someday this will change (and then it might become possible to add smaller toolkits that wear out faster as well and similiar stuff...).
On a more happy note: I finally got a general idea, how I want the Alma HQ to look like and I'm almost finished with the basic layout of the map. Still not perfect, and there are no items and enemies on the map yet, but 90% of the buildings are finished.
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228431]
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Wed, 22 July 2009 00:01
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Sam Hotte |
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Messages:1966
Registered:March 2009 Location: Middle of Germany |
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smeagolSam_HottesmeagolI agree that the guns John Kulba sends are rather weak by todays standards. And I think that I will change them. Don't know yet, what I will have in this slot yet, but it will certainly be something customized (like the revolvers Tex uses are). In WF he sends a pair of silenced MP7s, which I find odd as well. But i totally agree, that the Automags are not such a great choice as well...
But silenced MP7 (or MP7 PDW) is a gun that is likely to be used by a variety of players (i guess).
Anyway, if you dislike both, the MP7 from WF as well as the Automag from 1.13 - then maybe the tourist quest's reward is a good opportunity to introduce the crossbow into the game?
I didn't say, I don't like the MP7 silenced, just that I don't think it fitted as the quest reward (civilians owning MP7s and sending them away by mail? yeah, right...). And crossbow wouldn't fit as well, John tells you something about special guns to scare away robbers or something like that, and scaring away robbers with a crossbow seems a bit unlikely...
Any robber better would be scared away by a modern crossbow. I would be since i've seen for myself what even a small not very hightech one can wreak to animals.
be that as it may. If you stick with the pistols then presumably Tony can make the most use of them in most games ...
(But i agree on that being a neither big nor urgent problem on your list)
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Sergeant Major
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228434]
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Wed, 22 July 2009 00:11
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Mauser |
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Messages:756
Registered:August 2006 Location: Bavaria - Germany |
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smeagolMauser
well then change that! make the multifunctional items more useful for more diverse things, but also less effective at the specialized tasks.
Don't you think, I would have done so already, if it was possible through xml editing? The specialized tasks can either be activated or deactivated, there is no way at the moment to make items with, lets say -20% on lock picking attempts.
That's unfortunate, but maybe someday this will change (and then it might become possible to add smaller toolkits that wear out faster as well and similiar stuff...).
On a more happy note: I finally got a general idea, how I want the Alma HQ to look like and I'm almost finished with the basic layout of the map. Still not perfect, and there are no items and enemies on the map yet, but 90% of the buildings are finished.
hmm, well that
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First Sergeant
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228462]
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Wed, 22 July 2009 03:10
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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RamirezHey, Smeagol!
Nice to see that you're still under steam, impressive. Just flew over the last pages and it makes me wanna play again. Last AlphaV I played was V22?.
As u say: V30 includes all changes since".. does that mean I have to install V23, 24, 25 etc. first?
What is the best .exe atm to play the mod (25AP, I remember having probs when I tried 100AP the last time)?
Thx
Nope, it's sufficient to install the latest Alpha Version to get all changes. My updates always include all files. If your last version was 22, you'd probably be surprised, what has changed.
I play with a rather old .exe at the moment, but as you might have seen in some posts in this thread, it even works fine with HAM 3.4 and HAM 3.5, which use a much newer .exe than I currently use (mine is still a 2580 test .exe I got from Scheinworld... so that doesn't count...). Just try the .exe you have at hand, it probably should work (but your .exe should at least support 100 AP I guess).
[Updated on: Wed, 22 July 2009 03:10] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Re: Alpha_Item_Mod_for_WF6.06 Part 2[message #228464]
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Wed, 22 July 2009 03:17
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smeagol |
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Messages:2705
Registered:June 2008 Location: Bremen, Germany |
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HeadrockDangit... A-H, huh? Well, when you add I, I'll take Alma and Cambria... I guess for now I'm limited to scouring the northern country.
Yeah, there are quite some more maps in I-L I have to update. I'm just briefly looking through all maps in these rows and decide which will be updated and which not.
At the moment I finished looking through I-K and there are 10 maps total in these rows that will be updated (the major sites mostly... SAM site, Orta, Weapon Caches, Tixa). But as long as I don't get the urge to rework some maps completely, the updates will be done quite quickly.
Edit:
Okay, finsihed looking through the remaining maps to see, which maps do require updates.
And yikes... the Meduna maps will be a lot of work... didn't remember them too well, has been a long time since I actually have reached Meduna in one of my games. The maps themselves are great, but to update them to the Item_Mod will require a lot of work. But as most people take their time to explore the countryside, I guess I'll have some time, before I actually have to update these maps (and btw, the Meduna maps are really tough. Especially Deidranas bunker should be quite a challenge, if you enter through the garden).
So, next on my agenda are all maps in rows I-L and the non-Meduna sectors in rows M-O (which will also be quite some work...).
But now, it#s again time to catch some sleep. good night everyone. :sleep:
[Updated on: Wed, 22 July 2009 04:04] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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