Author Topic: CEP Revival? (Read 62801 times)

The Old Dragon · « **on:** February 03, 2016, 22:47:43 »

Hi Folks,

Would anyone be interested in reviving the CEP mod that was discussed some time ago?

Sargoth and Geo have resized the briefings to fit widescreen resolution and some background textures; CmdrKoenig has fixed the current model converter and Arparso is looking into a new converting tool with improved capabilities. Add to that the new asteroids that I'm working on and I think we've already created a 'base' to work off.

I daresay Nexus could be reworked in many ways but it'll be a lot of work, what are your views on the idea?

GeoModder · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2016, 06:56:09 »

It was really Sargoth's work. I merely commented/checked/tested on his progress.

Anyway, I'd love to work on something like this.

Infact, atm I'm tinkering with mission 1_1 so it plays out about all voice files made for this particular mission, and the ships act as their captains tell in said voice files. Not too easy though with part of the code checks not working, or being a leftover from a previous version of this mission.

Sargoth · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2016, 19:19:00 »

I was planning on upping the quality of textures and models

But I'm having a hard time trying to get motivation going to get the movies done for widescreen first $:-\$

GeoModder · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2016, 21:14:09 »

I can do that if you like. Nearly done with basic testing of the added code in mission 1_1 anyway.
I can attach the necessary files here and let you have a go at a more indepth test of my tinkering. See if it crashes or something, or dialogs playing out repeatedly...

Sargoth · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2016, 21:53:23 »

Already did the first mission movie

and halfway through the second. If you wanna have a go at it, sure.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20010147/01.ini
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20010147/02.ini

Have a look through the first one. The way I've set it up, the text will appear a bit higher on the movie and not have the bottom cut off.

GeoModder · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2016, 22:06:42 »

Here goes.

Changes in these files are:

Dangerous replaced by the Madeline in the scene near Michelangelo station.
Aerospace-4 sits completely dead. No animations, solar panels retracted.
Hauler-12 has shuttle traffic with Michelangelo station.
Madeline has shuttle traffic with Michelangelo station.
Whale arrives at Michelangelo with solar panels retracted.
Made the mined area around Sunflower a few kilometer smaller.

Movement&sound changes:

The following happens if the player wait outs dialogs and will not approach Michelangelo within 6000m prematurely.
Fighters will approach and contact Whale (1 dialog).
Next Snail will contact Michelangelo for docking directions (I think 5 dialogs).
Whale will continue towards Sunflower and stop several km beyond Michelangelo until Stiletto catches up. Will continue towards Sunflower when pilot Jensen gives the clear.
Snail will move along two waypoints (hidden for the player) to 'dock number 2'. I simply picked the far corridor extension of the station. Snail will come VERY close to the end of this corridor and stop there.
After minefield deactivation sequence, and Stilletto comes within a certain distance of Sunflower, Walker will contact Sunflower for departure clearance (4 dialogs). Shuttle traffic between Sunflower and Walker will gradually stop, and its solar panels will retract a bit later.

By then Stiletto should have nearly arrived.

I haven't tested it extensively with Stileletto dashing around, but sofar, at my end, things play out normally.

The attachment includes the original files, but you can't have those at the same time within the game folders as my files. Reference issues within the game.
Have fun renewing acquintance with the very first Nexus mission.

GeoModder · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2016, 22:07:28 »

Quote from: Sargoth on February 04, 2016, 21:53:23

Already did the first mission movie and halfway through the second. If you wanna have a go at it, sure.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20010147/01.ini
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20010147/02.ini

Have a look through the first one. The way I've set it up, the text will appear a bit higher on the movie and not have the bottom cut off.

Ah? I'll be interested to see how you found a solution to that.

EDIT: How did you find that one out?!

A false second line!

Mission 1_1 redone sits in my post above.

The Old Dragon · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2016, 22:33:44 »

I was thinking that the first thing we should decide is exactly what we wish to achieve / improve within the game and set up a central repository for the CEP files.

With that in mind, here's what I've thought of so far...

1) Visual update, try to improve the existing textures & models or make new HD ones.
2) Bug fixes & tweaks, we've all experienced random crashes and there are some things about the game I'd like to change.
3) Add new content if possible.
4) Make modding Nexus easier.

Obviously, a very broad view at this point but it gets the ball rolling...

Sargoth · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2016, 01:51:42 »

1) My thoughts were to give round things more polygons, to make them, well, more roundish. Also clean the textures up and/or add more/better details. But If we're going to change the texture's we need to keep it themed. As in all those asteroid bases sure could use some more poly's and your texture, Old Dragon.

2) I'm not sure how much is possible in making Nexus less buggy. I think a lot of the "crashes" are hardcoded. But we can do what we can do; Go over mission files.

3) I'm an animator. So, new ships and textures are not my thing. For any new missions I wish we had a better mission editor, or else we'll be fiddling in a lot in code.

4) Arparso. Also, maybe CmdrKoenig.

Also, Nexus news on the horizon; http://steamcommunity.com/app/6420/discussions/0/451852571446952440/?tscn=1454707823

GeoModder · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2016, 12:38:58 »

A central repository. I always have to cringe a little when I read that, especially since that moves things somewhat away from the forum where the idea to improve things originates.
But I suppose its inevitable.

I don't know if you guys have a sort of campaign folder structure ready at your desktop(s), but you better have one, with at least one folder with every single file the base game has in it. And I don't mean only the contents of the universe folder. Its too easy to generate an unknown crash because this or that file doesn't conform with changes made anymore.

Since models and totally new texture creation are way out of my league, that's something I will have to leave to (an)other(s) person(s).
Tinkering/fiddling with text-based files and some basic scripting is my main thing. There I can be of help.

There's quite a bit of unused/abandonned scripting in the mission files. Figuring out what was intended, what was testing, and what not will be time-consuming. In that aspect adding a new mission would be way simpler. To add new, interesting missions is of course another story.

The Old Dragon · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2016, 00:05:56 »

I understand you're point about the repository, kind of takes it out of the forums and hides it but unfortunately, not having one makes it hard to know what's been done, what hasn't and what's being worked on. Especially if you can't access the net regularly... can lead to people doing work that's already done

Arparso, does this forum have the capability for us to upload and store / modify files?

Sargoth · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2016, 14:40:21 »

Can always do a shared dropbox and keep either a forum list or a readme file on who's doing what

GeoModder · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2016, 18:16:10 »

Quote from: Sargoth on February 08, 2016, 14:40:21

Can always do a shared dropbox...

That would be useful.

It was so easy to just click&save/download your brief resizing to my desktop and drop it in the correct folder.

Sargoth · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2016, 20:33:11 »

Not quite like that

We'll be sharing a folder over the net, any file added will be uploaded and automatically downloaded to the other users.

GeoModder · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2016, 11:57:16 »

Automatically downloaded to a dropbox account of others who are members of another mutual dropbox account, or to other members their computer? That last one sounds fishy.

Sargoth · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2016, 19:09:55 »

To the other users of the shared folder on dropbox. And it's on an invite basis, so only invited people will have access

In essence: If I add a file via that folder, dropbox will automatically upload it and download it to you (once you log on to dropbox on your pc). Downside is that we have to be very strict about who does what at a time, but we can circumvent that if we do personal folders within that folder.

GeoModder · « **Reply #16 on:** February 09, 2016, 21:04:10 »

Ah, I see.
Starting to look like I'll have an account on yet another internet service.

How does dropbox generate an income to pay for its bills? Didn't notice adds when I downloaded your briefs.

Sargoth · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2016, 21:58:06 »

You can have paid accounts for €9.99/month with 1 TB storage and €12/month unlimited storage. 2Gb for free storage though. And can get additional 125mb for linking twitter and 125mb for linking facebook and 250 for completing 'Getting started' steps. I'm sure they are selling that info.

But 2 Gb is more than enough for our purpose

The Old Dragon · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2016, 22:34:55 »

If we're ok with using dropbox, I'll send you guys an invite.
I've got an empty file structure set up ( the files already submitted on the forum have been added), so all we need to do when a files ready is drop it in the appropriate folder. I've also put in a couple of text files so that we can keep track of what was added and when, along with who's currently doing what.

GeoModder · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2016, 15:59:34 »

You'll be hard pressed to sent me an invite atm, I don't have a dropbox account yet.

Is this the home page? For me, it automatically shows me the Dutch language.

Sargoth · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2016, 17:54:22 »

GeoModder · « **Reply #21 on:** February 10, 2016, 21:26:14 »

'Kay. I'll look into creating an account tomorrow then. Have to call it the night now.

GeoModder · « **Reply #22 on:** February 11, 2016, 16:29:52 »

Installed. Seems to work fine.
Overwrote some files (01, 02, 03, 10.ini) in the MOVIES folder to check things out.
Its how far I came with the movie subtitles sofar.

Sargoth · « **Reply #23 on:** February 11, 2016, 17:48:46 »

Been testing a bit and being a bit frustrated too, since there isn't a complete map of Pluto and the Sukenja Beta mission shows the ugly side of pluto $:-\$

Oh look! Pretteh

Goddamnit Nexus!

GeoModder · « **Reply #24 on:** February 11, 2016, 19:54:55 »

Are these screenshots taken from the solar system file that ships with the game, or with the one I tinkered with?
It shouldn't be much of a problem to "shift" the side Charon and Pluto show towards the shukenja beta asteroid field. And the final solution could be to make the Shukenja Beta asteroid field the barycenter of Pluto and Charon. In other words, they would orbit around the asteroid field, same side always showing towards the mission map.