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+--- Thread: A dev's log. (/showthread.php?tid=67224)
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 01-15-2012
Been a while since I updated this.
Well, the mod came out - on time, finally. No doubt everyone has had the pleasure of the initial beta stage... less stable then the average sanatorium.. But we're mostly past that now. With the crash bugs having taken priority, the miscellaneous stuff was pushed to the future, and we're getting a handle on that now. Some of the things I did this weekend:
- Moved Trenton outpost away from the planet and turned it around a bit so all docking bays and lanes are accessible.
- Fixed the docking lanes on Safe Haven - I reckon the RoS will like the result.
- Tweaked the Wuppertal refinery in Koeln, another docking issue
- Painted the SCRA class9 effect reddish. It was carrying a copy of the Bret tachyon effect.
- Overhauled the encounter spawning configuration with Cannon. This was a major headache, but had to be done.
- Fixed some hardpoints on a few ships. Lights, inverted turrets, docking issues (HpMount) mainly.
- Attempted to sort the weapon effect of the mortars not displaying on the receiving end. You guys will be the guiney pigs for that fix...:P
All in all we're making headway. When the bugs are sorted we can look to the configuration for 4.86. Ideas/thoughts for 4.87? Stop with the new stuff. A lot of the existing stuff needs work. Destructable ships, sound, unfinished systems... it's all on the wishlist. Besides, Disco is quite big enough systemwise now:)
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 01-19-2012
Continuing work on the encounters. A lot of buggy ones were recently fixed - makes me wonder if we'll see some oddly located gunboats or such pop up. The game has a nasty habit of not telling you when it can't spawn an encounter... Something like that does not get logged.
What else? Fixed a Gallic station component not showing up. Sorted another component having some transparant textures - missing MAT issue. And fixed a MAT that was crashing some clients due to having a corrupted texture inside. Should cut down on spew feedback too. Added the RPC to Speyer and moved the snubs to Duisburg - Enjoy, Unioners. Civvy guns for the Colonials at New Haven East. Misc small bugs squashed. Surprising, we're now at revision 1510... about 400 versions further then the initial release. More then a quarter of the work done post-beta...? Heh.
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 01-26-2012
Encounters, check. Initialworlds and empathy settings, check. Monotonous and tedious work but it needs doing. Stuff like that gets missions working properly (yes you, Exiles) and gets everyones rep adjustments to go up or down properly depending on who you pew. Wasted well over 20 hours on those 2 files - 101 * 101 factions does not quick editing make. But, with that out of the way it's time for a new project: Revisiting every SUR and making it less complex. Seems a side-effect of making complex hitboxes skin-tight is that they tend to create such a high server load that it induces lag. I'm starting with the turret hitboxes and some of the largest player ship hitboxes (Legate is a prime example), then will work my way down. Turrets and other equipment tends to be calculated seperately, and battleboats carry a lot of them - reducing those in complexity is going to have an almost exponential effect. I hope. Only way to know if it worked is when we update and see how the lag fares during a major cap vs cap engagement. Luckily for us devs, the community does a lot of those:D
A dev's log. - Swallow - 01-26-2012
Luck with that, Aet, probably the best thing I could wish to you alongside with overall people's patience.
By the way, is not it a good way to make sur models via that tool in milkshape I cant remember the name of?
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 02-24-2012
I tend to do SURs by importing the model in Milkshape, removing all the hardpoints, wipe all the textures, then regroup the ship into subsections which a convex hull can be wrapped around. So you end up with a good approximation of the actual model in purely convex hull components. The Milkshape ConvexTool plugin is used to generate the convex hull parts, usually with a max of 96 verts per part (to keep organic components from causing the SURs to grow insanely large, and generating a lot of load as a result). This is exported to an OBJ file, then pushed through SmackBolzen's OBJtoSUR tool, which does all the sursplicing for us, and wraps a nice bounding hitbox around the entire object to optimize server load usage of the SUR (if a projectile or object does not intersect with the bounding box, the server can declare a no-hit and skip checking the individual parts of a SUR).
Update: We're getting ready for update 4. Shouldn't be too long now, just needs a bit of testing done to see if the fixes for missiles and novas to hull and shield won't affect balance too much. Flak and mines are a concern. Lots of fixes, some enhancements too. I'm sure some people will be surprised with the "shield" hardpoints popping up here and there in preparation for equipment mounts, but meh.
A dev's log. - Swallow - 02-24-2012
As far as I know the Milkshape .SUR exporter does all well , and there is no need in exporting your convexed model.
if you don`t want removing h-points, just untick option in CMP importer
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 03-25-2012
The milkshape SUR exporter isn't really a good one.
Allright, devly update. Still no update 4 yet - Cannon is working on it but likely bogged in out-of-game activities or plugging away at the playerbases plugin (which proved more of a challenge then originally anticipated, that's why it's taking so long). Creating something that hasn't ever done before takes time...
It did give me the time to tweak a few additional minor issues:
- Stuff for sale in Tau-117, Wilde wanted some changes to the ship offers there.
- Zoner Whale needs to be able to fire a HCM.
- Some factions demanding the pilots of neutral/allied factions created silliness. Fixed.
- Nomad LF didn't do 400. Now the traffic cops can fine those for speeding as well.
- Planetsphere of Chateuroux in Berry wasn't the correct diameter in the model.
- Tours/Anjou jumphole was causing an unwanted trade shortcut. Used a creative way to fix this: Limited the jumphole to fighters only. Also added an additional dockpoint to existing holes, so two ships can dock at once to it. Also prevents lamers from using a slowturning ship from locking out a hole (or noobs on slowdock from frustrating others;)).
- Toned down the excessive NPC swarm around the Dublin/O49 holes. Also re-added the third gold field to Dublin, although it is now in a different location. Resized the existing goldfields so it'll be easier for pirates to find the miners in them (no hiding at the far edge of the field).
- Fixed some faulty infocards
- Moved Freiburg out of the way - it was blocking the entrance to the new lane into Koeln. Base has moved a bit north, as has the planet, but most people won't even notice the difference.
Update should be soon now ™.
A dev's log. - AeternusDoleo - 03-28-2012
Well, still no update, obviously. Seems during final testing, a major bug was found in one of the hooks - Cannon's working to solve it but until he can do so we'll have to hold the release. No ETA on that, sadly.
On another note, the development for 4.87 has started, with folk discussing storyline progression and the new layout of the galaxy. Some things we intend to do:
- Eliminate "guard" systems. Nice systems are brought into the game as part of the actual mod, basically systems for anyone to go to, but heavily influenced by specific factions. Systems that are largely empty or add nothing to the mod will be eliminated, with their bases moving elsewhere. Example: Halle will be eliminated, it's bases moving to Braunschweig or another to-be-determined location.
- Trim Gallia. It's too big, both in system count and in the size of the systems. It is also very isolated, but that may or may not remain the case.
We also intend to (try to) give all factions some loving this time around. One complaint I tend to hear from time to time is that for 4.86, the focus is so heavily on the Gallic invasion that it's blocked all other faction development. To ensure this doesn't happen again, we'll try and put in some advances for all factions - and are open to suggestions how. Some examples:
- Interspace funding the construction of a tradelane to Sprague in exchange for tax exemptions to Waterloo. DSE gets contracted to actually build the thing, with Ageira naturally, supplying the parts. DSE arranges with the Zoners of FP1 to be able to base from it for the construction effort. Trade booms on Waterloo, but slumps planetside - which annoys Bowex, but they can't do a whole lot about it. Gateway on the other hand takes advantage of the situation by moving it's offices onto Waterloo.
- DSE and Ageira initiate construction of an experimental "supergate" in Alberta, much like the prototype they attempted to build in Texas. The operation's kept quiet but the Hackers catch wind of it. Other factions might also end up taking an interest...
- Seeing increased scrutiny in Kusari to continue their unlawful cativities there, the Hogosha relocate their activities to the edges of the empire. New small bases spring up in secluded locations at the borderworlds bordering Kusari. The Golden Dragon Casino becomes a legal front for them, earning revenue from a position in the Shikoku system, catering to the Liberty rich and famous, while at the same time serving as a major smuggling post, mainly for artifacts passing towards Liberty.
These are just some examples of what we're hashing out. Ideas are welcome - but try to refrain from the "nomads blow up Gallia" lines of thought. We're not thinking in terms of anything drastic like that.
A dev's log. - Echo 7-7 - 03-28-2012
' Wrote:...
- DSE and Ageira initiate construction of an experimental "supergate" in Alberta, much like the prototype they attempted to build in Texas. The operation's kept quiet but the Hackers catch wind of it. Other factions might also end up taking an interest...
...
This post is a victory for factions.
Maybe we can redesign the rest of Alberta, too, considering how amusing the current arrangement is;)
PS. Minnesota could use some love, too. I'm thinking a fully built Gate/Lane Network because it's about time.
And Jump Gates Colorado <-> Illinois and Alaska <-> Ellesmere would be good too (ala. Zone-42).
If you're keeping those systems - given you could just move all of the bases in Ellesmere into the empty western half of Alaska and put Police Plaza far behind Planet Denver, etc.
PPS. I left you a message on Skype about base design/redesign. Not sure if you got it. Works in the 4.87 time frame. No hurry to reply but let me know if it's something worth pursuing.
Edit: PPPS. I've got so many plans/ideas for Liberty it's not funny.
A dev's log. - Stefan - 03-28-2012
Dropping a few Gaian lines over here...
- We're enjoying the whole attrict between Gallia and Bretonia since it has created some cool rp situations so far. It would be interesting to get some breathing room, however - maybe adding a JH to facilitate things from Faroe to somewhere else, or an unexpected show of good faith from another Sirius group/pirate/faction/nomad things. We're rping to get those, of course, but things are slowing down, any push is a go by this point.
- Equipping our ships is a pain. Not sure if it's intended, but the flight from Ed to Faroe takes time, and thats the only place we can get ships properly equipped. Maybe leveling up the equipment found on, say, Newcastle, or adding a new, well equipped base on Edinburgh, could speed things up a bit.
- As we suggested on another thread, it would be cool to see the possibility to delve into relations with factions such as ALG. To exemplify, throwing a simple "May protect lawful traders from pirates." would put a smile on our faces - it may not seem to make sense, but the Gaian lore actually agrees on the fact we don't simply hate every trader. This is something being discussed by both factions already, but again, suggestions will be suggestions.
- Besides piracy there ain't much we can do nowadays - smuggling is pretty hard already at our side of diplomacy. Two ideas nocked our doors these days tho:
- Gaian Wildlife being well paid on some Gaian Base. We're not asking to add it as a viable trade route, just enough to be seen as a reward for retrieval: Said Gaian blows smuggler up, cooks up a transport, gets them pets to safety, gets paid decently. (You can net like 10k for each? A quarter than that would be interesting, since you get paid like 1k on Islay.)
- On the off chance this could be seen as a viable trade route, a "Safe Heaven for Gaian Wildlife" kind of station would be interesting.
- On the off chance this could be seen as a viable trade route, a "Safe Heaven for Gaian Wildlife" kind of station would be interesting.
- Gaian Absynthe. Yeah. One of our members suggested it (Ktayn, I'm talking about you here.) and it's kinda cool. Could be considered contraband, rp'd as a drink distilled from herbs, created after learning the Gallic taste for wine. It would certainly make activity rise around our places.
- Gaian Wildlife being well paid on some Gaian Base. We're not asking to add it as a viable trade route, just enough to be seen as a reward for retrieval: Said Gaian blows smuggler up, cooks up a transport, gets them pets to safety, gets paid decently. (You can net like 10k for each? A quarter than that would be interesting, since you get paid like 1k on Islay.)
Kudos for asking, by the way.