Kryo?
Another smally question if you don't mind.

What would i need to edit or alter in the 'Satellite.fx' (10/07) file to bring back the previously available (DL & DA) transparency effect on Moons?

It looks as though an AlphaBlend condition was added in for reasons so obscure - an oxymoron, if there's anything closer - the BAT moon in TotA doesn't deploy its see-through black electrical features anymore but only on a greyed sphere which isn't the intention!

These fx, btw, may also contain some key tricks for alternate variations to the Homestars texturing or even the rings tilt... but that's for much later, probably.

I've got no idea about the effect files. Logic might, though.

So, please Logic... can you illuminate me or suggest a correction to that specific file?
I wonder if a simple copyover of the previous version would mess the engine so much, a crash should occur, in fact.
Thus, why i was asking.

Hey I don't know if I missed where you guys mentioned but in the custom maps how do I change (if I can at all) the color of the Star System and the size of the star. So far I've been following what you guys have said and I have been able to edit the planets well enough, but the star itself is being stubborn.

That would be "indirectly" possible only by creating an additional entry in the StarTypes.xml file where a new set of textures is given to a specific tag after the ones already there.
I did such stuff with a DarkStar (#8 slot)... but it can only be distributed at random in default maps or by editing a custom map file (CustomPlanets.xml can't detect those though, as Stars continually revert back to the default) for the system intended. (as explained in this thread Why always yellows...)

Sadly the game engine only picks the 'yellows' slot by default, except for the Terran Sol found in CP.xml. Hint!

I got whatever colors i wanted for any simply by renaming the Purples as Yellows - ain't the most elegant solution but it certainly worked. I even went all the way Greens just for kicks once. Straight from a Mod folder, i might insist - you simply don't want to disturb the defaults as they are.

It is currently not possible

Oh well, it looks as though i will never be able to receive any answers from LogicSequence about any subjects too busy that he is promoting his Hi-Res_Graphics 2.0 mod or doing much more important favors to StarDock... it's alright i could detect the general attitude back in November last year as soon as i tried suggesting a new color (and better or too complex for some) picker for this wonderful game i mod (or rather currently and continually trying to understand the hows and whys of some essential features without having to delay my offers to players for months rather than days!) for also.
It's alright though, in the Satellite.fx case, i simply replaced the newest file (but flawed if you ask me, unless explained by anyone) with the old from my mod folder and it actually puts the BAT moon like it is meant to be.

BTW, MrKorx... the map editor allow for resizing of Stars but if the game engine itself doesn't pick up the ball and runs as it should, that's SD coders fault not ours.

Which reminds me of something else about the custom planets (gee, sounds familiar, isn't it?)

Here is what i want to do ***exactly*** for a specific secondary planet in CoSH to be given to General Grievous of the Kaleesh from Homeworld Kalee in his system around star K;

- Find an already equirectangular texture map of the Star Wars Death Star (pfftt, plenty of stupidly weird 3DS files out there, maybe i should buy it from ILM Lucas' studios directly) as it is shown semi-transparently reddish in episode V (or was it from VI?). Not the gray scale drawing found in the library here. No, a genuine DeathStar II with the missing under construction edges which would end up showing on the UV plane "indirectly" as space emptiness showing through stars and nebulaes in the background while spinning.

- Create a fake moon which mimics the greeny fluorescent firing sequence with the following descriptive values;
a) close enough to the planet surface so that it orbits half-sunk into it.
static also (like the Moon) and synchronized with the orbital speed of the Death Star planet underneath.
c) Locate the convex elliptic gun casing on the ecliptic (by modifying the longitudes ratios of the texture map if found anywhere or drawn from scratch patiently) so that its speed also coincides with the half-sunk laser moon above.

*** BUT, since the map editor shows it all to me that the above is possible and that the game engine doesn't.

Question, then: What am i doing wrong? And, if so tell me how to patch that map editor itself so that it no longer shows me fantastic effects that cannot be used - including the supposedly valid pathways tilts.
My video-card doesn't render these? Tell me.
Something's is missing in the code? Fix it.

-- In the meantime, i'll go make King Kong's jungle island with true breathing clouds above it. And the giant legendary Ape standing on a mountain top as seen from space; if Godzilla can be purple itself on a surface map, anything is possible.

Doas anyone know what happends to "unused" Systems and Planets from the customplanets.xml ??
I want to creats some special Systems for unsing in random generated Maps.

Did Galciv2 use systems of the customplanets.xml if there is noch race that use these systems by default?

Or more likely he's just not around, as has been the case for quite a while outside of the HRGM2 release.

Summer time is always a mystery to me... never took much of a true vacation myself when i was working full time in a long gone past!

One thing to be said about LS is that his HRGM2 is truly something of a reference when modders want to "enhance" their own stuff to higher standards. Not sucking up to the guy here, just plain evidence from the version i now have in the TotA mods folder.

But since i will *finally* upgrade to an entirely new PC early next month (Core2Duo Intel/2.8, 8600GS_512mb, 500Gig Drive, 3G_ram, VistaHomePremium, etc)... i'll be able to put all of this high-end stuff to its fast demands.

I'm crossing fingers GCII "trio" of SDC backups i zipped will install smoothly too.
Unless you'd recommend pulling everything off the initial jewel DL case and updating straight from SDC (or Impulse) bandwidth after proper activation on the new PC?

It's definitely a huge step away from the P4 and its low-end NV6600AGP - that's a given.

Besides, my MODs will get to be developped on a quality, efficient, productive computer with that switch.
About $900CDN (fair enough deal, in fact - since that includes a superb 22" panoramic LCD monitor!) well invested, i guess. All i need now is a 2Gig USB-FlashDrive to transfer essential files and_or backup folders with the design frameworks & a whole lotta patience and time to re-install the entire set of usual programs.

A quick question - if you don't mind...

 

As i was doing final tests in TotA (with beta 1.99rc active)...

- Why must the Homeworlds be always a minimal of PQ10 even when a modded customplanets.xml file declares them with different or lower values?

Cuz, it actually borks up the whole intended context of CoSH since these races & their planet raws have specific designs.

I find it also odd that a class 0 extra planet would be added (sometimes) to a pre-defined custom system when it simply isn't purposely written in.

Intended or absolutely necessary by the code?

My understanding is that internally, each player system starts as 10+4+0+0+0, then is modified according to the XML. So probably an oversight as much as anything. I think there have been other similar issues trying to make starting systems not have five planets in the past as well.

Oh well, that *REALLY* explains it all.

I might have an indirect solution for this 'issue'... by moving the homeworld slot in lowest areas of the listing while knowing the big 10 and the default 4 have to be there too. Otherwise, i'll parse through the variable conditions to adhere to the incode pattern - enforcing me into making a set of fives for each to maintain accurate definitions. Shoooots - Tron was initially devised to be a ONE planet system only.

Growing pains of the tricky modding attempts.

 

EDIT; Re-ordering the list didn't work... but, there is the *HomePlanetQuality* bonus (defined in the RC.xml) somewhere that might allow this low starting PQ, i guess!

EDIT2; Ooops, HPQ ability (-60%) so to have 4 tiles instead of 10 on my custom test Homeworld didn't work either. So it must be a re-coding job (2-2-0-0-X... maybe, please!) for the daring - if any?

Thanks again Kryo.

Another related group of questions, please...

According to carielf's modguide these are the Overrides available to us;

***

Usable

PolarImprovable1

EquatorialImprovable1

PolarImprovable2

EquatorialImprovable2

PolarImprovable2

EquatorialImprovable2

LowAltUnusable

HighAltUnusable

PolarUnusable

EquatorialUnusable

***

Well, okay... do i get to have a third slot for Polar & Equatorial Improvables or not? Or is this a typo?

 

Can i also create some extra Usable overrides in supplement of the usual Prairies default?

 

As for the mix_match string loops that spawn on the Colony managment screen when we scan planets & causes the Queries to be different than the terrain type names... i was wondering if our TerrainColorSchemes.xml shouldn't HAVE any of these names/queries tags written in for all possible surfaces and height gaps? Even so, there has to be a reference default surface pre-defined or hard-coded that may interfere with the modded elements we choose to use.

 

More so... is there any new (since DL & specifically for DA, that is) tag fields we should be aware of like, say - Shoreline, Dense Jungle and even some HighAltUsable(s)?

 

Considering the X-Worlds Terraforming & Ultimate Colonization techs would require an extra third & fourth level of upgrade to terrains (From Y-O-R to Green tiles only, as of now) to accomodate me and my squeaking methods to design additional features **indirectly**, should i simply forget the whole principles of huge planetary surfaces variety?

Supplemental comment...

Lemme get this straight, after some acrobatics with special tester RAWs (pure squares, 12x6 framework, grey scaled and mostly equatorial spots, btw!) and planetary surface along with a bunch of PD and TCS.xml files which declare precise gaps & colors them to detect what is underneath-- i came up with a theory on how tiles are being deployed on planets;

 

- Any non-Ocean locations are validated as Usable or Improvable,

- The colony tile is dropped at random on ONE of those... Usable.

- All that remains is assigned going from lowest to highest height gaps if the PD range corresponds.

- YOR tiles are dumped - once the above has been completed - on the extra tiles (starting with the closest Height from the very last assigned Usable tile) until all is on the surface, and if the parser can't find any other but valid non-Oceans, the routine goes left-to-right (mid-center of the equatorial region) even if it means putting some Improvables on Ocean tiles.

- If the TCS overrides, list anything as Unusable (such as deserts, etc) any of these locations and pulled off the initial Non-Ocean pool and won't even receive a YOR extra if they "look" like a valid tile according to the coloring schema.

- Recycle everything above for Polar regions as defined by the current TCS ranges.... but, some may have to fit in the Non-Ocean pool IF all equatorial locations are used already.

- Terraforming extras are directly dependant on initial PQ sizes ***and*** on the % range defined in PD... but are restricted by an incode verification made to PQ1, PQ4, PQ8 & PQ10 minimals of the usual default trio of YOR tiles.

- If no TCS is available for any particular situations, the default Eden theme is used.

 

Right?

 

I feel lucky t'day... BUMPED for some answers.

Okay, no definitive answers - i understand; from now on i will provide my own straight INTO these posts and presume i'm right whatever the modding consequences maybe.

 

One last observation for your kind attention or not, please;

Call me a symmetry freak, but why is the 5th row of surfaces shows up with Polar tiles type while the 2nd is Equatorial? It simply matters to me for the visually appealing logic sense.

Because that what it is, and shut up Zyxpsilon!

Such small details doesn't concern gameplay balance & has no negative effect on the stability of the code itself, too!!