The Blue Sun Mod

[R@S]

Originally Posted by Ninja2dan

As for the weapon data, that was actually part of my concern. The ranges used in the game are not extended enough to make full use of the larger-caliber weapon systems such as the Barret. I'd have to find a large open area to do the ballistics testing to try and get everything matched up properly, and I'd need some instructions on how to actually create a "copy" installation that will allow easy and rapid access to the testing location. Something to think about in the future, but I think I'll look at the other areas first.

I've made this clever little character called a map guide, when talking to him he'll transport me to any map I like. I could easily add a few enemies on any map to easy your testing. It would be a matter of starting a new game, talk to himand he'll get you directly to the action. In combination with the shop cheat this would make it all too easy

Once I've found a suitable file host, and some spare bandwidth, I'll upload the Reloaded maps, fix the guide map encounters and send you the link. Just let me know when your computer is up and running.

Originally Posted by Ninja2dan

I'm curious, how "easy" is it to actually create new missions/quests? How well do they tie together, such as having multiple-outcome scenarios that string along like a tree? Is it basically just creating a storyboard, writing out each mission, and then creating some sort of script that ties them together?

Sure, if you have a little knowledge of programming C/C++ it isn't very difficult. I had most problems with the Object relations, but once I figured out how that worked it all became very easy. I just check the vanilla missions to see what functions are available and the copy them to fit my story. But I had a lot of help from Deadhead when I first started, and I really tested his patience I think

Originally Posted by Ninja2dan

Is there a limit to the number of overall missions used in the mod? Are there any other limitations or complex problems that interfere with creating new missions? Things such as max enemy/civilian characters per mission/map. I know there isn't a map editor, but is there any way to add objects to a map, such as a backpack that must be located and picked up? Or can this only be done by looting from bodies

There isn't any limit to how many missions the game can handle, at least not that I know of. And having a lot of civies or enemies on one map just causes a lot of lagging, so I've never tested to see if there was an upper limit there either.

Adding items to a map is simple, I think the function is "call AddSectorItem" nnd then you specify which map, map place and item. Easy piecy The exact syntax can be found in one of the random missions, nr 7 if memory serves.

I'd be more than willing to help you get started on scripting, I know from experience that it's much easier when you have someone to rely on for tricky things.

I also have some good news, I just got the source code for the outsourced mod and am looking at it right now. It appears that externalizing stuff to inis is much easier than I thought and I'm going to incorporate it into the BSM source to make them compatible again. What a sweet thing. A million thanks to guineapig for his generosity.

EDIT: I forgot about the materials and penetration. There's a file in the ini folder(AZP archive) called PHYSMATERIALS where you can alter the material properties. In the AMMOINFO file there are several entries used to calculate the bullet properties, such as penetration, tumbling, probability of shattering on impact and several others.

[Ninja2dan]

Sounds good. It might take another month or so before my computer is fixed, depending on what is actually wrong with it. I have done all of the testing I can do myself, but without secondary components I can't test anything else. I'll be taking it in for a diagnostic tomorrow and will know for sure what part is fried. I'm guessing it's the video card, and I can't remember if it's still under warranty or not. If it is, the RMA will take about a week. If not, it won't be until next month before I can afford a replacement.


Once my computer is running smoothly again and I have the latest mod version installed, I'll go ahead and start asking for guidance on learning the scripting system and which files need looked at. I haven't done game scripting in over 6 years, and even then I was a fill-in instead of a full-time coder. But I'll give it my best shot, learning the system will help get new features added quicker and easier.

It's good to hear that there are actually different data files to determine values of materials and ammunition. Without destructible environments, having some capability of shooting through walls does come in handy. But I'm guessing that the AI is not capable of such a tactic, shooting through walls at your mercs when they hear you moving around?


What is the "Outsourced Mod" that you mentioned? What does it do?

[R@S]

The Oursourced Config mod is a little thing that externalizes some settings, like starting money, merc salaries and random encouter settings. It also adds the ability to change the random missions available at the bartenders and traders. These can be considered a cheat if used the wrong way, but it also has a few other functions, like the collateral damage setting and the convoy mission fix where the AI solders on your side wont go hostile if you throw a nade in their vicinity.

Check the \INI\outsourcedconfig.ini file for more info.

[Chortles]

Originally Posted by R@S

There are 2 new weapons in the latest HLA I'd like to add, the Magpul Masada

Which version are you thinking of? The Magpul-exclusive prototype, the Remington/Bushmaster Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR; Bushmaster for civvie, Remington for military version), or what The Firearm Blog called "The-ACR-As-Magpul-Intended-It-To-Be"?

[R@S]

I dunno, but here's what it looks like:
Magpul Masada



I've added a banker in Puerto Viejo. I started by using the one from ECOmod but ended up re-writing most of it. Let me tell you, I had some serious problems trying to figure out how to calculate the interest rate on the account. I left the loaning system pretty much intact, but I plan to alter it since it wasn't really complete in the ECOmod. Guinneapig said he was going to add some debt collectors but never got that far in his work. I think I'll do it, maybe add some Repo men to steal the player's car if the repayment is overdue, not just start fighting with the player. That'll be a great incentive for honoring your debts and paying your bills on time

For now the banker uses the same place as the ECOmod one, but I plan to make a mission for him. I haven't decided if I'll put him in Puerto Viejo or the player base, I want him to be accessible whatever faction the player works for.

Since the new class system is almost complete, it's time to start thinking about the global AI and the capturing of cities. Since I first must add the Reloaded maps so that I don't have to do that after it's complete, I'll wait a bit until they're uploaded and I have a few willing testers. In the meantime I'll be working on improving the outsourced mod and I hope people will share what they would like to see in this next project. How should it work? What should militia cost? Should there be several levels of militia, like in JA2?

[Ninja2dan]

At what phase of the game, or CGL, does the player begin having militia available? If it's fairly early on, I think I'd like to see several "levels" of militia available. Something that allows you to pay a fee to upgrade them, with the max level depending on current CGL. The higher the militia level, the better equipment they are likely to have. And, if possible, the higher-level militia will also get a little better skill?

As for cost, I really don't know. It's been so long since I played the game last time, and I don't even really remember ever having used the militia for anything. They basically just sat at my base, which was never even attacked. Their fee should be equal to their quality and function though. If they make it a lot easier for the player to survive a battle, then they should be priced accordingly. Remember that the easier a battle, the less ammo is used, and the more loot can be picked up. So the easier the battle, the more profits.


With your suggestion about vehicle repo, what happens to any equipment in the trunk?

[R@S]

The equipment will be lost. But since the HLA guys made a user function that can store the ecuipment, I might be able to provide it later, if the player pays his debt.

As the banking system works now, if the player defaults on his loan, the bank account and all the money the player has will be set to 0, even if the player actually has the money to pay it back.

The militia, recruit, regular and elite, will have different stats depending on their level, if that's the way we'll go. And they'll have better equipment to, and all this will reflect in their cost. Maybe also add the possiblity to send them to capture towns, it's how the current system works. But it's still only in my head, and I'm not sure where this'll lead, that's why I'm asking for input.

[Ninja2dan]

In the vanilla game I did try capturing towns on my own, but nearly every time I would lose the town just minutes after I left it. And it didn't matter if I was working towards the Government side or the Rebels side, the towns would always revert back to someone else's ownership.

I'm wondering if you guys have been able to successfully capture and hold a town after leaving it, without having to place militia there. And what benefit does capturing a town actually have? This isn't Command & Conquer, towns don't provide additional income or resources, so I don't know what the purpose even is.


Knowing that about the banking system, I can't see myself ever using it. Knowing that even if I had $2m in cash, if I for some reason forgot to pay towards a loan for only $150k, I'd actually lose the full 2m instead. Not worth the risk. But what about people that owe $100k, and only have $25k in cash? If the loan defaults, they'll lose the $25k but their debt will be cleared back to $0?

The same goes for the auto repo. The player could have over $1m worth of items in the trunk, but if they are late on the payment they not only lose their car but also the entire stockpile of items inside it. Those just seem like overly-harsh punishments for being late on a payment for what ever reason.

I think I'd rather see something that is a form of punishment, but more along the lines of an annoyance and reminder to get their payment made. The idea of random encounters from "The Muscle" would work well for this. But instead of sending a group of well-armed thugs after the player's group, how about a larger force with low-tech weapons? This way the player can't exploit the encounters as a means to stockpile on weapons and ammo. Using more enemy will in theory overwhelm the player's group, and even if the player survives with minimal injuries the annoyance of these frequent battles might get them motivated to pay their bill. What do you think?

[Chortles]

R@S, your "Magpul Masada" actually makes me think of the Remington ACR (supposed military/LE version of what was the Masada, while Bushmaster is responsible for the horrendously overpriced civilian ACR), but with "MOAR RAILZ." I see the collapsible/side-folding stock and the side/bottom rails, and it looks like you're using the 10.5" barrel; only critique is that the 12 o'clock rail isn't full-length. So long as it's not a "redundant" gun with only aesthetic difference (I've already slotted it into the "rails-accessorized close-quarters carbine" role in my head), cool by me.

Please note that "levels of gear" are already accounted for with existing generic NPCs; just take a look at "BS_Soldier.inv" for example in the editor, where you have several different equipment sets across and within CGLs.

I should note though as a JA2 player, one rather "unbalancing" thing about v1.13 is that because your local support (and thus mine income) doesn't drop when you stall, there's no impetus or urgency in going aggressive against the Queen's holdings. Once I take Drassen's airport sector and the mine sector, I then proceed to hunker down for weeks on end to train militia and my mercs, the latter usually by importing mercs to act as trainers for high-LDR/high-WIS mercs who can then act as training cadres (both for other mercs and for militia). Eventually the outcome will outstrip my expenses, especially if I can get away with letting contracts expire on the higher-priced mercs; then take Alma (whose "gun range" sector gives a bonus to Marksmanship training to mercs training the skill there), and eventually it just grows to the point where I can afford the "luxury" of using Skyrider's $100-per-sector helicopter service as a regular ferry.

R@S, I'd still like to be able to do this in BSM, but just keep this anecdote in mind when designing the militia. (I should note that even with high LDR and the Extended Ear headset, the JA2 v1.13 militia AI was extremely inconsistent with following orders.)

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the class system simply because of "forced specializing" but I'd be willing to try out whatever version you've got at the moment. At one point I had my Cameron carrying a suppressed SR-25, a M4 Super 90 (M1014), an M1A (or M14 "proper" variant), and a full-auto AR, mainly using "Aimed" mode, which should tell you something about where I'm coming from on this and what my preference is. (Though I recognize that the vanilla game does "force specialization" by its point allocation method of customizing each merc, on top of their basic traits.)

[R@S]

If you don't wanna play with the class system, I've added a turn on/off function in the outsourcedconfig.ini file. I'll do this for anything new I add that might be in conflict with realism.

I know that there are many people that dislikes anything that isn't based on realism, but most of the criticism I've gotten is from people that has never actually tried it, only read about the changes on a forum. A long time ago I made some changes on grenade damage and got a lot of flak for it, but once people had actually played a little with the new setting the criticism ceased. The lesson here is, never complain about something without having at least given it a shot (this isn't aimed at you Chortles, you just left the door open for me to get this off my chest)

When talking about the 3 levels of player guards, I was mostly meaning their attributes. But I will give them different gear, the recruits will have cheap stuff while the elites will have the expensive imported stuff.

The economy will be a big task to delve into, and I agree with you regarding JA2, I tend to do the same as you there. Luckily there are a lot of factors that will be part of it, and with a lot of work we might get it to work. There is of course always possible to trick any system, and since there's an "Easy Money" option in the game, one could easily bypass any system we make.

I had an idea last night before I fell asleep, that always happens to me.

As you might know, if one hires a merc you can tell him to wait for you, and if that place is a "Standard" sector he'll wait until his contract ends. It might be possible to add some dialog options to a waiting merc, like train militia. So if the player wants to train the existing militia, he'll have to recruit a merc for it and leave him in that town. We could then play with the merc salaries to tweak the economic system. I think this will be worth investigating.