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Topics - ORMtnMan

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1
Modding / Can't find source of error (Solved (or at least located))
« on: October 20, 2014, 07:42:47 PM »
22851 [Thread-5] ERROR com.fs.starfarer.combat.D  - java.lang.AbstractMethodError
java.lang.AbstractMethodError
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.C.K$Oo.new(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.oOOO.B.Ò00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.oOoO.Oôo000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.super.A.Ò00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.D.super(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.StarfarerLauncher$2.run(Unknown Source)
   at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

I usually get errors that help me pinpoint where the issue is... This happens when I try to load up the test mission for my mod faction. My mission file is basically the same, my csvs match, my hull files are the same... not sure what is causing this. (I even check my ship system, which matches)

2
Suggestions / Basing carrier capacity on logistic points
« on: October 16, 2014, 04:35:15 PM »
Heya,

Not sure if this idea has been thrown out there yet but I was pondering it a bit and bouncing it off some of the other modders.

Here is the idea:

Instead of having flight decks to support fighter wings, carriers would have a fighter support capacity value.

How the system works right now. A ship (like the Condor) has a single flight deck. This one deck could support a single Talon wing, a single Warthog wing, or a massive Corvette wing put in by a mod.

My suggestion would make it so that a Condor would have say an 8 LP capacity. This means that it could deploy a single warthog wing, or 2 Talon wings. (Warthog at 8 LP, two Talons at 6 LP).

This could even spawn hull mods that increase said cap. Something like "expanded flight decks".

Here are the benefits as I see them:

This would make the smaller fighters more useful in later game as you could have more of them as a trade off for power. I know there is the actual LP to make the smaller fighters useful. However, the 1 flight deck to 1 wing makes it not as useful to have smaller fighters because it wastes the carrier's functionality. Would you honestly use talons with your Astral? With this, concept, it might be feasible.

It would open the door to smaller (frigate sized) carriers that can only support the smallest of fighter wings.

It would be more immersive and provide for more versatile carrier balancing options. IE You could have combat carriers with a lower fighter capacity or dedicated paper fighter carriers.

Anyway, this is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head...

If you have any questions (or think this is a royally stupid idea) let me know!

3
Modding / Carrier capacity based on FP of Wing?
« on: October 16, 2014, 01:32:24 PM »
Hey guys,

I was doing some contemplating.

Would it not be a better/deeper (more immersive)  to have carrier fighter capacity based on the Fleet points of the fighter wing?

For example, a carrier would have a flight  deck with the capacity of say 4 FP which could support two interceptor wings OR 1 bomber wing...

This would reduce the ridiculousness of huge corvettes from peoples mods coming from small carriers, and open up the possibility of micro-carriers only able to service a wing of tiny interceptors.

I know it would change  the mechanics of the game a bunch, but it might be an interesting suggestion for Alex...

Sorry if someone already covered this ground long  before me, but let me know what you guys think

4
Modding / Yet another ship (sprite) creation tutorial
« on: September 11, 2014, 10:23:18 AM »
PART ONE
Just for clarification, I am using the GIMP program, so any terminology I use is from that. I have not had much time using other similar programs (like Photoshop) so I don't know how interchangeable the terms are.

GIMP is free and can be found here: http://www.gimp.org/

If you have any questions or need clarification on steps, feel free to message me or respond to the post

Step one: Create an outline of the ship

First, create the basic outline of the ship being designed. For my demonstration I am using a re-work of my Aegis Fleet Defender.



This is the basic outline for the major parts of the ship only. Do not get too detailed at this point, the details and doodads will be added later.

Step two: Basic Color

Next I use the color bucket to add general colors to the various sections to help me distinguish the parts.
I leave the turret spots blank and transparent as I will be copy pasting turret spots from SS ships later on. If you don’t want to create your own turret spots, leave them blank as well.



I move the colors to another layer by copying the current layer combined layer and deleting the colors from one.

Then, on the new color layer I fill in the black lines with the dominant (higher on the ship) color



The separate layer allows me to add transparency to the outlines which will be described later.

PART TWO

Step one: Structural Details

Now, on the outline layer add structural details and doodads. Do not worry about texture or color details yet.



Solid black lines don't look very good on SS sprites.

To fix this, set the opacity of the black line layer to about 60%, then merge it down into the color layer. That way the black lines instead become grey colored lines. Keep in mind however, when the transparent layer is merged down, the lines will still be grey. This will not look very good in non white/grey sections.

To remedy this, use the paintbrush tool using a darker version of the color in question and lightly paint over the dark lines.
PLEASE NOTE! You will want to make any color changes now as it will only get harder later on.

Step two: Anti-aliasing

After the layers are merged, use the anti-alias tool to soften the jaggy edge lines. The anti-alias tool requires solid color on one side of a line or the other to work (no transparency). The anti-alias tool is found in the filters dropdown.

Please note that the anti-alias tool is a very blunt instrument, you will have to go back through and fix little issues manually. For instance it will round out corners of boxes you may want to keep sharp. Also, it will not AA the outside edges. So this is where the tedium of AA comes in. Use the venerable eraser method. The eraser method entails making a solid pixel on the outside edge corner (that you want to soften), then use the eraser tool and hover over a fraction of the pixel and "erase" it. This adds transparency to the pixel. (I do not have good screen capture abilities so if anyone wants to donate actual process pictures please do.)

Here is the result of my anti-aliasing. (It looks a lot better than the solid black line version)



I also modified the colors to be closer to what I want the end product to be.

Step three: Structural shading

Now, create a layer called the shading layer. Separate the layers just in case you want to change colors during the rest of the process. Set the opacity of the shading layer to about 75% and use the airbrush tool with black for the shadows and to give the sprite depth. This is because as things are shadowed, they lose saturation and the black airbrush simulates this. The same thing happens in the light areas, so my next step will be to use a white air brush on the light areas.

The more detailed shading and gribbles will come later, this is only the overlay.

I changed the blue again to be a bit darker, and rearranged the engine section for a newer idea I had... These kinds of changes happen during the creative process. So, don’t be overly attached to any one shape.



Add the lightened sections using the white airbrush. Make this a subtle change as you don’t want to make this ship shiny, especially in “painted” sections like stripes etc. SS sprites tend not to be shiny, so to keep in the same vein, keep it relatively dull.

I darkened the color/line layer as it was too bright overall.



Right now it may still look like crap, but do not be discouraged (I'm not) as it will look better when details are added.

PART THREE

Step one: Shading details and smaller additional details

Now, make a first pass at details using a combination of the paint brush, black airbrush and colorization. Don’t make internal lines darker than the outlines, these details will be to personal taste so experiment and don’t be afraid to change things if they don’t look right. If you lack inspiration (or if you just want to keep your ships in line with SS ships, use them as references for the details.

Here is the result of my first pass. Definitely better than the previous version but still needs more work. I used the Eagle as a reference for the details I added.



Step two: Color details

On a second pass, add color layers with transparency to colorize sections. I select the sections using the free select tool.
Then fill in the section with white using the paint bucket.

Finally, use the colorize function to colorize it.

 This adds variety in color which makes the ship look more “real” (or at least fit in with SS ships).  This is also to personal taste so experiment and feel free to change. I used multiple color layers in this section for the different colors to make it easy to change.

Step three: Lights/windows

To add lights and windows use a white pencil to make the center of the light or window.

Then, on a new layer with transparency use the airbrush to give the light color and a bit of radiance. I set the size of the airbrush to 2 for the radiance. Then clean up the light with the eraser tool. For instance in the bridge windows I erased the upper parts of the light to give the impression the light is radiating out the window and not up the wall above it.

I upped the contrast for my own taste here.

Step four: Adding in the turrets

If you, made your own turret spots ignore this step (obviously)
Throughout this whole process I kept the turret spots empty so I could cleanly add them later. I add a layer to the very bottom and copy paste turret points from SS ships so they fit into the open spots.

Here is the result:



5
Modding / The Ashkurr Commonwealth (WIP)
« on: September 01, 2014, 08:48:06 PM »
The Ashkurr Commonwealth

Welcome, this mod it very much in progress, but this will serve as a repository until it moves from the pre-alpha stages.

Lore

Pre-Collapse
Spoiler
The Ashkurr Commonwealth’s pre-collapse history is spotty at best. The only historical documents remaining are business records and newsletters from a company called Astral Defense Industries (ADI). According to the documents, ADI is (was?) a company that produced midline military equipment. The company was founded by Ethan Coolidge in cycle 2854 (ancients time). Ethan was the son of a co-owner of the company (of which the name is not listed) that designed the venerable Eagle which gets such ubiquitous use in current time.

The Ashkurr system was found by ADI prospectors sometime in cycle 2879. The planets of the system were rich with minerals and ripe for exploitation. The downside was the planets were barren and their atmospheres made it impossible for biological life to survive. So on planet food production and civilian infrastructure was impossible to build. Massive auto-factories were established on the planets and the Ashkurr system quickly became the production center for the company. The civilian population was relegated to orbital stations around the planets and roaming fleets. The deficiency in food production was supplemented by a continual stream of supply fleets, while local food production was established in orbital food yards.
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Collapse
Spoiler
When the Gates ceased operating, operations continued as normal for a short while as it did in other sectors. Unfortunately, at the point the gates went dark, the local food infrastructure was incomplete and insufficient for the requirements of the population in the system. As the food and medical supplies dwindled and gates did not reopen panic spread through the population.

With the absence of any direction from the corporate leaders the population formed its own government, The People's Republic of Ashkurr. In an act of desperation, all the industrial production was nationalized by the regional government. The auto-factory production was refocused from military production to designing and producing civilian and hydroponic craft.
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Post-Collapse
Spoiler
Once supplies and food production stabilized in the system, the government slowly released control of industry to enterprising companies. This decentralization shifted the government away from the communism born from need. This new government was more of a republic and each planet was allowed their own government. The self governing planets established the Ashkurr Commonwealth.

Not every planet was happy with the change in regime and a splinter group calling themselves the New People’s Republic (NPR) which took control of Ashkurr IV. The lack of inter-planet trade (due to the frayed relations between the two governments) and shoddy infrastructure on and around the planet of this new group forced them to resort to pirating and smuggling to maintain enough supplies. The populace would not have accepted the actions under normal circumstances but desperation makes animals out of the most civilized people.

As justification, The NPR raid fleets explained they were liberating supplies from the rich to help the people. In the beginning it was as simple as that. Though time and power of the leaders caused a subtle shift from supplying the people to bettering the lives of it's leaders.

The NPR found it easy to maintain control on the desperate populace by throwing them breadcrumbs from their raids while highly propagandizing them against the Commonwealth and eventually against the other factions in the sector after the system reopened.

The previous brotherhood and relations (more often than not by blood among the leadership) of the residents of the Commonwealth and those of the NPR have prevented any more drastic action than space skirmishes between the two factions.

Around cycle 200, gates to the Ashkurr system reopened and contact was reestablished between the Commonwealth and the other domains of man. Trade was re-established and the Commonwealth entered the inter-galactic conflict shortly thereafter.

The long isolation made the Commonwealth very isolationist and suspicious of outsiders (to the point of xenophobia at times). Few outsider fleets are allowed past the fringe trade stations. That is not to say that the Commonwealth does not have amicable (to friendly) relations with other factions, they are still kept at arms length and heavily monitored if in the Ashkurr System.

The opening of the gates allowed to the NPR to expand its target pool. Npr fleets can be found conducting raids across the sector to bring back supplies to their "people".
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Eventually, this mod will have two factions: The Ashkurr Commonwealth and The New People's Republic.

The Commonwealth is a peaceful, though isolationist and defensive faction whose history of conflict isolation lead to a deficiency on offensive strike craft. The defensive capabilities grew strong due to constant harassment by the NPR raiders.

The New People's Republic resorted to piracy due to the insufficiency of production on the planet they managed to gain control of. They espouse ideals of communism and spreading wealth equally, though, the People they "protect" more often than not are victims as well. Anyone who is an easy target usually ends up being one.

If you are at all interested in how these faction interact
It is listed here:
If you have any corrections (or wish to be added) to that info, let me know.

Weapons
Spoiler
Valhalla Ballistics Series
Spoiler

Tyrfing Machinegun

The Tyrfing Machinegun is the primary Valhalla ballistic weapon designed by ADI. It uses a lighter round than standard production machineguns increasing the speed and range of the round at the expense of hard impact. The cycling mechanism also requires a slightly higher flux than standard MGs to reduce jamming.

Hrotti Rotary Flak Cannon
(Dual version in progress)
The Hrotti Rotary Flak Cannon is the next in the Valhalla lineup. It features three rotating barrels that fire 30mm flak rounds. The Hrotti focuses on creating a wall of fragments to dissuade fighters and missile from approaching. The rotation system makes it a drain on flux systems however, so long continuous bursts could put the user in a bad position. It comes in two layouts Single and dual. The single is able to fit on medium mounts whereas the dual requires a large mount. (The Dual image is in process atm)

Dainsleif Autocannon
(Quad version still in progress)
The Dainsleif is main ship assault weapon of the Commonwealth. It fires 30mm rounds and uses a coil assist system to launch the round farther than its standard counterparts. Unfortunately the coil power system drains a bit on flux and limits number of cannons that can fit on one mount. For example, the medium vairnat is limited to 2 cannons as opposed to 3 on its counterpart. It comes in three standard sizes, the small mount version with 1 cannon, the medium mount with 2 and the large mount version with 4 cannons. The last of which is rarely used due to cost and rarity.
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Ships
Spoiler

Drones:

Cargo Drone
Spoiler

The cargo drone was developed to unload and load cargo vessels. A minor shield was added to the drone to improve the longevity of the drones in the sometimes harsh conditions of the Ashkurr System. In a pinch they can provide a minor screen for cargo vessels, though their mini-flux cores is not meant to withstand prolonged assault.
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Mining Drone
Spoiler

The Mining Drone is used to provide a more accurate and nimble mining operation than using larger craft. The hard minerals and asteroids of the Ashkurr system required the mining drones to be retrofitted with a stronger chlorine based laser (most mining lasers are fluoride base) similar to that of combat lasers. The beam is kept small for pinpoint accuracy. The Mining drone has also been affixed with a light shield to protect it in the environments it mines in.
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PD Drone
Spoiler

The Point Defense Drone is mounted with a single Tyrfing LMG and is meant to intercept incoming missiles. This drone is employed solely by military carrier craft that require additional protection. The drone is unshielded and not meant to take direct attack.
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Shield Drone
Spoiler

A drone affixed with only a strong shield generator, it is used in some military cargo and transport craft to provide additional protection.
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Fighters:

Baselard Interceptor
Spoiler

The Baselard is the lightest fighter class employed by the Commonwealth, It is mounted with a dual Tyrfing MG and relies on large numbers to take down opponents.
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Epee Strike Fighter
Spoiler

The Epee is the cheap (One Step up from the Baselard) combat fighter used in most Commonwealth fleets. Used mostly for screening transport craft, life expectancy of Epee pilots usually is not very good. It uses a Shrike SRM Pod and a Tyrfing LMG.
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Estoc Missile Craft
Spoiler

The Estoc is effectively a flying missile launcher. It's low armor and minimal non-missile weaponry make it more effective as a launch and run craft. During the Isolation period, the Estoc saw very little usage as it was picked apart easily by NPR harriers.  Is is armed with 2 Osprey MRMs and a Tyrfing LMG.
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Pelte
Spoiler

The Pelte is the a defensive fighter craft. It is not often used due to poor design, but several have made their way into civilian and defense fleets. It is large, heavy (for a fighter) and not very fast. It sports a dual Tyrfing LMG on a turret (uncommon in fighter sized ships). It is unable to mount any other weapons due to the turret mechanism and the small shield generator.
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Rapier Heavy Fighter
Spoiler

The Rapier is the only fighter employed by the Commonwealth that focuses on larger craft assault. It was so effective at taking down NPR raiding craft that it found itself used in most (if not all Commonwealth fleets). It is mounted with a Dainsleif AC and a dual Tyrfing LMG
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Dirk Strike Bomber
Spoiler

The dirk strike bomber is one of the signature Astral Defense Industries fighter series. During the Isolation period of the Ashkurr commonwealth, the bomber had very sparing usage due the lack of open warfare in the system. With the opening up of the system to the rest of the sector, the production of this craft has ramped up for use in Interdiction Fleets. It sports 2 Vulture Ion Bombs and a Tyrfing LMG.
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Buckler Point Defense Corvette
Spoiler

The Buckler is the largest of the fighter class employed by the Commonwealth. It is loaded for bear to provide point defense protection to important fleets. Its compact size and heavy loadout make it difficult to produce and as such is not very common. Even with it's size and loadout, it is not effective against larger craft. It uses a dual and two single Tyrfing LMGs and sports a miniaturized version of the Castle Defense System.
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Frigates:
Katar Patrol Craft
Spoiler

The Katar has been used in the Ashkurr system since it was first settled. Its light weight and high speed made it incredibly useful in patrolling ahead of trade and transport fleets or as a policing craft. The light weaponry makes it unsuitable for sustained combat, however.  It employs the Engine Arrest System which uses a small guided missile to cause an overload in a targets engine, rendering them inert.
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Targe Light Fleet Defender
Spoiler

The Targe is effectively a lighter version of the Aegis Fleet Defender. The smaller size and lighter armament make it less effective in protection than the Aegis so it saw less usage in the Isolation period. Its higher maneuverability makes it more helpful in fast moving maneuvering fleets. The smaller size, lower resource requirement and ability produce much more cheaply than the Aegis made it more popular for trade fleets on long range operations. It uses the same Castle Defense System as the Aegis.
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Claymore Heavy Assault Frigate
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Claymore is the lightest assault craft of the Commonwealth. It's limitation to all light weaponry limit it's damage potential, but its speed and maneuverability made it effective in hunting down NPR raiding fleets.
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Porter Construction and Repair Rig
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Porter is a mobile repair station and production facility (though light production only). It sports Cargo drones and if used in a fleet can repair other craft.
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Arrastra Mining Vessel
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Arrasta is a hardy mining vessel. It uses mining drones instead of on board mining equipment. This allows for more precise mining at the cost of storage space. It is lightly armed itself, but has heavy armor and shields to deal with harsh environments and the drones can act as protectors in a pinch.
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Destroyers:
Aegis Fleet Defender
Spoiler

The Aegis Fleet Defender is the most common ship after the Katar. Its wide coverage arc and standard point defense armament coupled with heavy armor and shielding make it a near requirement for the defense of Commonwealth fleets. The focus on defensive abilities while maintaining a smaller profile detract from the maneuverability of the craft. It can move forward at fairly normal speed (to keep up with the fleets they protect) but turning is incredibly slow. It employes the Castle Defense System which reroutes power from engines to the shields, eliminating forward/backward movement and reduces turning speed drastically to improve the strength of the shields. The System still causes a higher drain on flux than the just the shield, though.
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Trebuchet Missile Carrier
Spoiler

The Trebuchet was a model designed by ADI to be a light long range support craft. Its missile payload could be modified to be a variety of ranges but its slow turning speed, light shielding and low defensive cability make it ineffective for short range support. The Trebuchet saw sparing use during the Isolation period but with the opening up of the starsystem it became a much more useful.
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Caravel Transport Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Caravel was meant to be ADI's entry into the luxury cruise liner industry. Though, the design did not get out of the prototype phase before the gates closed.  The Isolated people of Ashkurr and the Commonwealth that came after did not have much use for a luxury cruise liner. The ship design was repurposed (and made more spartan) to act as a personnel and cargo transport.
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Palisade Escort Carrier
Spoiler

The Palisade is the light carrier option offered by ADI. It features a single flight deck with a higher speed an maneuverability than most carriers of the same size. It suffers in the armor and defense because more of the compact space is taken up by the docks, engine power and the EMP system. The Palisade is used often by the Commonwealth as its speed allowed it to outrun good portions of NPR raiders while still providing support to fighter squadrons.

Cruisers:
Petard Siege Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Petard is (was) a prototype ship of ADI. It was a ship designed around the enormous Mars Siege Cannon. The Petard never left the prototype phase by the time the gates closed so it was never formally produced. During the Isolation period the residents of the Ashkurr system had no need of such a destructive weapon, so the Petard went unproduced and unfinished. Once the Commonwealth was opened up to the rest of the sector, they saw the need to dust off the old schematics and prepare it for possible production.

The Mars Siege Cannon was designed for firing upon large immobile objects like space stations and planetary structures. Also, as it never left prototype it was never optimized. Woefully inefficient the Mars Siege Cannon tends to heavily drain the flux core of the Petard leaving it without a shield for some time. It operates by taking an enormous Infernium shell, superheating it then using a combination coil/rail system launch the projectile at a high velocity at the target. The entire process takes a long time to complete and due to design flaws can't stop once started. Which is why it is more effective at hitting slow or immobile targets. The Petard also has a slow turning radius due to most of the space being devoted to the cannon's systems and ammunition (of which there is only space for 5 shots). The cannon is also slow to reload as the chamber needs to cool down from the heating process before a new round can be chambered.
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Priwen Planetary Defense Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**

The Priwen is the largest defensive craft employed by the Commonwealth. Huge Size and defensive setup make it most effective for protecting capital ships, stations or planets. Its low speed make it ineffective for protecting trade fleets which require more agile defenders.
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Thanks to:
Alex for making an awesome game
MesoTroniK for providing a lot of helpful criticism and suggestions. Also, for being from the States AND being both a scholar and a gentleman.
Debido for invaluable coding help.
THe community for pushing me to do my own art (instead of kitbashing)
Valkyrial for making a awesome mod that inspired me to start modding (I just liked the style but eventually it wasn't enough for me)
The community for being supportive and providing other art advice!

THANK YOU
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