Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Discuss and distribute tools and methods for modding. Moderator - Grognak
The_Bear
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:57 pm

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby The_Bear » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:53 pm

Someone please join jrb's server. I got nothing to do.

You haven't added my third ship to the game yet Spektor. Please add it to the next version.
The_Bear
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:57 pm

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby The_Bear » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:58 pm

Instead of the wormholes there can be warp gates that you can use to travel large distances.
kcd.Spektor
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:21 am

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby kcd.Spektor » Mon Feb 15, 2016 6:02 pm

The_Bear wrote:Another idea: if you have a special item or engine can you use wormholes to travel to other wormholes, this can way you can travel from one side of the galaxy to the other.
Instead of the wormholes there can be warp gates that you can use to travel large distances.

Both of those are planned for later.
The_Bear
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:57 pm

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby The_Bear » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:22 pm

Image
Start of my next ship. Found it in the shipyard, the one who made it said people can use it freely so use it if you want to.
Btw I added the red line.
kcd.Spektor
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:21 am

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby kcd.Spektor » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:34 pm

FIRST TUTORIAL
Adding a new ship:
1. Find a good ship image. (Thanks NarnKAr)
Image

2. Copy it to folder Client\data\ships
3. I'll rename the image file to REBEL_HS2.png
4. Run the client and open the ship editor
5. Find in the list of the ships the one I added and select it
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6. Set the appropriate ship layout size.
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7. Even though it seems that 14 x 10 fits fine, it is best to add at least 1 more cell on each side.
Also I want the ship to have a middle cell, so I will make the height size not even but odd.
This will make it 16 x 13.
Image

8. The gray area that we see is the ship layout grid, currently filled with cells of type BLOCKED
9. First we need to clear out the space cells. This are the cells that will allow mobs/players passing through and will not affect ship jump weight.
BTW, those additional cells on each side that I've added will allow the game to position the ship in the sector more propperly.
Select the SPACE drawing tool and draw where the space should be.
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10. Now let's place some room cells
Make sure that you have some room cells that connect to SPACE cells - those will be the airlocks, to enter and leave the ship.
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11. Now let's make some rooms by adding walls.
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12. This ship has 6 2x2 rooms and 13 1x2 rooms,
Now let's think if this is not overpowered.
What can be installed in to those rooms?
Most important ones are the 2x2 rooms, they can hold the Reactors, Shields and HyperDrives(these systems are supposed to be big ones),
and perhaps later there will be new powerfull weapons added that will be 2x2 big
So six 2x2 rooms = 2 reactors, 2 shields, 1 Hyper drive, and a spare place for something else(Cloaking, Drones, Big weapon?).
Quite a good mid game ship, which with good upgrades(high level systems like quantum reactor) will pack a punch even in the late game.
13. Now add some doors to connect the rooms, and make the airlock exit
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14. Now since this is a mid game ship let's give it some good mid game health - let's say 50?
Also let's select the RACE and the CLASS of the ship.
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15. Time to select a shield image for the ship from the list on the left.
(If you hold down shift and scroll the mouse wheel - it will scroll the shields list, this is kinda dumb, I know, but it's better than nothing :P)
Also I suggest you press the HIDE CELLS button while selecting the ship's shield.
I think this one fits well.
Image

16. If you want to add your own shield, you can do this by placing your shield image(.png) into the Client\Data\shields folder.
17. Now let's unpress the HIDE CELLS button and press the HIDE BLOCKED one, to have an overview of the ship.
I think it looks fine.
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18. Now let's save the ship model. Press the save button, select a propper name and save.
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19. To be able to play with this ship we need to provide the server with the ship model that we have just created.
Go into the Client\Data\models folder and there we will find our ship model - REBEL_HS2.shp
20. Copy the REBEL_HS2.shp model file into Server\models\ships\ folder.
This is all that the server needs to add the new ship to the game.
21. What the client needs to play with the new shipб is the ship image, and the ship icon image.
22. The ship icon images are located in the Client\Data\icons folder.
23. To create a ship icon image I personally open the ship image in photoshop,
select all the transparent pieces of the image,
invert the selection(so now I have only the ship selected)
delete the contents of the selection and fill it with white color.
add a black border for the resulted white ship mask.
make the image 5% size of the original.
And it's done - the ship icon is ready to represent our new ship on the radars :)
Image

24. Now, we already had the ship image because we were the ones to create the ship,
but if you want to play with someone else - you will need to provide him with the ship image, and the icon (and the shield if you've added a new one)
25. If you don't provide your friend with the new images, then he will be able to play with you, but he will not be able to see the images.
In the next version of the game I will add a default ship icon, ship image and shield image, that will be displayed instead of the missing ones.
26. Now, to try it out - start the server, and as you can see we can now use our new ship.
Image

27. IMPORTANT NOTE:
For everything to work properly all files related to the ship(ship image, icon image, model file) should have the same name, including the letter case.
That's why I prefer to have everything in UPPER CASE. :)


I hope you will find this information usefull.
If you have any questions - feel free to ask.
And if you make a new ship/layout and want it to be in the game - send me the ship image, icon image, and the model file. :D
Last edited by kcd.Spektor on Sat Nov 05, 2016 7:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
jrb00001
Posts: 201
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:22 pm

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby jrb00001 » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:38 pm

The_Bear wrote:Image
Start of my next ship. Found it in the shipyard, the one who made it said people can use it freely so use it if you want to.
Btw I added the red line.

Image
I changed the red line to make it a bit less bright and added a small border.
kcd.Spektor
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:21 am

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby kcd.Spektor » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:39 pm

The_Bear wrote:Image
Start of my next ship. Found it in the shipyard, the one who made it said people can use it freely so use it if you want to.
Btw I added the red line.


This looks quite cool.
Perhaps you would like to try out the ship editor tutorial with it? :)
The_Bear
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:57 pm

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby The_Bear » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:52 pm

kcd.Spektor wrote:
The_Bear wrote:Start of my next ship. Found it in the shipyard, the one who made it said people can use it freely so use it if you want to.
Btw I added the red line.


This looks quite cool.
Perhaps you would like to try out the ship editor tutorial with it? :)

Yes, but add jrb's version to the game. It can be the start of a new class of ships.

Add Black Bear to the game as a pirate boss with the ship I am going to make.

Edit: Are you going to work on the AI now?
kcd.Spektor
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:21 am

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby kcd.Spektor » Wed Feb 17, 2016 5:31 am

The_Bear wrote:Yes, but add jrb's version to the game. It can be the start of a new class of ships.
Add Black Bear to the game as a pirate boss with the ship I am going to make.

I can add ships to the basic set that comes with the game.
Just make at least 1 ship with it in the editor, and send it to me.
Also can you post the name of the ship's creator?

Edit: Are you going to work on the AI now?

First some more tutorials,
then add some sounds,
then a default image for ship, icon and shield
then I will add a credits page, with the names of everyone who gave major support to the game.
Then I will make a settings screen, that will allow to change sound/music volume, also the controls will be visible there(just read only).
And theeeeen the AI :)
kcd.Spektor
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:21 am

Re: Hurray! Another multiplayer clone project. :)

Postby kcd.Spektor » Wed Feb 17, 2016 5:45 am

Updated the TODO list.