Questions here: an inquiry thread! [Updated Sep 15th, 2014]

[4DaDiamonds]

I was wondering, is there a way to add those cool engine effects to the engines of custom ships? I think I heard back-along that they were hard-coded but I'm not sure...

Also, what's the easiest way to create a floor image and miniship image with the glow effect from scratch, AND then be able to do this with it? (Not looking for advice on the second part, just how to prepare it)

- 4DaDiamonds

[stylesrj]

I was wondering, is there a way to add those cool engine effects to the engines of custom ships? I think I heard back-along that they were hard-coded but I'm not sure...

The effects are hard-coded but you can change the image. So changes will affect the Kestrel and Osprey

[NarnKar]

How are the low oxygen stripes coded?

[kartoFlane]

They're drawn a layer below the interior image of the room, IIRC. Each room (1x2, 2x1, 2x2) uses the appropriate image in img/effects/low_o2_stripes_#x#.png; rooms of other sizes (this includes 1x1 and, pre-AE, 0x0) use default image, which I think is 1x2.

Not sure if there's much more to it...

[NarnKar]

They're drawn a layer below the interior image of the room, IIRC. Each room (1x2, 2x1, 2x2) uses the appropriate image in img/effects/low_o2_stripes_#x#.png; rooms of other sizes (this includes 1x1 and, pre-AE, 0x0) use default image, which I think is 1x2.

Not sure if there's much more to it...

Ah. That's frustrating.

See, a while ago, I actually made alternate images for room sizes up to 9 square tiles (if I recall, AE added a 9-tile size limit to rooms). I added them to the game and tested them with a custom ship, and the rooms still used the default art.

Here's the mod I tried to use to add new o2 art. Here's the ship I used to test it.

And here's how it ended up looking.



Yeah, not great, is it.

[R4V3-0N]

anyone know how chain weapons actually work? I am confused on how to many it do what I do.

I looked at the Chain Laser but I got confused.

It had a 16 second cooldown. but the boost part is...

Code: Select all

   <boost>
      <type>cooldown</type>
      <amount>3</amount>
      <count>3</count>
   </boost>

The desciprition says its cooldown is 7 when it hits with 3 volleys.

So I assume one of them means how much it fires until it stops getting lower and lower.

But what does the other mean exactly? is it how much it drops per hit?
Also which is which? and is it possible to make a 'shotgun' mixed 'chain' gun?

[NarnKar]

<count> determines how many chains you can get. <amount> determines how much each boost does.

Taking a look at the Chain Vulcan, for example, it would have <count>5</count> since it chains 5 times; it would have <amount>2</amount> because each chain reduces cooldown by 2 seconds.

For chain damage weapons, <amount> determines how much damage is gained per chain.

[stylesrj]

<count> determines how many chains you can get. <amount> determines how much each boost does.

Taking a look at the Chain Vulcan, for example, it would have <count>5</count> since it chains 5 times; it would have <amount>2</amount> because each chain reduces cooldown by 2 seconds.

For chain damage weapons, <amount> determines how much damage is gained per chain.

Just wondering when it comes to chain weapons - can a gun be made that both does more damage as it fires AND fires faster? Something like a Chain Ion Vulcan

[NarnKar]

Just wondering when it comes to chain weapons - can a gun be made that both does more damage as it fires AND fires faster? Something like a Chain Ion Vulcan

Don't think so. You have to declare one type or the other.

[R4V3-0N]

can you choose what kind of damage is increased?

I know the only vanilla gun like this is a Ion... So if I added the damage tag to say a heavy laser and have it as a chain damage heavy laser. Will it gain 1 ion damage per hit or would it do normal damage as the weapon without the chain bonus only did normal damage to start with?

if I made a weapon that does hull and ion damage would it increase both? etc.