Webbstre's Modding Challenges

[SixshotOverdrive]

Hey sorry, I thought I'd responded to this, but I guess not.

The buffs make it easier for the monsters to kill you, rather than making it harder to kill them. If your defence is pumped high enough they don't really make a difference.

It was more of a stalemate situation than the splitters being clearly overpowered, and part of playing defensively is recognizing an impossible situation and retreating. If we start tailoring it down, we're really just making it even easier for the powerhouse builds... but then again, if you're sacrificing defence for greater damage you want to steam-roll through everything.

Defence isn't really my play style either, so I'll wait for more opinions on how balanced it is. If the general consensus is it's broken then we'll fix it, but otherwise I'm not all that fussed. *shrug*

[Webbstre]

The one thing I wouldn't like to see this turn into is another Children of the Damned, where the little bastards are numerous and have too much hp and/or defense and brings gameplay to a standstill. I'd like it to be tactical, so if you're fast and use your strongest abilities you can probably stop them from multiplying and transforming each other too much, but not something that can get to a point where it slows you down so much that there is no hope for victory or the rewards aren't great enough for killing them all.

...does that make any sense?

[Phanjam]

Hi All! I'm sorry for the long silence. Finally had a chance to try laying in some new sounds this weekend. I was going to do it on top of Sixshot's new 0.8 build, but I kept getting CTDs

So I moved back to 0.5 which was the last "stable" build I'd played with, but unfortunately I cannot get my new sounds running. Not that they're anything great - I was trying to put the spider sounds on the worms and I made a new sound for the "convert.layout" particle file to use (the original was loud enough to overpower any other sounds).

I'll keep trying until I get something working.

As for playability, I kinda like this mod at its current specs. I use a high-damage Destroyer and I rarely get hurt myself, but having to run around mowing down splitters as fast as they spawn is nice and hectic

[Arkham]

When you say you can't get the sounds running, what happens exactly? Do they just not play at all, or is there a crash or something?

[Phanjam]

When you say you can't get the sounds running, what happens exactly? Do they just not play at all, or is there a crash or something?

Well I had crashes when testing with 0.8 but I'm not sure if those were due to my fiddling with the sound assignments.

Sixshot, the ogre.log error messages would almost always mention the "missing state" for the die animation, so that issue seems to still be around.
I noticed the 'model' folders for the 3 dwarf-based splitter units didn't have the .skeletons inside, so I tried putting those back in but it didn't seem to help much

So to remove the new build as a variable, I started over on 0.5. I couldn't really hear if the new worm sounds were there (seemed not though) because of all the spawn sounds and their volume, so I tried replacing that but it didn't take - no crashes though.

My replacement method was to make a new sound, define it with its own [SOUNDDATA] .dat (as a skill) and GUID, then re-point the 'convert.layout' particle file (in particles/monsters/splitters/) to use the new sound.

If you'd like to play around with the new sound I've uploaded it to mediafire.

[SixshotOverdrive]

...does that make any sense?

Yeah, makes sense. If you've got a decent set of skills built up, you're fine. However, the first time you run into them is the crypt. So you're about level 5/6 and either have a handful of low level skills, or a mid level skill without much backup, and your gear is generally pretty junky.

Sixshot, the ogre.log error messages would almost always mention the "missing state" for the die animation, so that issue seems to still be around.

Damn.
I guess I need to find a new way to deal with that. (Which will probably only work for me as well )
You could try separating the models into they're own mod and setting it to load first. Sometimes that helps.

Also, I just ran through with an Alc and got pretty stomped. So it looks like we should tone it down a bit, and I'll see about making the conversion skills take longer to cast (so you have a window to stop it.)

[Arkham]

So to remove the new build as a variable, I started over on 0.5. I couldn't really hear if the new worm sounds were there (seemed not though) because of all the spawn sounds and their volume, so I tried replacing that but it didn't take - no crashes though.

My replacement method was to make a new sound, define it with its own [SOUNDDATA] .dat (as a skill) and GUID, then re-point the 'convert.layout' particle file (in particles/monsters/splitters/) to use the new sound.

If you'd like to play around with the new sound I've uploaded it to mediafire.

I can mess around with the sound and see if I can get it to do anything, but, an idea occurs: have you tried getting a different, really loud sound effect, like of a blaring alarm or heavy machinery or something, and using that as a temporary replacement, just to differentiate whether the problem is the sound itself not loading vs the sound just not being heard?

[Phanjam]

You could try separating the models into they're own mod and setting it to load first. Sometimes that helps.

Okay I'll try that...

...and I'll see about making the conversion skills take longer to cast (so you have a window to stop it.)

That sounds like an excellent idea! Which brings to mind - if it could be anything like how the skellies spawn from a broken barrel, that would be about the right amount of time

...have you tried getting a different, really loud sound effect, like of a blaring alarm or heavy machinery or something, and using that as a temporary replacement, just to differentiate whether the problem is the sound itself not loading vs the sound just not being heard?

That's a good idea too I'll make that part of my test protocol as I try to sort the sounds out. Thanks!

[Rusty]

So I am resurrecting this thread.

Should we post what we have at this point? Phanjam you can post it, and then when you figure out the sounds you can add them.
At last read, the mod actually seemed okay, and fairly balanced. It gives a good challenge. Just as long as not too many base monsters spawn

Does sound like a good idea at this point?

[Arkham]

Are the crashing-related problems fixed yet? I haven't tried it, and I do want to try it out, but I hate things that make programs crash.

[SixshotOverdrive]

Are the crashing-related problems fixed yet? I haven't tried it, and I do want to try it out, but I hate things that make programs crash.

Not really. I've been playing around with it a bit, and the best solution for me was the one that crashed for Phanjam. So I'm not really sure what's happening there.
The 'not-satisfactory-but-works' solution is to force override the skins in the .dat files, it won't cause any crashes, but there's no way to change the glow maps.
So it might be the way to go, at least until we can figure out a better way to deal with it (that works for everybody)

I've got some reworked skills that I need upload anyway. So I'll change the unit files, repack it all and throw it up on rgf.

[Phanjam]

Sounds good Sixshot and thanks very much sorry I haven't been much help lately - kinda swamped at work this start of March...

[SixshotOverdrive]

That's fine, we all get a busy sometimes

I just uploaded the mod over at RGF

The specific differences between this and the last build.
The monster stats have been slightly reworked so they're on a sliding scale, tier2 monsters do less damage & have less health than tier1 monsters etc.

Trying to add a delay to the conversion skill ended up breaking it, so I've just halved the animation speed.

The death-spawns are now randomized
- Tier1 monsters chance to spawn: 1 - 0.5%, 2 - 69.5%, 3 - 30%
- Tier2 monsters chance to spawn: 1 - 11%, 2 - 22%, 3 - 33%, 4 - 22%, 5 - 11%

[Webbstre]

You guys ready for a different kind of challenge?

[Morbus]

I am only a beginner at modding and I am still learning how to use Blender, but I have a lot of time unless I have to look after my grandson. If you have an idea, I can see if I get anywhere.

[Brixtan]

You guys ready for a different kind of challenge?

lol this soooooooooo sounds like a trap!

[SixshotOverdrive]

You guys ready for a different kind of challenge?

lol this soooooooooo sounds like a trap!

It really does... but I'm in anyway.

[Webbstre]

I'll write it up all prettily later, but your challenge is to make a town healer. I don't care if it's automatic when you walk by, or you have to pay him or talk to him, or what, but the town needs a healer.

[Rusty]

Nice! Character creation. His name shall be Healy the Healer.

[Phanjam]

I'll write it up all prettily later, but your challenge is to make a town healer. I don't care if it's automatic when you walk by, or you have to pay him or talk to him, or what, but the town needs a healer.

Yeah I'm in too for what it's worth

I'm thinking it would be great to get Velari's inputs on this - she made those great "interactive" NPCs for her excellent Champions and Crouching Pet mods!