Old Republic map pack Wip [Makeb released]

[Maveritchell]

Not to be a total buzzkill, but your icons won't help people understand the weapons better. Thematically, sure, it's in line with your source material, but icons like you have there are actually really hard to make out - pictures like that are a lot of clutter.

I say this from experience - I had the exact same thought process when I was working on Dark Times, and made the exact same decision. I don't think I helped people out at all, and if I could do it again differently, I'd have made much more simple, symbolic icons. SWBF2 by default does a pretty good job with this, and if you want to communicate clearly, riff off of what people already know- If you want to make a grenade, use a grenade icon and modify it slightly. Someone looking at it will say "Ah, a grenade. I know when to use this." If you want to make an autoturret, use the autoturret icon(/mesh) and modify it/overlay it. Same principle.

The problem that you have here is one that every game has. Unfortunately for you (and everyone else making a mod) is that whole games usually do one or two things that mods don't:

1) Use a tutorial / introduce abilities/items slowly and step-by-step. Unless you're planning on a campaign mission that leads people through the basics of your mod, you don't get this.
2) Provide some level of incentive for learning and mastery (i.e. multiplayer/skill-dependent success). Without some real metric of achievement (i.e. goals to fulfill), your players will do whatever wins the battle (which is usually just shooting the basic rifle on the first trooper).

There's... a lot more that could be written about this, but the upshot is this - you're not going to do anyone any favors by relying on complicated iconography. Trust me.

[Anakin]

Anyway when i play a game and take a new side, i'll test the new weapons

But the new icons look very nice. Maybe you want to do something with this backdrop, too.

[Marth8880]

I couldn't agree more with Mav - what he's saying is something that I'm constantly taught in all of my game design classes. I can't tell what any of those weapons are from the icons.

[ZoomV]

I can't tell what any of those weapons are from the icons.

Could you tell what any of the weapons where if I showed you a pic of random rifle model #394?

The fact is I am going to have to use icons at some level because of how some of the classes work. In keeping with the source material classes like the vanguard, commando, and mercenary all use multiple attacks from the same weapon. The mercenary has 3 wrist fired attacks, the commando has multiple ordinance "settings" on his assault cannon, the vanguard is the same way with his rifle. If I don't use iconography there will be no way for the user to distinguish what weapon they have selected on certain classes. And once I started using those icons, I might as well go all the way just to establish uniformity in design.

And really I'm not trying to convey some deep meaning, if I can just get the user to recognize that hey this weapon shoots some type of HE and this other one shoots some type of laser, then I would count that as a victory as it means I won't have any users ending up like this guy.

[Marth8880]

Could you tell what any of the weapons where if I showed you a pic of random rifle model #394?

Using a primary weapon's model as its icon would be easier to distinguish than some tiny, dark little icon that vaguely represents how its ordnance affects its targets. But I'm not as worried about distinguishing primary weapons; secondary weapons are the biggest issue for me since you can't see them on the player model like you can with primaries. My biggest issues with the current icons are their size and how cluttered they feel. There's also the fact that their lighting is so dark and dull. Are the models using emissive lighting?

[ZoomV]

I'm still going to stick to my icons, but I changed some of them up to be more in line.

Hidden/Spoiler:

My biggest issues with the current icons are their size and how cluttered they feel. There's also the fact that their lighting is so dark and dull. Are the models using emissive lighting?

I doubt they are using emissive lighting, they are just a square that Acemastermind cooked up after taking pity on me in the request thread.

[jedimoose32]

I like the new icons a lot.

[ZoomV]

So I meant to do this awhile ago but forgot.

Chadaface has been kind enough to donate to me a pack of TOR era models that he had worked on for a mod he has since lost interest in. Which means Treefall can say goodbye to the reskinned stormtroopers. (sorry AQT)

Hidden/Spoiler:

[Nedarb7]

Awesome! Chadaface's work is great. It definitely adds to the SWTOR feel.

[AQT]

Which means Treefall can say goodbye to the reskinned stormtroopers. (sorry AQT)

No need to be sorry. Those new Imperial Sith Troopers look spectacular and waaaaaaay more accurate!

[ZoomV]

Hidden/Spoiler:

So I teased this wardroid on a couple pages back, but I thought I would explain it now. The wardroids will be a local side (affiliated empire naturally) they are hard units, no shields - 2k HP, with a decently nasty weapon. Their primary function is as a balancer. Treefall is slightly republic dominant for reasons I still haven't pinned down, so I am using the wardroids to give just enough support to the imps to counter balance. The wardroids will not appear in Icebound which is already imperial dominant.

Oh and I finally got the ambient forest sounds to work properly.


EDIT: Is it possible to change the command post icons? And if so please don't tell me I need a XSI for it.

[hunpeter12]

Yes, it is: http://www.gametoast.com/viewtopic.php? ... 54&start=0
However, if you want new models as the team icons you have to make some using either XSI or another modeling program.

[ZoomV]

Yes, it is: http://www.gametoast.com/viewtopic.php? ... 54&start=0
However, if you want new models as the team icons you have to make some using either XSI or another modeling program.

Of course it would require new meshes. Time to go beg in the request thread again.

Although I would assume I can put the control zone in the side file rather than the world file? Would make it easier for doing map packs.

[Chadaface]

Too bad delta1035 isn't around, you could've peer pressured him into releasing the source files from his swtor mod. It had some pretty neat stuff that could've worked nicely

[ZoomV]

So I've been using the stock imperial and republic VO for the units which works perfectly fine the majority of the time. Except for every once and awhile when one of the imperials yell "get the clone!!" I am wondering if its possible to disable that particular line.

[Marth8880]

To disable target-specific VO, disable VOSound ODF lines with "+VOUnitNum" in them.

[ZoomV]

There we go, looking pretty.

Hidden/Spoiler:

I'm trying to get the CPs to use com_bldg_controlzone_large and I haven't gotten that to work, but I'm pretty sure I know what I did wrong, so I will try to get that working whenever I grab some free time.

Also how do you get custom scope textures working. I tried calling it via ingame.req, but it didn't work.

Code: Select all

    REQN
    {
        "texture"
	"weapon_scope_custom"

    }

[Anakin]

You can add the texture in the side's msh folder.

[ZoomV]

You can add the texture in the side's msh folder.

ah thanks

Hidden/Spoiler:

I got the CP's model changed but now the imperial icon has reverted back to stock, just the imp one though.


@Marth
Thanks, turns out I just needed to drop the "AcquiredTarget +VOUnitNum121" line.

[AQT]

I got the CP's model changed but now the imperial icon has reverted back to stock, just the imp one though.

How did you go about changing the CP icons, and what of relevance happened between the time you got the icons to change in-game and before the Imperial icon "reverted" back to the stock icon?

My guess is that you used the custom ingame.lvl method, and didn't replace the Imperial icon model located in the data_***\Common\msh\PC folder?