Sparky's To Do List

[Zodiark]

Sparky, can you send me the original blue prints, I would like to review over them.

[Sparky]

Sparky, can you send me the original blue prints, I would like to review over them.

Sent.

Next up from my To Do List:

1. G[v]N's mod
2. Zodiark's blue-printed mod
3. Eschaton Plugins v2 (includes machine, control and device-related plugins)
4. Scenario Madness Final release
5. Galaxy Wars 1.0 (multiplayer)
6. etc.

EDIT: Sorry, guys, but I'm taking a time out to finish the scnr plugin. It's a breeze, using the starter plugins as a template (thanks, Conure)! Release likely tomorrow. When I'm done, you'll be able to match up machines and devices with their controls and whatnot... basically, you'll be able to customize the machines and everything else, just like in Guerilla. I will release my Scenario Madness Final template along with the scnr plugin that kicks-off the Eschaton Plugins v2 (as v2.1).

So tomorrow, you'll have all the things you'll need to make your very own customized scenario: Scenario Madness Final, and Eschaton Plugins v2. Now we just need SwordEdit to add support for other tag types than vehi, scen, and netgame items, and things will be so much easier...

Oh, this will let you add AI as allies, too.

[Amy]

Funny thing was, i went to the apple store the next day and found JEDI KNIGHT GOLD PACK and they made everything work on my computer so i got it.

I now own and pwn.

[Sparky]

Who will I give it to now, Amy?

I've made some slight adjustments to the schedule:

First, I need to release the scnr plugin type and my Scnr Madness template, which will allow awesomeness in modding. Next, I need to help Graveen with a small map of his, then I'll get started on Zodiark's. Then Galaxy Wars madness, then more plugin creation and other extraordinary things.

[Amy]

And mah ship... mah ship needs to be shipped...

[Sparky]

Sparky's Eschaton Plugins version 2.0 (actv, actr, bipd, cont, scnr)

Scenario Madness Final (multiplayer) -- 146 MB map file

Q: How do I use a control panel to activate a machine or light?
A: In Eschaton, navigate to the scnr meta data. Choose the control panel you want to use and set its position group with the popup menu to whichever chunk you want. In the same scnr meta area, choose the machine or light that this control will be toggling. Set its position group to the same chunk number. Now they are linked.

Q: What is a power group, and what is a position group?
A: A device group can be used as a power group and/or a position group. The power groups control whether the items in the group have power - whether they are usable. Objects in a position group will activate or toggle open/on/up and locked/off/down any other objects that are in the same position group. So if a switch and a door are in the same position group, toggling the switch will open the door. When an elevator is "off", it is in its lowest position, and when it is "on", it is in its highest position.

Q: How do I add AI (artificially intelligent actors) to my map?
A: Using either the single player or multiplayer template map, use Eschaton to navigate to the scnr tag's meta data. Now go under the Encounters field. An Encounter is just what it sounds like: an overall instance of one or more AI characters within a general area. You can set the team index and respawn rate of the actors in this encounter. Within each encounter (look under reflexives) are squads, platoons, and other settings. The best thing to do is explore these on your own and ask any specific questions here at MGM if you simply cannot figure them out.

Q: Are there any AI's included in scenario madness?
A: There are 64 different AI's included in the scenario tag by default:

• arbiter energy sword
  arbiter plasma rifle
  captain
  captain ingame
  crewman command
  crewman engineer
  crewman pilot
  crewman pistol
  crewman science
  crewman security pistol
  crewman tech
  fred cyborg
  linda cyborg
  sam cyborg
  cyborg armored
  cyborg major
  elite commander energy sword
  elite commander plasma rifle
  elite major needler
  elite major plasma rifle
  elite minor needler
  elite minor plasma rifle ranged
  elite minor plasma rifle
  elite specops needler
  elite specops plasma rifle
  stealth elite major energy sword
  stealth elite major plasma rifle
  stealth elite plasma rifle
  engineer major plasma pistol
  flood infection nopop
  flood infection
  floodcarier
  floodcombat elite unarmed
  floodcombat elite stealth unarmed
  floodcombat elite assault rifle
  floodcombat human assault rifle
  floodcombat human unarmed
  grunt flee major needler
  grunt flee major plasma pistol
  grunt flee minor needler
  grunt flee minor plasma pistol
  grunt major needler
  grunt major plasma pistol
  grunt minor needler
  grunt minor plasma pistol
  grunt specops fuel rod airdef
  grunt specops fuel rod
  grunt specops needler
  gunner grunt
  h2 spartan
  cortana assault rifle
  lord hood assault rifle major
  lord hood assault rifle
  monitor
  hellspawn
  hunter major
  hunter
  jackal major plasma pistol
  jackal major plasma rifle
  jackal minor plasma pisto
  jackal minor plasma rifle
  marine assault rifle major
  marine suicidal
  sentinel shielded major

You can, of course, add your own AI if you like by rebuilding the map in Eschaton.

Q: Why does it say "waiting for space" when it loads the first time?
A: I have no idea. I tried moving spawn points and whatnot, but to no avail. Just restart the game. I'll try to figure this out in case it has an adverse effect upon using AI.

[Smythe]

*Faps*
This is great sparky! *Steals orphans cookies*

*Gives Cookies*
*Tastes cookies*
*Mud Cookies*
*Gives Anyway*

[kiddten]

where is this "multiplayer template" map?

[Sparky]

where is this "multiplayer template" map?

Sorry, I forgot I still needed to make the readme file. I've been writing it and making the template more usable out-of-the-box. I'm updating the previous post in just a moment.

Edit: Uploading now.

[Kayar]

Seems to be a mistake, there's no file...

[Sparky]

Well I uploaded it to mediafire, but it doesn't start the download when you click the download link. Stupid ads probably messing it up. I also tried uploading to HDM, but it takes to long. So I'm uploading the file to another directory via sftp. I tried that method overnight, but my comp went to sleep after only 16 megs were uploaded. So now it's uploading again and the HDM link will work soon...


I should tell you now that Eschaton doesn't like Index data types. Whenever you see an <index> type, you will need to copy the offset that Eschaton tells you and go to that offset in the file using HexEdit and change the value manually. It's very easy to figure out:

FF FF = None Selected
00 00 = Chunk 1
01 00 = Chunk 2
...
09 00 = Chunk 10
0A 00 = Chunk 11
...
63 00 = Chunk 100
...you get the idea. If you're not sure which value to use, convert your decimal value to hex (and adjust by 1) using the programmer mode in the calculator application.

Be careful when using the same map file in Hex Edit and Eschaton simultaneously. When HexEdit has the map open, you CANNOT make any changes to the map with Eschaton. Otherwise, Eschaton will crash with an exception error. You can make changes with HexEdit while the map is open in Eschaton. So before you switch back to Eschaton, save and close the map file from HexEdit.

[Sparky]

Done!
http://www.halodemomods.com/wiki/File:S ... nal_MP.zip

[Sparky]

Graveen's Sphere Map is done, and I'm sending it to him.

From this project, I learned that the halo engine can use spheres as collision models. It doesn't matter what type of sphere you use for the visual model, but the collision models are another story.

With regular spheres, the vertices get closer at the poles. Geospheres have evenly-spaced vertices all around, creating equal triangles all around the object. Since the engine is limited to using spherical collision models with a maximum of 128 faces, the best thing to do is to create GeoSpheres with 3 segments so that the polygon count doesn't reach 128 - it'll give you a bit of a buffer, in case you want to connect the collision model to something else.

If you were to use a regular sphere, you'd have to use a MultiRes(olution) modifier in order to lower the face/polygon count, but that basically ruins the model's consistency. GeoSpheres are much nicer.

Even though the spherical collision models are limited to 128 faces, smoothing doesn't count. So the model can be smooth and still be acceptable to the engine. Also, anything "outside" the sphere, even if it's attached, doesn't count towards that limit.

How does this apply to my own projects? Well, remember how I was planning on making a couple planets? Well, now I know how to give them round collision that you can walk on!

BSP structures may have a few more limitations than scenery or other regular collision model (coll)-using objects. What I was able to do with a regular collision model and apply to scenery, I wasn't able to get the engine to accept as a BSP. From my testing, it seems the limitation is fewer faces on collidable spheres when it comes to BSP structures.

[Sparky]

Thanks again for all your support, folks. I am planning to finish the Eschaton Plugins before continuing with the To Do List. I hope that my efforts will contribute positively to this modding community and be more useful than any mods I might develop. That's why I'm dedicating my time solely to these plugins, because I feel they will inspire the most.

[Amy]

Just asking, are you still up to working on the Oasis Covenant ship model?