Playing around with the D2k campaign

[Fey]

10 hours ago, Cm_blast said:

Not sure what you mean. Something like "weapon - grenade - Damage = 150" now have "damage = 200"? (or the speed of the projectile)
If this is the case "templates.bin" is the one affected.

If you mean something like this:
If the enemy don't have any armour, then recieves 125% of damage
if the enemy have "Heavy" armour, then recieves 20% of damage.
Then is "amour.bin" the file affected (warheads).

 

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying!

Yeah, grenade damage has been changed a bit and, uhh... I think rockets, maybe something else, do like 10% more damage to some sort of armor.

Edit: First draft of S4V1 is complete, and plans have been drawn up for alternate versions of S1, S2, and S3. No previews or anything yet, just wanted to say that.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Fey
Minor update.

[Fey]

Update: New map.

Each level that had an alternate version in the original campaign has a planned alternative version in my campaign. For instance, level 2 will have two versions, but level 4 will not. The idea behind the story for each of the alternative missions is that they won't contradict the counterpart version, and the story should flow in the same general direction. In the first version, Rowe is guided by the fact that she feels she's not working to her full potential, and takes a combat assignment to break the tension. In this alternate version, she's content with an evaluation as long as she doesn't have to see anyone killed. In both versions, Sumadi holds her hand, hopefully characterizing him as being sort of patronizing or controlling.

GENERAL MAP DETAILS:

Spoiler

Starting units: 10 Light Infantry, 4 Raiders
Starting base: ConYard
Enemy AI: 1
Objectives: Pass your evaluation. Harvest 5,000 Solaris.
Unique aspects: None.
Fey's comments: This map is the alternate version of the first Smugglers level. SPOILER ALERT - Rather than raid some Imperial bases, the Imperials will be raiding yours, once you've set up a little bit. You have ten minutes to follow all of Sumadi's instructions and set up a standard base as he directs you. On hard mode, you don't have all that much time to put down extra structures or train many units while completing the evaluation. Once your evaluation is complete, Imperial forces will arrive and attempt to capture the territory. Sumadi will task you with fending them off. They have slightly superior tech and will fortify their position with turrets if you don't strike quickly, but they will only send basic infantry and light vehicles at you.

BRIEFING:

Spoiler

SMUGGLERS 01: Quality Control

     You watch the sands billow up from below as you fly overhead in your Carryall. Things aren't looking good for you - rumors of a great war fast approaching began circulating mere days after you quit your position among the mercenaries. You were nearly caught by Sardaukar trying to contact the smugglers, and now the very planet was trying to eat you alive.

     Overseeing mining operations has been refreshing for you. Not many casualties were suffered to other humans, only to the environment and, of course, to sandworms. The smuggler leader has had his eyes on you, and you were finally being evaluated for more important missions.

     An attendant standing to your left draws your attention with a sealed letter meant for you. It must be your briefing for this evaluation. You accept it quickly and skim the cover.

     EYES ONLY: ROWE SUMMERS

     That's you. Once the attendant walks away, you open the letter and begin to read:

**************************************************

     Commander Summers,

     The news has finally come out. The emperor has issued a challenge to each of the Great Houses - whoever can produce the most spice will control its source. It's said there will be no rules to how they can achieve the goal.

     Do you know what this means? It means Arrakis is about to be neck-deep in blood and chaos. Our blood, if we don't afford some security. That means we need Spice.

     This evaluation will determine your productivity during Spice mining operations. You will be asked to construct a standard base in as little time as possible, and then tasked with harvesting five-thousand Solaris worth of Spice.

     I expect great things from a former military commander. Your exploits under Durant have reached my ears, and you'll be duly rewarded with more suitable operations and additional assets as time goes on. Corrino's been buckling down on us, and I look forward to observing what tactics you exercise against the Imperials. That said, if you fail this simple evaluation, I will be forced to replace you. Our goal is profit, not strength.

     Remember that the worms are attracted to vibrations in the sand, so keep an eye out and don't let your Harvesters be devoured. Each replacement will cost you a lot in Solaris.

     Finally, this is a trying time for our organisation and your excellence in this operation will have relative benefit to our coffers. You've found us, and proven you're worthy of our attention. We're outlaws, and our lives are fraught with peril, but with great risk comes great reward: Water, coffee, liquor, and Spice. Serve us long enough and you'll earn your wealth. If you should fail in your grasp for power, know we'll smuggle you safely off-planet, if you can afford it.

     Welcome to Dune.

     - Ketua Sumadi

**************************************************

     You frown as you finish reading. Could it be that there was no escape from conflict and bloodshed on this God-forsaken ball of sand? You'll have to think about that later; your Carryall has arrived. It's time to get started.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. Pass Sumadi's evaluation.
2. Harvest 5,000 Solaris.

 

MAP PREVIEW IMAGE:

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/1k76HBd.jpg

Hope y'all like the look of this. If you wanna give it a try, lemme know and I'll release it early!

Edit: Got the alternative smuggler level 2 done. Has some bugs, I'll post previews and details later, I can't finish it now.

Edit 2: The bugs have been fixed and the map is now functional. Details below. The briefing is similar to the first version of level 2, but it's got some fitting modifications to account for the entirely different map.

GENERAL MAP DETAILS:

Spoiler

Starting units: 10 Light Infantry, 5 Troopers, 3 Grenadiers, 4 Raiders, 2 Quads, Rowe Summers
Starting base: None.
Enemy AI: 1
Objectives: Reclaim the lost Spice. Summers and her escort must survive the battle.
Unique aspects: Semi-escort mission.
Fey's comments: This mission is much different from the original level 2, but it's still fairly challenging. It also takes place in the same territory, the El-Sayal Plains. Like the original level 2, this version will throw you for a loop, but much sooner than the original. SPOILER ALERT - Once you reach the base you're meant to recapture, it detonates and Imperial reinforcements come in to try and kill or capture Summers. On normal or hard, they'll probably eat your starting units alive if you don't flee. If the units you control die, Summers is captured and the mission is failed. If Summers dies, you have been killed and the mission is failed. You'll need to seek refuge with the Fremen. If you fail to hold out long enough, the mission is failed. If you do hold out long enough, Summers can flee and the mission is won. Not only will Giraud send increasing amounts of forces at you, but he'll also set up his own base over the ruins of your former base. And he'll tech straight up to Combat Tanks and Sardaukar, too. Grenadiers are easily your best friend on this mission considering the amount of Sardaukar they throw at you, and you'll receive eight of them for free over the course of the mission.

BRIEFING:

Spoiler

SMUGGLERS 02: Scavenging the Wastes

     The monitor flickers to life. Though its display is choked by static, you can make out threads of black where Ketua's hair should be and a mug of Spice coffee in his hairy hand. His collared wrist was steady as he raised the mug, and the static cleared, revealing his dark skin. When he opened his eyes, sighed, and set the mug down in front of him, his eyes snapped open, staring into the camera. They were an awe-inspiring deep blue that seared color into your sand- and rock-painted mind.

     "Commander Summers," he greets you. "Well done on your first operation. The Imperials had no idea what hit them. You're on the move to El-Sayal Plains to recover Spice from a recently-captured base..."

     You scoff at that. You're more accustomed to commanding a military, not miners. While you'd never go back to mercenary work, you miss being able to push people around or extort them. If only it didn't always end up in so much death... if only you could get the money without the bloodshed. "Is this all you do?" you ask. "Hit-and-run, and lose territory?"

     Ketua chuckles briefly, but doesn't seem amused. "So, she does speak," he mutters. He continues, displeased, "Rest assured, if you didn't feel the Imperials' strength on your last assignment, you will on this one. Now, here are the details... the emperor has been seeking and destroying our hidden bases, and this region is the latest to come under attack."

     "Why?"

     "Other than our being outlaws? We don't know, yet. There should be too much on his mind to bother with us right now, but regardless of the reason, we need damage control and security. I want you to reclaim the Spice we lost in El-Sayal Plains. If the Imperials haven't stolen it all, there should be five-thousand Solaris in the Silos and the Refinery."

     You consider the task a moment and ask, "And the security part?"

     "That's what the money's for. Durant offered security for loads of Spice."

     Your muscles stiffen slightly at his name. Sabre Durant, your partner in crime for the longest time. "So we need all the Spice we can get, and you can't afford to lose this base," you reason.

     Ketua nods at you. "That's the idea."

     "Consider it done."

     "One more thing," Ketua adds, placing a finger on the link severance. "Giraud's looking for you. Get this over with quickly - I can't afford to lose my secret weapon to that man. Imperial forces occupy the base you're headed to, so expect reinforcements to arrive shortly after you capture it. Build up your defenses, ensure you send me at least five-thousand Solaris, and then get out of there. Got it?"

     You narrow your eyes at him. "Got it," you confirm, and the screen shuts off.

     Your Carryalls set down west of the base. As your men scatter a little and prepare to move out, you check your rifle's magazine and fit your helmet on. With a deep breath, you step into the sun.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. You must survive.
2. Your escort must survive.
3. Deliver 5,000 Solaris to Sumadi.

MAP PREVIEW IMAGE:

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/bSimgmI.jpg

Edited December 25, 2016 by Fey
Details about level 2!

[Fey]

Hey guys! Apologies about triple post, I can't seem to edit the last one and, well, I've actually got a substantial post to post - I'm releasing the other maps I've been working on! This is my first 'polished' release after getting the new tools, and I think they're a huge step from the original maps posted in the OP of this thread. Here's a list of features for this release:

FEATURES:
 - Carefully crafted terrain and meticulously balanced AI design, thoroughly tested on all difficulties by your's truly
 - A full cast of characters (not all of which have been introduced yet) who play a huge role in gameplay and story
 - Lore-friendly missions, from names of regions being pulled straight from Emperor: Battle for Dune to factions being properly characterized
 - Varied gameplay between each mission and guaranteed fun ^^

In the smuggler campaign, follow the story of Rowe Summers, a mysterious and talented commander fresh from the service of Durant and his mercenaries. Underestimated by many, often to deadly ends. A hands-on, tough, yet remorseful woman, Summers seeks profit without bloodshed, though won't hesitate to battle her foes if provoked. Yet, such a thing as peace seems impossible. She's hunted by Emperor Corrino's best general, extorted by the Great Houses going to war, and undermined by the very leader of the smugglers, Ketua Sumadi. Can Summers take the rag-tag militia she's been given command of and survive the hostility of Arrakis? Find out... when I get around to mission 5 and onwards! Hehe.

Been really busy with the holidays, but I managed to get some maps done. The new program is incredible and it's simplified the process to the point where I can throw something together in just a few hours. Big thanks to the folks behind these great tools!!

Anyway, yeah, got like three or four more maps for y'all, and I fixed some bugs in the old maps. I included details in previous posts, so I won't go over them again, but I'll tell y'all about S3V2 since I didn't touch on it.

GENERAL MAP DETAILS:

Spoiler

Starting units: 5 Light Infantry, 2 Raiders, 2 Carryalls
Starting base: ConYard, Wind Trap (x3), Refinery (x2), Outpost, Silo (x4)
Enemy AI: 3
Objectives: Repel the Atreides incursion. Befriend or crush the Harkonnen.
Unique aspects: Durant's mercenaries fortify your base.
Fey's comments: This map is the alternate version of smugglers 03. SPOILER ALERT - Unlike the original S3V1, there is actually a choice in this mission, although it's not between which ally you want to pick. It actually has to do with whether or not you want another enemy. The Atreides are your main enemy on this mission, and Vasiliou will pull all the stops to try and claim your base. Troopers and Trikes, Grenadiers and Quads, etc etc. The Harkonnen offer to help you if you pay them 5,000 Solaris. Reaching 5,000 Solaris will cause Harkonnen reinforcements to arrive early and assist you, but if you don't allow yourself to pass 5,000 in the first 15 minutes of game time, the Harkonnen will be your enemy from then on out. This mission is significantly more challenging than S3V1, I think, and there's a good amount of dialogue. Should you decide to ignore Krillys' threats and make him your enemy as well, you will have to destroy the Harkonnen. If you're allied with the Harkonnen, losing all their units and structures will result in mission failure. If you manage to destroy both the Atreides and Harkonnen, each commander will have something different to say to you.

BRIEFING:

Spoiler

SMUGGLERS 03: Stepping Up Security

     Several weeks later, after you arrive in Bled al-Hazrad, you step into the Outpost. You're immediately greeted by Sumadi, who shakes your hand and looks you worriedly in the eyes. "Welcome back, Commander Summers. You've arrived just in time."

     With a short glance over Sumadi's shoulder, you spot an unknown, but decorated man looking impatiently back at you. His blond eyebrow was arched up below the rim of his short hair. As Sumadi turns around, you follow him to the command table and see the Atreides commander more clearly.

     The war between the Great Houses had begun.

     "So," he starts, looking back to Sumadi. "This is your last line of defense? I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sumadi, but you're going to need better to bargain with me." He returns his gaze to you. "Commander Summers, is it?"

     You glare at him angrily. "Speaking, and let me make this clear, asshole - I won't be pushed around by anyone. Not the Imperials, not Sumadi, and never you."

     He smirks at you smugly. "Charming. Cyril Vasiliou." His cool, condescending expression drops to a chiseled scowl. "I'll be seeing you soon." The comm link cuts out.

     Sumadi glares at you. "What's wrong with you, Summers?? Didn't you see the Atreides army massing nearby as you flew in?? He's going to crush our primary Spice mining base in the region and now there's no chance he'll bargain with us!"

     "He didn't seem interested in the first place," you retort. Sumadi sighs at you and turns away, rubbing his temples in circles with his fingers.

     After a pause, he turns back to you and thrusts a balled fist into the command table, gulping down some tension. "If we lose this base, you're gone, Summers. Get to work!" You decide not to say anything more as he walks out.

     Turning back to the command table, you see that this base has some valuable assets. At least that much will make your job easier. Two Refineries, some Wind Traps, three-thousand Solaris in storage... Durant's mercenaries set up factories and turrets nearby to fortify your defenses. You doubt it would be enough to defeat the Atreides; Sumadi was right, they were indeed formidable.

     Suddenly, the transmission screen illuminated the room once more. You look up to see a slightly aged, balding man with bushy, black eyebrows staring at you. His gaze was sinister, and he eyed you more like a piece of meat rather than another human being. You get the feeling that it wasn't just because you're a woman.

     "Who are you?" you ask.

     "Radnor Krillys, Harkonnen commander..." he introduces himself. "Your base is in the middle of my battlefield. A glorious battle is about to take place! I want to ensure our mutual benefit... and make a trade."

     You narrow your eyes at him. "What do you want?"

     "Spice, of course! For the great Baron Harkonnen, the rightful ruler of Arrakis. You would do well to respect that title... and pay us five-thousand Solaris."

     "So, an economic treaty?" you ask warily, and the strange man nods in response, his creepy smirk further spreading over his face.

     "If that sounds more appealing to you... but know that if you do not pay us, I will personally feed your entrails to the baron."

     You couldn't afford to anger two of the Great Houses at once. As much as you hated it, you sucked your pride in through a breath, exhaled deeply, and then said, "I'll consider it."

     "Good, good!" Krillys exclaims. "I will arrive soon to take the fight to the Atreides... and you, should you anger me. Make your choice quickly, Commander Summers... hehehe."

     As the comm link closes for a second time, you consider your options carefully. You knew this time was inevitable, the time when the Great Houses would seek you out, either to pick on you or to take advantage of your extensive Spice mining capabilities. A treaty with one of the Great Houses could prove incredibly beneficial in the long run, but should they hamper your profits too heavily, it could just as easily be a better decision to remain independent and keep all the wealth you gain.

     You didn't have much time. You had to make a choice.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. Repel the Atreides incursion.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
1. Deliver 5,000 Solaris to the Harkonnen and form an alliance with them.
2. Refuse Krillys' demands and provoke the wrath of the Harkonnen.

MAP PREVIEWS:

Spoiler

S1V1: http://i.imgur.com/dSn6HUm.jpg
S1V2: http://i.imgur.com/T3S4di4.jpg
S2V1: http://i.imgur.com/cJpbx0Z.jpg
S2V2: http://i.imgur.com/wGGluhD.jpg
S3V1: http://i.imgur.com/mllKLgM.jpg
S3V2: http://i.imgur.com/Ebfq5my.jpg
S4V1: http://i.imgur.com/1G0YN48.jpg

The previews for all seven maps are in the spoiler above.

Here's the download link. I'm not sure if I got all the files TibEd modified, but I got all of them in the main D2k folder, so... put the missions into the data > Missions directory, and place Armour, BuilExp, Speed, and Templates in your main D2k folder, with the D2k application.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/hsq7pr98t1o9u6g/Smugglers+Campaign.zip

EDIT: There is a problem Cm_blast reported with the Armour, BuilExp, Speed, and Templates files not applying the mod. I'm not entirely sure how it's supposed to work, but if you grab the map pack above and wish to play it as intended, please download the mod linked below and apply it via TibEd. I'll try and figure out how to make it so y'all don't have to use TibEd, but for now this is the only way I know for sure it'll work. Thank you for your patience!
[REDACTED: The zip has been adjusted and the copy of my mod is no longer needed, I think. Copy "ARMOUR.BIN," "BUILEXP.BIN," "SPEED.BIN," "Templates.bin," and "TILEDATA.BIN" into your "data\bin" folder, navigating from your main Dune2k directory.]

Once again, I apologize for the triple post, but I hope this release will make up for it ^^ And once again, if any of y'all give the new maps a try, or play through the old ones, I'm still looking for feedback! No matter what it is, any criticism or compliment whatsoever will go towards ensuring that I keep good elements of gameplay in future missions and avoid keeping the bad elements. Thank you very much!

P.S. - Please do experiment if you're especially interested in providing feedback! Usually I've provided workarounds for various things, like if you do destroy the Imperials in S2V1, the enemy commander will comment on that fact and you can still win the mission. But, hey, I might have missed a spot! So, you know, try and break the game If you want. Thanks <3

Edited December 30, 2016 by Fey
Bug!

[Cm_blast]

I'll test the maps in days to come.

I would suggest to create in the zip the same structure that in the game. For example, a folder called "missions" with the files that are part of the missions so is more easy to track where people should copy X files.
Also, I don't know where I should apply those .ini buildexp, etc... files. I try it the 4 level but I didn't see the grenadiers to be trained which sould be by that level. I copied them into the main folder "d:\.....\dune 2000 but seems that don't work or I am doing something wrong.

By the way, I could suggest to add the "TILEDATA.BIN" file included in the editor to the zip.
This file is the one which allow to preplace a Raider for smuggler and then, when playing the map, making those raiders appears.
I don't know if in the last version of gruntmod is included, but if someone is playing without it (or just playing the vanilla dune 2000), by missing that file your earlier maps are going to lack lots of units for the player.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Cm_blast

[Fey]

1 hour ago, Cm_blast said:

I'll test the maps in days to come.

I would suggest to create in the zip the same structure that in the game. For example, a folder called "missions" with the files that are part of the missions so is more easy to track where people should copy X files.
Also, I don't know where I should apply those .ini buildexp, etc... files. I try it the 4 level but I didn't see the grenadiers to be trained which sould be by that level. I copied them into the main folder "d:\.....\dune 2000 but seems that don't work or I am doing something wrong.

By the way, I could suggest to add the "TILEDATA.BIN" file included in the editor to the zip.
This file is the one which allow to preplace a Raider for smuggler and then, when playing the map, making those raiders appears.
I don't know if in the last version of gruntmod is included, but if someone is playing without it (or just playing the vanilla dune 2000), by missing that file your earlier maps are going to lack lots of units for the player.

Thanks for the reply, Cm!

Oh, dear, so the mod isn't working properly? That is unfortunate. I guess I'll upload the latest copy real quick so you can apply it via TibEd until I figure out what in the heck is going on with that.

Here's a link. I give you my sincerest apologies!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/gdtdwam1faagro8/D2K+mod.tib

I'll be sure to include the TILEDATA.BIN in the next release. Thanks for the heads-up, I forgot about that little tidbit.

With that mod and Gruntmod Edition, the maps should function as intended. Please do let me know if you run into any more problems, and I'll respond as soon as I'm able.

P.S. - If you'd like a demonstration video uploaded for the purpose of showcasing what the map is supposed to play like, if you run into any more problems, I would be happy to record a run for you. They aren't very long maps, being the beginning of the campaign, so it wouldn't be any trouble at all.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Fey
added P.S.

[Cm_blast]

I see you send now the .tib file, but you can do another thing instead.

In the folder "data/bin" the files "armour.bin" "buildexp.bin" "speed.bin" and "templates.bin" change when you edit something with tibed.
Just go to that folder and if you have in your pc to show the "Modification date", you will see how some files have 2016 as year of edition).

You should upload those files; then I only need to overwrite the originals and the game will be modded.
Of course, this will change the game forever, but I have the backup to recover the originals.

I think this is a better option than passing the .tib file, mostly because this way no one needs tibed.

Anyway, I already applied your thing. At least there are grenadiers in mission 4, so I guess is working. I will play it in another moment.

[Fey]

34 minutes ago, Cm_blast said:

I see you send now the .tib file, but you can do another thing instead.

In the folder "data/bin" the files "armour.bin" "buildexp.bin" "speed.bin" and "templates.bin" change when you edit something with tibed.
Just go to that folder and if you have in your pc to show the "Modification date", you will see how some files have 2016 as year of edition).

You should upload those files; then I only need to overwrite the originals and the game will be modded.
Of course, this will change the game forever, but I have the backup to recover the originals.

I think this is a better option than passing the .tib file, mostly because this way no one needs tibed.

Anyway, I already applied your thing. At least there are grenadiers in mission 4, so I guess is working. I will play it in another moment.

Before I uploaded the Smugglers campaign, I loaded up the mod in TibEd, applied it, and then copied all the files I could find that had a date and time equal to the moment I re-applied the mod into the zip I uploaded. The files included were in the D2k root directory for me, so... I'm not sure what I did wrong. It should have worked.

I guess I'll keep playing with it...

You got it working? Okay, great! I look forward to your next reply.

[Feda]

Those modified files should definitely not have been in the root directory. I recall there are some .ini files with the same names as the .bin files in the root after you apply tibed mods, but that's the text version (.ini) of either the changes or the default values (in order to restore the default stuff if the user wishes so) I believe. I'm not sure if Funky's patches make it so the game can read .ini files for unit data now, but the way the original game works is by reading the .bin files from the BIN folder. Those are the ones you must include in the pack in order to have the mod work, the .inis are pretty useless I believe, and even if they had worked, they would have had to be in the BIN folder. 

 

In short, try uploading the equivalent of those .ini files as .bin files; they are in Data/bin

[Fey]

Oh, that explains it! Thanks, Feda.

Hey, you make any progress on those mercenary missions yet?

[Cm_blast]

I play the first mission 2 versions.

The first map first version is ok. I didn't see anything wrong.
Although I could suggest you to add some %timer in the "mission win event".
I mean, you destroy all the silos, a text appears on screen and at the same time "you win". The screen fades to black (finishing the map) before I have the time to read the whole line "Sumadi: "Summers, you've reached your quota. Withdraw..." And here the mission end.

To give a bit of extra time (at least some more seconds), you can add, for example, a 250% timer into the "mission win".
With that is something like this:
I destroy the last silo, I took me 5:17 seconds to do it. Here the "you've reached your quota" line appears. And gives me at least 3 seconds to read it before the "mission accomplished" text appears (which last some more seconds, giving me enough time to read).

I use 250% as example because means 10 exactly seconds, but you can use a lower timer. The point is giving 2-3 extra seconds (at least) so I can read it

In fact, checking with the editor I can see you increase the spice of the player. I couldn't even see it before the screen fade away.

Also, carefully about increasing the money of the player. There is a possibility to make the game crash. By removing money never happen, but increasing sometimes the game goes crazy trying to figure where all that spice should go. Maybe without Ref/sil the game doesn't crash, I don't know.

Now the other map.
In this case there is something to adress.
There are two goals. 1. Following the instructions and 2. Harverst 5000 credits.

Well, I didn't even know that you should destroy a base. Since I didn't explore that far away, I check a bit your map from the editor and saw lots of reinforcements and the "base destroyed" from the imperial, so at that point with some more troopers I attack and win easily.

What I'm trying to say; some explanation in game is needed. The message which triggers when imperial forces have their CY is "Sumadi: "I'm detecting Imperial forces incoming... Summers, repel their incursion!". I took this message as a "ok, I've doing the tutorial-building part of the map, and now here are some action. I need to defend my self, and that's it".

At any moment I never though about "destroying an enemy base". Maybe you can add an extra message in case the player have all the buildings and 5000, like "you collected the money, but you still need to destroy the enemy base" or something like that.

Also, I trigger the message "Sumadi: "Scouting is important for discovering Spice and unclaimed rock." after beating the emperor. Of course, the even is set to not trigger if there is an Imperial CY, but after destroying it, the game just triggered at that moment,

[Feda]

Nope, holidays and all that  Not sure when I'm really going to start working on them for real, since the new year is gonna start with exams and projects for university + work. Anyway, when I do get like 3 missions done, I'll message you in case you want to playtest them. I won't be releasing any missions until all of them are done (that is usually my policy: release stuff only when it's complete), but for testers, they will get them as soon as I make them

 

I played the 4th mission too, and I can say I love this campaign  I was a little sad when i finished the mission and realized there is no mission 5 yet, as I was so curios what is going to happen next with the Ordos. This (the excellent dialogues + the narrative description) is, at least for me, the perfect way of telling a story, it almost feels like having cutscenes like in C&C 3 (which btw, considering it's an EA game, did VERY well when it comes to story). When it comes to mission 4 technical stuff, there was nothing wrong with it, no bugs, although it is quite easy and you don't really get into much action. Maybe this is because I decided to go with the Ordos and attack the Harkonnen (didn't look at the mission in the editor to not spoil things). It probably would be more difficult if I went for the Ordos turrets, since they are farther than the Harks. I should try the other variant sometime.

 

Can't wait for mission 5

[Fey]

43 minutes ago, Cm_blast said:

I play the first mission 2 versions.

The first map first version is ok. I didn't see anything wrong.
Although I could suggest you to add some %timer in the "mission win event".
I mean, you destroy all the silos, a text appears on screen and at the same time "you win". The screen fades to black (finishing the map) before I have the time to read the whole line "Sumadi: "Summers, you've reached your quota. Withdraw..." And here the mission end.

To give a bit of extra time (at least some more seconds), you can add, for example, a 250% timer into the "mission win".
With that is something like this:
I destroy the last silo, I took me 5:17 seconds to do it. Here the "you've reached your quota" line appears. And gives me at least 3 seconds to read it before the "mission accomplished" text appears (which last some more seconds, giving me enough time to read).

I use 250% as example because means 10 exactly seconds, but you can use a lower timer. The point is giving 2-3 extra seconds (at least) so I can read it

In fact, checking with the editor I can see you increase the spice of the player. I couldn't even see it before the screen fade away.

Also, carefully about increasing the money of the player. There is a possibility to make the game crash. By removing money never happen, but increasing sometimes the game goes crazy trying to figure where all that spice should go. Maybe without Ref/sil the game doesn't crash, I don't know.

Now the other map.
In this case there is something to adress.
There are two goals. 1. Following the instructions and 2. Harverst 5000 credits.

Well, I didn't even know that you should destroy a base. Since I didn't explore that far away, I check a bit your map from the editor and saw lots of reinforcements and the "base destroyed" from the imperial, so at that point with some more troopers I attack and win easily.

What I'm trying to say; some explanation in game is needed. The message which triggers when imperial forces have their CY is "Sumadi: "I'm detecting Imperial forces incoming... Summers, repel their incursion!". I took this message as a "ok, I've doing the tutorial-building part of the map, and now here are some action. I need to defend my self, and that's it".

At any moment I never though about "destroying an enemy base". Maybe you can add an extra message in case the player have all the buildings and 5000, like "you collected the money, but you still need to destroy the enemy base" or something like that.

Also, I trigger the message "Sumadi: "Scouting is important for discovering Spice and unclaimed rock." after beating the emperor. Of course, the even is set to not trigger if there is an Imperial CY, but after destroying it, the game just triggered at that moment,

Thanks a ton for your feedback, Cm!!!

That's an excellent suggestion for S1V1. I'll see what I can do about adding that timer.

Oh, is THAT what causes the error? I ran into that the other day. Okay, I didn't know that. Thanks very much for explaining that to me.

Hmm. I could have sworn I placed the trigger for the scouting message directly on top of the area Giraud will deploy his ConYard. I'll check where I placed it and move it accordingly.

Ah, I'm sorry about that misunderstanding. When Sumadi says 'repel the incursion,' he means 'destroy the enemy base,' 'drive them back out of the territory,' 'secure this region,' etc. Repel the incursion. While I enjoy throwing twists in missions and making the player question what happens next, I do try to ensure that enough is said to give the player at least some basic idea of what they're doing. You figured it out eventually, right? *rubs back of neck* I'll see if there's any room left for a trigger like that. There might not be, I tend to hit the limit really often.

Thank you so much, once again, for your feedback! It's extremely helpful and I really appreciate it. Aside from all the bugs, were the maps fun, unique, engaging, interesting... etc?
 

35 minutes ago, FedaYkin said:

Nope, holidays and all that  Not sure when I'm really going to start working on them for real, since the new year is gonna start with exams and projects for university + work. Anyway, when I do get like 3 missions done, I'll message you in case you want to playtest them. I won't be releasing any missions until all of them are done (that is usually my policy: release stuff only when it's complete), but for testers, they will get them as soon as I make them

 

I played the 4th mission too, and I can say I love this campaign  I was a little sad when i finished the mission and realized there is no mission 5 yet, as I was so curios what is going to happen next with the Ordos. This (the excellent dialogues + the narrative description) is, at least for me, the perfect way of telling a story, it almost feels like having cutscenes like in C&C 3 (which btw, considering it's an EA game, did VERY well when it comes to story). When it comes to mission 4 technical stuff, there was nothing wrong with it, no bugs, although it is quite easy and you don't really get into much action. Maybe this is because I decided to go with the Ordos and attack the Harkonnen (didn't look at the mission in the editor to not spoil things). It probably would be more difficult if I went for the Ordos turrets, since they are farther than the Harks. I should try the other variant sometime.

 

Can't wait for mission 5

Aww! Alright, man. I eagerly await their release!!

Aye, mission four can be fairly difficult or quite easy depending on how careful you are. You can begin the conflict between the Ordos and Harkonnen early by exploring their base as soon as possible - they'll ask you why you came to them before they requested your presence, and Krillys will remark that you discovered the Ordos base. It's also possible to piss off both the Harkonnen and the Ordos, this can happen unintentionally very easily while striking against the front turrets of either the Harkonnen or the Ordos bases, but you may only ally with one of the Houses. Your mercenary allies can strike against both Houses until the front turrets of either base are destroyed, in which event both you and your mercenary allies will immediately be allied with the opposing faction, and you'll become enemies with the one whose turrets got destroyed. Their positions are pretty defensible, aside from the fact that you start out with only 1k Solaris and the Ordos and Harkonnen have plenty of starting forces, but it does very little to protect them when they whittle down their forces against each-other and you take advantage of your neutrality to strike suddenly and strike fiercely against one of them.

Mission 4 marks Moriaen's first appearance. She's sort of a manipulative voice, urging Summers not to fight by reminding her of her guilt, and by making her offers she can't refuse. However, if you attack the Ordos base, she says something remarkably unfeeling, simply stating that 'the Ordos will demand compensation for your decision,' as though the loss of her soldiers and her base is not very worrisome, and profits are her only consideration. Hopefully this came across in-game!

Thank you very much for that compliment ^^ This is my first attempt at doing original story-driven stuff in an RTS and I'm very glad you find it appealing!

Have you tried the other versions of levels 1, 2, and 3, by any chance? Is that what you meant by "I should try the other variant sometime"? Or did you mean you would attack the Ordos on mission 4? Each of the first three levels now has a second version, and just like the original campaign, levels 4, 5, 7, and 8 will not have alternate versions. The story should lead in the same general direction, but the gameplay can be quite different.

[Feda]

I meant to try attacking the Ordos and stay with my Harkonnen allies (and oppressors apparently - yea, Harkonnnens, what else can you expect from them). Didn't try the V2s yet.

[Fey]

1 hour ago, FedaYkin said:

I meant to try attacking the Ordos and stay with my Harkonnen allies (and oppressors apparently - yea, Harkonnnens, what else can you expect from them). Didn't try the V2s yet.

Ah, alright. I eagerly await your feedback on those, too ...If you would be so gracious as to provide some!

Yeah, the Harkonnen are said to be ruthless to allies and enemies alike. I imagine they'd extort the smugglers for everything they could get out of 'em.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Fey

[Cm_blast]

Ok, Played and "beat" the mission 2 v1.

Before starting, I forgot to tell something about the previous mission, 1º v2. I think you should increase the tech needed to upgrade the CY. It's pointless making the player waste 1000 credits (It's actually more) just to have 3x3 squares. The original game gives you rocket turrets, but here is like "ok, what a waste".

Since your first mission is almost a tutorial and the player don't need to rush things to win, giving the option to do some expensive upgrades that doesn't nothing feels like you've been cheated. Same happens with the Heavy factory. 2000 credits for an update that only gives you the repair pad.

I don't mind if you start with 10.000 credits, of this is a later level which both upgrades gives you something more, but for a first mission I feel is too expensive.

This happens again in mission 2 v1. Another time where the players use more than 3000 credits for only same concrete/repair pad.

Now, I played trough the mission. I manage to get the 10.000 credits, then some messages and...
Ok, I think you have a good idea and the way you approach it, but on the other hand, is a bit unnatural.
The reason: Technically I lost the game. I saw enemy units marching and thought "Ok, I guess I need to survive the last attack before winning", but I didn't survive, I lost all my units, and even more enemies were coming. At this point I quit the game and said "well, I will try again tomorrow".

Then out of curiosity I look into the editor and well... I would never win. My game is "lost" long before that.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Cm_blast

[Fey]

1 hour ago, Cm_blast said:

Ok, Played and "beat" the mission 2 v1.

Before starting, I forgot to tell something about the previous mission, 1º v2. I think you should increase the tech needed to upgrade the CY. It's pointless making the player waste 1000 credits (It's actually more) just to have 3x3 squares. The original game gives you rocket turrets, but here is like "ok, what a waste".

Since your first mission is almost a tutorial and the player don't need to rush things to win, giving the option to do some expensive upgrades that doesn't nothing feels like you've been cheated. Same happens with the Heavy factory. 2000 credits for an update that only gives you the repair pad.

I don't mind if you start with 10.000 credits, of this is a later level which both upgrades gives you something more, but for a first mission I feel is too expensive.

This happens again in mission 2 v1. Another time where the players use more than 3000 credits for only same concrete/repair pad.

Now, I played trough the mission. I manage to get the 10.000 credits, then some messages and...
Ok, I think you have a good idea and the way you approach it, but on the other hand, is a bit unnatural.
The reason: Technically I lost the game. I saw enemy units marching and thought "Ok, I guess I need to survive the last attack before winning", but I didn't survive, I lost all my units, and even more enemies were coming. At this point I quit the game and said "well, I will try again tomorrow".

Then out of curiosity I look into the editor and well... I would never win. My game is "lost" long before that.

Thanks a ton for your reply, Cm!

Hmm. You have an excellent point, and I'm inclined to agree. Upgrades were intended, with this mod, to be an investment. Building some more Raiders in the early game might be more worth it than getting that upgrade and having no money for Quads, for instance. I wouldn't mind increasing the Construction Yard upgrade tech level to, say, four or six, but the repair pad is a great utility structure and you'll have the means to pay for the upgrade. The Heavy Factory is there to provide Harvesters at a low tech level, and it starts paying off after the second harvester. On normal mode, a Heavy Factory plus a single Harvester is 2,000 Solaris, and each Harvester after that is half as expensive. This allows you to build up your economy very easily, especially at a low tech level when you have very little to spend it on - that's when the Heavy Factory upgrade comes into play. While I can say I rarely upgraded my ConYard during testing, I did very often upgrade my Heavy Factory and use the Repair Pad to preserve two groups of light vehicles. Not always just because I had too much cash to spend! One group out fighting, another group waiting at the pad, near the light factory, to be sent back into battle after the first group is sufficiently damaged. Turned out to be a worthwhile investment.

The price of a repair pad, on the other hand, has been reduced, despite it costing exactly 3000 Solaris on Normal mode to unlock it, and another 500 to build one. I haven't done the math for how great of an investment this is at low tech levels, since I'm not sure what percentage of cash it takes to repair a vehicle, but I've enjoyed its benefits just fine.

To summarize, I absolutely see your point about both the Heavy Factory and Construction Yard upgrade, but could you tell me any more reason you can think of to eliminate the Repair Pad from the low-tech level missions? Just for the sake of garnering perspective. If you have nothing more to say, then that's fine too You have already said quite a lot.

Ah, I worried that would happen to someone sooner or later. Indeed, it's not the conventional sort of ending, and it's even more confusing during the second version - you don't even manage to retrieve 5,000 Solaris, you're routed as soon as you make it to base and have to defend another location to survive. Sumadi tells you to "run, Summers!" and the Fremen ask you to fight alongside them when you reach their Sietch, and that's about the only hint you'll get as to what you're supposed to do. Do you suppose the in-game dialogue... isn't enough of a hint that something of the sort is supposed to happen?

The smugglers, the way I'm doing them at least, aren't really supposed to have the strength to deal with the Imperial forces. They're vastly outgunned and outnumbered, so their only option is stealth, and if they don't have that, then El-Sayal happens - lots of tanks, lots of Sardaukar, and no chance at all for a completely successful mission. Except in S2V1 if you manage to destroy the Imperial base, but, you know, that's kinda difficult.

I digress. Would you say that you're looking at it from, like... a traditional sort of perspective? And, in that case, hypothetically speaking, if you were to take more from the dialogue, would your objectives and the twists and turns that the story puts on the gameplay become more apparent?

Edited December 30, 2016 by Fey

[Cm_blast]

When I talk about upgrades I mean in the early game. newcomers that may play your game are going to do the CY upgrades. Even in my play I did that. I wasn't even sure what building will provide doing it, so I click on "upgrade". This means my play went this way:
40 credits on concrete + 200 wintrap + 80 concrete, + 2000 ref + 1250 upgrades =3750, not enough to build another ref with your initial money, so I need to wait 2 complete fully deliveries from my harverster to end the second ref.

In the first mission I can't take the repair pad as a investment. For the 2500 credits that cost upgrade+repair you can build 7 new raiders instead (with that and some troopers is enough to win the map) so you could move the upgrades to at least the next mission with tanks and quads involved.

50 minutes ago, Fey said:

Ah, I worried that would happen to someone sooner or later. Indeed, it's not the conventional sort of ending, and it's even more confusing during the second version - you don't even manage to retrieve 5,000 Solaris, you're routed as soon as you make it to base and have to defend another location to survive. Sumadi tells you to "run, Summers!" and the Fremen ask you to fight alongside them when you reach their Sietch, and that's about the only hint you'll get as to what you're supposed to do. Do you suppose the in-game dialogue... isn't enough of a hint that something of the sort is supposed to happen?

I don't know, I will play first and see myself how is going.

This game is very straightforward. 95% of the original campaigns are "Destroy everything", so is easy to think that way. Maybe the terrain can help. something like saying "run/escape" but making the terrain forcing the player going to an specific field and using a reveal map to show the player where/who should going/encounter.

By the way, I'm just focusing into the map and gameplay, not the briefing or the story. I let that for you. It's just what I mentioned before. No units = you loose, so "why continuing playing?". I mean, if we were talking about a RPG type of game, yes, that happens in lots of games, but in a RTS usually the player don't win by loosing (and if the player is mean to loose, the buildings are going to explode or something like that)

But that's me. Maybe there are other people who play until the end.

[Fey]

15 hours ago, Cm_blast said:

When I talk about upgrades I mean in the early game. newcomers that may play your game are going to do the CY upgrades. Even in my play I did that. I wasn't even sure what building will provide doing it, so I click on "upgrade". This means my play went this way:
40 credits on concrete + 200 wintrap + 80 concrete, + 2000 ref + 1250 upgrades =3750, not enough to build another ref with your initial money, so I need to wait 2 complete fully deliveries from my harverster to end the second ref.

In the first mission I can't take the repair pad as a investment. For the 2500 credits that cost upgrade+repair you can build 7 new raiders instead (with that and some troopers is enough to win the map) so you could move the upgrades to at least the next mission with tanks and quads involved.

I don't know, I will play first and see myself how is going.

This game is very straightforward. 95% of the original campaigns are "Destroy everything", so is easy to think that way. Maybe the terrain can help. something like saying "run/escape" but making the terrain forcing the player going to an specific field and using a reveal map to show the player where/who should going/encounter.

By the way, I'm just focusing into the map and gameplay, not the briefing or the story. I let that for you. It's just what I mentioned before. No units = you loose, so "why continuing playing?". I mean, if we were talking about a RPG type of game, yes, that happens in lots of games, but in a RTS usually the player don't win by loosing (and if the player is mean to loose, the buildings are going to explode or something like that)

But that's me. Maybe there are other people who play until the end.

A very solid argument! I shall change the upgrade tech levels for the next release.

In the example I mentioned, there are reinforcements that run north, and Summers will bolt in that direction after tanks land on the ruins of your base. That should be enough of a hint, I think, but if there's any room I'll add a map reveal to where the reinforcements land. I don't think there is room on that map, though.

As for the briefing and story, the briefing will mostly tell story, but may have some useful hints, and could provide context for certain objectives changing mid-mission. For instance, Durant will advise Summers to take advantage of her neutrality in order to gain the upper hand over the Ordos or Harkonnen in S4V1, but that's intuitively obvious to most players. In S3V2, the objectives and briefing display that the Atreides are hostile no matter what, and the Harkonnen may or may not be hostile depending on whether or not you pay them. Most notably, the primary / secondary objectives lists outline everything you're expected to do going into the mission in just a few lines, and in-game dialogue will tell you how those objectives change. So, the in-game dialogue is the most important, though you can skip the briefing and just check your objectives if that's your thing. Surely that's fair, right?

Edit: Hey, I got a minute and applied some fixes. The map pack has been re-uploaded with them.

CHANGELOG:

Spoiler

 

GENERAL CHANGES:
 - Included the .bin files in the zip. Copy to your "data\bin" folder and it should work!
 - Added a "NEW UPGRADES" section to the new units / structures section in each briefing. This is mostly to account for changes in the tech tree, especially changes made to the High Tech Factory.
 - The Heavy Factory requires Tech Level 4 to be upgraded.
 - The Construction Yard requires Tech Level 6 to be upgraded.

S1V1:
 - Removed the Repair Pad details from the New Structures entry to account for Tech Level changes.
 - Added a timer to victory and failure conditions, ensuring the player has enough time to read the end-mission text.

S1V2:
 - Removed the Repair Pad details from the New Structures entry to account for Tech Level changes.
 - Fixed a bug causing Sumadi to comment on your scouting even after the Imperials arrive.
 - Adjusted initial Imperial unit behavior slightly.

S2V1:
 - Fixed a bug causing the end-scenario Imperial assault to stop once it's begun.
 - Fixed a bug causing some Imperial reinforcements to fail to function properly.
 - Fixed a bug causing Giraud to call you stupid for attacking him while he's rolling over your base.
 - Sumadi will no longer send reinforcements if you've destroyed the Imperial base already.
 - Added more dialogue. Giraud will taunt you if you poke at his base, and should you somehow defeat the Imperials, he'll exclaim his surprise.

S2V2:
 - Added a Reveal Map event to help the player move in the right direction after being ambushed.
 - Fixed a bug causing the mission to end in failure despite victory conditions being met.

 

@Cm_blast - I implemented those changes. The Heavy Factory and ConYard can't be upgraded anymore, and as a result you cannot expand on your Concrete Foundation or build a Repair Pad yet. I also added the bin files to the zip, so that should work just fine. I didn't make any changes to missions 3 or 4 since you haven't commented on those yet, but I did make adjustments based on your comments and my own assessments to S1V1, S1V2, S2V1, and S2V2.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to add another hint in S1V2 explicitly stating that you should destroy the Imperial base due to being out of room, but I believe the implication should be sufficient. Thanks again for your feedback!! I look forward to hearing what you have to say about S2V2, S3V1, S3V2, and S4V1, if you would be so gracious as to continue to assist me.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Fey
Fixes and stuff.

[Cm_blast]

Today I played the mission 2 v2.

In general the map is crearly. I head north when I saw the message saying I need to head that way (I think only survive a couple of vehicles, my soldiers were killed), but anyway, I encounter who you are suppose to encounter and the rest of the game went good.

At first I thought that destroying the imperial base was needed to succed, since the money is limited and the imperial was very weak, so I attack, then I realise that the map was purely defensive, well, attacking is the best defense, they say :P. 

Anyway, the part about the "raider" was a bit confusing. I started to send my trikes exploring the area, in case there were some kind of event "tile revealed" pretending that my trike escapes the map, but that wasn't the case. From now on I am going to let the enemy kills me xD in future maps, just in case.

You can still maintain the info about the repair pad in S1v1, since that building is present and is the core of your map. And since you even suggest to the player to retreat and repair, it don't hurt anyone if the info is there.

20 hours ago, Fey said:

Unfortunately I wasn't able to add another hint in S1V2 explicitly stating that you should destroy the Imperial base due to being out of room, but I believe the implication should be sufficient.

How about saying something in the briefing?
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. Pass Sumadi's evaluation.
2. Harvest 5,000 Solaris.
3. If Imperials show up, destroy them / If someone threatens you, kill him / If something gets in your way, get rid of it / If you get attacked, retaliate.

Something like that. Of course if you want to maintain the surprise then It's better that nothing shows up.

[Fey]

4 hours ago, Cm_blast said:

Today I played the mission 2 v2.

In general the map is crearly. I head north when I saw the message saying I need to head that way (I think only survive a couple of vehicles, my soldiers were killed), but anyway, I encounter who you are suppose to encounter and the rest of the game went good.

At first I thought that destroying the imperial base was needed to succed, since the money is limited and the imperial was very weak, so I attack, then I realise that the map was purely defensive, well, attacking is the best defense, they say :P. 

Anyway, the part about the "raider" was a bit confusing. I started to send my trikes exploring the area, in case there were some kind of event "tile revealed" pretending that my trike escapes the map, but that wasn't the case. From now on I am going to let the enemy kills me xD in future maps, just in case.

You can still maintain the info about the repair pad in S1v1, since that building is present and is the core of your map. And since you even suggest to the player to retreat and repair, it don't hurt anyone if the info is there.

How about saying something in the briefing?
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. Pass Sumadi's evaluation.
2. Harvest 5,000 Solaris.
3. If Imperials show up, destroy them / If someone threatens you, kill him / If something gets in your way, get rid of it / If you get attacked, retaliate.

Something like that. Of course if you want to maintain the surprise then It's better that nothing shows up.

I'm glad S2V2 functions well. For the most part. Hehe.

When Sumadi tells Summers to flee, the mission is complete, and the enemy can safely destroy the Sietch without any issues. It's the equivalent to hitting 10,000 Solaris on S2V1 - the rest of the map is survival until you can't survive anymore.

You said you attacked the Imperial base! Did you watch the Imperials tech up at all? Were they able to fend you off? They have a very efficient build order.

Spoiler

Here's an image of their base, fully constructed:
http://i.imgur.com/F0ZAL0d.png

Build order:
ConYard > Wind Trap > Refinery > Wind Trap > Heavy Factory > Barracks > Outpost > Wind Trap > Light Factory > Wind Trap > High Tech Factory > Starport > Wind Trap > Medium Gun Turret > Medium Gun Turret > Medium Gun Turret > Medium Gun Turret

They start pumping out tanks as soon as the Heavy Factory is up, and then Trikes and Quads when the Light Factory is up. Mostly Trikes, in fact. They only train Sardaukar, so the Barracks doesn't do anything until the High Tech Factory has been constructed. If there's room for it, they'll build a Starport, though usually they do run out of room, and finally they'll deploy four Medium Gun Turrets for defense. They're there to add tension for the most part, since their infinite reinforcements are likely to finish you off. You definitely will have the ruins of the smuggler base explored, so you'll get to see them build up.

While attacking the Imperial base in S2V2 will ultimately have no results, you can in fact win S2V1 by destroying the Imperial base. This condition was originally added just in case the player destroyed the Imperials and then could not 'win' the map, but I added dialogue from Giraud about it. He will taunt you if you poke at his base, and should you manage to destroy it, he'll exclaim his surprise.

In regard to S1V1, I was considering leaving the repair pad entry, but all the structures and units listed can't be trained either - most of your base is controlled by a friendly AI. The ones that are listed are available at the tech level you play at. I don't include details about the Starport in S2V1 either. Perhaps a "unique assets" category? *shrugs*

In regard to S1V2, I do indeed prefer to leave it a surprise You know I love twists. lol, hopefully it should be apparent to most that it's a little 1v1!

Did you happen to re-download the pack before trying S2V2 to get the updates listed in the changelog? If so, are the .BIN files included the correct ones?

Edited December 31, 2016 by Fey
typo & question

[Cm_blast]

Well, when I attack they only have the CY, 1 windtrap and 1 Ref, so killing 2 tanks and 7 sardaukar was easy. I didn't even give him the chance to do anything.

Redownloaded the files, although I play the mission before applying them. I will play missions 3 with the new files.

[Fey]

1 hour ago, Cm_blast said:

Well, when I attack they only have the CY, 1 windtrap and 1 Ref, so killing 2 tanks and 7 sardaukar was easy. I didn't even give him the chance to do anything.

Redownloaded the files, although I play the mission before applying them. I will play missions 3 with the new files.

Right, right. A bold move, either way, for sure Those Sardaukar kick serious ass.

Alright, cool. I look forward to your feedback!!

Oh, by the way, isn't there a Tleilaxu level somewhere where some units have their names changed? Like... some infantry are "gholas"? How do I change a unit's name in-game, if you know how it's done?

Update: I've got a draft mapped out for S5V1, and plans for S6V1, S6V2, and S7V1. No previews yet, but just saying!

[Cm_blast]

I played through S3v1.

First I reach the Harkonnen, although I didn't touch the tile. I was about to search around the base but meanwhile I send a Raider into the Atreides. I reach the Atreides but I attack them by accident. They enter a semi neutral/enemy state. But anyway, I reach the Atreides spot, then I reach the Harkonnen spot, then something about paying and... the game crash.

I did it again, and then I did it the opposite (first Hars, later Atr) and didn't have any problems.

Checking with the editor I don't know why the crash, I mean, decreasing money never make my game crash, but I don't know. I had near 8000 credits when that happens. Weird.

54 minutes ago, Fey said:

Oh, by the way, isn't there a Tleilaxu level somewhere where some units have their names changed? Like... some infantry are "gholas"? How do I change a unit's name in-game, if you know how it's done?

There are a single mission fighting against them and a full campaign where you play as them. Both campaign/map are mine.

To change the naming of things you need to edit "text.uib". In d2kplus there are a "toolkit" that includes several tools. One of them is called "string editor", which open a text.uib. In that file are written all the texts and dialogues from the game: naming, in-game messages, briefings...

There is a line "infantry" twice. To the left is the Codename, and in the right is what is going to appear. The left part is not important. Before we starting to use the .ini files the only way to add new in-game texts were over there (usually adding new lines to not affect the original game). I gave codenames like "youalmostdie" just to clarify myself.

If in "infantry" you write "Useless soldier", then in the game the text will name that unit as "useless soldier". This affect all the players, so if you have some allies they will have a lot of useless soldiers XD.

In case you are planning to do something with that. I suggest you do a copy of "text.uib", and edit that. You can rename it like you want.
Of course that file needs to be in the same folder as the original text.uib was.
Then in all yours ".ini" files (in case you are gonna to use that new naming in every single map), there is a extra line you need to add:
TextUib=<name you given to it>.uib

To see with your own eyes you can download my tleilaxu campaign. You'll see the name I give to the text.uib and by opening any of my .ini files that line is written there, so you have a direct example with that.

 

Edited December 31, 2016 by Cm_blast

[Fey]

Ah, wonderful. Okay, I'll be sure to check that out. Thank you. Which campaign is that in your signature, or is it not there? Do you have a link, by any chance?

What? A CRASH on S3V1?? Damn. I'll have a look at it and see if I can re-create the crash in order to fix it.

Aside from the crash, you said you tried it again a second time the opposite way and didn't have any problems. Do you have anything more to say about the map?

Edit: I am unable to reproduce the crash the way you described it. Any further information regarding that crash, or any further crashes you manage to trigger, would be very much appreciated!

Edit 2: Doing work on events and whatnot on S5V1. Put a trigger in to add plenty of Solaris to the player. It crashed once, and I haven't gotten it to crash again, neither with a refinery and silos nor without.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Fey

[Feda]

What is the crash error message? That thing is very useful most of the time to spot the problem.