SS2 Straylight ADaOB v0.3.0

[6741e4a878f75ZylonBane]

Eww.

So now I'm in the mood to play around with muzzle flashes... and remembering how insanely complex DromEd is. Anyone know what the object property is that anchors an emitted particle to the joint that it was emitted from?

[6741e4a879255vurt]

If you want to animate muzzle flashes you can just point the mesh to a new texture, like muzzle_.tga, and re-save the model, then you can do an animated sequence; muzzle_.tga, muzzle_1.tga etc. It's a nice feature that the engine understands that it should countinue looking for textures if it ends with _. Maybe going with particles is better, but i dont see the advantage really.
 

[6741e4a879343ZylonBane]

The muzzle flash itself IS a particle. A single bitmap particle.

[6741e4a8794davurt]

Well that's how i have changed my muzzle flashes, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQeqPAOYIdk
which from the begining is just a single texture.. maybe it's set up like a particle effect (with a model and texture) in the editor though, not sure. I thought the idea of particles was that it didnt use a 3D model (which the muzzle flashes does).

I also changed the laser and some other stuff in a similar way.

[6741e4a8795ffZylonBane]

What I'm trying to fix is that the muzzle flash on player-held weapons is currently not "attached" to the gun. It's spawned into the world at a fixed position, so if you're moving or turning while firing, the muzzle flash gets visually left behind. It doesn't look good.

Also, I was wrong above when I said the muzzle flash is a particle (stupid memory). It's an object, but just a flat object with a transparent texture on it.

[6741e4a8796ebvurt]

Ah then i understand what you want to do, yeah that would be a good improvement.

The models are in fact not flat, not for the laser or turret at least.

[6741e4a8797c5ZylonBane]

I'm only talking about the muzzle flash for player weapons (assflash.bin, if memory serves).

[6741e4a8798dcvurt]

yeah assflash is flat, laser (used for both turret and player I believe, isnt.. but it isnt really a muzzle effect).

[6741e4a879a15Shinobi]

This mod works in multiplayer but would it be causing desyncs or am I screwing something else up?? I know this is VERY vague lol but I'm (relatively) new to SS2 and know very little about the engine/netcode etc (I'm an Unreal 1 guy myself... more specifically Deus Ex)... bit off topic but if anybody can point me to some sorta beginner's guide to the engine and how mods are made that'd be great.

But yeah... any tips for using this on multiplayer?

[6741e4a879b56voodoo47]

all players must have it installed and activated, that should be all.

[6741e4a879e29Kolya]

point me to some sorta beginner's guide to the engine and how mods are made

Ask MOTHER.

[6741e4a879f6cTwerty]

This is an amazingly detailed changelog, it's incredibly interesting to see how much thought and effort went into so carefully rebalancing the weapon classes against eachother and everything, to make the different choices people make actually viable as a mode of gameplay. I have always been using Straylight's ADaoB since it came out, but I had no idea the mod was so... comprehensive. I'm immediately going to play SS2 again with all the changes and mind and maybe actually start putting points into Heavy or Energy Weapons instead of just being Standard Tech guy for once.

[6741e4a87a069Kolya]

Yep, reading Straylight's log was what convinced me of ADaoB too.

[6741e4a87a41aJoin ussss!]

This is an amazingly detailed changelog, it's incredibly interesting to see how much thought and effort went into so carefully rebalancing the weapon classes against eachother and everything, to make the different choices people make actually viable as a mode of gameplay. I have always been using Straylight's ADaoB since it came out, but I had no idea the mod was so... comprehensive. I'm immediately going to play SS2 again with all the changes and mind and maybe actually start putting points into Heavy or Energy Weapons instead of just being Standard Tech guy for once.

To be honest I think Energy is fairly balanced too, the main issue everyone has with energy is the emp rifle but it is a great gun, it doesn't have the versatility of the AR yes, but the AR is just too overpowered anyway.
EMP rifle Tears through robots, cyborgs, turrets & cameras + when fully modded has 100 shots before it needs recharging and splash damage too. Its only issue imo is that it takes 6 maintenance skill to maintain, but apparently some emp rifles are bugged to never break anyway.
Exotic & heavy however, are rediculously unbalanced its upsetting, but those weapons have not even been retextured by Mercurius yet anyway(except grenade L), using them would probably look at bit odd in combination with the Tacticool mod. R&R&R's EMP rifle goes well with Tacticool though.

[6741e4a87a755RocketMan]

Did you try the worm guns I remodelled yet?  You may not care for the level of quality or the art style but I just thought I'd throw that out there in case you weren't aware of them yet.

[6741e4a87aa29Join ussss!]

Did you try the worm guns I remodelled yet?  You may not care for the level of quality or the art style but I just thought I'd throw that out there in case you weren't aware of them yet.

Because of the serious inbalance of the worm guns I have not used any since my 1st playthrough, but modifications might encourage me to give them another chance, & it will be added challenge to use them. Ill have a look...

[6741e4a87ab2eRocketMan]

ADAOB takes a few steps to fix some of the balance issues of the exotic weaponry as documented in straylight's log.  Do you still think it's that far out of whack?

[6741e4a87ac4eJoin ussss!]

As stupid as this sounds there is one thing preventing me from using ADaoB, the elevator music. I feel it would effect the sinister atmosphere of the game but im not sure. I really want it though for all the bug fixes and alterations. Also it has gamesys changes yes? so I wanna decide carefully before I choose one because I am not using MManager. ADaoB seems like the best option though not sure.

[6741e4a87ad67RocketMan]

It probably is because gamesys mods are few and far between.  This mod has a heck of a lot of development history and playtesting behind it and strives to keep the gameplay true to the original so the only way to do better is to edit it to your liking I would think.

[6741e4a87afddJoin ussss!]

so the only way to do better is to edit it to your liking I would think.

Yeah I would like to do that to remove the elevator music, how would I go about doing that? just find the correct file and delete it? no it's never that easy is it.
Yeah I owe it to the modders to download it! looks like alot of fine tuning and effort went into this. Shame LGS & Irrational only were given a year to make the game, good thing you guys have the passion to perfect it. I know it's your hobby but once again thank you

[6741e4a87b228voodoo47]

just find the correct file and delete it? no it's never that easy is it.

actually, it is. look for elevator.wav and delete it. that will get you the original music. if you want to remove that, you will have to yank it out of snd.crf as well (7zip can open it).

[6741e4a87b358re]

A rebalance of some of the playstyles would be very awesome, I mean the only really viable playstyle is the hacker, PSI users are good towards the end but terrible at the beginning, but I think the most pressing problem is the marine, its just an inferior version of the hacker.  Cool mod though, I will definitely be using it

[6741e4a87b6f5ZylonBane]

I think the most pressing problem is the marine, its just an inferior version of the hacker.

This is completely wrong. The Marine path is SS2's Easy Mode. Just blow away everything that gets in your way. The final boss battles are brutal for a hacking-heavy character.

As stupid as this sounds there is one thing preventing me from using ADaoB, the elevator music.

I have to admit, I'm not a fan myself. Yes, it's a funny callback to SS1, but-- If you have in-game music playing, it conflicts with that; and it's a bit immersion-breaking. Really, what are the odds that the Von Braun elevators would play the same muzak as the Citadal Station elevators?

[6741e4a87b81eRocketMan]

Part of me wants to smile at the throw back to ss1 but as you said it's an immersion breaker and this is more of a big deal for ss2 than for ss1.  I'd prefer silence actually.