With Universal Stellar Gravity out in experimental form and getting three downloads (SUCCESS!), I've gone back to SM&M++....and hit a small problem.
Muzzle flash in T is coded in the new, annoying method that George brought in to make it quick to make simple effects for everything, but hard to change anything. All blast and thermo weapons with muzzle flash link to one of two effects for the fire-effect. They then use code to determine the size of the flash:
Code: Select all
<Events>
<GetParameters>
(block (damageHP)
(setq damageHP (@ gData 'damageHP))
{
length: (mathScale damageHP 6 80 16 64 50)
width: (mathScale damageHP 6 80 24 96 50)
intensity: 70
}
)
</GetParameters>
</Events>
What I'd
like to do is make it so that the game still runs this calculation, but then has a small variation (maybe 5 or 10 percent, or the smallest the game will allow if it's bigger than 10%) in each. That way, muzzle flash looks a little more interesting in rapid-fire weapons. But it's TransLisp, so I've got no hope in hell of managing it. Anyone willing to give it a shot?
In better news, I've re-integrated the old MAG launcher code from SM&M+ into the new version for testing. I do not expect to keep it, but messing with it will give me the chance to try out other stuff for new items. I've also made some minor changes to effects in the game, and started work on the Urak Howitzer. The vanilla weapon actually uses
ancient code that, while functional, is deprecated (dating back to when you could only have one type of fragment from a weapon detonation, and the number of fragments was specified in the main weapon code, not the fragment code). I've updated that and soon I'll have a go at seeing if I can make the gun competitive again.
Edit: Actually, since I've pretty much done with the Howitzer already, here's how it went:
The Urak Howitzer in vanilla is a complete mess. Very low fragmentation radius, very low fragment damage, it shows up in quantity fairly late, and has really old coding. First things first, I replaced all the deprecated stuff. Then I increased the damage and fragmentation radius to appropriate levels to make up for many, many years of level creep. As an experiment I added a particle-based explosion (which seems to work OK, with a few issues here and there), then replaced the antiquated graphics with a somewhat more modern effect culled from the Cluster Mag. I'm planning to replace the missile graphic with a moltenbolt later (to avoid issues with facings), but for testing purposes the current setup works OK. And it is a LOT nicer than the old one. Add in the new light howitzer sound, and this thing is now a viable weapon for the Urak.....and the player.
- The new effect for the howitzer impact, shortly after detonation. Inset: The old effect. The new effect lasts longer than the old, so the one in-shot is not as big as it gets.
- UrakNew.png (103.54 KiB) Viewed 6450 times
Edit2: I've also updated the projectile effect, taking it off the default effect and altering the colour and effect. You will know a Urak shell when it's heading towards you. An interesting side-effect of the way the engine handles things: Hitting a urak howitzer shell with another one will detonate them
both. I've also updated the advanced mass driver to match the new colour. This gun is of....limited....use to the general player (as is the howitzer), but it's not all that bad. I've also tweaked the explosion some more to make it look better.
I'm actually tempted to buff it some more, but that causes some issues in and off itself......I may end up buffing the damage some more, reducing ROF, and lowering FireRateAdj on the destroyer to make it work.
