The Extension.... ( for now )

[shanejfilomena]

I am trying to build a newer version of the Corporate Contracts : taking the most valued lessons I learned from Professor Dall,
I have set in motion a set of rescue missions: "random" ships captured by hijackers to be rescued :
Also I intend to have recovery missions : something " like " the Dall Mission but not as violent: I think i want to use the recovery mostly for low combat level players being as the station shows up pretty early in the game before you get heavy equipment on your ship.

the station is a mix of the mining colony : Dall and my very bad ideas as usual, I was thinking of tossing a few other station mixes as well, the dockscreen for the station will be long in .xml, but i made long ones before

Last night I was thinking of " how " i want to try to get the code to do " more" then realized the mining colony has an " unused " portion in it's code ( it is a "mention" in the code, but if I left it out it would not alter the way things work ) so I will take that and use it for the recovery missions.

[shanejfilomena]

using our latest Anarchist Technology, I tested the Rescue mission.... the 'Random hijackers are working perfectly : I actually use the 'random in the code because youget so bored knocking of the " same ships " : mind you this is only ONE list in testing , there are two lists and i might add to them.

Code: Select all

(objSetData gSource "targetCount" targetCount)
									(for i 1 targetCount
										(block (theShip theClass)
											(if (leq (sysGetLevel) 2)
(setq theClass (random '(&scT55ArmedTransport; &scT31ArmedTransport; &scRoninA; &scHammerhead-II; &scSapphireYacht;)))
												(setq theClass (random '(&scT55ArmedTransport; &scT31ArmedTransport; &scRoninB; &scSapphireYacht; &scBorer-II;)))
												)
											(setq theShip (sysCreateShip theClass (objGetPos gTarget) &svSettlers;))
											(shpOrder theShip 'guard gTarget)

[shanejfilomena]

Ok, I got the extension moving along at an interesting pace : My primary objective is to turn the Corporation into an active system of missions where the player can defend transports : rescue ships ; recover cargo from a lost ship attacked by pirates.
I ALWAYS wanted to get the escort ,mission of a convoy to work for me ( and the fleet delivery ) but the details I require have always amounted to over-writes which i hate doing : but in an adventure I can do it I just have not go to them yet ( still ).

now , of course : RPC helped me see the error of my ways with timed missions : stations handing out missions when you dock gets annoying : so i got them pushed to " sections " so you can activate the mission screens or just use the station.

Right now I am working on the Enclave: the main mission is in , it is rescue ; the lower combat or 'escort is in ; the next is the lowest level (1) shields mission which I am trying to get moving along : it too is an 'escort but without alot, if any, of danger : and pay.
after i get that functioning I ll test the Hades out of it then move on to build missions in other stations : I am trying to avoid the 'DestroyStation thing being as I think I destroyed half the universe already in my previous works and want to go for something more quiet and give the game more room to be the game then a bunch of action and missions.

*** there will be action, deaths and destruction....but I want to make it seem more.." not my fault "

[shanejfilomena]

five missions : set to the shield level of the playership ( thanxs professor )
there are two 'escort missions: one harder then the other based on shields ;
there is a 'destroyships for illegal traders and a recovery from a wrecked freighter : those two are set for higher shields
And a rescue mission ; also set for higher shields ( i returned the Tripoli to the hijacker list ).

the reason recovery mission is " easy " ( or it will be once I get the wreck to destroy itself ) , it will NOT be a copy of the dall wreck ( more closer to the Solon wreck in that it destroys itself, but in the adventure it is more a reward to the player for service.
I will try to work in some fighting encounters between the wreck and the station, but after i get the wrecks to go boom

[shanejfilomena]

'BOOM
I found that my custom "captured ships" were not giving up any loot when ordered to show up as a ship wreck for the recovery missions :
but the ships carry items on them.....I just do not understand that part . THEN I could not get the mission to clear itself because nothing was happening to set off the 'success or 'failure....
but I went to the database to look for an answer to my problem : and found it in Heretic.

When the Explorer is destroyed it leaves a wreck but it is not exactly a wreck: it is a station.

Code: Select all

leavesWreck=		"100"
	wreckType=			"&stSvalbardWreck;"

So I adapted this to my ships so that when i call them as wrecks for the player to recover the cargo from : they are docking with a multiple object : the wreck, the station and the abandon ship screen :
the wreck has nothing on it as i learned , but the station will carry items to loot ,
both the station and the loot screen carry the orders to destroy the wreck and cancel the player's 'dock order
( because the mission is Unpaid ( in credits ) and the station that gave it set the mission as 'success before the player left : so there was no need to keep orders on the player )
when the player returns with the loot, they get the 'success screen because it was already set out waiting, and can sell the loot for their "reward"

** did i mention the fighting? I got it in the mission , the player will have to fight on this recovery mission, like any other mission, but it was not easy to convince the game to let me add the pirates, but I won .

Also I returned a few ideas I had in Stars and Sovereigns with the Centauri Camps bringing back the Command ship randomly.
* and my version of space coffee, I liked that idea too so i brang it back.
and I returned the Ferians' station : I did do a " Free Ferians " before i found George's mention of them , but the latest version of the ferians are not free, they are as they always were in my opinion : property of the Ringers ( in my opinion of them ) . but the latest idea for them was cool so I just returned it to use for 1.01.
**since I learned of the Free Ferian thing being suggested I have not replicated the ones i first made. besides , they were a little too different to deal with as a free colony that it really made me not want to do it more then once.

T-1 / T-3...meet T-5 yes, the mighty Salvager returns with a new number , same original weapons as in S&S . I got to admit I only did it because I like that ship. AND because my Dark Carrier was a little too heavy on killing the player & stations. the Salvagers are very different kinds of ships in the game and their "ways" make them a much better option over the dark carriers.

[shanejfilomena]

you got to love edited codes I was trying to get reinforcements last night and i got far too many . so Erika rescued me with her codes for calling Raiders ; And since I am a nut about too many wrecks: I also call in salvagers : The T-5 will show up as either friendly or hostile based on the orders for the call : in this particular one, for the Centauri they are friendly because the level would make a T-5 too powerful to the player ship and not be fair at all.

[shanejfilomena]

I returned a station i liked in 1.07a to 1.01 : but it's main focus is not the original design: it is mission station mostly:
I felt that i wanted to go the road of not just rewarding the player silently in a good mission : they will pay you without saying anything ; but PUNISH the player for a bad mission by deducting credits : the standard missions do not have the " extra " punishment I saved that for the Black Market if you fail a mission you get the deduction, if you can not pay you get the "&dsDemolition" screen : in other words they kill you.

I have not tested out the deductions or the demolition screen yet, I was making sure the missions work first: then the refuse dock screens as well :

One thing I am doing here : a forum post about http://www.neurohack.com/transcendence/ ... +ID#p42684 loosing the ID : I found that 1.01 "will let" me put it to the player ship : in theory : once i get the actual ID I will jettison it to make sure the idea works of having it set on the player ship regardless .
the ID I am doing is NOT the game standard ones, it is one of my custom ones for something relating to the theme of the adventure : but so far the dock screen that checks for it has switched properly, but ill be testing that again later.

but I keep getting reminded of " mining permits" and thought to myself: that was a good idea: why not go ......in the direction I am going with these mission IDs : these IDs will not only increase the player's options: but without them the player gets " limited options"
( I tried the Worse Case Scenario and thought it too easy because I am commerce orientated, so I took that a little to heart in trying to limit the player's options in the adventure theme )

[shanejfilomena]

#fail.

the data on the playership failed to trigger for the ID in 1.01 : but I HAD to try.
no fears, the Hotel always saves me when I need to check an ID at the door

[shanejfilomena]

What I would like to do next : "drag wrecks" to be sold....this is not a new idea, I know : but to do it without a tractor beam
( those just were out of my play book, the codes i saw are complicated and complicated = trouble in my book )

So I was thinking of returning my idea of a " Pilgrim Processor "
( i do not know if that was used yet but .. yes.. i got it I will " flip the script " on my processor..yes now i got to figure out prices )
your not going to believe this one if it works, but I am actually going to try it......LOL my radio returns to life..if it works.
( * my radio never worked right, unless crashing the game was part of the plan )

[shanejfilomena]

OK: i did not get to "drag the wreck", instead i bring the Salvager to the player : i offer a reward for the wreck, the " Salvager Boss " is Rusty......*hint, do not challenge Rusty for more credits, he fights dirty.

However i do have a problem with the dockscreen: I want the screen to offer rewards only if you killed the ship : I am tinkering with that now and the problem I have is that ... I want the screen to find out if the player killed the wreck or not: and it is resisting. but I'll get it.

[shanejfilomena]

And.....Done ( i thinks ) I do have to play it to be sure a station shows and works: but everything else seems to be working fine.
there are no changes except, as i said : i made it mission possible and slightly harder: Eridani will not be a " piece of cake " to just race around without a custom ship

this .xml was tested with a custom ship for stations working ( make sure screens work, missions activated ): the missions were done with a regular playership.

I got to test the one feature I failed to test in S&S other then that i think it is ok
P.S. No God Mod : Not even on my Cruiser : The Cruiser only checked stations so if you fail with a Freighter : you are a BAD pilot LOL

[shanejfilomena]

LOL: I died in a freighter LOL
I was playing and I gt to STK: was doing habitat missions when I finally got hit so bad, the Arcology was too far to get to , I died.
Guess I really should have kept those barrels