Afterburner? (mod request)

[Fossaman]

So, I'm almost totally hopeless when it comes to the actual programming language portions of the XML. I can make new items and ships just fine, thank you, but this is a little more complicated than that. I have a rough outline of how to do this, but I'm not sure of the precise method.

That aside, I would like the following inserted into a blank propulsion upgrade template:

This device should have a (U)se key. When used, it should:

A. Gulp about a quarter tank's worth of fuel for the SN250. Simply remove the fuel from the tank, not expend it as energy.

B. Create and install a virtual device.

C. On the next use, it should uninstall and destroy the virtual device.

My plan is to make an 'afterburner' weapon device that doesn't show up anywhere, which will be installed when the propulsion upgrade is used. It will have one charge, which will fire a repeating="20" sort of plasma stream thingy with a whole bunch of recoil. It should be entertaining.

As a secondary request, would it be possible to code a ship to generate a charge for the aforementioned device at certain intervals, but only if the current number of charges for the device is less than one? Also, would this ship actually use the charges if it were computer controlled?

[H Iris]

The afterburner would have to be a rear facing short range Plasma torch (?one use) the recoil would have to be fairly large especialy as the mass of some ships is considerably greater than others. I'll stick this Mod on my to do list as a dual rear facing fixed fire plasma torch but it is your idea so do explain and clarify this whole one use thing.

[Bobby]

it's not quite the same, but how about this.
on se the device will:

create a station somewhere far away and start an event on it.
the station will calculate your cargo mass(explained later) and accelerate your ship to .35c(could vary based on upgrades), then continually maintain this speed.
as it is is doing that it will subtract fuel based on mass(or percent of total fuel left?, perhaps take into account drive upgrade level?)
upon next se(or low fuel) the station will stop it's event, and delete itself.

a percent fuel(or time til empty) left message/guage would be cool, no promises though.

i may or may not be able to get a cool visual effect.

is that what you're looking for?

Edit: progress report
working afterburner, speed=.40c, starts at 25, then increases over a sec. or two. uses fuel based on speed and cargo mass(reasonable life from the 250mw). low fuel cutoff related to reactor power. up next: visual effects.

note: don't touch the throttle/accelerator/up-arrow while afterburning unles you want to SLOW down, good for tighter turns in combat.

Edit:, a plasma torch trail is left in your wake, it can burn things, don't poke your eye out.(or ram friendlis, i accidentaly flew over a ronin at the commonwealth fortress, and it was 60% damage, though i think that was after it had some repairs...)

[GambitDash]

This reminds me a bit of the C (as in, light speed) weapon in the Gap series by Stephen R. Donaldson - an absolute must read series for anyone with a strong stomach. Succinctly, it's a large scale laser that... well, shoots real good. Since most of the weapons in that universe are particle based, a beam weapon of that magnitude basically means you either hide behind a (large) asteroid, or get ablated into vapor by the storm of photons. It'd be fun addition to make for T: a weapon that shoots across the solar system.

You might have to implement it by warping the player craft across the system as well (which could be a neat little "this is what you just blew up) camera shot :D

More on topic, though: why is the action based on the station-creation? Is that just how you go about effecting those kind of changes on the playership?

[Bobby]

because an event needs to be run frequently for this to work, and it must be run from somewhere(it can't be on the item). so, i decided it would be easier to store it on a station than on EVERY player ship that intends to use the device. the station thing is not nessecary, however it is if you don't want to put the crucial event on any ship you play.


i'm trying to get a video of the afterburner in action, but if that fails, i will upload an image. either way the link will be in this post later.

got Link? .avi in .zip. 5 megs, dialup beware!


Full Size


ok MOD uploaded

and did i mention it mines asteroids?(accidental discoveries are the greatest, look at wd40!)





ATTENTION: to the first 2 people who downloaded it: it had a major flaw at that time, get it again or you will never see it in game! the item was "notrandom" for testing, and i forgot to change that prior to release. replacing the defective mod with the new one should not break any save games at all.

it's still the same link, just reuploaded. if you were the 3rd or later to download it you are unaffected

oh, the damage of the plasma trail is also reduced.

try using it in conjunction with the tow rope, i just burned up a huria destroyer by towing him in my jetwashuu(low speed)...

[obsidean]

I say, this might be great to use if I ever get around to making a thraddish torch. Especially since the ship's secondary weapon is a huge afterburner.