What does Privateer 1.0 need?
- Thread starter hellcatv
- Start date
Ridgerunner
Vice Admiral
Where can I get one of those? It's way more advanced than what I'm currently using.
S
ScAvenger001
Guest
ok, I just spent some time with my notebook o' bugs, and here's what I got. I'll leave out the things that are lacking descriptions, since you can find what those are by looking at the master parts list.
ECM1, 2, and 3 are all lacking stats.
Speed Enhancer - stats are meaningless (everything is increased by -88%? that would be a decrease). Also, the 88% is clearly inaccurate since that would nearly double my speed and my demon sure isn't going almost 800kps cruising. Finally, what does "non-combat" speed mean?
Afterburner- no stats. I realize this is because the stats are listed in the ship description but there's nothing that says in the afterburner description. Also, ships that get no benefit from afterburners are able to mount them.
Thrust enhancer - meaningless stats (-88% again)
cargo volume/small cargo volume - there seems to be no way to mount regular cargo volumes, and there doesn't appear to be any explanation as to why and how these can be used on ships.
all repair systems - no stats
autotrack and beam mount upgrades - meaningless stats (energy use and damage listings?)
cloak - active energy use zero?
In the news:
There is frequently demand for unavailable cargo (ship upgrades can't be transported as cargo etc)
Typo: ***removed because I had a better idea for finding typos than me pointing them out manually, see bottom***
This is a more general item, but ships are frequently referred to as "ship.blank" or "Ship Blank". One of the news articles I saw referred to a strike force having a Drayman Blank as a flagship, no wonder they were defeated eh?
Misc:
When you get to Sol/Camelot, your ship is like a mirror. It's an interesting effect, but kind of extreme...
Outside of Gemini, jump points are much smaller than they are in gemini. Also, planets et al are much larger. It's not bad, just confusing and a little jarring to suddenly be in the realm of giant planets. I realize this part is still under construction.
Final note: I suggest you paste the relevant bits of dynamic_news_content.py into ms word and run the spell checker. I got about halfway through before I realized I'd have no way to give you my copy, but it found a considerable number of easily-fixed errors and will be pretty easy to do. It'll go a little slowly because there are so many variable names that the spellchecker won't like, but it's a lot easier than manual proofreading and will help the polish considerably. Then just paste the fixed version back into D_N_C.py and it'll be ready to go.
ECM1, 2, and 3 are all lacking stats.
Speed Enhancer - stats are meaningless (everything is increased by -88%? that would be a decrease). Also, the 88% is clearly inaccurate since that would nearly double my speed and my demon sure isn't going almost 800kps cruising. Finally, what does "non-combat" speed mean?
Afterburner- no stats. I realize this is because the stats are listed in the ship description but there's nothing that says in the afterburner description. Also, ships that get no benefit from afterburners are able to mount them.
Thrust enhancer - meaningless stats (-88% again)
cargo volume/small cargo volume - there seems to be no way to mount regular cargo volumes, and there doesn't appear to be any explanation as to why and how these can be used on ships.
all repair systems - no stats
autotrack and beam mount upgrades - meaningless stats (energy use and damage listings?)
cloak - active energy use zero?
In the news:
There is frequently demand for unavailable cargo (ship upgrades can't be transported as cargo etc)
Typo: ***removed because I had a better idea for finding typos than me pointing them out manually, see bottom***
This is a more general item, but ships are frequently referred to as "ship.blank" or "Ship Blank". One of the news articles I saw referred to a strike force having a Drayman Blank as a flagship, no wonder they were defeated eh?
Misc:
When you get to Sol/Camelot, your ship is like a mirror. It's an interesting effect, but kind of extreme...
Outside of Gemini, jump points are much smaller than they are in gemini. Also, planets et al are much larger. It's not bad, just confusing and a little jarring to suddenly be in the realm of giant planets. I realize this part is still under construction.
Final note: I suggest you paste the relevant bits of dynamic_news_content.py into ms word and run the spell checker. I got about halfway through before I realized I'd have no way to give you my copy, but it found a considerable number of easily-fixed errors and will be pretty easy to do. It'll go a little slowly because there are so many variable names that the spellchecker won't like, but it's a lot easier than manual proofreading and will help the polish considerably. Then just paste the fixed version back into D_N_C.py and it'll be ready to go.
U
Unregistered
Guest
I suggest that in lieu of fitting tractors/guns on to turrets, make a type specific mount point available on each ship that will only hold a tractor/repulsor and it auto tracks natively. Just set up a Tractor class instead of Special and only include tractor and repulsor in that class, I also suggest that it be activated by targeting the desired target normally, then operating independently of the gun system via some other activation button, thus allowing it to tractor while you attempt to fight, or use the tractor as an effective weapon by holding your target still and pounding him.
In the case of the Drayman, give it several mount points allowing for several tractors/repulsors, give it a top, rear and bottom gun turret.
Another idea, particularly for Drayman to make it not such a sitting duck,
automatic point defense vs. missiles by repulsor beams or turrets, if it can be done.
In the case of the Drayman, give it several mount points allowing for several tractors/repulsors, give it a top, rear and bottom gun turret.
Another idea, particularly for Drayman to make it not such a sitting duck,
automatic point defense vs. missiles by repulsor beams or turrets, if it can be done.
U
Unregistered
Guest
HellCatV and Chamus
I posted earlier about the remake not working on my computer.
I have a
Dell 1.8 GHz Pentium 4
running Windows XP Version 2002 service pack 2
with 768 MB of RAM
and using the Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
My graphics card drivers are updated. If it matters I ran Vega Strike on this setup.
When I try to start I get the picture of the Centurion shooting the Kilrathi ship but it locks/freezes on thrust0018.png
Thanks for any help and the remake looks good from what I can tell.
-Orca.
I posted earlier about the remake not working on my computer.
I have a
Dell 1.8 GHz Pentium 4
running Windows XP Version 2002 service pack 2
with 768 MB of RAM
and using the Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
My graphics card drivers are updated. If it matters I ran Vega Strike on this setup.
When I try to start I get the picture of the Centurion shooting the Kilrathi ship but it locks/freezes on thrust0018.png
Thanks for any help and the remake looks good from what I can tell.
-Orca.
MamiyaOtaru
Spaceman
Don't leave GeminiScAvenger001 said:
you may notice that most jumps out of Gemini have been removed. A couple had to be left in place (at least one for each faction) to maintain game balance. Reinforcements have to come from somewhere.The rest of the jumps out will return in Wing Commander Universe, but Privateer is about Gemini. Other systems are randomly generated, and since they really aren't meant to be visited, at the moment no effort is being expended to make them more consistent with the hand tooled Gemini.
Probable solution to this will be to make camelot->gemini a one way jump (have a jump to *forgot the system* in camelot, but no such corresponding jump in the *forgot* system.
.blank has been removed from ship descriptions for the next version. Just by way of info, .blank does not mean ships have nothing, it means they started out with nothing, before random upgrades were applied. Your ship (once you move on from the tarsus.begin) is a something.blank (with upgrades) unless you buy one that's already fully equipped.
While we will be waiting until we are ready to release 9, we can't afford to take too much time. hellcat and I are facing a load of real life work in the coming weeks and months and we'd like to get a 1.0 out before then, so certain things will simply have to wait
sq_paradox
Spaceman
hellcatv said:
Hmm... better put in my 2 cents now, rather then later then. Ok here goes:
1. Ability to access the Universe map while on planets (not sure if this is there already but if it is I couldn't find it).
2. Ability to quit while on planets (once again, may already be there but I couldn't find it).
3. Ability to set a rout to a destination system and have it displayed in the mission instructions mfd.
4. 3D planet and station backgrounds (I know this is being worked on but I decided to mention it anyway).
5. 3D cockpits.
Well thats all I can think of that 1.0 needs, but heres a few thing I would like:
1. Ok, this wasn't in the original privateer, but I would really like to see some actual captial ships (carriers, destroyers, cruisers, etc.), maybe around perry and definently in contested sectors like the blockade points.
2. Full speech as in CD version of Privateer, or perhaps have the remake look for the CD in the CD-Rom drive and play the speech if it is there.
Well thats all I can think of... for now at least.
1) this isn't ready ... maybe sometime
2) this is there...click on save/load then click quit...we could maybe plant that button otherwheres as well any suggestions? don't want it in too many places encouraging ppl to quit
3) for 009 the nav map will plot courses for you--but they won't show up on your MFD, only in the map as an orange line...
4) not for the privateer remake-- with animations those backgrounds will be impossible--and without animations you'd lose the look/feel. For WCU it'd be really nice though--and priv remake and WCU share a codebase
5) no one's working on that-- just a matter of getting someone who's interested--- doubt it'll look very good compared to the 2d ones we have now...
I don't think 1.0 *needs* 4 or 5
1) We have plenty of capships on hand--we'll save them fro WCU--wouldn't be privateer if you started seeing fralthras and WC3 kilrathi carriers.
2) we can't figure out how to decode the .voc files on the CD's... any help in this would be most welcome
2) this is there...click on save/load then click quit...we could maybe plant that button otherwheres as well any suggestions? don't want it in too many places encouraging ppl to quit
3) for 009 the nav map will plot courses for you--but they won't show up on your MFD, only in the map as an orange line...
4) not for the privateer remake-- with animations those backgrounds will be impossible--and without animations you'd lose the look/feel. For WCU it'd be really nice though--and priv remake and WCU share a codebase
5) no one's working on that-- just a matter of getting someone who's interested--- doubt it'll look very good compared to the 2d ones we have now...
I don't think 1.0 *needs* 4 or 5
1) We have plenty of capships on hand--we'll save them fro WCU--wouldn't be privateer if you started seeing fralthras and WC3 kilrathi carriers.
2) we can't figure out how to decode the .voc files on the CD's... any help in this would be most welcome
G
generic lurker
Guest
Well, if there's going to be a feature freeze at .9, I would like to see the original Privateer mission generator restored (i.e; all the companies back in, more variation in the mission briefing, no "thought to have x ships for protection" thing telling you what's going down once you get there, etc). I realize it's probably a low priority because the existing system works, but what's the heart of Privateer if not wasting cats for Azuma Weapons or running games for Electronic Arts Incorporated (not kidding)?
Failing that, I guess I'd like the mission modules documented so it's easier to mod the original system back in.
By the way, where are the pets, home entertainment, and construction commodities? Not that I particularly miss the heart-pounding thrill of chinchilla smuggling....
Failing that, I guess I'd like the mission modules documented so it's easier to mod the original system back in.
By the way, where are the pets, home entertainment, and construction commodities? Not that I particularly miss the heart-pounding thrill of chinchilla smuggling....
I'll give it a try if someone has a voc file to convert. . .
Assuming your CD has VOC files, I'd give it a shot if you sent me one or more to attempt the conversion utilising the software I have.
It seems that MY CD has the audo and video coded into the TRE files, PRIV.TRE and RF.TRE, and I'm too dumb to manage to isolate the audio from them. If someone has those voc files and would like me to give it a shot, I'll be happy to give it a go.
I have some really old software that was designed to operate at a command prompt on a 486. Much of it still works on the newer systems. ALL of it worked on P-I's with FAT16 file systems. I DO have a P-133 and a 486-SLC-50 to do the conversions on. I DON'T have the VOC files to see if the software I have will do the job.
JUST REMEMBER, the additional wav files are going to seriously bloat the size of the download. I mean, 90MB is BIG, and it's HUGE for dialup, meaning an overnight DL or TWO for the people stuck with dial up. Many that have dial-up don't WANT dial-up, it's all that's offerend in their areas. The others just plain can't afford broadband. The game has to be available to THEM, too.
The additional audio is going to really bloat the size of the file. If the team decides to do the full audio gig, they might want to consider an audio mod as a separate download.
Not all game VOC files are the same. Meaning, it sometimes seems like it was just a convenient tag to throw onto the file for the game software. Actually, I'm sure there are several different formats, just like AVI, MPEG and DivX have different versions, formats and encoding within their respective file-types. With that in mind, MY software might be too old to handle the game files, or not the correct version.
Full duplex soundcards can pull the audio, convert it and save it at the same time. This MIGHT be an option. Patch an output to the mic input and record the audio as you play. If you have several 'puters set one up with some audio mastering software and patch the audio out to the audio in of the second computer. When you get to the dialogue areas, start the recorder on machine two, then play it out on machine one. and send the files you created. The development team is swamped with other stuff for now.
I've tried the save file aspect on this end, but my authoring software is for a 1GHz or better machine and I only have one machine past the 1GHz mark, and that's the machine I play the game on.
AND since my machine is NOT the newest out of the blocks, it's not powerful enough to run the game in DosBox AND record the audio into a usable format. DosBox forces me to cripple my machine's RAM to play the game, thus crippling the audio software I use.
So. . .Anyone out there with the files? My e-mail box is unlimited in size. But, size IS an issue for the developers. I'm not too worried about long gaps in the audio. I can usually clip those so that you don't even hear them. They used sound loops for the music, so I SHOULD be able to clip the gaps in the voice and retain the music at the same time.
W
hellcatv said:
Assuming your CD has VOC files, I'd give it a shot if you sent me one or more to attempt the conversion utilising the software I have.
It seems that MY CD has the audo and video coded into the TRE files, PRIV.TRE and RF.TRE, and I'm too dumb to manage to isolate the audio from them. If someone has those voc files and would like me to give it a shot, I'll be happy to give it a go.
I have some really old software that was designed to operate at a command prompt on a 486. Much of it still works on the newer systems. ALL of it worked on P-I's with FAT16 file systems. I DO have a P-133 and a 486-SLC-50 to do the conversions on. I DON'T have the VOC files to see if the software I have will do the job.
JUST REMEMBER, the additional wav files are going to seriously bloat the size of the download. I mean, 90MB is BIG, and it's HUGE for dialup, meaning an overnight DL or TWO for the people stuck with dial up. Many that have dial-up don't WANT dial-up, it's all that's offerend in their areas. The others just plain can't afford broadband. The game has to be available to THEM, too.
The additional audio is going to really bloat the size of the file. If the team decides to do the full audio gig, they might want to consider an audio mod as a separate download.
Not all game VOC files are the same. Meaning, it sometimes seems like it was just a convenient tag to throw onto the file for the game software. Actually, I'm sure there are several different formats, just like AVI, MPEG and DivX have different versions, formats and encoding within their respective file-types. With that in mind, MY software might be too old to handle the game files, or not the correct version.
Full duplex soundcards can pull the audio, convert it and save it at the same time. This MIGHT be an option. Patch an output to the mic input and record the audio as you play. If you have several 'puters set one up with some audio mastering software and patch the audio out to the audio in of the second computer. When you get to the dialogue areas, start the recorder on machine two, then play it out on machine one. and send the files you created. The development team is swamped with other stuff for now.
I've tried the save file aspect on this end, but my authoring software is for a 1GHz or better machine and I only have one machine past the 1GHz mark, and that's the machine I play the game on.
AND since my machine is NOT the newest out of the blocks, it's not powerful enough to run the game in DosBox AND record the audio into a usable format. DosBox forces me to cripple my machine's RAM to play the game, thus crippling the audio software I use.
So. . .Anyone out there with the files? My e-mail box is unlimited in size. But, size IS an issue for the developers. I'm not too worried about long gaps in the audio. I can usually clip those so that you don't even hear them. They used sound loops for the music, so I SHOULD be able to clip the gaps in the voice and retain the music at the same time.
W
S
ScAvenger001
Guest
How big are the .voc files themselves? If there's a huge increase in size from the .voc files to the .wav files but the .vocs are under the "acceptable" limit, there are ways around that. For example, if you can find a way of automating the unpacking process, the installer can do that once the package is already downloaded (build an unpacksound.bat or something and have the installer run it).
Ridgerunner
Vice Admiral
I have yet to see advanced fuels anywhere. What's up with that?
we are considering making a "speech pack" for modem users....
ya some of the cargo is missing... probably overlooked.... we are going to redo the cargo system for 1.0 don't worry--- that's something that doesn't need a lot of testing so I don't consider it a new feature... but that's the sole thing that I want to change between .009 and 1.0
ya some of the cargo is missing... probably overlooked.... we are going to redo the cargo system for 1.0 don't worry--- that's something that doesn't need a lot of testing so I don't consider it a new feature... but that's the sole thing that I want to change between .009 and 1.0
Does someone have a list of the coporations and what sort of missions they offered. It wouldn't be hard to add those to the mission descriptions in the mission computer if I had a nice list with which missions they usually offered... barring that list though it'll stay as it is with a number of fixed typos
That would be a good idea to do with .wav files in general; convert them to decent quality .ogg for download and have the installer decompress them. It's not like the Privateer sounds are super high quality to begin with, I doubt the difference would be noticeable. Now if anyone has a (free and preferably open-source) command line ogg conversion tool, it should be easy...
ScAvenger001 said:
Strange that I can't edit my previous post anymore (only same day maybe?).
Anyway, I'm adding a file with cargo mission briefings, and a changed dynamic_mission.py (attached as dynamic_mission.txt) to show random briefings with random companies. The changed script will look for both cargo_brief.txt and companies.txt in universe subdirectory.
Note this is only for dev team and people comfortable with changing a script! I do not wish to break anybody's install!
By the way I got the impression that only the target system seems to be decided by the mission generator, and the actual planet only when the ship gets to that system?
Anyway, I'm adding a file with cargo mission briefings, and a changed dynamic_mission.py (attached as dynamic_mission.txt) to show random briefings with random companies. The changed script will look for both cargo_brief.txt and companies.txt in universe subdirectory.
Note this is only for dev team and people comfortable with changing a script! I do not wish to break anybody's install!
By the way I got the impression that only the target system seems to be decided by the mission generator, and the actual planet only when the ship gets to that system?
I've just started playing the remake (thank you for recreating this wonderful game), and I find the keys bindings perfectly ok. I needed a quick glance at the manual, and I was off and running.hellcatv said:
Of course, I'm playing with a Cougar HOTAS now, as oppossed to a 2-axis 4-button POS that I had 10 years ago.
Everything gets mapped to my stick and throttle now, and in a few days there will be no need for me to know what key perform what functions. Anyway, here's my suggestion: add a section to the manual that gives a quick and dirty description of important differences between the original Privateer and the remake, Here's a skeleton example:
"For those of you who want to hop into your trusty Tarsus immediately, the following will get you up to speed quickly. Remember to read the rest of the manual for more detail on all of the items discussed below.
Important differences between the original Privateer and WCU: Privateer Remake:
- All ships have 3D models
- Ships other than the Tarsus, Orion, Galaxy, and Centurion may be purchased. You may now own more than one ship.
- Because WCU: Privateer Remake is built on the Vega Strike engine, it is not possible to include the functionality of the original's on-base menu systems. All on-base menus (i.e. mission computer, commodity exchange, ship dealer, etc.) use a new menu system.
- Turrets can now be automatically controlled by ship AI. They can be directed at specific targets and will fire autonomously.
- You must manually initiate a docking sequence to land on a base. Autmatic docking does not exist.
- It is no longer possible to destroy individual asteroids in an asteroid field."
I think you get the idea.