Wing Commander: Privateer Remake out!

[Cyborg Stan]

I calculated (From the weapon_list.xml, and assuming that it translates out linearly) the following stats :

Code: Select all

               dmg/energy             dmg/sec

Laser            1.5                    20
Tachyon          1.3875                 27.75
Plasma           1.5                    39.23
Fusion           1.8                    39.6

This does leave out a few things, such as weapon speed, (140 for the Laser, 135 for the Fusion, 125 for the Tachyons, and 94 for the Plasma) and the fact that the heavier guns do much more damage per shot, which is good if you can't maintain a steady lock, which is alot of the time.

[Alyeska]

Interesting. According to that the Plasma has the Tachyon beat when it comes to total damage. Though with the Tachyon's better refire rate, lower energy drain, and higher speed, its still the better dogfight weapon. But when it comes to taking on a capship, the Plasma would be your best friend.

How does the Neutron gun compare?

[Cyborg Stan]

Hm..... it would be probably better just to look at the weapon_list.xml (Located in the main directory) directly, since it would have all the stats for all the weapons, something I don't wish to type out in it's entirity. Just note that the damage_rate is multipled by about 3 to get the in-game MJ values, the most of the other values should be easy to figure out.

And yes, I'm positive that the stats correlate, as editing this file will change your weapon characteristics in-game.

[Enigma]

Hm..... it would be probably better just to look at the weapon_list.xml (Located in the main directory) directly, since it would have all the stats for all the weapons, something I don't wish to type out in it's entirity. Just note that the damage_rate is multipled by about 3 to get the in-game MJ values, the most of the other values should be easy to figure out.

And yes, I'm positive that the stats correlate, as editing this file will change your weapon characteristics in-game.

So I can edit the laser to do 1 GJ of damage?

[Cyborg Stan]

The enemies use the same weapons as you do, you know...

[Batman]

The enemies use the same weapons as you do, you know...

Absolutely. Those edits work for all parties using those weapons, thanks to the nature of the engine (at least as far as I understand its working).
I would, nevertheless, be interested in a Broadsword with configurable turrets and a useful missile loadout...
The 'Righteous Fire' updates start surfacing as you do the plot missions, BTW.

[Cyborg Stan]

It appears that RF hates me, the RF upgrades switched back to being unbuyable. (Although now I can simply reinstall... again.)

On the plus side, I'm figuring out how to modify the units.csv file (I'd recommend using a spreadsheet program to edit it, as it seems hard to read in plain text editors.) in the units directory. Not only I figured out how to modify the Broadsword so all it's turrets can be customized (By changing the Subunits parts from invisible to blank types), but I've also figured out how to add in new ships to buy (edit the master_part_list.csv in the main directory) and fly.

[Connor MacLeod]

Wouldn't Privateer be a cool game for flying say.. a Gunstar in? That would rock.

[Col. Crackpot]

i downloaded a CSV editor. Now my Demon can fire 4 plamsa guns all day long at full afterburn (which is now 1600 kps) thanks to my uber reactor of doom.

[Batman]

Wouldn't Privateer be a cool game for flying say.. a Gunstar in? That would rock.

I think that would take some serious modding but boy would that rock!!!
It should be technically possible, the question is can you add it in or do you have to replace an existing ship? Retros fyling Gunstars is not something I'd like to face...
@Cyborg Stan:Thanks for the hint on the Broadsword turrets. Will try.

EDIT: Okay, this is it. I need a CSV editor. I managed to fix two of the Boadsword's turrets but the third one refuse to budge. Huh?

[Darth Servo]

Wouldn't Privateer be a cool game for flying say.. a Gunstar in? That would rock.

You mean like from the movie 'The Last Starfighter'? What was so great about those things?

[Batman]

Wouldn't Privateer be a cool game for flying say.. a Gunstar in? That would rock.

You mean like from the movie 'The Last Starfighter'? What was so great about those things?

Because that fighter (if you can call it that) looked fricking awesome and ate through the Ko-Dan fighters like they weren't there even before Death Blossom?

[Enigma]

The enemies use the same weapons as you do, you know...

Isn't there a way to create another weapon type based on a current weapon and make it that only you can have it?

[Darth Servo]

Because that fighter (if you can call it that) looked fricking awesome and ate through the Ko-Dan fighters like they weren't there even before Death Blossom?

IIRC, the Ko-Dan fighters looked like they were built out of tinker toys.

[Cyborg Stan]

Like I said, you can edit the CSV file with a plain text editor, although it doesn't seem efficent. Actually, my default editor seems to be Microsoft Excel, which besides wanting to convert it to some demonic MS format, works just fine. I would assume if you have a similar set of tools/editing suite you can use that as well.

With regards to the Broadsword, I used this string in the Subunits category under broadsword.blank. (Which seems to be the Stock model, I'm guessing the non-blank one is the Military Spec.)

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{mediumrear_blank;0.54130e-6;.0156;-0.3265938;0;0;-1;0;1;0;90.0}{medium_blank;.26514;-0.050577;0.00846;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0}{medium_blank;-.26514;-0.050577;0.00846;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0};0.191367;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0}

With regards to the weapon editing, it should be easy enough. The weapons_list.xml is extremely easy to edit. You would also need to modify the master_part_list.csv as well if you wish for it to show up for buying. (Or, you could try modifying the revalent file in the .privateer100\serialized_xml directories.) Finally, you need to add an entry in the units.csv, under the guns section. (You probably should simply copy another weapon and insert a new row in, then modify as needed.) That being said, if it's simply a unique gun you wish to edit...

Right now, I'm going to try to make a customized version of my ship to fly. (Since we know how to modify the stats, it just means that I get a unique name and a unique paint job. However, if you really wish to massively upgrade your ship, you should do this anyway as otherwise everyone else flying it would get your 'reserved' modifications.) Basically, try duplicating a row in the units.csv file. After that, modify the first three fields in the new row. In this case, I duplicated the Demon and changed the first few fields from 'Demon' into 'Dervish'. After this, I copy the units/demon folder and renamed the copied folder 'dervish'. After that, it's a simple matter of editing the image files used as skins. Of course, you then have to edit the master_parts_list.xml so you can buy it.

EDIT : It turned out like this. Had I more time, I would try to modify it better, but it should give you an idea how relatively easy it is to modify the paint job. Admittedly, the Demon's skin seems to me the easiest to modify.

In-game screenshot
Bottom Skin
Top part

[Batman]

@Cyborg: Could you do something about those linebreaks (or lack thereof, actually)? Pretty please.
I noted something odd about the Broadsword's turrets: They all show the correct type, and I can equip all of them, but not neccessarily with every weapon, and, even more curious, acceptable types will vary between turrets and change when I restart the game. Duh?
OH well, at least I managed to fix the missile launchers.
Anybody managed to get a Level 9 reactor for the 'Sword as a workable upgrade (I know I can edit it in directly, I mean for the blank config)?

I'm using CSVEd, btw, available here.
Still a little clunky but tons better than a text editor.

On which ship entry is which, here is what I gather:
-shipname
Base data of the type. Here you can define which upgrades are equipable legally (i.e. which ones you can actually buy in-game) on top of the below.
-shipname:blank
Stock model, as CS said. Defines equipment and capabilities of standard model
-shipname:template is the Milspec variant.
There are others for specific ships, there's for example a :pirate template for the talon and a :begin one for the Tarsus, but the three above seem to be the basic overall version that each ship has.

Oh, and changes you make to the units.gsv, at least for the basic shiptypes, do NOT apply to ships you already own unless those are on that list somewhere else and you can mod them, too(I didn't look particularly hard). So mod first, buy later.

[jegs2]

Okay, how do you beat the Palan mission (blockaded by Demons)? Once you kill all the Demons, 50 more show up -- there's an endless supply of the things ... and only one of me.

[Duken]

Okay, how do you beat the Palan mission (blockaded by Demons)? Once you kill all the Demons, 50 more show up -- there's an endless supply of the things ... and only one of me.

50?! I did a grand total of 33 for that entire series. Speaking of that, is the wrath of the bounty hunters guild permanent? Or is there a way to get above zero on the like o' meter?

[Darth Servo]

Okay, how do you beat the Palan mission (blockaded by Demons)? Once you kill all the Demons, 50 more show up -- there's an endless supply of the things ... and only one of me.

50?! I did a grand total of 33 for that entire series. Speaking of that, is the wrath of the bounty hunters guild permanent? Or is there a way to get above zero on the like o' meter?

You need to not kill any for a while. Also in the expansion pack missions Roman Lynch will 'reset' your status to neutral among all the different groups (with the exception of Kilrathi and Retros of course) for filling a certain bounty mission. The first time is free. If you screw a group over again and make them hate you, he can reset it again but it will cost $30,000 IIRC.

[jegs2]

50?! I did a grand total of 33 for that entire series. Speaking of that, is the wrath of the bounty hunters guild permanent? Or is there a way to get above zero on the like o' meter?

Okay, I was being a bit facetious, but the things just seemed to keep coming. So you're telling me that 33 is the limit? If you land on the base to restock, does that count begin again?

[Duken]

Okay, I was being a bit facetious, but the things just seemed to keep coming. So you're telling me that 33 is the limit? If you land on the base to restock, does that count begin again?

Well, 33 on easy. IIRC I had no bounty hunter kills before those four and I had 33 afterward. Most/all were demons.

You need to not kill any for a while. Also in the expansion pack missions Roman Lynch will 'reset' your status to neutral among all the different groups (with the exception of Kilrathi and Retros of course) for filling a certain bounty mission. The first time is free. If you screw a group over again and make them hate you, he can reset it again but it will cost $30,000 IIRC.

Oh joy, more dodging. It'll be a while to that mission, I only finished the Palan set today.

[Cyborg Stan]

Batman : Like this?

Code: Select all

{mediumrear_blank;0.54130e-6;.0156;-0.3265938;0;0;-1;0;1;0;90.0}
{medium_blank;.26514;-0.050577;0.00846;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0}
{medium_blank;-.26514;-0.050577;0.00846;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0}
;0.191367;0;0;1;0;-1;0;180.0}

As for the problems with the turrets you have still, I have no idea how to fix.

jegs2 : In the remake, you can gain favor with the Hunters by killing Retros. Hell, you can gain favor with the Pirates if you kill Retros. If you can survive Palan, you should be able to do 'kill 15 retro' missions in a snap. As for the Palan missions, I think that the ships wouldn't restock, although I suspect new (unrelated) ships might come in.

Finally, just for the heck of it I decided to update the customized Demon, renaming it 'Crazy Little Bastard' and changing the skin. However, I have the problem of not being able to change or upgrade the guns.

Now slightly better
Hud image
Bottom Texture
Top Texture

The more graphically orientated would see that it's not that difficult of an effect, I simply took some desert camoflage, colorized it and then put in on a layer over the original textures, then set the blend mode to multiply, followed by the addition of a few other knick-knacks here and there. Because of the ease of the effects, I may try making a customized Centurion now.

EDIT : Clarified a point about the Palan mission.

[Alex Moon]

How hard would it be to replace the cockpit images, such as the one used for the demon?

[Batman]

@ Cyborg Stan: I meant the line breaks in your post in general. Those extra long lines fuck the formatting for us poor saps using 1024x768 resolution.

-Faction ratings
ALL of them can be improved. I brought my hunter & merchant ratings back up by aiding them against attackers, and killing retros/pirates seems to bring up all the 'good guy' ratings (confed/hunter/militia/traders) slowly.
-Palan mission
I can't recall how many Demons there were, but there was a limit.
I DO recall there being a problem with respawn according to the PR forums. Specifcally, if you die and respawn, the game will add in all the Demons belonging in that mission WITHOUT TAKING OUT those from the last iteration.
I.e. if there's, say, 12 Demons in this mission, when you kill 6, die, and respawn, there'll be the 12 mission Demons plus the 6 leftovers from the last go, and so on. Maybe that was the problem?

[Batman]

How hard would it be to replace the cockpit images, such as the one used for the demon?

You people actually use the cockpit view???