Topic: What ships/classes do you want to have seperate folder directories?

[Dizzy]

I know some players like using other than stock models for certain ships and that Taldren didnt offer as many model choices as they should have. So what needs a seperate directory so they can plug in their own models?

This is something I can do b4 the beta goes up... I have the time now.
   

[Scipio_66]

Dizzy:

Your skeleton is dancing around too much.  Can't you tell him to STFU and dangle a the end of a rope or something?

For the Gorn, the GCA folder became a rather bad catch-all folder that I'd like to see sperated some.  It includes heavy cruiser (double bubble hulls), light cruisers (single bubble hulls), and Heavy Battlecruisers (Stretched bubble).  I've always wanted three folders here, so I could seperate out the hull types with different models.

-S'Cipio

[Kroma_BaSyl]

Quote:
Dizzy:

Your skeleton is dancing around too much.  Can't you tell him to STFU and dangle a the end of a rope or something?

For the Gorn, the GCA folder became a rather bad catch-all folder that I'd like to see sperated some.  It includes heavy cruiser (double bubble hulls), light cruisers (single bubble hulls), and Heavy Battlecruisers (Stretched bubble).  I've always wanted three folders here, so I could seperate out the hull types with different models.

-S'Cipio  

Damn you S'Cipio, there is nothing wrong with a little dancing. See Dizzy the GDA glass ceiling has been revealed, and they always told me it was because of the poor folks left on the first floor having to look up the tutu.

Here are the details:

GFF - Frigate
GDD - Destroyer
GHDD - Heavy Destroyer
GBDD - Battle Destroyer
GCL - Light Cruiser
GCM - Medium Cruiser
GCA - Heavy Cruiser
GCCH - Heavy Command Cruiser
GBCH - Heavy Battle Cruiser
GDN - Dreadnought
GDNH - Heavy Dreadnought
GBB - Battleship
GBATS - Base/Battle station
GSB - Starbase
GPFT - Light Pf Tender
GTUG - Fleet Tug
and last but not least the newly released:
GZB - Gorn 3-ZB Cruiser I think this would make a great BF or one of your X cruisers.

XOXOXOXO
Kroma  

[wanderer]

My Top 5

fdw  -Ortega Class (DW, DWC, DWD, CDW, DWA, DWV, HDW)
fclt   -Texas Class (CL, CL+, CLD, CLD+, ECL)
fnca  -Chicago Class (NCA, NCM, NCC)
fcav  -(GSC, GSC+, CVL, CVL+, CVS, CVS+)
fbce  -Excelsior Class

The BCV would still be pointed at the fdn, of course.

I still wonder why they never fixed/changed the fdn/fbch thing.  

[Dizzy]

ok here is what I need...

The names of the ships that will use a new directory. Kinda like Wanderer has listed. I am only doing a couple, so pick your favorite 2.

The FCAV is doable, wanderer... Do you have a different favorite for a seperate directory?

And the gorn... what a mess. I need the list of ships that will use the same directory, only pick 2 please.

[Kroma_BaSyl]

Is adding 10 that much harder than 2, I don't think so, but whatever.

[Dizzy]

not 2 total. I just dont want to have a huge download. The model folder itself is near 20 MB uncompressed. Taldren models are pretty small file wise... so I may be able to do more.

Just gimee a clear list of what ships should go in what directory.

And if you start complaining/protesting like Scipio, I'll stick you in a Frig. He is already in a freighter...

[Kroma_BaSyl]

You don't need to put the files in the download. Just have the bat file create shortcuts named as listed above pointing to the existing dirs per master hull type, then change the shiplist to point to the various new shortcuts where appropriate. That way if someone wants to use different models for those ships they just delete your shortcut and replace it with a directory containing the model. Your download is then only 10 lines of bat code larger (i.e. not any larger at all). This is pretty straight forward for all races, I only posted the logical gorn dirs as that is what I am most familar with.

[Scipio_66]

Quote:
You don't need to put the files in the download. Just have the bat file create shortcuts named as listed above pointing to the existing dirs per master hull type, then change the shiplist to point to the various new shortcuts where appropriate. That way if someone wants to use different models for those ships they just delete your shortcut and replace it with a directory containing the model. Your download is then only 10 lines of bat code larger (i.e. not any larger at all). This is pretty straight forward for all races, I only posted the logical gorn dirs as that is what I am most familar with.  

Alas, the shortcut trick doesn't work.  (At least it didn't used to.)  The pointer in the shiplist file has to actually point to a physically existing *.mod file.  

What you can do (if you are feeling adventurous) is not include any of the new directories in your download.  Instead, your download (ToSG3, if you still want me to write it) would contain DOS commands to create the new directories and then copy the stock models into them.  Thus the Gorn would get a new GBCH foldert and the G-BCH model would point to it, but that folder would be filled with the same files as the stock GCA folder.  People who wanted their G-BCH to look different from the G-BC could replace the files within the GBCH folder.   You could thus include the capability to have as many unique models as people were willing to sacrifice hard-drive space, without making your download any bigger.

If you prefer to include new folders in the download, my suggestion would be to include a new GCW folder and a new GBCH folder, and divide the ships up as:


GFF folder: (extant)
Everything that already points there

GDD folder: (extant)
Everything that already points there

GCL folder: (extant)
Point ONLY  the following to here:
G-CL
G-CL+
G-CLF
G-COM
G-COM+
G-COMF
G-LSC
G-HDD
G-HDD+
G-HDC
G-HDC+
G-HDS
G-HDS+
G-HDP
G-CDD


GCW folder NEW
(Let it start with the model files from the stock GCA folder by default)
G-CM
G-CS
G-MCC

GCA folder (extant)
Everything currently there, except those moved to the GCL folder above and the G-BCH

GBCH folder NEW
Let it start with the model files from the stock GCA folder by default
G-BCH

GDN folder (extant)
Everything already there



If you only want to alter the entries for two models rather than create two new folders, I'd just call it off after one, change the G-BCH to a new folder and leave everything else alone.


-S'Cipio  

[Kroma_BaSyl]

Quote:
Alas, the shortcut trick doesn't work. (At least it didn't used to.) The pointer in the shiplist file has to actually point to a physically existing *.mod file.

Doh! Is this true even if it is only the directory that is a shortcut to the real directory and not a shortcut to the actual mod file?

Figgin MS, this wouldn't be a problem with Unix  

[FPF_TraceyG]

Quote:

Quote:
Alas, the shortcut trick doesn't work. (At least it didn't used to.) The pointer in the shiplist file has to actually point to a physically existing *.mod file.

Doh! Is this true even if it is only the directory that is a shortcut to the real directory and not a shortcut to the actual mod file?

Figgin MS, this wouldn't be a problem with Unix    

That's because Unix has 'hard' links to other files, not just shortcuts. I had wondered if this would work as well, but hadn't got around to testing it, it sure would have made things a lot easier.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but if I have it right...

I suggest not modifying any of the stock model folders.
If any custom models are going to be included, simply have your
distribution create new model folders and extract/copy the files there,
then reference these custom models in the shiplist you are using.
(e.g.: Assets\MODELS\CUSTOM_ZDD\CUST_ZDD.mod)

I estimate approximately 5MB for 16 custom models zipped.

Oh, sorry, I see what you are asking - If I want to use my own custom models,
what folder names do I want you to use in the shiplist?

I do not reccomend this unless the models are included in
your download and automatically copied there.

This would be OK for users accustomed to changing their
models but I see others flyng around in invisible ships - crashing etc....
We have had enough trouble with manual shiplist and scripts installs that I cannot
see everbody successfully adding models as well.

I  highly reccomend using the stock models  or
including custom models in the download and have them copied automatically
to the correct folder.

All you will need is a little bandwidth - I know this community has some...
(SFCx.net, Xenocorp... etc...)

I estimate that a 20MB download for 200 players will require 4GB of bandwidth.
Don't forget to allow for changes and updates as the campaign gets going too...

[Dizzy]

We will use similar to the DOE installer... A one click method for all your installation needs. Once you click it, it loads all the stuff for the server and makes a back up for your files.

Now as far as custome folders go... They will be copied FROM your OWN HD to another folder in your models directory. This will be part of the dos program... so you do nothing but click the dos .exe and it does it all.

For example, what it will do is copy one of your stock folders, say the GCA and make another with the same contents called GBCH. That way, you end up with 2x different folders with the same mod in it all from your HD. That way you dont have to take the time to dl another model. So if you want to replace that mod in that new folder with your own mod, you may now do so and the shiplist will point these ships to that new folder.

If you dont use this new feature, then you wont notice any difference. All the stock models you are using will show up in the game.

This is just for model freaks that want different models for different ships.

As I get more requests... I'll have more info.

So far we have the feds with :

 

fdw -Ortega Class (DW, DWC, DWD, CDW, DWA, DWV, HDW)
fcl -Texas Class (CL, CL+, CLD, CLD+, ECL)
fncl-All the NCL hulls...
fnca -Chicago Class (NCA, NCM, NCC, NVS, etc...)
fcav -(GSC, GSC+, CVL, CVL+, CVS, CVS+)

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Oh, I see - thanks for the explanation - that sounds like it will work just fine!  

[wanderer]

Quote:

So far we have the feds with :

 

fdw -Ortega Class (DW, DWC, DWD, CDW, DWA, DWV, HDW)
fcl -Texas Class (CL, CL+, CLD, CLD+, ECL)
fncl-All the NCL hulls...
fnca -Chicago Class (NCA, NCM, NCC, NVS, etc...)
fcav -(GSC, GSC+, CVL, CVL+, CVS, CVS+)

 

Well, I must confess I would rather see the bce get a folder over the nca, mostly because no one flies the Fed nca's (btw, the nvs is a ncl hull, historically), but also beacuse of this .