Print Page - Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?

Taldrenites => General Starfleet Command Forum => Topic started by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 12:24:49 pm

Title: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 12:24:49 pm

In EAW, the definitions file for the Artifex map editor contained 6 different Blackhole types, 4 Asteroid types, 3 Nebula types and a Shipping Lane hex. In Op, the definitions file only shows one Blackhole terrain type.

Terrain types are often used by mission scripts of course to select from an array of maps which one is most appropriate (as created by the scriptor) to use in that mission. When I created missions for EAW, I also created a test map with an example of each terrain type so I could then run a mission there (in single player) just to check that the maps were working. When I ported over those missions to OP, I made no changes whatsoever to the maps or how they were selected ie. I left the 6 Blachole types in hte mission scripts. The maps work just fine in OP.

This begs the question then, is the definitions file for OP as is currently being used with the Artifex map editor complete? Does it contain all the possible terrain types or will the game engine actually recognise others that are simply not being used and therefore possibly hidden within the game? Is there any way we can find this out?

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 01:43:43 pm

I just took a look at two OP mvm (metaverse map) files using a binary editor. The first map was created by me using the Artifex map editor for OP which I just downloaded from the Xenocorps website. The second map file I looked at was an original map that came with the game.
At the the beginnng of each mvm file is an area where the map definitions are stored, followed by the map data itself, each map hex is stored in 32 hexadecimal pairs.
The definitions data for the original map from the game does not match the data in the Artifex map editor. The original maps do in fact contain 6 types of Blackhole hexes, unlike the Artifex editor definitions which only contain one. Clearly then, OP does support these terrain types.
I recommend all people using the Artifex map editor, edit their definitions file to include these types.

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 02:00:59 pm

Taking the mvm map definitions directly from an original map that came with the game, the definitions.txt file for the Artifex map editor should look as follows:

[Classes/Regions]
type="string"
range="array"
0="Neutral"
1="Federation"
2="Klingon"
3="Romulan"
4="Gorn"
5="Lyran"
6="Hydran"
7="Mirak"
8="ISC"
[Classes/Regions/UI/Color]
0=0xdcdcdc
1=0x0066f5
2=0xcf3300
3=0x40ff60
4=0xa06612
5=0xdf9f00
6=0x8762ba
7=0x11dccb
8=0xce65e6
[Classes/CartelRegions]
type="string"
range="array"
0="Neutral"
1="OrionOrion"
2="OrionKorgath"
3="OrionPrime"
4="OrionTigerHeart"
5="OrionBeastRaiders"
6="OrionSyndicate"
7="OrionWyldeFire"
8="OrionCamboro"
[Classes/CartelRegions/UI/Color]
0=0xdcdcdc
1=0xef0000
2=0x0066f5
3=0x60c060
4=0xffc040
5=0xa720ba
6=0xc02612
7=0xee251e
8=0x319ccb
[Classes/Terrain]
type="string"
range="array"
0="(none)"
1="Blackhole1"
2="Blackhole2"
3="Blackhole3"
4="Blackhole4"
5="Blackhole5"
6="Blackhole6"
7="Asteroid 1"
8="Asteroid 2"
9="Asteroid 3"
10="Asteroid 4"
11="Asteroid 5"
12="Nebula 1"
13="Nebula 2"
14="Nebula 3"
15="Shipping Lane"
[Classes/Planets]
type="string"
range="array"
0="(none)"
1="Homeworld 1"
2="Homeworld 2"
3="Homeworld 3"
4="Core World 1"
5="Core World 2"
6="Core World 3"
7="Colony 1"
8="Colony 2"
9="Colony 3"
10="Asteroid Base 1"
11="Asteroid Base 2"
12="Asteroid Base 3"
[Classes/Bases]
type="string"
range="array"
0="(none)"
1="Starbase"
2="Battle Station"
3="Base Station"
4="Weapons Platform"
5="Listening Post"
[Classes/Cell]
type="class"
[Classes/Cell/Economic]
type="int"
range="0<5<35"
[Classes/Cell/Impedence]
type="float"
range="0.01<1.0<100.0"
[Classes/Cell/Strength]
type="int"
range="0<50<100"
[Classes/Cell/Region]
type="index"
range="Regions"
[Classes/Cell/CartelRegion]
type="index"
range="CartelRegions"
[Classes/Cell/Terrain]
type="index"
range="Terrain"
[Classes/Cell/Planet]
type="index"
range="Planets"
[Classes/Cell/Base]
type="index"
range="Bases"
[Classes/Map]
type="class"
[Classes/Map/Width]
type="int"
range="10<10<1000"
[Classes/Map/Height]
type="int"
range="10<10<1000"
[Classes/Map/Cells]
type="Cell"
range="array"

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 02:21:25 pm

It appears this is not the end of the story though. From the Taldren OP API, we find the following enumerated types actually listed in the game code:

   kTerrainSpace1
   kTerrainSpace2
   kTerrainSpace3
   kTerrainSpace4
   kTerrainSpace5
   kTerrainSpace6
   kTerrainAsteroids1
   kTerrainAsteroids2
   kTerrainAsteroids3
   kTerrainAsteroids4
   kTerrainAsteroids5
   kTerrainAsteroids6
   kTerrainNebula1
   kTerrainNebula2
   kTerrainNebula3
   kTerrainNebula4
   kTerrainNebula5
   kTerrainNebula6
   kTerrainBlackHole1
   kTerrainBlackHole2
   kTerrainBlackHole3
   kTerrainBlackHole4
   kTerrainBlackHole5
   kTerrainBlackHole6
   kTerrainDustclouds
   kTerrainShippingLane
   kTerrainNone


Notice here there is a new terrain type not used in the map at all, Dustclouds. I wonder if its possible to add this in to the definitions.txt file and create a map with dustclouds and see if it works.

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 20, 2004, 02:47:27 pm

Ok, so I made I new definitions.txt file for the Artifex map editor including the above terrain types, made a map with it with some of those terrain types, made a single player campaign file, loaded up the game and ran that campaign and....
it works. All the blachole hexes have unique icons, shipping lane and dustcloud hexes look like normal space though.
The advantage however, is that we now have another terrain type from which to trigger missions from, as missions can be coded to trigger in dustcloud hexes.
The complete list of terrain types that a mission can be specifically set to trigger are as follows:

   kAsteroidHex
   kNebulaHex
   kBlackHoleHex
   kShippingLaneHex
   kDustCloudsHex
   kEmptySpaceHex
   kAnyTerrainHex

   kBaseStationHex
   kBattleStationHex
   kStarbaseHex
   kBaseWeaponsPlatformHex
   kBaseListeningPostHex
   kAnyBaseHex

   kHomeworldHex
   kCoreworldHex
   kAsteroidBaseHex
   kColonyHex
   kAnyPlanetHex

As you can see, the only one on this list which hadn't made sense up until now were the dustcloud hexes.

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: NuclearWessels on January 20, 2004, 04:21:08 pm

Just as a heads-up, in the past I've found the dust clouds setting and the asteroid base hex setting somewhat unpredictable/unreliable from the scripting side. The rest seem to function perfectly

dave

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: Lepton1 on January 20, 2004, 10:06:46 pm

Is there some way to create a unique shipping lane icon for the map?? This might be quite helpful if SQL ever gets off the ground and more sophisticated economy is supplied by scripting external to the D2.

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 21, 2004, 03:30:04 am

Quote:

Just as a heads-up, in the past I've found the dust clouds setting and the asteroid base hex setting somewhat unpredictable/unreliable from the scripting side. The rest seem to function perfectly

dave

Thanks for that Dave, I wonder if that unreliability is a coding problem or a map problem.

Title: Re: Complete list of terrain types, do we have one?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on January 21, 2004, 06:32:46 am

Quote:

Is there some way to create a unique shipping lane icon for the map?? This might be quite helpful if SQL ever gets off the ground and more sophisticated economy is supplied by scripting external to the D2.

I think all the map hex isons are stored in the sprites file, which is inaccessible currently. It would be nice though.