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News: Celebrating 30 years of Star Control 2 - The Ur-Quan Masters

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1  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Is Aftermath still being developed? on: May 29, 2007, 01:13:03 am
I'm still working, but there was definitely a looong pause there.  I just started updating the rendering engine, and I'm aiming to get some sort of playable scenario setup 'soon'.

I'd like to starting posting updates on sourceforge about what I'm doing, as well as more technical explanations about the state of the code for those that are interested.  I just need to learn the most effective way to do that.

Given that it's a hobby project I can't give any estimates as to when certain features will be done.  Whenever it IS done, however, the engine should be more flexible and better looking.  Also, the code will be a lot cleaner.

-Madgap
2  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: March 03, 2005, 06:11:31 am
grayfox777: The bad news is I don't think you are going to get it to run on a card that old.  The good news is you can get a decent upgrade for about $40.  :-/

Fossaman: No snag, just very busy at work.  Also, I picked up Nexus a few days ago and have been playing that a lot after work.

-Madgap

3  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: February 22, 2005, 02:50:01 am
Quote

BTW, Madgap, how's life in the working world?


It's awesome, couldn't be better.  In fact, I'd hardly even call it work.  Basically I get paid for what I'd be doing anyway. Smiley

Quote
I don't think those are bugs, just features which have not yet been added.


That's right, I just haven't gotten around to adding support for all of the current SC2 systems or making sure all of the ships work.  The data files for the weapons and ships are open if you want to change something yourself.  I should probably write up a HowTo guide or something.  For example: to change the nuke ammo to unlimited open the Systems/Nuke.weapon file, and change Ammo: to -1...that's unlimited ammo.

The AI probably wont be updated until after I finish all of the weapon systems.  Currently they don't know what all of the weapons do, so they don't know how to use them properly...especially the secondary weapons.

I converted the strategy portion of the game over from an SC2 style go anywhere map to a SC1 style starlane map.  I was hesitant before about the conversion, but the pathfinder was a lot easier to program than I thought it would be.

The starmap is setup so you can layout a map, save it, and then start running the strategy game (through the starmap).  You can order fleets to go to various stars, build bases, etc.  I'm going to implement some kind of simplified combat results calculation tonight along with some other tidbits to make it more of an actual 'game'.  I'll try to release something tomorrow, so that you can check it out and post feedback.  

The realtime combat isn't hooked up to the strategy portion and won't be until the strategic game is fun by itself.  Keep that in mind before you download if you are on a modem line.

-Madgap

4  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: February 15, 2005, 07:08:19 am
Fossaman: I think you can get it to work by going directly to the main game.  If you go into melee first it gets screwed up.  I'll fix that in the next release.

Deus_Siddis: Thank thatsteveguy for the the Kohr-Ah model, and pretty much every model in the game.  He's around here somewhere. Smiley

To all: If a ship blows up right when you load that's almost always a data error of some kind.  Like a missing or miss named hull file.  Professionals (with fulltime testers) usually would throw an assert and stop the game or let it crash.  This way they can find and fix bugs quickly.

I, on the other hand, try to make sure that above all the game never crashes.  The up side is that the game will try to correct the situation on it's own so you can continue playing.  The down side is some bugs are harder to notice, and thus go unfixed.

I was gone all weeked so I didn't get any work done.  I'll try to get something out next tuesday since I have monday off.

-Madgap
5  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: February 10, 2005, 06:45:50 am
I agree with you.  Before I was afraid of repeating SCIII's oddball resource system where you had to sit around and wait for fuel to be mined, but now I agree that some automatic mining system is neccessary for such a large scale game.

I've actually already implemented the resource system, I've just got to balance it out a bit.

There are six types of bases, and a system can only have 1:
Starbase
Raw Material Mine
Resource #2 Mine (haven't named it yet.)
Refinery
Academy (crew resource...not sure about this one.)
Transport Base

Basically you form supply chains by laying out the bases.  Mines feed to refineries which feed into starbase along a chain of fairly cheap transport bases.  The actual chain is generated automatically...you don't have to connect the bases together or anything.

You also have to build the bases in range of one another...if something is out of range of your starbase, for instance, you need to link to it with transport bases.

I've messed around with setting up multiple transport chains so that if the computer takes out a single transport base, a new supply chain is formed instantly along another path.

Also, you will be able to have one fleet per starbase that you control.  You will be 'in' one of the fleets, but can give orders to the others through the starmap.  You can also take direct control of another fleet, but there will be a period of time where you lose all control while you transfer from one fleet to the other.

Fleets are no longer just a group of ships.  Each fleet will have a mothership of sorts (sound familiar?) that will be responsible for taking the smaller ships from one star to another.  If you lose the mothership in battle you lose the entire fleet + the time needed to get back to the nearest starbase.

Battles will take place in a separate arena...5 v 5 (not including mother ships) max at a time.  You can still have more than 5 ships in your fleet, just no more than 5 fighting at one time.  If you lose someone and new ship from your fleet will warp in to replace him.

That's what I'm finishing up at the moment.

-Madgap
6  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: February 09, 2005, 05:22:48 am
I'm having difficulty working out decent, fast paced, realtime rules for the strategic portion of the game.  I just need to sit down and make something, then fix it later.
7  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: February 08, 2005, 03:45:07 am
Sorry, I'm stuck.  Sad
8  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: January 12, 2005, 04:10:59 am
Sorry to say I haven't gotten a lot done lately. Sad  Usually I'm pretty tired of programming when I get home from work.  I added in a new collision detection/reaction system that takes rotational velocity into account.  What this means is that you spin a bit when hit from the side.  Also, we can now have long, skinny ships that collide correctly.

I'm still messing around with the ship balance.  Also, I'm going to make a big change to combat.  I'm going to separate exploration mode and combat, as in the original game.  Combat will be about 5 ships vs. 5 ships max, but more can jump in during combat to replace lost ships.  I've been playing it like this for awhile and I feel it gives a nice balance.  It keeps the fighting from become too crazy.

Probably another couple of weeks until I get a new version out...

-Madgap
9  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 30, 2004, 11:55:28 pm
I thing more RPG based gameplay would require 2D art skills that I don't have.   :-/
10  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 30, 2004, 01:14:58 am
Eh...might as well let it slip back a bit.  I haven't coded anymore since the last update as I've been mulling over a possible design change.  I'm going to take another step back towards the original game and separate the RPG and combat portions of the game.
In other words when you come into contact with an enemy fleet you will go into some kind of separate combat arena...possibly with wraparound borders like in the original melee mode.
There will probably be a limit on the number of ships you can take into battle at a time, but it will definately be more than 1v1.  Maybe 5v5 max?  You will be able to have more than five ships in your fleet, however, so you can call in reinforcements as ships are lost.  We shall see.
So basically I'm going to try and take the game back towards SC2.  Kinda like SC2++, with less story and more strategic gameplay.
I'll release another version around or after the new year.  Sorry about the delay but I'm pretty busy at work, and the last thing I want to do after programming all day is program some more at night. >Tongue

You can definately expect a new quest system in the next version...something based on text files.  My goal is for anybody to be able to write and post their quests online.

-Madgap
11  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 15, 2004, 02:13:13 am
It's not currently open source.  I would concider porting it to openGL, but only if there were enough people who wanted the switch.
12  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 03, 2004, 10:16:28 pm
Yes, but as I don't know where the problem is at the moment I can't give you specific instructions on how to fix it.  All of the data files for ships and weapons are just text files.  Here's the breakdown:

Ship definitions are stored in Campaign/Ships

Ship definitions reference devices defined in Capaign/Devices

Device definitions reference the more specific system files in /Systems

Since they are blowing up instantly it probably means it can't find either the hull or drive definition for those ships.

Needless to say that will be fixed for the next release.  I'm going to try to balance all of the systems for next release.
13  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 02, 2004, 10:10:21 pm
Nope.  I'd have to convert the graphics and sound code to multi-platform in addition to the formats I use for the textures and models.


I'm thinking about changing combat a bit...right now battles with large amounts of ships are way too crazy...it's impossible to keep track of anything.  Also, fast ships have a big advantage because there space doesn't loop back on itself like in melee.  Anyone have any ideas?
14  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: November 01, 2004, 10:40:28 pm
New version up.
15  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release / General UQM Discussion / Re: Aftermath on: October 20, 2004, 11:24:24 pm
I'm pretty sure I left the new cargo code in.  Here's how it works: each enemy starbase produces a certain amount of resources each turn that it can use to attack one of your starbases.  When you build a starbase within range of one of the enemy starbases, that enemy base begins to attack you.  All of the other starbases in the enemy empire notice this and begin sending supplies in cargo fleets.  They don't send them in a straight line, but rather to the nearest base on the way...so you end up with this tree like supply chain.

By attacking the enemy cargo fleets you will dramatically reduce the rate at which the enemy can attack your own base.  Again, your base has to be within range of their sensors for this to start up.

Also, there are some enemy cargo ships in hostile sectors, but I don't remember if they are carrying anything.

-Madgap
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