JWE
Posts: 6580
Joined: 7/19/2005 Status: offline
|
It's not really 3.0, I don't know what it might become, but I've done some work on slicking things up and and here it is. The premes is twofold (seven fold actually, but let’s stick with two for now); first, to develop a ship and class database where the ships and classes represent the actual characteristics, capabilities and numbers pertaining to the Pac theater and; second to develop a database structure that is ship artist friendly and utilizes the stock database and art files, such that the CHS ship art is one-for-one compatible with the stock Matrix art (CHS will necessarily have more art, but further on that below). What I did was: recognizing that Matrix used the slot numbers for a ship as its bit map number, I unified all of the CHS classes from 0172 to 00391 so as to be the same with stock (only required about 4 – 5 changes). The additional classes, I consolidated a bit, and moved them to slots 1001 – 1171, such that their bit map numbers go 0001 to 0171, with the stock numbers going from 0172 – 0391. There are several CHS classes in slots 0392 – 399 that have corresponding bit maps. So: with some consolidation, the entire CHS ‘class’ and ‘ship’ database (wpc.dat and wps.dat files) is contained in slots 0172 – 0399 and 1001 and 1171 (i.e. maps from 1 – 399). For the modders, I reserved 100 bit map positions from 400 – 499 for class upgrades. Some 30 slots are taken up with the PH BB conversions, DDs having X turrets removed, BCs and CAs getting a face lift, and the like. But those are only structural (silhouette) changes. The rest are for the hot paint jobs that Fremen, TomLabel and Dixie are so well known for. Naturally, even the structural upgrades are susceptible to paint jobs. Bottom line, for the modders and artists, if the ship is in slot 215, its base art will be bit map 0215. For a player, if you want to download a Fremen or Dixie Dido, just look up the Dido in the database, find its slot number (say, 229), and rename your Fremen or Dixie Dido art as AnSide0229 (or AnShil0229). I am not quite finished. I am incorporating BigB’s work on class characteristics (armor, durability, maneuver, etc…) and adding my own take on fuel, endurance, and capability. My work on Aux and AP/AKs dovetails so nicely with BigB’s, that I suspect we’re secret clones. This work is a change to the Class and Ship (wpc.dat and wps.dat) databases. However, if there are any other blivets such as the 200 experience Tanaka, please let me know so I can correct them. Please post corrections only, not wishes or desires.
|