New S^3 Mod "All Uniforms" in development (feedback is welcome)

[Ecthel013]

I think unlocking them only after main missions works well, since it gives a sense of progression.

 

Also, having them all at once might be heaping too many choices on the player early on, especially new arrivals who aren't gun/history fanatics. If they pop into the purchasing screen and see dozens of different guns, all with differing stats, they probably wouldn't have any idea which one might be better in actual combat and thus have trouble picking one.

 

You could justify it by saying that the Sentinels aren't trusting you with the better guns until you prove you're trustworthy/competent by completing the vital missions they assign to you. Random encounters don't count, since you're just running into random bands of Thor's Hammer soldiers. Sure, the world's better off without them, but they're just small fry and not really important to Thor's Hammer's plans.

 

As for the Thompson vs. STG-44, the Tommy Gun shoots a much bigger bullet that'll leave a bigger wound if it hits (might also stick inside the body and tumble around, causing more internal damage). The higher velocity of the STG-44's intermediate round does give it more range and makes it easier to hit with, but it doesn't have the sheer mass of the Thompson, meaning less actual damage.

[Lt.Havoc]

Well, maybe we can add an option so the player can choose if he wants the regular progression or more guns, just like JA2 did it. I am just saying that due to the fact S3 is so short, you dont get much use out of the weapons you get later so I think they should be available sooner.

[calantlar]

Here's a request for the next release, c: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/178688_168178106639526_1714492734_o.jpg

[Deadpool]

Hi everyone!

 

I have one request:

Can you make your mod (and stay in future releases) compatible with Cookie's Character mod and fgbrooks "sentinel" mod?

I like weapon balance introduced there and it has new price system.

 

I have also few ideas for new encounters:

1. First since mod adds new uniforms, maybe creating new encounters on desert and snow terrains?

2. Instead of pure "kill-everyone-and-loot" encounters adding some new content like new recruitable persons or "covert ops" missions, where you can use new uniforms as disguise. As "covert ops" I mean assasianation or infiltration.

 

Some "random missions" (especially desert and snow one) would be available via dialog with some character like in H&S if creating new chapter wouldn't possible.

Or reverse.

 

Also regarding uniforms:

Is it possible to add hiding bonuses, depending on terrain, to uniforms (just like in H&S)?

 

And finally:

Is "Random Storm" is compatible eventually with your mod?

[TokyoRose]

Hey Deadpool.

 

Blunter has said that he is working on new encounters of his own, and that Random Storm should be compatible with a future release.

 

I myself am not in favour of uniforms granting hiding bonuses. It seems unnecessarily busy to me -- but of course, I'm not the only voice here.

[Ecthel013]

Also regarding uniforms:

Is it possible to add hiding bonuses, depending on terrain, to uniforms (just like in H&S)?

I suggested that for one uniform earlier in this thread (page 7 or 8, I believe), turned out that it can only be done in H&S, S3 doesn't have the necessary command/function in it.

[Lt.Havoc]

Well, I also do have a request: we also should add the Leibermuster (Buntfarbendruck 45) to the mod as well, would work for Die Wöfle or just general camo. problem is I cant find a texture for it, but I can provide photos tho.

 

https://www.info-pc.home.pl/Whatfor/baza/leibermuster.htm

 

Its a really interesting pattern that we should add.

[Deadpool]

I found very strange bug when creating char with this mod and fgbrooks "Weapons and characters mod" enabled.

When you choose medic or engineer class, intelligence stat goes crazy and is constantly changing (raising) as time passes.

Guess it has to do smth with uniform, but i maybe wrong.

[Lt.Havoc]

Well yeah looks like these mods are not compatible. I do recall that the All Uniforms Mod does change some stuff with the characters creating and so on.

[BlunterII]

All right, I am done with the Castle map. Here is the front view:

 

 

The road will serve as a way to provide an escape route. Spawning a Bedford truck with a few Tesla NPCs might do the trick. I am still undecided about the exact way to end the encounter.

 

One of the ideas I have is this:

 

- the player arrives to a besieged old Castle (manor) through a cutscene. The owner is on the radio inside the keep asking someone for help. The radio is mulfuctioning and all he can hear is some static noise and unintelligible gibberish. But he/ she doesn't give up.

- There are two or three other defenders ( castle servants or some military detachment or, perhaps, even mercenaries.)

- After a short introduction the player learns that the Castle was besieged by some bandits firsts. What the bandits wanted is unknown at this point... (ideas???), and shortly after a few bandit attacks - their raids suddenly stopped and strange creatures started appearing. (I can put some bandit corpses in the ditch somewhere)

- So far the defenders have been successful in beating them back but lost a couple of people in the proccess.

- The player is asked to assist in the defense as the waves of creatures are growing in numbers and strength and the owner is afraid of being overrun.

- The reward, aside from experience received from killing the zombies, can vary (ideas???)... If the owner survives... (ideas???) If everyone survives... (ideas???)

 

The red arrows indicate where the Zombies are going to be coming from. At least that's the plan - if I figure out how to make them move all the way to the courtyard consistently (yes, during my initial tests some of them just don't feel like attacking).

 

 

The owner might have inherited this place and decided to move in and fix it...

If the damage didn't come from the Allied bombings then the bandits could have caused it (ideas???)

 

 

Now, spawning the zombies (or bandits, if we decide to go with armed opposition) in remote areas like the side paths makes sense - I just need to make sure all of them attack at once or at all (instead of hanging around those pines or the outside walls).

 

 

These were taken a couple of days ago, I've added a few things since then (logs, patches of grass, stones and several spots).

 

 

The bridge is indestructible with the exception of the railing. I thought it could be useful to keep it intact especially if we decide to make the ditch filled with poisonous gas killing the player characters if they are in that area (to keep them from leaving the castle area.

 

 

The roof is accessible now. You could position your sniper there (TR )

The roof window is just for looks - characters can't climb out through it (it's hard to make it an access point to the roof with roof tiling this steep. The other type they have is flatter and easier to walk on without adding any "roof steps", but it wouldn't fit the design I had in mind).

 

 

The third floor balcony is another decent spot to camp around for a gunner of any type (sniper preferably).

 

 

Living room. It took me some time to make the fireplace cast dynamic light (instead of static).

Any ideas on what to put in those rooms, shelves, on the tables??? (I mean useful RPG items...)

 

 

Nothing special here, yet.

 

 

I haven't put any chests in the kitchen (ground floor) area. The only one I placed in there is in the hall - not too far from the Vickers machine gun. I need input on where to put the chests and what to put in them (if random contents - then, please describe the possible items, their type, quantity, your rationale.)

 

While working with Vickers fixed their ammo incompatibility (My characters weren't able to reload the MGs with any of the ammo boxes available for Vickers). Turned out - I had to change the name of the newer item for it to work. (They had 3 different items with the same name, with only one of them being the primary one - entered as the inner clip for Vickers. Don't ask me, I've no idea why...)

 

 

Created a new sandbag item and made more sandbag templates. Added sand destruction effect to the sandbags instead of cotton-like, and changed their RPG properties to be a little tougher (like wood) to withstand more punishment.

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

A lot of new textures and new items were created in the process. The stuff below is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

Most of them will be featured on this very map.

 

 

and a few more:

 

 

________________________________________________________

 

I'l address some of the points you guys raised a bit later

________________________________________________________

(to be continued)

 

~Blunter~

[TokyoRose]

Blunter:

 

The castle is jaw-droppingly awesome. I never could have fathomed something so beautiful. I'm already seeing excellent spots to set up my squad and blast away at the zombie hordes. (And yes, the sniper perch on the roof is perfect.)

 

I'll chime back in with my thoughts on your various ideas when I have more time.

 

Amazing work

[Ecthel013]

Damage to Castle

Could say that there were Allied or Axis troops holed up in the castle during the war, and the other faction forced them out with a bombing raid or artillery bombardment. Also, they had to leave in such a hurry that they left most of their equipment behind (the source of the MG emplacements and the various stashes of weapons and ammo scattered around).

 

Bandit Identity and Possible Reward

Perhaps the "bandits" are either working for or are disguised minions of the Professor/Die Wolfe or Thor's Hammer? If the bombing raid/artillery bombardment isn't used, then they might have loaned a few rocket launchers or even a Panzerklein to the "bandits".

 

Whatever their true identity, could tie it in to the possible reward. Perhaps a lead to a cache of research material for the Lucifer virus or an abandoned or still active secret lab that worked on it? If they're working for one of the previously mentioned organizations, then the attack might be to permanently silence or coerce the info from the owner.

 

If the above is true, then the owner might be a defector from one of the previously mentioned organizations (explaining how they know about the sites), and the castle defenders are troops that remained loyal to him/her and defected as well. Perhaps the owner is trying to defect to the Sentinels, and you're the team sent to extract them?

 

Supplies lying around Castle

I don't think there should be any stuff in the shelves, might be hard for the player to spot. Could neatly array guns and ammo on the table(s), easier for both the player and the characters to see and grab. I also think it would be best to have any chests already open if possible, since it would be faster to grab stuff for both the player and the characters.

 

As for chest positions:

1) A chest with some MG ammo next to each MG would be realistic. If you're manning one of those, you'd want to have the heavy MG ammo as close as possible.

2) Perhaps a few containing medical supplies in the 1st floor, could be an impromptu medical station set up by the defenders (close enough to get wounded there quickly, not so close that the enemy can get to it quickly, also has quite a bit of space).

3) One or more with rifle ammo and possibly a rifle or two on the 3rd floor. The defenders probably figured it'd make a great sniper perch as well.

4) A stash of basic mines in the kitchen. Relatively safe place to store them, easy to get to, enemies probably won't be able to take advantage of them.

5) Some containing assorted ammo out on the walls. Having to run back all the way to the keep to get ammo would be a real pain for both the player and the characters.

6) Some with SMGs and associated ammo in the kitchen. If the enemy's overrun the walls, then the defenders would probably switch to SMGs to defend the inside of the keep.

7) Several containing various kinds of weapons and ammo on the 2nd floor. Probably being used as an impromptu armory, since it's right in the middle of the keep. Easy access for both the 1st and 3rd floors, but not so easy that the enemy can overrun it quickly.

 

Suggestions

1) One of the castle's defenders went to scout things out and runs across the first wave. They retreat back to the castle as your squad arrives, with the enemies hot on their heels. If you save them, then, in-between waves, the scout points out which direction(s) the next enemy wave is coming from so you can set up.

2) During one of the later waves, some of the bandits show up and are under attack from the zombies as they flee towards the castle. If you help them reach the castle, they'll join the defenders and add their extra weapons and ammo to the castle's stockpile. They have to move slowly for whatever reason (carrying critically wounded comrades, packing lots of heavy weapons, or even escorting a functioning, if badly battered Panzerklein), so helping them is a risky gamble.

3) Have limited control over the NPC defenders, like ordering them to "Man the walls" or "Fall back to the keep", etc.

[Lt.Havoc]

Do we really want this random encounter already be taking place in the story of the "yet-to-be-named" mod? We should have this encounter be detached from the story we have been developing or at least go with 2 different stories for this map. The reason I write this is simply that "All Uniforms Mod" should be a mod that can be played by people not familiar with the storyline we have devloped and the mod that may come out of that. Players might just get confused if they hear about "Die Wölfe", the killer virus and other stuff during a random S3 encounter.

 

My idea would be that the castle has some relics and artifacts in it that are worth a fortune, they are buried deep in the catacombs of the castle. Maybe it was a Templer Castle or whatever and the new owner discovered this treasure during renovation. After having been "visited" by the Bandits, who are actually part of a smuggler ring that deals in historical artifacts and stuff, he hired a group of Mercs to defend the Castle.

 

The Mercs also brought with them all the guns, in fact he Castle owner will state that they are besieged for awhile now and he has bought lots of weapons on the black market for his defending force. They did so because the local authorities are either to busy or unwilling to help him or cant be reached (no phone lines and the radio is broken).

 

The damage to the castle could be simply due to the fact no one took care of it over the centuries and its simply has fallen apart. If that is too simply of an explanation, we could say it was damage during the war or whatever.

 

The zombies do not necessarily need an explanation where they come from, we can keep it vague. An idea would be that if you talk to the Castle owner that he will tell you about the legends surrounding the castle and that there are stories told about strange things in the forests and that the last owner was part of the "Yellow Order" (Or Yellow sign, its a cult of the cuthullu Mythos) or simply say the last owner was a guy called Mister H. West (Herbert West Reanimator is also written by Lovecraft, he created zombies in the book and was later killed by his own creations).

 

anyway, the Castle owner (He needs a name, seriously) would say to the player that if he helps defend the base, he would reward him with either a stash of weapons or cash in gold. The weapons would be experimental and rare stuff and well the gold would be worth around 20 or 50K

 

Maybe you can also find other uniforms and gear there you can take with you.

[Ecthel013]

Forgot it was supposed to be a random encounter, was thinking it was a main mission for some reason.

 

Buried/Hidden treasure works as an incentive too (perhaps stashed there by civilians or the defeated Axis forces?). The Castle Owner offers your squad a share (in cash or as sell-able items) if they stick around to help with the defense. I don't think rare/experimental weapons would make much sense, though, unless Castle Owner is secretly an influential arms dealer (though that could explain the extra guns lying around the castle).

 

As for the ending (forgot to cover this in my previous post), I see some possibilities:

1) A passing Allied force hears all the gunfire (or a special zombie hunting unit on a search-and-destroy mission) and shows up just in time to help fight off the last wave.

2) The Castle Owner has friends in the military, and had them organize a convoy to transport the treasure. They fight their way to the castle and arrive just as the zombie assaults have almost completely stopped.

3) The Castle Owner's radio malfunctioned before they could call for rescue from the zombies, so your squad calls in assistance from the Sentinels/Allied military with their radio. The help is bogged down, but arrives in time to force the zombies back.

 

I've thought of an alternative scenario, could be adapted for a different mission if you prefer not to use it:

The squad intercepts a radio transmission from an Allied officer in charge of locating treasures lost during the war. He's found a stash of them in an abandoned castle in Germany, but has come under attack from bandits/Axis remnants, and needs reinforcements to hold them off. Since the squad is near the castle, the main character decides to check it out.

 

Once they arrive, they witness the castle coming under attack from what appears to be walking corpses. If the squad sticks around and helps fend off this first wave, they meet with the Allied officer, who explains the situation and offers to hire them to help guard the treasure, since his radio malfunctioned while he was receiving the Allies' response message. All he knows is that reinforcements are coming, just not when.

[calantlar]

Blunter, i hope you eep the All Uniforms mod seperate to the zombie stuff and new encounters but any uniforms you make for the zombie mod should be included (except amybe zombie skin)

[Fireman]

That castle looks amazing, I have a question about the roof though (which the pathfinding doesn't make clear).

 

Does it function as a slope, or does the character going to the roof "climb" from platform to platform until he's on the roof.

[Lt.Havoc]

Uhh, Blunter, did you not say you wanted to answer some of the questions and make comments about some of the ideas that have been thrown around? I mean there is a lot of stuff to go over now. I just thought I remind you that we are still here and all. XD

[BlunterII]

Sorry for not updating as frequently.

 

I am still working on the script and the dialogs (I know it is taking a while, hold on - it will get done. I want it to be good and that requires time. I am not a programmer, you know...)

 

So far, I've gone through four full scripts and had to scrap them in their entirety (very frustrating).

 

Strange glitches were happening and things I couldn't understand (not yet, that is). I am afraid I might have to go with a simpler script for now (and expand on it later, after you guys test it):

 

1. Introduction (like a movie). The owner buys the property, bandit activity in the area, mercs are hired, bandits are defeated, zombies show up, player shows up, short dialogs about what's going on. Action!

2. Waves of zombies (10, 20, 30...) non-stop battle.

3. Escape when the Allied truck arrives (on a certain turn or after a certain wave).

 

We'll see...

 

The idea is to make the enemies come in waves. I programmed the waves and they work perfectly via a trigger function.

 

- Fifteen zombies are spawned (five in the West, South and East respectively). The number can be adjusted later

- The zombies run or walk to the designated waypoints (Yes, I figured that out, finally)

- They attack the player and the defending mercenaries.

- Once the number of zombies present on the template is reduced to a specific value (I can change that number) then new zombie reinforcements are placed on the map and then rinse...repeat...

- I can count the waves and call that variable when I need it. So that' not a problem...

 

Now the problem is: I don't seem to be able to reliably control the waves (meaning stopping and resuming them when needed). Last time I tried I got 60+ zombies after a short intermission (still trying to figure out what caused it).

 

Having a "StrategyCore" resident Lua language specialist would be great. Oh well...

___________________________________________________________________

 

Great ideas Ecthel and Lt. (about the background story for the Castle and the loot placement)

I am doing the dialogs right now and using a lot of the input you guys provided (not everything since it's the simple version). Thank you.

 

I think I'll keep it a regular random encounter for now.

The supplies will have to be kept in chests or in the keep as there is no reliable way (that I know of) to prevent zombies from picking them up and using them. On the other hand NPCs don't open chests (they can destroy them though).

___________________________________________________________________

 

Lt., about the new weapons: I believe I can create unique versions of some of the existing weapons (by retexturing them, and changing their characteristics). I can't make any new weapons that require new models. I don't have Maya. ___________________________________________________________________

 

I'll enter the weapon & ammo fixes before the release. Thank you for posting the list of them, Lt.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Thanks for the feedback on the Castle. The roof is not "passable", Fireman. Not that type. The only way to make it accessible was by placing those "roof steps".

___________________________________________________________________

 

I am not sure what you are asking, Calantlar. This is one mod, one database. I can distribute it with different names, similar to what I did with v 1.0 and v 2.0. But in essense it is the same thing. I guess I don't unsterstand your question.

Btw, the zombie face skin is not mine. It was in the game already. They never used it - I just thought we could.

___________________________________________________________________

(to be continued)

 

~Blunter~

[calantlar]

I mean that the zombie mod (aparently this mod? im confused..) and the uniforms should be kept in seperate mods so you can get the uniforms without the new missions and story etc, but if you want to you can download the missions and new story (so you could have uniforms and no zombies or both just to give people some choice)

[BlunterII]

I mean that the zombie mod (aparently this mod? im confused..) and the uniforms should be kept in seperate mods so you can get the uniforms without the new missions and story etc, but if you want to you can download the missions and new story (so you could have uniforms and no zombies or both just to give people some choice)

 

Calantlar,

 

The Castle Encounter, at this point, is just one of the REs I'll make available somewhere in Germany. TR wanted it to be easy to spot and always visible, so that's what I am planning to do.

 

"All uniforms" is not finished yet. I am going to release a few more versions.

 

- Once I am done with the castle I'll release v 2.1 (binoculars crash fixed, Castle RE in Germany, Ammo and Weapon fixes, uniform prices reduced roughly by 50%)

 

- I'll make several more uniforms for v 2.5 (I'll have to go through the last several pages of the thread to pick what it is I am going to work on). Female D.W. officer, U.S. Zombie Hunter, Soviet Armored soldier, Nazi babe in Splittermuster 43, and a few others you guys suggested (don't remember all of them right now...). I also wanted to try and do that sniper girl in the window you, Calantlar, PMed me about in Feb (using the allied scout fem model).

 

- After that... we shall see. I am leaning towards - working on the new campaign.

 

I see you have some concerns about the new mod making the "Sentinels" campaign unavailable - I will most likely make a splitter encounter where the player will choose whether to play the original or proceed with the new scenario. If they choose the former they'll be 'teleported' to the SM1 template with Boris in the basement and continue down that path, if they pick the latter then they'll skip the whole "Sentinels" scenario and start the "Nordic Uprising", "Wolfpack & Lucifer", "The Eagle and the Bear", "Containment", "Thor's Hammer Strikes Again", "Professor's Devious Plan", "Caught In The Crossfire", "Deutschland Awakens", "The Call Of The Nords", "Bavarian Affair", "The Duty To Protect", "Sentinel Dilemma" (or whatever else we decide to call the "yet-to-be-named-mod")

_____________________________________________________

(to be continued)

 

~Blunter~

[TokyoRose]

Just popping in to say I don't think there's any reason to be threatened or worried by any zombie content in this mod -- it will be a random encounter in a designated spot.

 

If you don't like it, don't go there

 

Blunter: I'm so busy with work that I haven't had time to read anything here or give feedback, but at a glance I like the suggestions I've read. The castle looks like the ultimate S3 playground -- I can't wait to play it

[BlunterII]

Hi everyone!

 

I have one request:

Can you make your mod (and stay in future releases) compatible with Cookie's Character mod and fgbrooks "sentinel" mod?

I like weapon balance introduced there and it has new price system.

 

I have also few ideas for new encounters:

1. First since mod adds new uniforms, maybe creating new encounters on desert and snow terrains?

2. Instead of pure "kill-everyone-and-loot" encounters adding some new content like new recruitable persons or "covert ops" missions, where you can use new uniforms as disguise. As "covert ops" I mean assasianation or infiltration.

 

Some "random missions" (especially desert and snow one) would be available via dialog with some character like in H&S if creating new chapter wouldn't possible.

Or reverse.

 

Also regarding uniforms:

Is it possible to add hiding bonuses, depending on terrain, to uniforms (just like in H&S)?

 

And finally:

Is "Random Storm" is compatible eventually with your mod?

 

I have no idea what Cookie's Character mod and fgbrooks "sentinel" mod do. I suspect they change some of the same values I modified - hence the strange results (500+ Intelligence scores, etc.)

 

I am planning to make winter and desert templates once I get to it. I'll probably need to add quite a few of European winter textures for half-timbered, stone and neater brick walls. We'll see about that when the time comes.

 

I would love to add bonuses and other things to the uniforms if I were able to identify what uniforms the characters are wearing at any given time via script. Hammer & Sickle has a special command UnitGetUniform() for that - S^3 doesn't. Maybe Novik (the lead developer of H&S) could point us in the right direction. Who knows...

_________________________________

 

No problem, TR. I am not done with the Castle yet, anyway.

_________________________________

(to be continued)

 

~Blunter~

[Flyethemoon]

Nice Uniforms I very like British Commandos, remainds me those used in Hidden & Dangerous 2 game

 

And those US Pacyfic uniforms too looks simiar from this game

https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/deadlydozen2pacificthea.jpg/

 

Any chance of plain green unifrom like here ?

https://www.pcgames.de/screenshots/original/2003/01/busch.jpg

[calantlar]

Just popping in to say I don't think there's any reason to be threatened or worried by any zombie content in this mod -- it will be a random encounter in a designated spot.

 

If you don't like it, don't go there

 

i see ..... well then c: nice (thought blunter was gonna go all like "uniforms? FULL CONVERSION!!!" on us here c:) also make the zombie mission endless? (or make this one end with reinforcements and make one thats limitless untill you use a radio so you can go on tryying to survive as long as possible but can "finish the mission at anytime")

[TokyoRose]

Calantlar:

 

My suggestion to Blunter for the zombie survival scenario was to make it like Gears of War's Horde mode -- so yes, endless waves of zombies, but a pause every few waves to give players a chance to escape, or to reset defenses and keep fighting.

 

Ultimately, though, it's all up to him and the suggestions of the community. I have no doubt though that Blunter will make something truly awesome

 

Just look at the pictures of that castle!