interested in a mod-tutorial/realistic mod?

[Thork]

i just wanna check if someone still is interested in modding this great game, cause i think this community is about to die.. and thats a pitty..

 

i just recently buyed this great game cause i overlooked it as it came out..

now i realize this is nearly exact the game i ever wanted.

(2.WW squad based tactical rpg style game)

nearly-cause i dont like some parts like the sci-fi part and some gameplay things.

 

so.. its simple - since i couldnt find a mod which modifies all this stuff i want to - i like to create one by myself.

(oddballs mod and the die hard mod are pretty nice. but oddballs mod is a little buggy and misses some important things while die hard streches the limits)

 

i nearly read all topics relating modding in this and the nival forum-collecting all usefull information and ended up trying to find out stuff i couldnt find.

now i think i got everything i need to create a nice - big mod.

 

my questions:

 

since having so much trouble getting all relevant information are there still guys who are interested in a mod creation tutorial-which shows all usefull information in 1 thread?

if so i will do it-otherwise its too much work..

 

is there still someone around who got experience in modding.

i would be especially interested in someone who allready worked out how to fix skill problems.

if someone just would act as an advisor for some questions it would be nice.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

stuff i found out/collected:

 

• (wrote a few batch files to do that)

identify the textures in the res files (was pretty tough)

edit data and statics

 

stuff i want to change:

 

• (mostly leather)

skill fix (grenade usage and some other)

sci-fi remove

add weapons (not much just some i miss)

weapon on back (second hand weapon should be shown on back)

 

+maybe more im not sure off.. depends on how hard it will be and how much time i can spare

 

long thread-thanks for your patience

 

Thork

[dblewis]

Yes, I would love to do a realistic campaign mod of a typical squad of either U.S. or German soldiers. I too seem to have come to this game late. (actually I was waiting for the patch to come out not realizing the the U.S. version was already updated) I'm about to finish my first Allies campaign and then I'll load some mods to play the axis. The two mods I plan on using then are the skill hack and one that resizes weapons so that two handed weapons do not fit in the backpack. (I currently use self-restraint with my squad but would like to enemy to do the same).

 

After that I'll be able to devote a conciderable amount of time (I have over a month of vacation to take before September) to a "Saving Pvt. Ryan" or "Iron Cross" type mod. I've even dug out my old "Ambush" board game for ideas.

[Thork]

the skill hack is allready nice (it fixes level up not ai) and i use it.. would pack it together with my mod if there are no problems..

the backpack is nice.. but im not sure..

what could be nice too is a 2 hands attack with knifes/pistols/smgs.. like in ja2.. but i think this would be very hard cause it requires additionel skill which had to influence accuracy calculation

 

but i dont want to make new maps/campaign.. it really seems hard to do some nice scripted events..

[astockins]

Hi Thork

I'm a late newbie with this game too. I came to it because of a comment in a UFO:Aftermath site. I just loved the demo, but as I was ready to buy it, I read all about PK and sci fi weapons that has been keeping me restrained of buying it. What you intend to do is just what I want, plain WW2 stuff, (for me it would suffice MP40/Mauser/MG34 against Sten/Enfield/Bren). If you stick to your mod, I will definetily buy this game.

Thanks

Aleck

[Thork]

its nice to see that at least someone shows interest

 

im still working on the project.. but not with that much esteem like at the beginning..

i think everyone despairs on the lack of support by the developer..

but this game is just too nice to be abandoned.

 

the only problem is that this is my first modification ever - so i dont have any idea when this mod will be finished.

first steps were the worst.. but it still kinda improves slow.

 

i think im half way through - removed pk and sci-fi (was kinda hard to bring together with story - still some changes to do which i dont know how to..)

changed statistics on some weapons-data.

 

at the moment im changing some weapon models and uniforms..

i think this will be the hardest thing to do.. its pretty tough working with maya..

 

so.. i hope ill get that done..

but at least 2 weeks till release.. maybe even more.. maybe never..

[Biggles]

I'm happy to provide space here for you to discuss your mod, I don't thave the time these days to devote to playing/modding Silent Storm like I would love to, but people like yourselves ARE the community and that shows it's not dead yet.

 

Now if Jowood can only promote the add-on properly we could see a big boost soon!

[astockins]

Thork

Keep up your work and spirit. I'm only waiting for your mod to buy the game.

Aleck

[Unsterblich]

Thork, or any of you guys... could you help another newbie?

 

My dream is to be able to make new SS missions.

 

For example, the "Valhalla Oficces" mission of S3.

 

It could have been a WONDERFUL mission. But to me it wasn't. Why? Because it lacked the rpg potencial it offered.

 

All the other missions you take your squad heavy-equipped. This was the ONLY mission that you had to be undercover (and even that wasn't mandatory, you could complete the mission destroying everything in sight).

 

I went totally undercover, only with light weapons, well-concealed silenced pistols. And what I encounter? Instead of a rpg-immersive environment, ANOTHER combat mission... only with certain "tricks".

 

NO character interaction (at least to a decent level. Talking to someone only one time isn't interaction).

 

NO real consequences (like failing the mission if your cover gets blown off or civilians are killed)

 

NO rpg-nothing.

 

I know, it's very hard to do that kind of thing. But with games like "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic", you can see what wonderful rpg potential good games have.

 

So, getting to the point:

 

For what I could see, that "Maya" program is used for creating new uniforms, textures, weapons. And the Silent Storm editor is used for creation of new maps and missions.

 

Am I right? I wanted to know, for starters, what tools we need to create a mod, like they did with "Sickle and Hammer".

[KoMik]

Well if you want to add new models (uniforms, weapons, objects, constructionparts, tanks(likeS&H)) you will need Maya and to heads you need LifestudioHead program. But if you are ready to make your mod with orginal stuffs all you need is imagination('gods' greatest gift/skill to humankind) and you need to come familiar with editor. There you can build maps, place units, make new units, new textures, write scripts and create campaing. Nival have not yet release good tutorial how to make dialogs and Acks(character responses) so I don't have idea how to make 'official' conversations as storyparts.

 

First you maybe should find out if some of your friends are ready to help you on the way (this is pain in the a*s if you have to do everything by yourself...trust me I'm know what I'm saying/doing: Sledge Hammer). S&H have been made in TEAM... and their leader (Novik) seems to be a genious computer expert (he created scripts what doesn't even Nival crew have made/thought).

 

So if you wish to make tank to your mod... I think it takes time in Maya about 20-50 hours... then you have a tank... and then you spend 5-10 hours to make a map... scripting it takes about 2-10 hours so after 27-70 hours you got a mission with tank . I don't have that expensive Maya but if I someday have money for it (as I have planned because I would need it to my realworks too) I will just move to use it to S^s modding because I'm more like graphic designer than script-writer.

 

If you haven't use/check the editor yet you should do it if you are interested to make your own mod. There you can see if you like it or not... it's is pretty complexical but it thats why it's very good. S^3 editor is more stability and better that S^2... I think Nival have fixed it so.

 

Welcome to the tiny modding scene of Silent Storm and I hope you will stay... too many have given up!

 

May the modding force be with you. :wise:

 

PS: Don't try to 'beat' S&H (and btw it's NOT a mod anymore...). Life doesn't have to be somekind of damn deathmatch where we should allways make better stuff than others... thats what I think. One good way to start could be if you try to learn basics with S^3 editor, wait until S&H release (I hope it have editor too) and then start learning/using it developed RPG-possibilities and 'get free' all extra objects and stuffs what is in there...

[vs322]

Yea Thork, you should stick around.

 

I don't like the PK's either, not because they weren't in ww2, but because they change the flow so much. (my scout with a knife was not so needed any more). But taking them out would sure punch holes in the story of s2 (I have not gotten to them in s3, but the same is probably true).

 

About development support- jowood is just the u.s. distributor/publisher- and they don't seem to care much for it, (hence no jowood published sentinels). I've been extremely happy with the editor- at first it was quite confusing, but now it is like second nature and I can put together maps pretty fast. (but the detail and unit placing takes some time still). (oh and CAPS LOCK is your best friend).

 

For your first mod it sounds pretty ambitious if you ask me, but good luck.

 

About a big modding FAQ I think that is a good idea, I'd be willing to help- don't know if I know anymore than any one else here (some yes, but others obviously not).

 

(we are the community and we can keep this game alive- just keep working and once you think that its good enough start sharing (sorry that that was so cheesy)).

 

 

-vs

[DoomMunky]

This is really cool, you guys, and I thought I'd just add on to the cheesyness of it all and say that I think it's really great to have so much support for one little 'ol idea that was months old. I'm not sure ol' Thork has been to these forums in a year, but it's freakin' awesome that you guys are still out here, trying to pull together the damn resources to make some awesome stuff with an awesome game (with a crazy editor).

 

Are the stickies in this forum not good at teaching the modding skills necessary?