OPENXCOM- Rulesets & custom map blocks

[luke83]

JUST FYI: Openxcom is nearing v0.4 and as of today you can actually import custom Mapblocks and MCD/PCK sets into openxcom and change all your unit stats within the rulesets. These are still being rolled out so more bug testers are always welcome

 

Image below shows the TEST version of my EXPANDED URBAN MAP set, as you can see, i have set something wrong as i have landed my sky-ranger in a house ... So embarrassing

 

 

 

 

 

MY MOD STORAGE SITE

https://openxcommods.weebly.com/

[Bomb Bloke]

In the vanilla game, certain map modules are reserved as landing zones. If you look them up in MapView or something you'll find that all these modules are for the most part empty, so that you don't get weird issues like that one.

 

So, either OpenXcom doesn't respect that list or you've put your house in module three or four.

 

I guess another possibility is that it only respects the reserved landing modules when using the vanilla terrain, in which case it would logically expect you to define which module numbers they are when using a custom one (assuming whoever coded the custom map handler was aware of the issue at all).

[luke83]

In the vanilla game, certain map modules are reserved as landing zones. If you look them up in MapView or something you'll find that all these modules are for the most part empty, so that you don't get weird issues like that one.

 

So, either OpenXcom doesn't respect that list or you've put your house in module three or four.

 

I guess another possibility is that it only respects the reserved landing modules when using the vanilla terrain, in which case it would logically expect you to define which module numbers they are when using a custom one (assuming whoever coded the custom map handler was aware of the issue at all).

 

I THINK the issue is caused by me, there is a list of different map block types , and i think i have given this map block the wrong number .

enum MapBlockType

{ MT_DEFAULT = 0,

MT_LANDINGZONE = 1,

MT_EWROAD = 2,

MT_NSROAD = 3,

MT_CROSSING = 4,

MT_DIRT = 5,

MT_XCOMSPAWN = 6,

MT_UBASECOMM = 7,

MT_FINALCOMM = 8 };

I will go through all my data this weekend and fix any errors on maps and update my ruleset. I will then upload everything so people can try the next version if they wish.

 

Having these map codes is great , my map block set has 8 different map blocks just for roads , this allows for more variety in maps

[luke83]

OK i think i have fixed the issues in my map set ( there will be at least 1 more update later on), If your interested in trying out my map block set AND how far Openxcom has come i have included a updated rule set within my download to make it easy for everyone to try. Please follow the link to the openxcom modding section and you will find my last post with CF_V1.1 download information.

 

https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,389.45.html

 

I hope you all like them.

[luke83]

I am creating a little website for myself to keep track of the different xcom mods i have been working on. Here is a link in case anyone wants to look.

 

https://openxcommods.....com/index.html

[Space Voyager]

Armed civvies look badass!

[luke83]

Just one of a few things i have planned ( assuming OPENXCOM supports it later on ) Here are my attempts at there inventory screens

[Bomb Bloke]

Awesome, good to see some decent art done for all the units at last!

 

Reckon you'll finish off the rest of the TFTD aliens?

[luke83]

I plan to finish off TFTD units, however there is a problem , most of the graphics are just ripped from the original game so some of the TFTD units have Guns in the pictures , this kinda rubs me the wrong way. At first i will just use these graphics but i will try to do some custom ones later Skills permitting to replace these with ( I really did not think i would be able to get the humans looking this good as i am no artist but at least i try).

 

Once all the Original aliens units are done ( one way or another) i want to re-work my Gang Battle Sprites and do inventory images for them however this is a long term project as there is no way to add them into game yet and my skills in GIMP are still developing I really want to start working on a major expansion of UFOs to add more variety to the current game soon as i need to keep chopping and changing my projects to stop the boredom setting in when you do the same thing for weeks In a way i am lucky OPENXCOM is still developing as otherwise i would be spending my time playing it instead of dreaming up ways to make it better.

[luke83]

Just tried to mod the Gillman to remove his gun , what do you think?

 

Openxcom site was not completely happy with my first gillman so i made some more , second picture attached. I like the one on the Right.

 

Plus some deepones

[Bomb Bloke]

Ah! The inventory screens. I was going to put this together earlier, but came down with a cold and forgot about it - hopefully it's of some assistance to you for those creatures that don't have suitable UFOpedia entries to edit.

 

 

In terms of filenames - I get the impression you've noticed the UFO:EU alien inventory screens bundled into my own toolkit. If you could stick with the same naming convention for the files, that'd make it fairly easy for me to implement any TFTD images you come up with into the original games. It's fairly straightforward, just use "MAN_A.bdy" for the aquatoid, "MAN_B.bdy" for the gillman, and so on.

 

Or, could I just get your permission to bundle them into my kit myself if/when you're done?

 

Out of those gillman shots, go with the one on the far right. The left one is just too skinny, and the middle one has weird shoulders. Can't really fault the right in terms of style, though I fear it may be too tall.

 

Reckon I prefer the middle deepone.

[luke83]

Hey Bomb Bloke,

Although my target ordinance for these was openxcom i give permission for ANYONE to use how they see fit , most of the images are borrowed from the games original art anyway so its not really my work, and the few i did can be free for all . We all love the same game so i wont be upset if i see them in any xcom related game or site ( i would actually be happy to see my work getting used). IF someone wants to Give credit for where these come from just give it to the whole OpenXcom community i could not of done it without there help and feedback ( i am really not a artist).

 

I was going to ask you about your toolkit later also as i am currently saving these into a Xcom:EU pallet for a expanded game that i want to play make for myself. My understanding is your tool kit has some sort of auto convert for images? If so i would love you to either do these for the official TFTD players or tell me exactly how for myself

 

As for you feedback on the above 2 pictures , i agree with you on both case , Right Gillman is officially the winner and the middle Deepone is my favourite also.

 

Once i have images for all the TFTD aliens i will start sizing the correctly to fit into the inventory screens. Once that is done i will start the TFTD civilians also as i have plans to redo the battle sprites so they too can be armed in game. These also i would love to know how to auto convert between game pallets.

 

In a way i am trying to shape Openxcom to my vision of xcom but since i cant code i am trying to excite the people that can to work towards my goals

[Bomb Bloke]

Cool, I'll bundle them up then. Will make for a rather cool TFTD mod and it's rather lacking in that department so far.

 

Re converting images, the process is this:

• Extract my toolkit into a copy of UFO:EU, and also into a copy of TFTD.
  
• Say you want to convert one of the inventory screen images from EU to TFTD - take the SPK from the UFOGraph folder, and copy it to the bb_tact folder.
  
• Open up a command prompt window and navigate to the bb_tact folder.
   
  On my machine for eg, this'd be done with the following command:
  

  cd "C:\Games\X-Com I - UFO - Enemy Unknown (Gold)\bb_tact"

  
  ... Though odds are you've got it stored elsewhere. The quotes are important if there are any spaces in your folder names. Keep in mind you can paste stuff into a command prompt window by right-clicking in it (Ctrl+V won't work).
  

• Run the command:
  

  spk2gif <ImageFileName>

  
  

• This gives you a GIF file representing that image. Copy'n'paste that to the bb_tact folder in your TFTD install.
  
• Navigate there with your command prompt window, then run:
  

  gif2bdy <ImageFileName>

  
  ... And hey presto, you've got your BDY file, suitable for use as a TFTD inventory screen.
  

With PCK archives, instead of getting a GIF file out, you get a whole folder of GIF files. Transfer that to the other game, then convert it as you would a single image (of course, you'd be using "pck2gif" and "gif2pck" for that).

 

However, you only really need to do this with inventory screens you created yourself. For most every such image the original games use, there's a simpler way: get your command prompt to the bb_tact folder located in the game folder you wish to transfer the images to and run "Hybrid" with the path to the source game as a parameter. Eg:

hybrid "C:\Games\X-Com I - UFO - Enemy Unknown (Gold)"

The results go into a folder called "Hybrid" which is in the target game folder, not the bb_tact folder.

 

There's a lot more rather specific info in the manuals included with the toolkit itself.

[luke83]

First attempt at TFTD Zombie i think he looks better then my UFO defence one.

[Bomb Bloke]

Looks good overall, but I think the head is a little small.

[luke83]

The head is now a little bigger

 

tftd_Zombie.bmp

[Bomb Bloke]

Yes, I much prefer it that way.

[luke83]

I am glad i could satisfy, only 1 TFTD alien to go , The Tasoth!

 

I feel like doing so more NEW ufos tonight for Openxcom:EU so maybe next weekend for the first attempt at the tasoth.

[luke83]

The Tasoth is proving to be a little difficult

[luke83]

OK , i would love some feedback on this Tasoth...

[Munkeylord]

nice, they look good man. keep it up.

[luke83]

OK so last night i sized most of the TFTD aliens to fit into the original Inventory screen for UFO Defence use, should have the last ones done tonight and uploaded to my website. Then the only outstanding ones are TFTD Civilians.

 

Also First 2 sets of NEW ufos are done just waiting on Diaky to tell me why they dont work in Openxcom yet once i can test them in game they will also be uploaded to my storage site.

 

https://openxcommods.weebly.com/

[luke83]

OK newer version is on my site, i still need to do the TFTD civilians.

[luke83]

OK i have uploaded a Sneak Peak of my new ufos onto my site. Currently i still need to work on some custom art for them but you should find about 20 small ufos to play with.

 

Please give them a go and provide feedback ( positive or negative) as i want to know everything is Good before i start the larger UFOs.

[luke83]

First custom harvester class UFO rolls out of my secret Australian Bunker , just got to work out which way these chains attach to the cows legs as currently there wrong.

 

Feed back is requested people.