Thunderbird

All error messages and bugs have been fixed with the incoming patch, I'm currently waiting for Beta-Testers reports to carry out the right adjustments and then release the patch. Regards, TB

I agree, these would be great. This is envisaged as several modifications have been performed in the config core system to make the MOD more entertaining, the implementation of scripts such as 6thSense MOD's Blood and Tracers or a combination of AACF 2.0 and FROMZ 1.4 SFX packs do bring the MOD to a new phase. Further changes related to this aspect of the project are undoubtedly coming within the next incoming days. Regards, TB

My sincer apologies, seemingly the size of the pictures varies from what's initially shown in Photoshop. The patch is completely finished and is currently being tested. No worries, all of these bugs and error messages have been fixed with the new patch. A few more days to wait, just the time to make sure everything works properly. Regards, TB

The 'Shemagh' seems to be slightly out of place here as it is mainly used by Iraqi rebels, Hamas armed units mainly wear balaclavas or green caps with known 'Quran Verses' written on green banners. The BDU camo needs to be enhanced as well. Regards, TB

Hi, The project is growing bigger every day and is taking shape as a 'Total Conversion MOD' that I hope, will respect all 'criterias' of a solid TTC project. [*] Model Replacements (With the ability to choose different scenarios:       - USA vs Soviet Troops       - USA + ... (NATO Nations [incoming Models by our 3D gurus (Vilas, Topas, Yaciek...)) vs Soviet Troops       ... etc This aspect of the project is currently under development and further detailed informations would be released once things are seriously reliable. [*] Realistic Ballistics, Fx values and SFX. [*] Custom UI elements. [*] AI tweaks, changes and enhancements. Thanks to some people, with their permission, the best of what the community actually offers in terms of 'Sounds Effects' and 'Effects' would be incorporated to the MOD, this way has been chosen as it guarantees the quality of some major factors of the project and let us more freedom and time to focus on more significant and imperative aspects. :] Regards, TB

Thanks for the nice comments, the grass won't collapse anymore as the grass model has been changed and the same goes to the grass configuration. Here are a couple of screenshots of the incoming patch: T-80BV (Replaces the T-80U for a matter of realism) [im]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Thunderbird84/6_lzn.jpg[/img] M2A1 (Replaces the M2A2 for a matter of realism as well) HEMMT changed to Olive Grab, special thanks to Vektorbosen. [im]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Thunderbird84/1_lzn.jpg[/img] New Grass that covers almost all islands (Including Nogova). [im]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Thunderbird84/5_lzn.jpg[/img] [im]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Thunderbird84/4_lzn.jpg[/img] Regards, TB

Very soon as long as things keep going well. Concerning the grass issue, I decided to spread the grass only around roads in order to keep the FPS level quite high. As you can see below: The result in-game Regards, TB

Thanks for the friendly reply but there are a couple of things that have to be clarified: - 1st : OFP's engine is almost 8 years old and doesn't properly handle the new hardware, unlike ArmA which is specifically designed to be used with brand new systems (Of course after some patches). - 2ndly : The new FFUR '85 does not follow the same policy than the rest of the previous FFUR packs as the new MOD is completely based on the original theme and only includes necessary modifications, in oder words, the MOD does no more shine with useless changes (UI [Compass, Radio, In-game UI, Watch, Notebook, Laptop, Book... etc]). And the few extra addons which have been implemented don't affect in any way the framerate level. - 3rd : No way to replace all Models and have a MOD with less than 100 MB, unless you compress it using a high-compression system (7zip..). - 4th : Several changes have carried out in terms of scripting in order to make the MOD more playable, and the incoming patch is really a success in these regards as I'm playing again the CWC campaign without encountring any issue so far. Please could you specify your system specs below? Regards, TB

Thanks for the amount of suggestions, but as previously stated, unfortunately, there is no time to focus on establishing them. I take into consideration the reported bugs, though. The 1st patch is just around the corner, stay tuned. Regards, TB

I know your position regarding FFUR since some of your Civilians have been used within the MOD without your MOD's permission a while ago, I have tried to kindly figured out a solution for the issue but with no success. But this doesn't allow you to make unfounded comments with the attempt to make the MOD look bad in a certain light. A patch is currently under development intended to enhance several aspects of the FFUR '85 (2008 Edition), including the AI, which is the main reason behind the AI framerate hit, therefore several maneuver scripts have been disabled and thus increased the FPS level. Meanwhile, if you can't wait for the patch, here is a solution to completely disable SLX_GL3 scripts in order to gain in terms of performance: - Open all .hpp and .cpp files included within @ffsx85\Bin\ Â and \ModConfig\ folders (Get Notepad ++ for an easy edition) and take out the following lines: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class ECP_EventHandlers { Init="_this exec {\SLX_GL3\SLX_Init_GL3.sqs};"; }; from config.cpp You might encounter the following case with an init=... line launching several scripts <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class EventHandlers:ECP_EventHandlers { Init = "_this exec ""\slx_gl3\SLX_Init_GL3.sqs""; _this exec ""\ffur_misc\scripts\tank.sqs"""; Â Â }; In this case, you have to only delete: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">_this exec ""\slx_gl3\SLX_Init_GL3.sqs"";, don't modifie anything else, including the <span style='font-size:15pt;line-height:100%'>"</span>. Then you should have <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class EventHandlers:ECP_EventHandlers { Init = " _this exec ""\ffur_misc\scripts\tank.sqs"""; Â Â }; ------------------------------------- If you would like to keep a part of SLX scripts then simply disable those of infantry troops as the more units you have on the map, the lower the FPS can be. Find <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">class Man:Land Scroll down until you find: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class EventHandlers:ECP_EventHandlers { Init= "_this exec ""\slx_gl3\SLX_Init_GL3.sqs""; _this exec ""\ffur_misc\scripts\feetdust.sqs"""; dammaged="drop [""\ffur_misc\blood\bloody"", """", ""SpaceObject"", 1, 120, [getpos (_this select 0) select 0, getpos (_this select 0) select 1, 0], [0,0,0], 0, 0.001275, 0.001, 0, [2, 2], [[1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,0]], [0,0,0], 0, 0, """", """", """"]"; Â Â Â Â Â Â Â }; Replace thes values by: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class EventHandlers:ECP_EventHandlers { Init= " _this exec ""\ffur_misc\scripts\feetdust.sqs"""; dammaged="drop [""\ffur_misc\blood\bloody"", """", ""SpaceObject"", 1, 120, [getpos (_this select 0) select 0, getpos (_this select 0) select 1, 0], [0,0,0], 0, 0.001275, 0.001, 0, [2, 2], [[1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,1], [1,1,1,0]], [0,0,0], 0, 0, """", """", """"]"; Â Â Â Â Â Â Â }; And save the config file. I hope this helps. Otherwise, as stated above, there are a bunch of other total conversion mods that will fit to your needs and wishes. Regards, TB

Definitely, this is just a matter of taste, but I was talking of these boards as I'm sure if you set up a "poll" to collect people's opinions, I'm confident that a large part of this community would vote for a an approach based on 'Realism' or 'Realistic Simulation' (I hope you don't misunderstand what I'm trying to point out) - Of course, a moderate 'realism' to keep the "fun" factor to a certain degree. It's clear that 'Realism' is a big word to define what's being aimed for, but I just can't find a better word to express what I'm trying to describe. Regards, TB

True, my statement is not relative to the whole community's opinion and can't be representative of everyone's interpretation at all but basing myself on what I have seen so far in these boards, you can't deny that 'Realism' represents a major factor to take into consideration as it is used to make the players' actions seem more life-like, particularly for a game using such an engine. And indeed, things are just not as simple as they may sound, but what makes BIS different from the rest of gaming-compagnies is that they somewhat have the complete freedom to decide whatever they want for the development of their games, evidently depending on several issues (Time, ressources, wanted objectives...). Regards, TB

Thanks for the nice words. It would be taken out then and maybe replaced by another soviet vehicle that fits with the theme, as I was persuaded that it entred in service before '85 whereas this happened in the late '80s. Yes. Better don't install any extra sky-pack as the MOD has its own which includes necessary textures and models that have to be installed to ensure the MOD works as wanted. (This is automatically done when the MOD is launched, though). Indeed, as you could see below: Regards, TB

There was a thread related to the theme of "little additions that increases the game's feeling and immersion" and it's sure that such details, which are mainly hard-coded would bring a lot for the incoming engine. Just look at 'Red Orchestra' and notice how the game is enjoyable, even with a limited engine. This is mainly due to the attention brought by its developpers to some aspects that were in most of games, rather ignored (Weapon deployment system, Ballistic values... etc). As someone stated, most of these little features are really doable (As proven with OFP [sLX, ECP, COC...]) and a large part of them don't necessary require the same efforts and strivings than for building 'Complex Simulations of Models' or for developping a decent 'Human Animations System' since several features in question are mainly relevant to .cpp (Ballistic values, AI Range values, Recoil values...). Regards, TB

Better don't seriously worry about the lack of suggestions 'non-implemented' to the incoming game as a part of the community would undoubtly be in charge of them, depending on whether the 'Editing possibilities and limits' that the game would offer. That would undoubtedly be done only on the long run and only if basically, the engine is solid. My expectations of ArmA II are mainly related to 3 factors: [*]Low Performance Hit. [*]Bugs Free Game. [*]An Entertaining Campaign. Regarding the interview, it's nice to put a "human face" on OFP's engine creator and one of the pioneer of large-scale terrains. Regards, TB

Thanks, I appreciate it. I would like to inform you that I'm working on adding grass everywhere on OFP's islands in order to give them a little touch of realism. I must admit that the first thing that hit me a couple of years ago when I played the first time OFP was the lack of grass compared to Ghost Recon. Here are a couple of screenshots: Unlike with ArmA grass, you would be able to hide from AI if you go prone. There would be 2 patches though: - 1 patch that fixes all bugs and enhances the gameplay (Grass feature...etc). - 2nd patch that replaces US vehicles by Vektorbosen incoming models. Regards, TB

Add the following line to the top of the maneuver scripts: ?(SLX_NoManeuver>0):exit The maneuver scripts are bounding_overwatch.sqs, travel.sqs, and slx_defend.sqs then add "SLX_NoManeuver=1;" to the SLX_GL3_Settings.sqf file in your MOD folder and the maneuvers should be disabled. Again, thanks to solus for the support in this regards. I was expecting this from you ;] Well, WGL textures look close to symbiot work in terms of details, textures brightness and landscape colors even if symbiot's are 1024x1024, therefore, WGL textures would be implemented instead of Eden and Cain BIS 2001 old tex's. Regards, TB

Please keep in mind that the MOD is mainly related to the original theme which takes place in 1985. Good to hear, and I have better news: The framerate hit would be 30% lower with the incoming patch as several AI maneuver scripts would be disabled, therefore missions will be very stable, and you would barely notice that maneuvers are disabled since the AI will still act realistically. Regards, TB

The nature of this debate shows how things were tricky and somewhat confusing, mainly due to the amount of different statements in the thread in question. However, I don't feel any viciousness or meanness so far, but just a bunch of perplexed and confused people who, seamingly were to some extent, worried about the future of their MODs, or in a general manner, simply concerned about the continuation of the Modding scene. Things are rather clear now, and in my opinion, there is nothing to seriously worry about as long as a certain selection of MLOD 3D files would be officially and publicly released. Regards, TB

Sorry, this is just confusing as I was convinced that it was authorized to convert the original ODOL files to MLODs, and even make them public as long as they belong to BIS. Regards, TB

IMHO you have that backwards. If your going to rely on the work of others to produce models then you are restricting your "freedom" and creativity. Yes, this can be seen from this point of view as well. But what was meant, is simply that MLODs are necessary, not only for beginners but for long-established modellers too, as MLODs are for sure, what kept OFP alive so long. - (Save efforts = [You don't have to build a complete new version of a vehicule which is already available in ArmA]) - (Save time = [spend more time to polish little details => Increase the addon's quality]) And I'm sure, a lot of modellers of these boards will give more reasons for having MLODs. regards, TB

I must admit that the new policy somewhat restrains the freedom in terms of "Modelling". In my judgement, the best way to fix the current issue is to make all MLODs public, but as stated above, by implementing a hexadecimal encryption process (64 Bits or above/Making O2 core system compatible as well) in order to make the models exclusively and solely usuable with O2. Regards, TB

These are the reasons why encrypting the MLOD models per default would decrease by half the risk for BIS to see their 3Ds used within other games. They would be able to make them public then, of course, with a patch for O2 depending on the included encryption module. regards, TB

What about simply 'encrypting' the MLOD files in order to make them unalterable or destroyable if converted to other formats. Hard-Coding the models basically should not represent a difficult step for BIS to get through. regards, TB

Lost interest at the first part of the so-called "documentary" as the mentioned elements are barely believable, especially when it comes to the close relation between the bible's content and the miscellaneous astronomical events. I know how important were 'stars and the rest of various astrological changes to people, but it's kind of hard to imagine them in 0 AD being able to determine so precisely the zodiac movements and base their statements on in such a way. I bet the rest is just a bunch of speculative and unproven proclamations. Regards, TB