AchromicWhite Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Mavericks are all fired from the choppers aren't they? make them waste tanks. Remember Helicopters are expensive and somewhat a gamble in that they're weak but pack a punch, they go down in one hit from stingers and a few shots already from rapid fire AA. On top of that they have limited ammo, so need to keep going back to base. They serve a similar roll to tanks, taking out all vehicles, except SAMs, obviously. Honestly, the only thing that tanks should beat is other vehicles, if they're killing other things, something wrong not with the tanks, but with everything else. I feel like saying, don't worry about the balance yet, there is more than one reason you're having trouble getting this to work. Firstly, you're trying to start with an idea of what things will be like by looking at RA. Don't, there will be significant changes, buildings will be more valuable, (or at least take a lot longer to build). Secondly. you're playing against AI, they don't use sight range. All those tanks should be easy to ambush with rocket men. (I've been trying to tell you the importance of sight that the AI doesn't use, this is just one reason that AI will suck to play against). The American side shouldn't be dependent on tanks early game AT ALL, the soviets should be, it's their strength. This is why I'm still against the Patton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 17, 2011 Author Share Posted August 17, 2011 Sweet, now that I've got that done I'll knuckle down into balancing with you. I'll brief you more on weapons tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad1233 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Hi Whiteshoes! I noticed you are about the only modder for Ra1 left these days and I am happy to see this! By the way I am a very experienced RA1 mapper that needs something to do... Mind if I could help you? I made tons of Single Player maps for years that was fully functional but never released them but I got nothing to showcase at the moment as they are all gone but I rebooted my interest. I do everything mission related Mapping/Scripting and I can be creative sometimes! The only thing I suck at is briefings and story. One thing that bothers me is how will RAED work with the custom graphics? We may need it modified to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 17, 2011 Author Share Posted August 17, 2011 Me, a modder, nah, I'm just a dreamer willing to learn. Yeah, I'm sure I could find some stuff for you to make up. I hadn't much thought through single player missions yet, but missions under these sort of rules could be quite fun. The new units work by putting a new picture over the top of the old ones and then changing the stats. They literally replace an old unit, so once we sort out exactly which unit replaces which, we can just write you a list and you'd place the corresponding unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Whiteshoes is not the only one. RAED and custom graphics is vary tricky. The only custom graphics in the past I've had working was for the Ants. I just ended up mesmerizing what I had changed in the rules and used no custom graphics when I did the mission for Red Dawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 Allen, I'm still confused about using ants... You want to stay away from Aftermath units... by replacing them with units only found in Counterstrike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 It’s not ture.... Any user that has Red Alert 1.08PE or greater (Aftermath is 2.00) can build Ants with OUT Counterstrike. Anyway I'm writing .exe like Red Dawn has that will not mess up RA-1 or Red Dawn. It will use files that the Cold War.exe can only read. The Red Dawn.exe and Cold War.exe are modded 3.03. This means that a Ant can be used just fine. At this point I got AfterMath units to work fine in any mission and the use don't have to have Counterstrike or Aftermath to do so. I'm not sure if this will work will for multiplayer game were it is Player Vs Player but it works fine in Skirmish mode and in all singerplayer modes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 New issue in the build tree, the Barracks/Tent are NOT equivalents to each other. So, you can't build a dome or the defenses off of them (remember, in regular RA, the 2 sides have TOTALLY different defenses, and everything else built off of the refinery). So, to easily sort this out, the Barracks will be taken out of the trunk of the build tree, but will still have access to it once you make coal power. Same issue with the Hospital. If you're confused, just look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 hey, IF tanya ISN'T on double build (by both teams), then she works just fine coming having build pre req hospital. I built both the allied and soviet techs, on both teams. She was only available to the allies when the hospital and barracks were built. I'll try turning off double build for Tanya, and make her prereq hospital, then we can use different graphics for the 2 commandos I tried it using soviets, they couldn't build tanya and I put the general in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 Having some problems with my game just crashing now... is this just a result of using Tib Ed? lol Should I just manually use the .ini file to mod? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 New issue in the build tree, the Barracks/Tent are NOT equivalents to each other. I know this. hey, IF tanya ISN'T on double build (by both teams), then she works just fine coming having build pre req hospital. I built both the allied and soviet techs, on both teams. She was only available to the allies when the hospital and barracks were built. I'll try turning off double build for Tanya, and make her prereq hospital, then we can use different graphics for the 2 commandos I tried it using soviets, they couldn't build tanya and I put the general in. I'll look into this but you can't use General as a buildable Infantry. 1 AI don't use it 2. GNRL, C1 to C10, EINSTEIN, DELPHI and CHAN can't be loaded on to a Transport Helicopter with out the game trying to fly the Helicopter and any Infantry init off the map. Having some problems with my game just crashing now... is this just a result of using Tib Ed? lol Should I just manually use the .ini file to mod? Could be Tib Ed. You should manually edit the .ini Also I have feeling you modding looks somthing like this... [3TNK] Name=T-72 Image=T72 If yes than this is your crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 Where is name and image? Doesn't seem to be under the specific units... Also, I used tib ed to "undo all changes". Still crashing. I think it's my expand2 file, could a get a copy pls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 The only place Image= is found is RA1 is the fake buildings. Name= is used in single player maps some times. nothing in the rules uses it. [POWR] Image=DOME Now the game will replace all of the POWR with DOME. However in RA1 this is bugged. Using more than 2 gives game crashes in multiplayer games and large single player maps. [POWR] Name=Allen Hax Power Plant Now any time you hold you mouse over a power plant on the map or side bar it will display "Allen Hax Power Plant" Using more than 2 gives game crashes in multiplayer games and large single player maps just like Image=. Are you adding your files to the expand2.mix? If your not using Image= how are you getting Ra1 to use the units you made? expand.mix expand2.mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Using Mix editor I'm opening Main.mix and getting the conquer.mix out and then switching the pictures around. Your way seems easier... See, this is why I needed help making this... xD Why did you think I was naming my .SHPs with the names of stuff already in the game? lol ...and, why would you want to use two? That doesn't sound bugged, that just sounds like doing something stupid crashes the game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 oh, and, do the image and the name have to be the same. Why would... [3TNK] Name=T-72 Image=T72 ...crash it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Yes you wil want to keep using the conquer.mix to replace RA1s .shp with your .shp. Make sure not to remove any files. Only replace. If you remove files it it likely to make the game crash. You will need the following mix files. conquer.mix=Buildings and units HIRES.mix=This mix has the icon for unit and buildings HIRES1.mix=This mix has the icon for Aftermath EXPAND.mix=unit for CounteStike EXPAND2.mix=unit for Aftermath You will need the following ini files. Aftermath.ini=Is Rules for Aftermath mplayer.ini=Found in EXPAND2.mix. You need to delete evey thing in this file but for [Aftermath] NewUnitsEnabled=1 EngineerDamage=33% EngineerCaptureLevel=66% rules.ini=Rules for how the game plays. Also drop Tib Edit. It known to mess thing up real bad. No the Name= and the Image= don't have to be the same. When I started Red Dawn in the early 2000 I used the Name= and Image= system. It made MP games unplayable. I'm not sure what it make the game crash but my guess it can't keep track of all the Image= and Name= it needs to display during games. Than I started to do what you are doing and use conquer.mix along with all the other stock mix files to stop the crashing. Lastly I start to Hex Edit the game to read custom named files so it would not replace stock RA1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 hey, things can't be actually changed from tracked to not, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 hey, big problem here... I'm editing rules.ini It's not changing in game... I save the file but it's not editing the game. Ok, it is editing... but I'm confused because I'm getting different results than using tib ed... How do you make certain teams build certain vehicles. Ok, so in your rule!.ini, you've given each sides barracks (hand of nod for nod) as a pre req for the vehicles to make sure each side gets which they want. I had this working in tib ed. So, I figure there must be a way to program it in without doing this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 The AI will build units it owns and can meet the Prerequisite= of that unit. (AI ignore Prerequisite= in MP game some of the time.) This is how RA1 set unit and buildings. ; medium tank : Owned by allies [2TNK] Prerequisite=weap Owner=allies ; medium tank : Owned by soviet [2TNK] Prerequisite=weap Owner=soviet ; medium tank : Owned by allies and soviet [2TNK] Prerequisite=weap Owner=allies,soviet This is how Red Dawn has it unit and buildings. ; GDI medium tank : Owned by GDI and Nod but in order build the Med Tank you must own a GDI barracks [1TNK] Prerequisite=weap,tent Owner=allies,soviet ; GDI medium tank : Owned by GDI and Nod but in order build the Med Tank you must own a Hand of Nod [1TNK] Prerequisite=weap,barr Owner=allies,soviet ; GDI medium tank : Owned by GDI and Nod [1TNK] Prerequisite=weap Owner=allies,soviet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 20, 2011 Author Share Posted August 20, 2011 Yeah, I've been having trouble with my .ini file, I was chatting with a guy last night about it, something's actually screwy. My understanding of how Pre Req and ownership works is fine, but my file isn't giving the right result... It's very strange. For example, for the truck, if I put - pre req=weap owner=allies,soviet No one can build it, but if I do it through tib ed, it's then letting it work. See if you can figure that one out. I'm going to reinstall the game, patch it up to speed, and then see if I can go from there, very bloody strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Did you change the TechLevel from -1? If TechLevel is at -1 the unit or building can't be made. It need to be from 1 to 10. Also in the rules there are descriptions for what each tag dose. However Tib Edit remove them. When you get every thing reinstalled open rules in Notpad and Hit Ctrl+F. This will bring up a Find box and seach for ; ******* Unit Statistics ******* You will find a list of what each tag dose. This is from the rules for TechLevel ; TechLevel = tech level required to build this [-1 means can't build] (def=-1) If all else fails. I can probly do the coding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 20, 2011 Author Share Posted August 20, 2011 I've re-installed, allot is now working better. Sure is strange though, I can rename units, but not buildings... Not sure why. Also, it crashes, allot, which makes it really hard to test. It seems to me to be that changing the names and images using rules.ini just makes everything unstable. Would I be better to go back to what I was doing with the images? How did you get around all this in Red Dawn, obviously many names/graphics had been changed, what's the secret? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 20, 2011 Author Share Posted August 20, 2011 Hm, seemed that the hospital was just really buggy, by taking it out, my game seems to run just fine, and balance of early units is quite good so far. With the way infantry is, I see no use for the commando now, and perhaps no sniper either. The infantry work as a mass effect, so it's not really worth having troops that do something special like that. I put C4 onto regular infantry, and while you'd think that's too much, it really is a challenge getting through the defenses, which, is the way I want it (that you siege a base, not just waltz in and hope to kill some stuff. Also, I'm working on having 2 types of regular infantry, offensive and defensive. One is used to fight lighter things and assault bases (gun and C4), and one is used like a blockade against tanks and heavier vehicles (gun and anti armour grenade. If the blockade infantry fail, I'll have to take out squashing but I really don't want to do that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen262 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I've re-installed, allot is now working better. Sure is strange though, I can rename units, but not buildings... Not sure why. Also, it crashes, allot, which makes it really hard to test. It seems to me to be that changing the names and images using rules.ini just makes everything unstable. Would I be better to go back to what I was doing with the images? How did you get around all this in Red Dawn, obviously many names/graphics had been changed, what's the secret? Yes! That is what I said! Image= and Name= do NOT WORK IN RA1! It can NOT be fixed. Do not use Image= and Name=! You will need the following files. Do not add or remove files but replace. conquer.mix=Put Buildings and units shp in here. HIRES.mix=Put icon for unit and buildings in here local.mix=Put conquer.eng in here HIRES1.mix=Put icon for Aftermath units in here EXPAND.mix=Put unit for CounteStike and conquer.eng in here EXPAND2.mix=Put unit for Aftermath and conquer.eng in here Aftermath.ini=Is Rules for Aftermath mplayer.ini=Found in EXPAND2.mix. You need to delete evey thing in this file but for [Aftermath] NewUnitsEnabled=1 EngineerDamage=33% EngineerCaptureLevel=66% rules.ini=Rules for how the game plays. conquer.eng=in the EXPAND2.mix. This has unit and building name plus other things. You will need to download the “Ingame Strings Editor†by Vesa Piittinen. Get it from the link below. This file can’t be edit by notepad like .ini files. Once done editing it must be put into local.mix EXPAND.mix and EXPAND2.mix http://ra.afraid.org/html/downloads/utilities.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchromicWhite Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 OK, so I use this new program to change names of buildings and units and just replace SHPs to get the graphics I want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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