CustomShieldsv083.oxp(NEW RELEASE)(Sept. 24, 2012)

[spara]

This oxp is such a beauty. I especially like the fuel leakage. But I'll have to admit, that I have now reverted to NPC-shields due to the blowing panels making cargo looting such a pain.

I do hope that there is an option in the next version to disable them, so that my scanner won't be cluttered with panels after an intense fight. Would it be possible to simulate the blowing panels so that they will instantly disappear or something?

A strange thing happened a while ago. I spawned two thargons for a testing purpose and shot the first down with a missile. I then shot a missile to the second one and it did not explode. It looked like that just before the impact something flew from the disabled thargon and the missile exploded in air. Was it a blowing panel that flew to the missile?

[Diziet Sma]

That is the one thing I'd like to see changed too.. Instead of cargo to scoop, all there ever is is alloys.. and 3/4 of them explode before they can be scooped.. Would it be possible to make this something the user can set however they'd like via OXPConfig?

[Commander McLane]

That is the one thing I'd like to see changed too.. Instead of cargo to scoop, all there ever is is alloys.. and 3/4 of them explode before they can be scooped.. Would it be possible to make this something the user can set however they'd like via OXPConfig?

The OXP claims you can already do this, with the this.customshieldsdamageeffects setting at the top of customshields.js. However, the default choice "damage", which is supposed to be different from the choice "blownpanels", already appears to create a plethora of blown panels. So this setting doesn't seem to work as advertised (or at least not as I understood how it should work).

It's the main reason why I de-installed the OXP and continue to use NPC-shields. I'd like to get more or less completely rid of any panels. A rate of about 1 panel for three killed ships would be perfectly fine with me, but more I don't like. So this means: most explosions should not create blowing panels at all.

[Disembodied]

It's the main reason why I de-installed the OXP and continue to use NPC-shields. I'd like to get more or less completely rid of any panels. A rate of about 1 panel for three killed ships would be perfectly fine with me, but more I don't like. So this means: most explosions should not create blowing panels at all.

I successfully got rid of the panels, using my patented idiot-savant method of editing OXPs: first of all I deleted customshieldsblownpanels.js from the Scripts folder. Then I opened customshieldssparksblownpanels.js and deleted lines 11, 12 and 13:

Code: Select all

      var blownpanels = this.ship.spawnOne("customshieldsblownpanels");
      blownpanels.orientation = this.ship.orientation;
      blownpanels.velocity = this.ship.velocity;

As far as I recall, that's all I had to do ... No more blown panels (and no errors in the log), but 100% of the graphical goodness!

[Commander McLane]

Good to know. I am currently trying with this.customshieldsdamageeffects = "sparks". It's … sparky. And the explosion of ECM'd missiles is irritating.

[Diziet Sma]

Thanks Disembodied.. trying this now, (and hoping the cargo canisters come back)

[CommonSenseOTB]

To all concerned: the oxp, version 0.83 works as advertised, please read the readme file enclosed in the oxp. Damage customization selection is additive, as stated in the readme.

The damage section of the oxp for the next version, 0.9, is already being completely revamped, thus the delay in releasing. Until then please enjoy version 0.83 and like all oxps, customize it for your own use to your heart's content, gentlemen.

[spara]

To all concerned: the oxp, version 0.83 works as advertised, please read the readme file enclosed in the oxp. Damage customization selection is additive, as stated in the readme.

Oh my. This is a bit embarassing. So it says in the readme . Then again, readmes are for literate people .

So...

If I understood the readme correctly, for fuel leaking I need customshieldsdamageeffects = "damage". And this brings in damage effects sparks and blownpanels. Right?

Eagerly waiting for the next version. Hope there's an option to incude fuel leakage and exclude blown panels.

Anyway. This still is one mindblowing oxp.

[superbatprime]

Okay I'm sorry to be so dense about this, my brain is melting from fiddling with oxps all day... So just to confirm, the "blownpanels" setting gives sparks, occasional panels visually flying off in dogfights and cargo drops will be normal upon npc ships death?

[Diziet Sma]

CustomShields is configureable to not affect gameplay if that is a concern. Simply read the readme contained in the oxp and follow the directions to configure the options at the top of the script. And remember to use a safe editor like Notepad++ to avoid problems.

The thing is, some of the options are set as semi-mutually exclusive at the moment.. for instance:
[color=#FF0000]this.customshieldsdamageeffects = "damage";//choices: "damage" , "blownpanels" , "sparks" , "off"[/color]
I'd like to be able to have damage and sparks toggled 'on' and blownpanels toggled 'off'. At the moment, I can only do this by commenting out some lines in the code. I'd be fine with blownpanels 'on', except that it seems to prevent the spilling of cargo whenever a NPC is destroyed.

Yeah, whining, I know.. overall I'm loving it! (Incidentally, have you considered making these settings accessible via OXPConfig? That way they can be changed in-game, without having to exit, edit and shift-start the game again..)

[Disembodied]

The thing is, some of the options are set as semi-mutually exclusive at the moment.. for instance:
[color=#FF0000]this.customshieldsdamageeffects = "damage";//choices: "damage" , "blownpanels" , "sparks" , "off"[/color]
I'd like to be able to have damage and sparks toggled 'on' and blownpanels toggled 'off'. At the moment, I can only do this by commenting out some lines in the code. I'd be fine with blownpanels 'on', except that it seems to prevent the spilling of cargo whenever a NPC is destroyed.

Yeah, whining, I know.. overall I'm loving it! (Incidentally, have you considered making these settings accessible via OXPConfig? That way they can be changed in-game, without having to exit, edit and shift-start the game again..)

+1 from me ... I love the shield effects, the sparks, and the fuel leaks, but the blown panels do seem to interfere with cargo dropping, and are also reliably valuable when scooped (same profit on a free piece of alloy as on a tonne of computers bought at a Rich Industrial and sold at a Poor Ag), so do affect game balance. The other damage effects don't affect gameplay much - fuel leaks are uncommon, and can have both positive and negative effects on the player, and the sparks are purely eye-candy - but the blown panels do seem to have a much larger effect on the game.

[Thargoid]

Just a FYI, this just appeared when tried with the current trunk (rev 5494)

Code: Select all

Exception: TypeError: ship.script is undefined
    Active script: customshields 0.83
    customshields.js, line 1398:
          ship.script.customshieldsmaxforwardshieldlevel = 128;
Exception: TypeError: ship.script is undefined
    Active script: customshields 0.83
    customshields.js, line 1398:
          ship.script.customshieldsmaxforwardshieldlevel = 128;
Exception: TypeError: ship.script is undefined
    Active script: customshields 0.83
    customshields.js, line 1398:
          ship.script.customshieldsmaxforwardshieldlevel = 128;
Exception: TypeError: ship.script is undefined
    Active script: customshields 0.83
    customshields.js, line 1398:
          ship.script.customshieldsmaxforwardshieldlevel = 128;

Popped up on loading, after the save game was loaded but before launch.[/color]

[CommonSenseOTB]

Thanks for the heads up Thargoid. I'm way behind on updating to latest trunk so not sure what has changed in 1.77trunk. The next time I update to latest trunk before working on other 1.77 stuff I will have a look. As version 0.83 of CustomShields is for 1.76+ and 1.77trunk compatibility was a bonus and a new separate 1.77 version was planned anyways, well, not a big deal. But unfortunate that the compatibility with 1.77trunk may be already ended due to the constant changes that make it impossible to keep up with.

This in no way affects 1.76 compatibility and I will investigate this issue later. I'm so so busy right now.

[Thargoid]

I haven't seen it since, so it might have been a one-off.

If it turns up again I'll let you know.

[Tricky]

Just noticed this which I think might be Custom Shield related...

Click thumb for larger image

Note the edges of some artefacts on the right hand side.

Then again it could be trunk related. Without Custom Shields I obviously wouldn't be able to see the artefacts. So I can't test without it.

Note also how the artefacts occlude the lasers.