BSG mod ver.12.8.9

Please remember to back up your files

A modloader would be nice. Isn't there a way to temporarily replace files without overwriting? I think the Into The Breach mod uses this. I'll take a look at it and see if I can't make some sort of quasi-standard for everyone to use (if my not-yet-a-programmer brain can wrap itself around all this)

It's late and I should be studying, so let me just toss out what I'm thinking and then everyone can tell me what an idiot I am (feel free).

So we have the folder Artemis\Mods\ and Artemis\Mods\Packages\. Inside Mods\ is Modloader.bat, which calls up all of the .bat files in Packages\ and allows the user to pick which one(s) to load and in which order (to prevent some aspects of mods from interfering with each other). Each of these .bat files contains instructions for temporarily replacing files in the main Artemis install.

Under this standard, every mod would come packaged as a .zip or .rar containing [modname].bat and a folder, [modname], which would hold all of the files.

I don't know how/if this would work, but I'll play around with it when I get the chance and I'll get back with you.

Btw the mod looks good! I think your big ships need to be slower both in speed and in turning. Also, give the big guys a TON of shielding. Make them big, slow sluggers. Rely on that jump drive to get around! You can change the coefficient of jump/warp energy use in the artemis.ini file if you want to let players jump a bit more.

What else... Oh! Try and snag the show's jump sound effect. I dl'd it from somewhere, tossed it in, and it *really* makes the jump drive great. You can also try turning down the coefficient of beam energy use (artemis.ini), turning down the beam energy damage on all beams, and greatly decreasing the firing interval. This allows you to A) get closer to the bullet spam that Battlestars put out and B) when coupled with a *very* small firing arc for all of the fighter classes, simulates bullet projectiles.

Actually, I've been playing around with a different approach to modding because my file structure was getting all muddled up. vesselData.xml and artemis.ini are using paths off of the root Artemis folder to load assets like models, textures, and (in artemis.ini's case) sounds, so we could have a Mod folder with subdirectories containing all of the files we need for a given mod-- something like Mods/BSG in the Artemis directory, for example-- that contains additional folders for textures, models, and sounds.

Then, you create altered versions of vesselData.xml and artemis.ini (call them, say, vesselData_BSG.xml and artemis_BSG.ini) that reference those assets. For example, in the BSG mod, the Cygnus asset calls would look like this:

<art meshfile="Mods/BSG/models/cygnus.dxs" diffuseFile="Mods/BSG/textures/vidar.png" scale="0.5"/>
<internal_data file="Mods/BSG/models/cygnus.snt" />

Now, all you have to do is worry about copying/renaming vesselData_BSG.xml and artemis_BSG.ini into the correct locations (which a bat file can handle easily) and everything* (*see Primary Drawfack, below) will load up properly without you having to worry about how/what to clean up/copy back afterwards, and your dat directory will remain nice and clean.

The primary drawback is that in the BSG mods's case, the UI elements (which are my favorite parts so far!) will still need to be copied into the dat directory, because there's no way in place yet to have that dictated by an ini-type file. Also, layering mods (Pitting your Glactica model against a Star Destroyer, for instance) would be problematic, but I guess you could probably write a script to compile those combos for you.

Actually I do my mods your way currently. I have "BSG", "Trek", and "Mass Effect" folders in my main Artemis "dat" folder and each has a special "artemis.ini" and "vesselData.xml" of its own that I manually swap when I want to change mods (the addition of a vanilla install backup in the main Artemis folder works wonders for when things go awry). The reason I proposed the separate .bat files is because it allows greater functionality (overwriting files not associated with artemis.ini or vesselData.xml and allowing mod layering) while still maintaining a vanilla install. I still haven't gotten around to really looking at this and I'm currently a fish in my first year of Comp Sci at Texas A&M, so this stuff really doesn't come naturally to me quite yet. If there is any advice you can offer or request you'd like to make let me know! I'm going to try to create a prototype standard by which mods can be implemented (of interest to you, excellent-mod-creator-guy) and hopefully if it's somewhat decent a better programmer can come along behind me and polish it.

Guys I really like the ideas that you are coming up with. Evan just to let you know I am in the same boat you are this all new to me. I haven't done any programming for about five years now and I am self taught. Mostly was working on stuff in vb basic. But since I started working on this mod I have learned allot and the knowledge that you all bring to this board is fantastic. I have learned that the best way of learning is just do it. Trail and error and any thoughts that would make this mod better are welcome for me to try so thanks for all the input please keep it up.

I have a request! I love your textures and would really really like to be able to make them myself. The problem is that currently I really don't get it and I have a ton of trouble learning something without being shown it. All the tutorials I've found have been for very simple shapes. Would it be at all possible for you to capture your screen while you're texturing Galactica or something and make that available to us?

I must confess that most of the ships I found and converted to use in the game they already had texture with them. The Cygnus and a viper with the black and gold texture I did from scratch. What Modeler program are you using I have been using the Deld program that is recommended to make and edit models for this game. But I can try to make a video show how I textured them. Just give me a little time to put it together. I was also thinking about setting up a raid call internet comm site for the forum so that we can talk to each other about ideas and work on project together.

http://www.raidcall.com/

Space Dock WIP

Shipyard WIP

I cannot frakking wait until Thom implements or someone mods in effective fighters. That's gonna ROCK!!! Also, are we going to get the Galactica in on the action? I understand people have a love affair with the Pegasus, but I can't wait to take the gritty beauty out for a spin.

Yes I will be adding the old lady to the fleet. I just got to add in the hard point and then the STNs and she will be ready for a spin. I will also be adding in more colonial and cylon ships. I got freighters, liners, refueling, cloud 9 ect.. I also have another basestar, two raider classes and a cylon freighter along with the berzerk class battlestar. What problems are you having with the fighters. I currently can launch fighter then use comms to control them and when the fight is over the come back to land.

Shipyard is now completed.

Evan here she is the old Gal herself I should have the update ready by Sunday night I have to tweak some of the vesseldata but she is in here now here is a sneak peek.

I am thinking about removing the player versions of vipers and creating a separate mod for them. Would like some yea or nay input. I would like to create a separate mod that would let players who might just want to fly vipers or raptors giving them missions and thing to do like fly a CAP or just patrol a sector. The Neutral fighters that are currently in the bsg_mod will stay but the player versions will be removed.

The current idea is to give the player command of 3 vipers plus themselves as the squadron commander
they can give orders via comms or they can have someone act as the CAG using the science and comms to direct them to the fight. so what are your thoughts on this idea.