Hawkslayer

Madmatt, What size is it supposed to be, I'll check sometime on my PC what it installs into but there were no errors on install, and it did both the installshield part and the (java?) custom installer part. It's too late for the lan party, but I do want to get my buddies running it sometime, so I'll keep at it.

both on my PC and a friends PC (both XP) we did the new demo install and double clicked it.. and we get the hourglass for like a millisecond, then nothing. No crash error, no game running, just desktop. I'd love to get it running for 12+ people to try out, but I could use some help troubleshooting this. Thanks!

A simple thing, but make sure you have plenty of install space, I had this happen to me in another game demo and the installer ran out of room and didn't notify me, or I missed it.. so I kept trying to run it and it ran well enough to crash, but it was ultimately a running out of space issue.

Rock on guys! I think I just found THE game for our New Years Lan Party. (keyboard configs are always weird, because everyone's different, which is why remap is a requirement ) [ December 21, 2006, 03:28 PM: Message edited by: Hawkslayer ]

I like your idea flight model Iceman, and I'd even settle with a more agile version of the Viper. The Viper just takes too long to turn and manuver, you really need to set up an approach to pick something up, where a hover-capable ship should really be extremely manuverable. If it would turn, thrust and decelerate like 4x the rate, it would take some practice and skill, but ultimately you could have very high response control of the vehicle, but right now it's really sluggish feeling. I personally would like to see left-right strafing ability for anything not wheeled or tracked also. Both hovercraft and hovering aircraft. If it doesn't use plane physics to fly, I'd like full axis motion (up/down/left/right/forward/back)

I'm not sure if I'd want to be in a vehicle called Styx poesel, considering where it's destination is Actually I take that back.. I *know* I wouldn't want to be in it. And these vehicles are planned for my Air Units thread airframe, not the tempest, but I guess it could be used but I'd have to modify the backstory for it since it's totally not what I wrote about. Is the 120mm cannon able to target jammed units? Not sure.. I picture these two working together. I also figured that since the transport can carry 2 squads, and be jammed, and be faster than anything in the game right now, it shouldn't be armed, which is why I put the smoke launcher on it. It would work like the "proof of concept" Nebelwerfer, but launch a battery of smoke grenades rather than something damage-dealing. It could also be used to help overwhelm PD stuff given a large amount of incoming quickly sent to it. Anyways, I'm having to put modding on hold right now, but hopefully someday I'll work on it.

I also think that the tag <IsJammable> should reflect a unit's ability to be cloaked under a jammer, rather than affected by EMP. <EMPShielded> could be a more understandable tag. Speaking of EMP also, it'd be nice to be able to have EMP artillery shells or missles as a moddable "damage" type.

I think that variable ranged sensor jamming and advanced mobile sensor technology should be available. What do you think about adding a supported XML tag object for a future update kinda like this? (modified from the InternalSensorJammer) <InternalComponent> <Name>InternalSensor</Name> <IsJammable>true</IsJammable> <Range>2000.0</Range> (no idea on a real value) <Size>20.0</Size> <KillSound>InternalHit.wav</KillSound> <NormalImage>Sensor.png</NormalImage> <Location>0,-8.0,0</Location> <Diameter>3</Diameter> <HitPoints>10.0</HitPoints> <ExplodeFactor>0.0</ExplodeFactor> </InternalComponent> Perhaps add a moddable range to the Jammer also? That'd be great for making stealthed non-EW vehicles, as well as super-jammers for big super-units.

I'd love to have an advanced sensor package available to put on a 20mm scout variant also. *nudge nudge*

Since it looks like a high-hover vehicle isn't a very feasable idea, I'm looking at converting the model into the RHAV, which I think would be a fun technology-oriented fast attack platform to add to the heavier units already in game. I see a 4v4+ multiplayer game using a Razor and a Striker and 2 infantry units for a quick coordinated assault, which I think would be a lot of fun. Under the shroud of sensor jamming and anti-air support, this 2 unit team could fly over mines, avoid automated weapon fire, and push deep into enemy territory, and setup a defensive infantry position. Optimistically considering future units like Infantry Engineers, this could be a great way to quickly take key structures, or simply push faster and deeper than would be expected from a heavier assault force. Naturally all of these units are all relatively soft targets, and will find life difficult against a heavy assault force, but it's speed and technology could, when employed appropriately, deal a killing blow to an unsuspecting enemy.

During an expeditionary raid on BD-OI'3500, Captain Prentiss "Hawkslayer" Folvåg found an an abandoned, Mu Arae scientific outpost, and was able to salvage some some experimental designs that were under development there. One principal find was for a "Hovership" which was intended as a high-altitude hover-transport vehicle, however upon Liveship Rhadiem's creation of this unit it was found to be significantly flawed, and completely unstable in high altitudes. Persistent in utilizing this newfound technology, Rhadiem engineers developed a new hovercraft using the ship's massive engine and unique airframe, but much closer to traditional hover heights. Thus the RHAV (Rapid Hover Assault Vehicle) is born. Still considered experimental, the RHAV has been developed into two highly mobile vehicles. While the RHAV has considerable speed and acceleration, it's handling is unpredictable in uneven terrain and should be avoided when at all possible. "Striker" RHAV-FS The Striker is a "Fast Strike" vehicle designed to quickly enter enemy territory and establish a deep infantry assault. The Striker carries 2 squads and is equipped with impressive sensor jamming capabilities. While more heavily armored than the Razor, it is only "armed" with a Rapid Ranged Smoke Deployment system (R2SDS), requiring outside support during incursion. Very high mobility with slightly higher hover (and less stable) characteristics. 2 squad Personnel Transport Sensor Jamming R2SDS for cover (Nebelwerfer-esque smoke mortar rounds, with limited ammo) Relies on mobility, cover and jamming (and outside support) during advances towards the destination. "Razor" RHAV-AC Integrating newfound technology into a conventional autocannon, the Razor's 30mm burst-fire weapon is designed to quickly penetrate unsuspecting armored units where they are weak. While some disliked the long reload time in initial testing, many veteran gunners state that if a gunner is good, one burst can incapacitate even heavily armored units in one burst, given appropriate range and exposure. Considering the significant recoil, and limited reinforced mount points of the RHAV airframe, the autocannon is in a limited angle forward-fire position. Supplementing the Razor's defenses (and those of the RHAV strike team) is a rear-mounted automated anti-air defense system which has been directly adapted from the R1 IFV Hermes. Very high mobility with slightly higher hover (and less stable) characteristics. Potent AP burst-fire autocannon for armored assault, with forward-fire only, requiring "assault runs" at the target. Hermes style anti-air support, complementing the Striker as a strong 2 unit (4 player) stealth assault force. Entry update: "Prowler" RHAV-ATGM While this variant has never been confirmed, it is rumored that a third model of RHAV is under development. It's name and armament lend to easy speculation that it is designed for predatory attack of vulnerable areas, as well as ranged support of fast strike incursions. [ December 15, 2006, 01:59 AM: Message edited by: Hawkslayer ]

Ok Clay, I'll stop trying to pound a 120mm shell into a 20mm barrel Maybe.. my last time of playing around with it wasn't all that bad. The Viper isn't bad.. it's just sluggish. I'll play around with it and see if it's just the mass/settings, or the hardcoded stuff. [ December 14, 2006, 05:18 PM: Message edited by: Hawkslayer ]

Nice wishlist IG. I was actually thinking of making a fast attack infantry carrier unit, and I like all the details you mention. (restocking, etc) I was thinking of something Shrike-ish also, a sort of buggy with very little (if any) armament, quick and possibly even sneaky. (yeah I love stealthy stuff) Something similar to this, perhaps.

After a little experimenting, it seems that the hovercraft very closely interacts with the ground beneath it, causing the angles to be significant at a high NominalAltitude. Adjusting the ThrusterSpacingX and Y values seems to give give it a better footing, but still responds oddly to things such as buildings that the vehicle easily can clear. Ideally, it would be nice to have a "no collision buffer" where the vehicle flies flat and only really cares about the angles below it as it gets closer to impact. Perhaps having close proximity having a greater strength of influence than something farther away. Unfortunately, it looks like any high-hover vehicles won't be possible for hilly terrain due to this, unless there is some core changes implemented to be more friendly to higher altitude hovering. Assuming this one thing could be fixed, I think the unit I have started on in the Air Units topic would be workable, but it seems I may have to scratch the project and try to work on the Viper flight dynamics instead, which has it's own awkward behavior to it. *sigh* I did however get the Tempest to fly at 45 pretty well, and even at 145.. until I got off the flat terrain. Landing is a trick though, since it wants to tip because of the dropship that's quickly under it, but if you move forward it seems to level out. Edit: ooh! Setting thruster spacing x and y at 300, and flying at 300, if I could save the initial drop, I was able to fly around at that level and do fairly well without flipping over. I even got shot down by 20mm fire, lol.. [ December 11, 2006, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Hawkslayer ]

http://dropteam.johalla.de/moin.cgi/AmmoType "NumberOfShotsPerFire" is the term, thanks.