Andromeda Mod

Thanks for the info. I really hope that this is the right place to put this. I think that I can create the .ini files for this mod, but I'm not sure how I could get or create the model. Is there something that I can download, or do all the necessary programs cost as much as Lightwave? What I wanted to create was a mod that replaced one of my mostly unused ships, like the tug, with the Andromeda Ascendant. I wanted to make it just as it is in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, the most powerful warship in the known universe. Lots of weapon mounts that are player controlled, sniper cannons on the front, lots of gatling or assault cannons, and a nice, large supply of missiles. Also, I wanted to have automatically firing missile launchers and proton PBC's replace the gatling cannons. And last but not least, I wanted to have a couple of weapon mountpoints that fired bolts that look like the flares, maybe a different colour. I think I can configure everything to the way I want it, except for the "flare" launchers, and the Andromeda model with its many mountpoints. Does anyone know how I can do these things? How should I start out creating this mod?

William Morrish

Hi William.

... but I'm not sure how I could get or create the model.

There may be models which exist on the internet. I've rarely seens a sci-fi series which did not have a few modelers kicking out their favorite ships... and usually for free. Try searching for those. If they're some other format than Lightwave 5.6 (which they probably will be), you can get someone to convert them for you. The poly counts probably won't be correct (EoC requires around 800 polys max per section of ship), but this can be fixed by someone with a copy of Lightwave... with a little button which reduces the poly counts while preserving the mesh quality (mostly).

Check here for some free 3D applications: i-war2.com/downloads_3.htm

Also, I believe Milkshape 3D is also free.

Making a total game-changing mod is very labor intensive. Modding EoC covers several large areas of work; modeling, ini setups, textures, sound, and scripting. Though it is certainly possible to do it yourself, going at it alone lessens the chance of completion. It might be a good idea to post at some Andromeda fan forums and see if you can find people who love Andromeda and own EoC. Build a crew.

<font size="1"><font face="Book Antiqua"><font color="black">"Never before in the history of the world had such a mass of human beings moved and suffered together. This was no disciplined march; it was a stampede-- without order and without a goal, six million people unarmed and unprovisioned, driving headlong. It was the beginning of the rout of Civilisation... of the massacre of Mankind."
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Also, I believe Milkshape 3D is also free.

I think it costs something like $25 actually. Still, that's very cheap for a 3d modeller.

Thanks alot. I wasn't planning on making a game changing mod, just the one ship for now.
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<font color="navy"><font size="1">"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein</font id="navy"></font id="size1">

Download the Graphic SDK off of the Iwar home site

www.independencewar.com

(look around for the downloads page - you might spot something else you would like).

That SDK talks about all the INI files and setup files for the ships. It is a good place to start understanding how files work together.

Check out the Buda5 mods, because some of those ships have a dozen weapons or so.

EoC is kind of fighter based. It really expects you to look front and fire front. There is not really a good way to drive your ship and fire a turret like in Freelancer or X. Actually, you cannot fire turrets at all. What you see with turret fighters is what the engine can do.

I think everything you listed can be done by modeling and editing INI and setup files (no small undertaking!).

If the turret issue really bothers, you might be able to do something using POG. The idea being kicked around the last time turrets were discussed was to actually make the turret a seperate ship. Mount it to the main hull (using pog) and then give the player some key sequences to jump from turret to turret. The turret ship would need the joystick inputs setup to 'turn' the ship.

No one has actually tried it, that I know of.



-Gtrout

As I have said before, the modelling is definitely the hardest part about this whole undertaking. I am downloading the 3D Exploration program from the downloads site right now. I tried using Milkshape 3D, but after I downloaded it, it said that it had expired and needed to be registered. I was under the impression that there was a free trial period, but I guess not. The idea of making the turrets separate ships is definitely a good idea. A person could just remote log onto the turret ships if they had to. Making them regular auto-firing turrets would probably be easier, but I like to fight my targets rather than have my cannons blast them into a billion pieces so that all I do is just sit there. I haven't really looked into it yet, I'm hardly even started yet, but is there a way to have a ship move without the regular thruster effects? For example, taking the thrusters on the back of the ship and ditching them, basically just having no thruster effects just the movement, or do I have to make the thrusters look like the back of my ship. I'm not really sure how to make this any clearer. I have to wait until the download finishes (I've got dial-up because I live in the country, so when I go to my mom's place a file like this would probably take half a second to download) but, what do I need to make my 3D model? Do I have to design it? Or what type of file do I download? For example, pictures have a .tiff, .bmp, .gif, or .jpg ending, so what are the 3D file names? If I can't find a 3D model, how can I create one?