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Lot of FFX questions

Started by SickAlice, January 18, 2014, 09:26:02 PM

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SickAlice

I have some questions about FFX if anyone has the time. I hope this is the right forum. It looks like the right forum? Sorry if it's not.  :unsure:

Complication related:
1. How do I change extra hero file aspects without losing FFX information? In my case if I open up a hero file
in an external program like EZ Hero, I lose any FFX attributes (I'm assuming I'm losing the tagging?).
Additionally if I make the hero file or adjust it at any point it seems to become useless to FFX then.
This would be used for things like changing character weight, assigning custom voice, ect.

2. Sidekick: How to use this? I assigned it to a character but nothing shows up in Edit or otherwise. This attribute
doesn't seem to be present in the manual either.

3. Minions: I can assign custom minions in the editor but when summoned they stand around and do nothing, or at the most
they will turn and face the opponent they were called on depending on position.

4. Private Army: Fails to initiate in game and " Error initializing Private Army " is displayed

Plasma Sculpture related (for various Lantern types):

5. For the attribute I would like to add more/new objects to be summoned, possibly with different actions as well as
assign new FX. For example yellow objects and FX for Sinestro Corps members and so on.

Plasma Sculpture related (for Invisible Woman):

6. I would like to get some of or all of the following object types into the game:

A. Hovering stand on platform: Initially I toyed with the idea of a bridge like in the Activision games, say for
going from one rooftop to another but that looks complicated in that point A and point B of the bridge would need
to be accounted for. Instead I thought hovering stand on platforms would suffice here instead. I know how to make
stand on object, what else is needed is that it needs to hover of course. It also needs to be placed in location
somehow, like say approximate to where a left click is made or " next to either/both " the uppermost height of
a surface (rooftop) and/or a previously established platform.

B. Ladders and/or stairs. Place either of these in a specific location. I original considered that a ladder would
need to call for the height of the object to be scaled in question, but think that if one is always tall enough it
should be good for most game obstacles. Or would this cause complications in actually getting off said ladder and
onto the higher surface? Those questions led to the idea to have stairs instead. If a couple short stairs, or steps
that are stand on could be placed then problem solved.

C. Force Cage. The idea is to represent Susan's force cage in game. A box object would be produced around the chosen
character and they could not move from within it. Normally I have Sue set with a Stasis move but I was thinking
something else here. This object would have a life bar and naturally resistance flags to much of anything and act
as a wall does, except on every side. The character caught within would need to battle their way out of the box.
Likewise, other characters can attack the box from the outside, but not effect the character within without the
box being destroyed first. The box would need no resistance however to mental attacks which will pass right through,
and characters using phase abilities will also pass right through. I considered the box should call back the characters
size and be sized itself over that, or could just be always one large enough box to cover most characters except giant
ones. Another bit to add would that the box could be established around a flying/hovering character, and would drop to
the ground after creation bring the trapped character with.

Change skin assignment temp related:

7. I can see FFX has variables for changing the world color. I would like to have abilities that temporarily change skin
and/or values.

A. One is to outright change skins, say Mr.Man uses X power on himself and for the duration his texture is
reassigned to a different specific one in his skins directory. When the power usage is up his skin assignment changes
back to the one originally assigned in the hero file, or the one previously used (for the case of random skin selection).

B. Change another characters texture and/or values. The idea here is that when a power is used say on an opponent, they
change to a predesignated skin. This can be a folder in there skins directory, for example if they have a folder named
" dark " they will be prompted to change to that. Or they could have one assignment changed to a single texture
universally. For example any character having a power cast on them has all of their glow tga's changed to point to
a single one called dark.tga that has been installed in whatever directory. The last option is to change the values,
like give the character an overall orange hue or have them displayed in greyscales (this will be clearer in the next
questions). Naturally they would need an option to change back once the duration of the effect is up.

Lantern specific questions:

8. For Larfleeze I would like to make an effect where he can take fallen characters as his minions/additional ones.
The idea is once a character is down he can use a specific power on them that converts them to a minion to fight
for him. It seems pretty straight foreward that this could be a combination Heroic Revival+Possession type, except the
character would act as an NPC like a minion rather than the player assuming control of said character. Added to this
I would want to use an above listed skin effect to make them look like an "orange construct " and potentially add Lantern
abilities for the duration ("Orange" Plasma Sculpture, ect). Naturally this power could only be used on a fallen character
if another or more are still in play as otherwise the game would have ended.

9. Same as the above for Black Lanterns but varied for their effects. Added though is an Undead assignment for characters
(I get this, same as adding any other designation of course). The power only be used on non-Undead characters once they
are down (life has run out and no one preformed a revival) but on characters with the Undead designation it's immediate
regardless of how much life they have left. They then change looks (the greyscale one would be key here) and get added
abilities (Plasma Sculpture, probably regeneration, ect.)

-
added 11/11/14

10.) Tracking Device: Came up when thinking about Spider-man's Spidertracers. The idea is to fire a projectile and if it connects has an effect. I'm thinking the effect could go one of two ways:

* Adds Tracking to the character that fired it. Pretty self explanatory, if the projectile connects the character who fired it gains the Tracking attribute. It would be more detailed of course if there were a way to make it only apply to the opponent that got hit by the tracking device.

* Adds " targeting ". I don't know if we have a feature like this. What this does is after the enemy has been hit they gain a dot where from then on out the character that fired the Tracking device now pulls off perfect accuracy against them with Ranged/Beam attacks. If you've played the game Marvel Avengers Alliance you'll see a feature just like this on the characters Hawkeye and Black Widow that I know of.

11.) I placed a gun in a map. However the gun attaches to the right hand but the ammo (FX) and animation come from the left unarmed when fired. Is there a way to fix this?

12.) Escalators in maps? Can this be done?

Again sorry for the wall of questions. I'm not fresh when it comes to game programming but am a spring chicken when it comes to doing it in this engine. I love making 3d models but want the ability to be able to release productions in full instead of just stand alone meshes and skins. Thanks again for any answers anyone. Your time is valued.

mac402

1. You're loosing the assinged FFX attributes because EZHero doesn't recognize them. The folder where EZHero is installed in has a file called attrib.ini where you can add custom attribute names you have. The pattern is "[name displayed in EZHero editor],[name in Attributes tab in FFedit]". If your FFX attributes stop working on a character run the mod through ffxedit2 again and save.

2. Sidekick does nothing, it's not an FFX function. It only adds additional prestige cost to the hero so no more instances are spawned by Private Army attribute. If you want to spawn a sidekick use Private Army.

3. Run your minions through the M25AI Generator in Rumble Room. This should help.

4. Don't have any idea why it doesn't work. There are several instances of PRIVATE_ARMY in your "ffxcustom.py" file. Are all instances filled correctly? You can post your script.log file.

5. You have to add the items you want to the Templates tab in FFEdit and customise your hero in "ffxcustom.py" file under PLASMA_CUSTOM. You can download more colored objects for your lantern characters here: http://ffx.freedomforceforever.com/downloads.htm.

6. A and B ) The only thing that comes to my mind would be creating the meshes suitable for for the desired effect. Good idea with this BTW.

C ) You can use the crystallize swap for her attack. It creates a prison around the target. See the FFX Manual for details.

7. I have messed with FFX for some time but I never tried changins skins via FFX. I don't know if it is possible. Maybe someone more knowlegable can help.

8 and 9. You can always use the games animate dead power if you're playing  :ffvstr:. Don't know how AI will handle using it though.

SickAlice

Thanks for the replies. I'm anxious to get sort of a big project going. I understand a bit more than I let on, like which python files to turn to and such but kept the opening questions loose as to not steer any replies.

1. That's news to me, thanks. I did figure out a cheap workaround as well. I can make hero's in the generator, then in game copy said character and go through the FFXEdit process thereafter and they work. Lest I make changes in EZHero again, then I need to make another copy to work from, but they do work. Your method should make for less screwing around.

2. That's what I thought but thought I should ask. This wasn't of great importance to the end project (I was side kicking Dexstarr to Atrocitus).

3. That makes sense.

4. I'll see about getting the log file. Yeah, doesn't work and I didn't deviate from the script either so I'm drawing a blank.

5. K, it's been awhile. I'd forgotten about the patch download thanks.

6. Thanks. The idea crossed my mind about having them as Characters/Minions or something. I feel this can be done but I'm missing a thing here or there. For platforms I also started looking at FX that attach to flying animations, like Iceman's Ice Bridge. I wonder if there's something to the way that functions that a player could generate a platform underneath said character in air that just stays there? I wouldn't say it's original, I saw this in the Activision and Lego games, usually their Sue Storm's (yes, skin pack on the way real soon!) and wanted it in FFVTTR.
C. Nice, will do this.

7. I see that the Phase FX does an overall effect, I'm not sure it's what I'm trying for though.

8. I thought a little about the Clone command here. Clone the target character and for the dead there's an "If" query, and the clone comes in as a minion?

The overall idea is to get the various Lantern Corps natures into this in the end. Blue's energize Green's to 300% (or relative) and Null Red's, Black's eat emotions, Red's eat and spread rage, ect. Thanks for the help and to anyone else that provides any along the way.




DrMike2000

Hi Alice

There is no way to change skins using scripts. The closest you can get is to make multiple versions of the character and use shapeshifting style changes on them. I set up a couple of characters who did this, I think "Copybot" in the original game FFX and "Material Girl" in the FFvTTR FFX to use as examples, both of whom had Absorbing Man style abilities to turn themselves to stone or metal or whatever and gain additional powers.
Have a look at how they're set up and see if that helps.

(Devil Doll also changed skin if she mimicked Adam Zorn or King Zero in the Strangers, but that was also done by switching the entire character to another with the same mesh and different skins.)


For reanimating the dead, you'll get the best effect by making custom templates for each character who may be reanimated. If the template doesnt exist just make a stock zombie.

e.g. Renaimating "GL_Kyle" would look to see if "GL_Kyle_black" exists or "GL_Kyle_orange" for Larfleeze. Its a lot of work, but will give you really cool results. (Devil Doll required me to add 84 extra templates to the game, but it was worth it. :) )
Stranger Than Fiction:
The Strangers, Tales of the Navigator and Freedom Force X
www.fundamentzero.com

SickAlice

Kudos for the answers.

I was reading the manual and came across the bit about how if a specific dummy power is used with crystalize it drops the target character from the air if that's their position, so that wraps that one up.

I'm trying out the skin suggestion and it looks fine. I'm curious if any of you know any detailed info on " Displace Image "? The reason I ask is that one makes whatever mesh it's assigned to, like or possibly outright an alpha channel variance. I think there may be something there I can use for the skin change idea, if not in scripts than through some other exploit.

Going a bit in the outfield with this I know, but just thinking. My thoughts are that if a function is in the game engine then it can be used somehow (like ladders for instance). Maybe not through scripts but it must be accessible in a way, right? I was thinking about the level edit and looking at it's resources. I wonder if there's a way to bring it's functions into the game and Rumble Room, ect. Like say the function to click and object and move it to a desired location to emulate tk/magnetic powers and so on, and possible even go further with the replace object/create object specific function of that to present a neat reality manipulation effect?

hoss20

Quote from: SickAlice on January 20, 2014, 09:36:49 PM

I'm trying out the skin suggestion and it looks fine. I'm curious if any of you know any detailed info on " Displace Image "? The reason I ask is that one makes whatever mesh it's assigned to, like or possibly outright an alpha channel variance. I think there may be something there I can use for the skin change idea, if not in scripts than through some other exploit.


The Astral Form/Astral Projection and Phasing attributes also perform this way (making the character semi-transparent). Since those are done via FFX, maybe that could be a place to look also.

SickAlice

I'll look into those attributes. On my end the Phasing attribute initializes differently if it's not named Phase. If not the effect starts by making the character semi-transparent, then they turn outright invisible. I'm not sure what the hang up is there. IN Astral's case I presumed it was a change form dictated by a mesh/skin instance that was premade with alpha effects per character. I'll give that effect a second look today then.

I'm making a little progress on this. I followed the directions about Absorbers and made a character (my first handmade mesh, a rather silly little guy named Peeman. Should I release him to the public?) that has different skins/forms for absorbing material subtypes, which was to make a seperate hero file with a space and the material subtype enclose in brackets. It works well.

Two questions about that:

- Where do I locate the specific code lines that the absorb function relies on? This would be for the
purpose of adding and tweaking of course, like getting the Indigo Lantern Tribes channelling ability
into the game (see the Green Lantern page on my site and Iroque and Munk skin packs for details). I
see some of the variables listed in ffx.py (a bit of definition there but looks about right from a game
programming view). Above else I'm looking for the codes that specify that change form command?

- How does one go about adding templates for a character specific to power draining another, like how
it was mentioned that Devil Doll does when mimicking Adam Zorn or King Zero in the Strangers mod?

Thanks again for any replies. You people rock steady!  :thumbup:

mac402

Hey, I'm not sure if that's what you're experiencing but when using an alpha-enabled mesh with skins that alpha out certain parts of the mesh you can see alphaed out parts of the base skin when the game makes the character transparent like in pass through active defence i.e. More like a game bug than anything else but you may be able to exploit it.

Regarding the code for absorbing materials I think these are the parts (if template for material exists than morph into it):

def AbsorbMetal(target,char):
    mat=1
    temp=FFX_GetTemplate(char)
    root=GetRootName(temp)
    name=getFormName()
    portrait=FFX_HasPortrait(char)
    #create the new material marker
    template='%s_%s'%(root,absorbmaterialNames[int(mat)])
    Trigger_Power(char,target,getByTemplate(char,FFX_ABSORBMATERIAL_CUSTOM,1),'')
    #print 'try template:%s?'%(template)
    if Template_Exists(template):
        morph(name,char,template,0,portrait)
        Mission_CustomAction('CUSTOM_REVERT',name,name,'OnRevertAbsorb',5,0)
        RegTimer('resetHealth',1,0,name)
        return
    template='%s (%s)'%(root,absorbmaterialNames[int(mat)])
    #print 'try custom:%s?'%(template)
    if Custom_Exists(template):
        morph(name,char,template,0,portrait)
        Mission_CustomAction('CUSTOM_REVERT',name,name,'OnRevertAbsorb',5,0)
        RegTimer('resetHealth',1,0,name)
        return
    else:


As for recreating devil dolls mimic abilities it's pretty simple actually (there should be a note of it somewhere in the manual as well). I'll show you on my example how I did with Mystique character - say I want her to be able to copy i.e. Superman's look but not his Kryptonian powers.

In "ffxextras.py" there are 2 lines:
builtinMimics=
mimicPrefix=

In my case I do the following:
builtinMimics=['mystique']
mimicPrefix='mq_'

That's it. Now if my Superman character is called "superman" I create a Mystique morphed into Superman character called "mq_superman". Basically when I use a mimic command the game either turns my character into the copy of the target, or if it can find a character with the mq_[target] prefix present it transforms him into it instead. That's it. I haven't tested if it works with characters that are not built-ins.

SickAlice

Thank you for the responses and sorry for the delayed one on my end as I'm waiting until I have complete results to provide. My to do list is as follows.

Sue Storm
- Invisible Woman specific objects made for sculpt attribute.
- Try and make her summon platform/bridge and/or ladder
- Force cage

Lantern Cops
* Green
- Attribute already provided cover this
* Star Sapphires
- Emulate tether
* Red
- Already provided
* Sinestro Corps
- Already provided
* Blue
- Emulate 300% energy to only Greens
* Orange
- As above, turn defeated characters and/or objects into orange constructs (minions)
White
- Already provided
* Indigo
- Some already provided and the others to be solved
* Black
- Turn defeated enemies into Black Lanterns. Turn characters that have tags such as " zombie, dead, undead, ect. " into Black Lanterns without defeat.

SickAlice

#9
* modified post and moved all inquiries to the OP. from now on I'll do that and bump it saying " new questions added " or something to keep it tidy *

stumpy

I think moving all questions to the first post in the thread makes the thread harder to follow. Someone reading the thread for the first time has a tougher time telling what the replies are referring to.

Quote from: SickAlice on January 18, 2014, 09:26:02 PM11.) I placed a gun in a map. However the gun attaches to the right hand but the ammo (FX) and animation come from the left unarmed when fired. Is there a way to fix this?

This may be  more of an FX thing than a scripting issue. Others know more about this than I, but I think that the FX chosen for a power are keyed to certain parts of the mesh. I don't know that the origin point can be changed by scripting. If the gun isn't firing from the right point, you may have to pick a different FX (or have the gun attach to the hand the FX is already using). I think it's also possible to modify an FX (create a new one by) using hexing or NIFSkope to change the origin point.

I know that DrMike2000 has guns in Patriot City that the character can pick up and use. You might want to check into how he did that.
Courage is knowing it might hurt, and doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that's why life is hard. - Jeremy Goldberg

Cyber Burn

If it's an FX issue, then chances are that the FX's "Start" Nif is pointed at the left hand. An easy way to fix this would be to copy the FX in FFEdit, and then rename that copy "FX_Name_RH", with the "RH" meaning "Right Hand". Then you just need to make sure that your new FX is pointed to when the Gun is used.

SickAlice

Noted about question and thanks. I'll check out the Patriot City mod when I get the chance.

Sorry I must have phrased it wrong (I noticed I misspelled almost every post I made last night, no sleep make Homer go something-something). The FX is coming out of the hand that's firing the gun/animated, the left hand that is and from about the position where a gun nozzle " should be. The object itself though is on the right, which is the one that isn't firing. Noted that the gun is a fire hydrant that's been retextured though that's what's inside the base nif called for in the Templates tab so that may be right. So in other words the gun object seems to be attached to the wrong spot, the FX is fine. So I think attaching the gun to the other hand is what's called for (I'm replacing the base nif eitherway so the hydrant is null), the question then is any clue where modify that exactly?

Another thing though I noticed there's a second copy of every weapon in the Weapons directory of FFX. Is it possible those are alternate hand nifs?

stumpy

First off, I want to make sure that you have already read the FFX Manual entry on weapons. (Open ../Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich/ffx3/manual/index.htm in your browser, then go to Special Objects and there is a section on Weapons.) It seems like that would be mostly what you want, but since you are posting here, I assume you tried that and ran into trouble.

That said, I haven't really messed with equipable weapons in FFX, but I always assumed those pairs of weapons are one for each hand. (Could be other things, I suppose, but that's an obvious one, so start there.).

I mention Patriot City because Dr Mike is doing pretty much exactly what you are wanting to do. So, if seeing how it is setup in FFX 3.x doesn't provide clues, seeing how he does it is probably your best line of inquiry.
Courage is knowing it might hurt, and doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that's why life is hard. - Jeremy Goldberg

SickAlice

#14
Ya, I read through the section. As well he has a second manual index for Weapons specifically at the page for Patriot City. However neither cover the values for guns specifically. I agree about the mod. I'll dl that and rummage through it. I'm certain it comes down to just having the correct values in place, much like the issue I'm having with making ladders. My hang-up is in finding what said values are supposed to be.

* I got around to testing after a day of modelling, making chicken for my cat and chipping ice off the driveway. The second object nif, "X_a.nif " is not another handed object nor is it useable in game rather it stands there but can't be interacted with. This is as much a shot in the dark as anything else considering I know zilch on the process but my better guess is this is what Irrational describes in their art docs as the " base mesh " for an in game object as it has the properties they described.

** PC as it ends up isn't that big a file so I have it up and running. In the case of that mod the template points to the tiggot object rather than the normally present base. Also there is a character created for the gun " X_char " so " ffx_handgun_char ". It is given an attack and an attribute. The attack points to well, the attack obviously. The ammo represents a limitation on use, or ammo of course. I mocked this in my map. The missing ingredient there (and FFX) is the ammo limiting attribute something which I don't actually want in mine anyways. I assume that is scripted specifically into PC. However the gun object did not work with this set-up outside PC, despite all of the files being in the correct place. The sole way I've gotten it to work is to 1.) use the already installed by FFX handgun template 2.) place a character in the map 3.) change the character to a generic object, the template to that of the handgun and name to " FFX_handgun# " in FFEdit. Any deviation in that naming convention specifically appears to nix the object properties (is no longer a gun, cannot be armed/disarmed/fired).

Since I do have both the gun and FX for it working it would seem that what needs to be addressed is a pointer (?) that tells the game engine what node to attach the object to. This piece of script of course I have not a clue where to begin looking. I am still considering it's possible that the physical mesh (fire hydrant) was never supposed to be attached to the character hand in the first place, rather only the FX was meant to be present to " represent " the use of a handgun in game given the aesthetics of the object in question (another of the guns is a model of a fence native to the game for example).

I'm so close though, you know?

SickAlice

I minor find with the gun. I've been using the same test character (not smart I know). Noted that nifs first ranged animation was in use each time which is left handed. I used one that was right handed. The gun object attaches as usual to the right hand. The FX now switched over to the hand in use (right) so it all looked right. I need to backtrack that FX I think and look at how it's assigned. I believe if I can incorporate that information into the gun object as well I may have it locked in.