Spring RTS Engine

Snipawolf wrote:To bring some more food to the table, why mod an OTA derivative, those things are giant confusing clusterfucks. I mean, seriously, I looked at a few folders and was like "lol, wut does I do now"

It doesn't teach shit. Go through Gundam and Nanoblobs for newb to intermediate tips.

go though Under Pressure for a nice simple mod. its free (well almost) of copyright content, and theres only like a dozen units per side.

Pressure Line wrote:

Snipawolf wrote:To bring some more food to the table, why mod an OTA derivative, those things are giant confusing clusterfucks. I mean, seriously, I looked at a few folders and was like "lol, wut does I do now"

It doesn't teach shit. Go through Gundam and Nanoblobs for newb to intermediate tips.

go though Under Pressure for a nice simple mod. its free (well almost) of copyright content, and theres only like a dozen units per side.

Good ideas

A tutorial mod would need to include, among others:

factory
mex
targetting upgrade*
land transport
air transport
fighter
bomber
gunship
ground combat unit
landmine
ship (sub as well?)
underwater building
floating building
con unit
unit with dgun*
something with a shield*
limited firearc*

*=can be combined with something else to reduce the number of units

Plus possibly a demonstration of the weapontypes.

I think a step by step full tutorial for acctually getting a unit from the basic stages of idea/concept to in game would be a huge asset, since that's the basic process of starting a mod (aside from the frustrating fiddly stuff like design)

It shouldn't go hugely into detail for any specific element, but a basic walkthrough of software options for modeling, basic modeling techniques, basic UV and texturing, basic scripting, and basic mod coding all in one would be really nice to have covered. Once you have that stuff down the topic specific tutorials become more useful at addressing your weak points, and the reference material acctually makes sense since you have a concept on what it applies to.

SwiftSpear wrote:I think a step by step full tutorial for acctually getting a unit from the basic stages of idea/concept to in game would be a huge asset, since that's the basic process of starting a mod (aside from the frustrating fiddly stuff like design)

I've started one: http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=12447

Mooseral wrote:We do need some kind of tutorial.

THERE ARE ALREADY TUTORIALS!

Mooseral wrote:Many of the experienced modders are complaining "oh noes the OTA mods will be made by noobs who suck at modding because it will be easy to make mods now."

But, not really. Many OTA mods are made by noobs because OTA is the most popular set of content available, and the most readily available.

Yeah, you obviously don't get it. No, it is not a matter of joo are teh newbie and joo sux! It is a matter of the fact that a lot of these I MAEK MODZ people have the less organization then a pile of diareaha. Most of the I MAEK MODZ people also lack the talent, ability or drive to learn to produce content. They lack direction in their project which ultimately ends up a mess of unorganized thoughts and ideas which often times only vary from the other *TA mods by the simple facts of a few stats changes.

Mooseral wrote:If we were to set up a simple, complete modding tutorial, it would help greatly to increase the diversity of mods out there, as it would ease 0noobs in with a set of tutorial content.

Like nanoblobs, UnderPressure? WE does not include ME, who is this we? are YOU going to do it? Who is going to keep the material to any standards etc? MEH!

Mooseral wrote:What we need is a simple mod with about four units, and supporting material. We need a commander for a starting unit, a factory that he builds, and a builder and a simple attack unit built from the factory. This would be the basics.

WHAT YOU need is to read the damn tutorials out there and to browse the forum, what you need is to just learn.

Simply put, you want to make a mod?!?! Strip everything but a commander out, delete all the unecesary stats and use a basic file. From there you can LEARN. However, truely learning anything is too far for a I MAEK mod person to go. You need to understand the file structure, you need to understand scripting, the fbis, how to texture model use a HPI. All of that could be learnt if you would go out there and read the TA tutorials that exist in DROVES!

As far as S3Oing a model, that is just too much for the I MAEK mod crowd. So I am just going to ignore that.

So lets see... what do you need to maek mod?

getting started
You need
hpi pack.
Gaf builder
a decent image editor: GIMP PHOTOSHOP, PSP

then you MAEK texture.

you convert texture to TA pallet(because this may lose you I am just saying do it)

you then can import into gaf builder...

oh but that isn't all
the gaf has to be in the right dir structure


you then have to maek hpi


then have to point 3do builder to your hpi

then have to apply textures on faces


that is just for adding texture to model.






honestly, some things are going to have a limit, we all cannot do whatever we want. That is a big fat lie, not all of us can be rocket scientists when we grow up. As always, I help people if they have a few questions but no, you cannot teach a monkey to make a real project they are always going to MAEK modz by fist fucking the TA content until it kinda does what they were going for.

I do not mind helping people but no, everyone does not have the ability to make mod. I have spent 1 year as a teachers aid in college computer science courses. In freshmen college students I was amazed when those monkeys could use a floppy.

Wait, Smoth, why do you keep talking about HPI and GAF?

i feel compelled to mention that at the start of this year i had never modeled before, never textured before, never even looked into the archive of an OTA/Spring mod. yet, in the space of a few weeks i managed to pump out what exists of Under Pressure.

I am not superhuman, im definately not the smartest guy on the planet. but i do have a few things going for me, i can read, i can remember things for more than 30 seconds. cos seriously, thats all you need to make a basic mod to learn in.

the ability to read tutorials, and follow their instructions. in my foray into mapping i ran into none of the problems that so many people seem to have trouble with, i assembled ALL of the required files and i compiled them, guess what? it worked. it was rubbish, because i still cant texture worth a damn, but it worked.

and when i have questions, they are specific, not things like "where can i get a program to make mod" and all the other variations on the theme. hell, even if you cant model, or texture, and only know how to code and write fbi/tdf files, theres about 5000 units on unituniverse waiting for a home. never mind all the extra sides that can be converted to spring.

get cracking! get downloading! but for gods sake, we actually DO NOT need another AA/BA notepad clone.

Pressure Line wrote:i feel compelled to mention that at the start of this year i had never modeled before, never textured before, never even looked into the archive of an OTA/Spring mod. yet, in the space of a few weeks i managed to pump out what exists of Under Pressure.

I am not superhuman, im definately not the smartest guy on the planet. but i do have a few things going for me, i can read, i can remember things for more than 30 seconds. cos seriously, thats all you need to make a basic mod to learn in.

the ability to read tutorials, and follow their instructions. in my foray into mapping i ran into none of the problems that so many people seem to have trouble with, i assembled ALL of the required files and i compiled them, guess what? it worked. it was rubbish, because i still cant texture worth a damn, but it worked.

and when i have questions, they are specific, not things like "where can i get a program to make mod" and all the other variations on the theme. hell, even if you cant model, or texture, and only know how to code and write fbi/tdf files, theres about 5000 units on unituniverse waiting for a home. never mind all the extra sides that can be converted to spring.

get cracking! get downloading! but for gods sake, we actually DO NOT need another AA/BA notepad clone.

+9001

Yes, I also learned how to mod with practically no prior knowledge. It took me only a month or two to learn how to completely mod (model, texture, ingame, effects... Everything), but I couldn't do it good, because I wasn't a prodigy or something... I've been working ever since and trying to improve my skills.

Edit: And, on another point... DON'T RELEASE ANY MORE GODDAMN *A CLONES! YOU WANNA MOD EM? FINE! GO AHEAD! DON'T RELEASE A SHITTY PET PROJECT MOD THAT HAS NO PURPOSE AND WILL BE PLAYED BY LIKE 5 PEOPLE!

Snipawolf wrote:DON'T RELEASE A PET PROJECT MOD THAT HAS NO PURPOSE AND WILL BE PLAYED BY LIKE 5 PEOPLE!

Lol, gundam

lol, smoth...

smoth wrote:

Snipawolf wrote:DON'T RELEASE A SHITTY PET PROJECT MOD THAT HAS NO PURPOSE AND WILL BE PLAYED BY LIKE 5 PEOPLE!

Lol, gundam

Gundam has a purpose, and is hardly shitty (yes i edited that word back in)

Pet project mod being a modification to an already existing mod.

Mod = Modification

Game = Custom Created Content

Gundam = Game

smoth wrote:

Snipawolf wrote:DON'T RELEASE A PET PROJECT MOD THAT HAS NO PURPOSE AND WILL BE PLAYED BY LIKE 5 PEOPLE!

Lol, gundam

Lol I mod!