Spring RTS Engine

I dunno what exactly you'd call this, but a bunch of units that serve movement, torso, 'arms', etc, and use the load function to attach to each other.

Just like the air transports stick their cargo to a specific face, and the cargo can still fire.

You build the legs/treads/hover-base/boat-body/VTOL-engines first, then move them over to the torso factory and use the 'load' function to place the torso on top of that, then over to the weapons/'arms' factory and again use the torso's 'load' function to hook them to the torso. Different movement bases w/ diff stats, torsos w/ varying #'s of weapon slots all w/ different costs.

Might make for an interesting juggernaut unit system. Custom T3 units. Or some neat base defenses if you used stationary unit bases.

Do-able?
Not a good idea?
Thoughts?

Doable.

Basically you need to know the exact height of each piece, so you know which part of the transport to attach it to. Otherwise fairly straightforward - make sure you have IsFirePlatform=1 in the main torso FBI.

Where is a scripting god when you need one? All the pieces would probably have size standards.

...I can't script to save my life. Anyone want to try this?

Heh, scripting? Why not lua, I mean, we could set it up, and even have a lua that renders the object ingame with a black background and all, so you can see what you are building.

Of course, it could be laggy as all hell, then again, I wouldn't know, I am below nubcaek in lua scripting.

El Idiot wrote:Where is a scripting god when you need one? All the pieces would probably have size standards.

...I can't script to save my life. Anyone want to try this?

If you can get me the pieces by the middle of monday, I'll take a swing at it.

Damn, I wasn't expecting that much enthusiasm.
Er, I've never made a unit for spring before, but, I could take a shot.
Usually I just throw ideas out here and hope it catches on.
'Pieces' include texturing, just the 3do, some basic scripting already?

Wings3d and upspring?
I'll just chop us some units and use those for now.

If you can make a 3DO, then you're fine for now. Worry about the whole issue of S3O later on, if that's not familiar territory. S3Os look cooler and can do some things 3DOs can't, but for a prototype, it matters not.

Got anything specific you may need help with?

I can do a couple of things, if you may need them.

Specific? I'm trying to chop up units. How do you export selected bits in Upspring?

I may make unique models later if the prototypes work out.

I mean something that I could model and/or texture for you.

Well, for exporting something from UpSpring, you probably should delete everything you are not using, and keep the main part, recenter it and recreate the collision sphere and height. Then save it as the part.

You can contribute a set of parts if you like. Collision sphere... didn't even see one opening up the original model...

To chop up units... it's really easy, actually... just chop 'em up in good ol' 3DO Builder... save... import into UpSpring (just select Open, select 3DO as file type, select saved file, voila)... and then you can literally do a Copy operation in UpSpring, open up another model, and do a Paste (very handy, saves me a lot of time with certain things). UpSpring shows the parent-child hierarchies on the right-hand side, by default.

That's pretty much it, unless you're so non-familiar with 3DO Builder and with parent-child stuff that you need to, I dunno... read the manual or something.

Trust me, if you know 3DO Builder, even to a medium, non-expert degree, you'll find UpSpring fairly familiar ground pretty fast, for working with 3DO. The only thing UpSpring cannot do that 3DO Builder could (very poorly) is vertex manipulations (but meh, if you wanna make real models... get a modeler, doing "modeling" in 3DO Builder is like sawing off your hand because you have a hangnail).

Err...? Yea? Nay? WTF are you doing?
Cause I still have no idea.

Left everything under the pelvis still. Usable as a reference point for the original placement? Do I need to totally center these? Redo the ground plate?








Hell snipawolf, if you want something to do, go ahead. I don't care if I even get credit for this idea. Just as long as someone uses it.

...

I need sleep and I have sh*t to do tomorrow, so don't expect me to respond for another 12-16 hours.

Alright, I MAY do something, but I am very iffy about it. I am feeling sick and can't work at all when feeling sick, or sick...

Why do people steal my ideas?[Maelstorm really]

I fixed up Maelstorm's mod that did more or less what you are talking about, it's called BloX, you can download it, mess with it, and I can give you the new models, etc. Scripting is more or less done already, and I can gladly patch up my s3o's and send you them.

http://spring.unknown-files.net/file/2234/BloX_v6_beta/

http://spring.clan-sy.com/wiki/BloX

http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8787

"There's nothing new under the sun"
Yep. Should of figured someone already did this.
I thought I would, but I just don't have time for serious modding.
Sure I'll mess w/ it throughout this week. Now that I have a working example I can probably make XTA w/ custom T3 Juggernauts myself with a few tweaks here and there.

It does work, most of the work is scripting, and fbi, etc. Nothing hard, just needs some patching up.

It's not xta... It's nearly free. Like I said, there's not much to do, it uses no lua, lua could make a much more complex, and smoother variation of this mod, so far it's a base a turret system. I wanted to add an experience counter on the guns so they get better with experience, and get better guns. If you know lua, the models are there.

I'll upload the models, etc. to unknown files either today or tomorrow.