R&D XCOM Map Alterations

[wghost81]

You can rename EU's texture.tfc into something else like eutextr.tfc, copy it into EW cooked folder, unpack those maps and replace texture references with eutextr.

Edited April 6, 2015 by wghost81

[Beaglerush]

Expanding map borders might not be so simple as out-of-border objects are not fully functional and serve as decorations.

 

EU and EW are basically two different incompatible games. To make EU maps work in EW we'd have to re-cook them which isn't possible atm.

 

BTW, Beagle, have you tried random bomb missions mod already? :smile:

 

Oh goodness, no! :D I will use the excuse of being too busy to have not tried it yet. But really, I've been so busy with my three campaigns I've yet to try your random bombs or anything non-standard like that. I like the concept though, it's always good to vary the maps up a bit.

 

 

I've made a kismet command out of the cheat code "explodeit" we can destroy building/ufo walls before the mission starts. It's possible to make cheap terror maps out of normal abduction ones. But for now we cannot add particles effects like fire and smoke unless they is already an instance on the map. ( This can be solved by cleaning a map via hexediting and loading it as a tileset, but I still haven't worked on it). At the moment I can make beagle's sniper nest on the Pier map

 

Nice! That'll save me a lot of grenade throws :D You could make people like Military Ammo and Waterfront Warehouse and similar maps more by punching pre-made holes in the sides of the shipping crates that dot those maps. Then you could use them as little bunkers for firefights. Imagine Military Ammo if all the shipping crates were useable as firing bunkers... totally different map!

 

So it was a texture problem all along :smile: Who remebers these maps? :D

 

By disabling streaming textures in DefaultEngine.ini the map no longer crashes xcom.. well it's still pretty much unplayable without textures

 

Now.. if we could only load the EU tfc as DLCs..

[Engine.Engine]

bUseTextureStreaming=false

http://i.imgur.com/oioFAT8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/822Wr22.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6Vu3FI4.jpg

:o AMAZING! And especially considering wghost's also excellent work in the next post...

 

You can rename EU's texture.tfc into something else like eutextr.tfc, copy it into EW cooked folder, unpack those maps and replace texture references with eutextr.

!!! Could you guys really bring back my favourite missing maps from EU?! Not even joking, I miss Demolition and EU Gas Station so much (Gas Station was my first map ever when I loaded up EU release =] ). And Museum is hard as nails but I miss it too, it was very unique compared to the other maps and I'd like to play it on with Long War's new toys.

 

Oh my god, Swarming on Demolition... please let it be true, I want to run MECs down that stupid little back alley so bad :D

 

EDIT: Alternate LZs on those maps... I only just considered it! You could start on the other side of the bridge on Museum... or under the bridge... or, on Demolition, an alt LZ on the third floor of the construction building in the corner! :D

Edited April 6, 2015 by Beaglerush

[wghost81]

!!! Could you guys really bring back my favourite missing maps from EU?! Not even joking, I miss Demolition and EU Gas Station so much (Gas Station was my first map ever when I loaded up EU release =] ). And Museum is hard as nails but I miss it too, it was very unique compared to the other maps and I'd like to play it on with Long War's new toys.

Well... it's just a theory. Drakous79 was able to replace flag textures by replacing old texture file name with a new one (and by changing bulk data offsets, but this won't be necessary here), but as I recall it needs to be done for each Texture2D object in the package. Since the replacement code is similar, it should be possible to use replace all patcher functionality.

[Beaglerush]

That would be amazing. I don't think Demolition shoebox would even be balanced for Long War but damn it, I want to play it anyway :) I will be keeping my eyes on this!

[LiQuiD911]

The Anna Song and old Museum rescue missions work too :)

[Nider001]

btw, I heard that a changed version of Nuked City map for the terror missions will be included into b15c. Can somebody provide screenshots, please? :smile:

Edited April 6, 2015 by Nider001

[LiQuiD911]

The ufo got replaced with a pretty nuked spot, I should ask JL about pubblishing screenshots before release

[johnnylump]

It's fine with me.

[LiQuiD911]

Could someone show me where to find the flag patches?

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/TNe9mIh.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/KKFowBi.jpg

 

 

[wghost81]

Ghostbusters flag by Drakous79: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5MAcyqYBx4dMDJweGRTVnRKSmM/view?usp=sharing Note that this was made for an earlier patcher version which had no pseudo-code and no replace all functionality. It contains both low-res embedded textures and links to hi-res textures in TEN.tfc

 

If you look at the Texture2D object's default properties, you'll see the one named TextureFileCacheName. I believe, that's the one that needs to be replaced (example for WP_PistolModern.Textures.T_PistolModern_DIF):

	NameIdx: 0x000008FF (Index) 0x00000000 (Numeric) -> TextureFileCacheName
	TypeIdx: 0x000005A6 (Index) 0x00000000 (Numeric) -> NameProperty
	PropertySize: 0x00000008
	ArrayIdx: 0x00000000
	Name: 0x00000914 (Index) 0x00000000 (Numeric) = Textures

As I understand, Drakous79 replaced it with a name reference to TEN - a random name from name table. I thought of just renaming Textures name table entry, but it is used by other objects, which don't need to be changed. I just remembered that I even tried the renaming idea myself shortly after Drakous79 made his discovery, but failed, probably, because I broke the other objects. So, forget what I said earlier about renaming textures to eutextrs, it was a bad idea. :smile: Just pick some name from the name table and replace all the TextureFileCacheName properties value with it while renaming EU's Textures.tfc accordingly.

 

UPD: just found another example by Drakous79: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5MAcyqYBx4ddXQyVEI4QlZ3TTQ/view?usp=sharing

Edited April 6, 2015 by wghost81