Long War mod discussion

[Deleted415102User]

loving the mod so far.. maybe its just me but i have not been able to get the mod Rig the Roulette Wheel to show up for Long War EW 13.. anyone able to do it? or has it been done and i missed it somewhere? or is there a feature in game to do so?

thanks

[zeppelin1717]

Does anyone know if there are some settings I can play with regarding ragdolling? specifically I want to increase the amount that enemies ragdoll, possibly coupled with lowering the gravity slightly (without affecting grenades, though I can deal with it affecting grenades if it means more hilarious bouncing corpses). I've seen a number associated with gravity in one of the many .ini files I combed through but I wasn't really sure what that was or if it was a good idea to mess with it...

anyone know anything that would be of help? again this is purely aesthetic, I just love the way the corpses end up sometimes, and I want to increase that somehow.

[Amineri]

I'm not sure if this question has been answered or not.. I tried searching but I got nothing... anyway, my question is:

 

How do I edit the list of mission names? prefix/suffix list for the randomly generated mission names. I know it's somewhere, but I haven't been able to figure out where it is, what file, etc. Can anyone shed some light on the situation? I really want to add some silly adjectives to lighten up the missions. Probably nothing too ridiculous, just some awkward adjectives/nouns... like "jiggly" or "gyrating" or something. Please let me know if anyone has found out which file they are in (and yes I'm using long war, obviously).

 

 

edit: OK so I found the file thanks to this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/xcom/mods/481/?

it's in path... XEW>XComGame>Localization>INT and the file is called "XComStrategyGame.int" just open with notepad++ (regular notepad may work too)

The guy who made the mod said that adding any more names to the list won't be recognized, so I'm currently trying to find how I can increase that number. If anyone has any insight, again, greatly would be appreciated.

 

First, a little bit of technical detail. Unreal Engine 3 seems to have two different "classes" of configuration data :

 

1) Config data in .ini files. These are all in the config folder and are common across all language installations. Arrays here seem to be required to be dynamic arrays.

 

2) Localization data in .int / .rus / .esn / etc files. These are all in the localization folder, with a subfolder for each particular language. Arrays here seem to be required to be static arrays.

 

Mission names have to be localized, hence they have to be static sized arrays. The config variables for these arrays are defined in XGMission :

var const localized string m_aFirstOpName[53];
var const localized string m_aSecondOpName[76];

As you can see, these are configured to be arrays of size 53 possible mission first names, and 76 possible mission second names. Random opname are generated in XGMission.GenerateOpName (fittingly enough!) with :

kTag.StrValue0 = m_aFirstOpName[Rand(53)];
kTag.StrValue1 = m_aSecondOpName[Rand(76)];

Note that the array size is basically hard-coded here as well.

 

The ideal case here would be to use dynamic config arrays, which would allow simply adding more values, and the using the lines such as :

kTag.StrValue0 = m_aFirstOpName[Rand(m_aFirstOpName.Length)];
kTag.StrValue1 = m_aSecondOpName[Rand(m_aSecondOpName.Length)];

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be possible to use dynamic arrays in localization config data, which means more awkward workarounds.

 

In any case it would require some hex editing to allow more mission names to be defined.

 

The simplest way would be to change the values of both the defined variables and the values in GenerateOpName, and add the corresponding number of entries in the localization data. This is a somewhat finicky operation, and could cause problems if people running other languages use the same hex.

[Amineri]

 

Does anyone know if there are some settings I can play with regarding ragdolling? specifically I want to increase the amount that enemies ragdoll, possibly coupled with lowering the gravity slightly (without affecting grenades, though I can deal with it affecting grenades if it means more hilarious bouncing corpses). I've seen a number associated with gravity in one of the many .ini files I combed through but I wasn't really sure what that was or if it was a good idea to mess with it...

anyone know anything that would be of help? again this is purely aesthetic, I just love the way the corpses end up sometimes, and I want to increase that somehow.

Offhand I'm not sure, but I have seen various physics references sprinkled throughout the XComGame.upk.

Also Unreal Engine 3 commands such as SetScale3 work (and is how Long War has fudged in new weapons without being able to create new weapon models0.

[Amineri]

 

loving the mod so far.. maybe its just me but i have not been able to get the mod Rig the Roulette Wheel to show up for Long War EW 13.. anyone able to do it? or has it been done and i missed it somewhere? or is there a feature in game to do so?

thanks

 

 

There are some technical issues with making them compatible. The big one is that Long War defers some things such as randomizing of perks a la Training Roulette until after the first rank perk is selected. This is necessary because each of the two specializations has a different perk tree after rank 1 (e.g. Infantry and Assault have the same rank 1 perks, but rank 2+ perks are different). Perk randomization only allows certain perks to be randomized (based on configuration data).

 

Also the functionality of displaying the perk icons has been nearly completely rewritten to support the large 3x7 expanded perk tree (which allows blank spots).

 

So it's a bit tricky and involves more of a mod-mod than an adaptation of the existing mod.

[EarthwormJim21]

http://postimg.org/image/4b87mfh1b/

 

I am getting this error whenever I install this mod. I have no other mods installed, and no existing savegames from the base game.

 

The game will start up as normal and I can pick the advanced and second wave options, start the game, choose my home continent, and get the pre-mission sequence. The moment I hit the launch mission button, the game goes dark and appears to try to load the first mission. Forever. Nothing can be done at this point but open the task manager and end the process.

 

I have tried a number of different config and second wave options and nothing appears to change. I've also tried validating steam cache to uninstall and reinstalling the mod, as well as deleting the game as a whole, installing it fresh on steam, and then installing the mod. No change in what happens, the above error included. I've tried removing the My Games\XCOM - Enemy Within\XComGame\Config files, and it did not help.

 

I have also tried re-downloading the mod installer to check for a bad download, and that also did not change anything.

 

The only thing in the Troubleshooting.txt that I tried/took a look at that was not exactly as it should be was that a few of my .ini files in XEW\XComGame\Config do not have a date of 8/6/2014, especially considering I deleted and reinstalled the entire game just today as part of troubleshooting this.

 

http://postimg.org/image/ratesptef/

 

I am at a loss on how to get this mod to work from this point.

Edited August 6, 2014 by EarthwormJim21

[zeppelin1717]

 

I'm not sure if this question has been answered or not.. I tried searching but I got nothing... anyway, my question is:

 

How do I edit the list of mission names? prefix/suffix list for the randomly generated mission names. I know it's somewhere, but I haven't been able to figure out where it is, what file, etc. Can anyone shed some light on the situation? I really want to add some silly adjectives to lighten up the missions. Probably nothing too ridiculous, just some awkward adjectives/nouns... like "jiggly" or "gyrating" or something. Please let me know if anyone has found out which file they are in (and yes I'm using long war, obviously).

 

 

edit: OK so I found the file thanks to this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/xcom/mods/481/?

it's in path... XEW>XComGame>Localization>INT and the file is called "XComStrategyGame.int" just open with notepad++ (regular notepad may work too)

The guy who made the mod said that adding any more names to the list won't be recognized, so I'm currently trying to find how I can increase that number. If anyone has any insight, again, greatly would be appreciated.

 

First, a little bit of technical detail. Unreal Engine 3 seems to have two different "classes" of configuration data :

 

1) Config data in .ini files. These are all in the config folder and are common across all language installations. Arrays here seem to be required to be dynamic arrays.

 

2) Localization data in .int / .rus / .esn / etc files. These are all in the localization folder, with a subfolder for each particular language. Arrays here seem to be required to be static arrays.

 

Mission names have to be localized, hence they have to be static sized arrays. The config variables for these arrays are defined in XGMission :

var const localized string m_aFirstOpName[53];
var const localized string m_aSecondOpName[76];

As you can see, these are configured to be arrays of size 53 possible mission first names, and 76 possible mission second names. Random opname are generated in XGMission.GenerateOpName (fittingly enough!) with :

kTag.StrValue0 = m_aFirstOpName[Rand(53)];
kTag.StrValue1 = m_aSecondOpName[Rand(76)];

Note that the array size is basically hard-coded here as well.

 

The ideal case here would be to use dynamic config arrays, which would allow simply adding more values, and the using the lines such as :

kTag.StrValue0 = m_aFirstOpName[Rand(m_aFirstOpName.Length)];
kTag.StrValue1 = m_aSecondOpName[Rand(m_aSecondOpName.Length)];

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be possible to use dynamic arrays in localization config data, which means more awkward workarounds.

 

In any case it would require some hex editing to allow more mission names to be defined.

 

The simplest way would be to change the values of both the defined variables and the values in GenerateOpName, and add the corresponding number of entries in the localization data. This is a somewhat finicky operation, and could cause problems if people running other languages use the same hex.

 

 

Oh god, thank you for the reply, didn't anticipate it being this complicated. I'm not planing on redistributing the changes I'm making seeing as how I'd probably get banned for them (use your imagination :laugh: ) but If it's too much hassle I think I can just replace some of the "borderline" ones with crazy ones. e.g. replace shattered with exploding or something.

 

Kinda disappointed but thanks again for the reply. At least now I won't go poking around and screw something up and have to reinstall =\

 

 

in response to your comment re: gravity:

can you be more specific? I don't feel comfortable doing any hex editing, (which i assume is required to alter data within a .upk file, correct me if I'm wrong) but I am curious about the commands. TBH I don't even know how to do commands in game, i assume I can bring up a command prompt with ~ or something... Or is it just using the default steam console? Should I just google some unreal 3 engine commands?

Edited August 6, 2014 by zeppelin1717

[Amineri]

 

can you be more specific? I don't feel comfortable doing any hex editing, (which i assume is required to alter data within a .upk file, correct me if I'm wrong) but I am curious about the commands. TBH I don't even know how to do commands in game, i assume I can bring up a command prompt with ~ or something... Or is it just using the default steam console? Should I just google some unreal 3 engine commands?

I'm hardly an expert on the entirety of Unreal Engine -- I doubt I could develop an Unreal Engine game, since I kind of backed into it by hacking hex.

 

What I was referring to was inserting Unreal Engine core physics commands into the unrealscript via hex editing -- not a simple operation. There may be some built-in Unreal Engine console commands that adjust general physics settings, but I don't know what those commands would be. The Unreal Console for XCOM can be unlocked via a patch you can download from the Nexus Long War page.

[Zerazar]

Hi guys, just a quick question. How did you manage to change item weight? I guess you added mobility penalty however weapons/items don't have iMobilityBonus stat in the appropriate ini file.

 

What part of the xcomgame.upk did you had to mod to do it? I would like to add movement penalty to people carring rocket launcher or to heavy class itself whichever is easier to do

 

Resolved, found another easier way to do what I wanted.

 

May I ask how you did it? Or if anyone else can tell me. It's easy for armor but there's no iMobility value for small items.

[Amineri]

 

Hi guys, just a quick question. How did you manage to change item weight? I guess you added mobility penalty however weapons/items don't have iMobilityBonus stat in the appropriate ini file.

 

What part of the xcomgame.upk did you had to mod to do it? I would like to add movement penalty to people carring rocket launcher or to heavy class itself whichever is easier to do

 

Resolved, found another easier way to do what I wanted.

 

May I ask how you did it? Or if anyone else can tell me. It's easy for armor but there's no iMobility value for small items.

 

 

For Long War I modded in the capability to assign mobility stats to all "weapons", including small items. You have to look at a different part of the DefaultGameCore.ini. For example, Chitin Plating has the following config lines :

;Chitin Plating
Itembalance_Normal=(eItem=eItem_ChitinPlating,				iCash=100,	iElerium=0,		iAlloys=20,		iTime=10,	iEng=35);
BalanceMods_Classic=(eType=72,								iDamage=0,	iCritHit=0,		iAim=0,			iDefense=0,	iHP=0,	iMobility=-2,	iWill=0);

The second line is all new stuff, which in this case only adds a -2 mobility modifier when the item is equipped. Everything is explained in comments at the top of the section :

; Items -- All difficulties
; meld cost is above 4th and additional digits in iElerium
; perk granted is above 4th and additional digits in Alloys				

; extra weapon and armor stat configuration (in BalanceMods_Classic entries)
; eType		-- item ID (only numbers, eItem enum does not)
; iDamage	-- flight fuel, works only for weapons/items
; iCritHit	-- model size adjustment in three dimensions, xxxyyyzzz, where xxx is barrel direction, in % of baseline, so 110100100 is 10% longer gun. Only works on PRIMARY weapons.
; iAim		-- aim, works only for armors
; iDefense 	-- defense, works only for weapons and items
; iHP		-- damage reduction, works for weapons/armor/items xx = x.x DR, so 5= 0.5
; iMobility -- mobility, works only for weapons/items
; iWill		-- regeneration, works for weapons/armor/items; requires regeneration perk to be applied elsewhere (which provides a base +2 regen)

; Gear
; Line 1 (ItemBalance_Normal)								Cost		MELD/ELERIUM	PERK/ALLOYS		Time		Engineers
; Line 2 (BalanceMods_Classic)								Flight Fuel	Model Resize	Aim				Defense		DR		Mobility		Regeneration