Messages

1

Windows / Re: Compiling problems

« on: March 04, 2009, 12:40:55 am »

Indeed. However, since this section only has a link without further comment, it is easily to miss. I just added a line of text that will hopefully make people take note a little more often.

Thanks BT - just revisited the page and spotted the instructions you added - of course I hadn't read your post post yet so couln't understand how I could have missed that bit last time 

2

Windows / Re: Compiling problems

« on: March 03, 2009, 11:21:13 pm »

This log isn't the compilation log. You should compile the source via Code::Blocks (for example).

-geever

thanks - got any instructions on that?

I'm new to this so basically I'm just following the wiki at the moment and to compile the code it says:

Install nsis and right click the src/ports/windows/installer.nsi file to compile the installer.

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Windows / Re: Compiling problems

« on: March 03, 2009, 11:05:06 pm »

You mean something like this:

http://pastebin.com/f6090773c

4

Windows / Re: Compiling problems

« on: March 03, 2009, 08:01:17 pm »

You didn't compile the source code, or didn't compile it properly.

any suggestions as to where I might have gone wrong?

This is the first time I've tried to do anything like this so aside from following the instructions exactly like I have already done (three times with the same result), I'm at at loss

5

Windows / Compiling problems

« on: March 03, 2009, 01:03:03 pm »

I've followed the instructions in the wiki pages on getting the source of the latest dev version up to here

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Compile_for_Windows


but havign problems creating an installer


error as follows

File: "zlib1.dll" [compress] 30599/59904 bytes
File: "..\..\..\*.exe" -> no files found.
Usage: File [/nonfatal] [/a] ([/r] [/x filespec [...]] filespec [...] |
   /oname=outfile one_file_only)
Error in script "C:\Program Files\UFOAI-2.2.1\ufoai\src\ports\windows\installer.nsi" on line 90 -- aborting creation process

that emough or do you need the whole log??

(xp home on a shitty old dell laptop)

6

Discussion / Re: Missing interceptors

« on: March 01, 2009, 10:32:23 pm »

Sounds like you don't have enough ammo to arm your weapons - if you have no ammo the craft doesn't show up in the menu when you try to intercept a UFO

7

Tactics / Re: A bunch of noob questions and many thanks :)

« on: February 28, 2009, 03:04:14 am »

Wow! Thanks a bunch for the help.
RE #4, I will look into compiling options for english.

So maybe when I start the game, I should probably not hire too many employees. I noticed that my money (credits) keeps going down.

What do you suggest to produce first?
A .Additional weapons?
B. The interceptor that looks like the stealth bomber + the SR71 put together.
or
C. missile defense? 

So during a mission, to gather items as reported at the end of the mission,  you just walk in a room or walk up to items in the room?

First research priority should be some decent weapons - the laser rifle is an excellent all round weapon and will last long into the game until all the aliens are heavily armoured - by then you'll have had plenty of time to have researched other weapons anyway.
So reseacrh continuous wave laster - then laser rifle - then DF cartridge.

Next up you'll need to improve your troops survivability - so research alien armour - then nano armour.

While you are waiting for your first research projects to ensd so you can begin production of lasers, I suggest you install a SAM launcher and produce missiles for it.

You don't need to manually gather items during combat missions - this happens automatically at the end of a mission.

To capture UFOs you will need a landed UFO mission - these come up randomly after a few months - and you will need a small UFO hangar at your base.

Production of useful items tends to be very slow to begin with - increase production capacity by building a second workshop in your main base - and then a second base with two further workshops after a few months - as soon as you have the cash.

Same goes for research - aim to have 2 labs at your main base - and a third base with another 2 - that way if things turn really bad and you lose a base, you'll still have research and production capability.

8

Feature Requests / Night Missions during Daytime Bug

« on: February 26, 2009, 03:01:44 pm »

I'm come across this a few times now.
Every so often I get a downed UFO that no matter when I send in the troops, it is always night time on the ground.

(win 32 - 2.2.1)

9

Discussion / I just got shot by a civvie!!??!!

« on: February 25, 2009, 05:49:42 am »

I'm having a crack at the very hard difficulty level right now, and something really odd just happened on the Army base mission.

I killed a bunch of aliens around the left entrance, and as I was sweeping the base for the remaining few aliens, one of my guys was shot in the back - I turned around and there was a civvy holding a plasma pistol.

WTF??

Should have taken a screenshot but forgot

but I say again:

WTF???

10

Feature Requests / equipment bug

« on: February 21, 2009, 06:05:07 pm »

(V. 2.2.1 windows32)

In a game yesterday I managed to stun 3 soldiers accidently with a gas grenade ( trust me to give it to a girl to throw it).

The remaining soldiers completed the mission so the stunned soldiers survived, however upon returning to the base, their equipment had dissapeared.

Is this supposed to happen ?- if so why because it doesn't really make sense - or is this a bug?

11

Design / Re: CURRENT STORYLINE -- SPOILERS!

« on: February 19, 2009, 09:06:13 pm »

Though i hadn't read this when i wrote it. I still think the comments here on Mumbai are valid, that a full-scale slaughter doesn't mesh well with opening gameplay, nor does it seem necessary.

I have to agree with this.

1. We have an entity that is concerned about resources - and has previously used "cloak and dagger" techniques to proliferate.

2. we have a species of very low genetic diversity (i.e. us)

It makes no sense for the aliens to reveal themselves in this manner for the reasons suggested - anatomy and genone mapping could be done by a just a few secretive abductions ay worst  - all that's needed (in theory) to map a genone of an individual is a single nucleus of a single cell - mapping the entire genome of the species could be acheived with a few hundred - perhaps a few thousand samples - easily obtained without the subject even knowing about it.

The virus could be spread by insect sized robotic probes released in a few key areas (this is quite within our own technology today so well within the grasp of a technological civilisation 1my older than ours) with the infected then left to do the work of the aliens for them - just like before.
So humanity could easily fall with barely a shot fired.
In that context then the Mumbai attack makes no sense whatsoever.
What would make sense is if there was something within Mumbai that was a serious enough threat to the aliens for them to expend both their own precious resources and the resources of the planet they wished to conquer - divert attention away from the wormhole device construction - and reveal themselves.
Perhaps a genetic predisposition common in people from the Indian sub-continent that confers resistance to - or an ability to subvert or control the virus - something ity had never encountered before.

This makes far more sense in the context of the storyline - prior to remote relese of the virus the aliens must perform a genetic cleansing operation to remove the "dangerous" individuals from the population- while that is going on the virus can only be released in a  controlled and very direct manner using the virus ships.

12

Feature Requests / Re: Equipment screen feature request

« on: February 19, 2009, 05:04:25 pm »

All I can say at this point is that the battlescape HUD is due for a complete redesign, but this can take a good while. In the mean time your suggestion stands, but there are more people than just me who'll have to comment.

Overall I think the HUD is pretty well balanced between simplicity and functionality - is there a list of suggestions / implementations for the redesign and the rationale behind it that I can take a look at? I used to contribute to a Government web interface usability panel so I have be able to offer some useful contributions

13

Feature Requests / Re: Equipment screen feature request

« on: February 19, 2009, 04:21:45 pm »

It seems arbitrary to me. Why put some equipment on the main interface and not others?

Good point - and it was something that occurred to me - which is why I suggested a number of allocated slots - that way the player can decide which items appear in the HUd dependent on their own personal preferences and gameplay style

It can be confusing.

Short answer: Nah

Long answer: If anyone finds the HUD in its present incarnation the slightest bit confusing then perhaps they should be graduating kindergarten before playing computr game like this - alternatively show them the considerably more complex XCOM HUD and they can thank their lucky stars how much more simple and streamlined the current HUD is.

Furthermore, even with these slots, what happens when you don't have a hand free for the items in them?

They are greyed out / unavailable in exactly the same way that a two handed primary weapon becomes unavailable / greyed out of the player equips something with the left hand - so no change to fundamental gameplay or interface required

One option is to put your weapon in your backpack, another is to drop it onto the floor. The game can't know which one is preferred, as this changes according to the situation. For example, there might be space in the backpack, but only after rearranging the things that are already in there.

So basically what I'm saying that while a change like this might ease operation for the player, it will likely introduce more problems for being complex.

Think of them as shortcuts to simple common actions and I think you might start to see what I'm driving at.

I originally envisaged this as a quicker simpler way of selecting and using different grenade types - (later in the game I generally carry 3 or 4 types) - so what happens after you use it is irrelevant in the respect you are talking about - it gets rolled or lobbed then goes boom.

In terms of other items that will remain in hand after use like medikits and secondary weapons, there's a number of ways this can be dealt with - all of which either simplify operation or don't make any difference.
for example with a medikit or 2ndary weapon, once it has been equipped and used there could perhaps be an option in the popup menu from the crosshair that says "drop" and another that says  "return" - that way the player can perform either of his preferred options without having to access the equip screen - alternatively they can do nothing and the item remains in hand - result: operation simplified.
Alternatively the player can access the equip screen and do it manually - result: no change to this operation but the overall operation of equipping, using and returning/dropping the item is simplied.
In the situation where a player needs to use an item not shown in one of the HUD shortcuts then they use the equip screen as normal - result: no change to this operation.
Finally there is no mandatory demand for a player who chooses not to use them to use them at all - they are just shortcuts after all.

Either way during battle gameplay the trade-off is in favour of the player with only very minimal additional complexity.

Outside of battle it does an an additional planning element for the player - they must decide which items are most likely to come into play during a particular battle scenario and where best to equip them for best use - while this does make the initial pre-battle equipping stage a little more complicated, this kind of thing is something that a lot of players will positively enjoy this as an additional management feature.

Do you have any other concerns or objections?

14

Feature Requests / Re: Equipment screen feature request

« on: February 19, 2009, 02:57:30 pm »

I personally like this idea. Why not have spots for the holster and belt? I notice that it uses TU to move equipemnt around to use something that is supposedly right where it can easily be grabbed and used

There's a number of ways I'd envisage it being implemented - for example there could be specific buttons for secondary weapons, medikit and grenades and the program would automatically equip the required item (provided it is actually used) regardless of where it is ibeing stored - or there could be preset positions in the equip sreen (such as 1 slot in the backpack, 1 slot in the holster and 1 or 2 slots in the belt ) that would make the item appear in the HUD.

I'm not suggesting that rules are changed to so that there is no TU cost for equipping it - neither am I suggesting that the equip screen is done away with during game play - merely made unnecessary in most common instances.

In  principle it's just a logical step on from  the reload button (good idea IMO) as opposed to having to manually reload.

BTAxis - care to discuss reasons why you don't like it?

15

Tactics / Re: tactics for druglord map

« on: February 19, 2009, 06:20:26 am »

ah. Havent encountered that map. Sorry!

you know that the order the terror missions appear in seems to pretty random?

If you want to play some new ones that you might not have come across before just save your game at a convenient point when you have no active missions showing, then speed time forward till a terror mission occurs - then just reload until you get one at a location you've not seen before - the druglord mission is "Somewhere in Amazonia"