NEWSA+SIMBION_tweaked Support and Gameplay

[MeanderingBeing]

Damn EggChen, hats off to you and your skin!
And hats off to nightwatch for not being killed in a fraction of a second!

[Nightwatch]

Damn EggChen, hats off to you and your skin!
And hats off to nightwatch for not being killed in a fraction of a second!

Seconded
...and Thanks

[EggChen]

Thanks guys

Some good and bad news Nightwatch.

Bad - My "dead APC" idea may be a no go. For some strange reason the mesh has the headlights on by default!! So you get a wreck, with working headlights. Unless I can figure out how to export an object in the Actor editor, and create a new ogf its not possible. It is a shame as in testing it looks awesome when you get the huge explosion, and you get a sort of "lurch" as the APC is killed and it moves sidewards slightly, with flames all around it. You can then use the APC as cover.... real shame.

Also, my "evil" idea is also a no go, I'll send you an e-mail.

Good - Well the increased heli parts work a treat, check out these pictures (corrected with picture manager). They even dynamically interact with the level, and cast shadows. Check out the rotors stuck in the tree. Again, the parts provide useful cover.





I'll send you a small patch with the good parts, including removing the car parts debris from the APC.

One favour, next time you kill an APC and get "the light" try and time it for me. I get about 40 seconds, but I am wondering if it is dependant on hardware, etc. I believe it may be removed when the object finally goes offline, if so, I may have to tweak the fire effect to compensate.

[Nightwatch]

EggChen, got your email and replied

Don't worry about the dead APc, though it was a great idea.
But, the heli parts looks very good, thanks

Ok, I'll time the "light residue" after the APC explodes, but as now the new missile burn effects take longer, mayb ebecause of that, I have not actually noticed the light in recent APC kills. Still, I was mostly looking at the skins and trying to save my own skin... also those instances were in daylight (gametime) and light effect of course more visible at nights.

As I said, light residue is not a problem at all, my ammo properties (radiactive) provides a reason for the light residue on the debris. In fact I started liking the light residue effect on the debris.

(however, I will check and time the light effect after an APC kill. I can reload the Garbage APC event and this time hit it more comfortably. I don't need to take a cloes-up photo after all. )

[EggChen]

Ok, I'll time the "light residue" after the APC explodes, but as now the new missile burn effects take longer, mayb ebecause of that, I have not actually noticed the light in recent APC kills. Still, I was mostly looking at the skins and trying to save my own skin... also those instances were in daylight (gametime) and light effect of course more visible at nights.

Well you may have answered my question, I think it is hardware related. Mine lasts for well over 30 seconds, but the time varies.

I also noticed last night that when I kill an NPC he shows in my PDA as alive for about the same length of time, I think it is a delay in processing the offline status of objects. This causes the APC light bug to look worse for me. I won't worry about it too much, but if any of your players report it, I'd be happy to do them a longer lasting fire particle as an option to mask it.

Lets see what Quad Core does for this delay!! Waiting on my delivery of RAM and Vista today.

[Nightwatch]

I agree with you on that point. Hardware might the real culprit in the loght residue. And thanks for keeping the option open.

Well, it has been reported many times that STALKER was not doing great on double core CPUs , with the quad core? A good test, though, either it'll go worse or maybe with that kick of the 4 cores, it may get better. It'll be interesting to read your reports on it. But, most of all, I hope your new PC works great.

[DARK TEMPLAR]

Lets see what Quad Core does for this delay!! Waiting on my delivery of RAM and Vista today.

I have a quad core and I have massive spawn delays, dosen't matter what mod, altho these these two might not be related ( at least thats what my ignorant mind says ) there might huge delay issues but I'm not sure

[Nightwatch]

Lets see what Quad Core does for this delay!! Waiting on my delivery of RAM and Vista today.

I have a quad core and I have massive spawn delays, dosen't matter what mod, altho these these two might not be related ( at least thats what my ignorant mind says ) there might huge delay issues but I'm not sure

not a good sign for quad CPUs, that's only one example but double cores causes delays on STALKER. I'm planning for a quad core as well, well, gaming or not, this is the the way PC technology goes after all.

[busetibi]

:sigh:
quad core cpu's,2-4 gig of ram,systems that need 600+ watt psu's
to run everything, and dont get me started on vid cards, christ when I first stared gaming a TNT2 was top of the line,OS was Windows 68, being able to make cfg's to suit either TDM, CTF or Duel, running the game (I'm talking about Q3A here) in 2D, with no hud or gun, using picmip5 and the game looking like shite but you would do anything to get the magic number of 125 fps so you could do the bridge to rail jump.
I dunno, modern games seem to have missed the plot, yea it's nice to see the eye candy but at the end of the day it's all about gameplay imho.
could be that I'm an old *astard and I dont appreciate what's been done nowadays
:sigh:
I'm getting to old for this *hit, but I'm a gamer and I'll do whatever it takes to play FPS's
excuse my rant.
/me takes the pills and goes for a nap

[EggChen]

You old *astard busetibi

I'm hoping as its has a faster base clock speed, the quad core I have will reduce spawn delays. I do get some running a dual core 2.4, but nothing major.

As it has only been slightly optimised for dual core, I expect Stalker won't use the quad core at all, just 1 and a bit cores

[Nightwatch]

busetibi

I'm 100% agree. gameplay is very important, actually the most important thing. It could be cinematic quality graphics in a game, but who's want to play it if it's damn boring and pointless and you end up wondering around in the areas?
There's also financial reasons behind this push, they of course want to sell more and more graphics cards, CPUs, PSUs, RAMs... I need to take a breath yes, more of everything. Look at Nvidia, every month or so they throw something on to the market, which is only slightly -under the test conditions-better than the previous one. There's alot of noise about it on the internet from the customers, rightly so.
Anyway... Storyline, the plot, that's what makes a game a hit.


EggChen

So STALKER performance will end up suffering on Quad Core as it seems, if the others are not optimised, at least not properly. DARK TEMPLAR says his Quad Core causes delays regadless of mods.

[clavell101]

Not finished the 2.4 yet, but I can't wait for 2.5. It's gonna be awesome. I'm for EXTREME, all the way. Both gameplay and visuals. Saw the skins, and explosions!! Cool!!
Now I'm fighting with mercs, duty, soldiers, monolits, mutants in AW and now i managed to make all freedom enemy to me lol but I'm loving it.
Maybe later I'll go and see Sid and repair my standing with freedom. He likes bribes, as far as I've read. Does it cost a lot?

[fiznerpin1962]

Yeah, it's pretty steep. 10,000 I think... haven't had to "fix" things in a while.

[Nightwatch]

EggChen I got the new skins, thanks And replied. Damn messenger made sweat hours trying to read my mails, it tooks a redownload and reinstall at the end, well, MS

[fiznerpin1962]

OK then. Going to kill Bambi & all his relatives. Hopefully 2.5 will be out when I get back in 4 days....

[Nightwatch]

So you're a deer hunter as well, when you don't hunt the helis and bloodsuckers.
Great to see that you're waiting enthusiastically, it's very flattering, thanks. But I wouldn't bet on that the patch would be ready in 4 days, I'm afraid Some places are in the cue to be improved as well, which requires scripts stuffs and takes a lot of restesting; together comes the EXTREME option, too. As I try to be very careful, it takes some time inevitably. Trying the workarounds to the well-known vanilla problems require time also, considering that the Xray -sometimes at places- cannot handle easily even one single NPC's movements along the waypoits -as in Kruglov's getting stuck to the door at the lab- it's still amazing that how we get away with large swarms of NPCs and mutants particularly in Pripyat at NPP return Freeplay, when spawns start to be counted by dozens (50s and more NPCs at times) let alone the mutants and controllers. busetibi shot around 300 controllers. In vanilla there are a barely dozen throughout the game, if my memory doesn't wrong me. So, still, I'll be trying to make the events in Freeplay go even smoother while keeping the pace and the scale of confrontations -at the least- same.
So, we're looking towards the end of the month or beginning of December, to be realistic.
I can release the mod now in a day or two, it's working perfectly, but it will be short of what I'm planning at the moment. Sorry keeping you all, but as they say, good things com eto those who wait.
(that's always a good reason, but I wouldn't like to hear it when I'm stuck at the airport, listening the announce that the flight was postponed to next day. )

[busetibi]

Not finished the 2.4 yet, but I can't wait for 2.5. It's gonna be awesome. I'm for EXTREME, all the way. Both gameplay and visuals. Saw the skins, and explosions!! Cool!!
Now I'm fighting with mercs, duty, soldiers, monolits, mutants in AW and now i managed to make all freedom enemy to me lol but I'm loving it.
Maybe later I'll go and see Sid and repair my standing with freedom. He likes bribes, as far as I've read. Does it cost a lot?

seems like you're having a blast clavell101
it would be a wise move to repair your standing with Freedom not so much for the rest of your normal journey, but once you hit proper "Freeplay" after Stancia 2, you'll need all the help you can get.
although..............
bwahahahahah,
I've been thinking about going Rogue in my next play through (2.5) dunno, we'll see what happens.
kick ass and ask no questions mate, the mod you're playing gets better as you progress.
GL, HF.

@Nightwatch I'm not sure why or how or if it can be done, but a few CTD's I had in Pripyat went along the lines as:
Can't Open Section af_mincer
I take it it's refering to an artifact but Pripyat does not have that many artifacts bouncing around, well except for Monolith HQ,Fangs secret stash area, The Stadium and maybe the Garage section.
just thought I'd mention it is all ;)

[clavell101]

seems like you're having a blast clavell101
it would be a wise move to repair your standing with Freedom not so much for the rest of your normal journey, but once you hit proper "Freeplay" after Stancia 2, you'll need all the help you can get.
although..............
bwahahahahah,
I've been thinking about going Rogue in my next play through (2.5) dunno, we'll see what happens.
kick ass and ask no questions mate, the mod you're playing gets better as you progress.
GL, HF.

It's a blast alright Thanks, I'll take your advice and repair the standing with Freedom people. It'll be a funny truce, I shot their leaders, Lukash and Max. lol
When 2.5 comes out, I'll have finished this version and will be ready for it.
I take this run as a practice run for 2.5. 2.5 looks awesome, tanks very cool. Explosions perfect, better than many games around, very real

Yeah, it's pretty steep. 10,000 I think... haven't had to "fix" things in a while.

Thanks I think I can afford it and it seems worth it also.

[Nightwatch]

Busetibi, so you're planning to kill everyone and everything that breathes on v2.5 ha? heh he I hope PDA has enough capacity to write them on the screen

Edit: those "can't open something_artifact messages are results of Xray going haywire under the pressure of large spawns, and cannot manage some of them. I'm just getting towards Pripyat work in the schedule, I'll look at it seriously, thanks.

clavell101
I'm glad to see that you're enjoying the game, that's all what matters.
__________________

EggChen

I only today could run the game with your new skins patch, (folders were open for some editing). I need to find another adjectiv eto define your work, for I know I'm saying a lot of "Great" and this is just another one: Great

Chopper looks brilliant. When it's shot down, it leaves very good number of parts, all which are logically correct parts and they look , again, great. some even burned out smears constituting the hit power.

APC does not leave car pieces/tyres anymore, you've corrected another vanilla bug, congrats.

Also, there is no light residue at all anymore, neither on APC nor on Heli hit locations; I checked it four times, no light.

Smoke on the hit site lasts only about 10 seconds, very good. Another success.
------------------
It was difficult to try to take pictures and view the chopper, because I hit the APC at blockpost to initiate the chopper, but all around me were full of soldiers, who had been continuing their attack on the village. I'm taking photos, b**rds shooting me, lol,

I have to grab a sandwich for late lunch (4:15 pm) then in the evening I'll post heli pictures as in on epiece, and in many pieces on the ground