Angels Fall First: Naval Combat Operations v0.8 [Patch 1 Online]

[Alex Drake]

1) Because I lost my turret rig in an HD crash months ago and have been too lazy to deal with it till now. So I'll get to them eventually.

2) They do use their ions, arrays that is. The effective range of usn ion arrays is less than their imperial counterparts, you just have to move the ships in-range.

Same goes for spinal guns (plasma beams), you have to move your ships in-range to use them (which I think is 10km or so). Ships like frigates tend to be unable to fire there's often because (when engaging other frigates), their targets move out of th firing arc of the main gun (which is a cone of only 10 degrees).

Try manually moving your big ships around to see what a difference range makes. (50km + is torp range, 20-30km is rail-cannon range, 15km and closer = ion array + plasma cannon range).

[Wintermute]

First off, great work on the mod. It really looks great so far, and I love the original ship designs, effects, gameplay, etc etc etc.

However, I've had one problem with the patch. My command line for the AFF Shortcut looks the same as the one you posted (with the exception of the Homeworld2.exe file location path), but the patch refuses to work. I'm currently using the previous 0.8 FULL big file, without the patch doing diddly-squat.

How can I tell?

The AISN starting fleet is still devoid of a Rally Satellite. If I'm not mistaken, this was something that was changed in the patch?

Edit: Torpedoes also still show up on the sensors manager.

Any suggestions on fixing this issue? Or am I mistaken and this is still intended?

[Alex Drake]

I uploaded a streamlined version of patch1 that addresses a lot of the issues folks have been having as well as further tweaking/fixing bugs I've run into. The rallysat issue was addressed in patch1. Just overwrite the existing AFFv8_patch1.big with the new one. Additionally, I'm uploading a zipped package of the 0.8 core with patch1 already included. All you'll have to do is unpack it in your homeworld2 directory and run the shortcut provided.

http://www.affuniverse.com/downloads/AFFv8_patch1.big

*New tweaks
- Fixed/updated parade info for both sides, reduces clutter and also gives room to spawn large stations.
- Fixed some wonky stats, now stations will move about more smoothly, less random motion, etc (make sure to utilize whale freighters to place stations in advantageous spots)
- Fixed LOD/nlip problems with All 3 USN assault ships
- Fixed death linger for Imperial fighters (mesh no longer hangs a few seconds after the fighter dies)
- tweaked the display icons for a variety of ships
- Missiles no longer show up on the sensor manager as yellow dots
- *note to all; hitting tab will suppress icons for torpedoes, but its still a useful tool for figuring out where enemy ships are hiding, use at your own discretion
- Fixed orientation problems on Epyrus, also moved central station below the main action plane
- Fixed build issues that did not allow players to construct freighters
- Fixed unitcaps problems

If you want to use AFF ships in regular HW2 Deathmatch, pleae note that in order to resource properly, build resource collectors and controllers from your Peorth transport. For some reason, collectors have trouble dropping things off at the transport, so make sure to guard your harvesters. additionally, I suggest playing with injections turned up to avoid the AI getting stuck, as it won't know what to do to resource properly.

[Wintermute]

I uploaded a streamlined version of patch1 that addresses a lot of the issues folks have been having as well as further tweaking/fixing bugs I've run into. The rallysat issue was addressed in patch1. Just overwrite the existing AFFv8_patch1.big with the new one.

I know that the Patch was supposed to fix those issues. What I was saying was that either A) The patch does not work, or B) I have installed the patch incorrectly.

My shortcut looks like this:
"D:\Program Files\Homeworld2\Bin\Release\Homeworld2.exe" -hardwarecursor -ATI -noMovies -luatrace -mod AFFv8_full.big AFFv8_patch1.big

Both AFFv8_full.big and AFFv8_patch1.big are in the Data folder.

[grunt123]

You installed it correctly then...

[Alex Drake]

I'd suggest re-downloading the patch (there was an error in the upload process, the correct size should be around 800k), then adjusting your file path to:

"D:\Program Files\Homeworld2\Bin\Release\Homeworld2.exe" -hardwarecursor -ATI -noMovies -luatrace -mod AFFv8_full.big, AFFv8_patch1.big

UPDATE FOR ALL

I've also included an updated version of the core bigfile thats about 100 megs slimmer. grab it here along with a properly formatted shortcut;

http://www.affuniverse.com/downloads/AFFv8_full.zip

[Gotcha]

If you want to use AFF ships in regular HW2 Deathmatch, ... additionally, I suggest playing with injections turned up to avoid the AI getting stuck, as it won't know what to do to resource properly

How do I do that? I can't find any "injections" option in the main menu in Deathmatch mode, only in AFF Deathmatch. In Deathmatch, the AI doesn't build anything, doesn't attack ; it just sits there waiting to be destroyed.

[Vagyr Admiral]

AFF VS HW= AFF overkills HW lol

[Gotcha]

OK, in v0.81, Deathmatch, the AI does build a few ships (presumably it builds at bit of this and a bit of that until it runs out of RU's) and is even able to launch an attack (but will prefer attacking mobile refineries and resource collectors rather than charging flights of drones?)

Strategy guide in AFF Deathmatch : save your RU's for hyperspacing battleships close to ennemy frigates. At short range (10 kilometers or less), kinetic guns (rail guns) work fine. Err, until ennemy frigates break formation and move away, that is. But a few will be destroyed before others have reached a safer distance. I've just tried a "Sobek" rush, two Sobeks against a half-dozen Ranger and a few Alfazard frigates, and the Sobeks won easily, with support from a few Chons frigates far, far behind. Nice to watch, too.

"Detailed" stats like weapon and armor type would help, I think, if they were displayed like they are in HW2. It does make a difference if one ship's weapons are kinetic or energy-based, and whether it can launch torpedoes or not.

[grunt123]

http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i5...nt=ss00001.jpg thats what my screen looks like when I start a game, any ideas why it does that? Past versions have worked normally but this one is different for some reason.

[Alex Drake]

Do you have an ATI graphics card? perhaps removing the -ATI from the line might help, otherwise this looks like it might be a lighting problem. Make sure you're using the correct version of HW2 (1.1) and also are up to date with your directx and videocard drivers.

[Sastrei]

If you're running dual monitors, try disabling the secondary. I remember it helping on occasion. Like Alex says, update the drivers too.

Also, if all else fails, go in to the level files and set the glareintensity back down to 0. If I remember right that's what's doing it.

-Stefan-

[grunt123]

-ATI removed, still didn't help.
Up to Date
Up to Date
Only one monitor
How do i find the level files?

Side note When I open the mod it tells me that I have a AGP card running in PCI mode, how do I change the mode because that may be causing the problem.

[Sastrei]

I don't think it is, as I believe my own says the same thing. However it is set in your computer's BIOS, if I remember right.

To find the level files you'd have to rip open the AFF big file, which Alex may not like people doing so I won't comment as to the actual process here.

-Stefan-

[Sakae]

hi,
wow your ships and explosions and weapon fx and....

uh , well this is a really beautiful mod, everything looks GREAT

good work

[starboykb]

i cant built any destroyer or any frigate ships. So whats the problem here?

[Komo'val]

Build the fleet rally satellite

[starboykb]

WEll thanks finally built it. However, the game to hang up couple times and i saw the CPU is using 100% once you click the unable to built unit.

[Shades]

First of all; Great, absoloutely great mod. Thank you. Secondly, I seem to have a problem.

Whenever I load and play one of the new maps from the mod, instead of seeing the ordinary background the screen goes comepletely white save for the menus. The ships are there, just invisible. However when I play a stock Homeworld map everything displays correctly. So what have I done wrong? 1.1 patch applied, all targets correct in the shortcut... the only thing I can think of that could of gone wrong is my brother having access to my computer for a whole week during the day...

Yes, I am new to Homeworld mods.

Anyway, awesome work.

EDIT: It seems the same thing happens with Star Wars Warlords... any help with this would still be much appreciated though...

[Sastrei]

Tried updating your drivers?

-Stefan-

[starboykb]

Referring to me? Well, my drivers always up to date and including applied HW2 patch.

I also experience the white screen issue only in this mod only

[Shades]

Yep, my drivers are all up to date... and its nice to know someone else has the problem. I might start a thread asking for assistance on the general mod board... someone is bound to know the answer.

[grunt123]

You gotz to edit a map file, I did it and the mod works like a charm

[Shades]

Aye, but how? I am currently staring at a LEVEL file and wondering which value to change...

- Fixed now. Just change the glare intensity in the LEVEL file back to 0. Thanks Sastrei.

[Zeelich]

What graphics card do you have? I'm having the same problem and I've got an Nvidia card.

[Shades]

A 78000 GS... I would be interested to know if this is an Nvidia issue. Its fixable though, which is good. (even if it does take around a minute of tedious textfile editing, depending on how many maps the mod has)

[Zeelich]

Ok! I've finally got skirmish starting (sorta) without the white. It's a driver problem. The problem is that we have the latest drivers! It was causing corruption on the asteroid textures in stock HW2 aswell. I've been told that you need to use a driver version no greater than 163.75, I'm using this version now.

Next problem. Game crashes immediately. There is a problem with the game rules or starting fleets. Here is the error:

Cannot overwrite function CpuResource_Init
Cannot overwrite function CalcDesiredNumCollectors
Cannot overwrite function DoResourceBuild
STARTING FLEETS=========================================
Setting up SmallFleet
Killing player 0 (Z) at time 0.100000
Killing player 1 (C) at time 0.100000
GameObj: Error: Level has ended on the first frame. Game rules (lua) has determined game is over. Level may have no ships.

[Alex Drake]

You are using a random player race, do not use random races.

[Zeelich]

That's it!? The random player race? D'oh! Thanks for that.

Been playing a little bit but I have no idea what I'm doing.

I can't believe how nice the models look! How did you guys get the lighting and the shadows so perfect? It's so bloody beautiful!

[Rev Species 116]

Quick 'Q' for the AFF MOD Team:

I've been looking on the main website, the in-game menu, and this thread, but I can't find a list of 'Credits' to whom contributed to the MOD. Am I missing it somewhere I haven't looked?

Great MOD, BTW - it'll take some getting used to from Vanilla HW2

[Alex Drake]

Heh, you caught me. I;ve been a bit lazy with that.

Main contribs goto the following;

Alex (yay, me!) - Modeling/Code/Rigging/FX/Miscellaneous
Strangelet - Modeling/Textures/Music
KrisWoods - Modeling/Texturing
Oblivion - Modeling/Texturing
Ikarus - Modeling/Texturing
Daemoria - Concept Art
Orbluvion - Concept Art
Cevius - Modeling
Jaen-ni-rin - Modeling
EvilleJedi- Code/FX/Moral Support

I'm also fielding suggestions for what folks would like to see most in future updates. This could be new ships, gametype/weapon changes, AI updates, etc.

My main goal right now is to get atleast one ship (unique) of each class for both sides (USN are missing bombers, cruisers, bships, dreadnought; Imps are missing assault ships, carriers, dreads, and super dreads)

[gthompsn]

I'd like to see the carrier EJ worked on and was shown in some of the previous teaser screenshots.

I'm guessing you are not done rigging the Ragnorak, right? There exist shaded circles that look like the emplacements where turrets will go. Also, the Ragnorak's aft missile pods seem too close in to the main hull. What about a placement more like the pod arrangements for the Heimdahl or Mjolnir?

[Vagyr Admiral]

Re Superdreadnought For the Win!
but annyways, won't there be Battlewagons and World ships in skirmish?

[Komo'val]

Also the Re. A beautyful ship, and maybe the Katana for usn

[cuituoptiikka]

In future updates you should concentrate more on performance issues imo. Right now the mod is completely unplayable for me. I admit that I have quite an old computer but the performance is horrible even on my friends relatively new(a year old) comp. Also Warlords for example runs very smoothly on my comp.

I`m not an expert on this subject but your ships doesn`t seem to have LODs or at least I haven`t noticed them. Making LODs would increase performance but it would of course be a lot of work.

As for the new ships. I would love to see AISN Re-class superdreadnought. It`s not only the best-looking AFF ship but it should be also in for the sake of balance as the USN does have Ragnarok.

[Alex Drake]

Points noted;

Heres whats going on elsewhere in AFF dev-land;

http://affuniverse.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1330

[Vagyr Admiral]

you should scrap the nexus mod and make a sins of a soar empire mod instea, that game is awesomme.

[Vagyr Admiral]

hopw you can keep what you said "Realesed q3 2008" ^^

[Alex Drake]

1.0 is moving along, mostly what'll happen in the mean time are cosmetic changes, updates to the AI scripting, and general hole filling. I may release a .9 interim version, depending on how things go in the next few months.

[Vagyr Admiral]

Wil lthere be huge ships in Skirmish? (I.e battle wagons and World ships)

[Alex Drake]

A world ship wouldn't fit on a HW2 map, though I do plan to get one Battlewagon in for both sides.

[Komo'val]

Oh that would be sweet. I'd love to see the Valhala ingame Actually a world ship would fit on a hw2 map, but the map must be very,very big.

[Alex Drake]

Once you go past a certain map size, HW2 starts getting floating-point math errors. I'm almost certain thats what is causing some of the crashes at the moment.

[Sastrei]

You actually broke the engine, nice.

-Stefan-

[Alex Drake]

For those who don't frequent the forums, I posted a collection of art pieces we've put together for the Operation Bethesda campaign-set in the studio;

http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=181799

[Bernon_Ge]

nice art work.

wouldn't you have to create a huge mega map

[Vagyr Admiral]

yeah, a Huge mega inter galactic pwnmobile fortress with 60 km range ^^ (or more!)

[Panzern00b21]

Wow, im surprised you guys are still kick'n !

Its been so long, im really glad you guys are still doing the mod, I think everything looks fantastic and im pleased that there have been huge improvements since i last checked in. As im afraid i stopped following the thread i cant comment on what your team is doing right now, but im confident the mod is in good hands !

One little question though, Do you think you can make this for the new iron clad game Sins of a Solar empire ? I recommend you research it, the game is magnificent.

My sincere thanks to you and your dedicated team for making such a professional and extraordinary work, Good luck with the mod and any future projects, not like talented people like you need it though.

[Vagyr Admiral]

i completely agree about sins of a solar empire, but for the really tactical combat you should stick with HW2

[Panzern00b21]

I know, but AFF would be glorious on that engine, I can just imagine USN ships deploying hundreds of tactical nukes in wide patterns flowing on to the surface killing all life, while a AISN fleet warps in to get vengeance ! Ah, my knees grow weak at the thought.