Encounter Maker

[th15]

Comments about the Encounter Maker go here.

Before anyone asks:

Terrain doesn't work yet.
Yes, it'll be added soon.

You can't re-edit encounter files yet, but it'll be added soon too.

[Cerebrus]

Ships saved as Ally in the Encounter Maker load as player-controlled ships.

[Mjolnir]

I can't open the archive out of game. It just says its not a valid archive type.

[th15]

That's because it isn't.

[Mjolnir]

Fair enough.

[DarkenShroud]

Ships saved as Ally in the Encounter Maker load as player-controlled ships.

Other then this, its great. Very nice work as usual, I throughly enjoyed it.

[pwhk]

ENC files haven't been registered yet.

Cannot spawn stock ships?

[Shadow Hydra]

Are we going to be able to create text like in the campaigns?

[pwhk]

Are we going to be able to create text like in the campaigns?

Alright, the Encounter Maker will make it into the next version of BSF. So that we don't get an unrealistic expectations, I'll list out my planned features for the Encounter Maker:

Basic:
The baseline functionality for the Encounter Maker will allow you to import a bunch of custom ships and place them on the map. This will then be saved into a self-contained encounter file (which will have all of the .shp files required stuffed inside).

Planned Features (In descending order of precedence):
-Ship spawning timeline: Spawn ships after a fixed time limit. Allows you to create rudimentary scenarios
-Ship waves: Like grinder, this will have you defining a bunch of waves that will spawn in succession
-Terrain: Place terrain on the map
-Timed messages: Display messages after fixed period of time (goes along with the ship spawning timeline)
-Mission scripts: Include GML script into the mission so that you can completely customize the mission with GML. GML is Game Maker's built in scripting language so you'll be able to do anything I did with the missions (which are all scripted by hand).

That's it, I don't intend to make this a full fledged mission editor kinda thing, this is mainly a way to give your custom ships a context within which to exist. I can't promise that all the planned features will make it in, depends on how much time I get to spend on BSF over the next couple of weeks.

[Shadow Hydra]

Thanks, just making sure.

[Stryder]

Request for Encounter Maker: PLAY MP3 with (wave and/or delay cue)

Example of encounter:
Starting game music (wave 0 / delay 0); next cue in 2 seconds
Hero's theme at (wave 0 / delay 60 = 2 seconds) when hero transports in
Fleet theme when getting message from fleet HQ (wave 0 / delay 300 = 10 seconds) let player read/hear massage; 20 seconds until next cue
Enemy music as small enemy group transports in (wave 0 / delay 900 = 30 seconds); wait until all dead for next cue
Really Evil theme starts when big bad guy arrives (wave 1 / delay 0) at some distance; 15 seconds until next cue.
Dire / losing / bad news theme at peak of big bad guy encounter (wave 1 / delay 450 = 15 sec); next cue when big bad guy dies
Triumph music if big bad guy dies (wave 2 / delay 0)

Tech suggestions/questions:
PLAY MP3 stops all prior music cues, then starts the new mp3 cue
Each PLAY MP3 call should tagged as PLAY ONCE (1) or REPEAT number of times (2, 3, 4, etc.) or LOOP (-1).

The hassle of legalities and Mp3 sizes causing huge enc files:
Mp3s could be included with the encouter file, but I suggestion against it.

With the very cool exception of recording (and sharing) your own music and messages (orders, inter-ship conversations, bad guy threats, distress signals, etc.), I suggestion against including MP3s with .enc files. These new message MP3s could be distributed in music/audio packs as people try their hand at music/sound design. Let's keep .enc files small.

If players want to change the standard MP3s to other music, they can copy / rename their own files outside of the official game. Let's not let BSF get caught up in any Recording Industry Battles. Yes BSF plays Mp3s, but our community does NOT distribute commercial / copy-righted material.

You can always suggest which songs would be great and should be renamed to Combatmusic.mp3, etc. Just don't include them in an enc file.

Refer to the MP3 files that come with BSF such as Briefingmusic.mp3, Battlemusic.mp3, Combatmusic.mp3, or Thememusic.mp3.

[TormakSaber]

A request that will sound a bit odd, but I think it could add a lot of depth.

The ability to set ships in as a "null" faction. We see these in the game already in Graveyard (the ships just sit there and orbit until taken over) and Slaughterhouse (Cherenkov's ship). It would be awesome if you could set ships down as them, both in Sandbox and Encounter Maker. You don't need to be able to take them over, but being able to make neutral ships, shut down targets to defend or destroy, or etc, I think that would be a big boon for encounter makers and Sandbox players.

[Bad Boy]

That is a good request, that would be pretty cool, you could maneuver behind ships for cover and then fly right over them to fire at enemies...
That should be added.

[TormakSaber]

That is a good request, that would be pretty cool, you could maneuver behind ships for cover and then fly right over them to fire at enemies...
That should be added.

Yep, plus I've got an encounter idea that relies on neutral ships being in the playing field. Right now, the closest thing I can get to it is ally or enemy "ships" with 0 accel, but then 1 side can't shoot at them, and they rotate. Neutral ships could be uses as cover and other situationsd.

[Raithah]

Give us boarding parties, damnit :D.

Seriously; though, text then ship scripting should be the next features included.