WYRDYSM GAMES

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.

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Sean 'th15' Chan

By god, it has come.

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tl;dr-ers will be shot on sight.
BSF Wiki
"I have measured your 'fun', and science has quantitatively rated it a three." ~Lord Tim (Data Realms Fan Forums)

Nice!!! Thanks man, appreciate all your hard work. The possibilites that will come about, with the planned features are great. Will also make running any kind of fleet action easier, tourney or otherwise. By simply allowing you to spawn all the ships on one side, then spawning all the ships on the otherside in two easy steps. What a time saver, that alone makes me happy. Include the rest of whats planned, and I am indeed excited.

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If it ain't broke, then don't try to fix it

A renegade is only what he makes of himself - Magius to Huma


You have only yourself to blame for failure

Sounds awesome! Can't wait to try this out. A couple quick questions:


Do you plan to include a sample mission or two? I'm not too familiar with GML, but I bet I'd be able to pick it up pretty quick with a couple completed missions to look at.


So, will loading one of these wipe anything already on the map (read: is it an entire saved map?), or will it just lay whatever's in the file on top of the existing map? Basically, could I use this to spawn formations of ships similar to the spawn formation feature in the sandbox?

It's a doi question, but I've got to ask : will you update the ship database to hold the new file type ?

(and can there be a vote on the name :D)

Edit: So what you're saying is that we'll need to find alternate hosting sites for the encounter files, which are basicaly archives of scripts and SHP files ?

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The preferred outcome of war, is peace. Ironic; huh ? -[citation needed]

No, loading an encounter is like loading a mission, it's completely self-contained.

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Sean 'th15' Chan

I say it should be a ".bfe", ".ben", or ".enc" file, for "Battleships Forever Encounter", and ".em#" for the builder file. Then you cna start another sub-forum for Custom Missions!

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Thats more than enough functions/features.

This is a pleasent surprise.

Sweet!
You are a beast of programming.

10 epic wins for the god among men!

We can finally get a sensible Cold War!

You, sir, are made of 95% Awesome, 5% win and 10% unknown Win/Awesome element.

YES.

THE ARALONIAN-COERCIAN WAR CAN COME TO FRUITION

Now I just need to finish the Coercian side. ||orz

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Yeah that would be sweet, to be able to download and upload custom missions made by the players. If some are good enough, maybe they could even make it into the game, or BSF 2. So many possibilites it rattles the mind, this by far will expand the game to new and almost endless limits.

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If it ain't broke, then don't try to fix it

A renegade is only what he makes of himself - Magius to Huma


You have only yourself to blame for failure

I have only one thing to say:

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee...!

*flails happily and then resolves to learn GML*