Need Testing: Rebuild (of FE) (Launcher & Updater)

[Nielk1]

I have throw togeather a quick launcher that will allow me to easily distribute changes in the mods I am working on to testers. The program is not the most stable, however, if used properly it works without issue.

http://www.nielk1.com/Battlezone/BZRDL/BZRDL.zip

Directions:

1. Make a new BZ2 install. The best way to do this is to simply copy another install, such as fresh install right off the CD. I keep a zip of such a folder for this purpose and have not used by CD in years.
2. Patch this new install to the latest version.
3. Extract this zip into that folder, so that the exe contained is in the same location as bzone.exe
4. Run BZRebuildDevLauncher.exe
5. Wait while the program contacts the web server, the progress bar will fill and reset
6. Click Update to download any packages you are missing. This will also delete old copies of ones you already have. Note the date and time are checked
7. Select a launch profile from the bottom list.
8. Add any extra arguments you wish, or remove the commands already present, from the textbox at the bottom.
9. Click "Start Test"
10. Do not do anything with the program while the progress bar is filling
11. Do not try to use the program too quickly, it is just enough to do the job, but not much more

I am utilizing this system because it not only allows me to slice a mod up into many smaller parts for reduced bandwidth usage and waiting, but I have boiled down the upload and download processes to their minimal complexity. To download the mod for testing, you just use this program. For me to upload a new package, I simply drag the folder of the package on my deployment program and it packs up the needed files and sends it up to the server.

In the event that you run into bugs, please be sure to note what version your modules are in the top left list.

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Current Testing Targets:
Early testing of mercedf1.bzn (FE's Mission 1) and edf01.bzn (FE's Mission 2). Currently checking for timing and major inaccuracies or missing elements. The script for mission 1 still has a ways to go but should be functional. The script for mission 2 has been around 80% rewritten with only 20% or so directly ported from the original script. Watch for things occurring too quickly, attack waves spawning too quickly or slowly, missing objectives, fail conditions, win conditions, voice overs, etc.

[Nielk1]

Note that all of these are not in this project currently, but are considered to be part of it and may appear at any time in the system. If we get a good testing team, we may lock this down to just that team, though currently this is public.

Project Progress

• Rebuild of Battlezone II
  • Fix mission issues - 0%
  • Audit PAK contents, reorganize - 0%
  • Fix Core Tunnel Light Settings (many wrong ODF switches used) - 0%
  • Look for any props needing shadow removal - 0%
• Rebuild of FE
  • FE Redux Missions - 2%
    • MercEDF1 - 50%
      • Conversion from BZS -100%
      • Rewrite to proper C++ - 5%
      • Object Cleanup and Normalization - 0%
    • EDF01 - 80%
      • Conversion from BZS -100%
      • Rewrite to proper C++ - 90%
      • Object Cleanup and Normalization - 0%
    • Additional Missions
  • Races
    • Hadeans
      • Normalization - 95%
      • Model Fixes - 99%
        • Fix pilot weapons - 0%
      • Integrate DarkFox's Fixes / Updates - 95%
      • Integrate Choice VSR Tweaks - 50%
      • Balance Fixes - 0%
    • Cerberi - 1%
      • Normalization - 0%
      • Model Fixes - 0%
      • Balance Fixes - 0%
• Rebuild of Uler
• CP2
  • Races
    • AED
      • Design - 80%
      • Models - 30%
      • Implementation - 10%
      • Balance - 0%
    • Unnamed Scions
      • Design - 50%
      • 'New' Models - 5%
      • Implementation - 0%
      • Balance - 0%
    • HMRC
      • Design - 50%
      • 'New' Models - 0%
      • Implementation - 0%
      • Balance - 0%
    • Aeneans
      • Design - 80%
      • Models - 40%
      • Implementation - 5%
      • Balance - 0%
    • Helians
      • Design - 40%
      • Models - 20%
      • Implementation - 0%
      • Balance - 0%
    • Non-Race Units
      • Design - 95%
      • Models - 0%
      • Implementation - 0%
      • Balance - 0%
    • Race 'D'
      • Design - 10%
      • Models - 0%
      • Implementation - 0%
      • Balance - 0%
  • Missions
    • Scripts (Paper) - 50%
    • Environments - 10%
    • Implementation - 1%
• Additional Rebuilds

[Ded10c]

The system works very nicely, but we really need some help with the testing.

[mase]

In mission 1 at the start it says DLL wants to build dummy at x,y,z, but that is underground.
The building that the ship fly's out of does not seem textured (the opening and the inside is white).

In mission 2 rescued 5 survivors in the first run but it only said 4 survivors were rescued. The counter went 0,1,2,1, then 4.
When rescuing the next 5 it went back to 0. Something definitely wrong but the mission succeeds.
Schultz ship can be sniped.
Preplaced enemys do not attack early which makes them easy sniping targets. Should have higher engage range.
STs can't seem to get past the water area that leads to the survivors not sure if that is intended.

[Ded10c]

Will check each of those and verify on my end.

[Red Spot]

STs can't seem to get past the water area that leads to the survivors not sure if that is intended.

I think its intentional as in 1.2 it could be royal pain to get them to follow. That being said, this mission is actually a lot easier when you rush a bit, at least it was in 1.2.

You're not wrong in saying that pathing across water has become 'better' though (as in units dont go kamikaze if crossing water would kill them).

[mase]

One thing in particular is the 2 xares ships at the 2nd power source, you can already see them but they won't attack unless you scan the power source (or attack them). The mission does not succeed unless you kill them however sniping one of them does not count as killed, so you have to kill their sniped ship too.

When a tank picks up a survivor it gets full health back, while this is nice it is not very realistic, there should be more pods instead.

How do you set the mission difficulty and how do you load save games using this launcher?

[Ded10c]

This launcher is just for testing at the moment. There isn't a load or difficulty command line parameter as far as I remember, so you'll have to do that in-shell.

You only need the launcher to update you files, by the way. You can still access the assets from the launcher by loading from the CFG it generates.

[Nielk1]

I will edit this when I've fixed these:

Mission 1
Dummy Object - That has something to do with the camera and I do need to fix that. It would be best if I could avoid needing a dummy object at all. Knowing if the camera parts are botched in any way would be a big help. [Fix Delayed Pending Research]
Untextured Building - You are quite right, the texture is missing. [Considering new model]

Mission 2:
Survivor Counts [Fixed?]
Schultz ship can be sniped - I should probably set that for insta-fail. What did the mission originally do there if you recall? I couldn't tell if I should extend the camera sequence at the start or leave it isolated to the ejection. [Fixed? pending look at how 1.2 FE did it]
Preplaced enemies do not attack early - I will look into this. They should be acting as active defenders. Maybe if I force them all into the "defend" state rather than whatever state they are in now. [Fixed? (Well they shoot first now at least.)]
STs and water - I saw that and felt like it might have been on purpose. It is odd that the water is there like that. [No Bug?]
"Observer Xares" - They are explicitly set to not attack you unless fired upon or the scan hits the certain percent. I caught that snipe check issue, will push the fix with the rest soon. [Fixed]

Other:
I will add a launch config that launches with the assets all enabled but with no hard set parameters. [Fixed]

Note: I am planning to shift the mission scripts into a slightly different setup. If I do it right, there will be no *new* bugs. If I don't, there will. We will see .

[mase]

I will edit this when I've fixed these:

Mission 1
Dummy Object - That has something to do with the camera and I do need to fix that. It would be best if I could avoid needing a dummy object at all. Knowing if the camera parts are botched in any way would be a big help. [Fix Delayed Pending Research]

There was no problem with the camera.

Mission 2:
Survivor Counts - If you can, I would like some more info. I may have fixed this however and will push that as soon as I have finished fixing these other bugs. If you mean the numbers on the tanks carrying the units, I sorted that out. [Fixing]

No it's the count on the nav name at the dropoff location. The counter does weird things so hard to tell exactly. This time it went
0,0,2,3,1 for the first 5 survivors.

A few file clashes:

Code: Select all

ERR |             filesys:80   |00:58:36|251    |File clash: @rootdir\BZRDL\files\Cerberi\objects\Cerberi\units\Cerberi Talon\cvtalon02.odf
ERR |             filesys:80   |00:58:36|251    |File clash: @rootdir\BZRDL\files\Cerberi\objects\Cerberi\units\Cerberi Talon\from campeign folder\cvtalon02.odf
ERR |             filesys:80   |00:58:36|251    |File clash: @rootdir\BZRDL\files\Cerberi\objects\Cerberi\units\Cerberi Talon\cvtalon02P.odf
ERR |             filesys:80   |00:58:36|251    |File clash: @rootdir\BZRDL\files\Cerberi\objects\Cerberi\units\Cerberi Talon\from campeign folder\cvtalon02P.odf

When launcing from the cfg, then going to single player I get an empty mission briefing and I cannot launch the mission (no button), also I get
audio cache file edf04_00a.wav not found in the shell.
Launching using /config bzrdl.cfg /map edf01.bzn works.

[Ded10c]

Missions.odf is borked, then. I've passed that on and hopefully Nielk can fix it soonish

[Nielk1]

Mission Shell not working [Not Local] (I need to check my packing program and see if it is missing some files.)
I've pushed a few fixes. I tried turning the controls off on the player's ship before Shultz ejects. Other suggestions welcome too. I can also just turn off some controls (like Fire, Hop, and Eject).

Sadly the file clash won't be fixed until I start dealing with Cerberi units directly in the missions.
Unless someone can tell me which Talon would have actually loaded. Both are different and both are present in the same PAK for FE in different places.

[mase]

In the first mission when starting the first window seems to be missing a picture on the right.
On the next window there is a logo, this logo is displayed correct at first but after a few second about 60 % of the top half disappears.
On the Arc 2 Log and Biometal Riots screens there seems to be a missing picture at the top too.

[Ded10c]

Global:
- Black Rook skins not in use.

Informational pages:
- edflogo.xsi missing (merc01.cfg, mercedf1.cfg) - both first pages.
- arktwo.xsi missing (mercedf1.cfg) - model on page two
- ivcar00_new.xsi missing (mercedf1.cfg) - model on page three
- Something draws at the same time as the side text on the first page of mercedf1 which obscures the top half of the background image. I think this might be edflogo.xsi.

Mercury Rising:
- Mercury model missing.
- Mercedf initial briefing cuts off at "Your unit will accompany Hardin to".
- The mission script still requires the other team to destroy another pair of power generators to the north. The player can follow the other team, so it might be best to leave this in.
- The power generators interrupt the walls at the outposts, which seems a little odd.
- Will test debriefings from shell shortly.

Arrival:
- Testing in progress.

I'll check all the prose at some point later. If any edits need making I'll submit them directly during the week.

[Nielk1]

I feel like mission 1 will need a new silo launch object that actually puts the carrier in the correct scale as well as some major tweaks to the walls. They are badly broken but placing them again doesn't work due to changes in how BZ2 changed it's building placements. The walls if you look are actually partially underground rather than using the shorter ones. I think we might need to rig up some new objects to make it look good as well as possibly integrate the pgens into the walls somehow. We don't want to change anything for the worse or hurt the existing vision/system/meaning, but some of the stuff is pretty problematic.

As for the CFGs in the first mission we should probably completely rebuild them. It would be nice if the DLL could call some more sensible calls for them as well (it is quite wacky).

I almost wonder, would it make sense for the Black Rook skins to come into play at mission 2 but not show in mission 1 when added?