Mission Director Basics and Installation

[Stevio]

Question about the text files;
in the sample text files folder you give an example text file with a file name of "3247"
the contents of which doesn't have the usual "<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>"
- i always assumed this line was necessary?

seeing as the page id inside the file is "247" i assume the 3247 is a prefix of some kind
- is it especially for the mission director? as it doesnt seem (atleast for me anyway) that the mission director can read the format of text files we've all used for MSCI scripting
i.e. 441234

i always get a =TextIDNotFound= no matter how i do it

[edit - just tried using some general game text like {17,2011} (solar power plant) and that displays text fine it just seems to be new text files]


Cheers
Stevio

[Toastie]

Stevio, some of the samples still contained text file references from some temporary text files used while those particular missions were being developed. You'll notice earlier in the thread that I reposted the Lottery misson with the text included, because the sample provided contained those temporary textfile references.

Suffice it to say that if you wish to use text files, all you need to do is create the text file in the normal manner, place it in the normal place using the normal naming convention for textfiles and as long as all of your references are correct, you should have displayed text in your missions.

Edit: Your best bet to get the provided textfile working is to change its name to 443247 and change all of the references in the mission file to 3247,xx as well. It wouldn't do any harm to include the UTF-8 encoding line at the top also. Hope that works.

HTH

[Stevio]

Suffice it to say that if you wish to use text files, all you need to do is create the text file in the normal manner, place it in the normal place using the normal naming convention for textfiles and as long as all of your references are correct, you should have displayed text in your missions.

thanks for the reply Toastie,
i've definately got all the references right

Code: Select all

Text file: x3 reunion\t\448560.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<language id="44">
<page id="8560" title="BSG: CotG" descr="Mission Text">
    <t id="1">Hello Nugget</t>
    <t id="2">Colonial Flight Instructor</t>
  </page>
</language>

Code: Select all

Mission director file: x3 reunion\director\cotgbf.xml
snippet

            <cue name="cotgbfready">
              <condition>
                <check_all>
                  <check_value value="{player.age}" min="5s"/>
                </check_all>
              </condition>
              <action>
                <incoming_message author="{8560,2}" text="{8560,1}"/>
              </action>
            </cue>

and all i end up with is a message from "unknown" and "=TextIDNotFound="

[jlehtone]

Was there a 'load_page' instruction or something?

[Stevio]

Your a genius i never even saw that command

Code: Select all

<load_text fileid="8560"/>

required in the <action> tags

good thinking jlehtone

[Toastie]

Oh yes and you'll probably need to use the load_text to load the file into the MD too

Sorry, was responding in a hurry earlier and forgot that bit.

[saber1]

Another question:
I'm trying the PDF Guide, that comes with the MD.
First example "Hello world" - works fine (after added <load_text> and removed max from checkin {player.age}
- i'm running XTM and it's blocking first minute or two after new start).
Second example - still working on it, but ... there is {reward.money@veryeasy.XXXT} - and here is the big question:
Does anybody know what the XXXT is for? - In the command listing it states that it is "discipline" - What it is? and How i use it?
Any ideas?

[CBJ]

The discipline string is TFBT (Trade, Fight, Build, Think). Anything other than the appropriate letter in the appropriate position is ignored. The convention is to use Xs for disciplines that are not included in the mission. So XFXX is a Fight mission and XXXT is a Think mission (used for anything that doesn't fit into the other three disciplines). The reward calculations are slightly different for the different disciplines, so for example the Trade discipline will put more weight on things like your trade ranking.

[Observe]

I'm looking into playing movies possibilities. Does anyone know what <play_cinematic> does/how it works? I haven't tried <play_movie> yet but will give it a try tonight.

[CBJ]

Bad news I'm afraid. The <play_cinematic> action isn't implemented in this version. I'm not sure how it sneaked into the schema as I thought I'd removed anything that wasn't going to be available. The <play_movie> action should work though.

[Observe]

Bad news I'm afraid. The <play_cinematic> action isn't implemented in this version. I'm not sure how it sneaked into the schema as I thought I'd removed anything that wasn't going to be available. The <play_movie> action should work though.

Ok, thanks CBJ. One question: What happens to game UI if I make Movie type=fullscreen (while movie is playing)? Is game action temporarily suspended?

[Stevio]

i was interested in that too i havent used them yet

from the description in "director.htm" i believe <play_cinematic> is just a command to make the camera follow the "object"/"position in space" for a specified time (in ms)
(like the begining of a new game you see your buster shoot off then the camera spins slowly around the argon one)
i.e. (not sure if its an one line command or whether it requires a close tag - could be both?)

Code: Select all

<action>
  <play_cinematic object="{player.ship}" distance="1km" duration="100ms"/>
</action>

whereas the <play_movie> i assume plays an external movie file but what directory they go in i dont know yet

edit: @CBJ damn was looking forward to using this, any idea on where the movie files go tho in the \MOV folder??

[CBJ]

What happens to game UI if I make Movie type=fullscreen (while movie is playing)? Is game action temporarily suspended?

The finer details of things like movie playback are something you'll have to experiment with I'm afraid. As far as I can see both briefing and fullscreen modes freeze the gameplay, but I could easily be wrong about that.

[Observe]

Fair enough. I'll give playing movie a shot and see what happens. Presumably parameters are similar to playing billboard videos. In any case, should be interesting.

[CBJ]

I just had another look, prompted by one of the DevNet people, and discovered that I was wrong about <play_cinematic> not being implemented. It is implemented, and it provides a couple of basic external views for a defined period of time, to help with mission storytelling.

[ChemODun]

Vassenego and Xenon_Slayer sed in http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=197932

Translations of the MD Guide are already being prepared for German and Russian.

The PDF MD Guide is being translated.

When it may be published ?

[Toastie]

When it may be published ?

When you've finished translating it

[ChemODun]

When it may be published ?

When you've finished translating it

Understand. Sorry, but when I ask

Translations of the MD Guide are already being prepared for German and Russian.

May I ask you - you talk about this , or ... ?

and has this reply

The PDF MD Guide is being translated.

I was understand as someone (not me) start another translation.

If it my job - no problem .

But if really someone now start another translation - may I be in the know about it ?

[Toastie]

To the best of my knowledge you are the only person working on a RU translation on this. Many thanks for your efforts so far!

[Observe]

Has anyone confirmed if <warp_object> works for other than player ship?

I'm able to make player.ship jump to another sector, but I am unable to use this command to make some other ship perform a gateless jump.

Thanks.