[REQUEST] Earth sector(s)

[Skillers]

I saw Cycrow mention that gates can be connected via scripts, aslong as the sectors already exist. This gave me an idea;

Can you make a script that links the Heretics End gate to the Earth sector/gate. it's just that I've already started, and I don't want to go and restart just to join the gate to the network.

Also, from what I've heard the Terran sectors that exist are basically empty, so this script could also add Terran stations and such, including a shipyard.

There are actually two unconnected sectors, so you could also have a Terran "border" sector (between HE and Earth).

However, fo this to make sense you would need to do some sort of mission to gain their trust. At the end of the plot (can you link scripts to plot events?) a Terran trading station could appear in Heretics End. This could always have 2 BBS missions on display, asking for assistance in destroying the two nearby Xenon sectos (472 and 374), with one message for each. On accepting these missions, Terran ships will be spawned in the Xenon sector of choice and you have X mizuras to get there and help them. Only if you stay there until all the Xenon are removed from the sector will you win the mission. You do not get paid and you have to complete both missions to activate the connection and remove the hostile gaurd ships from the gate. You don't need to maintain the emptiness of these sectors.

The Terran sector(s) would have shipyards (selling their ships) and a general number of factories, possibly including crystalless SPPs. They would have EM weapon fabs and all sheild fabs etc.

If the Terrans have their own race relations, you could use this, starting with ranking high enough to buy M4s after the Xenon missions are completed. Ranking could be increased by destroying Xenon/Khaak and Pirates (Xenon would mount regular mid sized invasion forces) or by completeing BBS missions (assaination/XI/Xenon hunter/Xenon sector attacker and anything else you could think of), which would all be paid. You could also add a police licence.
If they don't have a seperate rank or you cannot find a way around that ("unknown" race?) it should be atached to the Argon, as that is the most feasible relation they would have.

Looking forward to feedback, and I would be willing to help anyone who takes this on, but that excludes codeing as I don't have a clue how to do it.

Thanks

[Galaxy613]

To properly do Terran sectors we'll have to create a whole new batch of stations just for the Terrans.

[Skillers]

Yeah, that would be good, though you could just use Argon stations for the origional release, then change them in a later version.

Oh, also, does the Odin (M1) have working docking ports? It might be an idea to enable them if it doesn't.

[nuclear_eclipse]

Actually, there are no terran sectors in the default X3 map, they just show you an empty sector from the far bottom right part of the galaxy, and use that temporarily. If you really want Terran sectors, you'd need a new map, and then the proper scripts and such to do what you're asking.

Or, you could just download and play the Syndicate Mod, which includes four Terran sectors (Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto), as well as Terran shipyards and EQ docks that sell Terran ships and Terran weapons.

[Skillers]

From what people are saying, one of these sectors actually has "Earth" in it (the planet).

Anyway, i would consider your Syndicate mod (it looks great), but I don't want to have to start again.

[Galaxy613]

What you ask for means you'll have to start again. You can not add sectors once a game is started.

[Skillers]

The sectors are already there, jut with a lack of stations and connections to the gate network. And i'm pretty sure someone said that you could connect gates using scripts.

[Cycrow]

afaik, the earth sector in the game, is jsut an empty sector

it'll be possible to connect a gate to it, but it wont really achive anything, coz its not got anything there

[nuclear_eclipse]

As I said before, the sector that you see Earth in at the end of the plot is really just an empty sector. They temporarilly place 'Earth' in that sector just long enough for the cutscene, then remove it again when the cutscene is over. Therefore, if you were to go to that sector, it would just be an empty black sector. =\

If you wanna visit Earth, you'll need the Syndicate Mod. If you don't want to restart because you'll lose what you have, just download LV's cheat scripts, start a new game, and then cheat yourself back to where you were before you restarted...

[djssuk]

Earth? Terran? Oh well, I guess the element of suprise will be gone now

[Skillers]

Oh well, guess it was a nice idea.

[Lord Boreal]

I aint bothered too much about spoilers, so.....Kyle finds earth eventually does he? Only just got X3 What are the earth ships like?

[Skillers]

No, The Paranid build a gate which connects to earth, IIRC. The Earth ships are pure pwnage.

[kamikazepenguin]

I'm curious as to which planet subtype Earth is, so that I know which values to enter when creating fun things in the Galaxy Editor.

[nuclear_eclipse]

There is no Earth subtype for planets. I've been through every single one, and there is no subtype that matches Earth, although a couple 'seem' close. I have a feeling that the 'Earth' used in the cutscenes is not a normal planet, but some other type of model...

[kamikazepenguin]

Damn. Nothing quite beats the big blue marble, especially with that sexy defense ring around it a la Starship Troopers. What do you think it is, then? A background? Or just sneakily hidden somewhere in the game data files?

[nuclear_eclipse]

Most likely, Earth is hidden somewhere in the core gamefiles.

[kamikazepenguin]

Found two files in 02.cat:
dds\earth_file.dds
dds\planets_earth_diff.dds

I don't know what these are or how to view and use them, because I am but the most wretched of users, the tinkerer. But, maybe that will help somebody.

[arcana75]

I don't think it's incredibly far fetched to imagine that the Terrans have declared peace and setup Heretic's End as their trading post.

Then clear out HE of the crazy ships, use Argon stations as placeholders (maybe script in some special capabilities like crystal-less SPP), and spawn Terran traders and patrol ships and use Argon placeholders if the models don't exist (eg TL/TS), etc.

I believe all the above is achievable via scripting. Would be cool to see a Terran TS flying around some day.

I don't really need to see Earth since HE is now a Terran border sector.

[Skillers]

Arcana, that sounds good. Change HE into a Terran border sector but with all the necessary stuff (weapons and shipyards etc.), so it's more like a forward outpost. Put some sort of "Iris" (Stargate) device on the gate (both sides) so no-one can actually go through it, but still looks like it could open (which it never does). Give the Terran a set of stations (A/B/G EM facts, sheild facts and Argon foodstuffs [that's what they're most likely to use], mines etc, but not crystaless SPPs [would cause inbalence]) available for purchase.

The sector would contain these stations;
1)Terran Shipyard
2)Terran Equipment Dock
3)Terran Trading Dock
4)Terran EM Weapons complex
5)Terran Sheild fab (produce all sheilds for space saving reasons)
6)Terran Solar Power Plant XL (crystalless)
7)Terran Missile Complex (Hammerheads and Balugas)
8)Food facts (L - Argon type)
9)Mines (appropriate to supply the fabs, the asteriods will have to be spawned as well).
10) The irises (don't know if these are stations or objects)
I may have missed some, but it should be self sufficient with all the Terra Tech.

Until ship/station models could be made, they would be the Argon models. All the ships should be named after Norse Gods (in keeping with the current theme) and need a TL, TS, TP and possibly M6. An M2 would be far to powerful for the game.

The sector needs heavy defence (M1, M6s [if made] and fighter squadrons). Also needs a TL.

It would be subject to frequent Xenon Invasions (missions and appearances) because they are in a big war, after all.

This could be triggered by the end of the plot.

P.S. Do the Terran actually have a "race" for the rank?