[REALSPACE MODS] "STARS" - "XRSGE" - "REM" - various

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ziplock815
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.2 - 03/2022)

Post by ziplock815 » Thu, 31. Mar 22, 15:25

X3 style is finally back? That's good news :P

Wish I could help, but I don't understand a thing in modding :(

Realspace
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[MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Thu, 7. Apr 22, 12:52

Version 2.5.1 is available

(Please download also the patch 2.5.1 and put in the 2.5's folder)

This version is a complete remake of all previous visuals
New skybox and nebulae, some X3's styled
All planets have been redone, some have been replaced or moved

Tides of Avarice, Windfall, has been totally redone...take a look (I dont' want to spoil it :D )

Bonus X Menu mod available, a new start menu for TOA

I'll continue to fine-tune every single sector but hope it will need only small patches in the future, I am trying to work more on shaders than textures

This mod is the foundation for the other one I am working on which consists in a revamp of all the galaxy.
Not adding new clusters but only sectors inside the vanilla map, with different logic and many alpha/beta etc sectors inside that coincide with different orbital distances.
Longer superhighways going from planet to moon, etc

For ease of use I keep the two mods separated because the galaxy revamp needs a new game start, while this mod, stars, can be added/removed in any moment

I suggest to use the Camera Mod by Kuertee to better appreciate the scenery I created

https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations ... it/?id=507

Please report any missing texture, etc.
Last edited by Realspace on Thu, 7. Apr 22, 14:19, edited 2 times in total.

Realspace
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your opinion

Post by Realspace » Thu, 7. Apr 22, 14:10

I want to ask your opinion about solar system

I've totally redone the stars and nebula. I think I've a bit overdone with visuals, making the solar system more similar to the other clusters in the game
I only let Earth cluster with a less "intrusive" nebula.
I don't know what I prefer, I generally like dark space and bright planets, for photo-fidelity (that is different from what an human eye can see) but who cares when the rest of the game has a certain mood?
Thanks

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Tanvaras
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Tanvaras » Thu, 7. Apr 22, 23:25

Realspace wrote:
Thu, 7. Apr 22, 12:52
Version 2.5.1 is available

(Please download also the patch 2.5.1 and put in the 2.5's folder)

This version is a complete remake of all previous visuals
New skybox and nebulae, some X3's styled
All planets have been redone, some have been replaced or moved

Tides of Avarice, Windfall, has been totally redone...take a look (I dont' want to spoil it :D )

Bonus X Menu mod available, a new start menu for TOA

I'll continue to fine-tune every single sector but hope it will need only small patches in the future, I am trying to work more on shaders than textures

This mod is the foundation for the other one I am working on which consists in a revamp of all the galaxy.
Not adding new clusters but only sectors inside the vanilla map, with different logic and many alpha/beta etc sectors inside that coincide with different orbital distances.
Longer superhighways going from planet to moon, etc

For ease of use I keep the two mods separated because the galaxy revamp needs a new game start, while this mod, stars, can be added/removed in any moment

I suggest to use the Camera Mod by Kuertee to better appreciate the scenery I created

https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations ... it/?id=507

Please report any missing texture, etc.
Hot damn, been waiting for your update. This is a mod I always use, due to the quality and how much it improves the visuals.

Looks brilliant! Now to get back into a new game with the sector backgrounds looking amazing once again.
“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
“Talent is a pursued interest"
“Let's get crazy.”
“There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.”

Bob Ross, 29 October 1942 - 4 July 1995

ziplock815
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed, 8. Oct 14, 20:30

Re: your opinion

Post by ziplock815 » Fri, 8. Apr 22, 01:18

Realspace wrote:
Thu, 7. Apr 22, 14:10
I want to ask your opinion about solar system

I've totally redone the stars and nebula. I think I've a bit overdone with visuals, making the solar system more similar to the other clusters in the game
I only let Earth cluster with a less "intrusive" nebula.
I don't know what I prefer, I generally like dark space and bright planets, for photo-fidelity (that is different from what an human eye can see) but who cares when the rest of the game has a certain mood?
Thanks
Just. Wow.
Great work with nebulae and stars. Egosoft should definitely employ you.
I've found some small issues while checking it out: a moon in Memory of Profit 9 is missing textures, Venus seems to be a bit pixelated and Earth looks pale - I think it'd better to make it more....colorful. And a few words about solar system: most planets look great, but The Milky Way looks more like a big nebulae rather than galaxy it is. I suggest to take a look to Space Engine, maybe you could do something like that in this wonderful mod. It'd be nice to finally see realistic Milky Way in Sol system in X series :)

leoriq
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by leoriq » Fri, 8. Apr 22, 17:49

Awesome mod, but why do I get a warning that saves from previous version, 2.3, are incompatible with 2.5.1?
Realspace wrote:
Thu, 7. Apr 22, 12:52
Version 2.5.1 is available
while this mod, stars, can be added/removed in any moment
Signature yes signature a GIGANTIC SIGNATURE!!

Ronux
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Ronux » Fri, 8. Apr 22, 17:54

First I would like to say that I appreciate the hard work that you have put into this mod. I have been using it for a long time now.

I don't know if this is the right place to ask for assistance but when I upgraded from an older version to 2.5 I can no longer load my saves. I think I went from 2.3 to 2.5, now when I try and load it says that Stars 2.3 is missing and my save game is incompatible. I have never seen this error before so i'm not sure how to fix this. I have removed STARS completely, and added in a fresh copy and of 2.5 plus 2.5.1 and its still asking for 2.3.

Any way around this?

EDIT: The exact error is:

Missing, old, or disabled extensions:
- stars (starts - 2.3) missing

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Sat, 9. Apr 22, 15:10

That's bc previous versione had "save=1" in the content.xml so it was written in the default. Go in the document folder, egosoft etc and delete the default. This solves the issue with any mod that is written and is called by the game. The mod can be added/removed in any moment, It does not touch the map.

Ronux
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Ronux » Sat, 9. Apr 22, 15:58

Realspace wrote:
Sat, 9. Apr 22, 15:10
That's bc previous versione had "save=1" in the content.xml so it was written in the default. Go in the document folder, egosoft etc and delete the default. This solves the issue with any mod that is written and is called by the game. The mod can be added/removed in any moment, It does not touch the map.
Got it, thank you so much. Now I know what to do if this happens again. Looks like everything is working perfectly now.

Realspace
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Re: your opinion

Post by Realspace » Sat, 9. Apr 22, 17:10

ziplock815 wrote:
Fri, 8. Apr 22, 01:18
Realspace wrote:
Thu, 7. Apr 22, 14:10
I want to ask your opinion about solar system

I've totally redone the stars and nebula. I think I've a bit overdone with visuals, making the solar system more similar to the other clusters in the game
I only let Earth cluster with a less "intrusive" nebula.
I don't know what I prefer, I generally like dark space and bright planets, for photo-fidelity (that is different from what an human eye can see) but who cares when the rest of the game has a certain mood?
Thanks
Just. Wow.
Great work with nebulae and stars. Egosoft should definitely employ you.
I've found some small issues while checking it out: a moon in Memory of Profit 9 is missing textures, Venus seems to be a bit pixelated and Earth looks pale - I think it'd better to make it more....colorful. And a few words about solar system: most planets look great, but The Milky Way looks more like a big nebulae rather than galaxy it is. I suggest to take a look to Space Engine, maybe you could do something like that in this wonderful mod. It'd be nice to finally see realistic Milky Way in Sol system in X series :)
Thank you, I'll look into it. Yes I do agree that milky way is a compromise. I left Earth sector without the big nebula, but instead of the proper starfield that is the milkyway you have a blue horizon (btw yes Earth needs a bit more colour). Less intrusive even if not quite similar to the real milky way. Problem is I have only one model available (but am working on it, have issue changing the material references in the xmf) so created a "general use" blue starfield to be used in the milky way and others too. Maybe in next update I'll remove the big nebula and left only the blue starfield as is now in Earth sector. That's why I asked opinions... Btw, did you take a look in Windfall? :roll: :D
Ego has updated the model (but there are still some artefacts), their idea was not bad in principle, still it looks like a cave not a gas tunnel to me...anyway, I followed a different approach (no spoil here...). Also consider I am working on a parallel project, where I put internal sectors everywhere, with superhighways (as in Rebirth), so there will be another internal sector there... :roll:

About Ego hiring me, I am an old guy who is lucky to have time to spend and do this out of space-game's addiction, I'd work for free. Hope one day they release some visual modding tool, then it will be amazing for what we could do with this engine, not the exhausting trial and error + xml notepad++ coding of now... :headbang: :-P

ziplock815
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Re: your opinion

Post by ziplock815 » Sun, 10. Apr 22, 23:39

Realspace wrote:
Sat, 9. Apr 22, 17:10
ziplock815 wrote:
Fri, 8. Apr 22, 01:18
Realspace wrote:
Thu, 7. Apr 22, 14:10
I want to ask your opinion about solar system

I've totally redone the stars and nebula. I think I've a bit overdone with visuals, making the solar system more similar to the other clusters in the game
I only let Earth cluster with a less "intrusive" nebula.
I don't know what I prefer, I generally like dark space and bright planets, for photo-fidelity (that is different from what an human eye can see) but who cares when the rest of the game has a certain mood?
Thanks
Just. Wow.
Great work with nebulae and stars. Egosoft should definitely employ you.
I've found some small issues while checking it out: a moon in Memory of Profit 9 is missing textures, Venus seems to be a bit pixelated and Earth looks pale - I think it'd better to make it more....colorful. And a few words about solar system: most planets look great, but The Milky Way looks more like a big nebulae rather than galaxy it is. I suggest to take a look to Space Engine, maybe you could do something like that in this wonderful mod. It'd be nice to finally see realistic Milky Way in Sol system in X series :)
Thank you, I'll look into it. Yes I do agree that milky way is a compromise. I left Earth sector without the big nebula, but instead of the proper starfield that is the milkyway you have a blue horizon (btw yes Earth needs a bit more colour). Less intrusive even if not quite similar to the real milky way. Problem is I have only one model available (but am working on it, have issue changing the material references in the xmf) so created a "general use" blue starfield to be used in the milky way and others too. Maybe in next update I'll remove the big nebula and left only the blue starfield as is now in Earth sector. That's why I asked opinions... Btw, did you take a look in Windfall? :roll: :D
Ego has updated the model (but there are still some artefacts), their idea was not bad in principle, still it looks like a cave not a gas tunnel to me...anyway, I followed a different approach (no spoil here...). Also consider I am working on a parallel project, where I put internal sectors everywhere, with superhighways (as in Rebirth), so there will be another internal sector there... :roll:

About Ego hiring me, I am an old guy who is lucky to have time to spend and do this out of space-game's addiction, I'd work for free. Hope one day they release some visual modding tool, then it will be amazing for what we could do with this engine, not the exhausting trial and error + xml notepad++ coding of now... :headbang: :-P
Yeah, I took a look at Windfall and it looks wonderful. I wonder if I can even see a planet in the background when I fly through gas clouds :) Really immersive.

Btw, I visited all of X4 sectors with your mod on and personally I think your previous variation of Nopileo's fortune was a lot better than the last one (in your variation it was cool to travel to moon from planet using superhighway - X Rebirth style). On the other side, I think The Void should be closer to vanilla, with that rather beautiful blue nebulae and a gas giant (that gas giant exists in the description of the sector in Encyclopedia after all)
It's a good idea to remove that ugly green gas giant from Unholy Retribution, but maybe it could be redone to be less pixelated as an option? I allso suggest to take a look at vanilla planet in Holy Vision - it's rather ugly in my opinion and clouds are pixelated. I like your approach to slow down planet rotation - much more realistic, but some planets (for ex. the big one in Sacred Relic and Black Hole Sun) still have fast rotation.

I'm eager to see your parallel project - X Rebirth approach to multi-sector was really good idea. Btw, are there any plans to add X-Rebirth sectors to X4 somehow? There were some projects, but I think they were abandoned. Regretfully :(
Last edited by ziplock815 on Mon, 11. Apr 22, 03:37, edited 1 time in total.

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.5.1 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Mon, 11. Apr 22, 01:59

Thank you for the hints
I don't go into detail but in my parallel project things are a lot more immersive. F.i. in Nopileus the superhw is 5x longer so you go from close planet to close moon. That's why I reverted back to vanilla setup in this mod. The idea has been fully developed in the other as I am keeping the two separated bc moving planets has to be done accordingly to where sector's layout is set. When you add sectors and superhw, a fresh start is needed.

I've redone a lot of gas giant recently, going in parallel with each sector construction so the pixelated ones will be no more. They are the result of a bad texturing and lighting in vanilla, now that I found the cause am changing all. For instance in Hatikva, if I remember, I've already used the new model.

So I'll probably add it back in the void too (the vanilla one was so ugly..) together with the iced planetoid of now, and probably a super hw connecting the two ;-)

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Wed, 13. Apr 22, 14:26

VERSION 2.6 IS AVAILABLE

Some fixes and more custom gas giants

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Tanvaras
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by Tanvaras » Thu, 14. Apr 22, 00:15

Realspace wrote:
Wed, 13. Apr 22, 14:26
VERSION 2.6 IS AVAILABLE

Some fixes and more custom gas giants
Great stuff, appreciate your continued support of this awesome mod!
“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
“Talent is a pursued interest"
“Let's get crazy.”
“There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.”

Bob Ross, 29 October 1942 - 4 July 1995

wanderer
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by wanderer » Thu, 14. Apr 22, 09:21

Questions:
What does the XMenue mod do?
I use your (both) mods in an running game/save. Nice work regarding the sectors. But I cannot figure out what XMenue does. I started my game as a custom game. So, do I need XMenue or is it only when starting a TOA scenario? (I didn't started missions for TOA now.)

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Thu, 14. Apr 22, 17:01

It is the opening menu, nothing in the game, just the scene where you have the menu continue/load/save/settings etc.

ziplock815
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by ziplock815 » Thu, 14. Apr 22, 19:09

Found texture bugs in some sectors (latest version of the mod). Please take a look. Posted on nexus.

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Fri, 15. Apr 22, 08:20

Holy cow those 3 were ok last time...I must have removed some texture in order to make the mod lighter. Use the previous version for now..I'll check it next week

ziplock815
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by ziplock815 » Fri, 15. Apr 22, 16:37

Realspace wrote:
Fri, 15. Apr 22, 08:20
Holy cow those 3 were ok last time...I must have removed some texture in order to make the mod lighter. Use the previous version for now..I'll check it next week
Could you please rework the Milky Way in Sol sectors and Earth if you have time? This mod is a masterpiece already, but...how it's said: "there is no limit to perfection"
:D

P.S. One more thing. In some (especially dark) sectors thin blue lines can be seen (I assume these lines make large cubic structure of skybox). They are not visible most of time, but when you actually see these lines you start to see this big cube instead of space and stars :)
Remember same problem in vanilla (Cardinal's Redress for example), where you could see repeating star patterns forming a large cube in the skybox.

Realspace
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Re: [MOD] STARS - New skybox, nebulae and planets (V2.6 - 04/2022)

Post by Realspace » Wed, 20. Apr 22, 12:10

PATCH 2.6.1 AVAILABLE

Just a fix for the errors in v. 2.6
Unzip and put in your mod's folder

https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/edit/507
Last edited by Realspace on Thu, 21. Apr 22, 23:59, edited 1 time in total.

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