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Seeing about getting some 'tools' from the big guys...

S

Shuriken

Landlubber
So.

I play the mods, I think they're awesome. It's just too bad you're all so limited. I've talked about this before, but I've decided that I need to get up and actually do it. People at both Bethesda and Akella have told me that I need to talk to Disney in order to see about getting mod tools released.

So, I am planning on writing up a letter (or three letters, depending on what needs to be said) to send to Bethesda, Akella, and Disney. However, I want to be sure to have everything in it.

Does anyone have any input? Unless of course you think I shouldn't do it, in which case I will ignore you and continue on, so you might as well be helpful, eh?

So any input you have would be much appreciated.
 
Aye, Shuriken! It be worth a shot indeed, matey! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
What exactly are you looking for, Shuriken? What do you want to do in the game that we can't already do? (I know we're limited in certain areas, I'm just curious!)
 
Personally, I would really like to see the fencing possibly improved. While there is a certain amount of skill involved in timing the blocks, attacks, and pistol shots, I still think it could be a lot more fun, for me at least.

I would really, really like for new areas, not just cloned areas, but brand new areas, not only on the islands, but on ships, in forts (I guess that would be in the island, but still!) and not to mention entirely new islands (perhaps) although the current islands could provide large amounts of expansion.

I don't know if some of what I would like is already possible or not, but it hasn't been done, so I'm going to complain about it! Lots of RPGs allow you to own a home, I think that would be awesome, but I think it would be even more awesome if you could become the governor of an island (islands?) or maybe a leader of a band of pirates, or perhaps an owner of a trading company. I look forward to having my own mansion, complete with mistress! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

Then there are things that I think would just be interesting, and possible allow for a total conversion. Like flying boats, some aspects of a first person shooter, so that we can be Marines, shooting from the tops, or walk about on a full scale ship as our character during a battle! Of course, that may not be possible at all on the engine, but I can dream!

Of course, I have a lot of ideas, as my imagination tends to run off quite often. I'm not going to make specific demands to any of the companies, since I have absolutely no bargaining cards, so I will only ask for what they are willing to give, and we'll work from there. Of course, I guess I have to make some sort of specific demand, or we may just get a special text editor that allows no new capabilites.
 
ARGH!

I forgot the two most important things!

Jumping, and a constant sidestep (while going forwards and backwards too!) with actual animation!

EDIT:And pressed reply instead of edit, of course!
 
A lot of what you have suggested can already be done; if you are a modeler and a coder. It is just a matter of finding the time to do it, as it's quite `time-consuming`. New instead of cloned areas can be done with new modeling. New quests &tc can be coded, and that could include things like your own mansion or hideout...

There are some right now working on a "bedroom" for you at the Gov's mansion, so when you marry, your wife would meet you there - AND there is the possibility of modding some quests off of that...

There's a LOT we can already do in the game...

Nathan and Inez are looking into jumping WITH animation... It's just a matter of working it out.

It's incredible what we CAN do in this game... All it needs is some imagination, and some coding or modeling ability. If you can't do it alone, you can team up with someone, provide ideas or coding to their modeling or modeling to their coding... A lot of it CAN be done! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Heck, the letter can't hurt. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

I think first it'd be good to divide this into `script-side` features, and `engine-side` features.
The problem with the latter is that there are only two ways to go about adding `engine-side` features (most stuff dealing with adding moves to the player, for example, is `engine-side`):
1. We ask for a feature, they implement it and recompile.
2. They give us an SDK, which means _we_ add the feature and recompile.

The former I doubt they have time to do, the latter I don't think they're willing to do (as it requires opening up the entire code of POTC).

As Cat said, most of the stuff you mentioned can be done with scripts; the few things I noticed that can't are:
1. New moves for the characters (different form of fencing I include under this)
2. Ability to change ship position (needed for flying ships)
3. Implementing boarding combat _within sea mode_*

*This was actually in an early alpha I believe.

2 Would not take much coding; 1 would take a great deal; and 3 would take a great deal but per * some is already done.

The rest of what you say can be done, SFAIK.
 
What I would love most would be a tool to modify animations - I think among the original plugins there was something along the lines, but nobody ever got it working. Maybe we should look into this once more.

If we can't get it from the Developers (which I doubt) we'll eventually make our own. I think I do know how to, it's just a question of finding the time, but I'll start working on the parrot (see that thread) during the holidays.
Shuriken, you're of course welcome to help on any of this.
 
Yes, modifying (or CREATING) the animations would be terrific... We could do some tremendous things in the game with a tool like that... I mean, we're working on a little parrot, but imagine having dogs and cats in the game... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
So we have so far;

-SDK (the ubergift, not sure I even want to mention this, for fear of seeming too demanding)
-Animation plugin or importer/exporter
 
Because of the way POTC's written, I don't think an SDK is really doable; I mean, the way it is now notepad is our SDK for what's editable, and for what's not, they'd basically have to either completely rewrite the engine or simply release the engine source and let us recompile with VC++ or whatever was used.

There is an anim plugin in PLUG.rar, as Inez mentions...
I should try it out in (maya) 4.0, as I believe it's saying 4.5 is too new a version.
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" /> Hmmm, good thought, Nathan! I never even considered it as everyone always told me it didn't work - or because there was no documentation for it, there was no way to tell how to use it...

I wonder if AlexusB knows about it - if it was made by Akella for SeaDogs 2, maybe there was original instructions in Russian? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />
 
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