• New Horizons on Maelstrom
    Maelstrom New Horizons


    Visit our website www.piratehorizons.com to quickly find download links for the newest versions of our New Horizons mods Beyond New Horizons and Maelstrom New Horizons!

Smuggling on Douwesen

zorglub

zorglub

Privateer
Storm Modder
Ahoy - I thought you may find this interesting.
Imagine you're coming from Conceiçao with a cargo of sugar, which is contraband good at Douwesen. You secretly set anchor at Palm Beach, near the Pirate Fort, in order not to be seen by the Dutch authorities or any of their costal ships. Problem : you have to walk all the way to Douwesen Tavern to met the smugglers' agent.
Well, I've made some adjustements to the dialogs of some pirates in the Pirate fort : now if your ship is anchored at Palm beach and you have contraband goods, you can ask them to go there and met you.

I was wondering if you wanted to add this in the build 14 alphas. Of course, you may disagree and say that pirates and smugglers are not exactly the same thing, and that we were never told the Douwesen pirates had connections with some smugglers.
 
that's actually a really good idea. but why not just anchor at douwesen pory and go back to your ship after you've been to the tavern to get to the beach?
 
Just submit everything you do to Pirate_KK! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
 
Okay, I'm going to send him a PM...
I've stored the files in the ftp, it's called 'Smuggling on Douwesen.rar'. (connect yourself as potc@pafiles...)

I've added a little work to improve the dialog a bit. I'm sure you're aware of that, the animated heads you see on the left top corner of the screen when you launch a dialog were made to move their lips while the greeting sound was running, and had various expression (angry, happy, afraid...) that were finally not used in stock PotC. If you install my little change, buy contraband goods and set anchor to Palm beach, and then talk to Pieter Nolt on Douewesen Pirate Fort, you should notice a difference.
 
cool! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile2.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":))" border="0" alt="smile2.gif" />
 
I've been trying to improve the Douwesen soldiers' dialog a bit, including different head expressions depending on what the soldier says, and having logical second talking - if the soldier was just rude with you, he doesn't become suddenly polite the next time you talk to him. This is just a first try and one of my fellow translator is willing to do even more, but for now I'd like to add an option : I would enjoy that those soldiers' model and dialog would be reseted after a couple of hours, but I don't know where and how to code that. Anyone could help?
 
Ahoy there, I just wanted to tell you guys this little work is almost done, I've found the ideal file where to add the piece of code that 'reset' the soldiers' models & dialogs, a file about landencounters - with a big 'Warning! don't mess with this!' from Counch Captain Charles on the top in the Build version... It's working fine in stock PotC, the next step is to try it with the last Build version and improve the whole thing.
 
Have you had any luck with this still? It sounds interesting to me. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
Nope, I hadn't. I thought I had saved it somewhere when I changed my computer but I hadn't, and my friend who was working on it did even worst (lost all the memory of his labtop). I haven't try to look in old files I have in external disks, there still might be some bit of it. I'm going to check out right now.

Edit : well ! I have more copies of PotC than I had thought. One has still some of this work, but it doesn't seems to be fully achieved - and it's only the STOCK PotC part. I'm looking again to see if it can be sent to you.

Edit2 : for what it looks like, this was the part I had made alone. There is a minor bug in the dialog, but for the rest it was in its definitive form. My friend was supposed to write new texts on that (this one only use stock game text). Let's see if I can correct the bug and make it works in Build 13.

Edit3 : I've added on the FTP a test version (in 'a simple virtual sailor' folder, it's called 'Douwesen soldiers - Build 13.rar'). Tell me what you think of it.

what does it do :
- it's only working for Douwesen soldiers
- soldiers have more logical second dialogs depending on what they told you first
- they have different greetings sounds and head models expression depending on their mood
- all of them are reseted from times to times (= their hour is finished; they are replaced by fellow soldiers and can go and rest a little)

Apart from that, no major changes - it's only a little mod to give the idea of what could be done.
 
I just tried it out and it works pretty well. Those expressions are really funny. I had to copy the original head GM files and rename them, but that wasn't much of a problem. I wonder if we can use those different expressions some more in the dialogs. Would be cool. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />
BTW: It seems the greetings don't work in my Alpha 8 WIP version. Probably because the relevant code has been rewritten and moved.
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I just tried it out and it works pretty well. Those expressions are really funny. I had to copy the original head GM files and rename them, but that wasn't much of a problem. I wonder if we can use those different expressions some more in the dialogs. Would be cool.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Woops. You're right I had forgotten the .gm files... how stupid of me... I've updated the file right away.

It is really easy to use thoses more elaborated facial expressions, as I hope this little mod have proven it... We can modify about any dialog - if the character facial expression looks good, sometimes it's not the case.
I might post a short tutorial on how you have to write the dialog texts and which files must be copied and renamed, eventhought there's nothing really complicated in there. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />


I was wondering something : in stock PotC like in all the Build versions you cannot be in dialog mode while being in 1st person view, for some weird reason - it immediatly cames back to 3rd person view as soon as the dialog start. The only change which was made came with CCC Building kit, you are allowed to stay in 1st view but only if you are talking to a 'building' (the guy in the building, 'equiped' with the building...). My question is : why is this needed? Couldn't we simply remove this line <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->if(Character.chr_ai.type != LAI_TYPE_BUILDING) SendMessage(mainChr, "lsl", MSG_CHARACTER_EX_MSG, "InDialog", 1);<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->in the Dialog.c file, and be able to talk to people while keeping the camera in 1st view?... Could that cause some bugs or problems?


Now, last thing : a detail I don't like in all dialogs is always seeing the back of our main character's head right in the middle of the screen, hiding the guy with whom you are talking. I really prefer the nice way the camera was moving in Seadogs to show both characters in profile. I think we can change that at least with some specific dialogs, in certain places. As a first try I've added some lines in 'Gheerlof Darlang_dialog.c', do you wish to have a look on it Pieter? I've stored it on the FTP
 
I had a look at your file now and I do like it. There's a slight problem though: The camera doesn't revert back to normal after closing the dialog until you stand on the door locator. Then the camera will follow the player character again.
 
Yes, I had noticed that - it doesn't revert to normal if you entered the trade or trade item interface, but I does if you just talked to him. It mustn't be very difficult to correct. What bother me more is that the first time you talk to that merchant the camera doesn't move smoothy. But anyway I'm happy that you find it interesting, I'll see if I cannot write some more dialogs... I like this camera move because it allows you to see your main character a bit more, to see his actual face... An it shows more that this is a trade operation, between two person.
With this simple method we are able to add thoses special-camera-move in some particular places, with characters that doesn't move. This could be used in several quests as well.
 
The camera doesn't revert back to normal when just closing the dialog without going into any interface either. I just checked. I do think it would be nice to implement this for other dialogs as well. It would be cool if you could write some code that would do it for ALL dialogs. Some sort of code that will move the camera always somewhat behind and to the left of the character you're talking to. I suppose you'd need to come up with a formula for that which woul determine the camera position depending on the NPC's x,y,z values.
 
The camera does revert to normal in my game (Build 13), and with that function "locCameraFollow();" it should do so. Do you have this line at the end of Geerlof Darlang dialog? In the "Exit" case? Maybe I've sent you an unfinished file (how can that be possible?!? shame on me again!)

I was thinking of creating new camera locators that would only serve at that, rather than a big complicate mathematic function. I think it might allow the camera to move smoother, and it will fit to each different building. The problem with a mathematic function is that the camera could go over a wall, and cause weird views. I've written this ugly-looking and unecessary heavily-complicated piece of code as a first try (no screaming please, I know it's horrible) :<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->float a,b,c,locx,locy,locz,x,y,z,ay,d,e,f;
    GetCharacterPos(PChar, &x, &y, &z);
    a = x/3;
    b = y/2;
    c = z/3;
    GetCharacterPos(NPChar, &x, &y, &z);
    locy = b + y/2 + 1.5;
    d = a + 2*x/3;
    e = c + 2*z/3;
    GetCharacterAy(PChar, &ay);
    f = ay + PI/2;    
    locz = e + cos(f)*2.8;
    locx = d + sin(f)*2.8;
    locCameraToPos(locx, locy, locz, true);<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Now a problem I have is that I cannot change the camera angles, only it's coordinates. The game always want to have a guy in the center of the screen - your main character 99% of the time (did you try to get killed by Nigel before Artois?...) - and I'd like him to be aside, at equal distance from the center of the screen than the guy with whom you're talking. Maybe by creating an invisible lizard between you and the other lad, and telling the camera to focus on that?... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":wacko:" border="0" alt="wacko.gif" /> But that's getting really complicated.


EDIT : I've just checked, I did send you a correct file with the right function at the end. So what the hell is going on?...
 
I know what's going on. I made a mistake in the merge and didn't include that line. There were rather a lot of differences between your file and mine, so I accidentally missed that one. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />

Locators might be easy, but that wouldn't work for random encounters in, for example, towns. Also you'd need to add locators to all locations, which would be a lot of work.

When being killed by Nigel, I think the PChar is temporarily set to Nigel which is the reason why the camera follows him.
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I know what's going on. I made a mistake in the merge and didn't include that line. There were rather a lot of differences between your file and mine, so I accidentally missed that one.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Ok...
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->When being killed by Nigel, I think the PChar is temporarily set to Nigel which is the reason why the camera follows him.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Nope! Watch closely at the code! There is a nicer function : <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->SendMessage(&locCamera, "li", MSG_CAMERA_SETTARGET, CharacterFromID("Nigel Blythe"));<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
 
Hey! That's COOL! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />
 
What's this? Might be interesting. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /><!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->        case "Edgar_to_Blaze_complete":
            locx = stf(loadedLocation.locators.camera.camera13.x);
            locy = stf(loadedLocation.locators.camera.camera13.y);
            locz = stf(loadedLocation.locators.camera.camera13.z);
            locCameraToPos(locx, locy, locz, false);<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top