19 replies to this topic

[GabyBee]

Hi there. I was wondering why the Sentinel (and AT-AT barges) were taken out as the dropship for Imperial ground units? I tried adding it back in but my limited experience with editing the XML files didn't work. Is there a way to add these back in? I'd much rather see Imperial dropships than a big freighter with a Black Sun logo on the front for my Imperial ground forces.

[Pellean]

I think that there is a tag in the land unit XMLs labeled "Company_Transport" for each ground company; logically, changing this to the craft of your choice should swap out the landing model, though I've never done this myself.

-edit- The tag is <Company_Transport_Unit>, which is located under the <GroundCompany Name> Subheading. There are also references to Sentinels and other vanilla transport units in the Action IV file, so there may be other coding issues to deal with to make a ship compatible as a lander. Good luck!

Edited by Pellean, 01 April 2011 - 01:31 AM.

[Tropical Bob]

I believe it has to be a Transport with a Land model (Via the <Land_Model_Name> tag). Fortunately, there are 5 such units:

• Action IV Transport
• BFF Bulk Freighter
• GR-75 Medium Transport
• Barloz-class Medium Freighter
• Lambda-class T-4 Shuttle

Based on you mentioning the Sentinel-class Landing Craft, I believe you're looking for the Lambda Shuttle?

The <Company_Transport_Unit> tag is what constitutes the transport in Space Tactical Mode. I'm not quite sure what would happen if you chose a Transport that did not have a specified Land model.

Edited by Tropical Bob, 01 April 2011 - 03:05 AM.

[DaveAshton]

I use this to make new landing craft: http://empireatwar.f...cLanding;106617

Basically you only need a little XML knowledge and you can make any spacecraft into a dropship (some are better than others though, especially if the one you want is massive (ISDs may seriously lag your game... and be non-canon ) or has protrusions on the bottom of the ship because they'll sink into the ground).

On one of my private mods I had DX-9 transports dropping off all my stormtrooper squads and Vader's TIE Advanced as his private shuttle. The possibilities are almost endless.

[GabyBee]

Part of what I liked is that the Sentinel had a good animation to it. The Action IV just suddenly appears and then goes away. Any way to get the original dropships back?

I'll look at that link and see what I can come up with though.

[Zeta1127]

	<TransportUnit Name="E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport">

		<Variant_Of_Existing_Type>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft</Variant_Of_Existing_Type>

		<Land_Model_Name>ev_imperialcraft.alo</Land_Model_Name>

		<Ship_Class>Transport</Ship_Class>
		<Use_Special_Submit_Rules>true</Use_Special_Submit_Rules>

		<Behavior>TRANSPORT</Behavior>
		<SpaceBehavior>FIGHTER_LOCOMOTOR, SELECTABLE, TARGETING, POWERED, SHIELDED, HIDE_WHEN_FOGGED, AMBIENT_SFX, DAMAGE_TRACKING, NEBULA, REVEAL</SpaceBehavior>
		<LandBehavior>REVEAL, HIDE_WHEN_FOGGED</LandBehavior>

		<Landing_Transport_Variant>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport_Landing</Landing_Transport_Variant>

<!--
      	<Obstacle_Width>60.0</Obstacle_Width>
      	<Obstacle_Height>60.0</Obstacle_Height>
      	<Obstacle_X_Offset>-30.0</Obstacle_X_Offset>
      	<Obstacle_Y_Offset>-30.0</Obstacle_Y_Offset>
-->

		<Exit_Door_Angle_Degrees>180.0</Exit_Door_Angle_Degrees>
		<Exit_Door_Distance>0.0</Exit_Door_Distance>
		<Hover_Offset>10.0</Hover_Offset>

		<Unit_Abilities_Data SubObjectList="Yes"><Unit_Ability /></Unit_Abilities_Data>

		<Abilities SubObjectList="Yes">
			<Force_Healing_Ability Name="Transport_Damage_Control">
				<Activation_Style>Combat_Automatic</Activation_Style>
				<Heal_Range>0.0</Heal_Range>
				<Heal_Percent>0.0</Heal_Percent>
				<Heal_Amount>2.0</Heal_Amount>
				<Heal_Interval_In_Secs>10.0</Heal_Interval_In_Secs>
				<Single_Target_Heal>Yes</Single_Target_Heal>
				<Applicable_Unit_Categories />
				<Applicable_Unit_Types />
			</Force_Healing_Ability>
		</Abilities>

	</TransportUnit>

	<TransportUnit Name="E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Non_Combat">

		<Variant_Of_Existing_Type>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport</Variant_Of_Existing_Type>

		<Can_Participate_In_Space_Battle> No </Can_Participate_In_Space_Battle>

	</TransportUnit>

	<TransportUnit Name="E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Landing">

		<Variant_Of_Existing_Type>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport</Variant_Of_Existing_Type>

		<Scale_Factor>1.8732</Scale_Factor>

		<Is_Valid_Target>No</Is_Valid_Target>
		<User_Bound_Min>-50, -50, 0</User_Bound_Min>
		<User_Bound_Max>50, 50, 1500</User_Bound_Max>
		<Custom_Hard_XExtent> 40.0 </Custom_Hard_XExtent>
		<Custom_Hard_YExtent> 27.0 </Custom_Hard_YExtent>
		<Has_Space_Evaluator>False</Has_Space_Evaluator>

		<UnitCollisionClass>Landing Transport</UnitCollisionClass>
      	<Space_Layer> Land </Space_Layer>
      	<Exclude_From_Distance_Fade>true</Exclude_From_Distance_Fade>

	</TransportUnit>

Try adding this code to the SpaceUnitsTransports_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft.xml after E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft space unit. If you can't understand this I have the necessary file.

After that, it is just a matter of changing the

<Company_Transport_Unit>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport</Company_Transport_Unit>

line in the appropriate ground vehicle XML files, though I think those are a mess.

I could whip up the necessary file for the Theta-class AT-AT Barge for you if you really want, in fact, I am going to do this for myself for fun.

Edited by Zeta1127, 02 April 2011 - 03:45 AM.

[GabyBee]

Thank you!!! I'll try this right now! And the landing barge for AT-ATs would be great as well!

[GabyBee]

That worked perfectly. Only thing I need to change was the scale factor, which I added a line:

<Scale_Factor>1.87</Scale_Factor>

Looks and works perfectly! Now I need to go into all the other Imperial ground units and give them the Sentinel!

[Zeta1127]

The Theta-class AT-AT Barge needs proper stats, name, tooltip, rigged model, and hardpoints, but it could be a fully functional unit and a landing craft, I have already laid the ground work in an XML I just concocted.

For which Sentinel entry is that scale factor?

Edited by Zeta1127, 02 April 2011 - 04:40 AM.

[GabyBee]

The scale factor is for the Sentinel dropship in groundbattles.

[Zeta1127]

Must be for the Landing version. I am working on a transport restoration mini-mod so others don't have to go through the hassle of changing XML files, with a bonus if I can get it to work.

[Pellean]

That is an awesome tool- thanks for the link!

[Phoenix Rising]

I was wondering why the Sentinel (and AT-AT barges) were taken out as the dropship for Imperial ground units?

Balance mostly. It was cheaper to build infantry platoons than Sentinel groups and I didn't want people to fight with dropships in space combat, so I decided to just use the starting freighter for everything. That may be reevaluated in the future.

[GabyBee]

I was wondering why the Sentinel (and AT-AT barges) were taken out as the dropship for Imperial ground units?

Balance mostly. It was cheaper to build infantry platoons than Sentinel groups and I didn't want people to fight with dropships in space combat, so I decided to just use the starting freighter for everything. That may be reevaluated in the future.

Couldn't you make an unarmed version of the Sentinel (call it a Sentinel-class Landing Craft Mk. 0, for instance) and use that as the Sentinel transport for infantry platoons?

Edited by GabyBee, 09 April 2011 - 05:33 AM.

[Phoenix Rising]

Couldn't you make an unarmed version of the Sentinel (call it a Sentinel-class Landing Craft Mk. 0, for instance) and use that as the Sentinel transport for infantry platoons?

That's one option. Hyperspeed factor is also a consideration.

[smashedsaturn]

one problem with the land transports is that when they are moving across the galaxy in a fleet they can slow down your advance,and there is no way to upgrade them, too bad they cant garrison inside the capital ships :(

[Phoenix Rising]

Actually, you could "garrison" them if the hyperdrive was removed, but you would always have to ferry them around with a fleet and there would be nothing to stop it from being an illogical composition (one squadron with ten platoons would work).

[Tropical Bob]

Actually, you could "garrison" them if the hyperdrive was removed, but you would always have to ferry them around with a fleet and there would be nothing to stop it from being an illogical composition (one squadron with ten platoons would work).

That doesn't sound too bad, seeing as normally one doesn't send troop transports around without protection.

Of course, sometimes one sends important Generals with an incredibly minor escort, but that's beside the point.

[mitch]

Any luck with the AT-AT barge? I've been fudging around with the XML trying to figure out how to get the thing to work. I can get it in game, but unfortunatley i can't get it to "fly" into the landing zone...it just appears/dissapears. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Mitch

[mitch]

I FINALLY figured it out and now my sentinel, lambda, and AT-AT Barge are all functional and flyable imperial transportation. Zeta, let me know if you want them to help out with your "transport relacement mod". I'm not experienced with a lot of this stuff so you might be able to iron out the wrinkles. Now i'm addicted to manipulating this XML stuff and am thinking bout' having my stormtroopers come in on something else.
@ GabyBee. With regards to scaling issuse i found that i had to change a line in the "E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Transport" portion. It should read <Landing_Transport_Variant>E_Sentinel-class_Landing_Craft_Landing</Landing_Transport_Variant> as opposed to what it said earlier, and all you have to do is changing the scale in the "landing" variant. This way i found that the space unit stays to scale and i can manipulate the landing variant as i see fit.

Cheers guys/gals

Mitch