[released] IBBoard's skins as playable races

[IBBoard]

I'm hard at work at the moment, trying to make my skins (just the halved skin to start off with) available as a playable race. I'm inheriting everything I can, so any changes to stats by Relic will also be made to my races. Unfortunately, although the race itself is about working and playable, AI isn't working as of yet, and the most important part is also failing - textures. As of yet, I've not managed to get it to use any texture other than the default one that the normal Space Marine race is using :\

Hopefully someone on Relic Forums (or possibly even the few of you here!) will have some ideas.

[IBBoard]

OK, I've nearly got it all sorted, and the skin is now available as a beta version. Contact me with your email address if you want to help beta test it (note, I want real beta testers, not just people wanting the skin early, because things will change like fixing the banners to be Space Marine banners)

[mel_danes]

How small were you able to crush it? Last I knew it was big. I'd be interested, for my own nefarious purposes, gwa ha ha.

[MadMaffMan]

I have never beta tested before, whats involved?
If i can help in any way i am more than happy to help out if i can.

[IBBoard]

Beta testing is just playing the game as thoroughly as possible, trying every research and squad to make sure that the researches work, the weapons become available when they should and no squad ends up sharing a texture with the normal space marine race. Basically you just play through to make sure that there aren't any errors.

I'll be making a new version soon, because Sigismund at the RelicForums found some bugs and Danimator found a few problems when he was trying to make the AI work.

As for file size - it's around 40MB zipped, a little less when RARed. I was hoping to get Corsix's help and get him to write a command line WTP extractor so that I could extract the unchanged WTPs (e.g. the buildings) on the user side, kinda like an installer. That should drop the download size by about 10-12MB.

[IBBoard]

OK, in case anyone is watching the topic and read the last one, I'll make a new post.

A v0.2 beta version of the mod is now available. just contact me with an email address and I'll email it to you (if it's GMail) or use YouSendIt.com to send it to you. Current download size is 40.2MB.

I've now found details of the SGA format, so I might be able to write a little WTP extractor I'll try to write one in C# first and then look at quickly picking up Visual Basic or C++ to write the final one (because not everyone will have the .Net framework installed, and the WTPs are rather vital, even if they are unchanged!)

[IBBoard]

Following a brief pause when we (myself and Danimator) thought that the way I was doing the mod could be causing problems with the AI, we now have a rewritten version complete with AI almost ready for beta release

The game seems to run ok at the moment and the halved marine computer players build and upgrade, the only thing remaining is for me to fix the banner issue, which I'm looking at now.

[MadMaffMan]

I suppose that marvel they call Patch 1.4 has killed the mod stone dead, until the new mod tools are released anyway?

[IBBoard]

No, the mod is still going - for those like me who still have 1.3 anyway. I just don't have any expertise at all in 3DSMax and someone else has offered to clone the banner for me, so I'm waiting for them to get back to me with new strategic point and relic objects that will show my race banners instead of Orks

[MadMaffMan]

Hey great news but you will have to update the mod to 1.4 wont you if you intend to release it to the heaving masses.

[IBBoard]

Possibly, although there are bound to be people out there like me who stick with 1.3 and besides, I'll be on 1.4 eventually, I'm just waiting for WA to come out cos I've got it pre-ordered from Play.com

[MadMaffMan]

Same here
Play.com is the best.

[IBBoard]

OK, I just got WA, I've tried making the Strat Point show up my banner as well and failed, and now I'm at a difficult point. Do I install WA, which installs patch 1.4, and end up having to re-work the mod and get Danimator to patch the AI to 1.4 AI, but with the added bonus of getting IG to skin and the new units, or do I leave it uninstalled and release a 1.3 version once I can get hold of a banner and _then_ install WA?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, decisions decisions...

[MadMaffMan]

Most of the people i know or play against have either patched up to 1.4 or are going to buy WA which also as you said needs 1.4, so i know it means more waiting and more hard work but i'd re-work the mod. There are a few people like me who have got separate install's of the game for each new patch, but not many.

[IBBoard]

Yeah, I guess so. The biggest loss will probably be Danimator's work on the AI, unfortunately :\ I think they've managed to do a lot with the 1.4 AI already though I want to check the Chaplain as well at some point - see how canon his texturing and colours are only problem is I just bought Sims 2 University for my g/f and now she wants the computer to play it oh well, I'll get time to do it when she's in lectures and I'm not