experience?

[Malmer]

You will not be able to create new types of units (sorry, too much work), but you will be able to change the graphic, speed, strength, range and similiar things. But something that shoots projectiles will still be shooting projectiles. In other words, you can change the bazooka marine to look like one of your monsters but with much faster movement, shorter range, bigger size and "firing" some radioactive spit or something...In other words, you can change most of it, but you can't change the type of firing it uses. So hack and slash units will be a problem since all our units are firing from a distance...but you could still do it though. Set the firing range to very short, and the unit would need to get close by to fire (hack and slash distance), then set the projectile to use to a blank image and instead of an explosion use blood. So you should be able to do quite a bit...<br><br>as for graphics the map you build is a heightmap, a texturemap and an occupancy map. Some facts so that you or anyone can start drawing maps already:<br><br>heightmap: 256x256. White is high. Black is low.<br>texturemap: 512x512. Do whatever colors and stuff you want. Shadows are calculated by the game so you shouldn't need to do any of them.<br>occupancy map: 64x64. A two color black and white image showing where ground units can drive, and where not. Like they probably shouldn't be able to cross a lava river.<br><br>We might add a sprite layer to this with some sprites that are permanent such as trees, rocks, grass and McDonald's signs <br><br>Also a dream of mine is to have a cloud layer that is nicely scrolling ontop of everything, beeing semi transparent...but that will probably be too slow...but we can maybe throw it in for the iPAQ:s and make it an option...we'll see... <br><br>As for making a racing game I don't think it is flexible enough. Not from a moding perspective. But having the sourcecode it wouldn't be too much of a pain to make a racing game out of it. So WE could do it. As for mod-ers you'll be stuck on doing RTS games. <br><br>In other words: I think your mod would be possible to make. You can even throw in some nice cutscenes with your units, change the interface top be intestines and make menus our of wood and bones...<br>

[randall]

I think Carpe meant it could turned into a racing game by altering the source code, not by modding it.<br><br>It would be cool if you could create a transparent layer of rolling fog.

[RavenRay]

If is flexiable enough to just change the look of a unit, that will be ok.  Say for instances, I want the marines to look more bulky or something.  I don't really wanna neccessary change like the projectiles.  Jut the look of certain characters.  That will be ok.

[randall]

you can change the look of the projectiles by changing the sprite.

[Mr Visitor]

I was think that making a CS style mod for the engine, but I need to know if certain things might work:<br><br>1, A minimum fire distance, so for snipers, they would only be able to fire if the enemy was a certain distance AWAY from them.  Also, can units have a resricted line of sight, e.g withing a certain angle?<br><br>2, Secenry.  you may have answered this before, but is it possible to add non functional buildings to a map.<br><br>3, is it possible to start with a certain number of units only, and not 'build' any more?<br><br>4, remove if required any the resource collection system.<br><br><br>Are these sort of things likely??

[Mr Visitor]

Another suggestion! <br><br>You mention there is a black and white image map that limits areas on a map.<br><br>how about a different image map for different classes, e.g. flying unit and tanks etc can go over water, but foot soldiers cant - something like that.<br><br><br>I imagine you'll have to limit the number of different maps, to keep things manageable.<br><br>Does this sound good??

[Moose or Chuck]

I bet that's already programmed in, what do you think Visitor?

[CARPEDIEM]

I'd like to make a correction to what Fredrik said, you Could actually change the weapon, or assign no weapon to a unit, You could assign Homing missiles (which graphics you could modify), or lasers, or cannons or melee weapons.<br>I doubt that it will be coded when it's first released, but if people get interested i'll have no trouble in adding flexibility like that.<br>

[Mr Visitor]

Your probably right moose, but I was in the giving mood

[randall]

I was hoping the attributes of the units would be modifiable, and it sounds like they are.<br><br>I wasn't looking to add new units, but rather modify the existing ones. As long as the range of the weapon can be adjusted I am pretty sure I'll be able to figure something out. I'm pretty good at exploiting things like that.

[Malmer]

So, randall...how is the unitmaking going? Made anything in your 3D package yet?<br><br>// Fredrik

[randall]

I've made plently of stuff, but nothing to be really be proud of yet. I have the basics figured out- animations, alpha, skinning...<br><br>Mostly, I've been doing more concept drawings.<br><br>I'll have to check out Argentum before I go off on a tangent and start building stuff. Especially since I don't know all the specs, and limitations. It would be pointless for me to create a creature with a running animation if the units don't even support animation frames.

[Malmer]

Game supports these animations:<br><br>idle: When standing still<br>move: when walking<br>attack: when firing. This is only one frame though. We might change that.<br>building: two semibuilt frames.<br>

[randall]

All units support those animations? Even the buildings? That will be cool.<br><br>I would need animation for the attack frames though.<br><br>I think I'll settle down and start working on some creature animations anyway. It sounds like a fun exercise. We are moving to another city this week, so I won't even be able to start that project for another couple weeks. Maybe Argentum will be finished by then.<br><br>Is there going to be some kind of manual written up to help us create mods?

[Malmer]

well buildings don't move so they don't have the move anim...but buildings can have different directions, like we have a stationary laser turret.<br><br>As for a mods manual we will write specs on all things. So don't worry. The SDK will probably be a released a little while after argentum's release, or maybe some before...we'll see...<br><br>// F<br><br>PS. I'll see what I can do about the fire frames though. DS.