A little preview of what I'm working on while waiting for API updates:
Pretty much just the model and rendering so far, and still WIP at ath.
Most of the rest of the code can be grabbed from the catapult in one way or another when I get to that point, so I should be able to have it useable before too long.
Also, I've got a better tutorial vid I'm uploading at the moment, which should cover most questions on using the mod. I'll update the OP as soon as its available.
Hey! I'd just like to say that I am very intrigued by the concept of this mod (and the fact that it's SMP compatible) and installed it on my server. Unfortunately, it seems to conflict with InfiniBlocks in that it uses some of the same ID's. Upon entering my server, I found that I had tons of catapult bases and such where some of my InfiniBlocks used to be, and promptly (with sadness in my heart) uninstalled the mod.
I would really love to try out your mod with my friends and just thought you should be made aware of conflicts in case one arises. As far as I understand, fixing this issue would be trivial, and I would greatly appreciate you taking the time to resolve this issue. Thank you.
Hey! I'd just like to say that I am very intrigued by the concept of this mod (and the fact that it's SMP compatible) and installed it on my server. Unfortunately, it seems to conflict with InfiniBlocks in that it uses some of the same ID's. Upon entering my server, I found that I had tons of catapult bases and such where some of my InfiniBlocks used to be, and promptly (with sadness in my heart) uninstalled the mod.
I would really love to try out your mod with my friends and just thought you should be made aware of conflicts in case one arises. As far as I understand, fixing this issue would be trivial, and I would greatly appreciate you taking the time to resolve this issue. Thank you.
That is unfortunate =\. Also why it is in beta I do appreciate you letting me know, as now I know what needs to be done
Yes, the IDs should be able to be fixable. It appears that when i was first designing my mod, I was unaware of the 4096 BlockID modification in forge, and apparently now BlockIDs can be greater than 256...so my Item ID's in the 3000's range conflict with a few block IDs for mods that use the expanded range.
Anyhow, this will be fixed shortly now that I'm aware of it. The downside -- when I do fix it, it will slightly break anyone who has already had the Catapults Mod installed, at least mess up the ammo/upgrades/remotes/spawning items. But it needs to be done, and I'd much rather do it now than later. (Switching item IDs internally does some weird things).
So I will probably fix this in my next release, which should hopefully be sometime later tonight.
Hopefully most mods will use the same range of IDs for 1.3+, so this can be fix-once-and-stay-fixed. (I realy don't want to break peoples games--although NBT editing could technically correct most of the errors after the update if the user is so inclined (I can provide a translation list of IDs if needed)
Techne model editor is the one that I use--as far as I know it is pretty much the only dedicated Minecraft model editor. It has some rough edges, but it will get the model design down. What it does NOT do is handle any kind of animation, special rotations, or anything beyond a static model. Still gotta do all that by hand by writing your own opengl calls.
what r u all working on veichle and weapon wisethats what i use to making shure trying to make a good looking batering ram and seige tower not turning out though
Currently I am working on some trig related stuff for a Ballista. I've got the model done, and the rendering code is 'working' (needs hooks into some variables that aren't in the vehicle yet).
As for ammo -- Working on a single- bolt shot for the ballista, as well as fire-arrow versions of both the single and bundle bolts. Also, I'm still deliberating how to implement a form of napalm / greek fire shot (probably an improved fire-flask/fire shot--lighting up a single block is not very impressive--I want some spash dmg).
As far as seige-towers go I was going to try and impliment some sort of super-tall entity that was climbable on one side (really not sure how I am going to code it yet, still in the 'idea' phase). The idea was to give a player the ability to climb up the tower and be able to shoot into someone elses fortress. Perhaps even with some minor offensive capabilities from the top of the tower. I'm not even close to working on this one personally-- but if you'de like to give it a go, I'll take a look at whatever you come up with.
Yah, Techne is...well...a bit tricky to use. My only tip would be patience. Lots of it. Oh, and don't hit the delete key accidentally.
On another note:
Item IDs are updated, and will definitely be in the next release. Switched from using a range of 3000 - 3200, to 5000-6000. According to the forge 1.2.5 ID's chart, nobody is using that range : http://minecraftforge.net/forum/index.php/topic,638.0.html
Unfortunately, this will invalidate any items/entities currently spawned. Mostly due to me not knowing about 4096 block IDs. But...beta, beta...etc. Better to get it fixed.
Would it be possible to make it so that i could shoot myself or an entity out of the catapults? Because I want to use it as an entrance to a fort. (launch a cow or two in as a warning or something before shooting myself into a base.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Proud Moderator of Underground Miner, a now-dead server. 4 years of moderating, and it was a good time.
Launching of entities was something on my original brainstorming list, but it never made it much past that. I might in the future consider making an entity launching vehicle, but it is not exactly in 'flavor' with what I'm trying to create. Definitely a cool idea, and one I will likely revisit later, but not in the immediate future. There was an extended piston mod that did pretty much as you are looking for, albeit not from a vehicle. He had 2-3 block long pistons, as well as some that would launch entities with gravity effect, although it required two pistons to launch in an arc, and probably was not very precisely aim able.
Implementing such a feature would require a bit of coding magic that I haven't thought through completely, making the vehicle essentially have two riders (or a rider and a launchee), and a way to put something/someone into the launchee seat/swap seats. I'll probably undertake it as a challenge someday--but it would definitely be after I update to 1.3 and get a few more currently in-dev features implemented fully.
make it so u can drive the seige tower and ther recipe is made with a balista and a batering ram becuase siege tower were driven very slowly but driven as batring rams people caryers and balista iin one with a hhigher defence so i think it should hold up to 5 people be able to ram stuff and shooot balista ammo
on the balista side i think the ammo should be difrent sizes instead of bunlde bolts for the reason thats how it used to be done also make it fire, explosive, regular and can u plz tell me ur skype if u have itill try coding the batering ram for u then ill somehow send the code to u and ill try to make model and texture what do i use to start the model telling me this would be helpful
make it so u can drive the seige tower and ther recipe is made with a balista and a batering ram becuase siege tower were driven very slowly but driven as batring rams people caryers and balista iin one with a hhigher defence so i think it should hold up to 5 people be able to ram stuff and shooot balista ammo
on the balista side i think the ammo should be difrent sizes instead of bunlde bolts for the reason thats how it used to be done also make it fire, explosive, regular and can u plz tell me ur skype if u have it
ill try coding the batering ram for u then ill somehow send the code to u and ill try to make model and texture what do i use to start the model telling me this would be helpful
No skype for me, or any VOIP at the moment, I stopped using those when I quit playing MMOs, and never did have a Skype account.
As for the coding, I wouldn't put any priority on it. I've got my hands full working on the stuff that I already am (and working full-time+). The models, however, would be a bit easier to work with and transfer if you'de like to try making a couple.
If/after you've got something made up, let me know and I'll IM you my email address. The model files are small and should transfer easily. I can code a renderer and export the .java from techne at that point.
If you know java, and are familliar with MCP/forge API and modding in general, Techne can export .java files of the models so that you can attempt importing them and seeing them in-game--but it requires at least basic knowledge of modding--you have to make Renderers, render the stuff properly, and link it all together.
I honestly haven't started putting much thought into the form or function of the battering ram or seige tower yet, other than they are on the 'todo' list (or at least the list of things that need more consideration). I like many of your ideas though, and most are in-line with what little I had thought about.
The battering ram--mostly going to be used against entity-based drawbridges when I get to that point. It will be slow, probably require multiple people to make it move and use it effectively (not sure how to implement this yet), and probably will NOT be effective against normal blocks. Lots of other things for normal blocks, this will be for those pesky drawbridges (which will be repairable).
As for the siege tower--yes, again it will be slow. I would like some anti-personell defense on the top (a slightly less powerful ballista perhaps?) and its main function will be deliver combatants over the enemy walls while bypassing drawbridges/moats/trenches. It would be a prime target for the defending forces, so will need some HP/armor over some of the other vehicles.
The best bet: patience If I decide I really want to do something more grand with the mod, I will likely try and recruit a few extra coders/modelers/artists to give me a hand as well as a good system for coordination. Right now, I'm just coding on stuff because I like to create things :), I am keeping my coding skills in practice (and even learning new things occasionally), and I like the challenge (I didn't even think I would be able to pull off the catapult at first).
Included is a new vehicle, the ballista, as well as its (currently only) ammunition-- the ballista bolt.
At its maximum pitch of 30', it has a longer max range than a catapult at 45'. It has a slightly randomized accuracy, but is far more accurate than the catapults bundle shot. The bolt is also huge, and does 22 !! points of damage (11 hearts) (should one-shot kill most mobs or unarmored players), compared to the bundle bolt's damage of 12 (and the bundle bolt doesn't seem to be able to hit multiple times, unfortunately). A catapult stone shot, for comparison, does about 16 damage(fire, expl, and HE all do consecutively more dmg when they directly hit an entity--but their greatest effects all lie from their explosion, etc);.
With a limited firing pitch angle of the ballista, it is actually easier to eyeball your shots, as they are much more linear--or at least closer to what you would expect from a bow type weapon.
Recipes and other info is in the OP
other fixes:
firing time cooldown of 5 seconds implemented
fixed item-id conflicts with infiniblocks (or any other mod using 4096 ext. block ids)
tons of code-side-re-organization to support future vehicle expansion.
Now working on (for next release):
Napalm ammo (finally)--mostly done..need to experiment a bit. The only way to clean it up is with a bucket. Its deadly, will burn up a catapult/ballista in only a few seconds. So far, the most effective anti-...well...anything ammunition, it is just slow and chaotic.
fire shot doing a little 'splash' damage --already done, but didn't make it into this release
fire-bolt bundle, and fire-ballista bolt --. up next. A fiery version of the bolt ammo, will do slightly more damage, and ignite enemies hit (and perhaps foliage as well)
more upgrades -- accuracy, speed, range
Should see the next update before the end of the weekend, and it should include at least napalm ammo, better fire shot, and fire bolts.
Sweet! Didn't know the ballista would come out so fast! Maybe at some point could you give me a little tutorial on render files, custom GUI's, automatic firing, and turrets? I have a mod that I have been planning on adding turrets to.
updated item indexes so they should be in an unoccupied range for 1.2.5 (went from 3000-3100 to 5001+)
Hey, thanks for the quick fix! Everything seems to be working together now. I hope it wasn't too much trouble to fix.
I just have one question: do you ever show how to make the catapult armor plates in your post? I can't seem to find the recipe...
The item index fix was pretty easy -- I just wasn't aware of a few things when I first picked numbers. Should be stable now and conflict free if my resources are correct.
Hmm..armor plates. I might've forgotten the graphic. The code is in though:
ModLoader.addRecipe(new ItemStack(ItemCatapultArmorPlate,1), new Object[] {"II","CC", 'I', Item.ingotIron, 'C', Item.coal} );
" I I "
"CC"
I= iron
C = coal
The recipe is two iron ingots on top of two pieces of coal = one armor plate. I might change this in the future to be slightly less expensive, but it will probably be just increasing the number of plates produced per combine.
@imabeast998
Good to hear about the battering ram, have any pics you can post? (dropbox is great for a free public host for small stuff if you need one)
Should I implement armor as just another upgrade, that uses the same limited upgrade slots?
OR
Should I implement armor as its own slot type, adding new inventory slots (probably 3 more), with armor effect being stack able(more installed = greater effect) ?
If using a regular upgrade slot, I could make tiers of armor instead of making the effects stack...so a teir 2 == 2*single pieces.
The interesting thing I'm considering with the armor-slot implementation would be different armor types that you could combine to your liking (and even stack) -- such as blunt/pierce/fire. So a person could have 3xblunt armor installed, and be nearly impervious to normal catapult shot damage and fists/random item attacks--or stack 3x pierce damage and have reduced damge from bolts/arrows/swords/axes--or 3xfire armor and be extremely resistant to fire damage (with fire arrows/napalm this will matter). Or mix and match for whatever your needs.
Should I implement armor as just another upgrade, that uses the same limited upgrade slots?
OR
Should I implement armor as its own slot type, adding new inventory slots (probably 3 more), with armor effect being stack able(more installed = greater effect) ?
This is just my opinion, since it really depends on what your aim is as the creator of the mod, but I would prefer a system in which a user simply cannot have everything. Adding new upgrade slots for armor would allow a player to armor his vehicle with absolutely no drawbacks. On the other hand, requiring players to make the most efficient use of their limited upgrade slots would introduce more strategy into the (mini)game. Whether to equip your vehicle with armor or simply make it a glass cannon is the issue you would need to address per situation.
Now that's just my point of view. In your original post you indicated that you wanted to make a mod that imitated games like Scorched, and from that perspective, the armor system you seem much more excited about makes more sense. Every vehicle gets upgrade slots, armor slots, and later maybe other slot types (?) which can be mixed and matched in different ways to create your own, unique vehicle.
If you do decide to implement armor as just another upgrade, you could have players make armor as "composites" so that players can still vary their armor type to their liking as you mentioned. Just as an example, say iron plates resist blunt damage, stone plates resist pierce damage, and obsidian plates resist fire damage. If you want your catapult to only be armored against blunt damage, you would simply craft an iron composite armor by stacking three iron plates in a crafting table; if you want your catapult to be moderately resistant to all three damage types, you could stack an iron plate on a stone plate on an obsidian plate to create another composite armor. Just as a side-note, using shapeless recipes there would only be 9 possible composites to make for three damage types.
I hope I was clear in expressing my thoughts and hope that you find them helpful in some way! Thanks.
Pretty much just the model and rendering so far, and still WIP at ath.
Most of the rest of the code can be grabbed from the catapult in one way or another when I get to that point, so I should be able to have it useable before too long.
Also, I've got a better tutorial vid I'm uploading at the moment, which should cover most questions on using the mod. I'll update the OP as soon as its available.
I would really love to try out your mod with my friends and just thought you should be made aware of conflicts in case one arises. As far as I understand, fixing this issue would be trivial, and I would greatly appreciate you taking the time to resolve this issue. Thank you.
That is unfortunate =\. Also why it is in beta I do appreciate you letting me know, as now I know what needs to be done
Yes, the IDs should be able to be fixable. It appears that when i was first designing my mod, I was unaware of the 4096 BlockID modification in forge, and apparently now BlockIDs can be greater than 256...so my Item ID's in the 3000's range conflict with a few block IDs for mods that use the expanded range.
Anyhow, this will be fixed shortly now that I'm aware of it. The downside -- when I do fix it, it will slightly break anyone who has already had the Catapults Mod installed, at least mess up the ammo/upgrades/remotes/spawning items. But it needs to be done, and I'd much rather do it now than later. (Switching item IDs internally does some weird things).
So I will probably fix this in my next release, which should hopefully be sometime later tonight.
Hopefully most mods will use the same range of IDs for 1.3+, so this can be fix-once-and-stay-fixed. (I realy don't want to break peoples games--although NBT editing could technically correct most of the errors after the update if the user is so inclined (I can provide a translation list of IDs if needed)
Techne model editor is the one that I use--as far as I know it is pretty much the only dedicated Minecraft model editor. It has some rough edges, but it will get the model design down. What it does NOT do is handle any kind of animation, special rotations, or anything beyond a static model. Still gotta do all that by hand by writing your own opengl calls.
As for ammo -- Working on a single- bolt shot for the ballista, as well as fire-arrow versions of both the single and bundle bolts. Also, I'm still deliberating how to implement a form of napalm / greek fire shot (probably an improved fire-flask/fire shot--lighting up a single block is not very impressive--I want some spash dmg).
As far as seige-towers go I was going to try and impliment some sort of super-tall entity that was climbable on one side (really not sure how I am going to code it yet, still in the 'idea' phase). The idea was to give a player the ability to climb up the tower and be able to shoot into someone elses fortress. Perhaps even with some minor offensive capabilities from the top of the tower. I'm not even close to working on this one personally-- but if you'de like to give it a go, I'll take a look at whatever you come up with.
Yah, Techne is...well...a bit tricky to use. My only tip would be patience. Lots of it. Oh, and don't hit the delete key accidentally.
On another note:
Item IDs are updated, and will definitely be in the next release. Switched from using a range of 3000 - 3200, to 5000-6000. According to the forge 1.2.5 ID's chart, nobody is using that range : http://minecraftforge.net/forum/index.php/topic,638.0.html
Unfortunately, this will invalidate any items/entities currently spawned. Mostly due to me not knowing about 4096 block IDs. But...beta, beta...etc. Better to get it fixed.
Thanks again for your feedback and support
Proud Moderator of Underground Miner, a now-dead server. 4 years of moderating, and it was a good time.
Implementing such a feature would require a bit of coding magic that I haven't thought through completely, making the vehicle essentially have two riders (or a rider and a launchee), and a way to put something/someone into the launchee seat/swap seats. I'll probably undertake it as a challenge someday--but it would definitely be after I update to 1.3 and get a few more currently in-dev features implemented fully.
on the balista side i think the ammo should be difrent sizes instead of bunlde bolts for the reason thats how it used to be done also make it fire, explosive, regular and can u plz tell me ur skype if u have itill try coding the batering ram for u then ill somehow send the code to u and ill try to make model and texture what do i use to start the model telling me this would be helpful
No skype for me, or any VOIP at the moment, I stopped using those when I quit playing MMOs, and never did have a Skype account.
As for the coding, I wouldn't put any priority on it. I've got my hands full working on the stuff that I already am (and working full-time+). The models, however, would be a bit easier to work with and transfer if you'de like to try making a couple.
If/after you've got something made up, let me know and I'll IM you my email address. The model files are small and should transfer easily. I can code a renderer and export the .java from techne at that point.
If you know java, and are familliar with MCP/forge API and modding in general, Techne can export .java files of the models so that you can attempt importing them and seeing them in-game--but it requires at least basic knowledge of modding--you have to make Renderers, render the stuff properly, and link it all together.
I honestly haven't started putting much thought into the form or function of the battering ram or seige tower yet, other than they are on the 'todo' list (or at least the list of things that need more consideration). I like many of your ideas though, and most are in-line with what little I had thought about.
The battering ram--mostly going to be used against entity-based drawbridges when I get to that point. It will be slow, probably require multiple people to make it move and use it effectively (not sure how to implement this yet), and probably will NOT be effective against normal blocks. Lots of other things for normal blocks, this will be for those pesky drawbridges (which will be repairable).
As for the siege tower--yes, again it will be slow. I would like some anti-personell defense on the top (a slightly less powerful ballista perhaps?) and its main function will be deliver combatants over the enemy walls while bypassing drawbridges/moats/trenches. It would be a prime target for the defending forces, so will need some HP/armor over some of the other vehicles.
The best bet: patience If I decide I really want to do something more grand with the mod, I will likely try and recruit a few extra coders/modelers/artists to give me a hand as well as a good system for coordination. Right now, I'm just coding on stuff because I like to create things :), I am keeping my coding skills in practice (and even learning new things occasionally), and I like the challenge (I didn't even think I would be able to pull off the catapult at first).
Included is a new vehicle, the ballista, as well as its (currently only) ammunition-- the ballista bolt.
At its maximum pitch of 30', it has a longer max range than a catapult at 45'. It has a slightly randomized accuracy, but is far more accurate than the catapults bundle shot. The bolt is also huge, and does 22 !! points of damage (11 hearts) (should one-shot kill most mobs or unarmored players), compared to the bundle bolt's damage of 12 (and the bundle bolt doesn't seem to be able to hit multiple times, unfortunately). A catapult stone shot, for comparison, does about 16 damage(fire, expl, and HE all do consecutively more dmg when they directly hit an entity--but their greatest effects all lie from their explosion, etc);.
With a limited firing pitch angle of the ballista, it is actually easier to eyeball your shots, as they are much more linear--or at least closer to what you would expect from a bow type weapon.
Recipes and other info is in the OP
other fixes:
firing time cooldown of 5 seconds implemented
fixed item-id conflicts with infiniblocks (or any other mod using 4096 ext. block ids)
tons of code-side-re-organization to support future vehicle expansion.
Now working on (for next release):
Napalm ammo (finally)--mostly done..need to experiment a bit. The only way to clean it up is with a bucket. Its deadly, will burn up a catapult/ballista in only a few seconds. So far, the most effective anti-...well...anything ammunition, it is just slow and chaotic.
fire shot doing a little 'splash' damage --already done, but didn't make it into this release
fire-bolt bundle, and fire-ballista bolt --. up next. A fiery version of the bolt ammo, will do slightly more damage, and ignite enemies hit (and perhaps foliage as well)
more upgrades -- accuracy, speed, range
Should see the next update before the end of the weekend, and it should include at least napalm ammo, better fire shot, and fire bolts.
Hey, thanks for the quick fix! Everything seems to be working together now. I hope it wasn't too much trouble to fix.
I just have one question: do you ever show how to make the catapult armor plates in your post? I can't seem to find the recipe...
Hmm..armor plates. I might've forgotten the graphic. The code is in though:
" I I "
"CC"
I= iron
C = coal
The recipe is two iron ingots on top of two pieces of coal = one armor plate. I might change this in the future to be slightly less expensive, but it will probably be just increasing the number of plates produced per combine.
@imabeast998
Good to hear about the battering ram, have any pics you can post? (dropbox is great for a free public host for small stuff if you need one)
Should I implement armor as just another upgrade, that uses the same limited upgrade slots?
OR
Should I implement armor as its own slot type, adding new inventory slots (probably 3 more), with armor effect being stack able(more installed = greater effect) ?
If using a regular upgrade slot, I could make tiers of armor instead of making the effects stack...so a teir 2 == 2*single pieces.
The interesting thing I'm considering with the armor-slot implementation would be different armor types that you could combine to your liking (and even stack) -- such as blunt/pierce/fire. So a person could have 3xblunt armor installed, and be nearly impervious to normal catapult shot damage and fists/random item attacks--or stack 3x pierce damage and have reduced damge from bolts/arrows/swords/axes--or 3xfire armor and be extremely resistant to fire damage (with fire arrows/napalm this will matter). Or mix and match for whatever your needs.
Any thoughts?
This is just my opinion, since it really depends on what your aim is as the creator of the mod, but I would prefer a system in which a user simply cannot have everything. Adding new upgrade slots for armor would allow a player to armor his vehicle with absolutely no drawbacks. On the other hand, requiring players to make the most efficient use of their limited upgrade slots would introduce more strategy into the (mini)game. Whether to equip your vehicle with armor or simply make it a glass cannon is the issue you would need to address per situation.
Now that's just my point of view. In your original post you indicated that you wanted to make a mod that imitated games like Scorched, and from that perspective, the armor system you seem much more excited about makes more sense. Every vehicle gets upgrade slots, armor slots, and later maybe other slot types (?) which can be mixed and matched in different ways to create your own, unique vehicle.
If you do decide to implement armor as just another upgrade, you could have players make armor as "composites" so that players can still vary their armor type to their liking as you mentioned. Just as an example, say iron plates resist blunt damage, stone plates resist pierce damage, and obsidian plates resist fire damage. If you want your catapult to only be armored against blunt damage, you would simply craft an iron composite armor by stacking three iron plates in a crafting table; if you want your catapult to be moderately resistant to all three damage types, you could stack an iron plate on a stone plate on an obsidian plate to create another composite armor. Just as a side-note, using shapeless recipes there would only be 9 possible composites to make for three damage types.
I hope I was clear in expressing my thoughts and hope that you find them helpful in some way! Thanks.