Hanging problems

[EnsignAckbar]

I've been working on my own TC, replacing all models & fighter bitmaps... even though I have been testing each model (average polys ~5k-20k) with about 20 textures per model and everything seems to render just fine in the combat engine...

 

...I have found that the game "hangs" as soon as interactive combat is complete. If, on the other hand, I let the computer automatically calculate the results on the exact same combat instead of going interactive, it runs just fine. This leads me to believe that it is some kind of memory cleanup problem relating to the new high poly count models...

 

Has anyone else experienced problems like this?

 

(ps - once i get my TC complete, i will post the location where it can be downloaded here)

[the_mask]

This sounds very good

 

I think you encountered the same prob I had, when I first tinkered with textures. After discussing this with vakundok, he found out, that each model (close/medium/far) can only use its own texture name, otherwise the game will crash.

So if both the close and medium models use coolshinyhull.bmp, it will show up in the game nicely and work until the battle is over, then the game will crash.

 

But you can include the same texture with a new name and apply it to one model only, that'll work.

That's why I include textures like hull.bin and hull_m.bin, I don't include textures for the far models, since you can't tell a greyish blob from a structured metal hull from that distance

 

Btw, what will your TC be about, I mean what time period ?

[EnsignAckbar]

You have saved me a truly immense amount of time. With

about 30 textures per model and replacing all models as

well as replacing all fighter bitmaps, that is about a

thousand "Replace other resource" cycles in ResHacker.

If each cycle takes about two minutes, considering that

I would probably have had to loop through that process

multiple times before discovering the texture overlap

problem, you probably saved me 80 man-hours of work.

 

Hurrah!

 

My TC takes place just before the events of "Star Wars

Episode IV: A New Hope" -- rather than just after. As

a result I have both Yoda and Obi-wan as characters, as

well as others (Biggs Darklighter, Porkins, BoShek).

Several characters can be recruited by either side

(such as Mara Jade, Carnor Jax, etc). I have also

included some bounty hunters as Imperial characters

(Boba Fett, Dengar, 4LOM). The Imperials also sport

some more guaranteed force sensitive minors (Jerec,

Sariss, etc). The rebels include Kyle Katarn, Jan Ors,

Dash Rendar...

 

I have dispensed with most rebel ships without movie

credentials (all of the heavy caps). In their place,

I have put many varieties of the various Mon Calamari

starcuisers (MC40a, MC75, MC80a, MC80b, MC85, MC90,

and MC104). I have also given the rebels an analogue

of the Imperial "last position" ship (aka Death Star).

The Rebels now have a ship which has no hyperdrive or

MGLT drive... called the "Alliance Starbase" based on

the RE-7 Station model (seen in X-Wing, etc). Although

it fills the same "slot" as the Death Star, it doesn't

have a "superweapon". Instead, with its fighter

hangars, troop bays, strong shields and long-range

anti-fighter lasers, it acts like a less-expensive

fixed-position Rebel equivalent of a Star Destroyer /

orbital control point. The Empire has both the Vengeance

and Eclipse SSDs in addition to the Executor. The Eclipse

superweapon is modeled by giving it an absurdly high

power forward turbo battery as well as high bombardment

value, but limited by an excessive weapon recharge rate.

 

There are tons and tons of changes (Royal Guard

Regiments, etc) with custom graphics & textures. I am

nearly done with all the content and moving into the

playtesting phase. As soon as I am happy with that, I

will find a place to host the mod and post a comment

to the boards here.

 

Although this is also expressed in my readme, I want

to express an extreme debt of gratitude to the staff

of SWRebellion.com, without whom I would never have

learned of the various tools available for modifying

my favorite game of all time.

 

Thank you again for your solution to my problem!!!

[Evaders99]

Wow, a new TC with model changes! Just awesome!

 

Keep up the good work, and talk to us if you need help distributing it or anything.

[Trejiuvanat]

One question, how did you get the hyperdrive to 0, RebEd gets them as low as 1, I think. Is it somethign in the Dat files?

[EnsignAckbar]

Particularly when you want 3D models, longer names & descs, different stat values, etc....

[EnsignAckbar]

To any future readers of this thread who may be model editing in Rebellion, heed the inestimably valuable advice of the_mask. His suggestion was indeed the solution to my problem.

 

Although I inadvertantly set myself back a week's worth of work by corrupting my modified tactical.dll while reworking my models and textures to follow his advice (I had fully loaded all models and textures with many overlaps at that point), I did have the opportunity to test and confirm that the_mask was correct in his diagnosis of my problem.

 

For those few who may actually be concerned about the blow to my TC effort suffered through corruption of my tactical.dll, rest assured that I proceed undeterred (I had "working copies" of all my models & textures preserved in a pre-load state -- it is just time consuming to insert them all via ResHacker).

[Jahled]

I must confess to knowing nothing about what you and Mask are nattering on about, but me just want to say hang on in there dude, your total conversion sounds interesting.... drooling I am!

[TK421]

If you need beta testers, naturally I am willing to help you out

[ElvisMiggell]

Me too me too!

[the_mask]

Wish I had the time as well. Maybe I can make some .... just let me know, when your beta testing starts

 

Btw, this corruption can also occur, if you have Resource Hacker running with the tactical.dll opened and then open RebEd to see, if the model displays correctly

 

Jahled, I meant that, for example the closeup model's texture file can't be used by the medium model. But if you take the same texture file, give it a another name (like name_m) and apply that to the medium model, then there'll be no conflict. Clearer now ?