Also running Datastorm on your mod will reveal errors.

As far as Info cards, I can do them without editing the DLLs just yet. I am not even sure how to edit them as of yet. However, I am compiling the new info cards (in their XML format) in a txt file. That way, we can just place the XML in the DLLs you create/cleanup/whatever. I have opened up several DLLs and found some resources that have the XML info cards...but I really see no pattern in it. What do you guys use for DLL viewing/editing?

For prices: There just needs to be some equipment price changes..maybe ship price changes. I know you can buy repair turrets for 300$ in 3.4...10K in 3.5. They can last you up until you can purchase a Tempest...those kind of weapons really need to be increased in price and such. Just things like that. We have to keep it challenging. Archkaine said that someone already balanced trade routes so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I have just opened DataStorm and I am going down the equipment list, creating XML infocards for anything that doesn't have one. As I said, storing them in a txt file. I need someone to tell me where to find equipment specs. I need to be able to lookup engine speeds and thruster specs and stuff like that to be able to include in the infocard. I really want to make them nicer looking than previous versions too. I am basically figuring this stuff out as I go. I think once I can learn how the DLLs work and where things are located in files (especially INIs), I can do alot more of this stuff.

I have been talking to alot of my friends who used to play RB with me and there are alot of people awaiting the next version. I have a few people willing to help me with the history of some of the ships I am unfamilar with. I am pretty excited with all this. I know you guys have alot more stuff to do than me so I won't waste your time. However, if anyone has AIM, MSN, or Xfire, they can contact me here:

AIM: ross2376
MSN: ctx00062 -- @ -- centurytel.net (remove -- )
XFire: ross2376

Btw, Bejaymac, I have sent you a few emails. Some are before I figured out this DLL/Infocard business.

Also, for pricing, where can I find prices for equipment? And is there a max price? I noticed the Colossus Shield in RB was $9,999,999. Can't go over that?

I will start rescaling all the prices for things and create a table for it all I spose. Thanks again guys.

@ Chips , I used FLScan back at the start as well as FLIA, I got 1200+ errors with FLScan and an error log from FLIA that was over 800kb in length, thats why I decided to do a rebuild ,less work or so I thought.

At the moment ships and equipment aren't a concern as it's just the system files I'm working on (sort of),getting them working with the vanilla stuff.That way we've got a solid base to work from.


@ Ross, I forgot to add this to the E-mail I sent you,I use FLEd-ids for editing the dll's and flidref106 for searching through them,flidref106 is in German and being a Scot I have enough difficulty with English never mind German.

**shuffles of with a new headache**

Sabbath suggested we replace the ships and I totally agree. Like all the SW ships should be made closer together (in same system). We shouldn't bucnh EVERYTHING up but some styles of ships need there own system (SW in one system, ST in another, etc). We could maybe span them across 3-4 systems, but not the entire galaxy.

Also, I have notice the equipment stats in the infocards is almost all wrong. I am reworking these for the correct stats. Bejay, let me know when you get those new DLLs. I will be able to just paste this XML in there once I have the correct ones. I am compiling a list of all the ships, equipment, etc. for the pricing rebalance. I have found how to edit all the equipement and prices and stuff. I am catching on quickly, so I may be able to help with more in the future as I learn this stuff.

I am going to start a "todo" list with our top priorites, which I will get from Bejay. Sabbath also mentioned a cut back on cap ships. I can partly agree. Some of these uber ships need to be redone so there arent so many....however I do think a few cap ships are nice in the game.

On to systems: Some of the systems are just wacked. Such as Mimbari (spelling) and Narn. They have single planets and are kinda pointless. We should add more to these systems or take them out. Most of the Tradelanes in the new systems are wacked too. I am going to try to figure out how TLs are setup and maybe I can help fix some.

However, alot of this stuff is low priority. As I said, I will compile a todo list for us and post it. I can't right now because I am getting ready for work. Bejay, what are you working on and what priority is it? Any other modders working on stuff that I should put down?

BTW arch, I got your IMs but I was asleep

Thanks guys, Ross

i know you guys are getting upset at me for asking this though, but PLEASE keep the raven claw fighter in.

also when you said replaceing all ships, does that also mean the orignal fl ships like the eagl and all? if so i do admit that would be intresting, replacing ALL ships and equipment with non fl ones. maybe taking out some of the trade lanes inorder to make it more challanging for traders since they would have to fend off attackers.

Some of the tradelanes are going to have to go. Some systems are just too cluttered. Especially like New York and such.

I have compiled a todo list. I am not exaclty sure what Bejaymac is doing but I know hes working out bugs, therefore this is the list I came up with for the next release:

Must be done:
-Fix bugs that cause CTDs and similar things.
-Fix system/station names.
-Remove systems that are mostly pointless (or add more to them).
-Fix system clutter such in NY and similar systems (especially with tradelanes).
-Make sure existing infocards have the correct information (found alot with incorrect info).
-Sort out the problems with these unknown systems.
-All the prices must be totally rebalanced (except for trade routes).

Should be done:
-Relocate related ships to closely linked systems (not all over the place).
-Advanced weapons should be taken out of the central systems (NY, NB, etc). The suntrap station in NY has almost as much as the EA system, without the danger of attack. It would be more challenging if these things were moved back into a dangerous zone.
-All equipment needs to have an infocard. As I stated above, the existing ones have to be updated, but some of the equipment doesn't even have infocards. The ships need more detail in there infocards as well.
-Equipment names and specs need to be updated. Like the shield powercell names are wacked. And I noticed, the advanced nanobots are $400K but they only heal twice as much as the reg nanos....lmao thats the stupidest thing i have seen yet. However, those are easy fixes.
-EA system needs to be almost entirely reworked. The tradelanes are wacked in that system. There are alot of capital ships around the planets too. Perhaps we should move *some* of these away or take them out so it won't cause so much of a lag. However, some should remain to make it chalenging.
-It is pointless to have Carolina when we have EA system. Vice versa. They both serve as a transit station to everywhere. Perhaps we should rethink how these are used. The only thing, EA has stuff in it. I think we should get rid of Carolina. Part of the game is having to explore. Not just say bam...and your across the galaxy (just my point of view).

Would be nice:
-Remove some of the capital ships or at least scale some down. This was a request from sabbath and I partly agree. It is nice to have capital ships but we dont want a 50/50 ration between cap ships and fighters/corvettes. Plus, there shouldnt be one all powerful cap ship. We should offer like 3-4 that are of almost the same power. People can take there choice based on there style. Ex. The Andromeda and the Assualt Frigate. However, when I do rebalancing on prices, I am not going to set cap ships at like something you can obtain within a day.
-Redo some of the system graphics (space textures). I love a well made system. They are neat to explore and look at. We could maybe add a few more solar objects to systems too. Just to make it interesting.

That's really all I have for right now. Those are just things I have noticed. Please feel free to post things that you think need to be done. I have probably missed a couple things or miscategorized them. I have been learning alot the past few days. I can probably do half the things on this list as far as skill wise. Hopefully, with more time, I can be even more valuable.

I am currently waiting on this DLL thing. Bejaymac wants to put them all in one or two DLLs as I understand it. Currently, the game runs from eight DLLs. I am trying to see how I can move all these things to a single DLL myself. I haven't had all that much luck but I am still working. If anyone wants to let me know how, it would be appreciated. After the DLLs are str8, I can begin updating infocards and such.

I am preparing a list of all the ships and equipment right now. I will use it to rebalance the prices (which drastically need it). Can someone please tell me that maximum price on a piece of equipment and on a ship?

Thanks guys (sorry for long status update)

Ross

Also on the Should be done (close to Must be done):
-Is there a way to fix the capital ships so that when they get run into by like a fighter, they dont go spinning off in circles and stuff? I know it's really annoying and very unrealistic.

Ok, I have figured out the DLL thing. I found a tutorial at http://lancersreactor.com/t/forum/topic ... orum_ID=29.
In it, it was stated:

"UNSETH notes that changing the order of the original resources in this file will "mess" up FL.
Apparently... It is possible in the freelancer.ini to put your own resource DLLs in
the file to get a better overview. The DLL numbers will become logically
7,8, 9 etc."

I have seen the forumla for how the DLLs process the IDS numbers and if we removed any of the original DLLs I BELIEVE we would have to redo almost all of the IDS numbers (in all the INIs and everything). It's hard to explain. The "DLL numbers" become part of the IDS code. Changing that would change the IDS codes. You can read part of that tutorial to see how FL does its DLL resource coding and such. But, I am unsure if you guys are aware of this and I am totally wrong or what the thing is here...

I figured I would bring this to your attention. Perhaps this is why MD didnt compile them all into a single DLL in the first place. However, I think we can put all the new stuff in a single DLL, ModInfo.dll. Apparently, we can add DLLs (MD already added this one for us), but we just can't take the originals (without LOTS of work). It already contains almost all of the info (for the new stuff) anyways. I can move the stuff from rbmod.dll to this ModInfo.dll and change all the IDS codes for it. There aren't many entries in it (only like 1 or 2).

Btw, I am on AIM most of the time if anyone wants to talk to me there

Ugh, these system names are a mess. I found how the systems are named and where they are in the DLLs but...its just terrible. It looks like the new systems that were added just used other system names...instead of creating it's own. Thats why programs like DS and FL Explorer call them Omicron Minor and such things. I am going to try to sort these out. However, it would be helpful if we had some creative names for these places. Anyone want to help out (lol im not that creative)?

Btw, I know i have posted A LOT, however, I have just been going over all of this and just been posting things I have come across.

About the above post, I will try to get a list of all the added, unnamed systems and a description of each. People can post suggestions or you guys can come up with names or what not but I am just terrible with that kinda thing. I never realized there were so many of these new systems. Some may just have to be taken out, especially if they are pointless. I'll try to get a list tonight. I have to login a server or create my own and get some descriptions.

Btw, do you guys want me to setup a seperate forum for all this junk? I know we just have one topic here at TLR. I can easily setup some dev forums for us on a site if you want them. I dunno, just might help communicate. This topic is going to get very huge if we keep going the way we are. (I think I will go ahead and set something up and you guys can choose to use it or not). Btw, TLR is great...we just need room

Okay folks time for a bit of clarity here. My intentions with this mod is to do a bugfix and a general tidy up of the mod nothing more. Replacing the ships is a no go as far as I'm concerned, in fact there will be now major changes made to this mod while I'm working on this version, all I want to do is get Rebalance 3.5 working the way it was meant to, that way the Rebalance mod team have a mod they can add to in the future. Doing major changes mean that this will no longer be the Rebalance mod but something else entirely. If you want to do major changes then go and start your own mod and leave Rebalance alone.



I knew that this would be a long term project for myself, but it's now going to take even longer as my free time for modding has been cut.After almost a year of unemployment I start work again on Monday, so 12 hour modding sessions are a thing of the past, I'm going to have to put this on the back burner for a couple of weeks, at least until I'm up to speed at the work again.

I'll still drop by this site from time to time, but my modding time will be down to a couple of hours a week plus any free time at weekends

**shuffles of with a new headache**

So are you saying you don't want help to fix alot of these problems?