Mods and Customization

[COMMANDER COOK]

I've got a problem now. When I load broadside, it screws up and loads thin ice. 

I started off by replacing broadside's .mis and .ter files with fresh copies from the installer on this ste, but that didn't work. I then removed all .ter files and .mis files except for broadside's .mis file, and it still manages to do the same thing! It actually loads thin ice despite it being the wrong mission and my having deleted it too!

I'm stumped here... help.

[COMMANDER COOK]

I figured it out. Tribes 2 was storing settings and DSO files in %USERPROFILES%\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Dynamix\Tribes2". I took Metallic DSO remover and modified it into what I call Advanced Cache Deleter which deletes all settings and dso files out of all the folders. This could also fix other errors like the arial font error I described earlier, but it's too late at night for me to test that now.

So as it stands, here are the features of my installer:

1 Max bots allowed set to 60
2 Max total players increased to 128
3 More maps support bots
4 Includes Tribal IDE along with the TorqueScript Reference
5 Includes DSO remover and my Advanced Cache Deleter
6 All .mis files are unpacked in the missions folder for easy editing
7 The installer does NOT include any reference to Tribes Next.

I still would like to hear some suggestions on how I should distribute it.

[mHyth]

Third, some of the machines I use my current installer on, will only get past the intro and then an error message saying the arial font must always be available pops up. I have no idea why it does that.

When that happens to me I had just opened Base.vl2 as a zip file and started the game, forgetting to change it back. When I do change it back, it will still pop up until you delete the fonts folder in the mod folder that you started tribes with. But that's just me, it may be different for you.

I've got a problem now. When I load broadside, it screws up and loads thin ice. 

That has also happened to me before, it's most likely a syntax error in the mission file. Host a game in the host tab and quickly hit the grave key(~) for console, when it pops up, you should be able to scroll and see a syntax error when the load stage executes the mission file. That being the case, it will automatically cycle missions to the next valid one.

[COMMANDER COOK]

Thanks for the input, but I've already fixed the problems.

Right now I'm adding bot support to more missions, and I'm going to update my Advanced Cache Deleter to be the only cleanup util necessary.

Once I get it ready, I'll post a torrent file for it here, if that's ok with Thyth.

[COMMANDER COOK]

My Advanced Cache Deleter is now ready for everyone.

There are 2 things you need to know, though.
1 Put it in the GameData directory and create a shortcut to it.
2 It'll refuse to do anything if you installed tribes in the C:\Dynamix folder. The reason is that the settings deleter would probably zap all your tribes files if it didn't.

I'm anxious to hear what you guys think!
Scroll down a few posts to download the newer version.

[COMMANDER COOK]

Don't be a dick. I said it wouldn't do anything in those circumstances as a safeguard. If you don't trust it, open it up in notepad.

[Red Shifter]

I did open it up in notepad.  My first instinct was that the thing deleted your Tribes 2 folder.  After re-reading it, I saw %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\VirtualStore which is a folder I don't recognize.  Is this Vista/7 specific or something?  It doesn't exist on my XP system, and surely doesn't exist on pre-XP.  Nobody on #tribes seemed to know what's in there, and someone with Vista said the folder was completely empty.

After a third reading, I saw where the main menu was.  Why did you sort it so far out of order anyway?  I just assumed that it went straight into the full delete.

[COMMANDER COOK]

I was having some problems getting choice to work. At first I thought is was the GOTO command giving problems, so I rearranged things.

As for the virtualstore folder, that' where my computer is storing all the DSOs and settings. I'm running 7 64 bit.

[COMMANDER COOK]

My new installer is good enough to distribute now. How should I distribute it?

I added bot support to what I consider the best courses.
The following CTF missions have bot support:
Acid Rain                  Archipelago
Beggar's Run             Damnation
Death Birds Fly          Desiccator
Dust to Dust              Hillside
Katabatic                 Lakefront
Magmatic                 Minotaur
Raindance                Recalescence
Reversion                Riverdance
Rollercoaster            Sanctuary
Sandstorm                Slapdash
Starfallen                 Thin Ice
Tombstone

There were some courses where the bots just weren't smart enough to navigate on their own, so I didn't add bot support to them.
I'd like for someone to fix the way the bots navigate.

Other than that, just tell me how to distribute it. The current size is 509MB.

[COMMANDER COOK]

Is it safe for me to register at TPB so I can distribute my new package?

[COMMANDER COOK]

Would someone modify the hud for flying vehicles to include a boresight symbol?
I'd do a lot of these mods myself, but I really don't know how.

[COMMANDER COOK]

I'm adding deploy inventory station and turret objectives to the courses which have AI support. I've also created deploy motion sensor objectives and the ability to create them from within the AI editor.

There is something I'd like some feedback on, though. Would the majority of you guys like for the bots to chat less? (prevent them from saying "defend our base!", "Thank you", and "You're welcome.")

Please tell me if you'd like that.

[COMMANDER COOK]

I've identified a problem with ACD.  
When using Vista or 7, if you modify a mission, the modified mission and terrain files will be stored in the Virtual store folder. The settings deleter in ACD deletes all files in that folder, so that would erase your modified missions.

Please download this new version and delete the old one to avoid any problems.

[{)NOOB(}]

Is anyone actually keeping up with this thread?
No offense just curious.

[COMMANDER COOK]

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed with the lack of feedback I'm getting. If any of you have any (constructive) suggestions, please post them.

I plan on registering at TPB and posting a torrent for my installer here as soon as I am satisfied with the Bot support. Initial seeding will be slow, because I only have a 256k upload rate.