Historically grown Data is a nightmare; Wed, 06 November 2024 13:41

Hi all.

A recent idea of some modifications escalated into a full XML overhaul.
Before you continue a little bit of context: I have never used the xml editor. Maybe 15 years ago I tried to check it out and just by chance caught it on a bad buggy non-working day and ever since I've been working directly in the xml files. Requires more care, but works. Nowadays I'm on linux and the thing outright doesn't start
If any of my comments don't really affect sb who uses a reliable and efficient and easy to use tool like the xml-editor then please disregard (if you interpret a sarcastic undertone please consider that the editor is a separate piece of SW which may experience its own issues that require manual xml input to continue work).

Item.xml has organically grown. 335 entries for Vanilla, 1000+ entries for 1.13 (please see Items 428, 434, 442, 448 for extra confusion...).

I'd like to propose an internal item management concept for the file Items.xml.
The wiki reads: "uiIndex - the item index, number the items sequentially starting at 1 and ending at 5000. Don't skip numbers or the game will crash. Do not use items #0 and #70. Do not use the same number for two different items."
I don't know whether 5000 is a hard limit for the game but all the better as I had the number 8192 in mind.
You use reserved spaces for certain items.

• 0-255: I have noticed a couple items that are essentially required for the game to run properly(and the editor :'D). 255 should be enough for all essential item for non-human enemies, quest-items, keys and so on for 1,13 and all mod ideas ppl may have. Maybe the editor-required entries can just go here as well...
  
• 256-1279: 1000 spaces for attachments, armors, LBE-gear and all other miscellaneous items
  
• 1280-3071: 1700+ spaces for Weapons(may be sub-divided for the weapon types as well)
  
• 3072-4863: 1700+ spaces for ammo
  
• rest: reserve
  

Tue, 05 November 2024 05:25

I'm stuck liberating towns and can't seem to find the plane that I was tasked with finding.  The hacker I was supposed to deliver the plane package to also mentioned some sort of disk that is supposed to be hidden in the game.  Any idea where these two things are.  Sorry if it seems to have flown over my head.  I'm used to just liberating towns.

Tue, 05 November 2024 00:09

Made a SCI for 7609 + DL-1.13

download SCI 7609 + DL-1.13 (v4.50.1)
-
Combination of 7609 plus DL-1.13 (v4.50.1) and cnc-ddraw
That's the latest available DL-1.13 I found at forum (v4.50 plus v4.50.1-patch, see initial DL-1.13-posts by wil473 at this thread (link in readme) )

Installation

1. install original JA2
2. drop contents of SCI into that
3. overwrite when asked

SCI also contains cnc-ddraw (by FunkyFr3sh), that should solve any issues that come with "old gane + modern OS and hardware"
run "cnc-ddraw config.exe" in ja2 main directory for changing its settings (borderless, windowed, fullscreen, fps-rating, shaders, etc)

-

Wed, 30 October 2024 04:48

I tried my hand at this mod, but it's so hard since I keep running low on ammo.  Am I doing something wrong here or is there a patch that fixes this.

Sun, 27 October 2024 20:45

Hi - returning player. Have just installed the 'Wanton Winter' version from SCI. All working fine (I think) but it appears I cannot use the INI editor to change starting cash - unless I am missing something? Specifically, I can change the figures in the INI editor, same as I've done in previous versions - and I then save the changes. But on starting a new game the default figures are still there. Any ideas?

What it says on the tin; Thu, 24 October 2024 20:40

Hi All

Been away - I was fairly active on the forums a while back, but really only as a consumer and play-tester for mods. The release of JA3 brought me back into the game and then made me want to re-start with (the far superior) JA2. But I've forgotten a few things - and I also somewhere along the way managed to lose both my JA2 and Unfinished Business CDs. Just received my Gold Pack CDRom in the post today.

I'll be looking to starting playing available mods again, but before I do, I thought I'd start by just playing a vanilla/un-modded JA2. However, IIRC, that isn't going to be possible whilst running Windows 11 64 bit. Yes, I can run the game in compatibility mode, but to get anything like a useable resolution, I'm going to need v.1.13. I'm pretty sure I can remember how to play around with the INI Editor to achieve what I want to there. And to make things easy, I'll probably go with the SCI for 7609 to start with. BUT - can anyone remind me how much 'base' v1.13 changes things from the original game (what was it, 1.07 with the Gold patch, I can't remember?). Is there anything I'm going to need to mess around with in the INI editor to play a game that feels like the original? Or is that no longer even possible?

I do want to enjoy everything the v. 1.13 offers and the various mods, but would just like to have an original game run through first....

Tue, 15 October 2024 22:56

I have a proposal for a repair option ( on/off ) to 100% in mods where none of the mercenaries can repair to 100%
Any mercenary or just Mechanical or Engineer (the question is how much to limit the possibility of this option working) who reaches 100% Mechanical or 100% Mechanical and 100% Dexterity (the question is how much to limit the possibility of this option working) can repair to 100% using a special toolbox. A special toolbox (a picture of the current toolbox only in a different color or a completely different picture) would be a rare item in some sectors.

Mon, 09 September 2024 13:54

I suggest making different colors depending on the type of camouflage.
Where the camouflage state is shown digitally, make colored numbers.
Green forest camouflage.
Yellow desert camouflage.
White or ash-gray city camouflage.
You will immediately see what camouflage the mercenary has.

Thu, 05 September 2024 03:19

My apologies if this has been discussed before. I want to kit my team out with the newer style AK rifles but would like to be able to add a Grippod attachment to them. Does anybody know how to do this? It would really add alot of value to my sessions if i am able to customise diff guns this way and would massively appreciate any help if there is a way of editing certain files to this end.

EDIT: I probably should have left this post in Kitty's domain that's my bad. Still, if anybody wanted to share how this process is done it would act as a reference point for others as i am sure there are people who want to know how to do this. Another example is adding a large pocket for a Toolbox to the Radio Set. I appreciate it may be a complicated process and any explanation might prove difficult, if you could just point me in the right direction that would also help.

2024 increased RANGES, improved NCTH; Tue, 20 August 2024 19:50

HI, HERE ARE MY DEFAULT SETTINGS FOR JA 1.13 in 2024

IMO, IMPROVED NCTH, AUTORESOLVE, IMPROVED BALANCE AND MAKE IT MORE REALISTIC, FASTER AND MORE ENJOYABLE. THIS IS ONLY FOR NCTH.

BASED ON JA2_113-v1-G0f38Ld66a-English  Jul 28 2023

TLDR SKIP ---> UNTIL TLDR SKIP

AUTORESOLVE? --> I ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE AUTORESOLVE AND MANUAL SHOULD NET SAME BATTLE OUTCOME. THIS MAY CUT TEDIOUSNESS.
BALANCE? --> I LOVE THE WORK OF 1.13 AUTHORS, BUT NOT ONLY ME THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT NCTH ACCURACY AND RANGE. I MAYBE UNDERSTAND THEIR MINDSET ABOUT 1 tile 10 metres BUT THIS ALSO MEANS THAT GREANDES CAN BE THROWN 200 metres, PUNCHING IS POSSIBLE AT 10 metres , SCOPED RIFLES ARE META IMO, AND STEALTH IS SUPER EFFECTIVE, PLUS THE GAME IS JUST SLOW AT LOW ACCURACY CHANCES + NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS TLDR.
IMO I FIXED THIS WITHOUT BECOMING OVERLY REALISTIC, BY INCREASING RANGES AND ACCURACCY, THANKS TO A GUY AT AIMNAC FORUM WHO WROTE A POST WHERE HE TESTED SIMILAR THING.
AI IS RESPONDING VERY GOOD TO THESE CHANGES.

BELOW THIS ARE COMMON SHORTCUTS.

--> UNTIL TLDR SKIP


///// INCREASING ACCURACY DUE TO INCREASE IN RANGE AND VISION AND NCTH

this part is not done in INI but in

game directory\Data-1.13\CTHConstants

NORMAL_SHOOTING_DISTANCE = 110 // was 70 -- this improves accuracy in relation to scopes
DEGREES_MAXIMUM_APERTURE = 9 // was 15 -- reduces maximum inaccuracy

this is done in INI editor

INI EDITOR
PRESS SEARCH (BINOCULAR ICON, Ctrl + F) TO FIND A VALUE
INSERT VALUE AND PRESS ENTER.
SAVE BEFORE EXIT (Ctrl+S) / LAUNCH GAME.


///////// NCTH ACCURACCY , WEAPON RANGE SETTINGS , VISION SETTINGS ///////////

GUN_RANGE_MODIFIER 150  // was 100  - 50% increase of weapon effective range is in line with new vision NCTH changes please note that shooting beyond maximum weapon effective range reduces accuracy very much in NCTH press F in tactical to check weapon effective range
BASE_SIGHT_RANGE 25   // was 14 - increases vision range, keep in mind that this is reduced by night, cover, prone etc.
COVER_SYSTEM_TREE_EFFECTIVENESS 35    // was 15 - increases foliage and bushes blocking vision range
COVER_SYSTEM_STANCE_EFFECTIVENESS  25   // was 10  - prone now gives 25% being seen reduction
COVER_SYSTEM_MOVEMENT_EFFECTIVENESS 40     // was 20 -- running things are easier to be seen
LOWER_VISION_WHILE_RUNNING 1     // was 0 - reduces vision range while running, does not work 100% correctly but it works kinda.
GUN_DAMAGE_MODIFIER 120     // was 100  20% increase , before these settings flak jackets and light armor was too effective, and desert eagle magnum, 12 gauge buckshots, and other weapons were too ineffective to my taste, keep in mind damage is reduced with range so long range shots can be still weak
EXPLOSIVES_DAMAGE_MODIFIER 150    // was 100  - 50% increase is a must. Before this settings, try throwing a mk2 grenade to a cluster of 5 lightly armored enemies with your exposives expert, you might be shocked how weak grenades were, also due to weapon range increase this helps to keep grenade balancing


//////// AUTORESOLVE SETTINGS /////////
-- buffed mercs to give results similar to manual combat

MERCS_OFFENSE_IN_AUTORESOLVE_BATTLES_BONUS  50
MERCS_DEFFENSE_IN_AUTORESOLVE_BATTLES_BONUS  75   // I know there is a typo but its in INI

-> if you want can also buff veteran militia this way , use similar INI entries


///////// MISC. OPTIONAL SETTINGS ////////

These settings are optional / unrelated to accuracy range changes but it is good to know about them.


SET_DEFAULT_AUTOFIRE_BULLETS_SMG   5  // was 1
SET_DEFAULT_AUTOFIRE_BULLETS_AR   3
SET_DEFAULT_AUTOFIRE_BULLETS_MG  7
MERC_LEVEL_UP_SALARY_INCREASE_PERCENTAGE 15 // was 35
CLOCK_SPEED_PERCENT 150 // was 120
INACCURATE_CTH_READOUT  FALSE // was TRUE
SHOW_SUPPRESSION_COUNT  2   // was 0   small UI tweak
CHANCE_SAY_ANNOYING_PHRASE 15  // set this to your liked value but i was annoyed by annoying phrases
MAX_BACKPACK_WEIGHT_TO_CLIMB  50 // was 0
BACKPACK_LOWERS_AP  FALSE // was TRUE  -- setting this to true means using SHIFT + B to auto drop backpacks every battle and then manually equipping backpacks. I pretend to imagine that my characters do it auto.
COVER_SYSTEM_LBE_EFFECTIVENESS 1 // was 20   -- why? read the description in INI
HIDE_BULLET_COUNT_INTENSITY 40 // lowering it allows to see ammo during battle more often
STRENGTH_SUBPOINTS_TO_IMPROVE  // all SUBPOINTS_OF_IMPROVE ENTRIES CAN BE SET TO A CUSTOM VALUE. SETTING THIS TO HALF RAISES STAT TRAINING RATES

IF YOU HAVE BETTER SETTINGS POST IT PLEASE.