Fighter crash landing fix

Starshatter: The Gathering Storm extends the classic space sim by combining fighter and starship combat in a single dynamic campaign game.
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jadon5
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:31 pm

Fighter crash landing fix

Post by jadon5 »

Like many players I have become very frustrated with the very frequent fighter crash landings, so I have made my own fix for this. I downloaded the mod

archiver from the starshatter downloads page (http://www.starshatter.com/downloads.htm) and proceeded to edit the Orion's flight decks. Decks 3 and 4 are

where the fighters land. By editing these 2 decks to be farther back from the carrier the fighters effectively land while still in space, eliminating all possible

chance of them crashing into the carrier. Here is what my new flight decks look like:

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 3",
abrv: "Deck 3",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: ( 305, 0, -950)
cam: ( 340, 10, -475)
start: ( 305, 0, -1950)
end: ( 305, -12, -500)

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 4",
abrv: "Deck 4",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: ( -305, 0, -950)
cam: ( -340, 10, -475)
start: ( -305, 0, -1950)
end: ( -305, -12, -500)

Simply editing the loc field is what gave me the results I wanted of no more fighter cash landings. For comparision, the original flight

decks look like this:

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 3",
abrv: "Deck 3",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: ( 305, 0, -550)
cam: ( 340, 10, -475)
start: ( 305, 0, -1950)
end: ( 305, -12, -500)
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wdboyd
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Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:52 pm
Location: Ohio U.S.A

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by wdboyd »

Hi,

Did you consider simply raising the landing height by one or two.     end: (305, -10, -500)  effectively raises the landing altitude of the craft. [;)]

That might work and your planes can still land inside the deck.

Actually, the end: coordinates are the wrong ones to modify. The decks approach coordinate setting is the one that should be adjusted slightly to permit a higher approach altitude upon entering the deck area. [;)]
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils!"
jadon5
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:31 pm

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by jadon5 »

No, I did not consider changing the approach field. I went with editing the loc field because it seemed to allow for a greater margin of error. Having the fighters "land" while still in space eliminated the crash problem. However, if you want your fighters to still look like they land in the carrier you could change the loc possition from (305, 0, -950) to something closer to the deck like (305, 0, -650).
zhire
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:45 am

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by zhire »

Does this fix adjust for the massive crashing into the carrier problems I have seen in long lasting patrols and destroyer missions?  Personally I land fine, but if I do an intercept mission or go searching for the carrier for example on a destoyer half of the flights landing crash into the carrier. 
All men are created equal; Virtue makes men not equal. -- Voltaire
jadon5
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:31 pm

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by jadon5 »

Yes, this fixes and prevents all fighters from ever crashing into the carrier while trying to land. Command a destroyer, or whatever you want and the fighters will safly land 100% of time.
Moriartie
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:46 pm

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by Moriartie »

So why hasn't this simple fix been implemented? I believe this bug was around before version 5.
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wdboyd
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Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:52 pm
Location: Ohio U.S.A

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by wdboyd »

Moriartie, in the pre 5.0.1 era, starmod wasn't made readily available for modding of the games shatter.dat file. Although, there were some of us that had the capability, we used it only to learn how Milo did things and not to change what he had created.
 
Now the genie "so to speak" is out of the bottle. We can make changes through starmod. [;)]
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils!"
manvin
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:59 am

RE: Fighter crash landing fix

Post by manvin »

Judging from the data given in the first post, this fix appears to be based in version 5.0.0+ (AKA: Starshatter:TGS).

I have yet to purchase TGS, and am still using 4.5 and I was wondering if this fix could be applied to that?

If so, what are the numbers required for the change in the Orion.def, considering that the flightdeck data in Orion.def in 4.5 is:

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 3",
abrv: "Deck 3",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: ( 192, -60, -350),
cam: ( 160, -40, -300),
start: ( 192, -57, -1350),
end: ( 192, -57, -350),

approach: ( 200, 0, -2000),
approach: (1000, 0, -1000),
approach: (1000, 0, 1000),
approach: ( 250, 0, 2500),

spot: ( 192, -57, -350),

recovery: true,
max_ships: 1,
cycle_time: 15,

size: 40,
hull_factor: 0.5,
}

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 4",
abrv: "Deck 4",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: (-192, -60, -350),
cam: (-160, -40, -300),
start: (-192, -57, -1350),
end: (-192, -57, -350),

approach: (-200, 0, -2000),
approach: (-1000, 0, -1000),
approach: (-1000, 0, 1000),
approach: (-250, 0, 2500),

spot: (-192, -57, -350),

recovery: true,
max_ships: 1,
cycle_time: 15,

size: 40,
hull_factor: 0.5,
}

(for decks 3 & 4.)

If at all possible, I'd like to know the numbers for both fixes (both landing outside the carrier, and the modified approach method.)


If this isn't possible in 4.5, that's something I'd like to know, too. ;)

Anyways, Me = Out.
jadon5
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:31 pm

Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by jadon5 »

Yes, my original post is a fix for version 5.0.0+. My fix should also be just as easy to do for version 4.5. Changing the last value in the loc field to -750 should do the trick. So, the final result would look like this:

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 3",
abrv: "Deck 3",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: ( 192, -60, -750),
cam: ( 160, -40, -300),
start: ( 192, -57, -1350),
end: ( 192, -57, -350),

flightdeck: {
name: "Deck 4",
abrv: "Deck 4",
design: "Flight Deck",
loc: (-192, -60, -750),
cam: (-160, -40, -300),
start: (-192, -57, -1350),
end: (-192, -57, -350),

Editing the loc field for decks 3 and 4 to (x, x, -750) should cause the fighters to land in space and eliminate the crash landing problem. I am not going to play around with the approach vectors, because I can not

be certin that editing them will fix the problem. Adjusting -750 closer to -350 (say -550) will activate the fighters landing closer to the carrier yet still in space. Plus editing the loc field is very simple and easy to

do, you only need to change 2 values, instead of the possible 8 for the approach vetors.

** Please note that I do not have 4.5 and can not test this myself. Somebody with 4.5 will have to plug in these numbers and let me know if they do indeed work (they should, but I can not be sure).
manvin
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:59 am

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by manvin »

I do have Version 4.5, and I can confirm that this edit does indeed work.

Now, if someone can help me:

It seems when I try to compile the new carrier.dat using this new .def (which I tested with the -filesys parameter), I can't 'ENABLE' the mod, in the Mod Config screen. My Errlog.txt file displays this:
"
DEPLOYING MODS
--------------
1. Mods/carrier.dat
Could not deploy 'Mods/carrier.dat' - disabling
"

Did I miss a step?

Anyways, Me = In.
Ologotai
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:57 am

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by Ologotai »

Hi everyone
 
Just picked up playing Starshatter this weekend.
 
Played the first day of Highland and survived my first mission against Minefield A - just!  I ended up in a point blank range fight with Udel and Baikal but strangely neither seemed to want to fire at me?
 
However I was gutted when about 10 fighters in total appeared to have collided with the Archon.
 
I have just downloaded Patch to 5.0.1 - does this fix the landing problem?
 
If not - as I am a technophobe - could someone let me kmow in step-by-step layman's terms what I need to do to fix it?
 
Many thanks
 
Andy
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wdboyd
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Location: Ohio U.S.A

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by wdboyd »

I suspect it is a LOD caused problem. [;)]
 
Mod the carrier defs to use only the highest detailed ship model.
 
The crashing problem should then stop. [:D]
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils!"
Toshiro
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:50 pm

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by Toshiro »

[:)]  Hey there
 
In the flightdeck parameters, I wouldn't change the "loc"  figures.  Iv'e had some experience with modding and I believe this is supposed to indicate "location" of system.  Where opponents would fire to disable your flightdeck.
I modded a ship one time and inadvertently  had  a system "loc"  numbers "outside" of the model itself.
What happened was the system did not appear on the engineering screen.  And when my ship was fired upon I got a CTD.  It seems if the system is placed outside of the model you get some problems.
here' sthe orion flightdeck parameters
 
flightdeck: {
   name:       "Deck 3",
   abrv:       "Deck 3",
   design:     "Flight Deck",
   loc:        ( 305,   0,  -550)
   cam:        ( 340,  10,  -475)
   start:      ( 305,   0, -1950)
   end:        ( 305, -12,  //-500//)     //////end of landing position seems to work with spot
   approach:   ( 280,   0, -2300)
   approach:   (1500,   0, -1000)
   approach:   (1500,   0,  1000)
   approach:   ( 250,   0,  2500)
   spot:       ( 305, -12,  //-500//)     ///////this is the one that refers to final position.
   recovery:   true,
   max_ships:  1,
   cycle_time: 12,
   size:       120,
   hull_factor: 0.5,
   }
 
you can change the Y co-ordinate numbers marked above  to be  just outside the landing bay itself. you don't get the cam showing you coming in as the landing endpoint would be outside now.  If the Y co-ordinates are farther back then even with lowest LOD working it should work.  I  just checked the lods of the orion.
The main one of the highest lod has a full landing bay.  The second one has half a bay with -500 y co-ordinates
in the bay hull.  The lowest lod has no landing bay modelled in.  so you would flying into the hull.  My guess is that the fighters will crash into the hull on the 2 lowest Lods.
 
You can either do what wdboyd suggest and just don't use the 2 lowest LODs or you can bring back the landing position to about -685 and make do without the cam showing the fighter coming in the bay. 
 
so .... you can ,  fix this bug
 
Toshiro
yngvef
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:17 am

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by yngvef »

Ok, I've made a small mod that fixes this problem for the Orion-class. It should appear on Starshattermods in a while (I just uploaded it).
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wdboyd
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RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by wdboyd »

Salutations,

A small new mod for Starshatter:TGS. [:'(]

The Orion Crashes Fix mod is now available for download from www.starshattermods.com

Check under Utilities. [:D]

Now, fleet commander... go kick somebodies butt. [;)]
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils!"
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Awac835
Posts: 277
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2004 5:38 pm

RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by Awac835 »

I need some help. I just gotten the game and have already seen the figthers crash.

So i have now downloaded the "mod" which is only one file, "carcorr.dat"
Now where do i place this file for it to work?
There wasnt any readme file with it that explained anything. Do i need a thirdparty tools to install it? There isnt any carcorr.dat in the game, so i guess its not just copy paste?

Thx for any help.
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wdboyd
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RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by wdboyd »

ORIGINAL: Awac835

So i have now downloaded the "mod" which is only one file, "carcorr.dat"
Now where do i place this file for it to work?
There wasnt any readme file with it that explained anything. Do i need a thirdparty tools to install it? There isnt any carcorr.dat in the game, so i guess its not just copy paste?

Thx for any help.

The "carcorr.dat" should be copied and pasted into your mods folder found within your games main directory. If you don't have one... create it.

Afterwards... enable the mod from within the game. Exit and re-enter the game. The carcorr fixes should then be in effect.
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils!"
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Awac835
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RE: Fighter crash landing fix for 4.5

Post by Awac835 »

Thank you very much [:)]
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