18 réponses à ce sujet

[Lance Botelle]

Hi All,

BETA TESTERS: Scroll down to later posts to get the latest BETA download link.

After looking at the various weather systems available, I decided to build my own version for a few reasons:-

1) I wanted to minimise setup required at build time.
2) I wanted the maximum number of weather variations possible, with as little setup.
3) I wanted to ensure my version did not have any glitches that may cause effect issues.

To this end, I have managed to create a reasonably effective system with the minimal of fuss to implement. The basic setup instructions will be as follows (currently planned):-

1) Place four sound objects in each outdoor area where the system will be used.
2) Place a single line in the area on client entered script that calls the single weather system include script.
3) OPTIONAL: Update a single variable on the area in question to 1) Desert region or 2) Snowy region.

And that's all there is to the setup! Really simple!

Furthermore, I have looked around in the official campaign sound files and effects and found some useful ones that can be used to improve the sound and look of the rain. e.g. Ground splash from the rain.

I have also allowed for seasonal effects (snow instead of rain chance) and (as mentioned above) areas that would only have sun/snow (snowy regions) or sun/desert downpour (desert regions).

Below is an extract from the script that explains some of the above. NB: There is lightning as well.

Hopefully, this will be useful to some people. I will let you know how it is going when I can.

Cheers,
Lance.

WEATHER SYSTEM FOR THE ALTHEA CAMPAIGN BY LANCE BOTELLE
RAINS INCLUDED (AUTOMATIC SWITCHING - OR MANUAL OVERRIDE INSIDE GLOBAL VARIABLE "SETWEATHER"):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRECIPITATION SETTINGS: 0 = OFF, 1 = WEAK, 2 = LIGHT, 3 = MEDIUM, 4 = HEAVY, 5 = STORMY, 6 = SNOW.
1 AND 2 ARE LIGHT RAIN - PLAY LIGHT RAIN (NO THUNDER AND NO LIGHTNING)
3 AND 4 ARE HEAVY RAIN - PLAY HEAVY RAIN AND DISTANT THUNDER (4 HAS 50% CHANCE LOCAL LIGHTNING/THUNDER)
5 IS STORM RAIN - PLAYS HEAVY STORM, DISTANT THUNDER AND LOCAL LIGHTNING/THUNDER
6 IS SNOW EFFECT - CAN BE MANUALLY SET TO MAKE IT SNOW. (OTHERWISE GOVERENED BY AREA SETTINGS/SEASON)
AREA SETTINGS POSSIBLE (DEFAULT 0)
----------------------------------
SetLocalInt on area in "WEATHERBIAS" for weather bias settings: WEATHER AREA BIAS (0, 1, OR 2)
0 = SUN, RAIN OR SNOW TO SEASON. (CHANCES OF RAIN BEING SNOW IN THE WINTER SEASONS) - DEFAULT
1 = SUN ONLY - LIKE A DESERT. (SLIM CHANCE OF TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR AS A STORM IN WINTER SEASONS)
2 = SUN OR SNOW ONLY. (COLD REGIONS ALWAYS PRECIPITATE SNOW INSTEAD OF RAIN - SNOWY DESIGNED AREAS)

VIDEO LINK:  http://www.youtube.c...bed/zJ12D_1X2Gs

Modifié par Lance Botelle, 08 octobre 2012 - 08:30 .

[Lance Botelle]

Hi All,

Just to let you know that I may be near to completion of this script. I just want to do a little more checking, and test a coupl more ideas and then I will upload it for download. A couple of things I am looking at:-

1) Increasing the snow density to look like heavier snow.
2) Chance of ground mist at certain times/weather conditions.

Cheers,
Lance.

[Lance Botelle]

Hi All,

I have added some clouds (and mist at certain times) .. This should be a HD video link of the system showing the clouds.... Best viewed in 1080 if you need to change the option and/or wait for it to buffer fully.

youtu.be/GBBE4YIR1yA

EDIT: It looks like you do have to manually change the quality setting on the player, as this link seems to default to 720 HD and not 1080 HD, which this video link can do.

EDIT 2: Please note that the "blinking GUIs" and the odd sound crackle are due to the screen capture software and not a result of poor quality. The capture software is free though, so I can't complain.

Cheers,
Lance.

Modifié par Lance Botelle, 06 octobre 2012 - 05:18 .

[kamal_]

That's pretty slick.

[PJ156]

That is very impressive.

What would we need to do to put it into a game?

Thanks for Sharing this Lance,

PJ

[Lance Botelle]

Hi Kamal,

Thanks ... I will be posting more info un my next blog.

Hi PJ156,

Implementation of this system is *VERY* simple. That is my aim. I have found all the other weather systems a little too involved for my liking, or don't quite do enough. I hope this system addresses all such issues, and furthermore, for those with a little scripting skill, they will be able to see some advantages of some functions/systems included, that can allow easy area wide effects at the change of a variable.

I am writing the PDF now, and will be looking for some BETA testers soon ... just to see if people can suggest the best tweaks needed to give best results.

Stay tuned ... and add to this post if you want to be a BETA tester.

Many Thanks,
Lance.

Modifié par Lance Botelle, 06 octobre 2012 - 07:36 .

[PJ156]

I'm in for testing. Weather is one of the better ways you can create mood in an area. I am building a town now so This is a perfect time..

PJ

[Lance Botelle]

PJ156 wrote...

I'm in for testing. Weather is one of the better ways you can create mood in an area. I am building a town now so This is a perfect time..

PJ

Hi PJ156,

OK, I will upload it to the Vault now. I am looking for any feedback that you think that may:

1) Help any other builders with implementing.
2) Note any alterations to the way it works that may improve it.
3) Note anything that does not seem to work.
4) Note anything that you might want to add if possible.
5) Any other comment.

Obviously, anybody else going to the Vault can dpwnload and BETA test this too, but feedback would be appreciated to help improve it if need be.

I'll upload in a minute and let you know when I am done.

Many Thanks,
Lance.

[Lance Botelle]

Hi PJ,

OK, The Vault says my entry is PENDING, and so I have tried uploading it to my google drive on this link:

https://docs.google....dDI1MXJhcE9MQU0

This should be a direct link: docs.google.com/open


Please let me know if you (or anybody else) has any issues downloading the file.

Cheers,
Lance.

Modifié par Lance Botelle, 06 octobre 2012 - 10:11 .

[PJ156]

Download went fine,

Try contacting Rolo direct. He has been in contact with me in the last few days. There has been an update to the vault which locked him out for a while but he thinks it should be business as usual from here in.

PJ

[PJ156]

Oh that is goooood!

The install went fine and the instructions are clear and proffesional. I have not played with the system yet and put in the default install except that I ripped the hak to the campaign folder to put it into other modules.

I will look at seasonal adjustment later.

My only comment so far is that the cluod layer is a little low. Taller building cross over with it which looks odd when it is just the city walls. It kind of boxes you in. That said it is not noticable on a low camera angle.

This will make a big differene to the area dynamic. In the past I have done this with triggers.

PJ

[kamal_]

A few suggestions/questions:

Are the sounds hardcoded into scripts, or can new sounds be added? My freesound project has tons of real life recorded rain sounds for instance.

How can I add new weather effects (a sandstorm using the thaymount_dust vfx for example)? Maybe I want it to rain frogs for the end of the world :-)

I would add a list of the variables for each weather type to the readme (something like set the global variable "setweather" to 1 for light rain, 2 for medium rain etc.), so lazy builders like me only need to look at the readme instead of go through scripts.

[PJ156]

Also just for fun. Does each system create a variable that the npcs might call in thier heartbeat. Then they could run to a way point when the rain got heavy and return when it stops?

PJ

[Lance Botelle]

Hi All,

Good to hear downloading and installation went OK.

PJ156: I did consider making the clouds higher, but it gets to the point when you don't see them as much. I also noticed they swept across some very tall building (e.g. windmill). I could try experimenting with their height, but wonder if the compromise will be worth it? As for NPCS reacting to the weather, this would also be very easy to script, as the weather condition is governed by the "CURRENTPOWER" Global variable, and so you only need to check that variable in an NPCs heartbeat and have them do whatever action you like when it happens.

Kamal: All of the sounds can be changed, or more importantly, you could just add to them. Adding new effects is really easy: All you need to do is use the function that updates the WEATHER UNITS with the effect you want to use. You can add your own conditional variable check for the sandstorm and then use the UpdateUnitEffect function to add or remove it. (Make sure you add the remove line to the function. Look at that function and you can see what to add.) I did consider doing a seperate readme, but as I have included that info as core info in the script itself, I reckoned if a scriptor was going to alter the variables in any way, then they would see the info they needed at the top of the script.

Good to hear you have managed to see it in action. Keep any other comments coming.

Many thanks to those who tried it.

Lance.

Modifié par Lance Botelle, 08 octobre 2012 - 10:48 .

[PJ156]

I think it might be worth trying but for the most part I can solve the issue by making my towers lower

I could look at the global power variable but it would be too complex to put in with FB's scripts for now (for me anyway).

Thanks again for these scripts,

PJ

[Lance Botelle]

Hi PJ,

Let me know if you have any issues ... but like you, I don't mind the clouds being as low as they are for now.

Cheers,
Lance.

[Lance Botelle]

Hi All,

I have noticed that if you design an area with a large amount of Z axis fluctuation, then teh clouds can be far too low to be workable. I am currently working on a fix for this, but it will be only a simple area variable setting to prevent the clouds being displayed for these areas.

I will post again, when I have done the update.

Many Thanks,
Lance.

[PJ156]

By the way, and I accept I am being lazy here and not getting into the script, camn we slow down the effects so it cycles more slowly?

Sorry if this is in the instructions. I am going to print them at work tomorrow so I can read them properly.

PJ

[Lance Botelle]

Hi PJ,

Changing the cycle speed is very easy. I will include more info in the next manual update.

By the way, it's probably best to keep all new posts in the other thread for this system, as it gets hard to keep track. (i.e. Let this thread die. And use the other forum thread for posting. )

Cheers,
Lance.