Included in Build Flags: Additional Personal and Pirate Flags

[Grey Roger]

Ah, yes. It's in "pirflg2.tga".

In that case, here are both "pirflg5.tga.tx" and "pirpnt5.tga.tx". (Though since you don't like overly bright red, the guy in the first flag and pennant may need a bit of attention.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Though since you don't like overly bright red, the guy in the first flag and pennant may need a bit of attention.

All I said is that the bright red stood out compared to the other flags on the previous page's screenshot.

On that same image, the red in the Animist flag seems quite faint, making it hard to make out the design, so maybe that one could use some brightening up again.
But of course that is a tiny thing to look at and I cannot check how it looks in full-size until tonight. Perhaps that looks fine and only the miniature could do with some tweaking?
In the end, it all depends on how it looks in the game. Which I haven't yet seen at all....

Maybe it is better if I add everything to the game and then comment further.

 

[Grey Roger]

Revised Animist interface flag and crest.

The Animists have polished their shield.

 

[Jack Rackham]

Yes, I mentioned the pennant file pirpnt5 but didn't notice the 3 tails on drakes pennant. Same file though.
And the animists is there ok.

 

[Grey Roger]

Yes, @Pieter Boelen pointed out that the Animist flag is on your screen. Up here are my revised row 5 flags including proper alpha maps for Drake's pennant and both Sao Feng's flags, and the one showing the picture of the revised Animist shield contains both that shield and the Animist interface flag with a brighter symbol. The main flag will probably look alright when you see it full size on a ship, but if not I've got another version ready to go...

Thanks for your work in incorporating these into the flag interface menus so people can use them!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Thanks to the both of you! I'm looking forward to putting these in my game tonight.

 

[Jack Rackham]

Thanks for your work in incorporating these into the flag interface menus so people can use them!

You're welcome.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I have now added all the new flags into the game and they look pretty awesome already in the interface!
Now we just need to ensure all the specials won't be used by random pirates.

@pedrwyth, could you have a look at disabling the last row of flags in addition to the last flag in each row?
Then if we swap these two flags around, that should leave all flags in the green area here available for random pirates, but not the others:

Does that make sense? Would it work?

And also @Grey Roger: What period accuracy requirement should there be on the remaining "random pirate flags" for us to consider?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

In the interface Sao Feng's flag does stand out quite a bit (for obvious reasons), but it looks very appropriate when seen in context:

Definitely adds another touch of atmosphere to a character and ship that are already were already quite unique in the game!

 

[Grey Roger]

And also @Grey Roger: What period accuracy requirement should there be on the remaining "random pirate flags" for us to consider?

The only period accuracy I've found so far is that skulls and crossbones shouldn't exist in "Early Explorers". Then again, neither should quite a lot - "Early Explorers" is a big compromise between realism and fun. Removing all the skull flags leaves Early pirates with not much choice, which probably wouldn't matter since pirates as we know them (criminals with no national allegiance, hated by all governments and law-abiding merchants) likely didn't exist in the Caribbean at that time anyway. Given what's already unrealistic about "Early Explorers", there's little point worrying about skulls on flags.

Several of the "random" pirate flags are recognisably those of specific famous pirates, so perhaps could be tied to the time period in which their owners operated. Except that most of them probably operated in "Golden Age of Piracy" - it didn't get that name for nothing! We'll have to find some famous pirates from other periods...

As for that screen shot of Sao Feng's ship - try getting a closer view and see if the saw-tooth edge on the flag and pennant show up...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

By the sound of it, it gets real complicated real quick.
I'm not too fussed about random pirates using Blackbeard's flag because there isn't an actual Blackbeard to actually use that.
So for now, probably disabling the very character-specific flags would suffice then....

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Just out of curiosity does anyone know the story behind the flag at row 2 flag 4?

 

[pedrwyth]

@pedrwyth, could you have a look at disabling the last row of flags in addition to the last flag in each row?
Then if we swap these two flags around, that should leave all flags in the green area here available for random pirates, but not the others:
Does that make sense? Would it work?

Should do - you need to change

ntex = rand(PIRATEFLAGS_TEXTURES_QUANTITY - 1);

in Programs/battleinterface/flags.c to

ntex = rand(PIRATEFLAGS_TEXTURES_QUANTITY - 2); //PW disable last row for random selection

That should remove the last row from random selection.

Also earlier in the same function GetPirateFlag(ref chr, int ntex) there is code for setting companion ships flags to match main character, which may cut across individuals who don't have their own ship, if that's what your setting of any particular characters (mentioned in the other thread) is intended to achieve. It only seems to affect companions to main character not companions to a NPC.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Thanks!

I'm not following you on that second part though.
Not looking at the code right now, but the idea is that player companions use the player flags, unless they've got a flag set for their own.
So Roxanne for example should always use her own personal and pirate flags as appropriate.

EDIT: Oh wait, maybe that whole function should be changed to:

int GetPirateFlag(ref chr, int ntex)
{
   ntex = 0;
   if (CheckAttribute(chr, "Flags.Pirate.texture")) ntex = sti(chr.Flags.Pirate.texture);
   if (CheckAttribute(chr, "Flags.Pirate")) return sti(chr.Flags.Pirate);
   if (IsCompanion(chr))
   {
     ref PChar = GetMainCharacter();
     ntex = sti(PChar.Flags.Pirate.texture);
     return sti(PChar.Flags.Pirate);
   }
   else
   {
   //   if (CheckAttribute(chr, "Flags.Pirate.texture")) ntex = sti(chr.Flags.Pirate.texture);
   //   if (CheckAttribute(chr, "Flags.Pirate")) return sti(chr.Flags.Pirate);
     ref cmdr = Group_GetGroupCommander(GetGroupIDFromCharacter(chr));
     if (!CheckAttribute(cmdr, "Flags.Pirate") || !CheckAttribute(cmdr, "Flags.Pirate.texture")) {
       ntex = rand(PIRATEFLAGS_TEXTURES_QUANTITY - 2); //PW: -2 to disable last row in random encounters
       cmdr.Flags.Pirate.texture = ntex;
       cmdr.Flags.Pirate = rand(FLAGS_PICTURES_QUANTITY_PER_TEXTURE - 2); // PB: -2 to disable last column in random encounters
       chr.Flags.Pirate.texture = ntex;
       chr.Flags.Pirate = sti(cmdr.Flags.Pirate);
       return sti(chr.Flags.Pirate);
     }
     ntex = sti(cmdr.Flags.Pirate.texture);
     return sti(cmdr.Flags.Pirate);
   }
}

Otherwise in the Roxanne example, she wouldn't use her own pirate flag anyway.
Haven't tested this yet....

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Jack Rackham's and @Grey Roger's new flags now included in here:
Mod Release - Build 14 Beta 4 Internal WIP For Testing | Page 7 | PiratesAhoy!

 

[Grey Roger]

Incidentally, now we have two Brandenburg ships, this needs to find its way into our collection of Personal flags:

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Incidentally, now we have two Brandenburg ships, this needs to find its way into our collection of Personal flags:

You're welcome to add more flags as you see fit.
As long as they actually do fit, more variety is always nice to have.

 

[Grey Roger]

All positions in "perflg1.tga" - "perflg6.tga" are currently filled. Either we need to open up a 7th row or something has to go. On that note, why are the British blue and red ensigns in "perflg3.tga"? Anyone wanting to fly those can just fly a false British flag. (Or get a British LoM. )

 

[Pieter Boelen]

ll positions in "perflg1.tga" - "perflg6.tga" are currently filled. Either we need to open up a 7th row or something has to go.

There are still two unused rows. Feel free to open one up.
BUT if a row is opened, I do want it FILLED.

On that note, why are the British blue and red ensigns in "perflg3.tga"?

I think mainly for Hornblower storyline use, actually. According to the books, there were an "Admiral of the Red" and an "Admiral of the Blue" and an "Admiral of the White".
By having one available as "default navy flag" and the other two as personal flags, it is possible to simulate that.

Not sure if that actually IS used like that. But it could be.

 

[Grey Roger]

Admiral ranks were all divided like that. We currently have three Admiral ranks - Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral. All of those were subdivided into blue, white and red, in order of ascending seniority. There's a diagram here.

The only admiral currently in the "Hornblower" storyline is Sir Edward Pellew who makes it to Rear Admiral (presumably of the Blue) by the end of the story. But we don't see him on a ship at that point, so he won't be needing the blue ensign. (He leads a fleet on the raid on Guadeloupe while Hornblower is ashore blowing up a signal tower, getting captured, then taking out the fort. We never see Pellew's ships because Hotspur has taken a pounding by then and Hornblower figures it's done its bit, time to head for home.) Hornblower himself won't need to bother about the various levels of Admiral for a long time - even if the Natividad side quest ever happens, it will happen to him at rank Post Captain.

We could relegate the blue and red ensigns to row 7 in case they're ever needed, thereby releasing two slots in row 3 for flags that might actually be used. The Brandenburg flag for the Brandenburg ships, for example. Beyond that, I'd advise against filling up row 7 just for the sake of filling it up, otherwise the next person who has a genuine reason for wanting a new personal design will need to open row 8...