Released Corvette V.2

[Armada]

OK, here are the models, textures and stats entries for PiratCorvette and CrimsonBlood (including the Cursed version): PiratCorvette&CrimsonBlood.7z
I tested the ships in-game and found no obvious errors with the Ships_init code, but let me know if you find any issues.
Please note I have removed the pennants from both ships, since I doubt pirates would bother with them.

All I need now is some interface screenshots, and I can finish the main textures for release.

EDIT: Pieter, do you have the original full-size screenshot of FastMerchantman2 that you took?
The one you gave me isn't tall enough, so I can't crop the image to a square which encompasses the entire ship.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

But I always miss those pennants when you remove them from ships. They're just so pretty....

Did you remove those pennants by removing their locators or by setting them to FLAG_NONE in ships_init.c ? If you do the latter, they can always be enabled as people prefer.
Pirate_KK even originally intended to make an interface to allow you to select what type of flag you want on which mast. Though I doubt that will ever see the light of day.

 

[Armada]

Well, pirates ain't pretty. They don't want frilly ribbons on their ships!
If you want a pretty ship with a pennant, use the new RN_Corvette.

Anyway, yes I removed the locators. If figured no-one would miss them, you see.

As per my edit above, I'm also going to have to ask for a better shot of RN_Corvette. Sorry about that.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Well, pirates ain't pretty. They don't want frilly ribbons on their ships!
If you want a pretty ship with a pennant, use the new RN_Corvette.

HAHA! Indeed, the RN_Corvette really is pretty.
I was only joking anyway. For the most part, that is. I do like pennants. But I'm hardly as fussy over them as that.

As per my edit above, I'm also going to have to ask for a better shot of RN_Corvette. Sorry about that.

Both shots I posted were not cropped. Seems I have to redo them altogether then.
So it is both the FastMerchantman2 and RN_Corvette that need redoing, right? Will do so tomorrow, along with the other two.

 

[Armada]

Both shots I posted were not cropped. Seems I have to redo them altogether then.
So it is both the FastMerchantman2 and RN_Corvette that need redoing, right? Will do so tomorrow, along with the other two.

So you were playing the game in 1200x675 resolution? That sounds unusual.

To recap, I need shots of FastMerchantman2, RN_Corvette, PiratCorvette, CrimsonBlood, and the cursed CrimsonBlood.
If you could take the shots from a similar angle to the other images you gave me, that would work nicely.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So you were playing the game in 1200x675 resolution? That sounds unusual.

I resized them to 75% to save size on the forum. Didn't crop them though.

To recap, I need shots of FastMerchantman2, RN_Corvette, PiratCorvette, CrimsonBlood, and the cursed CrimsonBlood.
If you could take the shots from a similar angle to the other images you gave me, that would work nicely.

Do we want the Crimson Blood in her quest appearance (with custom sails) or regular?
I'm probably going to have to set up that sail change as well, I think? There are some other ships with custom sails too; should we remove those while we're at it?

 

[Armada]

I resized them to 75% to save size on the forum. Didn't crop them though.

OK, that makes sense. That's why I find SkyDrive so useful, so I can post full-size images without worrying so much about restricted storage quota.

Do we want the Crimson Blood in her quest appearance (with custom sails) or regular?
I'm probably going to have to set up that sail change as well, I think? There are some other ships with custom sails too; should we remove those while we're at it?

In the Ships_init file I gave you, I've already removed the special sails from the standard CrimsonBlood. So having a shot of the regular one with plain sails and the cursed one with torn crimson sails would be good.
Which other ships with custom sails are you referring to?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

No problem. Will try to figure out how to sort out those storyline sails. Shouldn't be too hard, I reckon.

I am setting the "Dark Captain" to use "sail_Petros_black_red.tga" and Barbossa gets the same sails if you decide to use the Crimson Blood instead of the Black Pearl.
This doesn't cover any instances where the player or a companion is captaining her though. Do you reckon that'll suffice?

One random thought I had: Could we make her un-encounter-able in the Jack Sparrow storyline period?
And to answer that: Since apparently that is the MAIN period that she IS used in, I'm going to go with "probably not, eh?"

 

[Pieter Boelen]

See attached for the needed Interface Screenshots. Let me know if you need anything else.
I must say, I had quite a hard time with the cursed Crimson Blood. And even now, I don't think I managed to take quite as cool a screenshot as the original.

 

[Armada]

I am setting the "Dark Captain" to use "sail_Petros_black_red.tga" and Barbossa gets the same sails if you decide to use the Crimson Blood instead of the Black Pearl.
This doesn't cover any instances where the player or a companion is captaining her though. Do you reckon that'll suffice?

So does this cover the times where you'll see the un-cursed Crimson Blood as part of the storyline? Or something else? I'm confused.

One random thought I had: Could we make her un-encounter-able in the Jack Sparrow storyline period?
And to answer that: Since apparently that is the MAIN period that she IS used in, I'm going to go with "probably not, eh?"

Yeah, period 3 is the main time span to feature the Aurora frigates, FastMerchantman and pirate variants.
Thinking about it, though: all these ships appear in periods 2 and 3, same as the Rossiya.
However, the Aurora based ships are meant to be a more modern design, so actually I think they should only appear in periods 3 and 4.
So if their encounter chances for period 2 were set to 0.0, and for period 4 they had something like 0.4, I think that would make more sense.
(This is what happens when I try to be lenient for the Sea Hawk storyline. )

See attached for the needed Interface Screenshots. Let me know if you need anything else.
I must say, I had quite a hard time with the cursed Crimson Blood. And even now, I don't think I managed to take quite as cool a screenshot as the original.

Thanks! I'll make sure the images crop to a square, but at first glance they all look fine to me.
I don't see any problem with the cursed Crimson Blood image.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So does this cover the times where you'll see the un-cursed Crimson Blood as part of the storyline? Or something else? I'm confused.

She is the Mefisto replacement in the Jack Sparrow storyline, so you first have to fight her.
That is when she is captained by "Dark Captain" and therefore will be using her striped sails. Then when Barbossa mutinies and takes her, that is covered too.
What isn't covered is what happens when the player or one of your officers is captaining her.

Yeah, period 3 is the main time span to feature the Aurora frigates, FastMerchantman and pirate variants.
Thinking about it, though: all these ships appear in periods 2 and 3, same as the Rossiya.
However, the Aurora based ships are meant to be a more modern design, so actually I think they should only appear in periods 3 and 4.
So if their encounter chances for period 2 were set to 0.0, and for period 4 they had something like 0.4, I think that would make more sense.
(This is what happens when I try to be lenient for the Sea Hawk storyline. )

So... all Aurora light frigates to be removed from period 2 (Standard storyline) and added to period 4 (Master & Commander/Revolutions)?
Aren't there a fair few points where they're used in the Standard storyline? While we're on that subject, should we change the quest ship selection there a bit?
Oh wait... we were changing the time setting, weren't we? I'm losing track of everything that is going on.

I don't see any problem with the cursed Crimson Blood image.

Not a problem per se. It's just that the original shot is epically cool and my attempts at recreating that have resulted in... well, let's just say it's not quite that cool.

 

[Armada]

She is the Mefisto replacement in the Jack Sparrow storyline, so you first have to fight her.
That is when she is captained by "Dark Captain" and therefore will be using her striped sails. Then when Barbossa mutinies and takes her, that is covered too.
What isn't covered is what happens when the player or one of your officers is captaining her.

OK, I see what you mean now. Is there a way of giving those sails to the player by default when sailing that ship?

So... all Aurora light frigates to be removed from period 2 (Standard storyline) and added to period 4 (Master & Commander/Revolutions)?
Aren't there a fair few points where they're used in the Standard storyline? While we're on that subject, should we change the quest ship selection there a bit?
Oh wait... we were changing the time setting, weren't we? I'm losing track of everything that is going on.

The point of the change I suggested was that it wouldn't affect the Sea Hawk storyline if we also move that to the Colonial Powers period.

Currently, though, I'm not aware of any instances in Sea Hawk where the corvette models are used.
One used to be part of the French blockade, and another was a frigate you had to take from Oxbay to Redmond.
Now, they've both been replaced (the first with a Heavy East Indiaman(?) and the second with the Boussole).

However, if we DO move the Sea Hawk storyline, I think we should reinstate a corvette model in both of those roles.
In the other thread about moving storylines, I mentioned the possibility of using the Centurion, Rossiya and Aurora as the new French blockade. I know the Centurion is English, but if we use her alongside FR_Frigate and RN_Corvette, they all have very similar paint schemes, so it will make the fleet look more uniform.

Not a problem per se. It's just that the original shot is epically cool and my attempts at recreating that have resulted in... well, let's just say it's not quite that cool.

To be brutally honest, the ship looks as though it's sinking in the original shot. And it has that awful stock rigging.
At least the new shot shows the ship with better rigging and a smoke trail, which looks cool to me.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Exactly twice, by the looks of it. From PROGRAM\KB_routines.c:

int GetShipPriceByType(ref chr)
{
    if (!CheckAttribute(chr, "Ship.idx")) return 0;
    int st = sti(chr.Ship.idx);
    if (st == SHIP_NOTUSED) return 0;
    ref shref = GetShipByType(st);
    aref arShip; makearef(arShip, chr.Ship);
    return sti(GetLocalShipAttrib(arShip, shref, "Price"))*2; // TIH - why are ALL ship prices DOUBLED here ??? // PRS3
}

That is probably the REAL culprit behind the prices not matching up. Does anyone have any objection to removing that multiplication factor there?
Note: That WILL decrease the price of EVERY ship in the game by 50%. What will that do to game balancing, I wonder?

That looks like someone decided that the ships were too cheap and rather than change the price for every ship took the easy way out and doubled the price for all ships. It would be better for future use if the ship prices were set properly in shipsinit.c and that multiplier removed. But that is a tedious job and who would do it?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

OK, I see what you mean now. Is there a way of giving those sails to the player by default when sailing that ship?

Not sure how to handle that properly. Could require a fair bit more coding than there is in place now.
Unless I hack into the sail selection code an "if storyline is Jack Sparrow and ship is Crimson Blood, then return black-and-red striped sails".
But that wouldn't be a pretty solution at all.

Currently, though, I'm not aware of any instances in Sea Hawk where the corvette models are used.
One used to be part of the French blockade, and another was a frigate you had to take from Oxbay to Redmond.
Now, they've both been replaced (the first with a Heavy East Indiaman(?) and the second with the Boussole).

Still left:

Will Turner uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Jackpot sidequest by Bartolomeu o Portugues
Wauter Keech uses RN_Corvette - UNUSED CHARACTER???
Ethilrede Claar uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Enemy in Nigel Blythe sidequest
Eng Captain Near FdF (Simon Blunden) uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Pre-scripted governor Pirate Hunting quest from unmodified game
Bernardo Gamboa uses Corvette1 - Saving Toff's Daughter

However, if we DO move the Sea Hawk storyline, I think we should reinstate a corvette model in both of those roles.
In the other thread about moving storylines, I mentioned the possibility of using the Centurion, Rossiya and Aurora as the new French blockade. I know the Centurion is English, but if we use her alongside FR_Frigate and RN_Corvette, they all have very similar paint schemes, so it will make the fleet look more uniform.

That would make for a very good-looking fleet! Right now, I'm not impressed with that fleet at all. Or at least, the flagship is... not quite up to specs.
And those are the first large ships most players will see when they start the game, so I'd much rather use better ones!

To be brutally honest, the ship looks as though it's sinking in the original shot. And it has that awful stock rigging.
At least the new shot shows the ship with better rigging and a smoke trail, which looks cool to me.

I always thought it was a nice action shot of the ship being just about to come crashing through a big storm wave.

That looks like someone decided that the ships were too cheap and rather than change the price for every ship took the easy way out and doubled the price for all ships. It would be better for future use if the ship prices were set properly in shipsinit.c and that multiplier removed. But that is a tedious job and who would do it?

Nobody...? Well, at least now we know.

 

[Armada]

Not sure how to handle that properly. Could require a fair bit more coding than there is in place now.
Unless I hack into the sail selection code an "if storyline is Jack Sparrow and ship is Crimson Blood, then return black-and-red striped sails".
But that wouldn't be a pretty solution at all.

Might as well leave things as they are, then. Players should be quite capable of changing the sails themselves, after all.

Still left:

Will Turner uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Jackpot sidequest by Bartolomeu o Portugues
Wauter Keech uses RN_Corvette - UNUSED CHARACTER???
Ethilrede Claar uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Enemy in Nigel Blythe sidequest
Eng Captain Near FdF (Simon Blunden) uses PiratCorvette (was PiratCorvette50) - Pre-scripted governor Pirate Hunting quest from unmodified game
Bernardo Gamboa uses Corvette1 - Saving Toff's Daughter

That's a fair few uses! At least they'll all be good-looking uses, now.

That would make for a very good-looking fleet! Right now, I'm not impressed with that fleet at all. Or at least, the flagship is... not quite up to specs.
And those are the first large ships most players will see when they start the game, so I'd much rather use better ones!

My thoughts exactly. Plus, it would have a kind of nostalgic value to it, since the original blockade included both the old Frigate and Corvette, and now their superior sisters would reprise their roles.

Nobody...? Well, at least now we know.

Perhaps we should at least add a note in Ships_init.c stating that all ship prices are doubled in-game?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Might as well leave things as they are, then. Players should be quite capable of changing the sails themselves, after all.

Now THAT is the kind of thinking I like!

That's a fair few uses! At least they'll all be good-looking uses, now.

True. Especially PiratCorvette is being quite popular. Any thoughts on how to add some more variety?
Will Turner doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would be overly proud of being a pirate anyway.
And that English captain near Martinique should probably get the RN_Corvette instead, no?

My thoughts exactly. Plus, it would have a kind of nostalgic value to it, since the original blockade included both the old Frigate and Corvette, and now their vastly superior sisters would reprise their roles.

Hadn't even thought of it. That too!

BTW: I felt the need to adjust your above quote for accuracy!

Perhaps we should at least add a note in Ships_init.c stating that all ship prices are doubled in-game?

Can do. Right there at the top where it might stand out the most?

 

[Armada]

True. Especially PiratCorvette is being quite popular. Any thoughts on how to add some more variety?
Will Turner doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would be overly proud of being a pirate anyway.
And that English captain near Martinique should probably get the RN_Corvette instead, no?

Perhaps we should have at least one of the PiratCorvette uses replaced with the CrimsonBlood?
I think Will Turner could use Corvette2, and I agree about the English captain near Martinique.

Can do. Right there at the top where it might stand out the most?

Most definitely. No good if modders can't actually find the note.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Perhaps we should have at least one of the PiratCorvette uses replaced with the CrimsonBlood?
I think Will Turner could use Corvette2, and I agree about the English captain near Martinique.

If we change Will and Simon Blunden, PiratCorvette is used only once. You want to use the CrimsonBlood somewhere too, or no need?

Most definitely. No good if modders can't actually find the note.

This clear enough?

#define SHIP_INTERFACE_SCREENSHOTS 1

// NOTE: All ship prices are being doubled compared to the ones listed here

void InitShips()
{
    // PRS3 -->
    //English
    shipstatsmult.n0.MaxCaliber    =    1.00;
    shipstatsmult.n0.Weight        =    1.00;
    shipstatsmult.n0.Capacity    =    1.00;
    shipstatsmult.n0.MaxCrew    =    0.95;

 

[Armada]

If we change Will and Simon Blunden, PiratCorvette is used only once. You want to use the CrimsonBlood somewhere too, or no need?

Ah, I didn't pay close enough attention to the list above. No need to use the CrimsonBlood.

This clear enough?

That will do.

 

[Post Captain]

Well, pirates ain't pretty. They don't want frilly ribbons on their ships!
If you want a pretty ship with a pennant, use the new RN_Corvette.

Anyway, yes I removed the locators. If figured no-one would miss them, you see.

As per my edit above, I'm also going to have to ask for a better shot of RN_Corvette. Sorry about that.

Sorry I missed this. Pennants weren't just for show. The extra length and lack of mass gave a clearer indication of which way the wind was going than with the large ensigns. They probably would have used shorter pennants than those on men of war.