Re: LoC 2024 - Development Thread

[Bumbleguppy]

I'm really happy that nargil66 took this on when I asked him. Thank you nargill66 from the bottom of my heart. <3

I did have a few good days in a row and since the trailer for TQ2 I git excited and fired up TQ to play the mod. Of course as soon as I did I booted up ArtManager and started polishing little things that bugged me or ideas I had. Icegolem is back to single summon, updated his ice boulder skill.

I managed to add a permanent pet boost using the quest file that permanently buffs pets per act in little increments so there's no super life buff for act 4 anymore. I also had to tweak all the pets skill based base resistances so that it all balances better. Still buffing all bosses more lol

I didn't tell you nargil but I added a tier 7 skill for Forest Nymphs: Bladedance toggled self buff adds lots of speed dodge and damage.

Can't type anymore till I get some painkillers in me, but I'm keeping a file change manifest and everything.

[nargil66]

I'm glad you're working on it again, BG. Right now i'm a bit tired to mod... i'll try to find something neutral to work on, like adding more animations to Pegasus or something.
 

[Bumbleguppy]

Ha ha, no worries. I'm even slower than I was in the past getting anything done.

I'd gladly work well on multiple projects at the same time so just keep up the good work my friend.

I just get so annoyed with bugs and things I think are unbalanced I can't help myself lol

[nargil66]

Hey BG, i think i found a way to add effects to buff animations for all masteries despite the limit of 24 special animation slots. The trick is using props! Here is the way i used:

1. I took a vanilla "skill_buffself" animation, added a "skillProp1Add" and "skillProp2Add" callbacks with the CallbackEditor (btw you can even add prop callbacks that are not in the callback list), and replaced the default animations for buffself/other in the animation table with it.

2. Then i took the easter egg snowball (weapon mesh from IT), made it invisible in MeshView by setting Face Count to 0 in DrawCalls section, and I attached one of your buff animation effects via entity directly to it:

CreateEntity
{
    attach = "FX1"
    entity = "Records/Effects/dream/dream_cast_fx01.dbr"
}

3. Then i created two new prop records, one for left hand and one for right hand, and linked the invisible snowball with attached effect in each of them.
4. Then in one of the buff skills of Dream (Trance of Empathy), in Config i just left the skillSpecialAnimationName empty and instead added the two props for dream buff effects:

5. I had to edit your buff effect and make it to loop, also to change "boneList" attach points in the effect record file to "Bone_R_Weapon;Bone_L_Weapon", but i think the result is pretty decent:


Here is the result of my tests so far (see attachments):

[Bumbleguppy]

Wow! That's a great idea! I never thought of that, now there can be all sorts of effects for cast animations, good news

[soa]

I don't understand why not add/use PS1Start / PS2Start / PS3Start callbacks in the animation, then enter the effect file and attach point(s) in the skill ?
That would avoid to create props, and also you could have the same effect file for both hands. I understand here you create two props even if effects are the same.

[nargil66]

I don't understand why not add/use PS1Start / PS2Start / PS3Start callbacks in the animation, then enter the effect file and attach point(s) in the skill ?
That would avoid to create props, and also you could have the same effect file for both hands. I understand here you create two props even if effects are the same.

I'll try that. This way might be the simplest indeed...

[Bumbleguppy]

I didn't know that the particleeffectName and AttachPoint in the player skill templates even worked. I guess I was so used to the idea that TQ is just so buggy that's why I never saw it used in the base game database files.

Besides, I never would have thought of it lol

nargil66: "Instead of dozens of separate player animation files, why not have the buff and projectile cast animations accept prop attach points and add an invisible prop with a particle effect to the skill file?"

soa: "How about adding PSEffect callbacks to the two cast animations and add the effect reference directly in the skill file, no need for props"

bumbleguppy: "I like pets"

[nargil66]

Well, i didn't even know how to view detailed descriptions in the record file by now (View/Descriptions...) haha.

[nargil66]

Ported this model today (possible construct for Atlantis or something):

It uses Gigantes animations.

[Bumbleguppy]

damn, son

[nargil66]

Today I'm working on some animations. I've noticed before that in vanilla "femalepc_unarmed_skill_callofthehunt.anm" the horn prop is pointing backwards:

Here is the fixed animation, for anyone who needs for their mods (just swapped Bone_R_Weapon with one from onehanded animation, no other changes):

Male version doesn't need fixing. See attachment below for download.

[nargil66]

I post another animation for anyone who needs it - it's an improved female walking animation. Preview:

The default one were missing bones for the side hairs, thigh plates and back skirt, the wrists rotation is changed to be more natural, also added tail bones to be compatible with vanilla maenad model. See attachments for download.

[soa]

Good, I'll replace those.
I've found a similar issue with many NPCs in EE, but the models and animations are vanilla Orient so maybe it happens elsewhere. See this picture, the ribbon in the back is fixed, not animated :



The NPC is in records\xpack4\creatures\npc\level design\city\cfemale04_talk.dbr but others have the same issue.

The mesh is Creatures\NPC\NewOrient\OrtVillagerF.msh
With various hair prop in the dbr, and nothing looking like a ribbon in the Viewer, whichever the animation. This NPC does use a male animation though (Timon) but other NPCs using male anim don't seem to have the issue. Like all those female NPCs in EE using the "lean on a wall" animation, which is male too.
I'm not sure where that ribbon is, maybe in the main female mesh, not attached, but it's missing a bone ?

[nargil66]

Good, I'll replace those.
I've found a similar issue with many NPCs in EE, but the models and animations are vanilla Orient so maybe it happens elsewhere. See this picture, the ribbon in the back is fixed, not animated :

Spoiler for Hiden:

The NPC is in records\xpack4\creatures\npc\level design\city\cfemale04_talk.dbr but others have the same issue.

The mesh is Creatures\NPC\NewOrient\OrtVillagerF.msh
With various hair prop in the dbr, and nothing looking like a ribbon in the Viewer, whichever the animation. This NPC does use a male animation though (Timon) but other NPCs using male anim don't seem to have the issue. Like all those female NPCs in EE using the "lean on a wall" animation, which is male too.
I'm not sure where that ribbon is, maybe in the main female mesh, not attached, but it's missing a bone ?

I'll check, and yes, it looks like that ribbon is not animated at all, maybe it's a static mesh? Can't tell before i see it.

Edit: as suspected - there were two shaders in the OrtVillagerF.msh, second one was StandardStatic.ssh. Changing it to StandardSkinned fixed the issue right away.
The ribbon is erased on some texture variants, otherwise it's always there:

Spoiler for Hiden:

I attach the fix.

Edit2: Some improvements on the 6 animations for female run. Changes:
- Fixed front loincloth bones being too bouncy
- Fixed right weapon bones having wrong position
- Changed foot angle to make steps look lighter
- Added moving tail bones (compatible with vanilla Maenad model)

Video preview:


Attached below.