Nali Weapons 3 - Release

[Torax]

A small update on this:
I have the docs nearly finished (9 different documents, all together have 150+ pages), all there's left is for me to finish formating the pages to leave them as clean and organized as possible, and write a few extra things.

Now, the thing is: most of the info covered in these docs apply to the first release as well, thus I am thinking to release a first version of these docs here (by tomorrow or so) so admins and players (and developers?) can finally have some base to look into when it comes to the existing settings of the mod, and also to gather some feedback to correct or modify anything in the docs as needed for the final release.

Currently, the docs cover the following:
- FAQ
- general description of the mod and its features
- server setup
- profiles
- commands
- keybinds
- all the .ini settings explained
- content within it
- plugins (for developers)
- existing classes, functions and properties (for developers), but it's not extensive (which means: only info I deemed important to show and explain are so, not all of it)
- and a few more not-so-important things (like permissions and so...)

My question before I make an initial release of the docs: is there anything else you would like or need to see covered by these docs?

I am asking this now, because after I post those, I will immediately advance with the last thing to finish the final version, which is the new weapon, and during that time all the feedback and doc requests will go to my TODO list until I finish the weapon (which will take some time).

if you described potentially new functions - i think that's all. Coz i really stuck understanding some of them, thinking why so kind of effects made that way, not this, for example. Me and others probably must see those docs to talk about what is missed

[Feralidragon]

So here it is, the first version of the docs:

NW3FinalDocsV1.zip

(1.76 MiB) Downloaded 240 times

All the docs in the zip are in pdf format, and this:
1 - is a first version of the documentation: which means that it may have tons of grammar mistakes and whatnot (I didn't review the docs), and not all the information yet;
2 - it's relative the final version the mod: which means that if you see a slightly different function or features or settings listed there which you don't find anywhere in the current release, then it's most likely because they are only present in the final version which is yet to be released.
Also, all the packages in the final version are formatted as "NW<package name>VIII", therefore that's the denomination used in the docs, so just mentally switch "VIII" with "V3" for now.

These docs may be for the final version, but the vast majority of the things described there still apply to the current version.
Also, the docs aren't very extensive, I only wrote about the things I considered important and in need to explain, otherwise I would spend the rest of my life writing these docs (there would be just too much ground to cover).
On the final release, I am also going to bundle an UnCodex version of the whole NW3 code so anyone can navigate through the classes quickly.

@EvilGrins: NW3 replaces UT and Unreal1 weapons, but as far as custom ones go, there's no way for me to detect them and replace by the proper ones.

@UTDeath: The current version doesn't have such option, but the final version has that option there already to disable the shakes.
However 2 things:
- if you're lagging, the problem isn't the shaking (shaking just makes lag more noticeable because your screen will render different angles of same thing, you notice the framerate loss more easily), so that lag must the be effects of the nukes themselves, so I suggest you to setup the mod detail to a lower a value and see what happens;
- the option to disable shaking in the final version is server-side, which means that you can disable it for bot matches and such, but in online games that will be dependent on the server itself (since shaking affects gameplay a lot, as one of its purposes is to feel the explosions and nukes and mess around your aim in those moments).

[UTDeath]

Nice, I didn't know you were working on a new release, that makes me excited.
I will do nicely the way it is now then, but that will be one of my favorite new options because I'm not a fan of the shaking.

[Dr.Flay]

It may be worth copying the final docs to one of the Unreal Wiki sites, so it can be expanded/corrected as needed.

[UTDeath]

If you, Feralidragon, or anyone else needs help, ideas or a tester for a project I will be more than glad to help.
By the way, on the mod menu of the weapon it says "The Executioner Rifle" which made me confused when I first got it because I knew nothing of NW3 but now I know it's the blades, just saiyan

[Feralidragon]

The Oversurrector first look:
- The Oversurrector is (what I believe) to be an original concept which consists in sacrificing one of your weapons to unlock its "hidden" power, and thus is classified as a super weapon (just like the Redeemer).
This is supposed to be the "magic" weapon of the whole pack.
The effects coloring depends solely on the weapon being sacrificed (so FlameTracker would be mainly red/orange, the BoltRifle one would have a cyan theme, etc, any individual RGB coloring of the effects is possible).
This is a first look on the weapon selection (alt-fire) and firing sequence (normal fire mode), and in this case I set what *may* be the UltimaProtos weapon sacrifice color scheme.

It may be worth copying the final docs to one of the Unreal Wiki sites, so it can be expanded/corrected as needed.

UnrealWiki covers the standard game alone, and just the most important mods (lightly) and a few tools to work on it, so probably none of this mod documentation should be there.
Anyway, these docs aren't final yet, they will be updated before the final release (specially due to the new weapon I am actively working on).

If you, Feralidragon, or anyone else needs help, ideas or a tester for a project I will be more than glad to help.

For development I don't need any help, but perhaps for testing it wouldn't be a bad idea, thanks.
Once I finish the final version I may PM you about testing.

By the way, on the mod menu of the weapon it says "The Executioner Rifle" which made me confused when I first got it because I knew nothing of NW3 but now I know it's the blades, just saiyan

Yeah, I just checked and indeed it does.
Fixed (in the final version), thanks for the report.

[JackGriffin]

Flay has a good idea in that you should consider a few friends proofreading the documentation as you finish it up. One of the things I struggled so hard with when developing was being 'too close' to the project and not being properly observant when writing the docs. Because you know the work so intimately you end up assuming the user knows more than they do and so you don't explain things the best way. Any of us would jump to help, just ask.

[EvilGrins]

Oversurrector, huh?

It's pretty!

NW4 here we come!

[UnrealGGecko]

NW4 here we come!

Nah, since it's basically NW3 with fixes and addons, so I guess what we will have will be NW3X or NW3.5

[papercoffee]

NW4 here we come!

Nah, since it's basically NW3 with fixes and addons, so I guess what we will have will be NW3X or NW3.5

Or NW3-ultima

I Quote myself from ModDB:

Booftyfulll...

Now I want see it in action.

[Feralidragon]

Flay has a good idea in that you should consider a few friends proofreading the documentation as you finish it up. One of the things I struggled so hard with when developing was being 'too close' to the project and not being properly observant when writing the docs. Because you know the work so intimately you end up assuming the user knows more than they do and so you don't explain things the best way. Any of us would jump to help, just ask.

And I totally agree with you, hence I posted the docs already above (http://www.ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=34& ... 060#p49857) in hopes someone would do something like that.
It certainly has typos, grammar mistakes and probably sentences that are not clear or don't even make sense, and given that it was downloaded 28 times so far, I hoped one of them actually used them and would notice some mistake or want some extra info on something and report back, but so far no dust.

I am not going to "ask" for it since, although it's separated into files, and each file in sections (with an index) making it easy to get the desired info, it's still tons of text for one to read and I don't really anyone wasting their entire time reading a gigantic document that probably will go unused.
The point of those is mostly to enlighten in the most important things of the pack and so I can say that at least I tried to give insight about the stuff in the mod, and on release I plan to include an UnCodex version of the source code as well for easy navigation for who's into coding or at least to know how things work more precisely. So if anyone proof-reads it, it would be nice, but for what's it's worth, it's not mandatory given that the mod isn't as much used as it could be.

NW4 here we come!

Nah, since it's basically NW3 with fixes and addons, so I guess what we will have will be NW3X or NW3.5

Well, it certainly isn't a "NW4", but the new weapon is going to involve additions to all the present weapons in the pack, since each one has a different effect, and the new effects may surpass the ones currently seen, and it may indeed bring a totally new dynamic to the pack.

Perhaps a "NW3.5" would be indeed a more valid denomination for it lol, as in the final version I am going all out. In the first version I overly worried about filesize and other things, and thus I limited the amount of effects and content, however people still found it to be too big... well, being that the case, I will add all the content I want this time (the weapons themselves won't be touched, but the weapon sacrifices will certainly bring some new visuals I am going to try to pull off, which means extra 2Mb or 3Mb in each weapon package).

Some of them are going to be hard to be pulled off though (like The Executioner sacrifice, it will be quite a challenge and preview video material if I manage to pull it off).

[UTDeath]

If I find something else, should I let you know here or in a message?
Another question, "The One" modifier, what exactly does it do? I saw a video of the Nali Weapons, not sure if it was yours, and the guy just takes a bunch of modifiers making his weapon super fast, strong and infinite, is that it? because if it is then mine doesn't work, I have it on and I can only pick up one modifier at once, I don't know if it is a bug or my files aren't working, just letting you know.
And one more thing, in case you didn't think of it, it would be really cool if the Megaton had a defense system, now I'm no saying a turret thing or something but instead something like an electric field with a close range of attack, not to attack other players but to prevent players of defusing it.
For example, some dude runs to a Megaton with a decoder and tries a password, it's the wrong password then "zap" he gets an electric shock.
Now that would also change the weapon menu to add the damage value of the shock and if it is at the first fail or like the third time it fails or so.
And this might be not necessary but how about an alternative to defusing it? I'm thinking of shooting it but since it is still a level 4 bomb why not make it blow up just smaller?

[Feralidragon]

If I find something else, should I let you know here or in a message?

Either way is fine, although perhaps is better to post here.

Another question, "The One" modifier, what exactly does it do? I saw a video of the Nali Weapons, not sure if it was yours, and the guy just takes a bunch of modifiers making his weapon super fast, strong and infinite, is that it? because if it is then mine doesn't work, I have it on and I can only pick up one modifier at once, I don't know if it is a bug or my files aren't working, just letting you know.

The One modifier allows you to carry 3 different modifiers at once in the same weapon. However, it only appears randomly on weapon pickup.
You need to enable it from the menus: Mod menu > Nali Weapons 3 Gameplay Settings > Modifiers, and then enable the modifiers and The One modifier as well.
However, the settings are a bit buggy on that release (the problem is actually the engine itself, but I digress), so if it doesn't work, open the NWeaponsCfg.ini file and remove the whole section of [NWCoreV3.NaliWeapons]. These bugs are already fixed in the final version though.

And one more thing, in case you didn't think of it, it would be really cool if the Megaton had a defense system, now I'm no saying a turret thing or something but instead something like an electric field with a close range of attack, not to attack other players but to prevent players of defusing it.
For example, some dude runs to a Megaton with a decoder and tries a password, it's the wrong password then "zap" he gets an electric shock.
Now that would also change the weapon menu to add the damage value of the shock and if it is at the first fail or like the third time it fails or so.
And this might be not necessary but how about an alternative to defusing it? I'm thinking of shooting it but since it is still a level 4 bomb why not make it blow up just smaller?

The thing about defusing is that it's already an high risk: you have to be still in the front of the Megaton, and if you type the wrong one you loose precious time, time in which someone may kill you or the bomb may explode.
Furthermore, in order to find the password you have to kill who has it, and there's just 1 card, and if some dumb teammate picks it up, until he dies or gives the card to you, you aren't able to defuse it at all (unless you guess the password).
In short, the Megaton is already a lot powerful by itself. Making it more difficult to defuse would simply demotivate one to do so imo, if not making it almost impossible in a busy game.
As for shooting it, the Megaton is supposed to be indestructible from the outside (even if you nuke it, it stays the same way), and that would make it too easy for the enemy to use your bomb in its own benefit.
Personally, I thing the defusing with the password card is the best middle ground to worth the risk of planting it and defuse it.

[Dr.Flay]

Would it be easy to get a big nuke explosion that creates weather, to also spawn whirlwinds (like the mod by Serpentine Widgets) ?

Whirlwind.rar

Whirlwind by Serpentine Widgets.

(74.72 KiB) Downloaded 104 times

I was trying to think of effects we don't use much, and this is basically a moving gravity-vortex with a different mesh.

[Feralidragon]

I don't want to spoil too much, but at least 2 or 3 weapon oversurrections will actually affect the "weather" if not more (as rain, clouds, lightnings, etc).
I have planned such thing every since I planned The Oversurrector, but I don't want to spoil nor enter in much detail as I am still trying to think and figure out the best ways to achieve the exact effects I want without being laggy nor ugly (because this new weapon is intended to elevate the UEngine ceiling effects-wise as far as I can, and it's a true challenge and there are still plenty of things I am "studying" and sketching up in my mind).