How do I make user-playable ground vehicles?

[USAAF2]

After looking at the structure of the data files between flyable aircraft and ground objects (ships especially), I'm thinking that it should be possible to make ground objects usable by the player. Of course, whatever aircraft cockpit that you install wouldn't realistically represent the controls of a ship or ground vehicle, but it would be cool nonetheless.

 

Anyway, is it as simple as changing the performance settings to reflect a ground vehicle (removing the stall effect/making it unattainable (ex. maybe a high negative number that can't be reached?), different engine specifications, revised altitude settings (basically 0 ft) , etc.) and substituting the hull data for the fuselage entrys referencing the 3-D models and other systems. In the case of a ship, couldn't you just delete the other flight controls and change the values for the rudder to reflect it's control effect. The only problem that I wasn't understanding was the propulsion of the ship.

 

Weapon systems seem like they would be easy enough to make controllable on these models, at least surface to air systems. I'm assuming that you would have to place such a modified object into the "aircraft" folder to trick the game into thinking it is a plane, and for the preservation of realism would have to start out near the target so your ship isn't drydocked on a runway somewhere.

 

Anyway, I just thought that it would be cool to blast some cargoships with a destroyer or fend off enemy fighters with a ship based air defense system. Also, if this idea is feasible ground units would also be fair game to modify.

 

I know this may be a stretch of many people's interests in this game, but I'm just asking for some hints, suggestions, or possibly previous examples of how to do this (if it is feasible).

 

Thanks,

Matt

[gerald14]

After looking at the structure of the data files between flyable aircraft and ground objects (ships especially), I'm thinking that it should be possible to make ground objects usable by the player. Of course, whatever aircraft cockpit that you install wouldn't realistically represent the controls of a ship or ground vehicle, but it would be cool nonetheless.

 

Anyway, is it as simple as changing the performance settings to reflect a ground vehicle (removing the stall effect/making it unattainable (ex. maybe a high negative number that can't be reached?), different engine specifications, revised altitude settings (basically 0 ft) , etc.) and substituting the hull data for the fuselage entrys referencing the 3-D models and other systems. In the case of a ship, couldn't you just delete the other flight controls and change the values for the rudder to reflect it's control effect. The only problem that I wasn't understanding was the propulsion of the ship.

 

Weapon systems seem like they would be easy enough to make controllable on these models, at least surface to air systems. I'm assuming that you would have to place such a modified object into the "aircraft" folder to trick the game into thinking it is a plane, and for the preservation of realism would have to start out near the target so your ship isn't drydocked on a runway somewhere.

 

Anyway, I just thought that it would be cool to blast some cargoships with a destroyer or fend off enemy fighters with a ship based air defense system. Also, if this idea is feasible ground units would also be fair game to modify.

 

I know this may be a stretch of many people's interests in this game, but I'm just asking for some hints, suggestions, or possibly previous examples of how to do this (if it is feasible).

 

Thanks,

Matt

 

I thought of that too, but I am not sure about it.

But tank cockpits will be cool too, like the M4 and the M-60 inside.

[DaSpungie]

Well I have been thinking along those lines too and ships with bvr missles and ssm and shore bombardment

would make a twist to online play too

[USAAF2]

 

Well, a very crude first attempt kinda worked..... I just forgot to change the start altitude/max altitude settings, causing the Spruance destroyer to soon fall to earth and explode. Not to mention the whole problem about being overland anyway (I just wanted to see if it would even load all the way, and it did ). A little more tweaking and I think it can be done. I haven't messed with the weapons yet, but that part shouldn't be too bad once the rest is sorted out. Thanks to the builder of this model, I hope that you don't mind this odd test of your ship.

 

Matt

[Lexx_Luthor]

Howah, player control of ships. Sea battles. I never thought of that.

[SayethWhaaaa]

Howah, player control of ships. Sea battles. I never thought of that.

 

^^Neither did those sailors who left their stomachs at ten thousand feet...

[Hawk MMS]

^^Neither did those sailors who left their stomachs at ten thousand feet...

 

 

Looks like Star Blazers Yamato

[USAAF2]

I've run into problems trying to get the vehicle stable while sitting on the ground. Right now it rolls to one side and is destroyed immediately. My idea was to have the game treat the ship as an aircraft sitting on it's landing gear, and be able to "taxi" across the water (taking advantage of the game's indifference between ground and sea landscape properties). The only problem with that is when the FM is modified, wouldn't that require corresponding wheels on the 3D model? I tried using the hull as a landing skid to sit on, and couldn't get that to work. In short, I am a little past my level of experience in getting the ship to travel across the water properly and do not have to ability to modify 3-D models. If anybody could pick up on this concept, I think it would be worthwhile to experiment with. I'm just stuck without really low ground clearance toy-boat style wheels to make it move somewhat correctly. :-)

 

Also, if anybody has another idea on how to make the ship travel, I'm all ears. I just thought the landing gear idea would pose the least problems. Other than that, modifying ships seems to be pretty straightforward.

 

Thanks,

Matt

Edited June 2, 2007 by USAAF2