Getting started

Discuss the Wing Commander Series and find the latest information on the Wing Commander Universe privateer mod as well as the standalone mod Wasteland Incident project.
Post Reply
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Getting started

Post by Citizen Bleys »

I've just downloaded WCU and am having some problems getting used to the differences between this and the original Privateer.

First of all, is there a proper manual for this game? I've got some good gems from the stickies in this forum, but there's still lots I don't yet grok

First of all, when I go to buy upgrades, I'm seeing a lot of junk in red--initially I thought this was out of stock gear (which I later found out doesn't show up at all) or gear I couldn't install on my current ship (until I tried to buy a B.S. Omni for my Centurion and couldn't do it until I sold a radar unit on my original Tarsus); anyone know how this works?

Secondly, I have access to a lot of ships--but not all of them--that I'm not supposed to have access to until completing the main storyline. i.e., I can buy Demons, but not Dralthi (I really want Dralthi); Are Dralthi only accessible at certain bases? (Yeah, I see from the stickies that this gets asked a lot, but I can't find the answers)

Thirdly, I have a capship, and it's useless for combat--is there any way to swap out to a fighter without landing, and then switch back to the capship?

I can't remember the rest of the questions--thought these up on the way to work and I'm away from my own computer right now; will update later unless I get links to documentation that answers my questions.
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Re: Getting started

Post by chuck_starchaser »

Citizen Bleys wrote:I've just downloaded WCU and am having some problems getting used to the differences between this and the original Privateer.
WCU is broken. Play at your own risk.
First of all, is there a proper manual for this game? I've got some good gems from the stickies in this forum, but there's still lots I don't yet grok
No manual; nothing. This was a work in progress until spiritplumber got too busy with her graduation; now she's in Italy; and rumored to be coming back. Until then it's a work in NO progress.

More importantly, WCU is NOT a game; it never intended to be a game; but a platform for WC games development. The reason the Privateer Remake data set is in it is for testing purposes only.
First of all, when I go to buy upgrades, I'm seeing a lot of junk in red--initially I thought this was out of stock gear (which I later found out doesn't show up at all) or gear I couldn't install on my current ship (until I tried to buy a B.S. Omni for my Centurion and couldn't do it until I sold a radar unit on my original Tarsus); anyone know how this works?
Those were VS engine bugs that have been fixed, or so I hear, in the VS engine; but at the time spiritplumber put together the last WCU version, they had not been fixed yet.
Secondly, I have access to a lot of ships--but not all of them--that I'm not supposed to have access to until completing the main storyline. i.e., I can buy Demons, but not Dralthi (I really want Dralthi); Are Dralthi only accessible at certain bases? (Yeah, I see from the stickies that this gets asked a lot, but I can't find the answers)
The WCU storyline is the original PR storyline. In WCU you just hack the save file to fly different ships, for now.
If you want to play a Privateer game where you can buy many ships as rewards for storyline milestones, go to the forum just above this one, Privateer Universe, and download PU.
Thirdly, I have a capship, and it's useless for combat--is there any way to swap out to a fighter without landing, and then switch back to the capship?
I seem to remember there is a command... If you fly a capship and you have escorts in the hold, you can launch in one of the fighters and then, from the fighter, you can issue orders to your capship. But I don't know what the commands are.
I can't remember the rest of the questions--thought these up on the way to work and I'm away from my own computer right now; will update later unless I get links to documentation that answers my questions.
I think you want to play PU for now. We'll see if/when spiritplumber comes back, which way this project goes.
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

Isn't Privateer Universe/Remake Gemini-Only? I'd like to be able to explore a little wider than I could in the original.
Dilloh
Elite Hunter
Elite Hunter
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: Black Forest, Germany

Post by Dilloh »

Thirdly, I have a capship, and it's useless for combat--is there any way to swap out to a fighter without landing, and then switch back to the capship?
Dump your fighter(s) with Ctrl+X, then cycle through all active wingmen, available turrets and your capship with the turret key. Landing on your capship again makes you loose your capship eventually. This is an annoying bug, hopefully to be solved some day.

To get back you wingmen, tractor them in with your capship tractor beam.
Isn't Privateer Universe/Remake Gemini-Only? I'd like to be able to explore a little wider than I could in the original.
It is, though there's a will to change that. I once played WCU and well - don't expect to much from Sol or Kilrah. Just planets or bases, with stock missions. Virtually any new base interiors, a few new base textures for planets. Regarding the map only, it might be a bit disappointing at the current state of developement. PU tries to fill Gemini, which is huge enough IMHO, with a little more life - we can "expand" our borders as soon as Gemini gets too crowded :lol:
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

k, tried PU, and you're right, this is more to my taste.

I did hit Sol, Kilrah, K'Tithrak Mang, and Gorah Khar in WCU...fun to be able to go there, but too buggy for any sort of serious play due to it's unfinished state. PU solves that. More importantly, PU comes with a manual so I don't have to post the same questions you've all answered dozens of times ;)

Thanks folks.
Dilloh
Elite Hunter
Elite Hunter
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: Black Forest, Germany

Post by Dilloh »

Most important, you can mod everything. PU uses the WCU map in background. So you can hack your Savegame with WordPad and beam yourself to e.g. Sol/Sol if you like, despite of not playing WCU. Same ending, you can reenter Gemini but you cannot leave Gemini by normal means.
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

Ah, yes, hacking the game ;)

I've experimented with savegame hacking...with mixed results. Editing credits, of course, is easy--but takes away a lot of the enjoyment of the game for me. I was able to succesfully hack in a Kamekh (replacing a stock Ferret with no upgrades xD)--that was fun, but it's too slow and sluggish to be of much use for anything other than easy money-making (tractor in milspec Kilrathi ships & sell 'em at Perry for millions) and acquiring milspec ships.

I tried to play the original Privateer campaign "as the Kilrathi" by flying a Kamekh with a cargo bay filled with Dralthi & Gothri; the Kamekh, of course, is all but useless in combat due to its lack of maneuverability, and I can't seem to add turrets to give it the firepower of the actual craft, and flying a capital ship in asteroids is utter suicide--it's impossible to avoid the 'roids when I can't move at more than 250kps (my attempts to hack kamekh.blank to make the ship more flyable, such as making it not take so bloody long to accelerate usually resulted in a broken and unflyable ship)

If I were to eject a cargo wingman and use it to land at a base in an asteroid belt, would I lose my Kamekh, or would it still be waiting for me at some non-asteroid-filled nav point? I don't trust the Kamekh not to fly into every asteroid in the belt if I eject my wingman at the fringe of the belt itself.
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Post by chuck_starchaser »

That's my theory why you never see kilrathi carrier fleets in Gemini, and why it doesn't get run over by the kats, in spite of the pitiful protection afforded by Perry... Gemini is kind of naturally protected, behind a line asteroid infested systems.

Last time I played WCU, you could get ships in your fleet shipped over to you. So you could fly a nimble dralthi across asteroid infested jump points, to a base of your choice, and then get pay to have the khamek shipped over to you by UPS/Purolator :). Not sure if that still works.
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

It does, for 50k a ship, but if I have a mission that involves landing at a pirate base with no shipyard (hello Oakham), I'm SOL unless I can safely launch a cargo wingman and navigate him in and out of the base.

Dratted asteroid fields :evil:
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Post by chuck_starchaser »

Tell me about them. I hate them. I particularly hate moving asteroids.
It's unfair to the player.
It's inconsistent with reality (not enough gravitational pull to keep them orbiting a place at visible speeds).
It's inconsistent with WC canon also.
And it's harder to optimize for graphical performance.
An overall lose lose lose way of implementing them.

We have plans to change AF's in a big way, but it will take changes to the engine, which must be preceded by upgrading PU/WCU to the current vegastrike version. Stay tuned...
Dilloh
Elite Hunter
Elite Hunter
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: Black Forest, Germany

Post by Dilloh »

easy money-making (tractor in milspec Kilrathi ships & sell 'em at Perry for millions) and acquiring milspec ships.
Indeed, this is a point that needs some change. As soon as you acquired a capship, you never need to worry about your bank account again.
I can't seem to add turrets to give it the firepower of the actual craft
You have "invisible" turrets, just target a foe and hit Ctrl+T or Ctrl+W and you'll see loads of turret fire.
If I were to eject a cargo wingman and use it to land at a base in an asteroid belt, would I lose my Kamekh, or would it still be waiting for me at some non-asteroid-filled nav point?
Your Kamekh should be gone sooner or later, eventually when you save and load. Never tested to land inbetween flying a wingman. Your mothership will not move away for itself, nor will it defend itself against potential foes.
Note that you cannot fulfil mission objectives while flying a wingman. I tried this once due to the several reason, I had to scan a nav point in an asteroid field. So I parked my Paradigm outside and launched a Broadsword, took control over it and headed for the nav point in the AF. Nothing happened.
if I have a mission that involves landing at a pirate base with no shipyard (hello Oakham), I'm SOL unless I can safely launch a cargo wingman and navigate him in and out of the base.
I think it is only fair and realistic that large ships have disadvantages in AFs. However, we're all dreaming of a turret AI tracking down asteroids automatically :roll:
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

I don't dream of that--I try not to blow up asteroids because it adds to the debris...large, more avoidable moving things turn into many smaller, less avoidable moving things. Kamekh death fo sho.

As for disadvantages--yes, there should be disadvantages for larger ships, but the current incarnation has it to the point where a capital ship's survival in an asteroid field is 100% luck, 0% skill.

Of course, if I were smart enough to figure out a way to make that happen, I'd try to mod my copy of PU myself to see if it works, and send you the modification if so. So far my attempts at modding the game fail miserably.
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Post by chuck_starchaser »

Citizen Bleys wrote:As for disadvantages--yes, there should be disadvantages for larger ships, but the current incarnation has it to the point where a capital ship's survival in an asteroid field is 100% luck, 0% skill.
Well put. That's exactly what I was trying to say when I said "unfair to the player". Poor choice of words. "Based on luck rather than on skill" is a much clearer description.

Asteroids should NOT move around.

Besides doing nothing for gameplay, and in fact hurting it, it looks terribly ignorant to anyone with the slightest understanding of physics. Short trip times and stuff, one can learn to ignore and accept --after all, there's a need for that; but asteroids moving in circles at high speed with nothing to attract them to the center is just too much, and a bit offensive in the sense of its being so without justification, whether theoretical or practical.

The problem is that none of us knows where the speed of asteroids is set, or how to stop them... :-(
Citizen Bleys
Star Pilot
Star Pilot
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:23 pm

Post by Citizen Bleys »

><

Unfortunately, I also fail at finding relevant info in the VS wiki. Well, maybe I'll hit it by accident while I'm screwing with things.
Dilloh
Elite Hunter
Elite Hunter
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: Black Forest, Germany

Post by Dilloh »

Of course, if I were smart enough to figure out a way to make that happen, I'd try to mod my copy of PU myself to see if it works, and send you the modification if so. So far my attempts at modding the game fail miserably.
Most of us have learned this by trial-and-error. It's relatively easy as soon as you've figured out the basic structure. But asteroids are definetively on the ToDo-list.
The problem is that none of us knows where the speed of asteroids is set, or how to stop them...
Okay then, let's priorize this next.
Post Reply