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Hover Scout Upgrade - Now with Models!


aidenpons
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I'll let the images speak for themselves:

 

Spoiler

 

qn1UNUc.png

 

(This image is currently hosted via Imgur. I should really put it on RRU).

 

large.hoverscout_small.jpg.a0efb2c55600cc3a4331fdc1f9ebeb98.jpg

 

 

 

large.Master.png.7c79b685fc78e0cd1f916a064578bf7a.png

 

(The original edits came first, then the Lego model, then the new RR model)

 

Download here!

 

The Hover Scout can now:

- carry one resource

- clear rubble

off the bat. In addition, it can be upgraded to:

- drill walls

- go faster

- have a laser and scanner

For the low, low price of one crystal!

 

Now that it's a Cafeteria patch you don't even need to install it manually - just throw it in the Mods folder, hit Rebuild, and go! (If you want to manually install it - e.g. into your overhaul - just unpack the ,wadp and follow the instructions in script.txt).

 

The original work was done in Notepad++

 

 

Infrequently Asked Questions:
 

Spoiler

 

Q: There's a carry upgrade. Why not have it upgrade to carrying?

A: I tried. And I failed. If you can solve that, please let me know! So instead it just carries off the bat.

 

Q: Why can't it reinforce, shoot monsters automatically, pick up studs, pick up barriers or use dynamite?

A: No vehicle can do this. There is no more functionality I can add to the Hover Scout that isn't just extending it (more lasers, more carry space...), except adding the ability to carry small vehicles (which would be extremely stupid, which admittedly is the spirit of this mod.) This is the limit of what a vehicle can do. I reccomend not using the Ore Refinery with this, as that means the Hover Scouts can carry ore as building materials.

 

Q: Why does all the stuff disappear when the Hover Scout is hit by a monster?

A: Because I haven't added nulls to all the hit animations. Don't worry, the game won't crash, and they'll come back when the hit animation stops.

 

Q: Why only carry one and not drill Hard Rock?

A: I wanted them to be a raider platform: something from which you can do everything a raider can do. So no Hard Rock and only carry one.

 

Q: Compatible with High-Poly Hover Scout?

A: Definitely not.

 

Q: Can I change anything? Or use this in my mod?

A: Go ahead! If you use it do give me credit, it's always nice. Editing values in a .wadp for your own use isn't too hard: grab Wad Recycler, throw the .wadp into it, open the files (you probably want the .cfg files - open those with Notepad or any other text editor), then throw the folder back into Wad Recycler. Then tell Cafeteria to rebuild and run!

 

Q: How many times did the game crash when doing this?

A: If you exclude the carry upgrade shenanigans, actually very few until I started the modelling process. That was extremely crash-heavy, accentuated by how when you make a change you need to restart LRR (as opposed to making a level change, which just requires a level change)

 

 

Thanks to alan and Cirevam in this topic.

 

 

Older pictures and versions:

 

Previous advertisement:

Spoiler

large.ad_1.png.e9ac8e7b55f2ffa988207b7d11e7aea3.pnglarge_ad2.png.9b67177d56c01f206624bf15fc9b94a1.pnglarge_ad4.png.30c9762676e35a217dac9dc0b46dd617.png

 

 

Spoiler

Version to the above: no models, just floating buckets 'n' stuff: no model changes. Also uses a different laser type.

 

 

Version just with a carry and bucket null, and no CFG code:

 

 

 

 

Edited by aidenpons
Updated with models.
  • Like 3
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You've outdone yourself O.O. And with that advertising why would I need any other vehicle other than a swam of upgraded hoverscouts...

 

Do you do deals if I pay by credit card? :P

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On 3/4/2019 at 1:35 AM, Cyrem said:

You've outdone yourself O.O.

Thank you! I was quite surprised to find all this could be done reasonably easily in Notepad++ ; no need for Lightwave or anything! If the .cfg carry shenanigans is taken out of the picture, only half the time was spent adding nulls; the rest was just cfg tweaking and pointing out the upgrades in the .ae.

 

And with that advertising why would I need any other vehicle other than a swam of upgraded hoverscouts...

That's the plan: these become your standard raiders. No need to eat, clear rubble and pick up the resulting ore, not terrified by bats... these are very much an upgrade to your standard raider.

 

You will need something to drill Hard Rock though; as a consolation for "no dynamite" I'm considering giving them the ability to drill Hard Rock; but you can get multiple (>10) Hover Scouts to drill something and it'll go down in seconds :P 

 

Do you do deals if I pay by credit card?

:P

Hover Scouts Ltd (a branch of Grammar-Nazis Incorporated) is currently unable to take internet transactions. However, should you want to contribute, our profits would be going towards a worthy cause. This charity identifies Rock Raiders in need of help, which can arise because of unemployment from the devastating Idleness Syndrome, which tears apart friends and families, or poor Raiders that were never able to afford the tuition fees for professional qualifications as a Driver, Pilot, Engineer, Geologist, etc, and thus never got a chance to shine in life by becoming the driver of a Chrome Crusher. To give you a little context on how easy it is to help, only three clicks are needed for a professional Rock Raider qualification in one of the most common employing areas, a Driver, and ten clicks will elevate a Rock Raider to the maximum level obtainable, which opens up many more elite employment possibilities, such as Monster Buster (requiring Drill + Laser Beam + Sonic Blaster + Hammer (for reinforcing monster walls)), or Chief Reinforcer (Drill + Shovel + Hammer). A click could save a raider's life from landslides: please donate!

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  • 2 weeks later...

While using this I discovered that whilst carrying, vehicles cannot shovel or drill: telling an upgraded Hover Scout to drill a wall whilst it's carrying something will act as if it is unable to drill, even in first person. Clicking "Unload" and then giving them the drill order works fine. Same for shovelling, except that can't be done in first person: a shovel order will not be carried out if the Hover Scout is carrying something.

 

There are three things to consider about this:

a) This explains why upgraded Loader Dozers w/ Carry are just so bad. They'll wander all over the map, clear some rubble, pick up the ore that results from the rubble: and then be unable to clear rubble and have to drive all the way back to the Tool Store to drop their ore off: an utter waste of travel time.

 

b) This also explains why the Small Digger cannot carry anything, as whilst carrying it would be unable to drill. Anyone adding this functionality (probably me :P) should keep this in mind.

 

c) This is likely the result of a bodge for raiders. Raiders whilst carrying are obviously unable to drill walls or clear rubble: but they're the only thing in the game that can carry and do something else that you'll use on a regular basis (nobody uses upgraded carry Loader Dozers on a regular basis :P). During testing the LRRs must have tried to clear rubble or drill walls (or reinforce, etc...) whilst carrying, which would result in silly things happening. So the engine programmers must have just put in a bodge that if something is carrying it is unable to perform any other action.

This is shown by when raiders are carrying ore, they cannot be given drill orders (something that's so integral to how I play the game that I forgot and had to quickly boot LRR to check :P)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I made an honorary Lego set!

 

Spoiler

large.hoverscout_small.jpg.a0efb2c55600cc3a4331fdc1f9ebeb98.jpg

 

Given Cirevam just dumped a copy of Lightwave into my hands... this will be coming soon tm to a mod near you!

 

 

also yes I'm sorry the binoculars for scanners are the "new dark grey" when the Hover Scout's base and laser turret pieces are "old dark grey;" I'm so sorry to those of you who are triggered by such a sight but I just don't have those binoculars in the old dark grey colour! Please accept my apology!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 months later...

Much, much, much later since I initially started with this idea over a year ago... with a real Lego set in between.... I present to you:

 

Hover Scout Upgrade!

 

 

Spoiler

qn1UNUc.png

 

large.Master.png.7c79b685fc78e0cd1f916a064578bf7a.png

 

Get one today from your local cafeteria (see what I did there? ;)Download!

 

"But Aiden, it's not high poly and looks like a bit of a mess!" Yes, it does. This is for multiple reasons:

  • This has been my first Lightwave endeavor! I don't know how to do a lot of things - in fact, when I started working on this I built the back by placing points, selecting them, and hitting Create Polygon From Points! Slow, but thorough, and I didn't mind it too much.
  • I wanted to make the Hover Scout's polygon count "feel at home" with the low-quality LRR models. It's really jarring when you have High Poly Teleport Pad sitting next to a Not High Poly At All Support Station, and the result is that the high poly stuff just looks bad.
  • I built this point by point, polygon by polygon. There was no reference to actual brick dimensions, actual digital brick models, or anything. I had the model in front of me on my desk and just joined points until it looked right.
  • I started from the original silly Hover Scout and just slapped floating stuff wherever I liked :P I didn't need to make much of an improvement for it to be significant :P
  • I wanted to get something out for RRU! :3

But by far the major reason is:

  • I am not a professional, so do not expect professional results.

 

 Minor balance changes to the vehicle overall (notably it now costs a crystal and does things slightly worse)

 

KNOWN ISSUES:

- Large number of graphical issues ; for instance, in the above screenshot the lights are not 'glowing,' occasionally there are holes in the model, the back of the yellow circle doesn't exist at all, and there's no top on the little black stud on the front. And the chainsaws collide with the lights, but that's only narrowly avoided in the model. The bucket teleports down, but has no transparency as it does so, so you can actually see it if you zoom out far enough.

- The Hover Scout looks exceedingly stupid when it gets hit by a monster. However this should basically never happen as it's TURBO FAST

- The Scanner piece doesn't exist

However, it's perfectly playable, functional, and good fun.

 

Also, I did get the Carry upgrade working on the Tunnel Scout so presumably it must work. However I'd gotten so far with this that I didn't want to change it, and just kept the carry from start. I'm sure you're not complaining. :P

 

Future Work:

- Pickup animation

- Shovelling animation

- Fixing those random holes in the model (I have no clue what's going on with the cylinders not behaving themselves)

 

 

Many thanks to @Cirevam for his help with using LightWave. Even the camera controls on that don't make sense! This would not have been done without his assistance.

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  • 3 months later...

Very minor update, now the Cafeteria patch doesn't clean up after itself and thus remove the now-unused UpgradeTypes, mostly because I needed them for the Slimy Slug. :P Download link is the same place as always.

 

Still using patch version 1 not 3 mostly because I can as I don't need to do any Pilot.ae editing.

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