Small update prior to posting a Mediafire link for beta. And when I mean beta, I mean BBBEETTTAAA (all I can promise is that it won't harm the computer).
So far I've been able to get most things worked out thanks to the help of MANY on this forum. THANK YOU!
The beta will just be what I've finished that I know won't really go farther. It will be the messages for the radio; the "menu.txt" that changes the rates and names for them as well as the medal citation wording; and finally the CrewManagement background based on Jimimadrid's work, with permission.
I'm still working on Ranks, Quals, the NSS_Tambor file, and the Special Abilities. These are the text files (upc's). The Tambor is the first of a few (understatement with sarcasm intended when I say "few").
I just have a few questions based on some observations regarding the Special Abilities, especially since I would like to use them as a way to help you decide who gets transferred/promoted off the ship.
Method #1
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I've managed to increase the max number of abilities for the player to 6 in order to match the number I was able to "save" by editing the names and percentages. These include the Cheif Engineer (default one given with the gas can thing), Torpedo Officer (the maintenance one that helps with duds), Gunnery Officer (the supposed sharpshooter thing), Diving Officer (the one that gets you under quicker), Training Officer (the one that helps with renown and crew morale), and Damage Control Officer (fixes destroyed items and flooding). My reasoning is that you're going to go to war with these people on board as part of the crew anyway, so why not have them from the get-go?
My question is now this: since you (the player) now has the ability, if a crew member gets the ability down the road does that multiply it's effect? So if you normally have a +2 of a "widget," for example, does it mean you now have a +4 if a single crew member gets that particular ability?
If so, then my whole approach to these things will have to change, especially since I'm using them to basically let you know who needs to get off the boat. Think of it as a "semi-auto" promote off/transfer off cue that lets you know it's time to part ways with John Doe.
That's why I'm not including the rank.upc changes, etc., just yet in the beta when it comes out. I'm just not sure this approach is going to work well.
Method #2
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Another approach which I've been kicking around: Would it be better to place the Special Abilities the same way as the way I did the Pharmacit's Mate (not releasing just yet, but it DOES work) so that you have them as individual crew members from the get-go?
In other words, the NSS file and the CrewMember files would have them as part of the crews like the default gas can thing now. This would mean no special abilities whatsoever for the player, though, just to keep things "fair" since I'm not sure about the whole "ability increase" thing yet.
If I did it this second way, I'm thinking I would have to play with the "chance" of getting the ability. Right now it's at 10% (0.1). I'm thinking it would probably be better to have it go up a little to maybe 0.25 or 0.3?
I was even thinking of doing a "50/50" chance. That way there's a good chance either way you would get another crew member with the same ability, so you would then know the "older" one on your crew would be the one that would have to transfer out, having been replaced by the new one.
I figured this would probably be a better way to do things, but it also means I'd have to try it out the Tambor first and then see about the other boats. Remember, once the rank file is done you'll be manually promoting only a few ranks since "BuPers" would automatically be promoting the rest while you're on patrol -- hence the "cue" that they'll be off the ship when you get back.
The only "off" thing would be if you ended up with a special ability in a crew member you just promoted in-base. Then you would just keep the new one and dismiss the other one right then and there.
If you think it's better the second way, would someone be willing to help with the coding of the other boats after I finish the Tambor? I'm almost done with the CrewMember file, so that wouldn't be an issue. I'd just post it with the Tambor file so you would have a "template" then be able to "have at it" until they were done.
Link will be up sometime tomorrow with, again, just the image and the two other files. At least it'll be something, right?
Regards,
ElCid97