4 replies to this topic

[Splatter]

This is the englisch Thread for German go to http://boards.jagged...-alliance-2-ub/


I think it´s safe to say that JA BIA will not be the Game I´m looking for.

One think that I always dislike von JA2 & UB was that they are 2 diffrent Games.
I mean the orginal UB Story is so short but some RPCs are cool like Manuel or the Asian Storekeeper.
I know there is a UB 1.13 Mod wich let you play UB in Ja 2.13 but as a seperat Game.
So what I trying to do is put the Maps from UB in JA 1.13,but not as a replacement for the Orginal Game.
There is more than engough Space on the Map to put the UB City somewhere southwest of Balime.
Also I will include Demoville as a new Tutorial Start Map to Omerta Alma, replaceing Dynamo(in Demoville) with Manuel.
The Rocket Base from UB could work as a new Samsite.
The Story will be same as in JA2 just with some Bonus Maps and RPCS.
I think the MAP Part can easily done since Demoville is allready in the JA 2.13 Release and the
UB Maps are allready converted along with als Faces, Voices & Co in the UB 2.13 Mod.
I´m not sure if it is possible to add a new Shopkeeper in 2.13 but if not I could use 2 of the "Bar-Brothers" and edit them.
Removeing Bix & Tex from Merc is no big Deal, only some xml editing.
I´m very confident that I can do it without any Problems.
Only tough part will be the RPC Part, I have all Faces and wavs, but I think it require some scripting wich I never did in Ja2 before.

[Phoenix]

Cool idea. I remember somebody on the german forums was working on exactly this idea, but i think he cancelled it at some point. Nowadays, 1.13 has more advanced externalisations to make the necessary changes so it should be easier now.

As for the scripting, it'll be complicated to make the UB RPC's (Tex, John Kulba) available in the same way they were in UB.

For John Kulba, the problems are evidentially that he already exists in Ja2. How are you planning to deal with him?
Tex depends on the player buying specific items (movie tapes) from a dealer inventory might be a tad tricky, too.
Betty as a trader... i advise not to try using the santos brothers bartenders. they use shared files, except for manny
Manuel is straightforward, just some of the dialogue needs some extra attention
Biggins has a special action in UB where he blows up the cave entrance, that might be an issue to recreate under Ja2's rules

Raul and Jerry Melo are issues too. Wait, no, Jerry is no issue since he doesn't function as a pilot and is mostly a dummy NPC so that should be fine.

Anyway, keep us updated on the progress you make with this

[Splatter]

I try to implant all maps but not use them always the same way as used in UB

For Example :
The Helicopter Crash Site will be used in a diffrent Way, I think about after you go through the underground Levels to the Rocket Silo. I like to place an Helicopter on an Map
wich teleports you to the Crashsite wich is in an Aerea were you can reach the orginal Maps again.


Maybe Tex & Biggins will be tranformed to "normal RPCs" and can be hired by just ask and recruit them for the beginning.
John Kuba mostlikly will be removed cause in UB you can only have Tex or John Kuba
The Helipilot will be used in a total diffrent way, I think about a Stalker wich is said to kill an former AIM Member. For some reason he is in Aruclo claiming he killed her only because he knows it was a fake !

My Plan is :

1. Put the Maps in the Game, make them playble somehow
2. Implant the new shopkeepers hopefully get the RPCS to work(If I get it to work)
3. Final Tuning and scripting

After every Step I plan to release a Version and mayby get some help form expireed Modders.
I know 100% that I can get the maps to work and make them playble in a relativ short Time.

[Phoenix]

i see... not an 1:1 copy of UB into Ja2 then.

maps should be no problem. 1.13 supports UB tilesets

shopkeepers... check out the latest shopkeepers externalisations maybe they're of help. But they've been developed mostly semi-privately or something so i don't know what possibilities these new features offer. Otherwise, there are various shopkeepers throughout arulco without too much relevance. Sam, Howard or Franz have hardly any relations to quests or other characters in the game and some of their inventory can easiy be shifted to other shopkeepers without too much credibility loss.

For scripting, there's two approaches you may want to test, one is to do as you suggest and just design very simple scripts for the RPC's to make them join up. The other attempt is to simply copy their UB scripts and check out what script functionality carries over to Ja2 and what doesn't. Ja2 and UB essentially use the same scripting engine, only the game engine and source code are not completely interchangeable, that means you'll have to find out which UB extra functions can be handled by Ja2.

As for John Kulba, there used to be a mod around that made him hireable in Ja2 as well, so both RPC's Tex and John would be possible in Ja2, too.

[Phoenix]

by the way, you can also open a similar thread in the german speaking ja2 and UB forum so we could discuss details in german (i saw you posted in the german parts before so i assume it will be easier for you to explain the intricate details of your plans and the requirements that are to be met.)