Over the past few weeks ive been wondering what direction i should take FTT, and how much farther i should go with it. It's started as just a personal mod, but over the last few weeks ive acknowledged to myself that is it infact a "supermod".
Supermods tend to have a theme, with a list of goals, and then go about achieving that theme/goal in every way imaginable. They don't just touch a few aspects of gameplay, but just about every aspect of gameplay, and the directory structure of FTT, is most definatly touching many areas.
As ive expressed in the past before SH4 was even lauched, that being part of a supermod team wasn't my goal, and was infact something i wanted to avoid. As some of you know, i was right smack in the middle of the SH3, "mod wars", and its an experience that i really don't want to repeat. One hard lesson i learned in all that is once you pick a side, you can never be neutral again.
So with those thoughts, i find it rather ironic that i've become the "father" of a supermod. Again, it started by just adjusting personal quirks, but the more i dug, the more i felt myself to keep digging. I can't make it one patrol without thinking, "i really need to adjust this," or "damn this is getting old." Antoher reason i keep stepping up to the plate, is im concerned about the modding effort in general. To be honest, i have my serious doubts that any concerted modding effort that happened in SH3, will happen for SH4. The catalyist that set that off, isnt quite the same anymore, and alot of the talented modders with lots of experience from SH3, are either burnt out on modding, not intrested in the pacific, or have too much invested in their current projects. So ive felt compelled to fill the void in some minor way. But moreover, i think it will fall on a "new generation" of modders to take SH4 to where it needs to go.
There is only so much one person can do. I have experience in various areas of modding, but i can't do them all. To continue with FTT, i have two options. Include 3rd part mods as ive already done, and continue the way im going, or embrace that which i want to avoid for myself and make up a mod "team". The former is more appealing then the latter, because my commitment remains open ended. And i know at some point, im just going to throw in the towel, and say, "ok thats it, ive had enough". My sincere hope is that a group effort takes place for SH4, one where i can sit on the sidelines and just enjoy the game.
With all that said, im going to talk about the immediate future:
On the drawing board:
One thing im going to start to work on, because its annoying me to no end, is the campaign game patrol assigments. The majority of which end up being summerized as patrol an area for 24 hours, and then send a status report, and wander over there. For about 90% of the missions i get, this is what they are. And after a couple years of playing SH3 with basicall the same form of assigments. (go to x place, and patro for y time), this is just DULL.
One of the greatest features of SH4 is the dnyamic assigments to make you do other things. Problem being, they arent assigned very often. Well, they will be soon. Ive looked at it, and it appears that i can script out what, when, where, for the entire length of the war. And im going to do just that, im going to script the entire war. Patrol one mission, supply the next, photo after then, then maybe pack to patrol or supply/commando insertions. Im going to emphasize the alternative missions, and put in less of the usual dull, "patrol here for x time" missions. Along with this im going to try and place the player where the major battles are happening, when they happen. No promises with this, as ive a gut feeling that the dates with the battle scripting is FUBAR'ed, and if i have to go back and fix the major battles, i'll probably just toss up my hands. It depends on how patient i am once i get most of the scripting done.
The back burner:
German Uboats is on the back burner.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...&postcount=100
Infact, ive taken my work on that, compressed it, and threw it in a storage directory by the same name.
Another item is sort of a workaround for SD radar. The gist is to turn the SD radar into a RWR, and then equip all JP planes with a radar with a max range of like 6KM. (their regualr vision is 9KM, so its not like their radar would be doing much.) Then change the "radar signals detected" message, into "SD contact!" Ive tried this about 3 times already, unsuccessfully, but something in me refuses to beleive that RWR was removed from the games code, and that its a node/hex edit issue. So ill go back and revisit this when i have more time and patience.
Anyway, thats the long speil, put forth for no particular reason other then to get things off my chest.