Ok, quickly on to why I am asking for help again: I got fed up mapping, and for several months had completely stopped, though I was recently having a go at instagib again on an insta server, (don't worry, it's not help with insta specifically that I seek), and discovered the server host has for the most part got a handful of decent looking maps on it, (makes a huge change from the server hosts who have no idea what a decent map looks like!). I figured I'd rework my W00t UT99 map for his server.
Well, I'd like to ask if someone who's a wizard with unreal-script could or would be able/willing to help me again with a new actor the server host found which I'm using for it. On each of the 22 jump-pads, (kickers in the case of this UT99 map of course), there is an actor, (2 of them per jump-pad to be exact, 2 effects), reduced in display size to 0.2, hovering JUST above each coloured/animated pad. They're a crude & basic but very effective particle system, added to my map to give the jump-pads a more energetic feel/look. Here's the problem I have: I made them look really sexy & nice in the map, they were exactly how I intended in-game in offline mode, but when it was on his server and the 10-strong instagib crowd tried the map, the networking aspects/factors had caused the actor to, 'misfire',.. as in, the effects given off by the particle actor were massively exaggerated, they were very tall and caused severe FPS lag for all, including me on my high-end rig, it was totally unplayable. My reputation took an instant nose-dive! Good thing I'd sent him a safe version!
Could someone here take a look at it for me and see if you could adjust the actor's code so it works properly for online gaming, (offline too of course), please? It should be mentioned that the actor has had a new portion of code added by the server host Sp0ngeb0b, I asked him if he could add a line that allows me to adjust the 'life' of the particles, which he duly did, but, I'd also like to ask if someone could add another 2 features, a particle fade-out-time field for me to adjust in the editor; and the quantity of particles per second maybe. I'd like to have the particles fade out softly towards the very end of their life rather than just die abruptly and to have control over how many are spawned. At the moment they look sort of ok, but they just don't QUITE look how I envisaged them working. The, 'die', edge is for me anyway, a little too obvious. Though I am not sure if the fade affect would hit FPS adversely or not - but if you could add that, that'd be superb!
Failing that, instead perhaps a gentle randomisation of when they die,... some particles might die after 0.72secs, some might die at 0.03secs, or 0.14secs,.. (just random figures there to illustrate that I'm not after perfect subdivisions of seconds), making the, 'edge', of the die line disappear. Ultimately though the actor must work properly in online games, that's the primary, 'ask' I have.
I don't think I can mention the scripter in a ReadMe because I doubt it's going to be officially released, however, I could create a texture, add it to the map somewhere and mention you that way, or, if you'd insist I could officially release it, with a ReadMe mentioning you in there. It's up to you either way, as the scripter/coder, you're the boss. If you want to chat to the German server host about his added code or about the actor itself, you can ask me for the contact details and I'll forward them to you, though he's not editing the map, he just knows more about the actor than I do & will most likely compile the edited new code into the map, but he's relatively new to coding which is why he's not being asked to edit the code to solve the problem.
Oh, a couple of other important things; I could of course send you the actor code if you'd like, but I confess I had issues compiling it, Sp0ngeb0b had to do it for me and add it to the map which he then sent me - so obviously he's doing something right and I'm not.. He may well be the person to send you the code, not me. My attempts to get the actor working in-game never worked. If you're going to do this for me, I'd like to respectfully ask if you would feel ok just sending me or Sp0ngeb0b the uncompiled code, (as opposed to the actor itself), but maybe you could send him both? The code on its own and the actor/s? I can ask Sp0ngeb0b to compile it for me as he gets his to work, unlike mine which fail, (it was his successful code-compilation that was used on the map which went online and suffered the somewhat major actor malfunction, not mine, although I expect as he's new to coding, it's completely forgiveable). The code comes in 2 parts, first a PrecipParticle actor needs to be created in 'Actor> Effects', then the ParticleGenerator actor in the Actor menu; the second actor relies on the first to exist.
Thanks again in advance for at least reading this message, which as you probably noticed is rather lengthy [as I seem to end up doing]. Please contact me telling me how you wish to proceed or just ask for the contact details of Sp0ngeb0b and I'll tell you where you can find him, if you think that's a better option - I'd be very, very grateful for your time and input with helping me whomever you may be. Hope to hear from someone very soon. Thank you.
*Edit*
Update: I have done some settings changes to them, and now they appear to LOOK how I want them in an online game, but now they turn on & off depending on if there's 1 player alive (of 2 on the server), and I really can't work out why there's seemingly random behavioural patterns. Does anyone know what the problem could be and how to correct it? Some guy called Slick-Willy, (Steve Nabors) wrote the code back in 2001, but I can't get a hold of him,. I've found 2 email address for him which I've sent an email to each, but not had a response. I also know he's registered on here, (BU), but he made one post and hasn't been back since. If anyone can help with this actor I'd be most grateful. Thanks again.
R3p'.
Well, I'd like to ask if someone who's a wizard with unreal-script could or would be able/willing to help me again with a new actor the server host found which I'm using for it. On each of the 22 jump-pads, (kickers in the case of this UT99 map of course), there is an actor, (2 of them per jump-pad to be exact, 2 effects), reduced in display size to 0.2, hovering JUST above each coloured/animated pad. They're a crude & basic but very effective particle system, added to my map to give the jump-pads a more energetic feel/look. Here's the problem I have: I made them look really sexy & nice in the map, they were exactly how I intended in-game in offline mode, but when it was on his server and the 10-strong instagib crowd tried the map, the networking aspects/factors had caused the actor to, 'misfire',.. as in, the effects given off by the particle actor were massively exaggerated, they were very tall and caused severe FPS lag for all, including me on my high-end rig, it was totally unplayable. My reputation took an instant nose-dive! Good thing I'd sent him a safe version!
Could someone here take a look at it for me and see if you could adjust the actor's code so it works properly for online gaming, (offline too of course), please? It should be mentioned that the actor has had a new portion of code added by the server host Sp0ngeb0b, I asked him if he could add a line that allows me to adjust the 'life' of the particles, which he duly did, but, I'd also like to ask if someone could add another 2 features, a particle fade-out-time field for me to adjust in the editor; and the quantity of particles per second maybe. I'd like to have the particles fade out softly towards the very end of their life rather than just die abruptly and to have control over how many are spawned. At the moment they look sort of ok, but they just don't QUITE look how I envisaged them working. The, 'die', edge is for me anyway, a little too obvious. Though I am not sure if the fade affect would hit FPS adversely or not - but if you could add that, that'd be superb!
Failing that, instead perhaps a gentle randomisation of when they die,... some particles might die after 0.72secs, some might die at 0.03secs, or 0.14secs,.. (just random figures there to illustrate that I'm not after perfect subdivisions of seconds), making the, 'edge', of the die line disappear. Ultimately though the actor must work properly in online games, that's the primary, 'ask' I have. I don't think I can mention the scripter in a ReadMe because I doubt it's going to be officially released, however, I could create a texture, add it to the map somewhere and mention you that way, or, if you'd insist I could officially release it, with a ReadMe mentioning you in there. It's up to you either way, as the scripter/coder, you're the boss.
If you want to chat to the German server host about his added code or about the actor itself, you can ask me for the contact details and I'll forward them to you, though he's not editing the map, he just knows more about the actor than I do & will most likely compile the edited new code into the map, but he's relatively new to coding which is why he's not being asked to edit the code to solve the problem.Oh, a couple of other important things; I could of course send you the actor code if you'd like, but I confess I had issues compiling it, Sp0ngeb0b had to do it for me and add it to the map which he then sent me - so obviously he's doing something right and I'm not.. He may well be the person to send you the code, not me. My attempts to get the actor working in-game never worked. If you're going to do this for me, I'd like to respectfully ask if you would feel ok just sending me or Sp0ngeb0b the uncompiled code, (as opposed to the actor itself), but maybe you could send him both? The code on its own and the actor/s? I can ask Sp0ngeb0b to compile it for me as he gets his to work, unlike mine which fail, (it was his successful code-compilation that was used on the map which went online and suffered the somewhat major actor malfunction, not mine, although I expect as he's new to coding, it's completely forgiveable). The code comes in 2 parts, first a PrecipParticle actor needs to be created in 'Actor> Effects', then the ParticleGenerator actor in the Actor menu; the second actor relies on the first to exist.
Thanks again in advance for at least reading this message, which as you probably noticed is rather lengthy [as I seem to end up doing]. Please contact me telling me how you wish to proceed or just ask for the contact details of Sp0ngeb0b and I'll tell you where you can find him, if you think that's a better option - I'd be very, very grateful for your time and input with helping me whomever you may be. Hope to hear from someone very soon. Thank you.
*Edit*
Update: I have done some settings changes to them, and now they appear to LOOK how I want them in an online game, but now they turn on & off depending on if there's 1 player alive (of 2 on the server), and I really can't work out why there's seemingly random behavioural patterns. Does anyone know what the problem could be and how to correct it? Some guy called Slick-Willy, (Steve Nabors) wrote the code back in 2001, but I can't get a hold of him,. I've found 2 email address for him which I've sent an email to each, but not had a response. I also know he's registered on here, (BU), but he made one post and hasn't been back since. If anyone can help with this actor I'd be most grateful. Thanks again.
R3p'.
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