New Visual Effects

[Pavlos]

Is it possible, at all, to create a new visual effect for the game? I seem to remember that stoffe added lines to visualeffects.2da - so is this possible?

[stoffe]

Is it possible, at all, to create a new visual effect for the game? I seem to remember that stoffe added lines to visualeffects.2da - so is this possible?

 

You can add visual effects that use a model, sound or rumble/screen shake to do their "visual". I.e. explosions, buff-flashes and such would work, while non-model "programmed effects" like beams and lightning seems to be hardcoded as far as I can tell.

 

That is, while you can re-use existing beams and such as a basis for creating new visuals (e.g. making a variant of a beam that makes another sound), you can't create new effects in itself of that kind (e.g. a new different-looking type of beam effect).

 

(As for what I did, you probably refer to the force powers mod I did where I added a modified variant of the "orbital laser" effect with another impact sound.)

[Pavlos]

Thank you. I just wanted to make sure before I started experimenting.

[Lit Ridl]

And I wanna ask Stoffe how did he made Visual Effects for his High Level Force Powers, looks like only by editing visualeffects.2da.

But how???

So various effects...

[Pavlos]

Most of the effects are already in the game. Stoffe was just a bit more inventive than the developers were .

 

Edit: I also believe that stoffe is a "she" .

[stoffe]

Pretty much. Since I'm awful at 3d modelling I've just reused existing effects already found in the game rather than make new ones. But tried to use them a bit differently than their normal use. Unless I'm forgetting something the only visualeffects.2da edits I've done in my mods is a variant of the "Orbital laser" effect with a new sound effect used for the bombard power, and some silent beams used for the Arena mod.

 

Using them a bit differently though scripts still managed to give them a fairly unique feel even though they are still the same visual effects, IMHO.

[Pavlos]

That is, while you can re-use existing beams and such as a basis for creating new visuals (e.g. making a variant of a beam that makes another sound), you can't create new effects in itself of that kind (e.g. a new different-looking type of beam effect).

 

Do you mean to say that I can simply copy a row relating to a beam effect I want, remove the sound and change the name, it will work? Because thus far, I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to do so. It is entirely possible (Probably more likely than not, knowing me) that I have done something wrong - I just wish to clarify.

[stoffe]

Do you mean to say that I can simply copy a row relating to a beam effect I want, remove the sound and change the name, it will work? Because thus far, I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to do so. It is entirely possible (Probably more likely than not, knowing me) that I have done something wrong.

 

You are probably correct. It was almost a year since I did anything with this, so my memory may be spotty at best. Now that you mention it I do remember attempting to make a digital countdown clock from beams, but scrapping the idea since I could't make a beam that was silent.

 

So, new visuals using models do work, new visuals involving programmed effects such as beams do not, as far as I now remember.