VPA Question

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Andreas Huettner wrote:
> does anyone know if and when it is planed that VPA supports the new PHost
> 4.0i features like the experience level capability of ships?

I'm currently working on a module implementing that for PCC, and I will
also move that module into VPA when it works. So chances are that the
next VPA version will support the new hull function stuff.


Stefan

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Stefan,

Stefan Reuther, 07 Jul. 05, 19:31:

> Andreas Huettner wrote:
>> does anyone know if and when it is planed that VPA supports the new PHost
>> 4.0i features like the experience level capability of ships?
> I'm currently working on a module implementing that for PCC, and I will
> also move that module into VPA when it works. So chances are that the
> next VPA version will support the new hull function stuff.
Great!! What will happen in games already using the new features and where
player use VPA. Presently VPA tells something about wrong lines in
hullfunc.txt but does it spoil the game?


Gruß aus Nordholz
Hütti
--
07.07.2005 22:29:13

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Andreas Huettner wrote:
[VPA + PHost 4.0i]
> Great!! What will happen in games already using the new features and where
> player use VPA. Presently VPA tells something about wrong lines in
> hullfunc.txt but does it spoil the game?

VPA interprets the file as if the lines it does not understand were not
there. If the file says
hull = 85
function = cloak
level = 2
racesallowed = +
VPA will allow cloaking to every ship of type 85, because it does not
understand the level restriction. You have to be careful.

Apart from that, if the file containing the hull functions is named
"shiplist.txt" (which is the PHost 4 recommended name, instead of the
old "hullfunc.txt"), VPA will not read the file at all, and you will
only see the conservative defaults.


Stefan

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Stefan Reuther, 08 Jul. 05, 18:21:

> Apart from that, if the file containing the hull functions is named
> "shiplist.txt" (which is the PHost 4 recommended name, instead of the
> old "hullfunc.txt"), VPA will not read the file at all, and you will
> only see the conservative defaults.
Thanks for this explanation. So I understand out of this that it is
presently not possible to do a PHost 4.0i game in conjunction with PList 3
and to use these new features so we have to wait until VPA supports this.
Well, that doesn´t spoil our new game because from 10 of 11 players use VPA
and only one WinPlan.

Does anybody has statistics of most used planets client programs?

Greetings from Nordholz
Huetti
--
09.07.2005 11:40:07

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Andreas Huettner wrote:
> Stefan Reuther, 08 Jul. 05, 18:21:
>>Apart from that, if the file containing the hull functions is named
>>"shiplist.txt" (which is the PHost 4 recommended name, instead of the
>>old "hullfunc.txt"), VPA will not read the file at all, and you will
>>only see the conservative defaults.
>
> Thanks for this explanation. So I understand out of this that it is
> presently not possible to do a PHost 4.0i game in conjunction with PList 3
> and to use these new features so we have to wait until VPA supports this.

Well, it *is* possible, you just have to be very careful with cloaking.
As far as I can tell, the other special functions do not affect playing.
If your ship gets 'PlanetaryImmunity' at L3, this affects just the host
side. It would be nice if you knew it in advance, but nothing bad
happens if you don't.


Stefan

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

> Does anybody has statistics of most used planets client programs?

my personal and subjective statistic:

usa: 70% winplan, 10% dosplan, 20% vpa

w/e europe: 10% winplan, 5% dosplan, 85% vpa

regards, harry

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

* Andreas Huettner <AndreasHuettner@gmx.net> wrote:

> So I understand out of this that it is presently not possible to do
> a PHost 4.0i game in conjunction with PList 3

Nope. You can use VPA.

Hint: It is possible to use WinPlan in a PHost + PList game although
WinPlan doesn't offer support for both.

Hint2: plist30.zip -> settings\hullfunc and plist3 tools info.txt

Regards, Heiko

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Heiko Schlenker, 09 Jul. 05, 13:50:

>> So I understand out of this that it is presently not possible to do
>> a PHost 4.0i game in conjunction with PList 3
> Nope. You can use VPA.
OK, here does a PHost / PList game run. It is useable but it might be
difficult with some features.

> Hint: It is possible to use WinPlan in a PHost + PList game although
> WinPlan doesn't offer support for both.
I don´t like WinPlan at all.

> Hint2: plist30.zip -> settings\hullfunc and plist3 tools info.txt
Yeah, and there I read that VPA doesn´t support the different level config
parameters until now. Actually VPA shows warnings about not readable parms
but it starts and works as used.


Greetings from Nordholz
Huetti
--
09.07.2005 16:16:51

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Harry Bur, 09 Jul. 05, 13:38:

>> Does anybody has statistics of most used planets client programs?
> my personal and subjective statistic:
> usa: 70% winplan, 10% dosplan, 20% vpa
> w/e europe: 10% winplan, 5% dosplan, 85% vpa
Whow, so we have to give Stefan always the best food and care that his
brain will stay in europe esp. germany! :-)

But why is that so. I tried WinPlan and found it terrible to use. Perhaps
at that point I already got too used to VPA. Is PCC integrated in your
dosplan value?

Greetings from Nordholz
Huetti
--
09.07.2005 16:13:31

Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Winplan as you say only may be terrible to use because you are used to
VPA... some of us are just the other way around, have been using Winplan or
Dosplan for so long we find VPA terrible to use... kind of like teaching an
old dog new tricks  

Ed