What follows is a brief explanation of a portion of the procedural skybox parameters. Note that procedural skyboxes are only available in Forged Alliance version maps, i.e., version 60.

A few examples of what is possible before we start.

To give this a try you will need: a text editor like Notepad or VSCode, FAF Map Editor, and of course Forged Alliance.

The FAF Map Editor can export procedural skybox settings in JSON format. Open the map editor and select the Lighting category. At the bottom of the sidebar are the export and import buttons. You will use these buttons a lot while experimenting. Export and save the skybox parameters as an .scmskybox file.

I'm not going define all of the parameters because there are several that, either don't do anything substantial, or I haven't tested yet. I'll cover what I use the most.

        "HorizonHeight": -42.5,
        "HorizonColor": {
            "r": 0.6485937237739563,
            "g": 0.8204687237739563,
            "b": 0.8399999737739563,
            "a": 1.0},
        "ZenithColor": {
            "r": 0.21999996900558473,
            "g": 0.4099999666213989,
            "b": 0.7199999690055847,
            "a": 1.0},
        "DecalGlowMultiplier": 0.10000000149011612,
        "Albedo": "/textures/environment/Decal_test_Albedo003.dds",
        "Glow": "/textures/environment/Decal_test_Glow003.dds",
        "Planets": [
            {
                "Position": {
                    "x": 2190.58056640625,
                    "y": 570.74267578125,
                    "z": -1020.002685546875
                },
                "Rotation": -1.5847588777542115,
                "Scale": {
                    "x": 183.0,
                    "y": 183.0
                },
                "Uv": {
                    "x": 0.0,
                    "y": 0.5,
                    "z": 0.5,
                    "w": 0.5
                }
            },

• HorizonHeight - sets the position of the horizon with respect to the terrain, default value should be fine for most scenarios. It can be moved closer to zero for a more distinct horizon.

• HorizonColor - sets the color of the lower portion of the skybox. I often start by setting these values equal to the Fog Color values and start adjusting from there.

• ZenithColor - sets the color of the upper portion of the skybox

• DecalGlowMultiplier - sets the glow value of the entities in the list of planets

• Planets - sets the list of entities to be added to the skybox. Each planet has parameters that define its position, size, and rotation.

• Position - sets the position of the planet in the skybox using the same coordinate system as the map editor

• Rotation - sets the rotation of the planet from -2.0 to 2.0. Should be set to match the map lighting style and light direction

• Scale - sets the size of the planet. In combination with the position values, can be used to create tiny distant stars, large near moons, and everything in between

After making some changes and saving the file you can import the changes into the FAF Map Editor. The map editor will give you a representation of the position, size, and colors, but will not render planets or clouds.

I'll update this post with the cloud settings as well as the planet Uv values when I get some more time.

Attached are the skyboxes for the earlier examples.

skybox examples.zip

First-person ACU perspective

My tournament submission was kind of a last-minute spontaneous idea that I thought I could accomplish without the normal amount, i.e., fifty plus hours, of effort. The idea is several large artificial monoliths for base-building surrounded by water and maybe just a bit of natural-looking terrain, and it's predicated on the phenomenon that if the water level is the exact same height as the land you get to build and move land units as usual, but the water textures are also rendered.

Kings of Beta Ceti

No one now living knows where the massive columns, dubbed the Kings of Beta Ceti, came from, what they're made of, or the significance of their markings. But these mysteries are going to have to remain unsolved, at least for a while longer. The moon, officially named Beta Ceti E 44, is approaching its perigee with the super Jovian and the entire site is rapidly flooding. The UEF scientists are packing up and leaving, abandoning everything but their data. Even the exceptionally expensive Black Sun instruments will soon be submerged.

Site brief courtesy of UEF Advanced Special Programs Division.

Image from Novax pass 29:40:10 local time.

Final transport leaving Logistics Command. The floodwaters have reached the peaks of the artifacts.

Each spawn has about 1k mass reclaim. You can go first navy factory without moving if you wish.

Each civilian area contains about 2k mass reclaim.

The Black Sun wreckage was reduced to 15% of its original mass.

I'll get this uploaded to the vault in the next day or two. Thank you @Jip for hosting another tournament.

One final shot of some flooded structures.

@maudlin27 , great job with this AI. I like to make 1v1 style maps and when I play test I throw in an AI opponent. I've only used it a few times so far but it acts the more like a human opponent than any other AI I've tried. It even chased my com down with T1 arty after a battle had left it <1000hp and got the kill as I was trying to get under water

I used to use Sorian AIx adaptive with 1.7 or 1.8x but M27x absolutely destroyed me with those settings. It bombed all of my engineers within a few minutes.

Anyway, great job. I won't be going back to Sorian AI.

Not really balance, just weird ideas.

Cybran shields block other players' vision of shielded area unless other player has unit within shielded area.

UEF T3 "hypersonic" tac missile. 2x range, 2x speed, requires two hits from TMD to defeat.

Aeon ACU advanced sensor upgrade gives mini eye of Rhianne style quantum optics.

Seraphim sniper bots can target air units.

Subs build underwater mass, hydro, sonar, and reclaim.

I had an idea. In addition to the existing ranked ladders there would be a 1v1 ranked ladder but with only one map. At the end of the month the highest rated player gets a shiney Supreme Commander of <map> avatar. Then the ladder is reset and a new map is selected.

Stop making it better. It's getting too hard to beat. I'm kidding. Your work is appreciated.

Revive mode. Quantum gateway can rebuild a defeated teammate's ACU.

@zeldafanboy said in T1 Subs & T1 Frigs:

It takes more than a minute for a T1 sub to kill a T1 frigate iirc, increase sub damage massively and lower their reload speed

Yes!

And, I always put underwater mexes on the maps I make. It's great to be able to raid with subs. I think subs should be able to build underwater mexes and hydros.

Monkeylord gets egg drop as well. But instead of stopping to build a unit of choice, it automatically drops a Fire Beetle every
7.7 seconds if there is an enemy unit within maser range. The Fire Beetle is assigned the same target as the ML by default.

You can copy and paste that file from another map into your new map directory and just rename the file to match your map name.

it should look something like this.

local ScenarioUtils = import('/lua/sim/ScenarioUtilities.lua')
local ScenarioFramework = import('/lua/ScenarioFramework.lua')

function OnPopulate()
    ScenarioUtils.InitializeArmies()
    ScenarioFramework.SetPlayableArea('AREA_1' , false)
end

function OnStart(scenario)
end

@thecrimsonknight you can grab the map from the vault and reverse engineer it. As far as the actual skybox, I used Gaea for the planet texture and GIMP to sphereize, fade it out, and add the star.

If unit skins are too much work how about custom weapon or shield colors for a few select units? Imagine monkeylord with black maser or Seraphim pink shields.

I like the idea of using the drones for Intel/counter Intel instead of building. Radar and jamming is a perfect fit for UEF. Not sure about invulnerable though.

Not a little change, but I really appreciate the PBR textures. The units just look so good now with proper map lighting.

@nine2 said in WD #3 - Ridiculous Balance Ideas:

@defiant said in WD #3 - Ridiculous Balance Ideas:

ACUs can be upgraded arms from dead ACUs.

That's pretty cool

Is this like a UEF com kills an Aeon com and then has access to the Aeon arm upgrades? Because that would be interesting.

An option to detonate it early on command would be even better.

For the purpose of greater unit diversity, buff sub sonar and remove sub vision completely.

Discuss.

What if subs were stealthed if not moving or firing?