MOD: STA2 Upgrade Project 2014 - A stock A2 mod in FO

posted on March 12th, 2014, 10:49 pm

Have you tried removing the intro animation? I bet it takes up unnecessary space.

posted on March 13th, 2014, 1:10 am

The Intro, the Paramount logo, and the MadDoc .bik files together total only about 40MB. Removing only these files will not cause a significant reduction in size. Although it would be a pretty good starting point. The largest file set in the game are the texture files which are 404MB for the Stock game and 0.99GB for version 1.0 of the mod. Perhaps breaking the mod into 2 parts might help someone who has limited bandwidth capabilities.

posted on March 13th, 2014, 2:52 am

Ok, I updated the first post. I've added a patch for those who already had the v1.0 to apply a couple of tiny updates (nothing mandatory just a couple visual updates and sound updates)

I also added a split download version of v1.1 that includes all the patch stuff so it's not such a large download all at once. Got each half down to just over 200mb each. Hope you like

I could delete the intro stuff to save space. I wonder if anyone even cares about all that? I just left it all for the sake of keeping it as close to original

posted on March 15th, 2014, 11:55 am

Awesome game, just play it. The textures looks amazing.

This game was update to be functional in the year 2014 with a better graphics :-) Congratulations :-)

Star Trek Armada 2 will be always the best space strategy game :-)

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posted on March 15th, 2014, 11:17 pm

Thanks Miklosgo. I've enjoyed working on it, but still have plenty to do. The core mod is basically done as presented now, but there are other things I'd like to do for patches/added stuff.

My to do list:
1. Eventually to redo the wireframes so they are truly transparent and you don't notice their backgrounds.

2. Make extra build lists for maps with 1 metal moon, 2 metal moons and 3+ metal moons respectively that one can swap out for instant action play so the AI isn't stuck with only 1 set for all circumstances.

3. I'm working on the single player campaign in the footsteps of Thunderfoot and Freyr with the work they did in the Improved Single Player Campaign mod to get the AI to play better and be more challenging.

4. I also have to edit all maps with nebula on them again so that I can add in the lighting effects for those. These will probably be play at your own risk as they may effect performance more than any other map?

5. I want to go through every file and clean them up deleting all the extraneous marks/symbols etc.

6. I also want to do a complete stock version set of files that can be swapped out. The mod in my vision has quite a few alterations to some of the game play so I want to provide bone-stock versions of the files for those who don't like my edits.

7. I also want to add in some more ships here and there and visit the idea of making a balance patch or something. Maybe implement different play or something. Who know?

So, thanks playing so far and stay tuned for more

posted on March 16th, 2014, 7:02 am

Hi guys,

Sorry if this is asked and answered, but my searches have come up dry.


I'm playing through this now, doing the Klingon mission 'The unknown Prize'. To complete the mission I have to tow the quantum singularity ship through the wormhole, but as soon as I tell the construction ship to go through, it disconnects it's tractor beam, leaving the towed vessel on the wrong side of the wormhole. So I'm pretty much screwed, I can't complete the mission.

Any idea how to get around this?

Thanks in advance guys.

posted on March 16th, 2014, 9:56 am

Just got done playing Invasion in V1.0. After I placed the Stock maps into the mod. For some reason I do not know, Regula wasn't Regula with the mod version of the map, lol. Since there was no Regula, the game stalled at this point. It would still play and I could complete all the other Objectives. Since I couldn't colonize Regula, I could not successfully complete the mission.

The Infinite Dilithium moon located north central area of the map, just above the Class J Planet, came up as a Large Tritanium Moon. When I got there, the Borg were treating it as an Infinite Dilithium moon, but I did not check to see if they were benefiting from it.

All of the graphical issues were wonderful. I had some minor lag, however. Which is odd cnsidering my 'puter. It probably is due to too many SOD items onscreen simultaneously. Which is an old complaint and there are plenty of workarounds for. The lag did seem more prevalent whenever there were ships exploding onscreen. Do the FO explosions use a SOD?

I had the difficulty set to the defaults which are currently in force. I did not look at the AI files, buildLists, or techtrees prior to playing. I wish I had. I remember the Improved Single Player Campaign AI being a lot more aggressive. After about two or three attempts, the Borg stopped attacking the Class D planet located in the southwest of the map. The waves of Interceptors from the shipyard in the southeast were fewer in number as well with a longer time between them. Maybe I've just gotten spoiled by the custom AIs I have. The fights here seemed to be at a much lower intensity and they just didn't feel like I think the Borg should feel. ISPC made the Borg's appearance in any of the missions an "OhSH**!" moment. There are some missions in ISPC where I spent most of time trying to avoid the Borg until I was fully teched up and maxed out on fleets. Some of my playtesters for that mod reported the AI actually using lure tactics and retreating prior to destruction. And never attacking with less than a full sixteen ship fleet.

The above are not complaints. Overall, the mod does what it sets out to do. Make Stock A2 much nicer looking and more enjoyable to play. I've just spent too much time trying to make the AI, especially the Collective, into the version we know from the series and films. Which is utterly ruthless and ready to capitalize on the smallest mistake right before it assimilates all your ships and hands you your head at the same time.

posted on March 16th, 2014, 8:59 pm

@EvilGenius - I'm afraid I don't have an answer to your particular issue. I know many times in the past during play this would happen to me as well and then other times it would work just fine. I didn't alter any settings with the worm holes except to add lighting variables not did I edit any of the tractor beams.

It should work fine so I'm not sure what's causing it? I wonder if you stop the con ship just before the wormhole then try sending it in to see if the towed ship stays attached?

@Thunderfoot - I'm not sure why the planet isn't showing up as Regula II for you in the first fed mission if you're using v1.0? I just checked and it is there and named correctly in the editor. Are you sure you didn't play it on the v.99 because I did make a mistake and had replaced Regula II originally and had to fix it? Now I'm worried even though mine shows correctly. Anyone else having this issue?

If you placed the stock maps in then the reason you're getting a big tritanium moon in place of what should be an infinite dilithium moon is because of how Yacuzza made the Midnight Universe mod. He changed some of the moons around so I had to redo them all when I redid the maps.

Explosions do use sods so that could explain the lag. I always thought my system is pretty low end now and I have no issues when playing that I've noticed. I use Vista x64, a Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0Ghz, video is a gtx 460 1gb, 8gb of DDR2-800 ram and nForce 780I motherboard.

I haven't touched the single player missions aspect of the game. That's next. I've done a lot of work with the AI thanks for Freyr and Dominus_Noctis for the instant action games, but will be working on the campaign AI next so it's still stock and awful.

posted on March 22nd, 2014, 1:02 am

Thank you rifraf.

posted on March 22nd, 2014, 1:47 am

Just a few observations on v1.1... I like it, nice updated version of classic armada 2.

Some suggestions of things I would change:
- Re-size the instant action background, or get a different one... its really distracting when setting up the game. (Perhaps use the fleet-ops instant action background if you are allowed to or something... just an idea)
- Re-move start up videos/intro, it's not really needed and takes longer to get into the game.
- There are some weird graphical bugs with the planets when zoomed out.
- The ships/stations pictures look awful with the UI background since there either black or grey boxes... I'm not sure of Armada 2 can recognize png images but extracting the picture with a transparent background would be much better. I would do this myself but I'm not a Armada 2 modder and can't seem to locate the pictures.

Other than that... nice Job.

Edit: Never-mind I did find them, they are tga files... but reading back on page 7 you're apparently going to fix this? I'm going to go through them all and fix them myself for right now.

Edit2: There also appears to be some other UI graphical issues... for some reason my mini map has like little white lines going though it. Not sure what that is about.

posted on March 23rd, 2014, 6:53 am

@rifraf - Yes I've tried all manager of buggering around with the construction ship trying to trick it into going through, just doesn't want to play ball for me, but it's ok, can't win 'em all. It seems like when you click to enter the wormhole it enters a set sequence that is the same every time no matter where you're coming from, how close or far away you are etc. Click to enter the wormhole and it disconnects and goes through. The direction of travel is right, ie coming from the right or left it looks proper, but everything else is identical every time.


I've noticed playing this too the ships all seem very slow ? I'd compare the speed of any given ship with what the speed of repair ships was in the original game, ie slow waltz through molasses. Has this been changed on purpose or?

posted on March 23rd, 2014, 5:31 pm

@Xanto: Redoing the wireframes is on a wish list of mine as I don't know how to do them, but I have a tut on it and have just never attempted one. Are you just keeping the same ship image and putting it on a black fully transparent background? If so would you mind sharing for this mod since you are going to do them for yourself anyways? I will have to get Aad's permission to include them in the mod of course if you are using all his same images, but that should be no problem. Let me know if you're interested and you would of course be added to the credits.

@EvilGenius: I'm stumped as to what the issue is? I just loaded up that map again and had a look. I don't believe the wormholes have been moved as they are still below the grid so there should be ample room for the ships to maneuver? I'll keep looking, but for now I don't know what is causing this issue? Sorry

As to warp speed I did change it as I didn't like the way ships zipped across a huge map in 10 seconds. I lowered the warp value from ~400 to ~200. Someone else mentioned this and I thought about raising it some. Maybe 250-300? I just didn't like the way it was in stock as it's way too fast for my taste.

posted on March 23rd, 2014, 7:38 pm

7. I also want to add in some more ships here and there and visit the idea of making a balance patch or something. Maybe implement different play or something. Who know?

I'm already doing exactly that, using your MOD as a base.

If it will help, I will make my files available to you. I already added some of the better ships, cleaned up their wireframes and build buttons (or made some for those that didn't have them) and did re-balancing and testing.

posted on March 23rd, 2014, 11:58 pm

I may give you a shout down the road when I'm ready to pursue that endeavor TrashMan. I'm working on the single player missions/AI and have to redo some of the maps to add lighting to all the nebula so that will take me a bit. Did you happen to make new buildbuttons for cyard2, rresear2 and ryard? Those were the only 3 in the mod that didn't have proper buttons to match all the others as I don't know how to make them yet? If you did would you consider sharing them for the mod and I'd add you to the credits?

Redoing the wireframes is beyond me as well and I've extended an offer to Xanto to share his as he states he's redoing them for himself anyway on fully transparent black backgrounds. I'll see what he says.

posted on March 24th, 2014, 2:34 am

@rifraf: Well I kind of ran into an issue with my game now crashing but I think I found the cause, I got carried away and started modifying a lot of different stuff in the game like removing the purple around the moon/planet icons and a bunch of other stuff.

If TrashMan has them all done and wants to provide them that would be okay too... I have been rather busy and have not gone through them all, it really doesn't matter to me provided there fixed. I've not seen what TrashMan has done, but I assume he put them on a blank transparent background like I was doing? You just got to watch some of them, like the Borg stations/ships as the have a lot of center parts they also need to be cut out if you want to have it right.

Regardless using Gimp it's really not that hard, a few simple steps... I could even show you if you would rather do it yourself.