[Mod] Additional interiors for ships

[Orazio]

[I open a new thread specifically for this mod, so the download link can be in the first post and not lost among the messages of ‘Member Contributed Mods for GOF ERAS’]

Description
I’ve always thought ships in this game lack variety when it comes to interiors (but also considering the external decks). How is it possible that in a game focused on ships there is more variety inside houses than inside ships?

So I decided to create new models to make the inside of ships more interesting.
So far, I’ve only created one new cabin (and added a new ambient sound), pretty basic since I have very little experience in 3D modeling, but I’m planning to add more, and also more elaborate and complex; I would also like to have different boarding scenes.
I don’t know if I will be able to do everything I have in mind (I’m afraid I may lose interest as time goes by), but I won’t worry about this now.

Since I can not edit a post after like 10 minutes, I want to leave this first one as clean as possible, with only the link to download. I am going to post pictures of my progress and updates in other posts.

I have included a readme in the download, with more info and accurate instructions on how to install the mod. Unfortunately, you should start a new game, but there is a way to keep an existing save, it just requires a bit of additional “work”. Everything is in the readme; if you have problems, post here.

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://www.mediafire.com/file/wpprb38dzvprsyp/New_Cabins_Mod_v0.2.rar

• This topic was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by Orazio.

[Orazio]

Pictures of the new models:

Ships that got this new cabin:
– Barque3
– Barque4
– Caravel
– Caravel20s
– Caravel2
– Caravel30m
– Caravela
– CaravelR
– Goleta
– Nao1
– PequenaCaravela

[modernknight1]

Awesome work Orazio!!!

Thanks for the great new mod/scene. I think this would be a good cabin for the small galleon and possibly a couple of the simple fluyts as well. With your permission I will add this cabin to them as well for the MEGA Patch and new upcoming version of ERAS.

MK

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by modernknight1.

[Galleon]

Wonderful! Congratulations on some very fine model work. I am with MK and must say Thank you also!

[Orazio]

Thanks for the appreciation. And of course you can use it in ERAS, no problem!

I was unsure whether to assign this cabin to fluyts too, maybe I will make another one with this style…
As for galleons, they will have their own type.

Now my next work is going to be a cabin for flush deck ships (are they called like this?), with the cabin on the gun deck, at its end. Something like this:

I already identified 15/20 ships that are suitable for this type of cabin.

[Orazio]

Switching from a cabin that is squared, with mostly right angles and straight surfaces, to a cabin that is composed of many curved surfaces, especially in the stern area, was a bit more difficult than what I had imagined!

I restarted twice, the first time because the cabin turned out too small, but now this version should be good.
Two pictures of the work in progress (bad quality, but I can’t render nice pictures with my current hardware).

For the duel with the enemy captain during a fight, I plan to remove the bulkheads so the deck will be clear.

[Orazio]

Just a small update.

I wanted the quarter galleries accessible, allowing the player to see the side of the ship through the windows. I think it’s a pretty cool idea, but to achieve that I had to model almost the entire ship (rigging included, as it’s visible from the cabin), and this took me quite a lot of time; also, the polygon count was getting a bit too high. In the final version there will be only one gallery fully accessible, for a matter of simplification.

I’ve recently started to texture the basic structure; this is the progress up to now:

And lastly, I am disappointed by the low number of downloads (so far only 7). For me, it’s an indicator that people aren’t really interested in new cabins/interiors. Realizing that only a few people are using them makes me question whether the time and work it takes to make them are actually worth it. For this reason, this cabin will probably be the last one. Sorry for those who are interested.

(I’d like to make clear that I am not whining here, I’m just acknowledging a situation.)

[Jeffrey]

Nice!

I’m downloading to look at this now. I’ll probably fold it into our currently available ERAS.Patch.zip when I can.

[Jeffrey]

Works like a charm. I loaded a save, ran your console reinit, went to the shipyard and bought a PequenaCaravela. There I see the new cabin. Nice work.

I added everything you supplied to the ERAS.Patch.zip.

[Orazio]

The structure of the cabin is 99% complete, soon I’ll start with furniture and objects.
Some screenshots:

The following is the view from the port quarter gallery, with the external hull and the rigging visible. The latter, along with the masts, is also visible through the skylight in the first picture. This little feature cost me a lot of additional work, but it adds a much more immersive feeling.

[Jeffrey]

That is really sharp. Nice job.

[Orazio]

I have just found out that almost all the ships that I had identified to receive this cabin are disabled via code… I had thought that the existence of the models was enough for them to exist also in game, but apparently it’s not like this.

I should’ve actually suspected it, because this cabin is suitable for ships that are a bit later than the Eras2 period. I guess I’ll be taking a break now.

[Samir]

Too bad, that looked wonderfull! :/

[modernknight1]

Orazio, Please don’t get discouraged mate! This is some absolutely PRIMO work my friend! Excellent! TOP NOTCH!!!

There are actually quite a number of ships I can think of right now within the ERAS2 period (1648-1725) that the newest cabin would work for. Off the top of my head this cabin should be used for the following ships: RAA Frigate/Patrouille Frigate, the 50 gun Fourth Raters, the Unicorn/English 5th rater, the 36 gun Frigate, the Corvair, the Linefrigate, the Guineaman/Bristol Merchantman, La Licorne, Marchand Rapide, and the Jamaicaship.

Also consider I am still working on ERAS mod 3 (1775-1820). I really wanted to get the new locations/master island/ land mass model ironed out before I start work on ERAS3 again. I don’t want to do additional work that will have to be redone and repeated several times.

Once I get ERAS2 right with locations, then I will make ERAS3 a working BETA that only trusted REEF modders like you will have access to. At that point all of those great 18th century frigates will be available replete with your awesome new cabin.

Last consider that the reason I left most of the 18th century ships in place was so that ERAS3 would be as close to ERAS2 as I could possibly make it. The facts are that in rare occurrences such as encounters with Gentlemen of Luck and with some private pirate captains, some of those ships will still sometimes(rarely) “leak through” into ERAS2 game-play as very special rare almost one of a kind ships. I have always considered this OK because one single ship which is not seen very often all over the place does not contaminate the authentic historical period feel I have created. So we could already modify all of the 28 thru 32 gun Surprise variants now. Also if you’re dying to have them in YOUR specific game there are some very simple things you can do to make more of them appear that I would be happy to show you.

MK

[Orazio]

Thanks for the appreciation.

When I planned this cabin, I thought about those ships with no quarterdeck and forecastle/aftcastle, where the captain’s cabin is on the same level of the gun deck, divided by bulkheads. Because of this, in battle I wanted to use the model of the cabin with the bulkheads and furniture removed, as if the ship has really been cleared for action.

So I carefully inspected the ship models in GM Viewer to pick up those that fitted (at least 80%) those requirements, and came out with a list of about 15. Of these 15, only the following seem to appear in game: ColonialFrigate, Greyhound, Nightmare, RaaFrigate and Unicorn.

I will try to finish this cabin. About 60% of the work is already done, so it would actually be a shame to leave it unfinished. And it can alwyas be used in ERAS3.

[modernknight1]

Agreed. It will still fit with the ships I had mentioned (forgot about the Greyhound) as well as in ERAS3. Honestly I have put too much work into ERAS3 not to release it.

The reason I only want modders to have it (at least initially) however is because the people out there in mod land (they know who they are) who really wronged me badly and actually were the root cause of the issues I had in leaving PA! and being banned – would love to get ahold of ERAS3 for their own private use and pleasure. I will never allow that unless there is some kind of eventual reconciliation with Pirates Ahoy!

With them not even willing to entertain that they were largely responsible for what happened and putting everything on me as the bad guy, this is still a sore point with me and I just can’t let it go yet. They call it ancient history, but with my Autism, time has little meaning. It was yesterday as far as I’m concerned.

MK

[Orazio]

A small update to show I’m still working on it, and intend to finish it.

After reading some messages on another thread, about the lack of people contributing and how this might potentially lead to the closure of this site, I felt I wanted to show I’m still active, making this new cabin and giving my contribution.

Lately I’ve been focusing mainly on furniture and some lights and objects.

[modernknight1]

Really beautiful work Orazio! Just AWESOME!!! REALLY INCREDIBLE! Thank you!

No worries, the site isn’t going anywhere Mate – but I am.

MK

[modernknight1]

Yes it is a spammer who managed to get through. Gone and gone

MK

[Jeffrey]

LOL, I admit I laughed a little about the spammer. Oh hey, that’s a nice piece of graphic work for your video game. What kind of doors are you rendering in those pixels? Oh, by the way, I work at a door place, so come look at our web site.

Ridiculous logic that made me laugh.

[modernknight1]

Yeah, we get a lot of spamming attempts here. Its been worse lately because our little website is picking up steam with more and more visitors every week. Our filter gets most of them but every now and then one gets through. The only way they succeed is actually commenting in the forums, and I agree, this last one was more creative than the usual. Nike shoes, timberline, tshirts and bit coin seem to be the most popular and most originate from the far east.

Unfortunately I have had to disable comments below stories because they always post there. It really doesn’t matter though because for every actual legitimate comment about the real content of the story or article, there are several hundred attempted spam comments. I’ve maybe had 7 actual real comments since I started the site and have made it a point to email back or PM the commenter thanking them for the praise. They’ve always been positive.

@Orazio Unfortunately, I have lost my password and encryption key info from MEGA and need to make a new email address and account. I could park the current one but that would make the mod unaccessable in 60 days time. So give me a few days to get the ship file to you when I arrive at my destination. Thanks again for making the attempt. As good as your cabins are, and with all of the flag fixes you’ve been making, I would bet that you are successful. If so the MEGA patch will have 7 new ships not just the four I have been working on. Very exciting!

MK

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by modernknight1.

[Orazio]

Cabin finished, at last.
In ERAS2 only 4/5 ships have it, so I hope it will be used a bit more in ERAS3.

Screenshots

DOWNLOAD
http://www.mediafire.com/file/wpprb38dzvprsyp/New_Cabins_Mod_v0.2.rar

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by Orazio.

[Jeffrey]

Seriously beautiful work @Orazio! I’ll work to get that incorporated into my downloads. I’m anxious to go find a ship to board so I can check them out firsthand 🙂

[Jeffrey]

I got around to trying this new cabin set out. In the README.txt, Orazio mentions that after implementing this, a new game is required. Unfortunately, even with the OnLoadReinit.c magic, this turns out to be unavoidable. It’s not the array resizing that causes the crash, as that feature re-synchs the Locations array size just fine. What poses the problem, is the inherent unfound Aref problem that the old save-game has a problem with, causing a crash.

The good news is that in our compiles (either DX8 or DX9), this poses no problem and an old save will resize, reinit all on its own, with no intervention AND you can save/load previous saves without any trouble.

This now poses a dilemma. I would like to add this to the Patch.zip, but if I do, users that download will not be able to use current save-games if they are using the stock Akella .exe/.dll set. But if I don’t, our own DX8 and DX9 compilations, since they don’t contain their own RESOURCE files and rely on the original+Patch, won’t get the benefit of the new cabins either.

Not sure how to handle this.

[Jeffrey]

This cabin is awesome! I chased a few ships around, then finally an English 5th rater cooperated and attacked me; it has this cabin. Really sweet!

Another fun fact is that if using our compilation, with the OnLoadReinit.c I wrote, I literally did nothing other than load an old save, find a ship, board it, enter cabin and there it was. Nice feature for the OnLoad and the no ARef save error is vanquished in the new source, so it just works.

Nice.

[Orazio]

Mmmm is this a subtle form of spamming?

[Samir]

Hmm, I think so 😀

[Author]

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