The A2 Physics Project - Version X
by thunderfoot006

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Table of Contents
- A ReadMe, which no one will read.
- Installation Instructions, complete with uninstall instructions also. Ignore these at your own risk!
- The files needed to add in this mod.
- Backups of the stock files, because we all forget to backup our game whenever we add in something. These are here for your benefit and convienence.

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CREDITS - Hey, Y All? Credits should be at the top, not the bottom. This way everyone knows whom to blame when things go wrong. lol.

Gene Roddenberry - for giving us such a cool place to play.
Achilles - for feedback and good advice.
Chiletrek - for being an excellent role model to follow as a modder. He is an excellent role model because he is an excellent person I am proud to call my friend.
Dan1025 - for allowing me to make a complete mess of his Javelin and Pergrine fighter mods.
Freyr - for being available as a sounding board and trying out some of my crazier ideas
StarFox 1701 - for allowing me to use some of his great ideas to make my mod better. And for helping out by listening to me rant at 5 AM. Thanks, Bro!
Tain_Ebaran - for allowing me to use his Romulan Plasma Torpedo mod as a great place to start the Romulan Plasma Torpedo included herein.
The Starbase 34 crew - For trying out some things which did not work as intended.
The Starfleet Kid - for being my partner in this from the first and liking my ideas enough to put up with me.
YOU, for downloading this mod.

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INTRODUCTION

Hello and thank you for downloading this. I called the previous version of A2PP the Final version. I thought I had done everything which really could be done with the Armada II physics and weapons files. While I watched a TNG episode (Season 1 Finale and right after the Season 2 opener) one evening, I realized there was still a great deal more which needed to be done. The grand old lady deserved much I had not given her yet. In A2PP Final, I did a spot review of the files rather than comprehensively examine and test all of them. This was a mistake. Errors were overlooked. Contradictions with the intent behind A2PP were ignored. In short, I did a very poor version of my signature mod.

Consider these mistakes rectified with this version. Everything has been checked. The movement files have been tested to destruction. Anything which did not conform to the original ideas I had in mind has been ruthlessly adjusted towards where it should be. Or ruthlessly purged. Weapons ranges have been adjusted yet again to take advantage of the new movement and a few other things. Now, your ships will move like they should have in the first place when I began all of this so long ago. This plays and looks very differently from what you have grown accustomed to. Line for line, I think this is the best version of A2 Physics Project I have yet produced.

As some of you are aware of, I began a thread in the Forums concerning starfighters and starfighter combat in A2. I had some ideas about this and I wanted to see what other ideas all of you had. Those of you who participated in the discussion, thank you. Your ideas allowed me to really think about how I wanted fighters to act in Armada II. Included in this package is a complete set of physics and weapons files for fighters and fighterbombers. They use Dan1025 s Peregrine and Javelin Fighter mods as a basis. They do what I think fighters should be capable of in Armada II. These are a good start point for future A2 fighter projects. I am quite sure someone will take these and improve them.

So, here it is. The latest version of the, ahem, "simple little ODF mod" I am justifiably proud of. As usual, lots of high-powered talent gave me help, advice, and guidance.
Mostly, I sat and listened to them and tried to make their ideas work. All of the really good ideas included herein are theirs, of course. All of the mistakes are mine.

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PURISTS, PLEASE NOTE:

I am not trying recreate exactly the way ENT-D moves in any series episode or film. The game engine of A2 is pretty antiquated and barely up to the task of depicting space combat at all. I am trying to get the engine we have to be a little closer to what is seen in the series episodes and films. If I have accomplished this successfully, your B Rels will no longer have the same turning rates as your Vor Chas and your Sovys will move with the stately majestic grace they should move with. Further, your ships will no longer spit photons like a belt fed machine gun. Combat sequences in game will last longer and a player should be able to micro manage a fleet effectively.

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WHAT THIS MOD IS

The latest version of the A2 Physics Project. This version replaces all previous versions and has all of the various improvement and refinements I could think of included within it. The intent is to make the stock ships move and fight in a way which is closer to canon Star Trek.

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WHAT THIS MOD IS NOT

A way to "balance" the game. I have resigned myself that "balance" as a concept cannot be applied to PC games in general and Armada II in particular. To most people, "balance" has come to mean, "My favorite faction gets the biggest ships and the hardest hitting weapons and all the other factions are only in the game to provide me with lots of targets." This may sound judgmental, but I see little evidence to support a different view. If you are expecting your favorite faction to have it all their own way, all the time, you should press the DEL key right now.

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CONCERNING PATCH PROJECT 1.2.5

There has always been some consternation concerning my statement PP1.2.5 and A2PP are compatible. I am happy to report this issue has been resolved. PP1.2.5 is a very popular add on and has a lot of fans throughout the Community. Because of this, I went back and really looked at why there was such a problem in the first place.
The problems? 1) I was not using a clean install of A2. and, 2) The order in which I installed the mods. The correct installation order is listed below.

1) Clean install of A2
2) Patch 1.1
3) Patch Project 1.2.5
4) A2PP Version X

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A2 PHYSICS PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT

- To modify movement, combat movement, weapons, and sensor ranges within stock Armada II to provide a closer to canon feel to the appearance of how ships move and fight. within the game.

Priorities and Goals:
- To have a minimal impact on ship and station files so anyone can add this into a stock game or a heavily modded one without the danger of a fatal error. To also modify and make available the files in question so modders can include them in other mods with minimal adjustments

- Closer to canon movement. To have ships in A2 move in a fashion similar to how they move in a series episode, movie, or other Star Trek based game. If done correctly, any player should be able to recreate any ship movement sequence seen in either a series episode or movie with a fair degree of accuracy.

- Closer to canon combat movement. To give players the ability to recreate in A2 any ship to ship combat sequence seen in any series episode, movie, or other Star Trek based game with a fair degree of accuracy. The DS9 episode 'Sacrifice of Angels' combat sequence came to mind instantly.

- Modify all ODF files to support the above. This includes, but is not limited to:
a) Creating ship specific physics files.
b) Adjusting formation sizes and spacings.
c) Adjusting ship ODFs.

- Modify the weapons ODF files to support the above. This includes, but is not limited to:
a) Adjusting ranges and damage effects.
b) Adjusting rates of fire.
c) Adjusting LOS ranges for all ships and stations.

- Create a easy to follow file format for all of the above. To allow other Armada II players, especially those with minimal modding experience, to 'Plug and Play' a custom ship either of their own creation or downloaded from any fan site.

As you can tell from this document, it is a pretty ambitous project. I hope it meets with your approval and enjoyment.

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POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

This mod has been tested only within the SP Campaign and Instant Action vs. the 'puter. I do not know if it will work in online Multiplayer. As always, I accept no responsibility for your computer, disc, or application. This file was checked for viruses and completeness before upload. If it does not work correctly the first time, please go back and read the directions. Then, install the mod again AFTER you read the directions.

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RELEASE INFO:

Permission is hearby granted to use any part of, or all of this, in any mod you intend for public release. That is correct. I am giving permission for you to use this in your mod before you ask for it.

If you do attempt to pass this off as your own work, well, that is fine by me. After all, you and I will always know the real truth, will we not?

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CONTACT:

Any doubts, questions or suggestions, you can E-mail or PM me from here.
All of the people mentioned by name herein are blameless for anything which may be wrong with this mod. All the mistakes are mine alone.
I am not responsible for any type of damage to your computer, disc, or application from misuse of this mod.

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COPYRIGHT AND DISTRIBUTION PERMISSIONS

THIS PATCH IS NOT MADE, DISTRIBUTED, OR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVISION TM & (C) ACTIVISION & PARAMOUNT PICTURES.
Copyright notices: Star Trek, Star Trek Armada II, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager (and the various logo devices used in them) are copyright Paramount Pictures, as are the characters, related images, and sound from the productions.