Unified Hiigaran Fleet mod for Homeworld 2

Unified Hiigaran Fleet 0.0.3 - Released September 19, 2008
-- A Homeworld Universe Mod --

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the file UHF-0.0.3.big into your HW2 data directory, and copy the shortcut to wherever you like - usually the desktop.

Sample Shortcut Target:

"C:\Program Files\Sierra\Homeworld2\Bin\Release\Homeworld2.exe" -mod uhf-0.0.3.big -nomovies -luaTrace -hardwareCursor

The included Shortcut and path will work for standard installations of HW2, modify the shortcut if your HW2 is in a different location.

FEATURES:

108 Ships converted from Homeworld 1 & Homeworld Cataclysm (19 not worth building yet)

Three full additional races: The Kushan (which feature Kushan, Hiigaran & Kiith ships) the Turanic Raiders & the Taiidan
One partial additional race: The Bentusi - unfortunately there has been no work on this team since 0.0.2

AI Enemies:

NEW for 0.0.3 - Kushan, Taiidan & Turanic Raiders as well as the original Hiigaran & Vaygr have full working AI,
the Bentusi do not.

Note: I have noticed some differences in game play when using the Turanic Raiders as an AI opponent (don't know if
it is a good difference or not). Should work well with most combinations of enemy teams.

NEW for 0.0.3 - Research: Has been implemented for all races except the Bentusi - Custom Salvage and debris

NEW for 0.0.3 - Team Colors: On all Kiith, Kushan & Taiidan ships, Partial coverage of the Turanic, None for the Bentusi

NEW for 0.0.3 - Homeworld 1 Ion effects for Destroyers & Ion Frigates - A few specialty levels - A few custom nebulas

NEW for 0.0.3 - A few custom Turanic subsystems & fighter models

NEW for 0.0.3 - All of the Homeworld 1 backgrounds - There are a few that have black triangle bugs & a few that
the color of the background does not shade into the black (un-modeled? space). Most of these backgrounds
are used with "Crimson Bond" as the level data for now.

Homeworld 1 Audio Tracks - Track six does not work, all others are fine

NEW Ships for 0.0.3: 48 New Ships added (10 not worth building yet)

- Kiith - Acolyte - good to go, defined in the AI as well
- Kith - Destroyer - good to use, has a few minor visual issues
- Kiith - Worker - good to use
- Kiith - Carrier - useable, but has no dockpaths or frigate production capability
- Kiith - ACV - Not Buildable - on the test map, has no weapons to speak of
- Kiith - Swarmer - Not Buildable - on the test map, will be implemented upon finishing of the Hive Frigates weapons
- Kiith - Mimic - Not Buildable - on the test map, has no abilities yet
- Kiith - Sentinel - Not Buildable - on the test map, not in any build que yet - some issues yet
- Kiith - Clee Siam - Do NOT Build - on the test map, does not enable research yet

- Kadesh - Fuel Pod

- Beast - Nomad Moon - on test map
- Beast - Naggarok - on test map

- Turanic - Scout - good to go
- Turanic - Attack Bomber - good to go
- Turanic - Derelict Assault Frigate - good to go
- Turanic - Derelict Drone Frigate - good to go
- Turanic - Derelict Multigun Corvette - Do NOT Build, has no weapons
- Turanic - Derelict Light Corvette - Do NOT Build, has no weapons
- Turanic - Minelayer Corvette - Do NOT Build, has no weapons

- Taiidan - Fleet (29 Ships) - Most are good to go
- Taiidan Support Frigate - has no docking ability (adequate defensive ship vs. fighters)
- Taiidan Salvage Corvette - can steal ships in HW2 style but have inadequate armor
- Taiidan Heavy Corvette - works fine, but turrets are crazy
- Taiidan Heavy Defender - Do NOT Build - has no weapons
- Taiidan Research Ship - Do NOT Build, does not enable research yet

- Salvage & Debris - Most of the remaing debris from HW1 & Cataclysm, most implemented somewhere on the test map only

- Relatively balanced ships & game play

- Numerous fixes to the majority of the ships from previous version, many weapon fixes, mesh & texture fixes
added subsystems, capture points, repair points, dockpaths, engine glows

Other Known Issues and things that need work (see UHF 0.0.3 Messed Up.txt for a more complete list):

1. Use of the enhanced deathmatch mode will reset all HW2 options to default, including video options and in game options
2. Some utility class ships are too big for the current dockpath assignment and appear in the middle of the ship before exit
3. No ships have animations
4. Many ships do not have engine glows, Taiidan corvettes have no glow or trails
5. Kushan Carrier: hull weapons fire through ship
6. Kiith Mothership primary & secondary ore holds can be built in the same physical locations as production & generic modules
6a. Lower decks, primary & secondary ore holds are useless to build and provide no additional ship benefit
8. Kadesh Khar Toba, Kadesh Mothership, and Bentus have no weapons or dockpaths
9. Bentusi Acolyte Fighter weapons work, but the display reads as 0 firepower, the weapons are also not very effective
10. Kushan Scaffold weapons and damage locations are still in the original shipyard position
11. Taiidan Research Station textures do not shade correctly, no idea why.
12. The Kadesh have been removed as a playable race in favor of the Taiidan for this release
13. Although Destroyer & Battlecruiser Tech are not required to build the ships it is required to upgrade the ships
14. Kushan AI uses a partial UHF fleet - Fighters, Corvettes & Frigates are UHF: Cap Ships are Kushan, sans the Shipyard
15. UHF research is implemented mainly for the Kushan ships, specifically - many of the ships on the AI build list
16. Kushan & Raider carrier have their weapons disabled for now as it made the game unbalanced

Ships not worth building yet:

Kushan Support Frigate - has no docking ability
Kushan Research Ship - adds no ability to research
Kushan Salvage Corvette - has no special ablity

Kiith Hive Frigate - has main guns but no swarmer release
Kiith Ramming Frigate - has weapon issues - works as an Ion Frigate

Turanic Derelict Carrier - has nothing yet
Restored Derelict Carrier - has nothing yet

Additional Models, either unassigned or not buildable by any team (list does not include converted debris)

Taiidan Hyperspace Inhibitor - Mining Base
Kushan Cryo Tray
Kushan Headshot Asteroid
Beast Message Pod

Credits: Listed in game

Comments, suggestions and feedback of all types are appreciated.
Contact: chris80502@hotmail.com

Please keep in mind that this is still an in process project and as such there are a bunch of things which are unfinished or at various stages of completion.  Uploading now, awaiting moddb authorization.

chris80502  - 9-19-08

Since the release I have been working on many fixes for the next release, most of the work has been on engine thruster effects & engine glows/trails on the Kiith Worker, Taiidan Carrier, Frigates, Repair Corvette, Light Corvette & Resource Controller, also added the Taiidan Carriers resource sub-system & changed Taiidan cloak & gravity well generators to platforms, enabled platform production & re-ordered the utility list as well.  For the next release I want all my ships to be near 100% not just close enough to release and a more finished appearance overall.  So that's what I'll try to stick with, we'll see how that goes.

chris80502  - 9-24-08

As you can see from my video I have been working on getting events correct on frigate & larger type ships.  I've also still been doing other fixes and have converted a few more of the Beast strike craft, simple to do using my other corresponding ship conversions as their base.  It's not much, but I've been a little busy the last couple of days.

chris80502  - 10-6-08