X-Wing Alliance 2020 Mega Patch available NOW!

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Re: X-Wing Alliance Mega Patch 2020 available NOW!

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Jaeven
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Post by Jaeven » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:56 pm

brassman2468 wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 3:17 pm
Jaeven wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:54 am
brassman2468 wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 12:53 am
Just finished B0M8, the Deep Space Strike evaluation, and was surprised to see two squadrons of TIEs in addition to the two escort shuttles protecting the final convoy. Was this an intended addition to the mission? I don't remember seeing them in previous playthroughs.
Yes. The TIEs had always been there, they were just bugged so they never spawned. The original mission was kind of stupid because it forced you to go up against two Assault Shuttles in a Y-wing, and more often than not, your wingmate would be useless. So the Assault Shuttles were changed to Escort Shuttles, and to compensate in difficulty, the TIEs were unbugged.
Thanks for the clarification, that makes a lot of sense. The modified mission does seem quite a bit more doable now, it only took me two tries to complete without having to resort to invulnerability. Still a bit of a challenge, but not impossible :)

EDIT: just went back and looked into the mission in YOGEME, turns out the Escort Shuttles are still Assault Shuttles just with difficulty set to Novice.
Ahh, memory failed me. That was the earlier iteration I mentioned, but that was actually changed again. What was changed in the final version was that your wingman actually keeps the Shuttles busy as he says he would, thus giving you enough time to handle the TIEs and destroy the convoy.

My bad, it's been a few months since we finished work on the missions :D

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Post by brassman2468 » Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:31 pm

No worries, my original post mentioned them as Escort shuttles when I meant Assault. I think I was just so surprised by the additional TIEs that I couldn't quite remember the shuttles' correct name, plus I was a little preoccupied with not getting blown up ;)

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Post by Tuskin » Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:20 pm

Did you disable the imperial voices for team two in skirmish mode with the new hotfix? I remember having voices before installing it.

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Post by Ace Antilles » Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:31 pm

Tuskin wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:20 pm
Did you disable the imperial voices for team two in skirmish mode with the new hotfix? I remember having voices before installing it.
No
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Post by Tuskin » Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:40 pm

Ace Antilles wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:31 pm
Tuskin wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:20 pm
Did you disable the imperial voices for team two in skirmish mode with the new hotfix? I remember having voices before installing it.
No
Never mind, I guess my game just glitched, rebel voices stopped as well I had to restart.

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Post by enderandrew » Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:18 am

I haven't played X-Wing Alliance much since the game released 20 years ago. I've vaguely been aware of this project over the years but never closely followed it too much. I'm sure like many others, Squadrons has revived memories of the older X-Wing games.

This looks amazing. I tried installing all the items individually a few months back but never got to playing because even with the hooks I couldn't get the game to run with an XBox controller pretending to be a joystick. I have since bought a Thrustmaster T16000M and am ready to fire this up again and I see this wonder all in one package. Thank you for this updated package!

I guess my only question or suggestion is whether or not it is possible in this engine to also replace a DLL responsible for playing the cinematics and then throw in new cinematics in a newer codec in widescreen / HD.

People are not only using ERSGAN / Gigapixel to upscale individual pixels, but also cinematics. I wonder if it would be possible to recreate cinematics with the new models in game, or just do machine learning upscales of the original videos. But I assume the original engine had an old video player that probably couldn't play newer video formats / codecs.

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Post by DTM » Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:21 am

Avarice1987 wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:44 pm
quick question about the modpacket: i have the german language package from Darksaber, can i iron it over it, or does it chop something?
Sorry, the XWAU 2020 has not be tested with Darksaber's language pack. I don't know ecxaclty the effects of this pack
BTW: audio and video language are not altered by the XWAU 2020. Translation of the writings are disable to avoid conflicts with the new features.

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Post by Forceflow » Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:35 am

enderandrew wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:18 am
I haven't played X-Wing Alliance much since the game released 20 years ago. I've vaguely been aware of this project over the years but never closely followed it too much. I'm sure like many others, Squadrons has revived memories of the older X-Wing games.

This looks amazing. I tried installing all the items individually a few months back but never got to playing because even with the hooks I couldn't get the game to run with an XBox controller pretending to be a joystick. I have since bought a Thrustmaster T16000M and am ready to fire this up again and I see this wonder all in one package. Thank you for this updated package!

I guess my only question or suggestion is whether or not it is possible in this engine to also replace a DLL responsible for playing the cinematics and then throw in new cinematics in a newer codec in widescreen / HD.

People are not only using ERSGAN / Gigapixel to upscale individual pixels, but also cinematics. I wonder if it would be possible to recreate cinematics with the new models in game, or just do machine learning upscales of the original videos. But I assume the original engine had an old video player that probably couldn't play newer video formats / codecs.
That is already possible and is in fact being worked on, though it will most likely be a project outside of the XWAU. (But will be compatible with it)
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Post by Avarice1987 » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:59 pm

DTM wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:21 am
Avarice1987 wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:44 pm
quick question about the modpacket: i have the german language package from Darksaber, can i iron it over it, or does it chop something?
Sorry, the XWAU 2020 has not be tested with Darksaber's language pack. I don't know ecxaclty the effects of this pack
BTW: audio and video language are not altered by the XWAU 2020. Translation of the writings are disable to avoid conflicts with the new features.
what is the status of your unicorn squadron campaign? i played it 2 years ago, it played really well

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Post by Avarice1987 » Wed Dec 02, 2020 1:01 pm

Let me ask a question for another German user, first I should say thanks for the work, he now wants to know how we can play the Megapack against each other, so how it works with the Multiplayer.

Is it only possible to play Skirmish, or the campaign together ?

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Post by Bernie » Wed Dec 02, 2020 1:32 pm

Avarice1987 wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:59 pm
DTM wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:21 am
Avarice1987 wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:44 pm
quick question about the modpacket: i have the german language package from Darksaber, can i iron it over it, or does it chop something?
Sorry, the XWAU 2020 has not be tested with Darksaber's language pack. I don't know ecxaclty the effects of this pack
BTW: audio and video language are not altered by the XWAU 2020. Translation of the writings are disable to avoid conflicts with the new features.
what is the status of your unicorn squadron campaign? i played it 2 years ago, it played really well
I tried the DS german language package on the great 2020 Mega Patch. Text and voice both are fine. Only the briefing graphics are a bit strange.

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Post by ArrowLoop » Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:12 pm

Wow! Thank you all for your hard work on this. It is truly amazing!

I wanted to share a suggestion that came to me while using Babu Frik's Configurator; it would be really cool if a future version of BFC either embedded the Showcase 360 Video of each ship option within the utility itself so that when you select for example, Spyder's X-Wing that 360 view of the ship is shown directly in the utility, and when you click on Darksaber's X-wing the 360 view of that ship is shown instead. If that functionality isn't feasible an alternative could be to include a hyperlink to the 360 video of each ship next to it's radio button that opens the 360 video in your browser instead.

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Post by Geoffman72 » Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:45 pm

Out of curiosity, has anyone else had their loaded pilots experience wiped when re-running Babu Friks configurator? I did a fresh Steam install, installed the megapatch, ran BF's config, played through the second mission after you join the Rebels, then re-ran to config to tweak a bit. Logged back in and was on the first Sabra mission.

Other than this, and a few bugs that seem to have already been caught, it's stunning work on a two decade old game!

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Post by Ace Antilles » Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:13 pm

ArrowLoop wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:12 pm
Wow! Thank you all for your hard work on this. It is truly amazing!

I wanted to share a suggestion that came to me while using Babu Frik's Configurator; it would be really cool if a future version of BFC either embedded the Showcase 360 Video of each ship option within the utility itself so that when you select for example, Spyder's X-Wing that 360 view of the ship is shown directly in the utility, and when you click on Darksaber's X-wing the 360 view of that ship is shown instead. If that functionality isn't feasible an alternative could be to include a hyperlink to the 360 video of each ship next to it's radio button that opens the 360 video in your browser instead.
This isn't possible. The installers that Jeremy makes are amazing but still have limitations.
I don't know if a link will work but something that we can take a look into. Otherwise there's another idea I've thought I might try out.
Avarice1987 wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:44 pm
Last question: In some preview videos on Yt from X Wing Facility or XWA artists I hear completely different ingame sounds ( rocket warning for example ), will there be a soundpack?
Not from XWAU. But there are other amazing Ace websites from amazingly Ace pilots worth watching soon.... :D

enderandrew wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:18 am
I guess my only question or suggestion is whether or not it is possible in this engine to also replace a DLL responsible for playing the cinematics and then throw in new cinematics in a newer codec in widescreen / HD.

People are not only using ERSGAN / Gigapixel to upscale individual pixels, but also cinematics. I wonder if it would be possible to recreate cinematics with the new models in game, or just do machine learning upscales of the original videos. But I assume the original engine had an old video player that probably couldn't play newer video formats / codecs.
This has already been done. It's now possible to have the game play AVI, WMV, MP4 formats and more I believe!
Recreating the cutscenes with the XWAU opts would be possible if filmed right but would take a lot of work. Not something we would do but the door is now open for talented video creators.

As for the original cutscene videos upscaled then check out my relaunched website! I have the videos created by Marcop000 and another cool alternative. ;)
https://www.xwingoutpost.com/
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Post by Knight26 » Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:00 pm

Having serious controller issues. Does anyone have a profile for Saitek X56 controllers combined via vjoy?
Right now as soon as I jump in the cockpit it goes into a forward left roll/dive.
S. Schauer<BR>Flight Test Engineer<BR>C-17 DOOE, 418th FLTS<BR>AFFTC, Edwards AFB

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Post by Forceflow » Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:32 am

Geoffman72 wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:45 pm
Out of curiosity, has anyone else had their loaded pilots experience wiped when re-running Babu Friks configurator? I did a fresh Steam install, installed the megapatch, ran BF's config, played through the second mission after you join the Rebels, then re-ran to config to tweak a bit. Logged back in and was on the first Sabra mission.

Other than this, and a few bugs that seem to have already been caught, it's stunning work on a two decade old game!
Check if there is a second pilot file in your XWA directory with the same name but a different extension of the filename.
Murphy was an optimist! I am a pessimist!
And always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet! (District 9)
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Post by johncee » Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:08 pm

Hey guys,

what a great patch/upgrade! Great work. But i wonder what the minimum system requirements are, because its lacking seriously on my system. Are there any specials needs for the running system?

thx

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Post by Ace Antilles » Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:21 pm

johncee wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:08 pm
Hey guys,

what a great patch/upgrade! Great work. But i wonder what the minimum system requirements are, because its lacking seriously on my system. Are there any specials needs for the running system?

thx
What are your system specs?
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Post by johncee » Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:35 pm

Ace Antilles wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:21 pm
johncee wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:08 pm
Hey guys,

what a great patch/upgrade! Great work. But i wonder what the minimum system requirements are, because its lacking seriously on my system. Are there any specials needs for the running system?

thx
What are your system specs?
Intel Core i7-4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz 2.60 GHz 64-Bit, Win 8.1 Pro, 16,0 GB RAM, Intel HD Grafphics Family / AMD Radeon R5 M255, HP ProBook 470 G2

The Laptop is about 3-4 Years old.

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Post by DTM » Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:46 pm

I think it's not the best computer for playing XWAU because of your graphic card... I believe that the minimum requirements are comparable to those of modern video games. Thinking that this video game can run on any PC because it is an old video game is a mistake ... on the contrary, since it is based on an old engine, the hardware requirements must be higher. Remember that XWA has been Upgraded...

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Post by DTM » Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:50 pm

Geoffman72 wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:45 pm
Out of curiosity, has anyone else had their loaded pilots experience wiped when re-running Babu Friks configurator? I did a fresh Steam install, installed the megapatch, ran BF's config, played through the second mission after you join the Rebels, then re-ran to config to tweak a bit. Logged back in and was on the first Sabra mission.

Other than this, and a few bugs that seem to have already been caught, it's stunning work on a two decade old game!
This shouldn't happen, because Babu doesn't change the stats or the progress of the pilots ... whatever happened, I rule out that it's Babu's fault ... poor little Babu ...

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Post by Ace Antilles » Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:53 pm

johncee wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:35 pm
Intel Core i7-4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz 2.60 GHz 64-Bit, Win 8.1 Pro, 16,0 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics Family / AMD Radeon R5 M255, HP ProBook 470 G2
The Laptop is about 3-4 Years old.
Further to what DTM said most Laptops aren't great for games.
Saying all that what areas are causing you the most issues? We can't get the performance of new games as we can't take advantage of the dedicated 3D card properly.
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Post by XDragon » Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:34 am

Man I look away for a month and everything blows up here in the most awesome way possible?! Im glad I'm getting a new laptop for this, with Intel® Core™ i7-10750H (2.6 GHz, up to 5 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache, 6 cores) + NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB) with 16 gb ram. I'm so set
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Post by johncee » Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:06 am

Ace Antilles wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:53 pm
johncee wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:35 pm
Intel Core i7-4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz 2.60 GHz 64-Bit, Win 8.1 Pro, 16,0 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics Family / AMD Radeon R5 M255, HP ProBook 470 G2
The Laptop is about 3-4 Years old.
Further to what DTM said most Laptops aren't great for games.
Saying all that what areas are causing you the most issues? We can't get the performance of new games as we can't take advantage of the dedicated 3D card properly.
Mostly the Blue Max Effects. Deactivating them let the game runs without lacking. I also tried the fixpack 1.0 but its causing trouble with my pre historic saitek joystick. Well, i think you're absolutally right, my system needs an upgrade too.

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Post by darklord » Fri Dec 04, 2020 2:07 pm

Ace Antilles wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:53 pm
johncee wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:35 pm
Intel Core i7-4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz 2.60 GHz 64-Bit, Win 8.1 Pro, 16,0 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics Family / AMD Radeon R5 M255, HP ProBook 470 G2
The Laptop is about 3-4 Years old.
Further to what DTM said most Laptops aren't great for games.
Saying all that what areas are causing you the most issues? We can't get the performance of new games as we can't take advantage of the dedicated 3D card properly.
Is there anyway to force the AMD Radeon chip? I'd wonder if its still stuck on the crappy Intel HD chip

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