5 replies to this topic

[Buzambo]

TL;DR Where in the game files could I find hardpoint and open/available slot data for each mech?

So far, I have found the Game\mechs folder which contains .pak files. Couldn't just straight open them and needed winrar to get something readable. I was hoping to find all the info I wanted, but what I found was the default mech setup of each variant and line saying "HardpointPath is in an Objects folder" in each mdf file I got. Those variant files were able to provide the number of slots for each part of the mech, but only gave Internal ItemIDs for the stuff that was already in the slots. It did not give any hardpoint info. Found a different file with the word "hardpoint" in it, but it didn't include any slot info either.

I have no idea what a constructive way would be to get what I am looking for in the game files, but does anyone know of anywhere else to scramble within the game files to find what the Internal ItemID list is at? All I want from it is how many slots each item takes which then would give me the remaining slots available for weapons. I wrote this with a lot of sleep deprivation. I hope this makes sense.

[martian]

Buzambo, on 17 December 2023 - 02:49 PM, said:

TL;DR Where in the game files could I find hardpoint and open/available slot data for each mech?

So far, I have found the Game\mechs folder which contains .pak files. Couldn't just straight open them and needed winrar to get something readable. I was hoping to find all the info I wanted, but what I found was the default mech setup of each variant and line saying "HardpointPath is in an Objects folder" in each mdf file I got. Those variant files were able to provide the number of slots for each part of the mech, but only gave Internal ItemIDs for the stuff that was already in the slots. It did not give any hardpoint info. Found a different file with the word "hardpoint" in it, but it didn't include any slot info either.

I have no idea what a constructive way would be to get what I am looking for in the game files, but does anyone know of anywhere else to scramble within the game files to find what the Internal ItemID list is at? All I want from it is how many slots each item takes which then would give me the remaining slots available for weapons. I wrote this with a lot of sleep deprivation. I hope this makes sense.

You could try MechDB 2.0

[Buzambo]

martian, on 17 December 2023 - 09:34 PM, said:

You could try MechDB 2.0

I've looked at it, but it doesn't give a way to filter mechs by number of available slots. Feels like there should be an easy way to figure out how much stuff can be crammed into a mech, but I haven't found that yet.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

BattleMechs (not counting Omnimechs) always have the same number of available slots. The only fixed equipment that varies from chassis to chassis is Hand Actuators and/or Lower Arm Actuators.
Omnimechs have a lot more fixed equipment and are somewhat more complex to handle.

[Buzambo]

Aidan Crenshaw, on 20 December 2023 - 01:49 AM, said:

BattleMechs (not counting Omnimechs) always have the same number of available slots. The only fixed equipment that varies from chassis to chassis is Hand Actuators and/or Lower Arm Actuators.
Omnimechs have a lot more fixed equipment and are somewhat more complex to handle.

I wasn't aware of that.

Browsed MechDB to find that some assaults (ANH-2A for example) have 9 available slots on the right arm where others (like LGB-10C) have 10 in their arm. Makes a difference when trying to stuff as many weapons as possible if hardpoints allow.

I wrote that thinking that would be enough motiviation to continue with my scramble, but I think I am not going to find a way to automate any kind of optimal mech creation. Thank you all for the help.

[Buzambo]

In a fit of rage I tried one last time to make sense of the file structures, but after extracting data from a mech in the Game\mechs folder, I found a hardpoints xml file that makes reference to a Objects/mechs/hardpointsearchcriteria.xml path; which I cannot find.

It feels like this could be the missing link I need to come full circle with what I am needing. Any clue where this file is? There is only one Objects folder I could find with mechs in it, but no hardpointsearchcriteria file could be found.