Post by Micteu on Apr 23, 2010 13:03:04 GMT -5
Someone told me he/she had the alternate combat animations. Here's something Kalbaern said on another server's forum:
If an override affects what others see or react to, then it causes severe issues. In cases where it only affects the client overrides are generally benign.
Since the override used to make the above screenies merely replaces the textures and lighting effects for the client, they are benign. However ... this override was made specifically to enhance the "Project Q" which by default covers all the Bioware Tilesets. Once FRC updates more areas using the CEP Tilesets folks using this override will begin missing out on many of CEP's own enhancements. So if users of this override start seeing weird effects in Suzail when it's redone or find that while exploring wilderness areas many seem to have textures that clash with the "hazy, etheral" effect ... then you were forewarned. In a nutshell, this override only replaces what the client sees. Since it does add to the clients CPU load, they can cause themselves some lag. Since it does not change feedback to the server it's benign.
There are some terrain overrides that are harmful though. If an override "fixes" walkmeshes, then consider it bad. If an override changes the size of something on a tile its bad. The one used above thankfully does neither.
Other benign haks/overrides are the ones that change your hand and feet appearances or the one for picking a CEP head when making a new PC. Like the above override, they do add to a clients CPU processing, but do not affect the server.
Overrides that change clothing appearances are bad. These usually contain differently named appearances that conflict with both Bioware and CEP clothing and armors. When these are used you are lagging your friends here as you send them erroneous data on your appearance. (Thankfully, most PWs have figured this out and moved their custom clothing into their haks to prevent such conflicts)
Custom combat animations are very bad. They cause lag for the player using them, players around them and the server itself. The custom combat animations change the distances and movements of PCs using them. since the server and most players lack the same override, this results in a ton of error packets sent back and forth. Eventually, it can even crash the server. These effects not only build up serverside, they persist long after the client that caused them has left. So ... anyone using one of the various "ACP" haks as an override should delete them immediately. If you do love these animations though (as most who've seen them do) then I urge you to instead lobby the CEP Team to add them to the CEP itself. If added as a CEP hak, they'd no longer be a conflict and everyone could use them. There's already a thread on the CEP boards about this, if enough folk ask, plead, whine, etc... who knows ... they might do it.
Known BAD overrides:
Anything that changes animations. (All versions of the "ACPs" that are override and not a hak)
Most clothing overrides. (Usually anything from JenX as an override ... haks though are fine)
Just about any override that requires a 2da with it. (*there are a few exceptions)
Benign Overrides:
Hand and feet overrides. **
CEP Head override. **
Soundset and Portrait overrides. **
*The Soundset and and head overrides use 2da files, but they are the same ones found in the CEP already and do not therefore conflict.
**These I consider all "benign" and not "safe". They all add to a clients required overhead so they just make things laggier for players most times.
The specific override used in the above screenies I'm ambivelant about. It does not hurt the server or other players, but ... as good as it looks IG, it can keep players using it from noticing some of the minor details a builder might use here and therefore the intended impact of some areas can be lost on the users. So while not "bad" to use, I'd not recommend it on a non-Project Q server like FRC.
If an override affects what others see or react to, then it causes severe issues. In cases where it only affects the client overrides are generally benign.
Since the override used to make the above screenies merely replaces the textures and lighting effects for the client, they are benign. However ... this override was made specifically to enhance the "Project Q" which by default covers all the Bioware Tilesets. Once FRC updates more areas using the CEP Tilesets folks using this override will begin missing out on many of CEP's own enhancements. So if users of this override start seeing weird effects in Suzail when it's redone or find that while exploring wilderness areas many seem to have textures that clash with the "hazy, etheral" effect ... then you were forewarned. In a nutshell, this override only replaces what the client sees. Since it does add to the clients CPU load, they can cause themselves some lag. Since it does not change feedback to the server it's benign.
There are some terrain overrides that are harmful though. If an override "fixes" walkmeshes, then consider it bad. If an override changes the size of something on a tile its bad. The one used above thankfully does neither.
Other benign haks/overrides are the ones that change your hand and feet appearances or the one for picking a CEP head when making a new PC. Like the above override, they do add to a clients CPU processing, but do not affect the server.
Overrides that change clothing appearances are bad. These usually contain differently named appearances that conflict with both Bioware and CEP clothing and armors. When these are used you are lagging your friends here as you send them erroneous data on your appearance. (Thankfully, most PWs have figured this out and moved their custom clothing into their haks to prevent such conflicts)
Custom combat animations are very bad. They cause lag for the player using them, players around them and the server itself. The custom combat animations change the distances and movements of PCs using them. since the server and most players lack the same override, this results in a ton of error packets sent back and forth. Eventually, it can even crash the server. These effects not only build up serverside, they persist long after the client that caused them has left. So ... anyone using one of the various "ACP" haks as an override should delete them immediately. If you do love these animations though (as most who've seen them do) then I urge you to instead lobby the CEP Team to add them to the CEP itself. If added as a CEP hak, they'd no longer be a conflict and everyone could use them. There's already a thread on the CEP boards about this, if enough folk ask, plead, whine, etc... who knows ... they might do it.
Known BAD overrides:
Anything that changes animations. (All versions of the "ACPs" that are override and not a hak)
Most clothing overrides. (Usually anything from JenX as an override ... haks though are fine)
Just about any override that requires a 2da with it. (*there are a few exceptions)
Benign Overrides:
Hand and feet overrides. **
CEP Head override. **
Soundset and Portrait overrides. **
*The Soundset and and head overrides use 2da files, but they are the same ones found in the CEP already and do not therefore conflict.
**These I consider all "benign" and not "safe". They all add to a clients required overhead so they just make things laggier for players most times.
The specific override used in the above screenies I'm ambivelant about. It does not hurt the server or other players, but ... as good as it looks IG, it can keep players using it from noticing some of the minor details a builder might use here and therefore the intended impact of some areas can be lost on the users. So while not "bad" to use, I'd not recommend it on a non-Project Q server like FRC.