AC-130 Spectre Gunship

[surdanis]

AC-130 Spectre Gunship based on C-130 Hercules.

1.In-game images courtesy of Snafusmith
2.My own in-game screenshot of an AC-130 Spectre Gunship in action (notice the tiny explosion when the 40mm Bofors Cannon is fired)

DOWNLOAD HERE. BTS 3.13 COMPATIBLE

Stats

Spoiler :

Class: Air
Strength: 30
Attacks per turn: 2
Range: 10
+100% vs. Gunpowder Units
-75% vs. Air
-50% vs. Sea
Can make complete kills
Very Easily intercepted

Requirements

Spoiler :

Tech Req'd: Advanced Flight
Resources Req'd: Aluminum, Oil

It is recommended you use this unit against enemeis without an air force or one against whom you have won air superiority. The likelihood of your craft getting shot down is good if they have only Fighters, but if they have Jet Fighters, the AC-130 will lose. However, should you control the air, the AC-130 is most definitely your friend in the skies! She will diligently ensure that any large targets are destroyed (like Tanks in minimum 2 hits, due to coding) and will attempt to pound any infantry as much as possible. In real life, the Spectre Gunship would circle around the mission area until no longer needed--while a fighter will quickly zoom past to drop the payload and exit out. In this way, the AC-130 functions more like a helicopter gunship, lending CAS for as long as possible (where a helo might hang out for a bit around its battle positions).

Again, I invite a graphics specialist to modify this unit with new animations (Guns blazing with hot lead!).


SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Snafusmith for providing the model


UPDATE #1

Spoiler :

I figured out how to make the graphic fly in the air and make it a land unit, but I think I like it as an air unit. It take me some heavier modding to make it invulnerable to land units. AFAIK, there is no XML tag to fix that. I'm still poor at using the SDK... I am working on putting sound into the unit. Originally, I planned on inputting the AC-130 chatter from Call of Duty 4, but I have now decided against it since it would not allow the unit to be cross-cultural--since Civ 4 has unique responses from all the land units for each civ, while the air units do not. Thus, I will look further into updating the sounds to fit with new animations. Somehow, some way, I will figure out a way.

UPDATE #2

Spoiler :

- Now with 3 new sounds! Two selection sounds and one Recon Mission sound. Enjoy!

UPDATE #3

Spoiler :

- Sounds have been updated to include combat sound and minor animation fx. Enjoy!

UPDATE#4

Spoiler :

- New icon added
- Removed ability to base on Carriers

 

[GarretSidzaka]

PLZ PLZ PLZ think about some custom animations for this one

Good work bro

 

[azmodean]

Neato. More modern mods for my modern warfare!

 

[surdanis]

PLZ PLZ PLZ think about some custom animations for this one

Good work bro

I would love to. Just show me how to do it, and I will!

 

[danrh]

If I could just point out again that this platform is not an anti-armour platform, it is primarily for use against infantry, light vehicles etc in the open. yes there does exist a limited capability against hardened targets but a 100% bonus v armour is to my mind excessive. Now against infantry and artillery on the move 100% would be fine. Also that at least as standard Civ works a groud unit represents about a division with an unit being analagous to either a Tactical Fighter Wing or a Bomber Wing. Just as there are no sniper divisions there are also no gunship wings. Comabt in Civ is abstracted.

On a related not does anyone know how to change the size of units?

Dan

 

[surdanis]

If I could just point out again that this platform is not an anti-armour platform, it is primarily for use against infantry, light vehicles etc in the open. yes there does exist a limited capability against hardened targets but a 100% bonus v armour is to my mind excessive. Now against infantry and artillery on the move 100% would be fine. Also that at least as standard Civ works a groud unit represents about a division with an unit being analagous to either a Tactical Fighter Wing or a Bomber Wing. Just as there are no sniper divisions there are also no gunship wings. Comabt in Civ is abstracted.

On a related not does anyone know how to change the size of units?

Dan

Well, the obvious fix to your suggestion is to lower attack vs. Armor and then add a bonus vs. Gunpowder and Artillery. Easily done, of course. I'll take a look at it. Currently looking into making my own custom animations for this unit. I would appreciate any help, if you know someone who can make those!

 

[surdanis]

Does anyone know how to add custom attack sounds? For example, I want to add a new sound for the attack that goes with this unit.

I figured out how to stick the selection sound in. That's easy. But is there something you need to attach elsewhere? I can't find it anywhere in the XML. I mean, I can see what is being referred to, but where does it make it so that a particular unit will play a certain sound in combat?

Tired, must sleep.

 

[Xenomorph]

On a related not does anyone know how to change the size of units?

Change the <fScale> in the unit's art info. If you change the <fInterfaceScale> you can change how big it is in the little window on the bottom left when you select the unit.

Does anyone know how to add custom attack sounds? For example, I want to add a new sound for the attack that goes with this unit.

I think those are found in the actual .nif file.

 

[danrh]

Change the <fScale> in the unit's art info. If you change the <fInterfaceScale> you can change how big it is in the little window on the bottom left when you select the unit.

Nah actually talking about the units manpower. I opened a thread on the question.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=264924

 

[surdanis]

I think those are found in the actual .nif file.

Yeah, I figured as much. If you can give found s'more info, I might be able to add a custom sound I made. Then all I need to do is add an animation, and we're set. I'll play around with 3ds Max 2008 tonight, as I've just enabled the ability to import nif's.

On a side note: Does anyone know how to make interception work against land (and sea?) units? Currently, you know it only works if air enters the zone. I'd like to try and make the AC-130 patrol and interdict land units possibly. Not sure how I'll get it to work, but it could be devastating! I know someone was doing something similar with artillery and naval units.

UPDATE:

I totally cannot figure out how to change combat sounds for Air units... Does anyone know of a mod that has done that?

 

[surdanis]

as i toiled diligently trying to add new sounds, the following truth as been discovered:

1. Combat sounds are basically linked to the animations files.
2. The various animations files are .kf
3. Apparently, the .kfm is like a master index file for all those animations
4. In order to link a sound to the XML (AS3DScripts.xml), you have to do the following:
a. Look down in the lower right hand (for 3Ds Max 2008, anyway) under Keys
b. There you will find in the .kf the various points in the animation that the
particular sound function is called
c. You can edit that text easily by right clicking and then going to edit

Obviously, you need to import the files first before doing this. The .nif is imported first and then the .kf is imported.

Then this is where I am stuck. I am assuming you need to export the .kf back out as "single kf with nif", but every time I try that, it stops over halfway and pops an "unknown error" and the file isn't exported. Does anyone know if this has anything to do with missing plugins? I think I have them all... Remember, I have 3ds Max 2008.... Can't find Max 7 anywhere. Should I look harder?

Will soon update the easier XML stats to reflect discussed changes in this thread about AC-130's role... and I have a new sound that pops up when you click on it!

Plz help if you know 3ds Max!!!


UPDATE:

Do NOT use 3ds Max 2008! It sucks for this game. Use NifSkope for the things discussed here in this thread.

 

[surdanis]

Updates with new sounds! Enjoy!

 

[surdanis]

1. Fixed sounds
2. Added combat sounds.
3. Changed combat animation.

Make sure you read the "readme" very carefully!

 

[GoodGame]

Another thought is that at least Vietnam era, AC-130's were taken down by 37mm+ AA guns.
And even modern, they can be taken down by SAMs / AAMs.

I'd think a typical Mechanized Infantry or Armor unit would have some of each to defend against an AC-130.

 

[surdanis]

Another thought is that at least Vietnam era, AC-130's were taken down by 37mm+ AA guns.
And even modern, they can be taken down by SAMs / AAMs.

I'd think a typical Mechanized Infantry or Armor unit would have some of each to defend against an AC-130.

Any unit with interception ability such as SAM Infantry can take these guys down pretty easily. Last I checked, tanks don't typically carry AA. Some infantry units today might have AA, but it's not gonna be a lot.

 

[Premier Valle]

Sounds good, I'll give it a try

 

[Agent327]

This may be a silly question, but shouldn't it be a little bit bigger?
(Just wondering...)

 

[surdanis]

This may be a silly question, but shouldn't it be a little bit bigger?
(Just wondering...)

Snafusmith made it just the right size I think. I was debating whether or not to actually change the size but then again, you should consider that none of the units are to scale. Nor are they in proper relative size. It bothered me just a tad that the AC-130 didn't look that much larger than the regular Bomber (B-52?), and so I increased its size one time...

But it just looked silly! Nothing in the game was really as big as I made it. I mean, when you compare the sizes of the ships, you'll get an idea of what I mean. The Battleship is the same size as a Destroyer and you are barely able to really pick them apart from each other at most angles. So I said to myself, there's really no need to change it's size...

I will, however, consider doing it for you, if you don't know how in the next version update. Just a tiny bit, so it won't be ridiculous.

 

[Agent327]

Maybe it's just a general problem (all human-type units look way out of proportion in-game; on the other hand, there's a realistic ship-scale mod comp out there. Anyway, it was just a response to the in-game screenshot in post #1. Don't take it personal, as I don't use individual unit designs, just the ones in mods I design scenarios for).

PS Should a mentioned this in my previous post: the plane itself looks fine!

 

[surdanis]

Maybe it's just a general problem (all human-type units look way out of proportion in-game; on the other hand, there's a realistic ship-scale mod comp out there. Anyway, it was just a response to the in-game screenshot in post #1. Don't take it personal, as I don't use individual unit designs, just the ones in mods I design scenarios for).

PS Should a mentioned this in my previous post: the plane itself looks fine!

I can't accept your thanks. Please send all thank yous on the model to Snafusmith. He made the original C-130 Hercules. All I did was actually turn it into a living, breathing unit.

No offense taken, btw. Just explaining myself. Always in the mood for some good forum conversation.