D2X-XL Forum

I was thinking that some of the elements that have fixed limits could be also increased with the amount of segments being higher too.

The main ones I would see fit for an increase are the number of triggers (currently 256) and objects (currently 2000, might not need as big of an increase)

When it comes to triggers, I often use master triggers with a few triggers that have to be activated for the master trigger to execute. The master trigger will then cause a minimum of 2 other triggers to execute (usually open/unlock something and a message trigger) Another thing I do a lot that uses triggers fast is having a couple across a place where multiple segments are joined together - like a hallway with multiple segments for the profile that the player activates a matcen when they pass a given point in the hallway. I am not really sure on a number but definitely more than 256.

As for objects, it's a matter of size of the level, I've come close several times before but not quite reached the 2000 limit. Although I had a really big level that was around 13k segments that probably would have exceeded the 2000 if it got fully populated with objects, but I never did. Again, don't have a good figure, but if there start to be very large levels (like over 10k segments) this may be a good improvement.

Another one I could see an increase in is the number of walls - if a lot of details are added there likely would be a need for more walls too.

In regards to the really big level I made but never finished - I still have the map on disk and have taken some screenshots and can be viewed here:

https://imgur.com/a/Z1OPyQ8

It's a huge beast, not only in the number of segments and other things but also in total level size. If I recall correctly it is over 3000 units in the X and Z directions and more than 1500 units in the Y direction.

Here are the level stats:
14237 segments
32396 vertices
32036 faces
27 matcens
87 fuel centers
1496 walls
176 walls
391 objects (not finished)
178 robots
20 hostages
1 player
3 coop players
0 keys (I think I had used keymechs)
0 reactors (boss level, duh)
30 effects
0 'other' objects
221 textures

Next DLE version will allow 1000 wall and object triggers each, and 50 targets per trigger. I wonder how you are going to keep track of them ...

Awesome

As for keeping track of them - probably seems like adding the triggers to the level as I build the geometry seems to work right now well. For instance when I add a matcen segment I usually lay out the triggers that are associated with it too.

It was more of a rhetorical question.

Something that would be very much needed for new missions and mods is that, like all the other source ports, the maximum files XL can read from a .hog to be increased way beyond the 300 file limit.

The problem with that is that 300 files per hog file is a limit in the Descent application, i.e. in the original game and every source port. I can increase it for D2X-XL, but that won't work for other source ports. Just doing it for D2X-XL is also rather pointless as you can use its mod folder support and you can put arbitrary numbers of files there, which D2X-XL will all use.

As long as not every source port out there supports an increased number of files in a hog file, increasing the limit and you putting more than 300 files in your hog file would mean that no source port only allowing 300 files in a hog file could read all the resources from the hog file required for your mission.

The idea is that you should only put stuff in the hog file that is intended for non d2x-xl game versions, and put all the D2X-XL specific stuff in a mod folder for your mission. That way you can deliver one package for D2X-XL And for non D2X-XL game versions. D2X-XL will automatically read the stuff only it can process from the mission's mod folder.