PCX controls map load speed
 

In DFX2 as I have tested,.
If you make a black (Blank) PCX for your game with low Res and size your map loads almost instantly!

PCX that has the same name as the map or...?

Yes mate, named exactly as your BMS.
Entered in the "General Information"
field under "Mission Name" in the MEd
Stumbled on it actually!:bigeek2:

In fact the bigger the PCX as you may know takes more time to load.
But What it's to do with is there is no detail in the file I recon.
Works FAB

Odd, wonder why that is?

Hmm... I wonder if this works for multiplayer maps too?

Game map start must compile the pcx into the map start up routine.
I don't see why it wouldn't work for Multiplayer if the map can use a pcx start screen

It probably will not work in a multiplayer game ... unless all players have the same .pcx loaded on their computer and in their DFX2 folder.

It works the same as a .wac file inreguards that all players have to have the same .wac file installed.
For example, if the host computer has a .wac command to execute a snow script and no other player had that same .wac file, then only the host computer would see the snow.

Likewize, if a host computer was the only one who had the .pcx file, then no one else but the host computer would see the .pcx. All the other players would only see the original game loading screen.

So even if I loaded quick I would have to wait for the slowest loading machine in the hive?

You, being the host computer starts the multiplayer game, so you would see no difference.

Well that would be fine and dandy for mods and add-on maps...

Well aint that just DANDY!!!!
So what are you gonna do with this ...?????
consider this earlier post ..
http://www.novahq.net/forum/showthread.php?t=45412
and a little more digging thru your pFF file you will note that the actual file is 003loadscrn.pcx found in your game language dir.

Should you mappers do as Stomp suggests, yes your maps will load quicker but by milli seconds ...no big deal.
But this tip does work really well for those mappers that use many /.bms files to one mission such as myself.
On a typical mission I may use as many a dozen .bms files to a mission, with the above link you may then connect up all the bms files to that one mission with a small 800x600 blank load screen, you will still get the red 'load bar'...
I got this idea from the now very old game soldier of fortune 1990's, just remember to let the story carry the action and not the player....good luck
"M"

:error:

They can load in milliseconds. Red bar not visible with color depth of 2 to 16. You can experiment with resolution to get the best overall load speed for your map.:bigthumb:

Honestly Mermite,

I have given up on mapping for DFX but would love to play your maps .....

Please PM me one of your maps ....

I promise I will never share your map with anyone !!!!

Please ...

MERMITE
I promise I won't ever share your maps with anyone either!!!!
And imagine the stuff I could learn if you sent me a MIS file.
What about your proficiency with Variables? It would be good for you to pass on your stock in trade, I do it everyday at work mentoring Apprentices.

Stomp,

Which map .MIS would you like?

All I can get, for the sake of curiosity and a wealth of hidden secrets

Variables, I am naturally proficient, no big deal they are only SWITCHES off and on, on and off, indeed I very rarly use events except for really simple boring stuff but leave the good stuff for the WAC, the limit siz for WAC I heard was about 25kb but recent I here again is about 48 Kb (the size of DFX1 game wac) but a smaller wac will mean less time for the game to hunt thru the mission wac anyways, variables have been useed by me in the past for 'Sequential Actions', but once the mission has been built I often remove them to compress the wac even further, after all they are sequential actions, and WILL be used anyway, so all that wac dribble is replaced by a simple chain(3) cmmd, on/off switches can be condensed to a more comfortable 'elseif'




wac dribble on/off

if eq (v1,1) and trigger then ;//ON

if past(20) and never() then ;// OFF
set (v1,0)
endif

FAR MORE INTERESTING IS RANDOM

"M"

Dribble