Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Taking out any sort of peer review in the process is IMO a bad idea...

I did suggest telling each other which slots you would be using... Even if you don't, it is a very simple matter to renumber component files and move minis to a different slot.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Ed how about making an organic Fanatical Command type component to go with CJ's new Magic paradigim one? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

http://www.pacifier.com/~gladmill/ad...%20Command.png

Not that I have any idea what it would be or look like http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
Anyone else have an idea?

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I dunno, but for some reason Zerg and Ithkul come to mind http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

As of this moment I have 57 images done. If that helps any.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Those are nice!

PvK

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

So, um... how are we doing this Image pack update? Are we going to assign a range of numbers to each of us? As I said before I have 57 images done.

I hope to have some time to do some more images over Thanksgiving.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

How many images do you plan on making?

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

How many do you want? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif Do you want a full set, one for every magic component? Including say the spacial manipulation components. It appears that without the spacial manipulation components there are still 45-50 components without magic themed images, 60-65 with them. Grand total, I pretty sure I will not do more that 130 pics max for the magic paradigm.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

A picture for every magic component would be nice... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Probably excessive to make different Versions of the image for every level of every component though... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

There are 24 components per line, so would 6 lines in the minis file suffice? That is 144 images. More than 130 certainly... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif You could start at 1780, and reserve up to 1920 (if I did the math correctly). That would be 141 images. Ekolis would then start at 1921.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Oooh *drool*

CJ your a glutton for punishment. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/Injured.gif
Fyron you are a slave driver! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

Carry on!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

P.s. Fyron hows the Adamant 13 problem going?

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Sounds good to me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

The more ideas I get the easier it is. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I have made, umm, four images http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
And Fyron didn't like the texture on the Last one, said it was too mossy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
http://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/BioElectricArcGun.png
What SHOULD a bioelectric arc gun look like then? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Hey, who am I to stop him when he is having so much fun? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Slowly.

I just think it should look smoother, and less bumpy/fuzzy...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

In the Galactic Invasion game using the latest Version of the mod, the monsters don't seem to be designing ships correctly. I'm pretty sure this is because the shipsets they're using have AI files designed for monsters in a different mod (they do at least have cloaking bases and hate everyone). It's too late to help for this game unless we restart, but I think you should add a monster race minister style so working monster races aren't restricted to one specific shipset. For this game, I think we'll need a PBW admin to make a copy of the three shipsets in the Adamant mod directory and overwrite their AI files.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I thought about the same. Except, it'd our task to make 3 monster AIs (just copy AI files over) and ask pbw admins to replace existing shipsets with modified ones.

Also, Monster AI in Adamant has an error in AI_designcreation file: Base Space Yard design has no Space Yard ability call.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

This is how Rollo designed them... the BSY is not meant as a base space yard, but merely as a platform for the sector cloaking ability. I seem to recall that the AI only uses BSYs to construct units. Since the Space Monster homeworld can effectively never be attacked, having units on it would only have wasted resources.

Strange, they worked perfectly in a test game I just ran. The only thing I can think of is that the game host added them to the game incorrectly, so they are not using the Space Monster AI files.

The Space Monsters have their own ship and base sizes, and do not have any access to the "normal" vehicles, due to racial traits. This is not an issue.

Hmm... not a bad idea. Not positive that it will work as desired, but I shall look into it.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I just checked one of my single player games, and the AI had several BSYs building ships.

The game host didn't know any better and gave the monster races Imperial Aspirations, Physical Race, and Nomads as well as the Space Monster traits. I'd suggest making the Space Monster traits cost 30000 together and require Imperial Aspirations so this mistake is a lot harder to make. Even if he hadn't done that, in the test game I ran with a monster race using the aggressive minister style (deliberately NOT using correct Space Monster AI) and a high tech start, the monsters it designed had no weapons. I'm pretty sure this happened because the AI files called for a weapon family the race didn't have access to, and the AI doesn't have a backup way of picking weapons.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Here's a modified Version of the Bioelectric Arc Gun, as well as an Electric Discharge and Lightning Ray:

http://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/Bio...LessGlossy.pnghttp://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/Ele...LessGlossy.pnghttp://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/Lig...LessGlossy.png

Note that the Electric Discharge and Lightning Ray use the same image in stock, so any modders (i.e. not just Fyron) who want to differentiate between the two might want to use my images! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Electric charge itself needs slightly different color imo, such as light blue, maybe.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Well my intent was for it to be dazzlingly intense... hmm, maybe the discharge should also illuminate the gun as if it were a light - that would be cool http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

My image mod submission is ready Fyron. What do you want me to do with it. It is 3.143 MB.



In regards to the Galatic Invasion Game:

Can our game be fixed or are we stuck with disfunctional monsters unless we restart? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/Sick.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Guess my information is outdated then. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif The monsters might possibly expand too quickly if they construct a bunch of BSYs. Of course, I think they might need some revamping to be able to glass planets in Adamant anyways...

Actually I already did that for 0.16.00. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Well using the generic AI files for any race is generally a bad idea... except possibly a physical race, but that is all.

Generally, you would want to upload it to a post in this thread: Space Empires IV: Data/Sound/Graphic. Then, post a link here.

The AI files for the shipsets used as the monsters (if "use style from race" was not selected) or the generic AI files could be overwritten with the Space Monsters' AI files on PBW for that Version of the mod... This should allow the monsters to start functioning correctly. Not sure if any other games are using Adamant 0.15.02 on PBW or not...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Here you go:
Image Mod Submission

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

New Versions of the organic discharge weapons:
http://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/Bio...ArcGunGlow.pnghttp://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/Ele...chargeGlow.pnghttp://home.fuse.net/koliset/SE4/LightningRayGlow.png

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Contrary to Sir Fyron, I liked the fuzzy Versions better - and with the "discharge" regions, they need to have more color, either a yellowish tinge or lightning blue might be suitable. Perhaps you can use different colours of "discharges" to help differentiate between them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Organic ships are neither space mold (or moss) nor green teddy bears... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Hmm, and what are they? Have you seen organic ships recently? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Yes, I saw a fleet of them just the other day.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I hope this fleet was not under YOUR command http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

/me whistles non-chalantly.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Fyron, the Space Monsters aren't working properly in my Adamant 15.02 game.

I got the monster AI somewhere, copied it to the Adamant folder, and when creating the monster races selected the "monster" ai from the folder I created. Here is the AI I used. Is this the correct Adamant Mod monster AI, and if not is there a way to fix it without trashing the game? Appreciate help Fyron.

Brian

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

That looks like the Space Monster AI directly from Devnull Mod... It was modified and adapted (really just the AI_General.txt file) when I added the Space Monsters to Adamant. However, all of the other AI files are the same as the originals from Devnull...

When you manually added the space monsters, did you choose to use an AI minister style ("Using Selected Style"), or to "Use Style from Race?" Either way, it can be fixed. It just gets really messy if you did not select "Using Style from Race..."

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

brianeyci, I have a pretty stupid question to you, but such things used to happend to me, so: have you changed names of the AI files from Monster_AI_something.txt to, say, MokAkah_AI_something.txt after you've copied them?

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Fyron, I used the AI minister style "use selected style" option. I created a folder for the monster AI alongside "agressive" "neutral" and "defensive" called "Monster"

Aiken, I didn't change the name of the AI files because I chose "use selected style", not "use style from race"

Brian

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

brianeyci, I'll post here your reply to my email. I hope you don't mind.
So does it mean that AI is ok? Probably they were lacking good monster designs because of absence of suitable ship sizes? Smallest monster design is Attack Base (290 kt), demanding Tiny Space Monster hull, which is not available from start, since it requires Monster tech lvl 2.
Probably it looked like this:
Monster race decided to build Attack Ship design ("Entry 2 Type := Attack Ship" in AI_constructionvehicle.txt), but nearest monstrish attack ship design requires 410 kt hull.
It didn't have such ship hull.
So it took AS design from another AI set (from other generic AI or from actual race directory).
And we've seen monster scouts armed with DUCs.

To avoid this situation in the future, one could make separate attack ship design for hulls less than 410 kt, and probably make Tiny Space Monster ship size available from start.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Hrm. So when does the AI decide to create new designs? The problem is that the AI has researched monster tech II, but has started researching nuclear propulsion and standard armor tech, meaning the monster AI is not working (they should be researching monster tech I believe).

Will the AI continue to use default AI, or start designing monsters and researching like monsters?

Brian

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Well I took another look. You need monster level 3 to build tiny space monster, and they can't make them yet.

Right now they are designing hybrid ships, mostly with monster organic armor armed with DUCV. (Yes they have DUCV now). They also use normal armor as well.

Quite an unexpected turn, and not totally unenjoyable. Lets see how the AI runs for a few turns before we "fix" it. Maybe they'll eventually research small space monster and start making them -- although I doubt it, because level 3 monster tech requires 900000 research and the AI only has 50k research.

Brian

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

I don't know why this happens. Ideally they should research Monster tech only (as monsters). But from another hand, default AI will never research Monster tech, because this tech is excluded from default_research file.
So our monsters have neither default AI nor monster's AI http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif The only reason I can think about is the influence of the Physical trait (which grants access to a bunch of phys techs). Normally devnull monsters (unlike our monsters) have no access to common weapon and components.
I can hardly answer this question http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I'd suggest to resume game [twas imo], but keep an eye on monster's development.
As a Last resort, we can always arrange small civil war amongst platers to balance things http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

PBW can not use race styles that do not exist in the mod files on PBW... A new AI folder would need adding...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Nope.
Name := Tiny Space Monster
...
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Monster Tech
Tech Level Req 1 := 2

Hmm, why so little research points? Did you count AI bonus multipliers?

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Unless an illegal Paradigm trait was assigned to the Space Monsters, they only have access to monster hulls. No escorts, scouts, battlestations, etc.

No. This was done to cause a delay before the monsters start building ships to eat you with in low tech start games. They can not and will not design bizarre ships when set up properly (ie: actually using Space Monster AI files and the proper racial traits).

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

The problem here seems to be that you assigned Physical Race to the Monsters, which you should not have done...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Thanks to Georgig, there is now a Monster folder in the AI folder... this may or may not be sufficient to get the Space Monsters behaving like monsters. The Physical Race trait might still interfere somewhat though...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Thanks Fyron. Appreciate your help.

Is physical race selected by default?

Unfortunately another small nitpick -- the folder is called "monsters" not "monster", with a capital M.

Brian

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

No. It is wrong for Monsters to have any of the paradigm traits.

I just went by what you had posted...

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

This is now corrected.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Fyron,

I've just found a strange thing while looking through the available techs/facilites I can get in my magic paradigam Adamant 13 game.
It seems that even without any 'Ethreality' techs (at all) I can get a 'Planetary Ethreal Mana barrier VI'! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif
It may be unlikely that someone would get to this level in 'Protective Barriers' without any level in 'Ethreality' (especially since it is only 5000 reaserch!) but it can! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif (well I have!)
Maybe you should make all the Ethreal mana barriers need level 1 of 'Ethreality at' minimum for 'realism'.

Of course this may effect the other paradigms aswell I've not checked

Just my 2 pennys! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/stupid.gif

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

Ahh... Finally a break. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif And in honor of Thankgiving break I have a new pic. The Lightning Bolt http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif :
http://www.pacifier.com/~gladmill/ad...ing%20Bolt.png

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

How does this mod fair in single player? I'm generally too impatient to play 1 turn per day and a good AI is good enough for me.

Re: Adamant Mod Discussion Thread
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon09.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon09.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon09.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon09.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon09.gif[/img]/5