Re: Exploding stars...
 

capnq, both of those, in the abilities.txt file, have descriptions that say "value 1: chance the star will explode per year".

I don't think it's supposed to have anything to do with events, unless he changed it and forgot to change the abilities.txt file. In any case, by default all the values for these two abilities are set to *0*, and even if you crank it up nothing happens, so if the description is correct they don't do anything.

Phoenix-D

Re: Exploding stars...
 

Phoenix, I assume you turned the value all the way up to 1000 (since the percentage stuff is sometimes measured in tenths), and let it run for a full year?

Of course, the feature could have been disabled in the hard code during beta testing, since it could cause serious trouble early in the game, and skill would have nothing to do with winning or losing at that point. If it had a setting where the game didn't check for star explosions until, say, turn 30, it might be OK. Even then sometimes it's tricky to abandon homeworld-sized planets and resettle the population somewhere else (especially if you can't FIND a comparable world...).

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L++ GdY $ Fr>Fr++ C++ SdS T-- Sf Tcp? A%% M- Mp! RTH!P Pw Fq-->Fq+ Nd>Nd+++++ Rp++ G+

[This message has been edited by DirectorTsaarx (edited 05 September 2001).]

Re: Exploding stars...
 

in 1.35 there were two abilities and one of them worked. you could set value 1 to 100 and there was a 100% chance that that star would start its 30 year countdown on the first turn of the game.

now, in 1.41, there is only one ability called "star unstable" or something. it does not work, set to 100, set to 1000, or set to anything else. it does not work on the first turn, nor 100 turns in on high/catastrophic events. it be broke.

a map saved from the 1.35 map editor with working exploding stars does not work on 1.41 of the game, either.


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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

Re: Exploding stars...
 

Ah. Another undocumented feature. Interesting...

Maybe someone should inform MM, with suggestions as to how we prefer it to work...

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L++ GdY $ Fr>Fr++ C++ SdS T-- Sf Tcp? A%% M- Mp! RTH!P Pw Fq-->Fq+ Nd>Nd+++++ Rp++ G+

Re: Exploding stars...
 

If a star is going to explode in 3 years, will you get a message every turn about the star exploding, or do you get only one message 3 years before the actual explosion? If you get only one message, people who take over races as replacement players can be in for some nasty surprises http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Exploding stars...
 

I also wish there was some buildable or researchable component that could prevent such things.

Re: Exploding stars...
 

You can prevent your stars from exploding by building a sphereworld or ringworld around it.

Re: Exploding stars...
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>If a star is going to explode in 3 years, will you get a message every turn about the star exploding, or do you get only one message 3 years before the actual explosion?<hr></blockquote>You just get one message.

Re: Exploding stars...
 

I turned the thing off. Just a pain. One game I had 4 stars explode in 50 turns. Kind of puts a damper on the game and does not seem real.

Re: Exploding stars...
 

I think the game really should give a count down every turn if a star is going to explode. One little message is just too easy to miss or forget.