Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No. Troops can not ram.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

How do mines work then? Do they have a ram action? Could the mine mechanics be used on a planet to simulate booby traps, heavy defense, etc.?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Boy, I'm full of questions today. I'm at work so I can't check the game. I just have the txt files here.

Can a ship ram a planet?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

OK, here's some ideas for Planetary Assault Mod:

1)Only special Planetary Assault ship weapons can target planets. Increase choices of assault weapons, some have range, some are special shield depleters, fighters gain some assault, cyclonic torpedos, virus missiles, long range neutron weapons

2)Increase options for troops

3)Make WP strictly defensive. Possibly only mount PD cannons of various kinds. This turns planetary assaults into the realm of fighters, mines, and troop landings

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Question: Is reload time ignored for Weapon Platforms?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">They already are, they can't go attack anyone. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No.

{edit: posted question, not answer.]

[ July 29, 2003, 19:48: Message edited by: Loser ]

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

I guess I mean more defensive in a Point Defense way. Since no-planet regular ship weapons will not be able to counter current weapon platforms, I think this will make planetary assault too difficult. I want them to be able to land troops and duke it out on the ground.

I want to see fighters assaulting and defending airspace. Mines placed around the planet damaging assaulting troopships. A ring of specialized attacking ships launch anti-planet missiles to soften the planet (or nuke it totally) with WP acitng as AAA against fighters and missiles. I also would like to see WP's with shield stripping or engined damaging weapons and tractor/repulser weapons because it sounds like fun. I want to get away from the "big guns slag the planet from space while big guns shoot up at the warships" thing we have now.

I want to make planetary assault more important. Hopefully not impossible, but definitely more interesting.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

That's a great goal.

Cook up the mod real quick and throw it on PBW.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mines are special. They just do their warhead damage to vehicles entering the sector. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Question: If sattelite's had fast, long range missiles would that counteract the disadvantages of putting them on a planet (ie they will probably end up on the wrong side)

What is the max speed you can put on a missile?

Loser, I think you forgot the answer to "Can a ship ram a planet?" in your post.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

"What is the max speed you can put on a missile?"

Unlimited, IIRC. Of course, even with unlimited speed it still won't move immediately, or for that matter go past its maximum range.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Ships can ram planets.

Missiles can't move more than 255, certainly. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

That would be, oh, the limit of the combat map? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif Or another too high for this variable.

Considering that they'll only ever -fire- at 20, that's effectively unlimited.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

No, that is the max number of move points anything can have. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Give them a 21 range and they have no limit on how far they can travel.

[ July 29, 2003, 20:26: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Ok, thanks for the tips.

Any suggestions on how to create a balance between weapon platforms and normal weapons not being able to target them? I want them to still be able to defend the planet, but make be only one tool. I want layered defense of fighters, sats, mines, and weapon platforms. I see the attackers using dedicated anti-planet ships, fighter bombers, and assault troop landers.

I'd consider removing WP's entirely or making them only PD, but then the dedicated anti-planet ships can waltz in untouched (except for mines, defending fighters and sats, I guess). Would making all planetary assault weapons seekers work? This would add a new level to the Seeker/PD race, I suppose.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Right, but they still won't fire except at range 20. Hmm. The "damage at range 21" thing..does that work if the -actual- range is shorter than 20? Like, say..

100 100 100 50 25 12 6 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

To tone down Weapon Platforms, what are my options? Which is the best?

1) Increase size and expense to decrease the number of WPs

2) Create a whole weapon series unique to WPs to limit them, but also use weapons like shield depleters, engine killers, repulsors

3)Remove them entirely, shift defense to mines, fighters, sats

I suppose I should make sure sats don't become overly powerful, too. Am I worrying about this too much?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Another option: Make anti-planet weapons (napalm, etc.) reload time of 30. That way they get a big hit in, but can't stick around and keep pounding.

What do you think?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No idea. You could go test it and report back the results. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

What I think happens is that the weapon can fire at any range that it has a non-zero value. If you give it 0 0 10 10 0 0 it will not be able to fire at range 1 or 2, but can fire at ranges 3 and 4.

[ July 29, 2003, 21:13: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Question: Weapons that affect only components (shields only,weapons only, etc.). Do they still damage units? I know they don't damage the components in a unit per se, but does the unit take damage overall? Do these weapons then damage facilities?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think satellite mounts with longer range and to-hit bonuses is a better solutuion.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Proportions mod have very tough planet defences. Go and try to take over Proportion' Homeworlds http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

I finished some test components for the Psychology mod and tried them in a game. All of my techs showed up. Some of my ship comps showed, some didn't. My fighter comp showed.None of my troop comps showed. None of my facilities showed.

What did I do wrong?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Probably you've got a double-blank line in your text file.

Make sure you've only got exactly one blank line between components/facilities/etc

The other possibility is you've just got "Show only latest" on, and haven't changed the component families to unique values.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

I've just started using the SE4 Modder by DavidG. It's awesome, and it makes it much easier to organize. Nice.

I'm putting together some image files for my new comps. It's easy to make the 128x128 bmps, but how do you add the image to the overall components.bmp? How do the numbers work? Am I missing something?

Here's two concept images

Standard Troop
1059680408.bmp

Abomination
1059683009.bmp

[ July 31, 2003, 21:24: Message edited by: KnidVermicious ]

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Those images look a LOT more like they should be part of the shipset, rather than component images.

For component images, try the imagemod, downloadable from the link in my sig.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

I suggest you get the Image Mod (linked in my sig) and add your images to be compatible with it, and submit them to the mod. Also, feel free to use any images from it that are appropriate. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

You can add new lines to the components.bmp file. The mini is a 36x36 size reduction of the portrait, placed so it matches up to the number of the comp bmp. The Image Mod has a number scale on the side for ease of reference. Basically, the numbering starts in the top right corner, and increments one with each pic to the right, then goes to the next row.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

I have the image mod and it's great. I still want to make my own troop components. I'm creating troops that are single units, basically the cockpit is 10k and contains the armor and weapons. I think this will allow me to create unique unit types without having to futz around with components. You can select one item and have a complete troop. I'm also going to be adding units that have stack bonuses, like the Combat Apothecary. You only build one per force.

Anyhow, I will submit to the Image Mod, but first I want to get them to work in a game so I can see how they look in the game. How do I add images to the components.bmp?

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Just make sure they're the right size, and paste the picture in.

MSPaint does fine, just copy and paste, then line it up with a red or white box.

Re: Psychology mods? Increasing the role of troops?
 

Aha! Got it to work. At least in the modder, anyway.

Thanks SJ and Fyron