Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Yes, I am musing on what to put in 2.5. I am currently thinking:

2.5 (upgradable from earlier Versions 2.0+):

* Add a few new-style mounts, but they have to come at the end of the lists, to allow games to upgrade and AI not to break, so there are some limits on what I can do.

* Adjust emissive armor somewhat, as discussed below. I'm still mulling over the options, but am thinking about like below.

* Using one or two of the new damage types, and checking the weapon balance again. There was a recommendation for a temporal weapon extension below, and I think I may make the Graviton Hellbore more worthwhile by giving it the 2x vs. shields ability.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

How about making the low velocity particle cannons (DUC, others?) 2x against shields? Afterall, it isn't just energy hitting the shields, it's actual mass, which should be harder to stop (IMHO). Besides, it would make them a little more useful, maybe even until midgame...

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

I have some ideas for cannon variations, but I think not for 2.5, because there are some Proportions 2.x games in progress, and largely changing a weapon that is likely in widespread use would tend to disturb the coherence of those games.

Which types of weapons would have more or less effects on shields, logically speaking, depends on what kind of shields you imagine. Some shields currently being researched actually only affect solid projectiles.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

I would like to get involved in a Proportions PBW game. Please let me know if anyone has an opening or if a new game starts.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

You're in luck Shayne. A player just dropped out of Proportions 24hr (my game)

http://seiv.pbw.cc/text/index.jsp?me...3fgame=1taddsi

runing latest Version of Proportions and SE4; the Last player dropped out because 24hr turns was a bit fast.

Phoenix-D

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cool! I love it when sci-fi tech comes to life! You got a URL for that?

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Not handy. I've noticed two different shield techs listed in the popular media recently. One is designed to zap and defeat incoming shaped-charge armor-piercing cannon rounds. The other is the plasma shield which someone posted a link to on this forum recently.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Help, I need somebody...

Umm. Just downloaded Prop 2.4.2. Several, well all really, of the non-stock races included don't have pics or AI files, which of course causes errors when adding a new race.

Am I missing something. I did d/l the complete Version.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Extra races are in separate file. Go back to PvK' site, they are there. He put them into separate file so people won't have to download big files every time there is a new Version.

Yes, this is a link:

http://g2.latibulum.com/pvk/proporti...ortionsAIs.zip

[ August 24, 2002, 03:32: Message edited by: oleg ]

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Thanks Oleg.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Whoa. Major, major bug I just found.

Fighter Shield Generators (when you have lg fighters and level III shields) upgrade to *AFV* shield generators. This is very nasty, because the AFV shields are the same size but make 1600 shield points! Also, for some reason upgrading fighters adds an extra life support component.

Phoenix-D

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Speaking of upgrades, I find it very irritating that ECM II (for example) upgrades to ECM Ia. This is something you never want to do to your ships.

What you do want is, after getting new tech, to click on "upgrade" and get your ship equipped with the up-to-day stuff. Going through and changing ECMs back to full-power Versions all the time is no fun.

Of course this pales in comparison to upgrade bugs that affect gameplay...

AUB

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

I concur. There are just too many component families in Proportions. It is not easy to track all upgrade bugs. Poor PvK needs all our help ! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Thanks for catching those. It's been quite difficult to catch all of the weird upgrade side-effects. I thought I got the ECM ones sorted out, but I guess not. Grumble grumble... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

There is a very helpful tool in the tools archive (probably the old one) that will look through the components file and list all the family numbers. IIRC it is called 'Component Lister'. Helped me a lot to sort out the components and upgrade issues when revising the Devnull Mod.

Rollo

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

I found it, it's from November 2001, but the link is broken. That sounds like a really useful utility.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Another upgrade problem:

There are 3 separate mineral miners families:
Mineral miner (level I,II,III)
Mineral complex (I,II,III)
Mineral megaplex (I,II,III)

Now, if I research Industry 2 and get megaplex,
complex becomes obsolete. Thus, if I later research mineral extraction 2, I can upgrade miner 1 to miner 2, megaplex 1 to megaplex 2 but there is no way to upgrade complex 1 to complex 2 ! It simply does not show up in upgrade window. Thus if I already build complex 1, I stuck with it and must scrap it. Same happened to radioactive extraction buildings. I suspect there is a mix-up in family numbers of complex and megaplex.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Thanks Oleg. I thought I'd tested that, but ah well. The thing is they are all in the same family, so the intention was that they would upgrade to the biggest and brightest. It seems important to be able to upgrade from complex to megacomplex without scrapping. For some reason, it seems that it upgrades only to the first facility found with the highest roman numeral, so that's Facility II, not Megacomplex II. Ooops. So I either need to change the numerals, or reverse the fac family order. I may do one way for 2.4.3 (to preserve games in progress) and the other for 3.0 (since it will be easier to understand).

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Oh, and BTW, a tip - megacomplexes don't really obsolete complexes, because complexes retain a much faster build time and a faster return on investment, to a serious degree. Especially once I fix the %$#@&* upgrade path, it can make sense to build complexes before investing in megacomplexes.

PvK