Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

It's saved game compatible, but probably best to start a new solo game if you want to use the added design types etc.

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

Yes, the success of an intel project will be based on a combination of the attack points, defense points, and project cost.

The basic success rate:
success = attack points / (attack points + 2*defense points + project cost)

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

...Er, attack points on both sides of the equation?

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

Hi

What versionj of game does 1.07 work with??

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

1.35 works fine

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

So, the more you spend on a project the less likely it is to succeed?

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

No. The only two items that reduce the success of the project are the defense points and the cost of the project. It's typically easier to get through several small projects that a large project etc. The more you spend, the better chance you have to succeed because the ratio of attack points to the pooled points denominator will increase.

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

I'm using v1.06 and patch 1.35, and I'm still playing my original game I started using v.105 and patch 1.33. If I do update to v1.07, will I have to start over?

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

It's technically ok for the data files, but a game started in v1.05 and carried over into v1.06/1.07 will have a partially non-functional AI. New ministers were added for the AI in v1.06 and are only registered in games that were started with v1.06/1.07.

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

Thank you for the new Balance Mod version, Captain Kwok. I have started a new game today, and SEV is very good now, with the recent patch and the Balance Mod, and I'm having fun! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Big improvements in the last few months. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

Probably this is a general bug not related to BM but when you play a game with intel projects disabled the AI will still research intel and build intel facilities.
In BM 1.07 I have seen so far very good AI development and good defenses of their colonies.
Thank you for your work Kwok.

Re: Balance Mod v1.07 Available!
 

Kwok, any preview on whats next for BM?

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

Here's the current to-do list. I'd like to get v1.08 out quickly (although it looks like a lot of items, most are small tasks). The following v1.09 I'd like to have out with the next SE:V patch.

v1.08:
- Continue AI design improvements
- Diversify AI diplomacy
- Base total unit demand on available total planet space
- Improve AI state transitions
- Improve AI colony type selection criteria
- Add specific AI lists for unit drop locations
- Adjustments to weapon balance

v1.09:
- Update Alliance diplomacy
- Update research pathways and tech selection
- Implement AI use of cloaking, basic stellar manipulation

-----

So far I haven't found a way to prevent the AI from researching intel. I've asked for a script function to return if the game has intel or no intel.

-----

Also keep an eye out for odd AI designs. There's bound to be some ones that don't quite work out with the new revisions.

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

Logically, the game should remove Intel from the research list if it has been disabled. Isn't that what SE IV did?

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

I believe it does, but the AI scripts call tech areas by their name and so it doesn't matter if it's not displayed.

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

Central Computer Complex( and thus System Computer Complex, Citizen Databank Complex, System Citizen Databank ) bonuses are still stackable, unlike those modifying resource generation and construction rate. Thus you can basically build ten SCC's in a single system and get a gigantic bonus.

This isn't a mistake with the mod per se, but rather the game engine. For some reason Aaron has made it so it treats the resource/construction modifiers( not stackable ) differently from the research/intelligence modifiers( stackable ). I've tried to bug Aaron about it, but without much luck it appears. Think you could give it a try, Kwok?

To sum it up: The abilities "Point Generation Modifier - Research" and "Point Generation Modifier - Intelligence" needs to be altered to behave like the Resource Gen Modifiers, i.e. only one ( the highest ) modifier should count on each "Scope".

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

So you have confirmed (ie tested for certain) Resources ones do not stack within scope? But research/intel does?

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

Yah, I tested it out by making a facility that used all the modifiers and built several of it on the same planet. Intelligence and Research is definitely being increased for each, while Construction rate and all the Resource Gens are only being increased by the first one( unless a facility with higher % modifier is built, of course, at which point it uses that one instead ).

I assume the Research/Intel modifiers are the broken ones and not the Resource/Construction modifiers, since the facilities are obviously only supposed to be 'one per system/planet'.

Perhaps a big improvement would be to have the current modifiers( with research/intel fixed ) and in addition a set of stackable ones, to open up possibilities for modders.

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

The possibility to research intel in a game with disabled intel projects is available for the human player too. It is clearly a bug in the game itself and I reported it to MM.
Kwok did you change anything about migration or the population transport? In my game I am at 2407.1 with AI team mode. And to my big surprise almost all AI colonies are undomed due to population migration/transport. This is excellent!! The AI is getting extremely strong in this game and the only weakness I found so far is that the AI still has problems with my minefields. I have seen no minesweepers until now.

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

The AI will scrap any non-breathers on planets with breathing population. It was added in v1.06.

The AI does build lots of minesweepers and sticks them in fleets, but perhaps they haven't got to mine research yet.

Re: Balance Mod To-Do List
 

Kwok, your mod is the only reason this game is playable.

Re: Balance Mod
 

For players with long games or pbw games, what many experience points are your ships accumulating?

Re: Balance Mod
 

I think psycic may be a little high, I'll have to take a look.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Kwok, can you post the 1.07 AI scripts?

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Yes, Kwok please http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

it also seems like AI players do not research nearly enough. Maybe mining/farming/radio colonies should also build some research facilities?

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

The issue I'm having is that the turn processing is taking FOREVER once I click the next turn button.

I'm playing with a large galaxy, lots of computers, and a huge bonus. And processing a turn is taking at least 10 minutes once I click go.

Is that an issue in the basic game (more then likely) or something you're doing in the mod scripts?

Thanks for the mod, it ROCKS!

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

It's due to the AI's movement and combat phases - especially with the large number of ships you'd expect with a high AI bonus. The scripts are executed relatively quickly and don't contribute much to turn processing times.

Fewer AI opponents in a medium to large galaxy allows them to develop more and provide a greater challenge, while saving a bit on turn processing times.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Kwok, a question. Do you know the effects of tweaking the "Combat Iterations Per Frame" setting( in settings.txt )? There's no mention of it anywhere that I can find, so I'm having trouble understanding exactly what it does.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

I would imagine it controls the ratio between the "frame rate" and the "logic rate" of combat - if you set it to a higher number, the game would (assuming it's actually implemented) compute the combat results in more detail with better accuracy. I suppose lowering it could reduce the size of the combat logs, at the expense of detail though... might be worth a shot...

edit: odd, you're right, there is no mention of it in the modding doc... maybe it was added more recently?

edit 2: but nothing in history.txt either... this is strange :?

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Curious.

Wouldn't this in effect mean that combat results vary depending on the performance of one's computer? The faster the computer, the more accurate the combat.

More, couldn't this also explain the whole 'time compression changes combat outcome' scenario? You're bound to loose alot of FPS( and thus combat iterations ) when increasing the time compression.

If such is the case, then that would have to be considered a huge flaw in the game's combat engine.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Kwok,

Can you add lists to track if systems have facilities for Temporal, Organic (etc) 1-per-system facilities? It already does it for resupply/spaceports.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

More of a reason to go back to a turn based combat system. Or even a WEGO system like Combat Mission.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Or perhaps Aaron just needs to rewrite the combat engine to keep the logic rate *independent* of the framerate... this is how most modern games are developed http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

"Do you know the effects of tweaking the "Combat Iterations Per Frame" setting( in settings.txt )?"

I would imagine it has to do with the compression of combat logs, not the actual combat processing.

"More of a reason to go back to a turn based combat system. Or even a WEGO system like Combat Mission."

Considering that the actual computation of real time combat is more or less identical to turn based (just with a higher order of turn numbers), no, not really.

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

Gotta admit Kwok, you've done a really good job with this mod
I'm liking it alot

Re: Balance Mod Available for SE:V
 

"More of a reason to go back to a turn based combat system. Or even a WEGO system like Combat Mission."

**** no.

Re: Balance Mod
 

Does anyone have an advanced game with the mod using fleets with lots of combats... if so, how many xp points have they racked up?

Re: Balance Mod
 

Just an FYI to interested mod users that don't visit the Mod's SE.net forum, I posted an updated Components.txt with some revised weapon data in this thread:

http://www.spaceempires.net/home/fto...11-.html#20211

There's been a lot of small adjustments to improve overall cost and damage balance of weapons across the board.

Re: Balance Mod
 

I got this reply from Aaron re: the "Combat Iterations Per Frame" value in settings.txt.

Re: Balance Mod
 

Interesting.

Not sure I entirely understand what he's saying, though. Perhaps someone with a broader understanding of english and computer programming could explain it in less technical terms?

And wouldn't this only matter for AI battles( or sim. mode battles ), since player battles all take place at a set time rate( for example 8x, 32x etc.)? Also, the setting defaults to '20'; wouldn't this in effect mean a 20 times as fast battle resolution compared to before this technique was taken into use?

Re: Balance Mod
 

I don't know what the previous technique was, but I'd imagine it's not a 20x difference. But I think if you were to set it to 40 now, you'd get twice the combat rate, assuming your computer can handle that. The accelerated time settings I imagine would affect actually combat events as they likely skip "combat pulses".

Re: Balance Mod
 

Kwok, the game I play at the moment with BM v1.07 is the best SE V game I had until now!
The AI improvement is substantial, especially the scrapping of non-breathers on planets helps the AI a lot. The minesweepers I missed in an earlier report are now showing up, are within fleets and giving me a headache.
Congratulation for you excellent work!
One problem is the happiness. I think you are right and only the peaceful type is used. There you have a decrease of 5 (= 0.5%) for each enemy ship in the system. That is awful much. 40 ship will already give you the maximum happiness decrease in that system. Futhermore I have seen that ship losses decrease the happiness in the entire empire, not as said in the description only in the system. Again the value of 2 for each ship can create big problems (especially for the AI) in later games, when losses of 50 or more ships can occur.
Another problem the AI still has is resupply. Fleets run out of supplies and are almost paralized.
But again your game mod is really fun and I enjoy it very much.

Re: Balance Mod v1.08 Available!
 

Greetings!

Another update is available for the Balance Mod. Version 1.08 focused on improving weapon and racial trait balance, along with some more AI improvements and the usual fix or two.

I also changed the AI's demand for vehicle types to be based on the number of facility slots in the Empire, rather than just colonies. Keep an eye out for weird imbalances of certain design types in their fleets etc.

Note you might need to fiddle around with your saved empire files as the Organic and Crystalline traits were increased to 2000 cost.

Grab the update here:
http://www.captainkwok.net/balancemod.php

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Version 1.08 (09 June 2007)
---------------------------

1. Changed - All weapons now have intervals for damage amounts
2. Changed - Made lots of overall damage/range/cost changes to weapons
3. Changed - Gamma Pulse Torpedoes damage type to Skips All Shields
4. Fixed - Seeker description for Power Lamprey was not being displayed
5. Fixed - Error in Plague Bomb description
6. Changed - Increased cost of Crystalline and Organic racial traits to 2000 points
7. Changed - Increased tech area cost for racial trait technologies
8. Changed - Decreased Neural Combat Net to 10kT
9. Changed - Increased cloak level of Stealth Totems
10. Changed - Reduced Holy War Totem to 5 levels and reduced size to 10kT
11. Changed - Reduced size of Vengeance Totem to 20kT
12. Changed - Increased tech area cost for Religious Technology
13. Changed - Decreased cost of Psychic Scanner and added regular scanning ability to it
14. Changed - Updated Homeworld starting facilities for a max tech start
15. Fixed - Alloy Burner Missile was not using ordnance
16. Changed - Reduced experience points required to achieve experience levels and receive attack and defense bonuses
17. Added - New images for Small Supply Storage, Small Ordnance Storage, and Small Ordnance Vat
18. Changed - Slight increase to ruins tech area costs
19. Changed - Reduced experience rates for Psychic Fleet Training and Psychic Ship Training facilities
20. Changed - AI fleets when waiting for ships to join will occupy enemy if they have enough ships to be active
21. Changed - AI will favor facility construction when maintenance costs are high
22. Changed - AI Carriers will leave fleets to re-load Fighters if they have none
23. Changed - Narrowed AI's choice of warp points to drop mines and satellites
24. Fixed - AI would not always build a Spaceport right away if required
25. Updated - AI Scripts
</pre><hr />

Re: Balance Mod v1.08 Available!
 

If it might ask why? I've always considered the Racial techs underpowered considering you have to pay racial points and then research them. For 1,000 points Ancient Race gives you far too much information.

Re: Balance Mod
 

Resupply is tricky. I did modify the resupply routine to clear orders and go to resupply but I've noticed if a fleet gets caught with several combats in a row they tend to get trapped and can't escape to resupply.

I've asked MM what's up and what plans there might be with population happiness considering it's implementation. I'll see what the response is before making more changes.

Re: Balance Mod
 

It's mostly based on discussion contained here:
http://home.spaceempires.net/ftopict-2669.html

Re: Balance Mod
 

Kwok - I've had a neutral building fighters with no weapons in 1.07

Re: Balance Mod
 

Will there be any AI problems continuing a BM v1.07 game with the new v1.08?

Re: Balance Mod
 

It should be ok.