Re: Plague extension
 

I’m a little confused here, I see this descriptor however how does SE5 know to only place one per ship?

Ability 3 Type := Description Only
Ability 3 Description := Only 1 Survey Instruments per vehicle effective.
Ability 3 Scope := Space Object
Ability 3 Range Formula := 0
Ability 3 Amount 1 Formula:= 0
Ability 3 Amount 2 Formula:= 0

Is there another entry that controls this, there must be but what is it? What is the limit for how many I can place; as in SE4 where I could place up to 10 per?

Re: Plague extension
 

That is not any sort of restriction, it is just a tag to inform the player that the other abilities of the component do not stack. The AI is generally set up to only add one such component per ship, since extras are redundant.

Adding a max per ship can be done via the vehicle hulls, as in that LCX thread, or you could probably work something into the placement requirements of the component.

Re: Plague extension
 

Ya the “Description Only” thing was kind of a dead give away. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

What I was asking is where is the control for this? What line?

Re: Plague extension
 

You can control how many are placed by the player by using restrictions. Controlling how many the AI places requires messing with the AI scripts, which I haven't done much of yet.

(and if you think components.txt is weird, the AI scripts are going to make your head explode).

If you mean the controller for how many actually work, that's defined by the ability itself IIRC.

Re: Plague extension
 

I’m looking to control how many the player can put in. For example in SE4 if I wanted to keep the player from using more than four I would add the restriction “Four Per Vehicle”. In SE5 I am not seeing this except I have noticed that when the description says “Only 1 _blank_ per vehicle effective” another ability will have a number “2” in the Amount 2 Formula line. I will check to see if they are connected.

If it is controlled by hard coding now why did Aaron remove it? More importantly can he add it back in?

OMG I haven't even thought about the AI. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/Sick.gif

Re: Plague extension
 

You control the number per vehicle with requirements. Just look at the engine limits in VehicleSize.text and apply that to the actual components.

Re: Plague extension
 

Nope that’s not it; suppose it’s time to write Aaron and ask him? Thoughts?
Ops, need to READ before I write. My bad Phoenix-D

Re: Plague extension
 

Try again:
Requirement 5 Description := This vehicle can only have a maximum of 12 movement.
Requirement 5 Formula := Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Movement Standard") <= 12

"Movement Standard" is the ability used in the component in question. If your component doesn't use an ability, just give it a useless ability or an AI-Tag and refer to that, instead.

Re: Plague extension
 

I see what you are saying. So if I want to keep a player from putting more than one Burger King on a battleship I would have to include the restriction in the battleship section of the vehiclesize.txt. Wow, now that’s nifty and has lots of potential!

Edited I posted before I read your answer then took off to teach consonant diagraphs. Then came back read your first reply and wrote this one.

Re: Plague extension
 

If you want to do it just for the battleship, yes. You can do it for all ships by putting the requirement on the component itself, I think.