Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lighthorse http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Thanks

Actually it's me wanting the info. I also want to know if there is any detail on races in either of the following, if anyone has read them? Especially the more obscure races?

Babylon 5 Security Manual Jim Mortimore et al / Paperback / Published 1998

The A-Z Guide to Babylon 5 David Bassom / Paperback / Published 1997

I'll try and find the book you refer to, it may help to flesh out the current crop. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Nomor,

I will try to locate those books and others if I can for you, no promises.

Lighthorse

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Nomor,

I was able to locate one of those books you wanted, Balylon5 security manual, by jim Mortimore
Check out powells.com website, published by Ballantine books, price for 11.95 to 12.95, used copy in standard condition.
http://www.powells.com/search/DTSear...by_author&stor e=all&perpage=25

Sorry no hits on that other book A-Z guide to balylon5.
I'm keep looking for you.

Lighthorse

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Rambie,
The B5 mod at your site was cool but none of the new componets were avalible when you actually plated the game, Please fix it.

Your fan, killer

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lighthorse http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Thanks, the Security Manual is hard to come by this side of the pond. However I think it only covers the main players and not the lesser races?

From what I was able to read the The A-Z Guide to Babylon 5 actually mentions listing all the races from the series, even the incidental ones, but how detailed is another matter. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif I'm still researching it.

If you get a chance to look at the book you mentioned seeing in the hobby shop @ $35 could you check it to see if it gives detail that can be used to create more description docs for races? I think that this might be the book I'm after. Then Val and others can come up with the ship-sets etc. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif I hope http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[ August 28, 2002, 01:25: Message edited by: Nomor ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The A-Z guide to B5 can be found at www.amazon.com. type in David Bassom in the serch area and press go.

killer out

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks Killer.

Do you know if it goes into detail on the B5 races? Enough to flesh out a history for this mod so that we can have more races in the game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif Oops... See below!

**"THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL BOOK BUT ONLY COVERS SEASON 1, 2 AND 1ST 3 EPISODES OF SEASON 3." http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif (**Amazon review)

[ August 28, 2002, 01:46: Message edited by: Nomor ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Me probably heading to Charlottesville, Va tommorow (closest spot that AGOG mentions being an affiliate). They have 3 manuals for their minatures game that should give at least the bulk of the races information (background and ships) including "incidental" ones.

[ August 28, 2002, 02:49: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's great pathfinder...if you can note down the ISBN number of any that cover relevant info and post them I can then see if I can obtain them from Amazon et al.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

No

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Killer: No? No what?

Everyone Else: So I've been playing the mod for the Last few days/a week now. One thing I'm having trouble with is researching components. Very frequently a research field says "none" under expected results... and so off I go to the components, and then the tech documents to hunt up how to actually get the weapon/drive/etc that was desired. But it's a fairly intense or purposeful player who goes looking up the text files... Will there be documentation of any sort to help newbies and non-modders pass through the (aweinspiring) research labyrinth?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

No to if I have heard if the A-Z B5 book Nomor was looking for has any new races.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Jimbob,
the B5 mod I got had the same tech tree as the normal game. where did uoy get yours?

killer out

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Really? The Version I downloaded has stuff like Antimatter Weapons. But you don't actually get the weapons when you research the field, even if you get to say level 3... no weapons!

But if you research Heavy Weapons (general or race specific) you start getting the weapons... but short of looking this up in the components.txt file, I'd have no way of knowing this.

And then to complicate things a little, Heavy Weapons requires Medium Weapons (Lvl 2). Note that when you right click for a description of Medium Weapons, it tells you that you can expect nothing for your efforts... so Mr. Newbie will simply not research it, and not knowing that you get results at level 2, he will have a pretty hard time getting the heavy-hitting weapons = dead meat.

The same can be said of many of the research fields. Now I'm not upset or anything (it does look like a bit of a rant doesn't it) 'cause I'm happy to dive into the txt files. But some poor suckers are gonna get fleeced in their first (and second and third) PBW game, s'all.

Yadda Yadda Yadda http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hey Nomor,

Check out this website for Babylon Fleet rules.
http://www.agentsofgaming.com/
Maybe there something that may help you.
I'm try to drop by the hobby shop this coming Friday.

Lighthorse

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

jimbob, I am certain that once the Mod is finished, some generous soul will take the time to make out some help files for people. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Good good, it makes my brain hurt a wee bit http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

I'd be happy to help of course... I'll claim to do the Minbari, seeing as I'll play them in the PBW game.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Jimbob: yikes, I hadn't thought of making a newbiew help file.

hehe, there would have to be one for each race that has a unique tech tree.

I have a spreadsheet I use, maybe a more finished Version would do? For now maybe?

killer: I made a few, basic AI for the main races and a couple others. I put them in a zip file here:

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=50;t=000001

There are only the AI_designcreation and AI_research files. The rest of the files to include shipsets are available at the PBW site.

[ August 28, 2002, 10:04: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

[shame faced] Yeah, okay, I guess it's obvious that a help file or some such would be created. I didn't see one and over reacted. [/shame faced]

Could I grab a copy of the spread sheet? I'll even try to make it into a pretty picture... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ August 28, 2002, 10:07: Message edited by: jimbob ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lemme finish it. just need to add 2-3 small races (they don't have much special tech). So later today it should be "done".

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I've started playing with the B5 mod as it exists on Rambie's download pages. I've noticed a few things that don't seem quite right, I don't know if these are delibrate and if not if they have been fixed.

The Armour Piercing missile (EA only?, not sure) has similiar range and damage to the Heavy Missile - I would have expected it to be comparable to the Basic Missile.

Armor doesn't appear to be destroyed first - I've had vessels shot full of holes and still have most of the armor components intact.

Fighter 5 doesn't give Fighter Bay 5, while Fighter 6 gives Fighter Bay 5 and Fighter Bay 6.

The AI-controlled Earth Alliance tries to research the normal SEIV tech tree. Several of the AIs never seem to expand past their home planet (turn 300+, stats list them as 1 planet, 0 ships and 400+ units).

I've just downloaded the newer AI file listed in this thread, will be having a look at that later.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, it dosen't http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
What type of armor were you using, anyways?
The light armor has more hitpoints, but the heavy armor blocks a greater % of the damage.
The key thing about armor, is that it only REDUCES damage, and does not block it completely.
When you ship gets shot at, you get little holes in your armor, and weapons can slip through.
For better protection, add more/heavier armor. Researching tougher Versions of the armor you do have also helps a little bit.

If you are just using structural supports instead of components named armor, you will find they are often hit late in the battle, but can distract enemies. They may waste valuable shots trying to vaporize a crippled ship, instead of shooting at the live targets. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hi all,

Well I seem to have the same problem as killer. I've DL'ed the files on Rambie's site. I have SE 4 Gold.
Where oh where can I DL the correct Version of the Babylon 5 mod?! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

TimStone: No finished AI yet.

I have only scratched together an AI for a few of the races (AI_designcreation and AI_research).

Found here: <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">In the shipset forum.

[ August 28, 2002, 19:59: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

jimbob: emailed that SEIV spreadsheet to ya.

Hope it helps.

Da path

Question(s): I have the Drazi and Raiders to make a basic Race-AI for and the LNAW. Any suggestions for the LNAW as to which Race's weapons/tech to design and research for? They are a group of several B5 races (Abbai, Brakiri, Gaim, Vree). Be a real bear to research for all of the tech (take forever)...

[ August 29, 2002, 01:04: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Yeah, All the AI have a generic AI (no special racial techs researched or designed in AI_designcreation. That is why I went ahead and cobbled together some AI based on the techarea (data) and component (data) files. As far as weapon & damage characteristics, beyond my abilities to modify.

as for some of the AI not expanding: the neutrals won't. as for the "main" races doing that, seen it too but sometimes they expand, sometimes not; not sure why.

[ August 28, 2002, 16:06: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Pathfinder : My AI complained a few spelling mistakes in your Centuri AI files, things like 'Ecm' instead of 'ECM' and Weapon Platform instead of 'Weapon Platforms'. Haven't played with it long enough to see if it helps, but if my current game, the Vorlons (and two others, but can't remember who) are still sitting on just one planet according to the score card while I've got Cruisers sitting on my Jump Points.

On armor, will have to put a test together, but I'm reasonably sure I had about 15 Light Armor components on a Heavy Destroyer - and still had about 5 of them after the fight with the ship being a cripple.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Thanks, I'll correct the spelling. Also, be aware that the Vorlons and Shadows can only colonize thru conquest or trade. They should, however, have scouts roaming around.

Fixed the Centauri. Ran min-tests and they seem fine (no obvious errors anyways).

[ August 29, 2002, 01:33: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Jimbob,
Where did you get your copy of the B5 Mod?

killer out

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

From the SEIV Play By Web site, under downloads. The ship set is in downloads right when it opens (sub-section 'shipsets' is the default when the page opens), and the 3 additional mod files are in the sub-section 'mods'. The files are pretty hefty.

Just go to this address and make yourself an account: http://seiv.pbw.cc

edit: mE typinf id good...
Hope that helps.

[ August 29, 2002, 03:41: Message edited by: jimbob ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Or from http://www.xmission.com/~rstulce/B5Web.htm

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I've tried

It keeps rejecting my regester attempts

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Thats where I got it from

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">AGoetz: Do you really mean to tell me you are upset with the performance of 15kt of armor on a 350kt ship?
You only had 4% of your mass devoted to defenses!
Put at least 5 times more armor on your ships, and they should work much better.

Some comments on the mod:
- Harm missile X This disrupts weapons for 78 turns, yet combat only Lasts 35 at most. I think that's just a wee bit of overkill.
Even Harm Missile 1 will disrupt weapons longer than the battle Lasts.
These need to be scaled way down.

- Many of the descriptions are still missing; there are many with a description of "0"

[ August 29, 2002, 04:43: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Killer : the files that I got were (from memory)
B5ModCore30.zip, B5ModData30.zip and I've recently added the AI file listed earlier in this thread. I got the B5Mod files from Rambie's web site. To get them to work, I unzipped their contents to a B5Mod directory off the main directory for SEIV and then edited the 'Path.TXT' file (it tells you what to change). Then run SEIV like normal and you'll get the B5 screen instead of the normal one. Create a race (it didn't come with any pre-defined player races) and off you go.

Suicide Junkie : I'm still getting the hang of this mod, I'm used to the normal SEIV armor where 1 armor unit gives at least 30kT protection. I'm still at the stage of going, engines - check, big guns - check, reactor big enough - think so, ecm and sensors - check, point defense - check, how much room is left - cannot fit another gun in that, fill it with armor.

[ August 29, 2002, 04:24: Message edited by: AGoetz ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

When you get up to heavy armor, 10 components on a ship that size would be reasonable.
The light armor is a completely different story http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

You should probably decide ahead of time aproximately how much space you want to spend on each Category of component (engine/weapon/defense). Then you'll end up with a good, balanced design.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

PathFinder : I don't think the AI can handle the Shadows and Vorlons if they aren't allowed to colonize. Even under Human control that rule would make it very difficult to expand. Probably even worse under multiplayer - Vorlon fleet is spotted approaching other players world, other player decides he can't get enough reinforcements there in time and just abandons the planet. The Vorlon player then has to travel deeper into the other players space while the other player has dozens of planets able to produce defences.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Not sure what Val did to make the Vorlons and Shadows essentially neutrals. We'll all have to wait until he shows back to get that and other things changed/fixed (like the harm missile and peircing missile).

One of reasons he MAY have done that was because of my reports of how powerful the Shadow tech is.

[ August 29, 2002, 11:16: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hmm... I've tried everything to make the mod going on my computer, but to no avail!
I've DL'ed the folowing files:
B5ModCore30.zip
B5ModData30.zip
AIFiles.zip
Having installed these files and tying to start the game gives nothing but freaking errors! So I tried husling the freaked files with the same files from the preceding Version of the B5Mod.
BTW, I'm playing with SE 4 Gold.
This fixes the errors, but that way I can't build any ships. And the components are available to every race (I chose Centauri and I also got the Alliance weapons). And many, many, many techs aren't just implemented yet, but this doesn't concern me.After this I got the luminous idea of upgrading the previous Version of the B5Mod. So I DL'ed:
B5Mod.Update30.zip
This did't do the trick either.
I've stopped trying to get it to work correctly.

The main complaint of this little piece of text is that the files you can DL at Rambie's site aren't working.
I know it's work in progress, but please don't let us DL files that don't work.

P.S. It's great to see that people are so actively busy with improvements to this great mod.
This mod and the Ultimate Mod of Hadrian are the two mods I'm really waiting for. Keep up the good work!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well the b5 mod isn't made for se4 gold, only for normal se4 ( someone could tell u how to change the files to gold Version )

Also what Version of gold r u using as more probs might of been created with the latest patch.

Anyway where have u downloaded from? rambies site or the PBW website? If u haven't downloaded from the PBW website do. just incase it's the downloads at the rambie site that are the prob as i Downloaded it from PBW for my normal se4 and it works fine.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Few more cosmetics to Minbari shipset: new Tinashi picture for carrierheavy, new Sharlin picture for baseship, new spacestation, plus a long list of Minbari design names (minbari.txt). I also took a liberty to make models for troops. They are loosely based on AOG miniatures :

1030643746.zip

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Timstone, you must also download shipssets from PBW site. I have no idea why it is not yet on Rambie' site. It really creates a lot of complaints from people new to this mod. Frankly, I even think it is a good idea to temporaly redirect all trafic from Rambie site to PBW untill all ship sets are present.

As it is mentioned, current Bab5 is for pre-Gold, but it can be easily fixed once you get all races. contact pathfinder for latest Gold AI.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

*groan* http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
Do I need to do a mini-tutorial on the B5 MOD? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Basically (and I do mean BASICALLY) the only differences are in the settings.txt and fleet.txt files. Settings a a coupla lines (about defenses IIRC) and fleets has 3-4 lines about drones that are required to use B5 AI with GOLD. PDF did a Gold conVersion a coupla months ago, not sure if it is the mOD forum though.

If one feels brave, one could copy a GOLD Version of those two files into each race folder and then rename it (eg EarthAlliance_AI_settings.txt or EarthAlliance_AI_fleets.txt).

Also to properly use the mod, the mod folder should be a separate folder within the SEIV folder (similar to TDM or DevNull). This because the MOD uses VERY diferent techarea.txt and components.txt files in the data folder.

As for the AI I have been posting, they are simply designcreation.txt and research.txt files for the races that have so far been included and will work for both 1.49 (non-Gold) and Gold Versions. I hope to have these files done for the main races this week-end and the neutrals done by next week-end. My AI files can be found in the SEIV races forum.

Hope this helps.

And be advised that I can't keyboard very well so my AI have misspellings (which can cause error Messages). I THINK I have caught them all, but who knows http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

[ August 29, 2002, 23:15: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Just to stir up some inflamatory (I'm MoW in disguisse http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ) discussion:

I do not like the current state of Babylon5 mod.
The proprietor of Bab5 mod - Val, stated that his policy is to keep Bab5 to pre-Gold and once it is more or less "fixed", upgrade to Gold. It is several months since Gold has been released and judging from immense influxe of people in Last few months and some polls on this forum, Gold is more or less a "standard" SE for most of us. Now, imagine the frustration of a new Shrapnel' customer who is so exited about this new toy but suddenly is put down by a string of silly errors... If Bab5 Mod was a commertial product, all marketing people shall be sucked... the people responsible for sucking has been sucked... no South African lamas has been injured...
Anyway, look on any other mod - TDM, P&N, Proportions, Devnul - all new Versions are based on latest SE patch (1.78). It is time to draw the line and fully focus on latest SE Gold patch

It is easy for experienced player to convert pre-Gold Bab5 to Gold Version, but what is the point ?
Gold SE gives so much more versatality in modding that clenching to 1.49 has no sense whatsoever. Drones are one example, but look at all new mods based on just new mount abilities ! Not to mention that emiisive armor in 1.49 and 1.78 are two different beasts. Same goes for engine destroying weapons or new types of damage (1/4 to shields, 2 to shields). Really, lets move on and make decent 1.78 upgrade that will not make new players to pull hair in despair !

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I think you may have a problem with the mod and limitations of the SEIV engine. There are places in designing ships where I can generate Range Check Errors, the two I've noticed so far are in number of Engines (try putting 33 engines on a ship) and Weapon Damage (try looking at a Massive Vorlon Planet Killer).
When a player does these the program just spits out a Range Check Error box, but what happens when the AI tries to do something like these? Could it be the cause of the occasional Fatal Exception?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Yeah, we had a heck of a time with engines earlier. An RCE would be made when the AI would try to fit/use Lvl 6 engines (can't remember which--fission advanced or fusion advanced). Not sure what Val did to get that one gone. That why me no wanna try and figger that kind of problem out...don't fully understand the how's and why's. While research and to a lesser extent designcreation are tedious, it doesn't take much knowlkedge in programming to figger them out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

More than 255 move points from engines on a ship (not final movement rate) causes a RCE.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

If that case, may I suggest that the ships have a maximum number of engines set?
What is the highest move engine value - if it is 8 then set a max of 30 engines would work.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hmmm...just read something. Average PBW game is 150 turns? OY....B5 MOD stuff (research, building) takes a LONG time http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif me be just getting started at turn 250 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif