Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

"Having seen the level of changes you are proposing to 'mod' this game, why dont you just prepare a Starfire mod ?"

Because I don't want to go any further than I have to http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif That and I don't have a lot of info on starfire other than the books anyway.

Phoenix-D

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

oh right, well I have all the rulebooks and unfortunately, dont have the technical ability to 'do' the mod

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
[QB]Quasi-newtonian propulsion
-Military and civilian grade engines. The military grade engines are faster, but they are also power hogs compared to the civilian drives. So the civi drives can in the long run go faster in places where resupply isn't available.
-PD will be made slightly less effective by dropping their to-hit bonus down. AFHAWKs will be added though.
-Standard missiles will be added. Half the range of standard missiles, but much smaller in size.
-FM2s and FM3s added. Rocket Pods renamed to FRAMs. FM2s and FM3s are seekers, FRAMs are direct fire.
-Fighters will be a bit harder to hit
-Gunboats (larger-sized fighters) added. Easier targets than fighters, but they'll pack a mean punch.
-Fighter weapons will be changed. Some weapons will be unable to target ships- fighters and seekers only. Vice versa for other weapons.
-SBMHAWK pods and ABAM pods have been added. These cannot be stored in ships however http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Essentially they are very small hard to hit ships that can only be loaded with a single component. That component will serve as a Master Computer, 1 move engine, and fire a single missile. I

Fighter experts, for the Ophiuchi. Their fighters are faster and their pilots are better. Harder to hit, higher modifers TO hit. No, the Orions don't get any fighter bonuses. They LIKE fighters, but they aren't inherently superior at using them. The Ophiuchi are.
<hr></blockquote>

Phoenix D, can you send me a PM with how you have made these changes?

Cheers

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
[QB]Quasi-newtonian propulsion
-Military and civilian grade engines. The military grade engines are faster, but they are also power hogs compared to the civilian drives. So the civi drives can in the long run go faster in places where resupply isn't available.
-PD will be made slightly less effective by dropping their to-hit bonus down. AFHAWKs will be added though.
-Standard missiles will be added. Half the range of standard missiles, but much smaller in size.
-FM2s and FM3s added. Rocket Pods renamed to FRAMs. FM2s and FM3s are seekers, FRAMs are direct fire.
-Fighters will be a bit harder to hit
-Gunboats (larger-sized fighters) added. Easier targets than fighters, but they'll pack a mean punch.
-Fighter weapons will be changed. Some weapons will be unable to target ships- fighters and seekers only. Vice versa for other weapons.
-SBMHAWK pods and ABAM pods have been added. These cannot be stored in ships however http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Essentially they are very small hard to hit ships that can only be loaded with a single component. That component will serve as a Master Computer, 1 move engine, and fire a single missile. I

Fighter experts, for the Ophiuchi. Their fighters are faster and their pilots are better. Harder to hit, higher modifers TO hit. No, the Orions don't get any fighter bonuses. They LIKE fighters, but they aren't inherently superior at using them. The Ophiuchi are.
<hr></blockquote>

Phoenix D, can you send me a PM with how you have made these changes?

Cheers

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

Growl, finals. I haven't DONE it yet. I'll send you a copy when I'm finished. None of it's out of the realm of the possible, it just needs to be done and made sure it isn't totally unbalancing.. something I haven't had time for.

Sorry guys http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif It'll get done eventually.

Phoenix-D

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

New plan: mod would take too much time, we're using Proportions 2.1. Any objections?

Phoenix-D

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

I have a Starfire Mod in the works.. its currently at Version 0.10 and in the testing phase. So far, the changes are pretty simple. Here is the short list.

1. Slightly modified vehicle sizes to match Starfire (10kt = 1 hull space)
2. Using a modified Version of Quasi-Newtonian movement. Big ships need more engines to move 1 space. Ships still have a built in Speed Limit but its dependent on hull type. IE: Escorts can move 8 spaces... Super Dreadnoughts (Base Ship) moves 4
3. Renamed a lot of the weapons to starfire equivalents. Example: Anti-proton beams became Force beams, etc. The basic properties of the weapons remain unchanged though. This is to preserve balance and not mess up the AI too much.
4. Changed the emphasis on ship building from ground based facilites to space based facilites. This MIGHT mess up the AI.. I will know after testing it.
5. Modified a FEW of the components.. mainly to give the Laser Cannon (meson bLaster) shield skipping ability. The Energy Beam (phased poleron beam) now skips armor instead of shields. To compensate for lasers, players now get Armor at the start of the game. Players should have shields by the time they they research Energy beams. All the weapon Groups remain the same though so the AI should just pick up the new weapons without modification. Research AI might need a tweak to emphasize armor a bit more since lasers are a common weapon.

I havent actualy REMOVED any of the SEIV technologies yet but I suggest playing with the Stellar Manipulation and Stellar Harnessing techs turned off in the game setup. Those two techs are Starfire busters. The Quantum Reactor has been disabled as well.. Actualy did that by reducing the maximum tech level of Resuply tech to 4.. quantum reactor is 5. The AI should handle that just fine. Master Computers are now a racial specific tech limited to the Cybernetic Race trait. All normal races will need to have REAL crews http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Eventualy Im going to add Starfire Races.. and along with that I will be adding some new racial traits.. Cybernetic Race (for J'Rill) Fighter experts, etc... Havent delved into that yet though. Then I might play around with changing all the tech areas and components to better reflect the Starfire Technology tree. (as seen in Starfire 4th ed.) That will definitely require a complete overhaul of ALL the AI files... not a small undertaking Im afraid http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Im going to see how "Stafire Like" I can get the game without modding the AI's... or with VERY MINIMAL AI mods..

Currently, my Starfire Mod is based on the TDM Modpack v3.10 I used TDM as a starting point with the idea that the better AI's in that modpack would handle the changes better than the standard AI's. We will see. I also like the additional shipsets http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif (Klingons are my favorite)

So far, all my mods are to files in the "Data" directory. TDM does not mod those files so there should be no conflict. I should be able to release an Alpha Version very soon.. this weekend I think. I will NOT be including the TDM modpack in my release though.. I will just be releasing the "Data" subdirectory...

Rob

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

If you did QNP, you HAVE to rework the AI no if ands or buts. At least with something like the AI Patcher.

Phoenix-D

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

Yup, have to mod the AI to handle ANY kind of variable engine scenario. Now I just need to figure out how to get it to work OK.. I looked at the QNP mods in the Pirates & Nomads mod.. and tried that. I quickly found out that the AI puts the minimum number of engines on a ship to start.. then ADDS engines in a random fasion. This is BAD since you end up with Battleships that cant move (they take more than the minimum number of engines to move) or you end up with NO ship designs because your min engine number is too high (so the AI cant make small ships)

The only solution looks to be to have an entire entry in the AI_DesignCreation file for EACH HULL SIZE to account for the different engine requirements of each size range. What a pain.. I think the Starfire mod just lost its Newtonian movement system... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif for now. Dang.. and that so neatly solved the engine damaging weapon problem.. you know, the one where a destroyer loaded with engine damaging weapons could immobilize an entire fleet of Dreads without breaking a sweat.. since each ship only has 4 to 6 engines REQUARDLESS of size... what a crock.

Rob

Re: Multiplayer RP Scenerio (long)
 

Oh and if you're expecting major accuracy on this.. don't http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif The map editor is just too tedious for that, so I'm playing fairly fast and loose (besides, I don't have data for like 95% of the systems anyway).

Phoenix-D