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Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
I have finally posted version 0.20 of the Space Food Empires mod. You can download it from here: http://sfe.captainkwok.net/downloads.php You can also view the version history here: http://sfe.captainkwok.net/revisions.php This version should be fairly decent for solo play. The AI can expand and build a mixture of transports, attack ships, and scouts. They can also build facilities and do research, but neither is optimized. Next up will be a patch (0.21) to introduce facility pollution, better AI, and of course bug fixes and tweaks. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
A new patch is available for the Space Food Empires mod. It updates the mod to version 0.21 while adding a new dimension to the mod with facility pollution and worker unhappiness, while making lots of little fixes and changes. It's savegame compatible with existing 0.20 games. Just download and un-zip the patch to your Space Food Empires mod directory. History File: http://sfe.captainkwok.net/revisions.php Downloads Page: http://sfe.captainkwok.net/downloads.php Note you'll need to download version 0.20 if you haven't done so already in order to apply the patch! Unfortunately those AI tweaks and improvements will have to wait for the next patch which I'm hoping to have ready in two weeks. Also, the mod has a dedicated forum for discussion hosted at Spaceempires.net: http://www.spaceempires.net/home/forum-23.html |
Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.20 Coming Soon!
Those of us in the PBW SFE test games need to apply this patch, correct? But only after PBW is back up and the current turn has processed?
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Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.20 Coming Soon!
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Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.20 Coming Soon!
There's a new patch available for Space Food Empires. The patch will update the mod to version 0.22 and makes a few important changes to reactor and engine costs, plus a few other fixes. It also adds a new systemnames.txt file with more foody names.
You can find it in the downloads section at the Space Food Empires site: http://sfe.captainkwok.net/home.php |
Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.20 Coming Soon!
Do you have a pepper grinder yet?
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Re: Space Food Empires
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Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
Just a little progress update for the mod. I've been working on the next patch (0.23) which is focusing on making improvements to the AI so that players can have a more enjoyable time with solo play. I'm hoping to get this patch out during the Labour Day weekend. If you've tried the mod, feel free to post comments/suggestions here or in the SE.net Space Food Empires forum. That way I can address additional issues. |
Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.22 Available!
Your attention to detail is just amazing CK. I mean this mod is a real work of art. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
I'm running a bit late with the next patch which I had originally intended to get out yesterday. Although I've got the AI using planets more effectively in addition to building units and ships, the main delay is establishing the specific research and design files for each race. It's not all that difficult, but it is time consuming as I can't just copy and paste without some significant editing. On a second note, as mentioned elsewhere, the 'pollution' effect using negative values for the planet conditions ability does not work. However, I think I will continue to keep the unhappiness aspect from industrial facilities in the mod. Right now, the AI doesn't do all that well with it as I have set up the facility queues with happiness facilities to be built after every 5 industrial ones - but it turns out the planets are rioting beforehand! Anyhow, I'll make a few minor tweaks to the happiness files and facility queues to fix it. I really wish you could have happiness increments in decimals rather than just whole integers. There's at least one game coming out that does that... |
Re: Space Food Empires
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Re: Space Food Empires
Captain Kwok said:
On a second note, as mentioned elsewhere, the 'pollution' effect using negative values for the planet conditions ability does not work. It does still work, just not quite as intended. It does not lower conditions values any, but it does make it harder to improve them. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Imperator Fyron said:
It does still work, just not quite as intended. It does not lower conditions values any, but it does make it harder to improve them. In that case, maybe I'll keep it in and add a few more decrease planet conditions events due to 'industrial' accidents. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
In laying out the initial framework for the SE:V version of Space Food Empires, such as designing the tech tree etc., I ended up being inspired to make a few changes to the setup of the SE:IV version. Nothing major, but it will delay the next version by a couple of weeks. I had originally wanted to release an AI improved version before moving on to 0.30, the next major release, but with the current crop of changes it didn't make sense to finish off the AI based on the soon-to-be outdated current version. The upcoming version (0.30) will really flesh out the component and facility end of the mod. A number of the changes were inspired by watching how the game would develop over 200-300 turns of AI play. It became obvious that certain elements needed to be modified in order to make for more enjoyable gameplay. I'll keep you posted. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Greetings!
It's been a long time since I posted a progress report, although I have been continuing to work on my mod as time permits. Currently I'm working on a major update that addresses a variety of concerns I had over previous versions of the mod. Some details are presented below: One of the big projects was to re-organize the technology tree, which was initiated by some planning I had done for the Space Empires V version. I'm a lot happier with the current tree, but it's required lots of changes to the data files, which has taken awhile. In many cases, outside of theoretical science and technology areas, you are essentially researching for specific components or facilities. I've also started adding an AI racial trait to provide the AI with a few technologies to improve their performance. Some of these include special items to simulate remote mining or for the AI to use certain technologies in a more helpful manner, like intelligence or weapons. I also had to drop the pollution model (since it doesn't work) although I've retained a number of elements of the population happiness scheme I had implemented. Unfortunately, it's a bit simplistic, but this is an area which can be really developed in SE:V, along with with some 'cultural' type elements I would have liked to add in the SE:IV version. The major races are also getting a few new items, mostly custom components in the primary systems group for ships. Some of these include specialized life support and crew quarter components that fall along each race's characteristics. I'm also going to add some basic mini ship images in each race's style to replace the current colour-coded placeholders. I'm hoping these little images make for more enjoyment until I get an opportunity to work on the actual models and stuff. Lastly, although the website for the mod hasn't been formally updated, I have been patching in new elements over the last few months in some of the general technology areas. I had also started a database, but was discouraged by the amount of work it took to make. However, Fyron's hopefully working on some templates based on his site that I'll be able to use. I'm aiming for late Feb for this update. My final school semester is relatively light and I also have a full week break during that time as well. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Neat!
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Re: Space Food Empires
For the next version I'm adding the basic framework to support monsters, but I would like to get feedback on how I should implement them.
Currently I'm going to have their home colony invisible to all other races, which will be capable of supporting 3-5 monsters at a time. Should I make them like neutrals or should I give them free range like regular AI? If I make them regular AIs how many systems should their range be? I was thinking 1-2 systems beyond their home colony. How strong should individual monsters be? Should they be able to match against a single ship or a few ships at once? Feel free to post more ideas... |
Re: Space Food Empires
Rabbits, moles and deer, oh my!
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Re: Space Food Empires
For you amusement I have added a bunch of rough sketches I have made on various Space Food Empires items, which you can view here:
http://sfe.captainkwok.net/graphics.php I'll add more of the ship doodles, so you can at least get an idea of how some of them will eventually look. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Shiny !!!
How far have things gotten in terms of race portrait and race-distinctive ships ? Kinda curious how they'll turn out... |
Re: Space Food Empires - Ver 0.20 Coming Soon!
The Fruit Explorer look alot like...
http://www.starfleet-museum.org/amarillo.htm But that's ok...All the sketches look great...a cartoony feel is what I envision...and I think it's really great, and it's going to be a wonderful mod for SEV. Kana |
Re: Space Food Empires
You'll notice a lot of 'subtle' Star Trek design motifs in the ships - much of the original concept was based on a Food Trek thing, in which the lore of the Space Food universe was established.
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Re: Space Food Empires
I'm going to add 4 monster types to the game, each with a unique set of 'weapons' and attributes. In general, all monsters can regenerate themselves if damaged as long as their 'brain' is intact. They have bodies of different sizes and are protected in general by their protective 'skins'.
Flying Spaghetti Monsters: Manipulate and attack objects with their noodly appendages Processor Monsters: Self-relplicating robots created by an extinct Food race. Desire to chop up all organic matter that crosses their path. Fungal Monsters: Space fungi that infect ships and planets with their poisonous spores. Stomach Monsters: Wierd organic lifeforms that attempt to devour all organic matter they encounter in space. |
Re: Space Food Empires
Here's what I've planned so far for 'weapons':
Flying Spaghetti Monster Noodly Appendage Attack (Half Damage To Shields) Noodly Appendage Defense (Point Defense) Noodly Appendage Grab (Pull Target) Noodly Appendage Push (Push Target) Processor Monster Heat Ray (Normal) Claw Attack (Half Damage To Shields) Chopper (Skips Armor) Chopper Defense (Point Defense) Grabber (Pull Target) Fungal Monster Mold Attack (Plague) Spore Attack (?) Spore Defense (Point Defense) Stomach Monster Bite Attack (Half Damage To Shields) Acid Attack (Skips Armor) Acid Defense (Point Defense) |
Re: Space Food Empires
Truly. Awesome. Idea.
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Re: Space Food Empires
Oh yeah. Food fight in space.
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Re: Space Food Empires
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Re: Space Food Empires!
Ooh - I just had an idea..... How about Herbs & Spices as (a) race(s)? It could be a major, playable race, but it could also be the Neutrals; so you can have Parsley neutrals, Basil neutrals, Oregano neutrals, Mint neutrals, you name it. It's just an idea, just struck me.
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Re: Space Food Empires!
Actually I already 10 neutral (or minor) races, which you can find list here:
http://sfe.captainkwok.net/empires/neutrals.php I ended up making spices a special substance that gives a few unique components through the Spice Experts racial trait. But thanks for the ideas. |
Re: Space Food Empires!
The 0.22 patch doesn't work with Quick Start races. The race files search for "Banana Technology" or "Carrot Technology" racial traits, but these traits are simply marked "Banana" or "Carrot" in the racial traits file. Thus, you get errors when clicking the Quick Start button. Renaming the traits to include the word "Technology" works like (or rather, much better than) a charm.
edit: Maybe, when this mod is just about complete and all you're doing is adding small features, you could add Food Products as empires, neutral or not. The first things that spring to mind are Bread, Pizzas and Twinkies, but there's probably a lot more stuff. Just sprang to mind. |
Re: Space Food Empires!
I've put together the components for monsters now:
Monster Brain: Bridge, Combat Sensors, ECM Can not be regenerated. If destroyed, monster becomes permanently brain dead. But may run around like a chicken with its head cut off. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Monster Organs: Life Support, Boarding Defense, Armor Regeneration Main source of defense against capture and healing. Monster Stomach: Solar Supply Generation, Supply Storage, Armor Regeneration Collects and stores calories for the Space Monster. Can be healed quickly when body organs are functional. Monster Movement: Standard Movement, Combat Movement, Armor Regeneration Provides standard and combat movement for monster. Can be healed quickly when body organs are functional. Monster Body: Armor Regeneration Provides protection against attack. Can be healed quickly when body organs are functional. Monster Camouflage: Cloak Level, Armor Regeneration Provides low level cloaking ability. Can be healed quickly when body organs are functional. General Notes: The actual component entries do not reveal much information (or even level) of each monster component. They improve over time with improvements in monster evolution. Monsters can also be captured (be careful not to damage the monster's brain!), but you'll need lots and lots of boarding attack points! ----- Re: Patch 0.22 - it appears that I forgot to make some changes to the AI files when I dropped the 'Technology' part from the racial traits... Also, aside from the Meat Empire, I had been avoid processed foods. Perhaps in some form or another they will show up. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif |
Re: Space Food Empires!
A couple of sketches for the Monsters:
http://sfe.captainkwok.net/images/sk...achmonster.gif http://sfe.captainkwok.net/images/sk...sormonster.gif |
Re: Space Food Empires!
Cool monsters! Those are truly horrifying! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires!
I've been working recently on improving the system types in the mod. This includes realized versions of dwarf stars, supergiants, neuton stars, pulsars, and blackholes. The twist here is that larger phenomena has footprints. For example, a supergiant star actually occupies the 9 center squares. Any ships trying to enter those areas are toast. Same goes for blackholes (so watch that movement, even the outer edges of a blackhole are quite treacherous!). They're all randomly generated! They work by using special storms very creatively. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
A Blackhole (the entire image is treacherous) and a Blue Supergiant where the area of the star cannot be entered! http://www.captainkwok.net/pictures/blackhole.png http://www.captainkwok.net/pictures/bluegiant.png I graduate from university in a couple of weeks, so I hope to finally release the long-promised version 0.30 in May, which will include these cool items mentioned above! |
Re: Space Food Empires!
Cool! I'd like to see something like that combined with Fyron's Quadrand Mod
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Re: Space Food Empires!
Looking good, CK
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Re: Space Food Empires!
Will the AI know to avoid them?
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Re: Space Food Empires!
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Re: Space Food Empires!
The system types file with the mod is almost as complex as FQM. There are about 50 different planetary systems alone, ranging from 3-10 planets with moons and asteroid belts. They are typically setup to mimic our solar system's order: star-rock-ice-gas-ice, but not exclusively. Most of these elements are already present in the 0.21 version available at the Space Food website.
I was thinking of making a stand alone "rival" to FQM with it, but unfortunately I haven't really made many new quadrant types or added the new sector types that are needed to encourage a balanced map for regular SE games. The SFEmod is skewed towards certain planet combos. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif[/img] |
Re: Space Food Empires!
Ok, thanks. The last time I played, the AI didn't route around.
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Re: Space Food Empires
Those are some really great looking system pics Kwok! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires
What if there's one warp point on one side of the system and one directly across from it? AFAIK, the AI isn't smart enough to avoid obstacles more than 3 sectors in width... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires
I think the blackhole is 6x6 sectors wide so it they might be able to navigate around it (note that it is smaller than in normal SE:IV) but I'll give it a test.
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Re: Space Food Empires
I tested it out and the AI had no problem navigating around the blackhole. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires!
One of the standard black hole abilities, either destructive center or movement towards center, triggers a special AI pathing routine that tries to stick to the edge of the system rather than just avoiding the one sector that actually does damage, even to the extent of wasting movement points sometimes. That routine will usually keep the AI out of the dangerous area of your custom black hole even without the damaging storms, except maybe for the corners, and even for the corners it will almost certainly get the AI's ships close enough to the edge that the standard damaging-storm-avoidance routine will work.
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Re: Space Food Empires!
Yeah I noticed that in my test. It works good as long as the ship avoids being damaged by the outer regions of my blackhole. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
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Re: Space Food Empires!
I've been making some SE3-style minis for the next version to help with playability. I'll think they'll do better than the coloured generic sets used in the last version.
Here are a couple of previews: Banana Star Republic http://sfe.captainkwok.net/images/ships-banana.png Broccoli Collective http://sfe.captainkwok.net/images/ships-broccoli.png |
Re: Space Food Empires!
Niiice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
Are those rendered versions of 3D models, or pixel art? |
Re: Space Food Empires!
There just quick n' dirty pixel art. I figured the coloured generic ships weren't condusive to fun gameplay.
I intend to use them with the mod until I make the actual models that will be used in both versions for SE:IV and SE:V. |
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