Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lighthorse: Salt mines are kinda smelly right now... only thing that has come up in current test is RCE when minbari tried assulting a planet with cluster bombs.....the cluster bombs caused the RCE http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif Plus the game is kinda screwy...I saw a group of 4 Hyach destroyers, ran my fleet of 8 destroyers and frigates over and PPppFFffTTttt...there were actually 8 in the Hyach group. No cloaking, so I don't know what the blazes is with that...Update: YES, the freakin' geriatrics...uhm, Hyach get cloaks.....bleah (racial tech)....

as for CMBB....why not http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

AGoetz: AH....not sure....most of the RCEs were caused by engine/hull problems. I'll let ya know. Currently have a game with the Hyach in it with the new AI. I fiddled with the Hyach_AI_designcreation and light cruisers with lvl 5 engines work ok with spinal lasers...

[ January 08, 2003, 04:59: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Anyone: Why would cluster bombs cause an RCE?

[ January 08, 2003, 19:33: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

No real idea on the Cluster Bomb problem - but how many Cluster Bombs and what size did the ship try to drop? Maybe there is a max damage value it's overflowing.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Cluster Bomb I and only one unit on the ship, rest were 2 X Molecular Pulsar II. The RCE hit just after the .wav for the weapon finished...

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I assume from the description that this in tactical combat - does this also happen in strategic?

Have started a game with the newest files, currently turn ~150. I'm the EA, and am sitting quietly in a 4 system block. The Grome block one of the ways out and the Cascor are trying to come through the others. I think both are using the Default AI files.
My Assualt ships have saved me a lot of research - I only researched up to Destroyer hulls, but can currently build Dreadnoughts http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif (in addition to at least 3 levels of propulsion, 2 levels of fighters and a scattering of ecm, armor, plasma etc). I really should build some ships and punish the Cascor and Grome for their attempts to get at me, my 100 turn old frigates are starting to get thin in numbers (I love first shot advantage on a jump point http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif )

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hmmm...haven't tried it in strategic yet...I'll let ya know...

Update: Nope, no RCE in strategic nor in tactical/auto

[ January 09, 2003, 00:13: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Great work sofar with hammering out the RCE's! Keep up the good work!
Two thumbs up for Da Path!!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I have no more ideas regarding the Cluster Bomb RCE.

There are some typos in your LNAW DesignCreation file, in particular with some of the ships the values for 'Num Misc Abilities' are incorrect. Havn't looked for the same error in other files yet.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Damnit! M'n computer crashed yesterday due to a virus! AARGG!!! I hope all my files are in good health. Work on my shipset (not that much unfortunately) and my work on TAInT King will stop for now.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Yeah, I tried some QA before posting it but seems I missed some. Dilgar also had 2 typos. I'll fix and re-post. The errors are the Last entry in the ships where I was adding an ability so that the structural supports could be added.

Update: Yikes! I stopped counting at 8 errors for the LNAW.

Abbai & ShagToth also had errors http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

[ January 10, 2003, 22:16: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lighthorse: got the email. never played pbem before so may take a day or two to figure it out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Also I guess since AGoetz is only one who responded then the LNAW will be Abbai & Gaim for racial techs http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

May take aawhiile as I'll have to fiddle with the AI_general file to fit those traits in.

[ January 10, 2003, 22:19: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Most recent RCE - Abbai. They researched Ship Enhancment 3 (unlikely to be the problem) and Cargo 2 (all those Extended Fighter/Satellite etc components) on the tun in question and disabling Design Minister prevented the problem.

Question : Is it feasible to shift the Extended X components to new component families so that they don't replace the normal parts?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Don't know myself.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">1:Just went thru a series of turns (about 20) with the Abbai. They have ship enhancements (lvl 5) and cargo maxed (lvl 3) and no RCE...

2: Don't know myself..

[ January 10, 2003, 23:57: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Pathfinder,

Check out CMBB manual on PBEM. Its pretty straight forward.
My present B5mod SE4 game, ran into the Shadows on turn 220, They have expanded out to 11 systems and 14 planets. They corvette had 3x slicers and normal crew, life support and bridge. Noted no problems with they ships or empire.
My on going war with the Vorlon over 200 turns now, using mines and energy mines to counter hunderds of they fighters launched from they carriers. Tried invasioning they only planet/homeworld, got my *** kicked by 500+ fighters. Momie make the bad Vorlons go away.

Lighthorse

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I've only faced hostile Vorlons once - in a small galaxy with 20 empires they started in the next system and proceeded to blow everything I launched out of space until I managed to research up to Medium BLaster Cannon IV and started mounting them on Satellites. By that time the other 18 empires had grabbed pretty much every other Rock world around so I was limited to just my Homeworld. Really should get around to continuing that game.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hehe, one thing I noticed in the current test: the Abbai, as currently configured, are a bunch of MEAN females. They are dominating the galaxy....very harsh mistresses.

Beware of Abbai bearing battle lasers!

[ January 11, 2003, 11:24: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: I didn't change the fighters , ie they still have the standard movement lines....so I'll experiment and see if that helps...

no RCE here...what engines are they fitting in the fighters?

But the Gaim do. So either there is a problem with the heavy carrier/super carrier design still or there is a problem with the heavy fighter design. This is when coupled with lvl 12 engine(s).

Bleah, Appears the super carrier (is part of lvl 3 fighter research) isn't so super. took it out and the RCE went away.

Abbai had it too, super carrier was ok until lvl 10 ultra efficient fusion engine then an RCE.

Also looking at making the standard ships (attack ships and carriers) all one size and not a range (or narrowing the range). Abbai using large transport (894 KT) to make the battleship hull(DOH!)...

Well narrowing the range to +- 5 KT of the shipsize.txt file worked in getting the battleship fixed but still an RCE with super carrier...must be something with the epm vs speed desired that is off-base...

Tried lowering the epm a bit, didn't work ..

[ January 11, 2003, 23:18: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz ?! : What is your prefferred primary weapon...packet torpedo or particle concentrator?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

OK, I give up. Super carriers are coming out (until Val gets back) as a major bug. Bleah, guess my math stinks, I simply can't find a decent ratio.

1600 kt ship

epm (atm) is 32

desired speed (per AI_designcreation) is 96

engine thrust is 8 (ultraefficient fusion)

What I would like is in-game (apparent speed) of 8-10

what I get is RCEs.

have place epm from 10 to 100...bleah http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

desired speed: 10-100, bleah http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Update: screw the math http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

backed it up to 1/1/1 and now easing up until I get a RCE then will use the final "successful" numbers...

[ January 12, 2003, 01:19: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Pathfinder, some bad news : the Shadows at least still RCE on fighter 3.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

My preferred Gaim weapon is Particle Concentrator - but I'll still bring some missile boats along just to force the foe to bring along some point defence http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Current game (where that Shadow RCE hit) my 4 shipyard worlds have a Relay Station loaded with 20 Packet Torpedo launchers for protection while the jump points have Cruisers equipped with Particle Concentrators and Boarding Parties.

"Knock, knock, this is Gaim Customs calling. Please provide a listing all technological components aboard your vessel that we don't already have so that we may process you out of the airlock quicker."

[ January 12, 2003, 02:37: Message edited by: AGoetz ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Thanks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif I'll switch things around a bit. any preference for me to set the AI up...as a standard what ship size is missle boat and which is guns? Guns will have missile as secondary and vice versa...

ALL: I think I FINALLY got the super carrier RCE fixed. ...can't have minimum engines set greater than 31 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif (at least with desired speed at 96).

for now gonna set it to epm=24, min speed = 31

desired speed = 96.

this gives apparent in-game speed of 10.

Sorry if ya wanted gazelles but this is best my fried grey matter can come with for the moment. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

[ January 12, 2003, 03:31: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Can be that I never played the mod as far as you guys did, but I've never encountered RCE's. Strange isn't it?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Timstone: hehe, lucky you! Frustrating to having a good game going then meeting that RCE roadblock. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

That's why I picked that ball, so pla...er, testing could go on and find other bugs (hopefully there aren't any).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

This is probobally a prime newbie question to ask, but anywho

I've downloaded the Core files for the Gold Version and all updates from Rambies page once I've installed the mod and try to run it I get "data file errors" mostly saying that it cannot find a certain field in record.

just wondering anyone could give me some advice on how to get the mod to run

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Core files (mainly shipsets) are compatible with Gold; however, the datafiles are compatible only with pre-Gold SEIV.

Grumbler is trying to convert to Gold but he hasn't posted (finished?) yet:

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...3;t=004079;p=5

[ January 12, 2003, 15:12: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

In short, you'll have to wait untill Grumbler is done with the gold-conVersion.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Now baseships are giving an RCE and none of my set-ups are working...

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Fix is set max number engines = 100.

[ January 12, 2003, 16:55: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

My normal Beam/Missile loadouts :

Support Ships (Repair etc) : Missile.
Largest in field designs : Beam.
Smaller designs : Beam or Missile depending on percieved need (the AI won't be able to work that out, sorry).
Smallest designs : Boarding Parties and Beams.

Currently tending to a ~10-15% of ship mass spent on Armor components, still playing around with this.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Hehe, thanks. I'll tweak the Gaim layout with next AI, which should be in next couple of days. One dissappoinment is their bulkheads disappear in my game after inert armor researched. Would you prefer the bulkheads or the inert armor?

Looks like both baseships and heavy baseships are in (the numbers look kinda screwy but at least no RCEs with them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well, you seem to be very good at detecting and solving those nasty RCE's. The only thing I can say is keep up the good work.

Btw: I've got my computer back Online and all my important files are intact. Yehaa! Work on my shipset can continue. I've got another model ready as we speak.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Timstone: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif Glad to hear your PC is acting properly. Looking forward to the Ipsha http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

From memory the Inert Armors are most effective / kT then the Bulkheads now that all the Armors are 'Hit First'. So the Gaim just get Armor earlier than anyone else, nothing more.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AGoetz: Ok, then I'll just leave that alone then.

ALL: If the AI shipset does not have a baseship in it the game picks some really strange pics. Hehe the Abbai had a Mibari escort mini with an Abbai battlecruiser portrait for the baseship until I made a hasty one for it...

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Wait... the armor shouldn't be hit first at all! It is supposed to be leaky armor.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I'm assuming that Pathfinder couldn't get the AI to use the leaky armors properly and so changed them. I don't know enough about the AI files to be able to suggest fixes.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Leaky armor?

Pray tell what the heck is leaky armor. All I did was assign the armor ability to the armor components... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

[ January 13, 2003, 02:07: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Leaky armor, as in it doesn't stop all shots. Some damage gets through and hits the internal components. Use an ability like Star-Unstable or something on the armor, and call for it in the AI design files. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Just make sure to give that dud ability no description.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

AAAAAAhhhhhhh!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

What did you do to my beautiful leaky armor system! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

I suggested adding a useless ability to whichever ones you wanted the AI to use, like "Resource generation - organics".
Definitely NOT the armor ability, which is far from useless and basically makes the ships invulnerable!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well, if you go back to the Leaky Armor, then the Gaim Bulkheads which were always 'Hit First' come back into use. The standard armors are much more efficient in terms of damage absorbed/size so 'Hit First' becomes the Bulkheads only true reason for existance.

I think I can see a new Component.txt file coming out soon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ...

[ January 13, 2003, 02:54: Message edited by: AGoetz ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Actually, I HAD the gold conVersion, and then the new datasets messed something up (the picture files no longer read correctly - I done Somethin' Wrong:)).

You can do a "rough and dirty" translation yourself quite easily (if tediously) simply by:
1) In the VehicleSize.txt file, do a "replace" function and add the word "Primary" before "Bitmap Name" and delete all the extra spaces you end up with (do the first, and then copy it into the 'replace with' box). Then, copy all the "Primary Bitmap Name" lines to a new line you add below. Replace "Primary Bitmap Name" with "Alternate Bitmap Name" on this second line. It should now look like this:

[Old]
Bitmap Name := Destroyer

[New]
Primary Bitmap Name := Destroyer
Alternate Bitmap Name := Destroyer

(except that it will not always be destroyer, of course).

In the "components" file, replace all occurances of "Ships\Planets\Ftr\Sat" with "Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat\Drone" (although the new components file seems to have this already, double-check to be sure).

Add the following lines to the AI_Settings file for each race (copy them from an existing Gold AI file, not from here!):
Ships don't move through minefields := false
Ships don't move through restricted systems := false
Clear orders on encounter enemy := false
Clear orders on encounter all := false
Percentage of total satellites to keep as planetary cargo := 40
Percentage of total drones to keep as planetary cargo := 40
Number Of Anti-Ship Drones Per Target := 3
Number Of Anti-Planet Drones Per Target := 3
Maximum Anti-Ship Drone Target System Distance := 5
Maximum Anti-Planet Drone Target System Distance := 5

I think that's really it (I don't have my notes right to hand). If it doesn't work, the error Messages tell you exactly what the problem is, and you can usually find the solution by comparing the file in question to an "authentic Gold" file of the same type.

Note that the mod never uses drones, but the components file has to account for them.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

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

Oops! DOH! I used star-unstable for the structural stuff...I'll use the resource generation or whatever for the regular armor....sorry

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I always wondered why "ship's bridge" appeared as an ability in facilities, and the like. It's the "useless ability" gig!

Glad I didn't waste time going back and deleting all of those!

Does the new components file allow you to use more than one kind of armor (like Refractive plus Scattering)? The old one didn't, and all the armor tyes were just the same, except maybe a bit in cost. Was that intended?

Also, I see you could the fact that the cargo and living CPU families having formerly been the same. I meant to mention that (I think it was causing the multiple-cpu problems with the shadows).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Grumbler: not sure on allowing more than one type passive armor...though you can use inert + scattering (Minbari do in current test game)...the AI "cheats" and puts 2+ "primary" passive armor....you and i can't do it but that AI does http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Yeah, seen the multiple livuing cpu's. never figgered those out. did you fix that? How?

[ January 13, 2003, 04:02: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Bleah....yet another miscellaneous ability line... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

[ January 13, 2003, 11:41: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

PF: On the armor thing, why have all these types of reactive armor if they are not being used? One of the things that makes finding problems in the game so hard is that the components file is so big. Yet a lot of components seem unnecessary or redundent (like different types of near-identical armor, or the base supply depots) so maybe we should be looking at cutting the components that aren't needed.

On another topic, is there any reason why reactors are allowed on bases? The AI seems to put them on the defensive bases, when bases already have unlimited supply.

On the shadow/cpu issue: I thought that I had figured out at least part of the problem (the fact that both living CPU and external cargo pods had family # 11008. Checked it out more thoroughly, and that didn't solve the problem.

I tried changing the size/cost/capabilities of the cargo hold to allow for a 10 kt cargo hold, in the event the AI was just using CPUs to fill empty space. No joy.

I tried making Master Computer a required ability. No joy. I played around with the "Misc Ability (x) Spaces Per One" values in the Ai files. No joy.

I deleted the redundent abilities from the living CPU (abilities 2-4). No joy.

I even made living CPUs base-mountable only. They still appeared on ships (along with bridge, crew, and LS). Something is making the AI add specifically the living CPU beyond the minimum needed.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Grumbler: Reactive armors---ask Val.

Reactors: ask Val, it's a bug.

LCPU: did extensive testing Last night, I give up. nothing worked.

All: Once I get the next AI out, that is my Last. Real life intrudes and I do NOT have the time it takes to do this.

[ January 14, 2003, 11:59: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Nomor: Do you have a good idea for a flag for the Ipsha?