Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I'll get some more results for you in about 8 hours.

Val: could you post some example weapons for me to use? Just one light, medium and heavy gun would do. I need to get a rough size & hitpoint value in order for the test to be accurate.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I'll post some average weapons in each department for you this afternoon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Sorry, haven't had a chance to post much today or get the weapons up for you http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Massive project at work that the due date was moved from 2/8 to 2/1, and they only let us know Last night - typical!

I will try to get some posted this weekend - though it will more likely be Monday - I'm really sorry http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

On the brighter side my OT more than pays for the new cable modem I wanted to get http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

No prob. Could you mention what the hitpoints of the typical classes of guns & engines are? That's all I need.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I mentioned this in the Sci-Fi crossover mod, but probably you didn't see it.
Starwars engines are: first Atomic Drive, then Implosion Drive, and finally HK Ion Drive.

Now it would be nice if atomic drives were similar to b5 fission engines and ion drives similar to standard ion engines.
Would it be ok to make fission engines worse?
I was thinking of 1.5 times size and cost.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Now it would be nice if atomic drives were similar to b5 fission engines and ion drives similar to standard ion engines.
Would it be ok to make fission engines worse?
I was thinking of 1.5 times size and cost.<hr></blockquote>You want the fission drive to be weakened, so it matches up with an "atomic drive".

Is there any reason why the "atomic drive" must be fusion? It could be a fission drive and still be called "atomic"

Also, SW engines can't be designed into B5 hulls, and vice versa, so there is really isn't any point of comparison except the final speed of the ship, which depends on many other factors.

[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Somebody tell me what the problem here is:
All ships defaulted on design to "Optimal Firing Range".

I edit the Optimal firing range strategy, and set targeting priority to "Least damaged, Least damaged, Least damaged, Least damaged."
I uncheck "damage targets until weapons gone".

Simmed combat: Every freaking ship attacks the same target, and pounds the crap out of it until the weapons are gone or it is destroyed.

I check the "damage until weapons gone"

Combat again: Same stupid thing.

What am I doing wrong here? Does the simulator just ignore strategies or something?!? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The simulator is screwed up. Don't trust it to test strategies and ship designs under computer control, because it often doesn't work properly.

Also, I don't think that giving the ships multiple targeting priorities that are the same is a good idea. It might confuse the AI.

[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Atomic Drives are described to use a fission reactor to generate electromagnetic waves that reflect off the space-time fabric of realspace, creating momentum. They are extremely radioactive, and must be stored in a pod that is kept away from the living and working areas of the rest of the ship.

Implosion Drives and High-Pressure Implosion Reactors emit an intense gravitic field that dimples the space-time continuum of realspace, causing the vessel to move. These engines are extremely high-maintenance drives.

Both of them are also described to be out-dated and not in use anymore.

And what everybody uses now are Hoersch-Kessel Ion Drives that use a power source to generate ions, which are expelled through an exhaust nacelle to create thrust. The fuel is first broken down into nuclear energy and converted to ions. These ions are then expelled from the ship, which causes the ship to move in the direction opposite the thrust. Given that the H-K Ion Drive creates radioactive nuclear energy, any ship that is equipped with one must require towing or the addition of a repulsorlift to travel within a planet's atmosphere. Their use is extremely widespread, and they are low-maintenance drives.
And they Solar Ionization or "Fusion" Reactors to feed them. These reactors are strange because they are described to be fusion reactors that can use any fuel as power source, but are more efficient with heavy metals.
The one that first wrote about them didn't know what fusion means.
It's been corrected later by just saying that the word "fusion" doesn't mean nuclear fusion, but some other kind of reaction such as fusing matter into hypermatter (whatever that means).

I just thought that it would make the mod more consistent if similar devices that work with the same principle were similar.
The problem is that Fission Engines in the B5 mod are not only equivalents of standard Ion Engines in performance but also cheaper in price.

I was thinking about making Atomic Drives 1.5x price and size, Implosion Drives 2x in price and supply usage and HK Ion Drives equivalent of standard Ion Engines and get cheaper at higher levels.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

PS: Sorry to all the modem-Users out there. This is a tad long http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Also, I don't think that giving the ships multiple targeting priorities that are the same is a good idea. It might confuse the AI.<hr></blockquote>Yeah, I was just angry.

++++++++++++++
"The fuel is first broken down into nuclear energy and converted to ions." http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif
"Given that the H-K Ion Drive creates radioactive nuclear energy" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif
"The one that first wrote about them didn't know what fusion means." I can tell http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .

Let me see if I can convert that stuff into something high-school physics students can believe http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Atomic Drives are described to use a fission reactor to generate electromagnetic waves that reflect off the space-time fabric of realspace, creating momentum. They are extremely radioactive, and must be stored in a pod that is kept away from the living and working areas of the rest of the ship.<hr></blockquote>OK, we have a fission drive. Possibly using uranium/plutonium type materials. Naturally very dirty, and leaves toxic, radioactive materials as waste.
The distance from living areas makes sense, since you want to keep the weight of shielding material (heavy water or thick lead bulkheads) down. You don't want to have to haul to much of that around.
The actual propulsion would suck if you just directed EM radiation out the back. You're spending lots of energy, but not getting much momentum. Use the energy of the atomic decay to fling the waste atoms out the back. Much more momentum, for less energy expenditure, and you don't have to store the waste.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Implosion Drives and High-Pressure Implosion Reactors emit an intense gravitic field that dimples the space-time continuum of realspace, causing the vessel to move. These engines are extremely high-maintenance drives.<hr></blockquote>If we accept the ability to generate gravity, then OK. The ship gets a forward push, and the reaction would be to give all the objects behind the ship the same force in the opposite direction. The thrust of a ship or fleet, spread out among half the stars, planets and nebulae in the universe; nothing noticable happens to them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>And what everybody uses now are Hoersch-Kessel Ion Drives that use a power source to generate ions, which are expelled through an exhaust nacelle to create thrust. The fuel is first broken down into nuclear energy and converted to ions. These ions are then expelled from the ship, which causes the ship to move in the direction opposite the thrust. Given that the H-K Ion Drive creates radioactive nuclear energy, any ship that is equipped with one must require towing or the addition of a repulsorlift to travel within a planet's atmosphere. Their use is extremely widespread, and they are low-maintenance drives....
<hr></blockquote>Well, it looks like a step backwards in technology (gravity manipulation down to ion drives???), but what the hey.
Ions are easy to generate with electricity.
Ions are easy to fling out with electricity.
We get the electricity from a nuclear reactor. Since the end products are radioactive, we do not have a fusion reactor as we know them.
Fusion reactors don't generate fuel. Something that looks tangentially like fusion would be the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate.
At the very least, you would have a insanely high density fuel source.
Now, we've got a nuclear reactor with ultra-potent fuel to drive our ion engine.
Along with a more efficient (likely superconducting) ion manipulation, you get a cheap, high-power density drive. Certainly not the ultimate in fuel efficiency (0.1%), but you can pack in tons of BEC fuel.


+++++++++++++++

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>I was thinking about making Atomic Drives 1.5x price and size, Implosion Drives 2x in price and supply usage and HK Ion Drives equivalent of standard Ion Engines and get cheaper at higher levels.<hr></blockquote>Forget about size as a defining characteristic.
Make it "movement points per KT", "$ per movement point", and "supplies used per movement point".
You can then easily find the stats for biggie-sized drives of the same type. (EG: 3 large main engines & 4 smaller engines.)

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>The problem is that Fission Engines in the B5 mod are not only equivalents of standard Ion Engines in performance but also cheaper in price.

I was thinking about making Atomic Drives 1.5x price and size, Implosion Drives 2x in price and supply usage and HK Ion Drives equivalent of standard Ion Engines and get cheaper at higher levels.<hr></blockquote>From what you posted before, and what I've translated, the difference between the Fission engines and the HKIDs would be the fact that the HKIDs can store 1000x more supplies

Atomic drives == fission engines.
Basic average engine.

Implosion drives == gravitic drives
More MP/KT, but much higher cost, maybe lower fuel efficiency.

HK Ion drives ?? fission engines
(SW only) Slightly more MP/KT than Atomic drive, but nearly unlimited supplies, and almost zero maintenance.

Antimatter powered drives:
(B5/trek) Lower Supplies/MP, average size/MP, expensive

"Hyperspace taps", I have no idea about.

I could imagine that SW engine technology stagnated when no-maintenance engines came out.
If, when you bought a car, it came with 10 years of gas, and wouldn't break down, alternative engine technologies would be unlikely to progress. They could make them beefier, but just not any more efficient.

+++++++++++++++++

B5 & trek forked off on a different path, squeezing every drop of fuel efficiency possible.
I don't think B5 has antimatter widespread, just clean & efficient (though large) fusion reactors.
Antimatter, of course is 100% fuel to energy, and the Romulan singularity (aka Black Hole) ("Hawking Reactors", I believe) are too.

The tradeoff between antimatter & black holes is:
- antimatter is relatively safe, and can be stored passively.
- holes use any fuel; even dirty socks & toxic waste will do.

Both have no waste, theoretically, but the "Dilithium" used as a catalyst eventually wears out into toxic "Trilithium".

[ 03 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

This is OT in the B5 mod thread. I'm posting my answer in the Sci-fi Crossover Mod thread.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

RE: popmodifiers.

I played a game of P&N using the pop modifiers, and I found 2 things:

1) Not sure when it appeared, but SY rate starts increasing dramatically once the Production rate hits the right shoulder. (bug)
2) The complex function used for production dipped below the right shoulder value for a few million people at the end. (bug)
3) 50% production for &gt;2Billion pop is annoying.

So, I've:
- Unbent the SY rate. 100% production at about 2.25 Billion.
- upped the shoulder production to 100%
- tweaked numbers so production peaks at 245%.

New popmodifiers.txt

Gameplay is pretty cool. I've got two systems of nearly useless outlying colonies, and there are very few ships in the game right now...
A few turns ago, my entire military attacked the AI beside my nearest colony system. After two battles, the casualties were up to:
- 2 MB Destroyers (RIP)
- 1 Repair Destroyer (RIP)
- 1 Enemy LC (Rammed, RIP)
- 1 Enemy LC (Rammed, 90% damage)

The enemy has planted a colony one system from my homeplanet, among 4 of my colonies, and has one LC poking around, but is unwilling to attack the missile platforms (ShieldBuster + CSM missile) on my colonies.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Val: Regarding the engines in the B5data zip you posted back on the 21st.

After scaling back from the 10x hitpoints thing, the Huge engines will still have 400HP.

That means that they will act as armor, for the armor.
That is, until the large "ability armors" come out, like refractive armor.

I don't know if you want it that way or not http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

Been a long weekend of data compilation for work and working on the components in between to give myself a mental break http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Here are a few weapons - Light, Medium, Heavy and Spinal Lasers, Interceptor Array and Standard Particle Beam. The tech levels are not set to their 'final' levels, just 1-10 on each to make it easier to integrate into a test. Tonnage is also still be worked on.

SJ_Lasers.zip

Anyway, you're right, we should lower the value on the engines to below the armor chunks - what would you suggest for the dif components (sizes)?

Everyone:

This update brings the B5 mod in line with the 'official image collection' - assuming I placed everything down the page far enough not to mess with SJs current data. There is also an updated data file for the SectType.txt to refer to the new JumpGate and Black Hole loacations on the planets map. The components now have most of the laser, plasma, ballistic and particle weapons in - I included the WIP weapons for y'all to get a peek at as well http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Update_Components.zip

Just rechecked the update, somehow I forgot to include the planets - I'll upload tomorrow. To make it work for now, just change the blackhole center pic to Planet_0542 and the jumpgate to Planet_0541. I will upload the others tomorrow!

That was one heck of a conversation on engines - gotta go over to the Sci-Fi thread and finish reading up on it.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The engine sizes can stay the same, just reduce the hitpoints.

With this armor system, the weaker the component, the longer it survives http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

What HP values would you suggest? Since you have the best idea of how the armor works http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Its a give and take deal.
I'm still trying to find some good values for the armor.

Currently, light, medium and heavy have 75/200/300 hitpoints, so fitting the medium and heavy engines in at 75 - 200 hitpoints might be good.
Placing major internal components around the 100 hitpoints mark would probably be good, too. Crew quarters/Lifesupport should probably be at least 40 hitpoints, since they're diffuse.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

Will do!

How long before you think you'll be able to send armor samples to include in the Tech & Comp files? (I know you're pretty busy with everything else on top of this.)

Do you want more weapons to test with?

Everyone:

Anyone else working on anything?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Holy Miniscule Masers, Batman!
Those things are puny!

I was thinking on a completely different scale: 25 times stronger!

PS: Spelling: "Fission", and "Fusion". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

++++++++++++++++

Argh! I can't even design a ship worth simming. The weapons are tissue paper, while the engines and reactors are solid neutronium.

How is this supposed to work, anyways?
"Spinal laser hits for 30 damage. Main reactor down to 99.75% efficiency"

We need to set some scale here (Note: this is just for hitpoints/damage, everything else should be OK).
I suggest:

- - Scale up weapon damage by 3x. A heavy laser cannon X then does 180 - 216 damage @ reload 4 (They're supposed to melt right through capital ships, right?)

- - Scale up weapon hitpoints by 25% to 50% (so they are at the right depth in the armor)

- - Scale armor down by 5x.
Structural: 0KT, 3-4 HP
Light: 1KT, 10 HP
Med: 3KT, 25 HP
Heavy: 7KT, 50 HP

- - Throw out reactor/drive hitpoints.
- Reactor Hitpoints can range from 5-30 hitpoints for tiny through Massive reactors. Size is arbirtary.
- Drive hitpoints can range from 20-40, since they are nessesarily on the outer edge of the ship, and thus exposed to weapons fire.
- (Remember. All it takes is one little hole, and suddenly you've got a big problem)

- - Other components should have their hitpoints set according to their exposure.
- Large surface targets should be around 40.
- Small internals can be down near 7.
- Large internals or small surface components should be close to 20.

++++++++++++

PS: I have no idea what's going on with the high tech reactors...
Going from fission to fusion doubles the supplies/KT. But, the rest just seem to get more expensive and change hitpoints http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

This would be why we test http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

I was having the same problem, once I added in the armor sample you gave earlier I managed to 'almost' hurt a ship. Let me up everything and resend you the weapons I sent. I will post in a couple hours!

Fission and Fusion - correct?

Also, here are the planets:

Planets.zip

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

[WeaponComponents.txt

&lt;Fixed as per above&gt;

Here are the revised weapons along with a few more to compare(Light-Heavy Laser, Spinal Laser, Interceptors I&II, Ballistic Missile, Medium Plasma Gun, Slicer Beam, Lightning Cannon, Neutron Laser & Standard Particle Beam) - they all now use one tech (for testing purposes) called B5 Weapons.

so add:

Name := B5 Weapons
Group := Weapon Technology
Description :=
Maximum Level := 10
Level Cost := 5000
Start Level := 0
Raise Level := 0
Racial Area := 0
Unique Area := 0
Can Be Removed := False
Number of Tech Req := 0

to TechArea.txt as well.


Also, can you send me what you have for Armor/ECM when you get a chance? Thanks!

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Ok, here is the revamped Tech Areas for the above components:

TechArea.txt

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Val: in all of those new reactors, the output in the description does not match the actual ability amount.

Working on merging what you've sent already...
No go.

SE4 chokes on:
Tech Area Req 1 := Fission Research
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 2 := 1
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Tech Area Req 3 :=
Tech Level Req 3 :=
and its in all of the components...

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I have the B5 Sensors & ECM ready.
NOTE: I stuck the four additional tech areas in at the top of the file, and the components are a page or two below.
I also need "sensors" and "combat support" to go up to at least tech level 8, and I've noted that in the file.

The scale of the modifiers might need to be increased for the SF-crossover mod, depending on how powerful the other race modifiers are.
I kept these to a maximum of +/-56%, so you can't evade 100% of the shots from point blank range just because you've got great ECM http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .


PS:
Regarding racial armors.
Between shadow, vorlon, minbari, and the refractive armor, is there any serious difference aside from tech level (ability amount) and paint job?

If not, should the component images progress through the colors of each, or should there be a choice of any color at each level?

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Sorry, was merging during a 15 min break at work and didn't have SE IV to test run the components. I'll check the sheet and remerge. How were the weapons?

Good call on the ECM - hated missing something when they were almost in the same square!

Vorlon armor is able to 'heal' damage and Shadow armor is able to absorb and shunt off a certain amount of damage. Other than that they are also both more advanced (obviously) than the other races armors.

Minbari armor is just a more advanced Version of the same stuff you find on the EA and Narn and Centauri ships (well, dif material but same as far as SE IV would be concerned). It's their jammers that make them tougher than nails http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

If you want, once we have the basic armor pics made I can easily recolor armor for the major races (EA & Narn - Grey, Centauri - Purple, Minbari - Blue) or we can have the armor progress through the colors, it's your call!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

ReactorComponents.txt

EngineComponents.txt

Fixed the Engines & Reactors - I had accidently set the same merge field in two locations!

WeaponComponents.txt

Fixed the weapons - one of the family names had a decimal point and the seeker speeds and damages weren't there

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I just did a quick sim with your ECM and the weapon samples (sans armor) and it was quite a bit different! Took 1 Cruiser armed with the Shadow slicer, stacked elite sensors and 2 PDFs against 4 Cruisers with 2 Lrg Lasers, 2 Med Lasers, 1 PDF, 2 Basic Missiles and stacked advanced sensors. The slicer beam was ripping the opposition to shreads! Can't wait to add armor and give this a shot http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Now it's almost time to concentrate on the AI - any takers?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Note to the AI takers: if you want a quick utility to run through any file and make repetitive, boring changes, AND the rules are too complex to use the search-replace method, just ask http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Something like "add engine ability calls to all designs that are allowed to have them" (and increment "num ability calls", and use the right "spaces per item ##") could be worth a program, and would give me a reason to work on the required/related parts of my AI Patcher. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

EVERYONE:

Trying to come up with a list for all the B5 components to be added and all the B5 facilities, here is what I have so far:

Shadow - Living CPU - I thought we could use the master computer for this, to represent the living human used to pilot the ships.

Everyone - Shipboard Teep - Telepaths to combat Living CPU, equiv to a virus.

Everyone - Automation - Components to cut down on number of Crew Quarters and Life Support.

Everyone - Scanners - Should we use the existing scanners or create new ones?

Minbari - Jammer - SJ, could you integrate this into the ECM? Should make locking on to a Minbari ship twice as hard and also mess up sensors. There should also be something to counter this for the Ancient races and can be researched by others to null.

Centauri - Cloaking - Fighters and Destroyers (and smaller) are able to cloak to a degree. The fighters are more true stealth, while the Destroyers just had a Chameleon suite to mess with sensors.

Torvolus (Ancients) - Cloaking - This is 'true' cloaking, thinking about using cloaking as it is but expanding out past what 'normal' sensors can detect.

Everyone - Colonize - Want to remove Gas Giant colonies from being researchable unless someone plays a GG race (of which there are none in the B5 mod). I see Ice colonization more as 'waterworld' colonization, which would be more conceivable.

Everyone - Jumpgate construction - Want to change the open wormhole to a base only component and make it bigger and more expensive. Then you will have to build the base at the location and activate the component to open the point. I would like it to also destroy the base to represent the material used for the gate. I also might make a shipboard component that is REALLY big and can only fit on the large explorer ships (since it is mentioned that EA Explorer ships could make gates).

Everyone (Especially Raiders) - External Fighter Rails - I was thinking we could use the armor ability to represent the vulnerability of these components (they should almost always be hit first as they are exposed). The tradeoff is the ability to carry more fighters for less internal space.

Everyone - External Supply (Cargo) Pods - Same as above.

Everyone - Gravity - I was thinking about 3 classes: None, Gravity Generators, Artificial Gravity. These would give the ships bonuses/penalties to hit/defense to encourage their inclusion and research.

Everyone - Elite/Expert Crew Types - Different components to give different bonuses to a ship (eg: Crack Security Team - Double the efficiency against boarders)

ALSO:

Wanted to add some mounts -

Improved Weapon (less space, less supply, more intitial cost)

Advanced PDF (increases to hit and damage)

Advanced Weapons (standard SE IV mounts)

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

What extra abilities should I add to the Reactors and Engines to make the AI modding easier? I can easily add and regen the text!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I don't have abilities.txt with me right now, but the ones I can think of OtToMH:

- mineral/organic/rads resource generation (not remote, the facility kind)
- star - unstable
- warppoint turbulence
- system movement random/to center

One should be saved for adding comments to components, such as in P&N, where "star unstable" is used to write "+30% accuracy" on the WMG description.
Then, we need one for every reactor size below the max that the AI will ever use.
We also need one more for every engine size below max that the AI will use.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

CPU_Teep_Med.zip

Here are tech areas, components and pics for the Shadow Living CPUs, Shipboard Telepaths & revised Med Bays (plus Ruins Tech - Cure for Nano Plague & Advanced Med Bay). - SJ still working on adding more components, but used your most recently posted one.

Having trouble with adding Racial Tech. Wanted to add Shadow Racial Tech the Racial Traits, which works fine, but when I start the game to play (regardless if I choose it or not) the main screen (with the planets and everything) is Black! Anyone have this trouble? I wanted to make them unique #44, but even if I made them #7 it didn't seem to work.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Having trouble with adding Racial Tech. Wanted to add Shadow Racial Tech the Racial Traits, which works fine, but when I start the game to play (regardless if I choose it or not) the main screen (with the planets and everything) is Black! Anyone have this trouble? I wanted to make them unique #44, but even if I made them #7 it didn't seem to work.<hr></blockquote>It seems to be a quirk with SE4. Try starting a new game without quitting, and this time the map should appear properly.
I find that only happens once each time you muck with the racial traits. Dosen't happen again after that.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

Thanks, that did the trick! Of course, the emp files don't work once you change the Racial techs - ah well http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif


Everyone:

Ok, added over 90 new component pics to the mod (including Vorlon, Shaodw, Matter, PDF & Planetary Weapons, Reactors & Engines, Elite Crew Components - still working on these - & Ship Boarding/Defense). Took all data files from below and compiled into the B5 mod Data folder (also in this update). There are only a handful of weapons right now, but you can cut & paste the original SE IV weapons into the file to make it more playable. Living CPUs & Shipboard Teeps working well. Reworked Engines and Reactors to make larger models more worthwhile. Added SJs newest Pop modifiers. In all it is playable, just doesn't have the all the weapons (has 9 wpns) or any armor added yet.

B5ModUpdate.zip

Also added another 10 weapons to my test group.

Getting very close to done! Who knows, we might just beat Gold http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Before anyone points this out, just realized I accidently genned out the Med Bays to X and Advanced Med Bay to 15. To make the Drahk plague work properly, delete Med Bays V-X and in the text for the Advanced Med Bay change all '15's to '5's. In effect, this makes a plague level 5 the Drahk plague and it can only be cured by finding the 'Cure for Nano-Virus' in a ruins. Another thing to mention, the plague bombs go from I-X, but only achieve Plague 4 (with varrying damage and range) and the Drahk Plague I-X goes from Plague 3 to 5, allowing them to start with a more powerful plague than anyone can easily cure right away (if they choose to use it) and lets them develop the dreaded Plague 5.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Looking real good! How about Narn Energy Mines? They are basically very powerful point defense weapons & light anti-ship weapons. They should have a reload rate of 2. They should also have a medium range. Damage should go from weak to strong. This is because this weapon is like a plasma energy torpedo. Higher yeild warhead at farther distance. Ex: Energy Mine I 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

It can be used for both fighter/drone defense and light anti-ship.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The Energy Mines are in the main list of weapons that are still being tested, and I am also still working on the pic and torp for them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I actually found a schematic (I'm beginning to feel like a geek) of an Energy Mine launcher to base the weapon on. I should have that and MANY more weapons in the next update.

What I do need now is someone to find me some sounds for each of the weapons. I know there are sites out there and have visited quite a few, I want to know if anyone has any sounds or is willing to get them from the net for the Mod?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Cool. Glad to hear that will be implemented. This looks to be shaping up very well. I wonder how difficult it will be to convert over to SE:IV gold ed. Either way I'm pretty siked. Bring on the Shadows.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

Would you be able to add another 2 levels to the ECM and Targeting (above Elite)? Would request you add Ancient class, to keep them one notch ahead overall (will only be researchable by Ancient Races).

Also, what do y'all think about Sensors? How should they be handled? I was thinking of combining the sensor abilities into all-in-one snesors and adding Psychic Sensors to the Shipboard Telepath and giving it to the Ancient Version of sensors. Cloaking is pretty much non-existant other than some ancients and the Centauri/Strieb (could also consider the Minbari Jamers), so there won't be much of that available. We could give all mines and sats a cloaking component to make them harder to detect. Opinions?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Added Jump Gates to the Mod:

Update7.zip


Made a new ship type (Jump Gate) that required 99% colony modules and 50 engines to move. Then made a component that had Create Warp Point ability, 50 Standard move(engines), ability to generate/store supplies (reactor) and colony-gas (though I should probably change that to Rock). This creates a ship that can only move 1 space a turn and can only carry the Jump Gate module - with 5 tons to spare. Once the warp point is created, the component is destroyed - so the ship will no longer have supplies or engines. The Last 5 tons is reserved for a self destruct device (now only 5 tons instead of 10), so you can destroy it after it is activated.

If this is popular (ie if y'all like it) then I will add another 4 levels of the gate to increase jump range.

I know another ship could repair the component right now, so how do I set it so it can only be repaired at a planet or so the ship destructs on the use of the Warp Component?

I originally had the Gate component take up all the space except just enough to get two large engines on it (which made it move 1), and had made the supplies part of the Gate component so when the gate component was destroyed on use - no more supplies. But, the ship could still move one space per turn (as you would expect).

[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

"or so the ship destructs on the use of the Warp Component?"

You can't. You also can't prevent other ship types from loading the module, unless you make the jump ship and module much bigger than any other ship class.

Phoenix-D

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Already though of the size thing http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif It's 4995 tons - too big to mount on even a StarBase (and it is a Ship only component) in this mod.

I was trying to use the unique components but couldn't find it in the abilities.

Update7.zip

[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I'm trying to make a jump engine now, and would like to use the Unique Component option (so I can limit it to certain ship sizes) but can't seem to get it to work. Anybody play with this before?

SJ:

Have you tried out the new weapons and components with the armor yet? How's it working? Do you need a larger sampling of weapons to test against? Check in the Image Mod Request thread for all the latest armors - are those enough images or am I missing some?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Would you be able to add another 2 levels to the ECM and Targeting (above Elite)? Would request you add Ancient class, to keep them one notch ahead overall (will only be researchable by Ancient Races).<hr></blockquote>The ECM bit should be taken care of by the advanced armors. The Targetting thing could be built into their weapons.


<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>I know another ship could repair the component right now, so how do I set it so it can only be repaired at a planet or so the ship destructs on the use of the Warp Component?<hr></blockquote>How about restricting mobile space yards in the same way? If you want to repair your gate generator, you'll have to build another very expensive ship. Make the spaceyard quintuple maintenance if you want to allow it on regular ships.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Vorlon armor is able to 'heal' damage and Shadow armor is able to absorb and shunt off a certain amount of damage. Other than that they are also both more advanced (obviously) than the other races armors.

Minbari armor is just a more advanced Version of the same stuff you find on the EA and Narn and Centauri ships (well, dif material but same as far as SE IV would be concerned). It's their jammers that make them tougher than nails

If you want, once we have the basic armor pics made I can easily recolor armor for the major races (EA & Narn - Grey, Centauri - Purple, Minbari - Blue) or we can have the armor progress through the colors, it's your call!<hr></blockquote>
Hmmm. I'm thinking that the armor tech should work something like SE4 classic engines:
A series of price decreases, then a step up to the next grade of armor.
EA-&gt;Narn-&gt;Centauri-&gt;Minbari-&gt;Older Race tech-&gt; Ancient race tech...
That would be good for a tech progression, but the question is, how do we handle the starting levels for the different races.

The other option would be to go with a split.
EA -&gt; Narn -&gt; Centauri -&gt; Cheap Version Shadowy-type stuff
EA -&gt; Narn -&gt; Minbari -&gt; Cheap Version Vorlonish-type stuff
or even:
Basic-&gt; EA -&gt; Centauri -&gt; ... (crystalline-effect stuff)
Basic-&gt; Narn -&gt; Minbari -&gt; ... (organic armor-effect stuff)

-------------
As you may have noticed, I've been pretty busy lately. I've also been hunting for that elusive crashing bug that has to do with sphereworlds full of units.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

SJ:

Yeah, been pretty busy myself between this and the rest of life (how dare life interfere with SEIV) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

One thing to note, EA and Narn armor are pretty much the same, even the Centauri armor isn't all that much better - could just be a higher level of the same stuff. The Minbari armor is a bit more advanced then that, but still no healing or absorbtion. The only real differences I can think of were the White Star & Excalibur - which both used partial Vorlon Tech. I just included them for RP value http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif But the progression levels do make sense, I like the idea of a split in directions, but if a race is to get low level Vorlon or Shadow armor they should need the tech area "Shadow/Vorlon Assistance" (which I was using to give low level weapons research to younger races). Also, I've been trying to make it so the Ancients wil still always be a bit better tech wise even at the end - don't know if everyone agrees with that or not, but I didn't see humans getting to ancient level in the span of the game - the Minbari had barely advanced in 1000 years between Shadow wars! So, there will be an racial ability called B5 Ancient Race which gives you access to ancient abilities. Some items will be able to be reverse engineered, but mostly you are going to have to make a trade with the Vorlons or Shadows to get a White Star/Shadow Omega type ship.

I like the Maps:

Basic -&gt; Narn/EA -&gt; Centauri -&gt; Drahk/Hyach (soemthing high end) -&gt; Shadow(low end available to all with "Shadow Assist", high end restricted)

Basic -&gt; Narn/EA -&gt; Abbai (something midrange) -&gt; Minbari -&gt; Vorlon (ditto "Vorlon Assist")

Though EA/Narn can be split up as well to give 6 classes in each tree (but only 9 total armors).

Could also call them by armor type names:
Armor -&gt; Reenforced Armor -&gt; ? -&gt; Reenforced ? -&gt; Bio-Armor (Shadow/Crystalline)

Armor -&gt; Reenforced Armor -&gt; Poly-Crystalline -&gt; Reenforced P-C -&gt; Bio-Armor (Vorlon/Organic)

Then you have a few extras like the stealth coating and the shields (Abbai (EM), Brakiri (Gravitic), Minbari (Grav), Vorlon (EM)).

The Centauri, Vree and Drahk also have a Gravitic def shield grid - like a 'pre-shield'. EAs answer was the Energy Web.

As for starting level, might as well start them at basic and let them choose the path to what they want to research.

Good idea on the mobile spaceyard costs http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

All:

I know SJ and I are working on quite a few things, and Rambie is working on a revamped EA & Imp Fyron is willing to give a hand when we need it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Is anybody else working on anything?

Edit -

Also wanted to know if anyone has tried any of the new modded techs?

[ 13 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

DataUpdate.zip

Here are the most recent data files.

New Techs include: External Fighter Rails I-III, External Launch Catapults I-II (Drazi), Fighter Bays I-VI, Cobra Bays I-VI (EA), External Cargo Pods I-III, Living CPU I-X (Shadows), Shipboard Telepaths I-X, Jumpgate I-V, Jump Drive (this is for roleplaying and will require the player to close the jump point after opening it and passing through - though other ships may also pass through before closing - also requires a LOT of supplies to use so ship will need at bare minimum a Huge and Medium reactor), Light/Medium/Heavy/Neutron/Spinal Lasers I-X, Slicer Beam I-X (Shadows), Medium Lightning Cannon I-X (Vorlon), Interceptors Mk I & II I-X, Standard Particle Beam I-X, Fission/Fussion/AntiMatter/Gravitic/HyperspaceTap Drives & Reactors.

I also left in SJ's original armors (posted a while back). I had been taking them out with the weapons that are not done, but accidently left them in this time. Oops!

Another note: the externally mounted components have the Armor ability so they will be hit first by most weapons. This is to represent their exposed nature and fragility.


Currently working on Weapons, Boarding/Security, Specialty Crew components, Mines/Sats/Layers, Troops/Infantry, Planetary Defense facilities & Racial Techs.

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]</p>

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Question for all:

I am just about ready to merge all the weapons into a file, but I'm having a little trouble making a decision on the tech trees.

Should I go with Idea A -
Limit the weapons to individual races - this would mean only the Narn would be able to research Energy Mines, only Drazi can research the Solar Cannon, only the Hyach can research Spinal Laser, etc.. There are weapon techs that are freely researchable by all, such as low end particle and plasma weapons, most matter weapons, Ionic weapons and a few here and there in the others (Low end lasers, etc.).

- OR -

Should I go with Idea B -
The other option is to make researching the different fields more expensive but giving everyone access to just about everything (Ancient stuff will still be restricted to their races). This way you could do broad research into everthing, but concentrating in one/two fields would yield more powerful weapons quicker. AI would be set to research the weapons that that race traditional uses - so in general the AI ships will stick to the basic B5 ideas, but a human could choose to research 'whatever' (so the Minbari might become Plasma/Missile experts rather than Molecular/EM experts).


I would like any input y'all might have ASAP http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif


Also, I changed the cargo and fighter bays a bit. The tech side of the mod is really picking up speed now and I am aiming to get the weapons done this weekend if I hear from everyone. Would also like to add in whatever SJ currently has working for armor and then start writing the AIs. Most of the component pics are done and are posted on SJ's homepage (look in his signature for the link).

Thanks!!!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I'm for option "A". This would force you to trade for this tech or spy for it. Plus it would keep most races unique to their own tech.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

"This would force you to trade for this tech or spy for it. Plus it would keep most races unique to their own tech. "

You cannot trade for or spy steal racial techs. Only complete ships.

Phoenix-D