Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Great to see this kind of energy back into this project!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

We were asked to put in our two cents worth... Well, I guess that my opinion will be that of an average gamer, as grumbler seems to have taken care of the rest.

I really enjoy the B5 universe, and I like the Mod. I feel that game play needs to be trimmed up a bit in two areas. The construction times and the tech trees. I find the tech trees somewhat convuluted and redundant, and I think that if these were adjusted, it would make the game move a little faster. As well, I think that the construction times should be somewhat quicker. Not as fast as in the regular game, but not as long as in this mod currently....

My two cents...

Stargrazer

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well, I got the Trading Ports built by giving them the "Palace" ability and requiring "Palace" as the first build of the AI's colonies. Since "Palace" is a system ability, the AI builds only one per system.

However, it means changing AI files, not something I want to mess with unless Path tells me to.

Is anyone else playing a solitaire game? If so, could you peek in on your Ai races and see if the problem I have described (the AI not building spaceports) is a real problem?

The Centauri are a good one to check if you have them in your game. The EA is not - they are natural merchants (but if you have them as an AI player, please confirm that they have no homeworld hub).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Grumbler: No need for my permission. *shrug* me heading off to get lost in Star Wars Galaxies when I get my copy.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Yehaa, I got my copy of B5 Season 2 today!! I had it send up here. At a small fee I deemed it worth it. The bad thing is I have to watch it on my laptop. A well, with my GF next to me it's all good and well. Today no updates on 2.0.
About the building times: I look into that when the first Version is completed. After some testing I'll decide what to change about them.

Till the next time! See ya!

Edit: Ehh for the second time, would someone please upload his or her settings.txt (B5gold) for me?!

[ June 24, 2003, 10:02: Message edited by: Timstone ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Sorry Timstone, my PC with B5 on it fried this AM http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Yikes, scifi mod computers are dropping like flies!

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Andres is next! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hopefully it is only the memory that fried but one never knows...

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Hmm... scary times these are. I better make a full backup of everything on it. Thanks for the warning...
But I still need the settings.txt.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Thanks AGoetz for the settings.txt.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Sorry, Tim I couldn't find the original settings.txt and couldn't remember which changes I made two weeks ago (my notes are around here somewhere) but I should have let you know.

Still working on a an upgrade to the engines system and just started to pick through the Minbari weapons options. I am starting with Minbari since they seem to work pretty well right now but need the advanced stuff if they are to keep up.

BTW, I'm on turn 200 of a game (playing Minbari) with the corrected spaceports AI files and am in 7th place! I don't think I have ever stayed down so far for so long. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ June 26, 2003, 17:12: Message edited by: grumbler ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

It's alright. Hope that new system of yours works out (starting buildings and so on), coz the buildings the AI in the beginning gets were rightout strange. Ah well, if it works fine, I'll implement it in the 2.0 Version.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Joehoe, anybody home?! Please opload the settings.txt, it's only a small file, won't take much time and would make me very very happy. Come on guys upload it for me.
*Almost breaks in tears*

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I have kinda reached a dead end with the engine mods, barring the possibility that people will accept a single massive (like 2000kt massive! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ) engine module for the Planet Killers that gives something like a 10-speed bonus.

The problem, as we all know by now, is the 255 limit to engines. Now, without bonus speeds, the planet killers can only move at speed 3, even if they devote 100% of their space to engines!

Unfortunately, as we know from "A Call to Arms" fleets were not limited by the speed of their planet-killers.

Now, since the speed of planet-killers will be determined almost exclusively by the bonus movement assigned by their engines, it seems that the only way to make them work is with a huge bonus, with a correspondingly huge component that provides the bonus (else other ships will use the component and get the bonus "unfairly.")

The system I will propose will take care of ships through 1250k tons very nicely, and through 2000kt with a slight loss of top speed. But the 5000kt ships simply throw all the rules out the window.

So, can people live with such a component? PF, can we get the AI to use it?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Why not just lower the engines per move of planet killers?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm Then we get into the whole issue of whether or not we are trying to maintain consistency.

In order for 5000kt ships to move at anything like normal speeds, they would have to massively violate the pseudo-Newtonian principals of the game.

Even better would be to have the engines per move of ALL ships be 1 per 100kt, rather than 1 per 50kt.

However, that would be a massive rewrite of the system that exists, and I already think I am stepping on toes with what i propose.

That is why I suggest that v2.0 use the 100kt per ton (eliminating the x50 ton vehicle sizes, unfortunately, but also allowing more variation at the top end in exchange)), but that does not solve the problem with v1.0 (or whatever Version we are on right now! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ) which can only be solved through some workarounds.

There are a lot of reasons why more variation should occur at the low end of the ship spectrum, and that is where the x50kt ships are concentrated. For one thing, the costs to build up ship size tech are proportional, right now, to the progression of research points. If v2.0 goes with the x100 model, this will be a tough issue to deal with.

So, bottom line, we need to account for the 5000kt ships in a way that is considtent with the rest of the ships, or else they become disproportionately effective. The only way I see of to deal with this is through some "gawdawful" component that gives a huge movement bounus.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

And before I get too far into my weapons system analysis, I want to get a feel for how many people really want the EA to be "uniquely interesting" by having so many weapons choices.

Right now, I guess about half of the unique weapons are EA-specific. Since the canon revolves around the EA, I guess this is natural as a starting point.

However, I personally find the choices bewildering and the optimal mix hard to calculate. If we are not to end up with unmanageable file sizes, I think we need to rethink having such things as anti-missile-missiles and anti-fighter missiles that do much the same job (let alone all the array of PD weapons) so we can free slots for things like advanced Minbari weapons ('cause right now about half the Minbari weapons research programs are dead ends).

Thoughts?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Lowering the big ship's engines per move has the same effect, and eliminates the need for a special component (which violates the QNP principles equally to the lowering of engines per move anyways).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Lost my cookies yesterday and it appears I have lost my @hotmail e-mail address. SOOOooooo, looks like my PBW need to go to harryb1@comcast.net instead.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why on earth would you need to "free slots" ??
The components.txt will be loaded quickly and correctly even if it is upwards of 7 megs in size!
(I made such a file as a P&N extension using my tech gridder - it works great!)

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Then you need to change that on the PBW site. The turn emails are automatically generated by the PBW server; I have nothing to do with them.

Grumbler, having more separate anti-fighter and anti-missile missiles is a good thing because it means that there are more choices to have to make; do you want to be strongly anti-fighter or strongly anti-missile, or a more balanced approach? That, and file size hardly matters at all except for downloads, but those are not very often, so a few extra KBs of d/l aren't much of a problem.

[ June 28, 2003, 17:08: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">But if you lower the engines per move of the Planet Killer, how can you justify not lowering it for the rest of the ships? QNP hold that mass is the key, and if you say the mass of the Planet Killer is unique, how do you justify that?

The special component would weigh the same for "effective thrust" as the engines it replaces. It is just a way of getting around the 255 engines limit. In wieght cost per effective thrust it is a push.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, I guess that is my question: do people want to have all of these "choices"? Personally, I find them far too bewildering for the minimal gain received.

The anti-fighter missile shoots down Ftr\Sat\Seekers\Drone, and the AMM does not shoot down anything but seekers. The AMM is a PD weapons and the AFM a seeker, but they have the same range and damage per hull space taken. Personally, I don't think the decision which to use is very much "fun."

It is true that there is no special size limit on the components file per se, but incrasing the size of it makes it more difficult to work through it and figure out what you are supposed to be building towards.

However, if people are happy with the current system, I can always just make the recommended changes to Tim for his Version 2.0, and the components guru can take what he wants from that for the 1.x Version currently underway.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well I have not looked at all of the weapons specifically. If that is the case, then the weapons need to be changed to have a choice. An anti-fighter missile should target only fighters. Either eliminated generic PDC-type weapons or making them weaker than specialized ones is a good idea in principle, it just appears to have been botched in this case.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

IF: I don't remember what that password/userid is....

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

I have finished testing my engines mod (less the mega-component idea I am still working on) and the results can be found at 1057417986.zip

The readme explains the changes. No changes yet to ancient engines (since the AI seems to use them just fine) or fighter engines.

Is anyone interested in a QNP mod for fighters? I have one that still is in testing, but can finish it if there is interest.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The new AI facilities construction file is at 1057419090.zip.

The readme explains the changes. This seems to work, but Pathfinder is better at finding the flaws than I am, and he hasn't seen or "blessed" these changes.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Why the bonus movement for AM and grav drives?
You've already got more thrust coming out of them, so adding bonus movement dosen't help with the movement limits and disrupts the QNP physics.

I would also argue that the reactor cost balance could be pushed even farther. 25% minerals and 75% rads, say.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The idea I had was to balance out the drives so that the "fleet speed" of a human player using 40% of the ship's tonnage on engines was as follows:
Fission: 4
Fusin: 6
A-M: 9
Grav: 12

I.e. roughly a 50% boost with each power tech. In order to do that without getting into the 254 limit for the bigger ships, I had to use some bonus MP. Right now the 254 limit is reached at Fission and fusion only at the 5000kt shop level, at 2000kt (slight impact only) for AM, and 1500kt for Grav.

In other words, it was a balancing game. It actually helps the AI a bit, as the AI tends to design slower ships, and thus the high tech engines with bonus movement allows them to pack more weapons. Didn't want to upset the balance with the ancients, though, so I left them alone.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree, but didn't want to push TOO far! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

G'day mates!

Say, I have arrived in the final stages of testing the basic setup of the game (THE moment to bring in some final changes). After this stage I will build some races and bring out a test Version of 2.0.
I begun my testing with a game against a few computers and high tech (i.e. all tech). I took a look at my homeplanet. EEK! It was terrible! Downright scary I tell you! All my Mining Colonies were replaced by Aggressive Mining Colonies! So I had no %'tages left in Minerals, Organics and Rads. My whole planet was stripmined in the first round (looked like Narn Homeworld, hehe...). The horror! So, how do I solve this?

Grumbler: Cool numbercrunching mister! Great job, I certainly include your AI_Facilities Construction file, but I don't really know about the thrust modifications. To be honest, I don't really know what to do with it. You're the first one to bring it up and quite frankly I want to hear the oppinions of other people too. Anyway, great job!

Edit: SJ: Could you make an armor especially for the Ancients? They have very good armor in the board game but not in the game. So, would you like to do this?

[ July 05, 2003, 21:24: Message edited by: Timstone ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

The HW facilities will be as follows:
1) The Last Spaceport facility in the file that is available with starting tech.
2) The Last SY facility in the file that is available with starting tech.
3) The Last Resupply facility that is the file that is available with starting tech.
4) One facility that is the highest producer of Organics.
5) One facility that is the highest producer of Radioactives.
6) One facility that is the highest producer of Minerals.
7) One facility that is the highest producer of Research.
8) Repeast 6 & 7 until the planet is filled.

Position in the file and tech reqs (other than if it is available) are irrelevant for the resource/research facilities.

So, if you start off with Mining Colonies and Aggressive Mining Colonies available, then the Aggressive ones will be picked because they produce more resources.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Ah, yes, now I see. Thanks IF.

Ehh... to repeat my question to SJ (see dit Last question): Would you like to make an armor especially for the Ancients (maybe seperate armor for the organics based, the telepathic based and the gravitic based races)?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Timstone: yep, I noted that Homeworld bug for agressive mines a few days ago, while I think you were off-line. Kinda scary, huh? Just makes you want to be even more careful when "fiddling" with stuff.

Another thought for Version 2.0: it strikes me as redundent that we have light, medium, heavy, and mega Versions for a lot of weapons, and then regular, large, heavy, and massive ship mounts. It seems to me that we could have a basic Version of the weapon and then make the costs, size, damage and range vary by mount.

This would also make it easier to create race-specific "better" Versions of various weapons, as there would be no need to create 40 weapons profiles - just ten.

This would also get rid of much of the seperate different types of weapons for each race and "general" that need be researched, if that was a goal of yours.

Something to think on.

Also, along those same lines, I was thinking about increasing the differentiation between the sizes of ships, so that the LC isn't just a larger Version of the DD, but a slightly different animal. If, for instance, you limited DDs and smaller to "light" weapons mounts, they would have shorter ranges (since in my model weapons mounts increase range as well as damage etc) and thus wouldn't be worth building UNLESS you also gave them (in addition to the defensive bonus they now get) some inherent combat speed bonus. Larger numbers of smaller, cheaper vessels would then be able to get close to their larger opponents faster, and this would make them worth buying.

Thoughts?

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

About the weapon mounts: Please explain. I've been drinking heavily when typing this (and fiddling with my GF (she made me type this btw), so I'm not too clear anymore. Please elaborate about the concepts you were typing about.

About shipsizes: The whole purpose of this new Version of the mod is that it will be finished when StarFury arrives. I hated the concept of an eternal mod (eternaly in development), so I began work on this Version. I won't incorporate it into the first Version of 2.0, but maybe in later Versions (when you've fully developed the concept http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif ). Okay?

Oh man, I go to bed now, this girl is killing me, so is the booze... G'dnite Everyone, see you tommorrow... or not... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Grumbler: I looked through your AI Facilities Construction File, but I haven't got a Trading Port in 2.0. I checked the older Version (which I used as a basis for 2.0, but there isn't a Trading Port in that either. Is this facility an invention of yours or... also please explain.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Okay, this sucks BIG TIME!!!

When I was searching for the Trading Port Grumbler mentioned, I discovered I was using Version 1.49.30 instead of 1.49.33. This means I have to implement A LOT of thingies again to make it right. Sugh, the first big setback in the history of 2.0. A well, it's only the first setback. There will be more, I hope they won't be as big as this one. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Trading Port is the first facility in the Facility.txt file Da path sent out:
Name := Trading Port I
Description :=
Facility Group := Miscellaneous
Facility Family := 1102
Roman Numeral := 2
Restrictions := None
Pic Num := 261
Cost Minerals := 9050
Cost Organics := 2263
Cost Radioactives := 1508
Number of Tech Req := 2
Tech Area Req 1 := Industry
Tech Level Req 1 := 0
Tech Area Req 2 := B5 Standard Race
Tech Level Req 2 := 1
Number of Abilities := 10
Ability 1 Type := Planet - Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 1000 shield points
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Resource Generation - Minerals
Ability 2 Descr :=
Ability 2 Val 1 := 50
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0
Ability 3 Type := Resource Generation - Organics
Ability 3 Descr :=
Ability 3 Val 1 := 50
Ability 3 Val 2 := 0
Ability 4 Type := Resource Generation - Radioactives
Ability 4 Descr :=
Ability 4 Val 1 := 25
Ability 4 Val 2 := 0
Ability 5 Type := Spaceport
Ability 5 Descr := Provides a small space port and trading post for the planet.
Ability 5 Val 1 := 1
Ability 5 Val 2 := 0
Ability 6 Type := Cargo Storage
Ability 6 Descr := Provides 500 extra cargo spaces.
Ability 6 Val 1 := 500
Ability 6 Val 2 := 0
Ability 7 Type := Resource Storage - Mineral
Ability 7 Descr := Can store 1000 minerals for the Empire.
Ability 7 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 7 Val 2 := 0
Ability 8 Type := Resource Storage - Organics
Ability 8 Descr := Can store 1000 organics for the Empire.
Ability 8 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 8 Val 2 := 0
Ability 9 Type := Resource Storage - Radioactives
Ability 9 Descr := Can store 1000 radioactives for the Empire.
Ability 9 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 9 Val 2 := 0
Ability 10 Type := Scanner Jammer
Ability 10 Descr :=
Ability 10 Val 1 := 1
Ability 10 Val 2 := 0

Note that Ability 10 "SJ" will be "Palace" in the mod Version, as then only one will be built per system.

This is necessary for the construction of space ports in a system, as currently the AI uses the most advanced SP-capable facility when that ability is called for, and that is the Homeworld Hub (which takes 4.2x10^3 years, or sumpin, for a newly colonied planet).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Boy, that sucks even bigger-time than you thought, as all my stuff is Gold Version (1.84, I think it is up to now). I cannot guarantee any compatability. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Still, analysis is analysis, and the biggest headache remaining is the components.txt file, and that is not Version-specific.

[ July 07, 2003, 01:15: Message edited by: grumbler ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Another kinda random thought: I had complained that the Vorlons and Shadows were too powerful, but after playing another couple of 300+ turn games, I have decided that y'all were right and I was wrong! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

In the latest game, as the Centauri, I fought a losing war along with my allies the Minbari against the Vorlons. Each of us lost about three systems (mine were just wiped out, but the Minbari system closest to the Vorlons was actually invaded and captured).

Then the Vorlons left us alone except for intel attacks. It forced me to invest heavily in intel facilities, but that is all to the good. After leaving a big buffer zone around the Vorlons (who waged war on every single species they encountered, BTW, including a takeover of the Gaim), I was able to procede with my plans.

In short, it felt about right.

In the other game, as the Minbari, I just watched as the Vorlons smoked first the Centauri, then the Narn, systems within four systems of the Vorlon Homeworld. Of course, they DoW'ed me as soon as they encountered me, but I left them alone and they didn't bother me (much - intel attacks again, but much less strong).

Again, it felt about right. It was kinda fun sending in scouts who got to watch my allies get toasted and then run for home (only to come back later and find empty systems).

Planet killers seem like a waste of time for a race that has Heavy Lightning Guns, though! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

I still like the idea of Line of Sight (20-range) telepath attacks rather than the short-ranged ones in the game as is, but that is another story, for another day, as Emperor londo liked to say.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes it is. You have to add Drone on a lot of vehicle and targeting type fields in Components.txt for Gold.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">True, but that's just a simple search and replace operation. Takes but minutes. It's not like the AI files which have multiple changes (added lines) to each file.

I would be better for Tim's Version to be Gold, of course, but then the fact that it isn't leaves room for my Gold mod Version 2.0! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Well because I wanted to eliminate the hopelessly chaotic stuff in the components.txt (one of the main reasons to begin work on 2.0), I went about differently. But that will be seen in 2.0 when it is ready maybe you'll like it, maybe not. Time will tell.
Work is proceding again in good order, the setback of yesterday is almost completely repaired. But some of the tings new in .33 (in relation to .30) are easily included in 2.0.
Yes, also the Trading Port was in .33, haha. Thanks anyway Grumbler.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Grumbler: My Version is Gold. But I used the non gold Version as a basis for it all. I just forgot to install the latset (the least old) Version of it.

Another question for you. I have read through your AI Facilities Construction File. I see you haven't used the COlony Hub anywhere. So there is actually noi point in keeping it in the mod now is there. I see it as an "quick" to build Version of the Homeworld Hub.
The way I see it, is that there must be a main structure in the colony and seconday buildings to define the function of a colony. A few examples (these examples are only for the Standard races):

Homeworld
Main: Homeworld Hub
Secondary: anything

Manufacturing Colony
Main: Manufacturing Colony
Secondary: Depot, Resource Extraction

Military Installation
Main: Military Outpost (or Adv. Military outpost)
Secondary: Listening Post

Mining/Farming Colony
Main: Trading Port (or Colony Hub)
Secondary: Resource Extraction

Intel Compound
Main: Military Outpost (or Adv. Military outpost)
Secondary: Intelligence buildings

Research Campus
Main: Trading Port (or Colony Hub)
Secondary: Research buildings

Construction Yard
Main: Ship Yard
Secondary: Depot, Resource Extraction

In other words, I want to have each building a specific task in the colony. I'm worried that if that isn't done a lot of buildings go unused. Furthermore, how is the Homeworld (very, very, very important planet coz of the slow construction of new colonies) put together? Does it contain a Homeworld Hub or a Trading Post as main building? If the Trading Post is the main building, shouldn't you give the Homeworld Hub the "palace" insignia?
Only the main buildings get the Space Yard option (the Space Yard facility the best of course).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">True. The Colony Hub isn't used right now by the AI (but could be used by human players, though I never do). Frankly, it is a bit of "do everything that the colony already does, but at great cost." http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Quote:

The way I see it, is that there must be a main structure in the colony and seconday buildings to define the function of a colony. A few examples (these examples are only for the Standard races): [examples snipped] In other words, I want to have each building a specific task in the colony. I'm worried that if that isn't done a lot of buildings go unused.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, this is true for the human player, but for the AI the plan is a bit different: the Ai needs to be programmed to build the next building which is "most efficient."

As way to get around this is to make the AI build a larger number of different colonies, like "Huge World Agricultural Colony," "Small World Agricultural Colony," "Medium World Research Colony" and the like from the _AI_Planet_Types file and then make a custom Faciliyies build list for each type. I think I could do this if that's the route you want to take. It would make the AI a lot "smarter" in terms of the colonies it ends up with.

Quote:

Furthermore, how is the Homeworld (very, very, very important planet coz of the slow construction of new colonies) put together? Does it contain a Homeworld Hub or a Trading Post as main building? If the Trading Post is the main building, shouldn't you give the Homeworld Hub the "palace" insignia?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Homeworld as designed right now gets filled by the setup process, so the Facilities list in the AI_Contruction_Facilities file seems a bit redundent. There is no need for the Trading Port on the homeworld because the HH already has a spaceport (and note, importantly, that Natural Merchants do not get a homeworld hub!)

You cannot put "palace" on the HH because then the IA would try to build HHs first thing on the first planet of every system, and so the system would have no spaceport for many many years. The palace ability should be left to the trading ports only. The downside to this is that the first colony in the home system will build a trading port needlessly in order to get the palace ability, but this is something we can live with, I think.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Ah yes, now I see.
So, the homeworld "loses" one building spot for the sake of the Trading Port. And needlessly creates 2 buildings with the Spaceport ability. Well, that's certainly something we can all live with.
Okay, here's what I'll do. I delete the Colony Hub (it's useless with the Trading Port around) and I'll incorporate the Trading Port.
But, I'm going to change the main buildings to the roles I thought out for them in my Last post.

Great work Grumbler. This is much more productive than I thought. This really helping me a lot.
I was so arrogant and fed up with the state of the B5Mod that I thought I could make the next Version of The Mod on my own. I would do it in a really short time. Yeah, sure... not. I've come a long way without help from people (I wanted it that way), but now the release of the first testVersion is drawing nearer and nearer I see it is a hell of a job to set up and do. Thanks again evenryone for their help, support, recomendations and requests.

Edit01:
Oops, alright, I jumped the gun too soon with my thanks to Grumbler, hehehe...
I entered the whole thing (Palace to Trading Port), but it seems that Gold doesn't know that term. Now what?

Edit02: Sigh, sometimes it really shows when I've been too long behind my computer (read: laptop). I've been doing 3D programming (for work) and analysing structures for about 12 hours now. I complained about the Palace thingie. Well, I've corrected it and now SE4: Gold eats it. Hope it works. I'll report back tommorrow. Today I'm turning in very early. Tommorrow I see my GF again. Ah, sweet dreams...

P.S. Sorry about the mess in this message.

[ July 07, 2003, 18:15: Message edited by: Timstone ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Okay, I couldn't resist to work on The Mod again after dinner.
I've been fiddling with those facilities, but I can't make them work properly. The Palace "tag" isn't working. I've tried every possible combination to make it work.

grumbler: Would you like to think this idea over? I can't seem to make it work on my computer.

everyone: I want the computer to place a Homeworld Hub on every homeworld I start with (1, 3, 5 or 10) and on every colony the AI must begin building a Trading post first (not a Homeworld Hub). What the heck should I do to make this system work?! Grumbler worked out a possible system, but I doens't work at my computer (and yes I followed his instructions to the letter).

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Look in your Abilities.txt file and make sure "Palace" is listed. It should be right after Spaceport. If it isn't there, paste in

Palace
Value1 =
Value2 =

and try it again. It works just great in my setup. What error message are you getting? Do all the AIs have the correct [Racename]_AI_Construction_facility.txt file? Try moving all the race-specific [Racename]_AI_Construction_facility.txt file out of their folders under "pictures/races/[racename] into a temporary folder, and make sure the default_AI_Construction_facility.txt file (in the AI folder) is the correct one, and see if that works.

I'd need more data to troubleshoot beyond that.

Quote:

everyone: I want the computer to place a Homeworld Hub on every homeworld I start with (1, 3, 5 or 10) and on every colony the AI must begin building a Trading post first (not a Homeworld Hub). What the heck should I do to make this system work?! Grumbler worked out a possible system, but I doens't work at my computer (and yes I followed his instructions to the letter).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Homeworld bit will work so long as it is either a spaceport or a refuelling station or both, as the AI will place the best facilities that give each of those capabilities. If it has both, then no seperate facility is needed to provide them.

[ July 07, 2003, 23:19: Message edited by: grumbler ]

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Abilities.txt is not read by the game...
It is merely a reference file for modders, like the history and readme.txt files.

Re: Babylon 5 Mod
 

Ah yes, a good night it was. It's amazing how refresshing a bit of sleep can be.

Okay, I'll post here waht I've done.

Name := Homeworld Hub I
Description :=
Facility Group := Hub
Facility Family := 1
Roman Numeral := 1
Restrictions := None
Pic Num := 68
Cost Minerals := 95355
Cost Organics := 27740
Cost Radioactives := 27270
Number of Tech Req := 0
Number of Abilities := 20
Ability 1 Type := Planet - Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 5000 points of shielding for the planet during combat.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 5000
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Resource Generation - Minerals
Ability 2 Descr := Mines 1000 minerals each turn.
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0
Ability 3 Type := Resource Generation - Radioactives
Ability 3 Descr := Extracts 500 radioactives each turn.
Ability 3 Val 1 := 500
Ability 3 Val 2 := 0
Ability 4 Type := Resource Generation - Organics
Ability 4 Descr := Colony generates 500 organics per turn.
Ability 4 Val 1 := 500
Ability 4 Val 2 := 0
Ability 5 Type := Point Generation - Research
Ability 5 Descr := Generates 500 research points each turn.
Ability 5 Val 1 := 500
Ability 5 Val 2 := 0
Ability 6 Type := Point Generation - Intelligence
Ability 6 Descr := Generates 500 intelligence points each turn.
Ability 6 Val 1 := 500
Ability 6 Val 2 := 0
Ability 7 Type := Spaceport
Ability 7 Descr := Acts as a spaceport for this system.
Ability 7 Val 1 := 0
Ability 7 Val 2 := 0
Ability 8 Type := Cargo Storage
Ability 8 Descr := Provides 5000 extra cargo spaces.
Ability 8 Val 1 := 5000
Ability 8 Val 2 := 0
Ability 9 Type := Resource Storage - Mineral
Ability 9 Descr := Can store 50000 minerals for the Empire.
Ability 9 Val 1 := 50000
Ability 9 Val 2 := 0
Ability 10 Type := Resource Storage - Organics
Ability 10 Descr := Can store 50000 organics for the Empire.
Ability 10 Val 1 := 50000
Ability 10 Val 2 := 0
Ability 11 Type := Resource Storage - Radioactives
Ability 11 Descr := Can store 50000 radioactives for the Empire.
Ability 11 Val 1 := 50000
Ability 11 Val 2 := 0
Ability 12 Type := Supply Generation
Ability 12 Descr := Can generate unlimited supplies each turn for ships.
Ability 12 Val 1 := 0
Ability 12 Val 2 := 0
Ability 13 Type := Space Yard
Ability 13 Descr := Can construct with 1000 minerals per turn.
Ability 13 Val 1 := 1
Ability 13 Val 2 := 1000
Ability 14 Type := Space Yard
Ability 14 Descr := Can construct with 1000 organics per turn.
Ability 14 Val 1 := 2
Ability 14 Val 2 := 1000
Ability 15 Type := Space Yard
Ability 15 Descr := Can construct with 1000 radioactives per turn.
Ability 15 Val 1 := 3
Ability 15 Val 2 := 1000
Ability 16 Type := Change Population Happiness - System
Ability 16 Descr := The presense of the Homeworld provides the system with a bonus to their happiness.
Ability 16 Val 1 := 2
Ability 16 Val 2 := 0
Ability 17 Type := System Point Generation Modifier - Research
Ability 17 Descr := Increase all research in a system by 10% (only 1 facility per system effective).
Ability 17 Val 1 := 10
Ability 17 Val 2 := 0
Ability 18 Type := Reduced Maintenance Cost - System
Ability 18 Descr := Reduces all vehicle maintenance costs in the system by 15% (only 1 facility per system effective).
Ability 18 Val 1 := 15
Ability 18 Val 2 := 0
Ability 19 Type := Change Bad Event Chance - System
Ability 19 Descr := Decreases the chance of any bad events in this system (only 1 facility per system effective).
Ability 19 Val 1 := -30
Ability 19 Val 2 := 0
Ability 20 Type := Combat Modifier - System
Ability 20 Descr := When fighting to defend their homewworld system, ships receive a 20% Combat bonus.
Ability 20 Val 1 := 20
Ability 20 Val 2 := 0

Name := Trading Port I
Description :=
Facility Group := Hub
Facility Family := 2
Roman Numeral := 1
Restrictions := None
Pic Num := 2
Cost Minerals := 9050
Cost Organics := 1860
Cost Radioactives := 2550
Number of Tech Req := 0
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Planet - Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 1000 points of shielding for the planet during combat.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Spaceport
Ability 2 Descr := Acts as a spaceport for this system.
Ability 2 Val 1 := 0
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0
Ability 3 Type := Palace
Ability 3 Descr :=
Ability 3 Val 1 := 1
Ability 3 Val 2 := 0

I want the starting planets (the planets you get in the beginning) to have 1 Homeworld Hub. And the rest of the planets (the planets you colonize) to start with a Trading Port. That's all. Grumbler, you say you have it working on your computer, but mine is stubborn as Hell. Any idea's?