FQM Reactions
 

What do you like and/or dislike about Fyron's Quadrant Mod (either or both Versions (standard and deluxe))?

http://fqm.spaceempires.net/

Re: FQM Reactions
 

im not to happy about the bug with poor or average starting planets, and mod it so that systems with medium moons are not allowed for starting places - so that the bug only applies to poor starting planets.

id rather give up the poor starting planets, than give up the variety of systems - or restrict starting locations so heavily.

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Said it before, I'll say it again. Too many asteroids in the asteroid ring. It makes the system look a little busy. This statement is 100% RDA pure opinion -- O% content.

It's a little unbalanceing in the standard game, when stellar manipulation turns each into a planet. But it really helps make remote mining profitable, esp for Proportions. So maybe it's worth, reducing the size so it's always tiny, and maybe not completely filling the ring?

Everything else about FQM is pure gold -- machine planets, irradiated planets, atmosphere moons -- oh yeah.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Umm... you can use average HWs since... several Versions ago. I already made it so that you can not start in the few system types that use medium moons as home systems (only a couple of systems have medium moons now). Have you had this bug happen in the latest Versions of the mod? Did I miss a system? I hope not. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Arckon:
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Then you will love FQM 2.05/1.19, as I added some new mid-life type quadrants (Mid-life No Ast) that have only 2 asteroid fields in standard systems instead of... however many are normally there. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif If you want to make other types of quadrants like this, simply copy those new quadrant entries and change the first several lines to fit the new quadrant type. Most quadrant types (ML, cluster, grid, etc.) use the exact same system list, and just have a few different settings. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I actually tried that, and got bizarre results... SE4 does not like custom-sized asteroid calls. :'S

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well it is not completely full now. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif But, you can try the Mid-Life No Ast quadrants out. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ September 20, 2003, 18:09: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Surely more than 2 people must have played the mod...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've already discussed much about system things with you. So that's my excuse.

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I'm currently playing FQM midlife in Delvenmod, and with all the astroid systems, it has made for one h... of a rough game. The AI is using fleets of anywhere from 50 up to 246 . the fleets include anywhere from 30-40 CV's. Yes it makes for more planets, BUT, it also gives the AI the capacity to have bigger and larger fleets.... The combat (tactical) has been fun to say the least.

I for one like it, my 2 cents

just some ideas Mac

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Damaging warp points bug the piss out of me and screw up the AI. Other than that, great MOD.

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http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif You can mod them out by setting the Chance line for the damaging abilities in StellarAbilityTypes.txt to 0 on the Unstable Warp Point...

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Overall it's a great mod. There's only two things that irk though. One is the multi-coloured (and damaging) warp points. It's a major annoyance having ten colonizers forget where they were going after sustaining a lttle warp damage. And I have to say that I hated the multi-colour scheme. I kept thinking that It was pride week in the galaxy, or that the supreme creator of the SE4 universe must really, really like the circus. I went through the system files and fixed it more to my liking.

The other thing that are somewhat irksome are the atmosphere-laden moons. Originally I liked the idea but then it seemed like there were no "normal" moons left. Instead of seeing a planet with moons all I saw were a cluster of planets. It made me miss seeing actual moons. And it kind-of took some of the fun out of terraforming. In short, I like atmosphere moons, but I just wish that they were more rare. So that finding one would be an interesting bonus instead of just part of the routine.

Oh, and tiny gas giants. Please get rid of tiny (and small) gas giants. They freak me out.

Re: FQM Reactions
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, that is annoying...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I found the blue ones boring. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif I could probably include some alternate SectType files with different colors of WPs... would not help much with PBW games though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm... I do have some moons forced to be none... I suppose more could be done. It would help out the none atmosphere races, which kind of get screwed in FQM.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why do they freak you out? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Who is to say it is impossible to have "tiny" or "small" gas planets? Also, perhaps they are just really really dense. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: FQM Reactions
 

I'm in a game using your mod.

For the most part, I think it's a well-balanced mod...no advantages to certain atmospheres and planet types. However, in this game, I'm creating planets. What I don't know is if the FQM mod comes into play when a new planet is randomly generated. BUT, something seems wrong. I've created around 50 planets and only ONE has turned out being NONE atmosphere. Not what I would call random (or else I've had bad luck). The majority were rock (around 30). Gas was next followed by ice. Carbon dioxide was the clear winner in atmospheres.

So, I was just wondering if the mod had its effect placed on planet creation. If so, then something seems out of place with regards to generating random NONE atmospheres.

Otherwise, I like the mod. One sure does have to click to look at the moons, though (hehe). Yes, tend to agree with another poster about those "asteroid" systems where the entire thing is filled up with asteroids...but it doesn't occur that often (judging it from the occurances in the PBW tourney map).

One question, though: I don't think I've seen planets with percentages higher than 150. Is that right? Why not make it a bit more realistic (well, perhaps it's more realistic) by upping the resource percentages where planets occur with lots of high-resource asteroids. Seems a bit weird to see all those asteroid fields with numbers in the 200's and check out the planets to see them with wimpy resources. Just a thought. Perhaps the logic is too difficult to create (i.e., this logic: IF "lots of asteroids" then PLANET percentages range from 75 - 300 percent)

Keep up the good work. We appreciate it, Fyron!

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why do they freak you out? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Who is to say it is impossible to have "tiny" or "small" gas planets? Also, perhaps they are just really really dense. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I always figured that a gas giant that small would break apart and essentially become a storm. And if they were really, really dense then they wouldn't be made of gas now would they? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Have you taken a look at Atrocities SWII mod? I don't know if nhe based his system files off of FQM or not but he has a few alternate WP pics that look quite nice (like the bajoran wormhole and such). One thing that is evil was that he made all asteroids damaging. I've seen this cripple the AI.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There's actually a pretty good reason for that. Most planets tend to be just as valuable as their asteroid neighbors, the problem is that during formation all of the heavy (ie. valuable) elements
gravitate to the core. They are there, we just can't get to them.

Asteroids, on the other hand, are all broken up with their riches available for anyone to snatch up. What about planet creation you ask? Why can you turn these rich asteroid fields into rich planets? Well, that's because the planet is formed in a month (or less) and the valuable stuff wasn't given the chance to sink to the core. This means that you might have entire mountain ranges primarily made of pure gold (or whatever). 300% minerals indeed.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have no idea what determines the creation of new planets. I hope it is random, based off of the SectType.txt file... try running some other test games to see if this happens all the time, or if that game is just a freak of nature. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif PTF has noticed some really odd things with random events in some tests he has been doing, where some games will be overwhelmed with events, others are relatively barren. A computer's idea of "random" is not truly random, afterall.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If I could change the name, I would change "gas giant" simply to "gas planet". Use some imagination. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif There are lots of ways one could explain small and tiny gas planets; I just like the added variety. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Also, keep in mind that the gas giants in Sol all have dense rocky cores. They are not entirely gas. I meant that the small and tiny gas planets could be really dense, for gas giants. They don't have to be dense enough to turn into liquids or solids.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I like the multi-colored asteroids. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I believe all of those WP pics are in the Image Mod... I just prefered the normal looking WPs.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is Andres' mod, and yes, he based if off of FQM. The damaging asteroids were from FQM, actually, though a much older Version. I greatly reduced the number of them and replaced them with other abilities that do not cripple AIs. Now, unless you get extremely unlucky, ship paths get at most diverted by a sector or two. An AI only rarely gets crippled from asteroids. Andres probably needs to update the asteroid abilities. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

About asteroid values, I actually lowered the maximum value of asteroids from 300 to 200 because there are so many of them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif And keep in mind that you can use the new quadrants in FQM 1.19/2.05 that have no asteroid rings in the standard systems, just 2 asteroid "fields" each (one is too boring http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ). They still have those big asteroid field systems, and a few sparse system types with asteroid rings though, but overall, 1000s of fewer asteroids. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ September 21, 2003, 18:32: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

IF:

Yes, the gas giants of the Sol system do have dense cores, but those cores are made of gasses being squeezed into a metal by the pressure of all the gas on top of it. A state that can only be sustained with a large enough amount of gas in one place (aka. a giant planet). Strip off the outer layers to a small or tiny sized core and the metalic hydrogen decompresses (quite spectacularly I would imagine) and you are left with a rather large storm.

Granted, there are some trace amounts of the hesvier elements in the various cores, but these are negligible compared to the vast amounts of hydrogen and such.

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Well... more variety is not a bad thing IMO. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Does everything have to be realistic? When will you start complaining about warp points? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif They are not realistic at all. Sure, there are theories that could lead to this stuff, but those are just theories, and they are not true in reality. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

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FQM is a GREAT MOD Fyron.

I have a technical se4 question for the expert.

Fyron, is it possible a Black Hole can be remote mined?
If so this may open some doors, in mods.
If not, well it did not hurt to ask. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: FQM Reactions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why not place an asteroid belt in the center of the BH http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif Mined it if you don't mind.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[ January 26, 2004, 20:25: Message edited by: oleg ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Pretty much the only Solo I play is FQM-TDM. The painfull warp point tick me off, and they also restrict the AI. I don't care for them, or maybe I could just make them less common, as you suggested.

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why not place an asteroid belt in the center of the BH http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif Mined it if you don't mind.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, if you ever saw the movie The Black Hole, you'll see what happens when a meteor storm comes near a black hole. Unless you got super strong shields, and a big enough engines to keep your position steady, I don't see how you can mine a black hole. Especially as matter is being sucked in there toward oblivion. Unless you're talking about a mining device that sucks up energy instead of matter.

PS, Fyron, you're mod is great.

Re: FQM Reactions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why not place an asteroid belt in the center of the BH http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif Mined it if you don't mind.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
Humility can have awful repercussions

[ January 26, 2004, 21:20: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Fyron your Quadrant Mod IS (stress on is) Space Empires as much as the AI or the components. I can’t even imagine playing SE4G (with or without a Mod) without having it loaded. Technically that makes it “with mod” but you get the point. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif As a fact I want to include it (with proper credit of course) in my Mod if I can ever get it finished.

Re: FQM Reactions
 

i do not like the damaging warp points.

but the shield altering ones are great... as are the other ones that affect sensors etc...

They really add to the stragety of the game.

Truefully i do not anything that damages... As it makes it a pain for waypoints...

Planets are good now since there are not as many of them as compared to the early Versions of fqm.

Sizes are good as is the resources...

What I would like to see is the storms increase in size ( instead of one square have 4 squares )

where the storms are mostly eye candy and then the ship altering ones... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: FQM Reactions
 

You can always remove damaging warp points by setting their chance to 0 in StellarAbilityTypes.txt before you start a game or make a map... and it will not cause data file errors for PBW games or anything. I have already greatly reduced the number of damaging warp points to 40% of what they were originally, and loathe doing it again. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif I like damaging warp points.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Go right ahead. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The only things that can be remote mined are planets and asteroids. So, you would have to create an invisible asteroid belt and place it in the BH, as Oleg said. However, I am pretty sure that the ship will be moved before it can get any resources from mining every turn, so it will not work. Unless you create a black hole that has no movement ability, but where is the fun in that? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ January 26, 2004, 22:36: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

I'd like to see more graphics, or rather, more use of Imagemod graphics, but FQM is a great mod in all. I can't bear playing without it nowadays; the original looks so stale after looking at FQM nebulaes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ January 26, 2004, 23:24: Message edited by: TerranC ]

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I think that the asteroid only systems could be thinned out somewhat and a couple more entries added to vary that single 3-planet asteroid system you have. Perhaps have it range from 1-5 planetoids instead of just 3.

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agree on the astriods... there is too many of them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana"> <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks Fyron.

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Adding 4 more entries to all of the quadrants would be a pain. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif How thin do you want them?

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">You can use the Mid-Life No AST Versions of quadrant types... you can make Versions for most other quadrants with a little copy and past of the quadrant, then change the system placement and WP numbers to reflect the new type. There are only 2 AST "belts" in most systems with those quadrant types.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">FQM Deluxe uses most of the non-bizarre "Planet" pictures of the Image Mod. No cube worlds or bunny worlds though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif Though, I do agree that people should make more new images and submit them to the Image Mod, and I will add them to FQM Deluxe. Hopefully they will try to add them in such a way that the number of planets for each atmosphere type and size gets more balanced than it is now...

[ January 26, 2004, 23:50: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron: The only things that can be remote mined are planets and asteroids. So, you would have to create an invisible asteroid belt and place it in the BH, as Oleg said. However, I am pretty sure that the ship will be moved before it can get any resources from mining every turn, so it will not work. Unless you create a black hole that has no movement ability, but where is the fun in that? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks Fyron. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Or, you could build a monster base that has enough armor and repair to survive the hole, and mine it thusly.

Does Organic armor repair automatically outside of combat in the latest patches? If so, you won't need repair bays, and can add more miners in the free space.

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think it is just after combat that it repairs automatically.

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I'd say 50% of their current number would be good for asteroid only systems.

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Of course, you have to have a monster SYS that could survive in the center long enough to build that base... keep in mind we do not have Battlemoons available in stock SE4 SJ. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif Or you could start it at the edge and hope it gets built before the SYS reaches the center!

[ January 27, 2004, 00:20: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Actually the only thing I don't like is not your fault at all, Fyron. It's the indicators that tell you if you have a special facility on the planet. If that facility is on a moon, it doesn't show up. This is annoying enough in a stock game, but in FQM the feature is almost useless.

Pretty please, Aaron, could you fix this?

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Make sure to email that in to se4 at malfador dot com! Otherwise Aaron is unlikely to see it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

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i sent off my first email to there, for my suggestion for increasing the maximum amount variables can hold *65535 facility sphereworlds, anyone? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ) and easing value changing for resource conVersion/trading and cargo moving by clicking on a value like the '2' in 255 and having it go up/down to 355 or 155.

[ January 27, 2004, 03:27: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Nice mod Fyron.

I also think there is too many Astroids.
Trying to do something with them will slow Multi-Player games down way to much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

[ January 27, 2004, 09:24: Message edited by: QBrigid ]

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This is why I created the "No AST" type quadrants. If you want a "Cluster No AST" for example, copy the apporpriate Mid-Life No AST quadrant, and change the system placement info to reflect that of the cluster. Doing so will not invalidate savegames at all, as QuadrantTypes.txt is only referenced when the map is created, never in-game.

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Fyron:
Have you ever given thought to making a system mod that would allow for “closed” warp points? In other words a warp point that has no graphics to indicate its position, and would that even work?

Wait, back up, would it be possible to have a normal warp point but cloak it? Would the picture still show up on the system map? Wasn't there something in SE4 pre-G about that same thing and planets?

[ January 27, 2004, 18:32: Message edited by: President Elect Shang ]

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Shang, I belive the path-finding fuciton would still use these WPs... maybe even cloaked.

Although that's a great idea.

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Warp points can never be masked or cloaked. This is a hardcoded enforcement. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif If you give them an all-black graphic, you can still locate them by clicking around on the map to find them, and the galaxy map still shows the WP lines. And the path-finding will still work, as Loser mentioned. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

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<$.02>

IF, I think FMQ is one of the greatest additions to SEIV (along with AIC/Proportions). Keep up the good works....

</$.02>

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The only thing annoying about FQM maps is a failure of SE4 in that you have to go hunt for planets and colonies that are moons. IT would be nice if SE4 was patched so that it showed the green asterix if the planet or any of it's moons had a breathable atmosphere. And if it would put your flag beside the sector if you had a colony on a moon. its really annoying having to click around to look for the good planets or you colonies.

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Or enemy colonies!

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">There is an empire option to display planet names in system view. This makes those moons hiding behind gas giants and asteroids stand out. It doesn't help with hunting for empty planets, or enemy colonies, but you can find your own colonies easily enough.

Geoschmo

[ January 27, 2004, 21:11: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

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I usually build point defense satellites so when they're launched it helps you to remember which moons are colonized. Well, for the most part.

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Cloaked warp points perhaps ( a technology arm) that say this particular warp point could only stay open for 2 turns of something allowign a fleet in - a surprise attack but would prevent being open permantley - meaning that the fleet would have to take a planet or be wasted (a trade off of sorts)

Also i have suggested naturally occouring events based warp points that open for 3 - 5 turns at random within the game and then close.

Jump gates are also an interesting idea that say could allow inter solar system transport between planets in 2 different system belonging to different players + possibly a capture feature that would allow a enemy player to capture jump gates and use it to say jump through their forces (id say a limit of 1 ship per turn) to remove any big advantage.

Some ideas anyway - aslo improvements to the multiple moon planet problem (perhaps a floating display ie you put a mouse point over a sector and a floating screen appears describing and breaking down the details but would disappear when you took the mouse of the point on the map (a useful clean solution)

Re: FQM Reactions
 

Unfortunately all of those suggestions require hard code changes. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Email them to MM! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

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Id MM would read this forum more often as it has great suggestions that would really make the game so much better - do you have his email address as i will send them to him. And ask him to read the suggestions on this forum also (does he ever reply back via the forum on discussion threads.

Re: FQM Reactions
 

se4 at malfador dot com