Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Awhile back I had a mod that was totally seperate from my Mount Mod (called it the D-Mod, then when gold came out I updated it to the GoldD mod, yes original name I know.. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif ).

Anyway, enough idea's have bounced around in my little brain for a re-launch/update of the GoldD-Mod. (and yes....it will have added mounts as they are widely known as my obsession http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ).

Proudly Announcing the GoldD-Mod Version 2.0 (unless a better sounding name comes to me that is). (note, this mod is not done yet for those searching for a link....just give me a bit.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )


Features:

Totally re-done colonization system: ALL races start out with the ability to colonize ALL planets.

Neo-ship support and additional ships including:

Cruise Liners (gain resouces while transporting colonists/tourists!)

Expermental Ships (like the Hermes class Destroyer that goes from Proto-type to working phases!)

System Ships!!! (cheap ships that are meant to stay within the system for plantary defense {have a movement of 2 (or 1) outside of combat).

Missile System re-done!! (basicly re-balance what the GoldD already has):

Capital Missiles (Long Range, Short Range), Plasma Missiles (Long Range, Short Range),
External Missiles (all styles),
Bombardment Missiles (GodHammer)
Chaos Missiles (damage increases with range).

Point Defense Redone: Missiles/Fighters will be stronger...sort of.

Point Defense Cannons (seekers only, can target mines as a minesweeper)
Point Defense Lasers (seekers, fighters, etc)
Chaff (seekers only, Last ditch 1 range 1/combat use).

Fighters made more useful (have more weapons like fighter missiles and mounts, may have them able to target seekers...will have to look into this).

Talisman changed (to hit bonus vs always hit).

Fuel Cell mounts (ie, less and less fuel used as you advance up the Propulsion tech tree...)

Robo-Mining as a viable strategy for resource extraction (and can be a viable attack pattern too, take out the players miners and hit his resources hard!!).

Mercinary Tech: Like in the previous Version, Mercinaries (components) that give the ship/fleet certain bonuses.

Other stuff (just awaiting permission of certain authors of certain mods to use some of their ideas...why re-invent the wheel http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif )


To those of you who have played the previous Versions I'd like to know what you did like....and what you didn't. I will be strengthening certain ideas and cutting out other tech all together. Here's your chance to have your say.

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Well hot damn'didy'do http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif A new Version of a great mod for me to steal-- borrow from. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Cool work DS.

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Didn't get the chance to play the original, but after reading that description, can't wait to play the new & improved Version.

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Hi there, Deathstalker! Glad to hear one of my favorite mods is getting a facelift...

One of my favorite things in your Mod IS the Hermes class destroyer. I use this extensively in the mid-game. I like that extra combat speed.

My favorite way to use it is what I call the Hermes Lance Destroyer. It's basically just a spinal mounted Meson bLaster with max sensors and engines. Not much else will fit, but at 350 damage per hit(with max tech) not much else is needed! Cheap, fast, and deadly - just the way Taz likes it! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Another thing I have used on occasion is a spinal mounted asteroid sling. At 1250kt it may seem a foolish waste of space until you see what its 5K of damage can do! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif (Of course you need a baseship or larger to mount it on.) About as close to a one shot/one kill weapon as you can get. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

...now how about a pulsed spinal mount ...
...or a heavy pulsed spinal mount...
...or an extra-range Hvy pulsed spinal ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

sounds great. but i do have a question.
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">how?

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

...Taz stops mumbling about massive mount add-ons long enough to answer Narf's question...

Narf see the Abilities Question thread below!

...Mumble MASSIVE PULSED SPINAL MOUNTS.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

well, excuse me for being sick and not being able to catch up on all that's happening! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

...mumble Large Heavy YOUR Massive EXCUSED! Spinal mumble mumble... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

i think Taz has a problem with his spinal. more specifically, the fourteen pound lump at the top. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">You actually got this to work? I tried this for some time and could not get any design to actually collect resources. Ahhhh, I get how you did it now. Damn that would be clever.... I should have thought of that. Man the simplest solutions are always the ones tha elude us the most.

Now if you can get one that STORES resources to work let me know. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif Thanks Taz, your starting off my day with a good laugh. And the Hermes will still be there more or less untouched...

As to the Cruise Liners, that problem was solved by SJ, giving them a component that gives them negative maintenance so they 'make' money. Now to balance it so their not overwhelming (considering how much $$ you can already make with my Version of the Robo-Miners/Prospector ships...)

Permission is in for the use of the FQM and the DevnullMod so expect to see some familiar things with a few twists....

Oh and Atrocities...I'll be sending you an email later about use of a certain machine-like shipset that I want to include instead of the Monsters....(can you guess which one, lol)...

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Testing on the Cruise Liners goes well, think I may have them balanced for early/mid game anyway, a small cruise liner will net you 70 minerals and about 20 food/rads per turn. So about 10 of them will net as much as one mineral facility (close, facility will still generate 800) and while you are building these ships others will be building warships.... They are also a little expensive to build (beginning costs 2000 in min/food/rad for the small, 3000 m/f/r for the med and 4000 for the large..with 10%/12% and 15% return respectively.)

Don't truely think they will be a game breaker but may be a vital addition to finite or P/N type games....

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

of course! call it D-Gold!

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Finished balancing the Cruise Liners, they make $$ but not that much (still fun to use though).

Added FQM, some nice pic's there Fyron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
Added Tonnes of stuff/ideas/AI's from the DevnullMod (thanks Rollo) and with Atrocities permission the Monsters are now the Borg http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif which also have a few tricks of their own the monsters couldn't do.

Still trying to balance the Racial tech's (added tonnes more like bonus to ship movement and subtraction from ship movement for extra points, more luck bonus, better shipyard rate, better planet size increase for cargo and penalties for points....) and still trying to get that darn AI to use components right (add regeneration to a Living Engine and the AI throws waaayyyy to many on a ship, same with a crystalline life support that generates shields....)

Added shipsets (Borg, Pandoran, EDF, Cardassian, UCP, and Crugarian----updated AI's a bit or subbed in another with some new weapon choices).

Ah well, should'nt be to long now.....

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Thank Woundwort for the newest system graphics in FQM. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif Hmm... I seem to have forgotten to mention him for the second batch. That will be fixed!

As for the AI problems... add several redundant tech reqs to the shield generators so that they AI will think they are more advanced than the crystalline life support. The AI will use the component that has the needed ability that has the most levels of tech requirements. So, if the cyrstalline life support requires 3 total tech levels (directly, not prereqs of those techs), then add enough redundant Shields tech reqs to each shield generator so that they all require at least 4 total tech levels. Of course, you then need to make sure that each level of shields is "more advanced" than the previous level. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif And yes, having 4 tech reqs of level 1 in Shields is not a problem. The game treats it just like having only one of those tech reqs, but the AI sees it differently.

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

Thanks Fyron, but I found a way 'around' it (used AI only mounts for a few things, kept stuff on the living/crystalline bridge and made it one per vehicle etc.)

One suggestion for your FQM, ever thought of adding in a new asteroid pic and calling it 'Habital Asteroid' and using it in place of a few moons or something, that way we could sort of have colonizable asteroids....(even if it is just a picture).

[ November 16, 2003, 16:35: Message edited by: Deathstalker ]

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

I added 3 tiny none moons to the asteroid field systems to simulate habitable asteroids. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif Though, that is not a bad idea. Of course, then you would get asteroids orbiting planets, which would be kind of weird. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ November 16, 2003, 16:45: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not true in this case. That only applies to abilities that have no relevant value (like Point-Defense, Armor, Master Computer, etc.).
With abilities that use a value (like in this case: shield generation and armor regeneration) the AI will use the component that has the highest ability value.

[ November 16, 2003, 18:13: Message edited by: Rollo ]

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

I once toyed with idea of alternate image Habitable Asteroids but decided to scrap the idea, when I realized you would destroy asteroids to make asteroids, and create asteroids from asteroids at times. And things just got kinda crazy there. I think Fyrons idea is the best in this situation, small planetoids to represent large habitable asteroids.

Re: Updating the D-Mod (GoldD)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not true in this case. That only applies to abilities that have no relevant value (like Point-Defense, Armor, Master Computer, etc.).
With abilities that use a value (like in this case: shield generation and armor regeneration) the AI will use the component that has the highest ability value. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Oh. Stupid AI. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif