FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

FYI - In case anyone missed it, Version 1.70 of the TDM ModPack is now posted and contains the following contributions/authors:

(1) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Earth Alliance" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Randy Stuce and other artists and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).

(2) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Narn Regime" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Randy Stuce and other artists and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).

(3) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Toron Confederation" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Klaus Lehtonen and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).

(4) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Darlok" - Version 1.60 (with shipset by Don Phillips a/k/a Voidhawk, AI files by Tampa_Gamer and speech file by John Zamarra).

(5) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Sergetti" - Version 1.70 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).

(6) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Xi'Chung" - Version 1.31 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).

(7) Revised default AI_Planet_Types file to tweak planet selection for AI (by Daynarr).

(8) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Piundon - Version 1.05 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Tampa_Gamer, speech file by John Zamarra)

(9) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Rage Collective" - Version 1.2 (with shipset and AI files by Alpha Kodiak)

(10) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Battle Star Galactica - Colonials" - Version 1.05 (with shipset by Dracus and AI files by Tampa_Gamer)

(11) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Norak" - Version 1.31 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).

(12) New formations.txt file that includes 8 new formations (made by Tampa_Gamer and Daynarr)

Enjoy!

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Well done boys!
Thank you!!!!

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Tampa et al,

Thanks for all the hard work.

One suggestion. There are a few of us, myself included, that like to use the quick start option from time to time when playing a game. Without modifying the settings.txt file you can't use those cool new races though in quick start mode.

I have done this on my own machine. I could post it if you like, or one of you could implement it in future Versions. It's a very simple change.

Geo

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Geo - no prob, go ahead and post it (as long as it is "clean" and does not contain other changes you have made to that file). Thanks for the suggestion, I will make sure we include a sample one in future uploads. I guess we never thought of this b/c we typically "play" only when testing the AI mods, by adding along our personal race along with the others using the "Add Existing". Keep us posted on how they play, all the races have undergone a lot improvements since the Last Version. There are enough races now in the pack that Daynarr and I both had a tough time playtesting some of the games b/c we were getting crunched by multiple AI opponents at the same time!

Later-
Tampa_Gamer

[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 03 April 2001).]

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

As requested, the settings.txt file modified to allow the new races to be used in the mod pack.

I have also included the original settings.txt file that came with TDM_Modpack ver 1.70 to allow you to go back if you want.

The only difference in these two files is that the first six race names in the list of "Quick Start Styles" have been replaced with the six new races from the ModPack.

Geo

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Here is a settings file that contains all the orginal 16 races plus all the races in the mod pack as quick picks. that is a total of 22 races.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Ok, I'm worried....

I started a new game using mod pack 1.70, small quad, medium bonus, no neutrals, and there are 18 other races besides myself. Very snug!

I modified the quadtypes.txt to eliminate all the dead systems, but I had the misfortune to start out in a trinary star system with only two colonizable planets, one tiny and one medium, neither my apmosphere type.

Right away I sent out a scout to the next system over and there's a beautiful huge, oxygen rock planet, just what I need. Only problem is to the right is the Sergetti home system and to the left is the Darlok home system, both of which have claimed this system of course.

It's very early in the game but I am already getting the feeling that neither one of them likes me very much. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

I did manage to make nice with the Sallega and the Toron, but they are both on the other side of the Sergetti system, so I don't think they are going to be much help, even if I could talk them in to fighting with me, which I doubt.

It's turn 17 and I am 18th out of 19 in score. I am trying my best to stay out of any wars. I don't think I have the resource base to survive an open conflict yet.

This could get very interesting...

Geo

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Any chance of adding SJ's "Is a pirate"/"Is not a pirate" racial traits to the next cut?

I appreciate that the components & facilities that he's added might not be in keeping with the ModPack ethos but would be nice to at least have pirate compatible .emp files.

(That way only one person - you - has to go through the tedious process of saving randomly generated .emps. Maybe MM can address this in the next patch?)

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Resistence is futile.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Any chance of adding SJ's "Is a pirate"/"Is not a pirate" racial traits to the next cut?

I appreciate that the components & facilities that he's added might not be in keeping with the ModPack ethos but would be nice to at least have pirate compatible .emp files.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Have you posted your request for pirate compatible EMP files over in the Pirate thread or emailed SJ about creating them?

The pirate racial mod sounds pretty interesting. But I don't think it belongs in TDM. The main defining principle of TDM is that it gets the best mileage out of the AI files without adding new technologies or modifying existing components or facilities.

[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 05 April 2001).]

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Unfortunately, our experience has been that the .emp files are very touchy. Originally, I had developed a racial trait/tech for starting stealth ships (for use by the Darlok), but testing revealed that if someone did not have all of the corresponding tech and culture files, etc. it would generate errors. Likewise, if I try to load a "clean" Version .emp file into a culture or racial trait modified environment, it also would generate errors.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

I have run into a bit of a technical problem after installing the new Version of the mod into my SE IV directory. I had previously been running 1.60 with about ten additional races acquired from the very creative individuals on this forum. When I extracted the 1.70 TDM modpack over the old one, and tried to start a new game, I found that only the shipsets from the races in the Modpack were showing up on the race creation screen. The folders and files for the new races were still present in the Picures/Races directory, but I could not access them at all on the "Add new race" page on the new game set up. I tried erasing one of the race files and reinstalling it in the picures/races directory but its pictures still did not show up when I tried to add a new race.

Do I need to reinstall SE IV, the 1.30 patch, and the Modpack from scratch in order to be able to put back all of the other new race pictures and *.emp files (they do not show up under "add existing races" either, meaning their *.emp files are not being recognized either). Is there an easier way? Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice would be most appreciated.

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Follow the Golden Rule:
"He who has the Gold makes the rules.."

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

This could possibly be your problem. The old modpack was in the folder 'Modpack', the new one is in 'TDM-Modpack' or something like this. Just go to your old files in the previous modpack and 'cut and paste' them into the appropriate folders in the new tdm-modpack. This should clear everything up.(had this happen myself)

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Deathstalker is correct, I think this will solve your problem Masterdave. We changed the name of the folder since other "Modpacks" are starting to pop-up and we didn't want them to overwrite each other.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

They say the simplest explanation is usually the best one. I will take another look at the folders when I get home from work. Thanks Deathstalker!

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

BTW, the ModPack is getting a bit large. Maybe in the future you could split it into several files? A complete set of updated AIs for the 'default races' could be part 1, and then the additional races could be in a part 2 or 3 or however many it takes to make reasonable downloads. Maybe just have a seperate file for each race since a shipset can be close to a megabyte zipped? This would make it easy to pick and choose what races you want to use, too


[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 05 April 2001).]

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Is it Savy or Savvy? Or does it even matter.
In the characteristic heading of the general file most of the stock races spell it Savy, some of the stock races spell it Savy in the Characteristic fields in the file area, and most of the New races spell it Savvy everywhere.

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Nitram, since this has been corrected in the pending new patch, I went ahead and corrected it in my files already (I assume the other contributing authors did the same). This is the nice thing about Richard telling us patch details in advance http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 05 April 2001).]

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

Just as I would like to see the TDM-Mod pack included as part of the game, I would like to see the Pirate mod added also. It adds a new way of playing the game without changing the basic game.
I think it would be extremely difficult to make an AI play as a Pirate, so the AI programing would be minimal. The only part of the AI that would need to be changed would be adding the not a pirate trait, which only allows the AI access to all the current technology.The game changes would come into play only if you chose the Pirate trait.



[This message has been edited by Nitram Draw (edited 05 April 2001).]

Re: FYI - TDM ModPack 1.70 Posted
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by raynor:
Have you posted your request for pirate compatible EMP files over in the Pirate thread or emailed SJ about creating them?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm more concerned about the pirate ".emp" files being TDM compatible to be honest.

The simplest way to ensure this would be to incorporate the racial trait into TDM (but none of the new facilities or components).

Is backwards TDM/MM ".emp" file compatibility something you're trying to preserve and would adding a new trait destroy it? (i.e. would the game throw out .emp files containing an undefined trait?)