SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Just got 2 other ideas for weapons:

1] Batteries and electric weapon
One weapon which damage depends on the number of undamaged batteries onboard.

Weapon Space Min Damage Modifier Formula := iif([%Range%] > 80, (20 (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)) * ( Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Battery") ), 0)
Weapon Space Max Damage Modifier Formula := iif([%Range%] > 80, (20 (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)) * ( Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Battery") ), 0)

And one or more Battery component having battery ability (can we add new abilities?)

This way the one or two weapon can be improve by the battery system without increasing the number of weapon, which is good for a Capital ship beam aimed at destroying big ships (and that should not be wasted on smaller ships). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/Injured.gif

2] A bit the same idea but this time a weapon whose power is increase by the number of such weapons present onboard (can be made the same way).

I wish I had the release game now to test that... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Do you think this could work and be usable ?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

I had this idea, too, and asked about it earlier but recieved no answers. Is Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Battery") ) valid?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Get_Design_Ability will probably only work for the pre-set abilites like Point - Defense, Combat To Hit Defense, etc. BUT! There are ~20 AI flag abilities which you could use for this purpose. Just give the battery component an AI flag, then instead of "Battery" put "AI Tag 01"

Check out Fyron's LCX mod as an example of that.
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...&Forum=f23

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

The idea is awesome. It reminds me of old pirate ship duels.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

You can't add new abilities, but you can just (ab)use the AI Tag ## ones.

The main problem will be in when SE5 recalculates that function (it isn't very often)

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

You say we cant add new abilities, but we can add AI Tag's?

Do the AI tags act like 'abilities'?

If so, then we can add new abilities...

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

They act like abilities but they're finite in number.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

I think there is a semantic misunderstanding. You can not add any AI Tags. 20 such abilities are already defined by the game engine. You can use them, but you are not adding any new abilities by doing so.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

You might be able to just make up names though for abilities. Blank abilities and the like are read by the game and can be used to add descriptions. I wonder if it might go one further and you can just create a fake name and reference that in other data files. I can test it out I guess.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Well we were supposed to be able to make our own damage types, but I guess that is just in how we define/use formula of pre-existing damage types...I dont see how we can make our own abilities?

Would be nice for modding...

So if I remember the use of AI Tags from SEIV, its just a coded device to trick the AI into doing something within the game, that in stock it isnt already doing...?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Damage types can be created. Abilities can't.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

I guess if you consider a damage type as being something relating to

Does_Component_Have_Ability("Pre-Defined Game Element")

Or

Is_Component_Weapon

Which are abilities, or component/weapons with said ability. Yet if we cant make new abilities, then I would say NO, we cant really make new damage types. We more properly can only redefine damage types, that may not be currently part of stock...

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Neither of those have anything to do with the concept of damage type, though. Damage type is only what is on this line:

Weapon Damage Type Formula := "Normal"

Abilities are not damage types, so the "does have ability" is not relevant.

Is_Component_Weapon() relates to this information:

Weapon Type := Direct Fire

It returns false only when the component has that value set to None (well, bad values of weapon type might also return false, who knows). It is not related to damage types or abilities in any way.

=0=

For reference, AI Tags do absolutely nothing. They do not inherently tell the AI anything. You can use them to force different AI behavior by calling that ability instead of the real ability of the item, but you can do that with any non-functional ability too (like facility resource generation abilities in SE4 components file). The AI Tag abilities are merely there for easier legibility.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Does_Component_Have_Name("Any Thing You Frickin' Want") would seem to disagree. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Listen to the friendly green man, not me- I can't test it yet. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif (EB didn't even SHIP my order yet..grumble..).

Buy as Fyron said, damage types aren't abilities. They aren't related at all.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Kana said:
NO, we cant really make new damage types.

I forgot to add: DamageTypes.txt would very strongly disagree with you, my friend. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Most of the formulas include %range%, but you noticed that the damage is not recalculated often ? does that mean it calculates the damage per range once and then uses this calculation for a long time ?

Do you have an idea how often it recalculate the damage grid ?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

It looks like it will work in relation to ship hulls, but can a component "see" other components in the ship/fleet/system?
From what I see I'm guessing it will be possible to add damage modifiers based on number of components to a ship (with interesting additions like diminishing returns, what have you) but, can I really define a damage type that says, basically:
for every [component a], deal +10 damage?

I suppose come tomorrow I'll have some idea (provided Gamestop 's shipment arrives)

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

You don't want to use damage types for that, you want the fake abilities.

Give your component an ability. Then call that ability in the damage line that says something like

(normal weapon formla) + 10*(Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Component" )

To clarify things a bit:
Damage Types are found in DamageTypes.txt, and refered to via the "Weapon Damage Type" line in components.txt.

Abilities are found..all over the place..and listed in a file that isn't included in the demo. They're refered to using stuff like the Get_Design_Ability option and Ability 1 Type line in components.txt.

What you're refering to in your last post is the damage *formula*. That's set via Weapon Space Min Damage Modifier Formula and the like, and then modified by the Damage Type.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

There is no abilities file attached to this post. Move along, nothing to see here.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

zomg look at all the scopes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif
So you mean you could actually make an ability which, say, affected ships belonging to all other empires within 20 lightyears on the system map using "System Range - All But This Player" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif I wonder if that one actually works http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
I wonder what's with all the minuses... research and intel point generation abilities have no proper ability name? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

And I don't even think that list is complete... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Wow, it's absolutely wonderful how moddable SEV is, the vast possibilities available in the data files! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

It's great that we can now have system gravitational shield facilities that stop other empires from using stellar manipulation, but doesn't stop your own empire. In SEIV we had to use the gamey tactic of scrapping our own facility whenever we had to create our own warp points, and then quickly building another one that we had on a suspended build queue.

By the way, in SEV do we have the ability to turn on and off these abilities without having to scrap and rebuild the facility each time?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

It would be nice if there would be no formula list attached to your next post ! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

This is excellent. Ah, so many possibilities with these (and hopefully by 6pm tonight I'll be able to try to test them)
Thanks, Fyron.

Also: Thanks Phoenix, I see what you're talking about. I'll start messing around with it tonight if my copy's in.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

So, would this possible or not ?

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

It should be but I have no way of testing it.

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

I guess maybe I'm unclear on what you consider a damage type?

To me it seems something that does something specific, or targets something specific. Like Boarding Parties because of Boarding Attack ability. Or something like Crew Conversion, which has the the ability Change ownership. I'm just curious if we actually create some thing like deadly jello, that makes you fat, or something...can you code that in, or are you just using what is already coded to 'simulate' this effect...

A damage type is an effect like fire, acid, lighting, conversion, what have you. Plus how that effect does the damage to the ship. As for the batteries powering the weapon that isnt a different damage type, and I think Phoenix may be on the right track, would be nice if it does really work.

Also thanks for the list Fyron... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Which list ? I haven't seen no list .. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: SE-5 : Batteries & weapons
 

Damage types are specifically defined as those things which are defined in Damagetypes.txt.

Same as in SE4, for the most part.
Quad To Shields is a damage type.
Only Engines is a damage type.

"Deals 50 damage, minus 10 per unit distance" is not a damage type.