Problem with system generation
 

As I mentioned in another thread I am having a problem with my solar systems. I have been trying to track down and found what I think is it but I am at a total loss as to what “IT” is. I have the following types of planets: Moons, Asteroids, Type 1, Type 2, Type V, Terrestrial, Super Terrestrial, Gas, and Ice. Of these I can get everything except the Gas to appear. Out of the above list the Ice are listed in the file after the Gas so I am sure it is not a skipped line. Any suggestions as to why only one planet type out of 9 are not appearing?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Does it have anything to do with Gas vs Gas Giant?

Do you have gas planets defined in the sector types?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I double checked to be sure; Gas Giant. I created nine types of planets but stayed to the *ahem* physical laws of the SE5 universe (why does that sound so funny) and stuck with rock, paper, scissors… Uh no oops… Rock, Gas Giant, and Ice. Now out of the nine types I see examples of eight of the nine with the missing ninth being my Gas Giant planets.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

It is definitely the gas giants. For some reason they will not generate, not even when I try to force them. Instead the game will hang and I will have to close it using Windows Manager. I am at a total loss as to why this problem is happening. I even did a cut and paste from the stock files but nothing seems to work.

Edited for type-o’s missing words, etc. In my defense I posted that at 3:30 AM CST so no surprise that it was practically unreadable.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I have restored the original Gas Giants from stock and they will still not generate. There is something else going on here but what? Have I stumped all you beta testers?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

If the stock ones won't work the problem is with your system generation, not the planets..

Re: Problem with system generation
 

This is getting me so frustrated; I can’t even sum in words how I feel! This time I set 7 of my working 9 to 0% chance for generation. I set the eighth at 1% and Gas Giants at 99% and out of a 202 solar system quadrant I only got 1 planet. My home world! If it’s with the system generation what should I try next? I am using stock settings for system generation and stock Gas Giants so why didn’t the above test work?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Gas giants have a special case of not allowing none atmosphere... might that be a monkey wrench in the works?

Is gas listed last, and do you have the footer on the file (*END*)

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Sounds like the problem I had adding new planet sizes.

What's your planetsize.txt look like?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I have the following Gas Giant atmospheres: Methane, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide. Gas Giants are eighth in PlanetSize.txt (attached) and eighth in StellarObjectTypes.txt. Should I move it to first in or both of those? And I definitely have the footer, I just double checked that one.

Edited in: Do you think maybe SE5 is having a hick-up because there are NO oxygen type gas giants? Are the gas giants so restricted we have virtually no freedom with them? I am going to try adding oxygen and if that doesn’t work I will try moving them to the top of the list. First I am going to play some DBZ 3 and release some frustration SS4 Vegeta style.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Does Type I show up? I'm wondering if SEV is choking on the planets having 0s for their population, storage, etc..

Re: Problem with system generation
 

As I mentioned earlier it is generating everything except the Type G. When I generate a quadrant I am getting Moons, Asteroids, Type 1 (one), Type 2 (two), Type V (which is zeroed out), Type T, Type ST, and Type I (which is zeroed out). The only ones I don’t get are Type G.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I maybe on to something based on what you said P-D. When I generated a quadrant this time I checked my type V and sure enough SE5 wants to let it be settled. But it shouldn’t???? Time to tinker… By the way I tried it with a population limit set for gas; didn’t work. Then I tried it with oxygen and population limit; didn’t work. Then I tried it with population limit, oxygen, and top of the Stellar Objects file; nope.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

The only thing that prevents settling is not having the colonization tech for that kind of planet.

If you REALLY don't want them settled, break them out as their own Physical Type and make it impossible to get the colonization tech for that type.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Ohhhh… Adrian! Uh no I mean “Rocky”! Good idea P-D. Let me make them Rocky and change the file then see what effect that has on my Gas Giant bug. <Sigh> I need to stop with the whole humor thing…

Re: Problem with system generation
 

What all will need to be modified so it will take planet “Rocky”? I am not getting an error message but now it will not generate Type V planets?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Make a new empire. Does the new physical type show up to be selected?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Removed by me, found a self made mistake and testing more.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Duh! The Atmosphere Types! I moded the atmosphere type from “Gas Giant” to “Gas”. I had to go in and add “Rocky” to it and while I was there I saw the mistake with gas giants. It all works fine now. Another silly mistake for Mr. Ed!

Next questions, my system ranges from 24 to -24 on y and 31 to -31 on the x so how many “Rings” do I have to lay planets in. It can’t be the 2 to 16 talked about in the SystemTypes.txt file. Do you guys know how many I have to play with or is it hard coded to 2 to 16? And what is this 360 to 400 “Radius” for the warp points. What unit of measure is one “Radius”? Pixals? In my system they fall at about the half way point in the system. What is the minimum range I can place a wp and not have it fall into a sun?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

"Radius" is probably some random set value. Check your settings.txt for the system's total radius- that'll give you your max size.

As for how close, I'm afraid that'll be trial and error..

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Why is there a Firing Point Arcs at the top of the XFileClasses_Stellar.txt. Did Aaron intend (or does he still) to insert firing arcs for weapons?

It can’t be a random value; it is part of the code: What Radius is Aaron talking about here and how did he measure it. He must be using the system center point but I can’t figure out what one radius is to tell what 360 radius is. If I could figure out what a radius is I can calculate all points in the system.

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
WP Min Radius := 360
WP Max Radius := 400
</pre><hr />

How about the number of rings; trial and error for those too? The planets should move off of the hex map before it creates a game crash. Oh by the way. In SE4 moons could be set to rest in the same hex as the planet but they could not be random. Either you wrote a moon to appear there or you didn’t. Is it the same way for SE5? I see were moons are entered for fixed locations in orbit (separate hex) so does that mean they can’t share a hex? And since I see them written does that mean we can’t make them random; i.e. we write them and maybe they appear maybe they don’t.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Everything that shoots has firing arcs. At least for SE5 all they do is ensure the ship doesn't shoot through himself.

What I meant by "random value" is the units. Its NOT pixels, since in that case it would be different on different systems, and its not hexes. I'm pretty sure its the same radius as settings.txt, so that gives you SOMETHING to work on (the distance from center to the edge of the system).

You can make moons share a hex just fine if you want, in the SE4 way. Not sure if you want make them random or not.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Radius refers to the x,y coordinate system.

Rings are set to the 1-16 hex ranges.

Why is there a Firing Point Arcs at the top of the XFileClasses_Stellar.txt. Did Aaron intend (or does he still) to insert firing arcs for weapons?

No. They are there purely for animation purposes. Planets can fire weapons, so they need firing points just like ships.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I never new that. Not all of us are computer pros you know. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I have to disagree with you Fyron. It can’t be the x, y or how could you get 360 as a minimum distance for a wp to be created? Also rings are not set to the 1-16 hex range. I have generated planets out to the thirtieth ring.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Hmm... guess his ring 10-16 fix really did implement the arbitrariness we requested. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Circle Radius is absolutely related to the x,y coordinate system (not the in-game "hex" coordinates). In classic Aaronspeak, the values actually refer to diameter, however. Without modification, it translates to 180 to 200 unit radius from hex 0,0 (Ring 1, stars), or 9-10 hexes. If you look at the Asteroid Belt system, you can see how the "Circle Radius 200, 240" positioning translates into about Ring 5 to 6. The diameter of the circle created by the asteroids is somewhere between 200 and 240.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

How is the random generation of planets handled? Given this line:

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Chance Type 1 Any Comp 3 Type := Gas Giant
Chance Type 1 Any Comp 3 Chance := 25
</pre><hr />

Does this mean (#1) a 25% percent chance out of a 100 that a gas giant will be created? Or (#2) does it mean a 25% chance out of the total of four (also set at 25%) chances I have that a gas giant will be created. I would think that if it was #2 the systems would be much more heavily populated with planets than they are.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

It means that overall, roughly 25% of planets in the galaxy should be gas giants. Last I tested it (which was many versions ago), the algorithm seemed a little off. It might have been revamped since then, dunno.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

The system generation as it stands now is useless. I have been trying to tinker with it and no matter what I do it wants to override the planets I want in an orbit to meet this crazy balance/random percentage chance of sizes, atmospheres, and compositions crap. I’m pretty sure I have already tried it but let’s throw ideas around, if you care to. Another round of stump the chump anyone? I mentioned to Fyron that I had generated planets out to the 30th orbit, true. Continual testing shows this is undependable though, first you need SE5 to generate a fricken planet!

Re: Problem with system generation
 

You could always nullify the chance type.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

I have tried that, which is what I wanted to do from the beginning actually. How do you do it as I have had no success.

Re: Problem with system generation
 

Set the number lines to 0?

Re: Problem with system generation
 

When I do that it causes the game to hang at the Galaxy generation step. I see three number lines which I am setting to zero: Sizes, Atmospheres, and Compositions. Is there something else?