New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

For people interested in starting a new game using Proportions Mod version 3.07 (which may be available later this weekend).

Please discuss.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I'm in.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Let me try the new version first .. where is it, btw?

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I'm still play-testing the rebalance on fighters and weapon platforms, but it's close to ready. 3.07 is 3.05 plus some fixes, a few additions (the probes and Q-ships in 3.06), and rebalance of fighters (now they are definitely worth developing) and weapon platforms (no longer especially accurate, so planets full of WP's aren't so deadly and expensive/difficult to capture unless you're at a bad combat mod disadvantage).

Actually, I should take a vote about another issue: Intelligence missions. I'm thinking of making a major change that I wanted to try for a long time. Essentially, I've noticed that it's either strong or a non-issue because people build tons of counter-intel and don't use it much. So, my idea is:
1) Make it possible to slow down, but make intel offense essentially stronger than defense.
2) Basically remove or make way too expensive the destructive intel attacks.

Result: Intel is useful, but mainly only to actually gather information and is not usable as a way to get major attack results.

Anyone have any strong feelings about such an intel change?

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I like it... instead of intel being a "spy vs. spy" game where nothing really happens until all hell breaks loose when one side gains the upper hand, it would be more of a constant stream of information - you can block some of it but inevitably something's gonna slip through!

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Yeah, that's an interesting approach to intel that should be explored.

I'm assuming there won't be any AIs in the pvkprop#4, so AI improvements aren't high on the priority list for 3.07 - or do I assume wrong?

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Yes, major AI improvement isn't for 3.07, but I am feeling some interest at the moment in making another stab at reviving it from it's post-3.0 stupor. I'll save that for post-3.07 though.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Update: 3.06 (probes, Q-ships, fixes) is done and (formerly 3.0.7, now:) 3.1.0 (fighter & WP rebalance) is nearly done. Next will be (formerly 3.0.8, now:) 3.2.0 (Intel reworking), which I've started to test and looks like it will work well, but needs more work.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

could you post 3.0.7 or is it up to 3.0.8 for us that don't PBM please.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

how does the AI handles 3.0.8? is it worth for the single player?

I ask because while i love SEIV and play it constantly i only can play it single player since my work schedule is extremely random (sometimes i can play a dozen turns a day, other times i´m traveling and only can play every week or so...)

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Sorry guys, I got unexpectedly overwhelmed by non-gaming stuff, and am still deeply buried.

The AI still is confused by a some stuff after Proportions 3.0, though reportedly it sometimes does all right anyway. So the best Proportions AI experience would be with AI Campaigns mod (AIC) or Proportions version 2.5.3.1 (I'd include Xi Chung, Abbidon, the three nations in Oleg's Proportions AI pack, and maybe a random other couple).

3.0.7 I still need to balance-test and tweak the new fighters, which I don't have time for right now. I could post 3.0.6, which is just these changes:

Version 3.0.6:

--------------
New Additions:
--------------
* Added a new tech area for Q-Ships, which appear to be transports or starliners, but can be nearly fully-equipped warships, though they still maneuver like transports.
* Added probes, which are small low-tech drones, because any space-faring nation should be able to deploy simple robot spacecraft. They are inferior to drones, so one may wish to research Drones and not Probes, so they have their own tech area which requires Computers at level 1.
-----------------
Gameplay Changes:
-----------------
* Reduced crew and life support requirements for Large Transports from 3 to 2.
* Reduced mineral cost of regular Auxiliary Control from 500 to 100.
------
Fixes:
------
* Corrected supply use for Anti - Proton Beam X.
* Corrected (hopefully no-effect...) double "number or tech req" line in Anti - Proton Beam XI.
* Added double-tech-req entries to Point - Defense Cannons IV and V, to be consistent with earlier PD Cannons. (Note: This is an attempt to convince the AI to prefer these on ship designs.)
* Corrected categorization of Anti-Matter Reactor tech area as Applied Science. (7)
* One can no longer upgrade to Space Port + Supply Depot. This was happening to Resupply Bases, removing their benefits and sometimes to no good effect (such as when there was a Space Port City on the planet). (7)
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Corrected typo in crew quarters description.
* Adjusted descriptions of Computer Combat and Computer Defense.

((7) Thanks to Edward Kolis for reporting this!)

PvK

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I have a 3.06 game going in which the AI is doing tolerably well. Some are better than others, and I'm no longer sure how much is due to the stock AI and how much is tweaks by me, but they (almost) all colonise, build ships and fleets and cruise about the galaxy making trouble. The racial-tech AIs do best, Abbidon, Cuecappa and Druk in particular, some others like the praetorian and Jraenar and even the cryslonite only use really crappy weapons and wierd designs.

I'm no AI modding guru but I think I could probably tweak some of the 3.06 AIs to give a slightly better game, if you like. Did I already send you some files? I can't remember,

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Any help would be great, as I'm back in "no time for gaming" limbo for a while, and even when I get back, I doubt I'll have a high priority for developing Proportions mod AI, as I remember it takes tons of playtesting time. I don't remember getting any 3.x AI files from you, Dogscoff.

PvK

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I've got lots of playtesting time if ya want me to give it a try, as for the A.I. (Dogscoff) you could post it here and I can give it a try as well.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I'm interested..........
So let me know when the update is ready and when the is created on PBW.


(I'm back from an long absence)

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Thanks, guys. I'm out of action until I get some stuff dealt with. I'll post the latest complete version and if there are enough players perhaps you guys could start a PBW without me.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Do we get a new game ,and who is/will starting it ?

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

we are still waiting for PvK to "Sorry guys, I got unexpectedly overwhelmed by non-gaming stuff, and am still deeply buried"

dig himself out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

ummm yo PvK do ya need a shovel ???? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Ya, sorry folks, I got a great shovel, but am still shoveling. I'm not sure how much I'm going to choose to put into SE4 afterwards. I could set up a PBW game, but I'm not up to modding and playing. I'll put an email nag on this thread, so I'll know right away if anyone posts here.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

could ya post the newest ver. so we can give it a try?

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Yes, will do. Sorry - apparently the "favorite thread" thing doesn't cause an email nag after all.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I looked on your website and the latest ver. is 3.05 and I look around other sites and nobody seems to have any ver. higher then 3.05 where did you upload the newest ver. ????

(Sorry to be a pest)

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Don't apologize - you may all feel free to bug me about things (such as me not posting this properly, or whatever you like) - I just haven't been browsing over here and I'm not getting messages when people post to these threads.

I'll check it ASAP (maybe tonight...) and post an update here after it's done.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I'm still looking http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Thanks! I will try again tonight. (BTW, I am not _just_ a flake; I also have a ton of new things I've been working on, and have not been managing to juggle or even remember all of them at once, and the last few days my computer efforts have mostly gone towards work and getting Windows 2K fully working on a machine designed to run Vista (die, Vista!)).

P.S.: Oh, and I did finally manage to get this thread to send me emails when people post to it, apparently!

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Geez Louise! (I sure can let some things slide sometimes.) Ok. 3.0.6 has actually been posted, apparently, since August. It's just that the web site wasn't showing a link to it. It now has a link. Direct link here.

I also investigated what I was up to with 3.0.7. I was re-doing the entire fighter balance and components and other stuff. Sadly there's still a bunch of work to do to complete that. Looks worth doing though.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Much appreciated. Thank you very much... *updating*

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

just thought I would ask how's it going with 3.07???

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Hi Ironmanbc,

Thanks for asking! However, I haven't been doing much with it. It will clearly take some concerted effort, and I have about 40 things going on at once these days. I am keeping it as a possible thing to take some time and do, though I have many other possibilities in mind too.

If any folks wanted to take on doing the mod engineering and testing (and some analysis and statistics) under my oversight and direction, though, I could make time for that. I know what I want to do and could take the time to think things through if there were people willing to do most of the time-consuming work of messing with the mod files, testing, etc.

PvK

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

any news on 3.07 or 3.08 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Er, nope. The most I've done is load the "Windowed SE4" program and not figure out what it was supposed to do.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

It is supposed to run SE4 in windowed (not fullscreen) mode.
And it works, at least for me.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

any news http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

Let's keep this the thread about nonexistent PBW Proportions game #4. I'll reply on the mod thread.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

ok... so how is the game going anyways (who's winning?)

not PvK i hope http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

i'd laugh if someone was beatting him at his own mod http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

We never started the game in this thread, as you can see in this thread. As I recall (I could look in the thread...) I think we decided to wait for the next mod version... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

In the other PBW Proportions mod games I've played in, I tended to do rather well in, though I wasn't always dominating (or trying to). Some other players really got into it and got good at tactics and techniques and got better at some aspects than I, and/or developed methods I hadn't explored.

Re: New PBW Proportions Mod game #4
 

I think THEY are still waiting :smirk: