Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Greetings!

I've posted a new page on my website for my next mod - Captain Kwok's Space Empires Nova. It represents my take on the Space Empires Universe and will feature an expanded tech tree and some changes to game mechanics. I'll be building it on top of the Balance Mod, so a lot of the basic ideas will carry through with a number of areas being expanded.

The Nova mod page is here and has more details:
http://www.captainkwok.net/novamod.php

This is the same mod as I mentioned a few months ago under "Kwok's Galaxy Mod", but now I'm at a point where I've actually starting doing up the data files. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Feel free to post ideas or things you'd like to see. I'll be elaborating more on the planned features as time permits.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

"The Balance Mod is nearing the end of its development cycle"? How do you know that? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Aaron might continue releasing patches for SE5 for some time now - or did he say otherwise?

"Variety of good and bad events" - might want to remove/redo the Lucky trait then, since it affects ALL events...

Sounds cool though http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

That would be maintenance rather than development, I think.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Would it be possible to include a random element in tech levels? As it stands, SE's research is overly predictable both in the amount of points needed and the results obtained - having the number of points needed for the next level fluctuate a bit (and ideally kept secret) and having new items' required TL vary by a level or two (e.g. 25% chance of obtaining X at TL5 Shields, 50% chance at TL6, guaranteed at TL7) would better simulate actual research.

Another option would be to add (as far as possible) indefinite research trees. As it stands, the most effective weapons tech tends to be decided more by its maximum TL rather than other factors. Individual items can and should reach a peak (though ideally one of decreasing effectiveness compared to alternatives, rather than a hard limit) but there should always be new options within a specific field. Ship hulls are another example - limits here should be dictated more by available resources (e.g. by making cost increase exponentially for larger designs) than by fixed TL limitations.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Regarding the hull sizes:
I fully endorse using a system in which
A) Build cost = Size ^ 2
B) Total maintenance cost = Size^0.5

The practical result being that you can maintain 11 "size-1" frigates (total tonnage=11) at the same cost as 5 "size-5" (total tonnage=25) battleships.
But you can build 25 of those frigates for every 5 battleships.
Losses are quicker to replace with small ships, but you can field more tonnage if you spend the time and money on bigger ships.

As a bonus, you can provide all the hulls without tech requirements and still be confident that all of them will be used at some point during the game by the players.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Are you planning on incorporating any SEIV Proportions style facilities? I always enjoyed that mod simply for the fact that the home planet was really precious and it took forever to get new planets to become valuable assets to your empire that really hurt if they were lost.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Have you ever tried playing proportions online ?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Looking forward to it.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

It does indeed look very promising.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Awesome, can't wait. Really like the ideas of expanded weapons , more components, and less retrofitting.

Edit: Just a quick question, any plan on using these dmg types, assuming they are workable (since BM doesn't seem to use any of them, that I have seen anyway). Timed Control Loss, Slow Down, Energy Transfer, and Shield Implosion

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

I don't want to drop things as slow as PvK's Proportions mod, just to curb the expansion rate a bit. I'll be focusing on smaller things, like reduced population modifiers and supplementary facilities to boost production rates.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Those are used in the Balance Mod. Check the Components file to see which weapons use them. Some are ruins, others are racial weapons. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Ahhh, so are actual weapons in combat able to use these effects then?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Yes. To answer your previous question specifically, the abilities you listed are used with these weapons:

Time Control Loss - Psychic Whiplash (Psychic)
Slow Down - Hyperdense Globule (Organic)
Energy Transfer - Crystalline Siphon (Crystalline)
Shield Implosion - Shield Imploder (Ruins)

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

One thing I always thought would be neat, is some type of cross racial technologies.
For example, if you managed to get Phsychic and Organic Traits, after researching far enough, a new Tree could open up, with weapons and facilities that utilized both traits.

Another possible suggestion, making a tech tree that utlized more archaic components, beyond the basic armors and projectile/missle weapons.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Like P&N and Devnull did for SE4? Or full-blown tech trees?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

I'd like to see a whole lot of different weapons. MAybe to get a sci-fi feel. For exemple, you would have Ion beams and laser beams witch would be nearly the same(maybe with some difference in term of range and damage) but with different colors. Now different races would have different weapon types. Have 10-20 different weapons types and maybe a way for the AI to randomly choose its weapon tech tree.
(No more green beam fest in large fleet battles)

You could also have different technologies that are nearly the same but cost different ammout of resources. For exemple, Neutron beams use Radioactives to be built, Ion beams use Minerals and Plasma use organics. They would all have the same damage stats but an empire could have different weapons depending of their economy.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Greetings!

I've added a preliminary list of components and weapons in the Nova mod. Check out it here in the previews section:
http://www.captainkwok.net/novamod.php

I'm actually inputting components in, so progress is finally being made. I've had a lot of the items planned out for some time, but Balance Mod business has absorbed most of the time I've had for Space Empiring in the last few months.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

I've updated the Nova component and weapon lists:
http://www.captainkwok.net/novamod-components.php
http://www.captainkwok.net/novamod-weapons.php

I haven't added in all the weapons yet - still working on troop and fighter weapons along with warheads and a couple of other weapon groups. The components list is a bit more complete.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

One specific suggestion...

Ditch the solar sail (to be plausible, the movement gain needs to be related to the strength and direction of solar wind in a system) and instead consider an "Engine Overdrive" component. This would work by increasing the capacity of existing engines so providing extra movement but at the cost of engine damage (alternatively, give them higher supply consumption to simulate the extra resources needed to keep engines working).

This would provide the option of greater speed but with the downside of needing regular repairs (and the possibility of being caught flat-footed during this time).

This would then create a need for Hardened Engine Systems (Hardened Ion Engine, etc) containing more structure allowing them to be overdriven longer.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

How would this be different from stock Emergency Propulsion?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Emergency Propulsion gives a once-off bonus and has no negative effects (aside from the space it uses).

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Couldn't you put an emergency propulsion onto a repair ship and get extra movement for little cost?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Engine wear seems like an interesting concept, but just adds needless complication when you already have the movement, capacity and supply concerns.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

As a variante , I think "engines-pack structuration", you can consider that placing the engine to have all the output gas/matter/whatever together can be used as a massive afterburner...
this can be a good replacement for solar sail, which normally is dependend of solar wind

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Simply put the emergency propulsion ability ON the engines, like I did for grit econ.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

Call them ramscoops.

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

I like the idea of putting them on the engines, but do you have to make so that the emergency points gained outweigh the movement lost from the engine being damaged?

Re: Captain Kwok\'s Space Empires Nova
 

If you've got a QNP system, you don't have to worry...
It will simply be a question of whether your ship is big enough that the loss of one engine (which may be less than one move point) is worth the bonus move.