FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

For the ability descriptions of stellar objects (eg: storms, warp points), do you prefer flowery descriptions, or utilitarian descriptions?

flowery:
Sector [%ScopeSector%] contains gases which fluoresce in engine wakes, improving combat sensor targeting by 40%.

utilitarian:
Combat sensor gain: 40%

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Definitely 'flowery'. Having the explanation behind the occurrence is a big plus.

However, perhaps it could be set in such a format that the exact ability consequences could be easily read? From your example, how about doing something like:

[%ScopeSector%]: Combat sensor +40% - Sector contains gases which fluoresce in engine wakes, improving combat sensor targeting.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

I'd agree with Raapys - flowery (organic or crystalline...) but with the key info at the start.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Give us flavor! Give us depth! I can ignore text after I have played it a few times.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

I voted Utilitarian. I also like flavour a lot, but those sector descriptions stack up in the top left of the screen, and if they are wordy then they can clutter a large amount of space!

My personal preference would have a terse description, such as:

"[1,4] Asteroids: Require sensor L10"
"[3,2] Storm: Combat sensors disrupted"
"[5,5] Space Port"

This would make the System Properties display less screen intensive but would help assessing the terrain of a system.

Of course that's just my opinion. I've been watching the beta 12 of FQM and I'm liking it a lot! Please keep up the good work.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

I went for a slightly hybrid model, which you can see in the PR4 posted last night. I seem to have forgotten to change the star text format, though.

Pockets of explosive gases lay in wait for unsuspecting ships in sector [%ScopeSector%]: [%Amount1%]

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Checked out your latest beta. This is looking great and adds so much more flavor to the game. I am curious if it is at all possible to make some warp points only detecable if you have an appropriate level of scanner? Any way to mod in the random and verly rare super warp-point that will warp a ship accross the quadrant which would then become strategic centers of interest. Also curious what else you might have in the works for future updates?

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

To my knowledge, it is not possible to mod hidden WPs. As soon as a ship is in range, the WP appears. You can make a WP cloak stuff in the sector like a storm, but there is hard-code in place that overrides anything else trying to cloak a WP (like a system scope sight obscuration ability).

In the data files, we have no control over how far apart the game will connect systems with WPs, or any way to tell it to make WPs that skip past a bunch of intermediate systems. The closest we can come would be a cluster type map. With a custom map generator hooking into the map compiler utility, it would be possible.

I don't currently have any more plans. If you have any suggestions or requests besides the WPs though... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

I voted for flowery. It makes the game more interesting and it's fun to imagine what the various objects look like by reading the descriptions.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Any way to give planets special abilities like:

Dangerous species running rampant on planet surface, planet suffers a 1M population per month loss. Treat it like a plague or something, just name it differently, and instead of medical facility bringing down the plague level(rampant dangerous species), call it a Galactic Dangerous Game Hunting Center or something that brings in tourists to hunt the critters keeping their population in check. Could maybe even give a slight bonus to organics. I think the facility would need to be modded in someone elses mod, I don't beleive you do that with your mod?

Would there be a way to also flavor planets to add some sort of ability description that plays off the radiation or gravity that is listed for a planet but does nothing. Example:

The immense gravity of this planet hinders all production by 20%.

Strong gamma, beta, x-ray (what ever kind messes with reproduction?) radiation on this planet will affect population growth by 50% do to many occupants becoming sterile.

A unique radiation found only on this planet has been known to increase fertiliy resulting in an explosive 10% population growth per year.

The low gravity of this planet is conducive to many research project resulting in a 15% research increase.

The temperature of this planet is considered an optimal range for vacationing species of your race. Planetary happiness is increased every year?

This water world is abundant with a species of highly reproductive fish that increases organic production by 20%.

A unique radioactive mineral found only on this planet is continually replenished due to the strong magnetic tides churning its core resulting in a 15% boost to radiative production.

Of course these types of planets would be rare but at least out there and either a boon or a bust to exploration and expansion.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Fyron, I don't know if this has been mentioned before but could tiny planets with out atmospheres be modeled to represent derilict ships with the ruins ability. A research colony could be established to get the tech and you could either abandon the ship (tiny-no atmosphere planet because you would only get one facility on it, it would be pretty much useless. Could set up a research facility I suppose for continuing research on the vessel.

So I guess in a nut shell a few random tiny planets that are modeled as derelict ships floating about the solar system as moons near a Gas Giant or in some of those asteroid belt systems that have a few tiny planets in them. Send a colony ship to the derelict ship (tiny planet, no atmosphere), set up a research colony to get the tech from the ruins ability. And there you have it derelict ships in the game. Would this work?

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Hello Fyron,

So I've put in some time with PR4 and I like it a lot! The planet textures and atmosphere colours are really helpful now in their current form!

I have no major feedback; it's been a stable release for me. I have noticed that some of the storm properties (now in groups of 4 properties per storm) have a tendency to saturate the System Properties list in the top left of the System Display. Do those storms / asteroids have to have System Wide properties or can they be sector properties only to get them out of that list? As it stands you get a block of 4 messages (for just one storm) and the others are not reported. It's a tiny bit inconsistent.

And a question: is the "Occlusion" property of asteroids / storms linked to the actual required sensor level? I don't recall and am away from my SE5 at the moment. Since only 1 in 10 asteroids help hide ships now, the others should have an Occlusion of None - and Occlusion could be "Slight" for required sensor level 1-5, "Medium" for 6-10, etc etc. It would help human players assess the terrain of a system with just single-clicks rather than getting up a set of sector reports one at a time.

Those are of course just minor points / ideas. I really do enjoy the FQM quadrants and consider the mod to be essential. After work today I will waste no time in getting a new Balance 1.11 + PR4 game underway!!!

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Glad you are enjoying the mod. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

With the exception of Stars, all stellar objects have abilities with a sector scope. SE5 erroneously lists such sector abilities in the System abilities report, sometimes. This happens in stock too, IIRC. Note that Stars have some abilities that do affect the entire system. Erratic solar emissions and violent eruptions are much fun.

The Sight Obscuration ability is equivalent to Cloaking Device/Stealth Armor cloaking ability (presumably the only difference being that Sight Obscuration is always on, and Cloak Level can be de/activated). Note that Cloaking Device 9 has an ability value of 10. Thus, obscuring storms/asteroids with ability amount 10 are equivalent to CD 9. IIRC, equivalent levels of Tachyon Sensors beat Cloaking Devices. Tachyon Sensor 9 should be sufficient to detect hidden ships. If my memory fails, Tachyon Sensor 10 will definitely do the trick, since it has ability amount 11.

I'm not sure what would happen if I add multiple Sight Obscuration ability chances for storms/asteroids, with varying ability levels. Which would take precedence, the lowest or the highest? Someone needs to test it. :shiftyeyes:

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Hi again,

So I had some trouble last night getting PR4 to work with Balance Mod 1.11. I was able to get Beta 11 installed OK, but at the point of adding the PR4 files I get a SE5 error during game creation, before even choosing races and the like. The error was reporting an inability to load a star glow image file of some kind, I don't recall right now. I tried reinstalling SE5 without further success.

Here was my sequence of events.

1) Install SE5 into clean directory
2) Add 1.58 Official Patch
3) Install Balance Mod 1.11 (into "Gametypes\Balance Mod 1.10+" directory)
4) Installed the multimedia pack files Stellar2.rar and Effects3.rar to the SE5 Pictures directory.
5) Extract FQM5.00Beta11.rar, producing an "Gametypes\FQM" directory
6) Extract FQM5.00Beta12PR4.rar, producing an "Gametypes\FQM PR" directory
7) Move "FQM" files into Balance Mod 1.10+ directory.
8) Move "FQM PR" files into Balance Mod 1.10+ directory.

Even after point 7) I can create a game successfully making use of FQM Beta 11 on the Balance Mod 1.11 with the Multimedia pack files. Just the final upgrade to PR4 makes the problem arise. Is my order of events to patch to PR4 correct? I believe I'm doing the right thing and suspect that Balance Mod 1.11 and PR4 just need some convincing to be compatible in some way. Have I done anything wrong during installation? If you need the specific error I encountered I can retrieve it this evening.

And finally, are you closing in on a final build of Beta 12? I am planning a PBW game with friends in the coming week or two and would love to get a "Balance 1.11 + Latest FQM" mod uploaded so we can make use of it, with your permission.

(Edit: Added the multimedia pack install step above)

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

You don't want to copy the Beta 11 files in before the Beta 12PR4 files. I'm not sure if that's the issue, but it probably doesn't help.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Aha! I will try that out. I assumed Beta 11 was needed first as it's so much larger than 12PR4... but I recall now that it's because of the multimedia pack arrangement now. Thank you for the help.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Fyron,

So now I am really scratching my head. Sorry to keep on this same topic!

I really can't get PR4 running no matter what I try. I've redownloaded the PR4 file from your Dev section, I've tried it standalone, on top of Beta 11, with or without the Balance Mod, you name it! Every time I create a game using the gametype with PR4 content, after creating a game I get an error pop up underneath the game options screen with the error:

Unable to locate file "[SE5 folder]\Pictures\Effects\BH_Jet.bmp"

This missing file name does not appear to exist within any part of FQM, the multimedia packs, Balance Mod or Space Empires itself. I had no problems getting your previous releases working, I think there could be an issue with the PR4 file on your website - at least while running with version 1.58.

What do you think? I can definitely survive with Beta 11 but I'd really like to try out your latest tweaks!

Edit: I found the BH_Jet.bmp references in BitmapEffects_System.txt, it seems that these black hole-related bitmaps are not available in any Multimedia Pack available for download at the moment.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

The BH_Jet.bmp file is in the PR4 archive currently available for download. I just downloaded it and ran it in SE5 1.58 to double-check.

I didn't think SE5 would complain about it, due to the effect not actually being used in the xfile classes, but it turns out it does. I re-uploaded a version of PR4 with the bitmap a day or so after posting it. Are you sure you selected yes to overwrite the existing PR4 archive when you went to re-download the file?

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

So I re-downloaded PR4 a moment ago and the BH_Jet.bmp file is present as you say. I'm quite puzzled as to why I had trouble yesterday, but at least I will be able to play now! Thank you for bearing with me.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Hello again Fyron, I have some more feedback on the Beta 12, apologies for monopolising this thread!

I like the new stellar abilities text, but in the specific game I've been playing that the "Mulitversal Hypercube" is very heavily used! A lot of the storms get generated with some sort of sensor interference, with the result that most systems have 1-4 hypercubes in them, all "driving people insane" which makes the galaxy seem a very sinister place!

Scanning the StellarAbilityTypes file, I see this Hypercube item occur many times; perhaps the most severe magnitude of sensor interference could remain as the Hypercube, and perhaps some of the lesser magnitudes could have more mundane features like space debris, asteroid fragments or something else fitting.

Regardless, I like beta 12 a lot and happily collected your non-PR Beta 12 earlier today. Thank you!

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Normal and protostar storms have "magnetized metals," and only 6 of 20 nebulae are of the CS- or "rainbow" type (the other 14 types also get "magnetized metals"). "Multiversal hypercubes" don't seem that common to me. 3 in 10 nebulae will be riddled with them, but no other system type can have them.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Hi again,

Yes, from my current game with the latest release it's exactly as you describe. My old game findings were using PR4 and I can't reproduce my findings in the current release.

Do you have plans to make your latest release available to PBW games? I wouldn't hesitate to use it for my upcoming Balance Mod game if it were available.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Ok, stupid question time: where do I go to get the FQM for SE5? And, it appears from above that it should work with Balance mod, right?

Thanks,

AMF

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Link:
http://fqm5.spaceempires.net/download.php

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

I knew I shouldn't have used the scenarios and mods subform to announce the release of beta 12... Nobody reads it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Balance Mod already contains most of FQM beta 12. As Kwok posted elsewhere, these are the main differences between the BM version of FQM and the latest FQM, as of BM 1.11 and FQM beta 12:
- Different stellar abilities
- BM uses stock planet textures
- No Green Stars in BM
- No Quaternary/Quintuple Star Systems in BM
- No Wheel Quadrant Type in BM
- No Blackbody curve Black Holes in BM... but will add in future

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

"19. Added - Slew of special planet abilities."
What exactly does it means?

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

Check out Data\Stellar_Ability_Types.txt > Normal Planet starting at Ability 19.

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

may I ask why is FQM 5.00 Beta 12 only (193 KB)?????

Re: FQM Stellar Object Ability Descriptions
 

As the download page says, FQM uses the Multimedia Pack..