What are the must have mods for someone starting?
 

I'm just starting out. At the same time, I like to play the "best" version up front. I don't have time to get used to the basic game and then add mods in, as that simply means I will have some time to play the basic game and never get to the mods. So I might as well spend limited time playing the best "total" version.

At the same time, I don't want bells and whistles just for their own sake. I'm really looking for things that make the gameplay better (so I don't care about graphics packs, for example). The mod list can be small (or none, if no mods really make the game substantially better. I'm just looking for the key mods that give things like better AI, substantially better UI, etc.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

Balance mod is the basic game, only balanced. It also includes Fyron Quadrant Mod, which is just better quadrants.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

I see that it exists for 1.58. Is there a 1.63 version?

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

It works in 1.63

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

Right, you just really need the Balance Mod... but some ship sets should be the next not-so-important thing on your list http://www.spaceempires.net/home/shipyards-g-SE5.html

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

Also remember to increase the quadrants in settings.txt

Maximum Number Of Systems := 100

to

Maximum Number Of Systems := 255

And

Maximum Number Of Systems Large Quadrant := 100

to

Maximum Number Of Systems Large Quadrant := 255

This will maximize the game's number of systems for those really long "I want to play all weekend long" games.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

SE is a lifetime endeavor

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

I must say that the Balance Mod is probably the best of the ones I've played. But I'm no expert. I hardly have any time to play the game lately. But of the mods I've tried, I always go back to the Balance Mod. And like Master ChiToes says, try some different shipsets. Just read the Readme file for the Balance Mod, and it will tell you have to install them.

What are the must have mods for someone starting
 

I know you are all talking about SE5, but I did not want to start a new thread with this question, one which has been asked thousands of times:
What mod/mods do you recommend to play a good challenging SE4 solo game? Besides is the last game version (1.95, I think) the best one to play with, or anyone of the older versions fare better?

Thanks in advance to all!

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

I would go with the Star Trek Mod.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

If you're serious about challenge and don't want the AI to be cheating, try Carrier Battles mod

If you're stomping all over TDM AIs with 5x bonuses, I suggest playing team mode, NO bonus.
Non-team mode should be good to let you learn the ropes (rule one - make friends with the Vikings http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif)

If you want the AI to steamroll your empire and then capture your homeworld with troops within the first 75-100 turns, try low bonus http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starting
 

A lot of people never upgraded past v1.91 (the last Shrapnel release). Whether you want to go beyond that depends mostly on how annoying you found the few minor bugs that were were fixed after that, and whether you want the features that were added.

There really isn't a big difference in play between any of the versions, IMO. When you're ready to try multiplayer, PBW supports both v1.91 and v1.94/v1.95 (those last two are equivalent as far as PBW is concerned.)

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

All three are equivalent and interchangeable for multiplayer, actually.
If you are hosting a mod which includes seekers which target other seekers, you will need 1.94 to process the turns (avoids a bug in the saving of a combat replay), but 1.91 is just fine for playing.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

I've bought the se4 cd in Staples and it came with ver 1.95 on it so i'm happy,

as for mods i play
Adamant
AICampaign
B5CarrierBattles
Babylon 5
CarrierBattles
DN4 (yes 4.27 ver) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
GritEcon
Imperium Verus
Invasion
Proportions (hopefully 3.06+ someday) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
StarFire Mod
StarTrek (of course) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
TDM-ModPack

and when i get a chance i go a few rounds with SE5 (Balance Mod)

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

Version History for Space Empires IV
---------------------------------------------------

Version 1.95:
1. Fixed - Mount selection on the Weapons Report was only showing the Normal Mount.
2. Fixed - The game will now create any directories that are missing.
3. Fixed - Occasionally, the TCP/IP would not connect using UDP.
4. Fixed - Over 300 System Types would crash the game.
5. Fixed - The Map Editor was not loading old Settings.txt files (with track numbers).
6. Added - Added a startup menu window.



Version 1.94:
1. Fixed - Game would error when loading old Settings.txt with track number fields.
The game will now allow either and translate tracks to music filenames.



Version 1.93:
1. Note - Strategy First release version.
2. Changed - Changed music to play MP3 files instead of using CD.
3. Added - Music volume selection in Game Options window.
4. Fixed - Starting a new game from within a game and then returning to the
main menu would leave the menu buttons disabled.



Version 1.92:
1. Fixed - Rare Access Violation when executing orders.
2. Fixed - Rare error when processing a turn.

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Re: What are the must have mods for someone starti
 

it keeps me on my toe's when playing 20 players (yes 19 A.I.'s) and peace with them till they get in my way LOL