Random Questions
 

Can someone explain to me what each kind of scanners do? What is the difference among basic, tachyon, long range etc etc.? Can I drop the basic sensors after I get some of these?

P.S. There is this annoying bug; if you select drop troops, you can't unselect if you hit it by mistake. Very annoying if you want to do something else, like capture a ship. Also stops you from selecting other ships, I think.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Well there's a difference between sensors and scanners.

There's basic sensors which show the surrounding area. They're not specialised and their strength goes up slowly. They focus on range.

Then you get sensors that focus on strength but have slightly less range. If the enemy has cloaking devices, hides in a storm or asteroid field they are concealed to a certain level. basic sensors aren't made to see them, although a level 1 cloak might be visible to level 10 basic sensors. You need advanced sensors to detect cloaked ships. There are just different paths. Depending on what path you follow, temporal, psychic, etc, you use different technology. I'm not sure but possibly psychic sensors might be slightly more efficient.

Long range scanners are supposed to allow you to see what a ship is made along with what cargo they carry

Jammers stop that sort of thing.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Ok, now here's another:

How do I make a ringworld/dyson sphere? The biggest ships are 1800kt but the smallest item to make above items are 2000kt each. Any ideas?

Also, if you use the cheat to get all the techs, it does not give racial only but more importantly; it corrupts your empire by permanently giving all techs to the empire. Anyway to disable the cheat?

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

I know of no way to disable full tech once you choose it. I only use full tech to gain access to descriptions of everything after I save a game so I can plan how to reach certain tech.

As for ringworlds and dyson spheres the idea is to build several starbases with the components. These are destroyed when you create the artificial world.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Sardia said:
Ok, now here's another:

How do I make a ringworld/dyson sphere? Any ideas?

No, turn on the alltech cheat and check out the stats. I can only use the stock mod in order to build a ringworld/sphereworld. In the balance mod, a cable or plating has 2000kt but the largest ship, which is a base ship has only 1800kt worth of space. Probably oversight due to rarity of occurrence.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Sardia said:

No, turn on the alltech cheat and check out the stats. I can only use the stock mod in order to build a ringworld/sphereworld. In the balance mod, a cable or plating has 2000kt but the largest ship, which is a base ship has only 1800kt worth of space. Probably oversight due to rarity of occurrence.

I'd built ring- and sphere-worlds in past versions of the Balance Mod using the starbases. This may be a new sizes bug that's crept into this version. Or the alltech cheat is doing something freaky with the Balance Mod's tech tree.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

It's not an oversight, I made it like SE4. The plating and cables have to be on starbases, and only the generator needs to be placed on a baseship since it needs a movement point to work.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Starbases are bigger than baseships? I thought it was the other way around, thanks.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Baseships are smaller, portable starbases. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

What does computer player bonus and technology cost do for the game?

Oh, and what settings do you guys prefer?

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

Bonus is a multiplier for resource income and build rate.
In SE4, it is 2x, 3x, and 5x for both.
In SE5, it is 2x, 3x, and 5x for resources, and 1.5x, 2x, 3x for build rate.

Re: Scanners and Jammers
 

In SE4, isn't the bonus for build rate also 1.5x, 2x and 3x?

Re: Random Questions
 

I believe it is.

Re: Random Questions
 

If you get into a war with an AI, is it possible to make peace with them? I'm in a situation where I could crush a computer player, but that would strip defenses from another front. Right now, it is just a drain on my resources.

What I'm asking in essence, is how do I intimidate an AI? How do I get them to sue for peace?

Also, what happens when you damage weapons and other components? Do they degrade in usefulness or are there set breaking points where they become useless junk?

Re: Random Questions
 

Settings.txt:

Re: Random Questions
 

If it's a Balance Mod game, a losing AI should consider making a "Ceasefire Agreement" which usually consists of paying the stronger player a small resource tariff each turn - but it's race dependent to a large degree. You can try asking for a basic treaty such as non-interference or non-aggression. They should accept particularly if their mood is shown as terrified.

Re: Random Questions
 

How would I "get them into the mood"? I have options but I'm not sure which action I do makes them more scared or angrier. Is a show of force sufficient? or do I need to lay siege and/or proceed to glass a planet?

Re: Random Questions
 

What's their current mood description? Have you tried asking for a treaty with just a non-aggression element?

If you want to make a treaty, it's better to avoid conflict and pull your ships out of their systems with colonies. Over time their anger will fade and they'll be more likely to accept a treaty, particularly those with additional clauses.

Re: Random Questions
 

Thanks for the tips.

Onto another topic:
Boarding parties don't destroy the number of crews that they state they do. For example, 1 boarding party says it can take 200 or 100 crew, but when I test it out, it can only take about 40-50 before they all die. It takes 2 boarding parties just to capture a single 100 crew ship. Is this a typo?

Next, a carrier can launch a fighter every 3 seconds yet a fighter bay can only launch every 9. Why?

Lastly, how do I change the starting fleet names? The alphabetic/greek system isn't very distinctive for me, I sadly prefer numbers. You know, instead of alpha/beta fleet; 1st/2nd fleet.
P.S. Some standard AI fighter bombers carry no weapons early game. I think its cuz the cluster rockets are too big.

Re: Random Questions
 

Oops. It's a bug. I've reversed the values on the Boarding Parties component. You can correct it by editing the Boarding parties entry in Components.txt (in the data folder).

From:

Ability 1 Type := Boarding Attack
Ability 1 Description := Boarding Parties provide [%Amount1%] attackers that can overcome [%Amount2%] regular crew members.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 50 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 200 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)

to

Ability 1 Type := Boarding Attack
Ability 1 Description := Boarding Parties provide [%Amount2%] attackers that can overcome [%Amount1%] regular crew members.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 200 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 50 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)

Re: Random Questions
 

I got a capital ship missile to the face from a supposedly nonoperational missile launcher. =( 88% damage and it still got off 3 shots, enough to cripple my carrier, the FS Foch.

Re: Random Questions
 

Has anyone ever managed to get the abbidon or the terrans as computer players? I've been playing on and off for several months now and I have yet to see them.

Re: Random Questions
 

I faced the Terrans twice and the Abbidon once within my first five solo games.

Re: Random Questions
 

Now that the thread has drifted a bit...

'Random Answer #1,

Random Answer #2'

* Wonders if anyone saw that coming.

Re: Random Questions
 

You might be using their flags or ships, which would mean the game wouldn't add them as empires since it would mean duplicate ships/flags.

Re: Random Questions
 

Hmmm, that might be it.

Is there anyway to change the initial fleet names? I dislike the current greek system, and I don't want to keep changing the fleet name every time I make a new fleet.

Re: Random Questions
 

The default fleet names are hard-coded.

Re: Random Questions
 

I wish they weren't hard coded.

Re: Random Questions
 

It's interesting to note though that when an AI creates a fleet, they are named simply Fleet 1 .. Fleet N etc.

Re: Random Questions
 

Anyway we can get the AI to name our fleets?

Re: Random Questions
 

Not really, unless you want to hand your fleet operations over to the Fleets Minister. Just as easy to hit "N" after you create a fleet to name to something different.

Re: Random Questions
 

Only if you want to cede all control over fleet management to the AI minister. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/stupid.gif

EDIT:
Aargh, stupid forum not taking me to the last page first...

Re: Random Questions
 

Stuff like that can happen with only one post on the new page.

Re: Random Questions
 

I'm playing the balance mod with the FQM data files, and I have a planet with 3300 facility space. I thought it wasn't possible to have facility space that end in odd numbers.

Any thoughts? Is there a racial that allows extra facility space?

Re: Random Questions
 

It's possible in stock if you have the Advanced Storage Techniques racial trait, but the Balance Mod's version of that trait does not increase facility space. Is it possible you've overwritten some of the BM's data files? BM data files usually have "Captain Kwok's Balance Mod" in the title of the data file, it might be worthwhile to check racialtraits.txt in the BM's data folder to see if that's the case.

Re: Random Questions
 

I found out that FQM gives random planets certain abilities, like bonus research or space.

Onto something else!

I like to retrofit but I have to remove the ship from the fleet in order to retrofit it. Am I losing the fleet xp, or does it not matter as long as the fleet has a ship left?

Re: Random Questions
 

If it's like SEIV, the second.

Re: Random Questions
 

As long as the fleet is not destroyed or disbanded, its bonus will apply to any ship in the fleet.

Re: Random Questions
 

Is there anyway to show close the fleet is to leveling up?

Re: Random Questions
 

These are the experience point amounts required to reach level along with the bonuses to attack and defense:
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Ship Experience:

Level Xp Pts Atk Def
-----------------------------
Recruit 0 0 0
Trained 1000 2 1
Regular 2000 4 2
Veteran 5000 6 3
Elite 10000 8 4
Legendary 15000 10 5

Fleet Experience:

Level Xp Pts Atk Def
-----------------------------
Recruit 0 0 0
Trained 5000 2 1
Regular 10000 4 2
Veteran 25000 6 3
Elite 50000 8 4
Legendary 75000 10 5
</pre><hr />

Re: Random Questions
 

Try the ships/fleets report, using the crew layout.

Re: Random Questions
 

It doesn't show how much xp the fleet has.

Re: Random Questions
 

Hey, time for round 2.
Does anybody use the demanding, neutral, or pleading options when sending messages? How much do they matter?

Re: Random Questions
 

I am not sure they make any difference. I have one game where an alien race has practically ceased to exist. They only have one plague ridden planet with no population and they still won't surrender. I mostly use the different moods for RP just in case it makes a difference. Even with human players. I don't know that you can see what mood a message is in but if other people know how to they can figure out my messages tone I guess.

Re: Random Questions
 

How much damage do asteroids and warppoints with "deals damage to space vehicles" do?

Re: Random Questions
 

Its in Data\StellarAbilityTypes.txt. From stock:

Name := Normal Asteroids
Number of Poss Abilities := 0

Name := Normal Storm
Number of Poss Abilities := 4
Ability 1 Chance := 250
Ability 1 Type := Sector - Damage
Ability 1 Descr := Turbulence causes damage to space vehicles.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 200
Ability 1 Val 2 := 1

Name := Unstable Warp Point
Number of Poss Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Chance := 1000
Ability 1 Type := Warp Point - Turbulence
Ability 1 Descr := Strong gravitic fields causes damage to ships.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 200
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0

Re: Random Questions
 

I have my own random question of SEV.

I have tried to amend the data file which sets out the various design types (attack ship, defence base etc etc).

I have found the file (using explorer) and right clicked to open it, have made the amendments I want but when I try and save it, it says path not recognised.

Any ideas what this is? I am on Windows Vista Home Premium, and all I know about computers is how to turn them on and hit them when they go wrong.

Re: Random Questions
 

If you installed the game to the default location (Program Files), you will have to run apps with elevated admin privileges to write to the folders. The easiest solution is to move your install to another location, such as C:\Games\Space Empires V\. You don't need to reinstall or anything, but you might want to update your desktop/start menu shortcuts.

Re: Random Questions
 

Wow, you mean he doesn't run Windows XP in administrator mode like everyone else? Amazing. I wonder how many other programs don't work for him, then.

Re: Random Questions
 

He uses Vista.