B5 style Jump Gates
 

I've been trying to figure out how to do B5 style jump gates and I think that I have a good idea. The problem is that hinges on two key factors and I don't have access to my computer (and hence the game) for the summer.

This is what I want to know:

1. Is there any way to drastically increase the chance of a specific random event happening without effecting the other events? I looked through both the settings and events files and didn't see anything that would govern that (other than the base chances for high/medium/low settings). Specifically, how can I get the game game to continually shut down all warp points? Preferably without unleashing biblical ruin upon the rest of the galaxy.

2. Is there any way to limit the effects of the system gravitational field (preventing the closing of warp points in particular) to a single sector?

The idea here is to have a game where warp points are inherently unstable,closing after a turn or two and needing a jump gate to keep them open. Of course you would need to make warp tech a little more accessible and the AI might choke but it is an idea.

Speaking of AI's, does anyone know if they actually use warp openers? I've seen stellar manipulation ships being made but I don't know if they were being used.

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Don't know the answer to your questions, but I did see the AI use warp point openers. I played a game to test out the start with NO warp points. It took a while for the AI's to start opening them.
Game turned out to be too easy BECAUSE of this fact. I was first to open any warp points by at least 20 to 30 turns.

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

"1. Is there any way to drastically increase the chance of a specific random event happening without effecting the other events? I looked through both the settings and events files and didn't see anything that would govern that (other than the base chances for high/medium/low settings). Specifically, how can I get the game game to continually shut down all warp points? Preferably without unleashing biblical ruin upon the rest of the galaxy."

Yeah. Copy and paste the close warp point event a lot. Should do the trick.

As for #2: no.

Phoenix-D

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

You cam make multiple entries for basicaly the same event in evenst.txt file. If it is 99% close-warp point file and you increase the random events chance hundred fold, I imagine you will ran off of warp points rather quickly ! Neither tried it though, may be it won't work

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Hey, that's a cool idea! I'd love for it to work. I guess the question is how unstable will they be? If the average one is stable for say 3 turns (3 months) then it will change the way the game is played. If it shuts a warp point once every 20 turns, then it won't have much of an affect on gameplay.

What about the fact that it'll mess with the AI/human diplomacy?

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Wouldn't that have more of an effect?

Lets say that you have an warp point, a fairly stable one than others.

You've come to rely on it, even setting up fleets and major colonies, and then after 2 years, BAM!

gets cut off. For the next 2 years nothing will be crossed.

I'd rather have the 3 month intervals.

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

I was thinking more along the lines of WP collapse after only a turn or two. As far as stable supply lines went, that was what the gates were for.

Diplomacy would be a problem. Has anyone tried putting an inpenetrable cloak on a wormhole? Could be a way to maintain contact without having access to the WP.

I figured that there would be little hope finding a sector-limited warp close prevention ability (though that would be ideal). Oh well, on to plan B.

I was thinking of having a special jump gate "base" that has an inherent repair 1 ability and had but one component, the system WP closing preventer that is desrtoyed on use. That way you could 'use' the component (ie. destroy it) so that unwanted warps could be allowed to collapse before restoring its stabilizing influence. If you wanted to delay repair (one turn might not be enough) you could include modded life support modules that also have "destroyed on use" that could be nixed to give additional time. Since most sane individuals have ship control components posted higher in the repair hierarchy they should be repaired first.

Tis an idea. How well do you think it would work?

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

I don't think the jump gate base will work... because I tried it in a clutster not all warp points connect. Long story short, when i tried to open the warp point I couldn't because I didn't have any movemnent points. In other words bases don't have engines so you couldn't open the warp point. Maybe the abilities of the warp point opener/closer can be modded.

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

I've been trying to figure out some way to make Jump Engines for quite some time.

Right now the B5 Mod does feature:

1) Jump Gates replacing WPs - at least the pics have changed;)

2) Jump Gate 'Ships' that can be built in a location and then loaded with the huge (and costly) jump gate component, which could then be used to open a gate to a new loaction - but the component is destroyed on use.

3) Jump Drive for ships - large component that will allow you to open and close jump points, this component is intended only for human v. human games and the AI won't use it. The idea is that all human players agree to close the jump point after passing through, and not to use it to close active gates - more of a roleplaying rule.

I would love to see some sort of time delay auto close or even a time lag when jumping between to points, but nothing like that is possible - as far as I can tell.

Another thing I was working on is a B5 Map with Hyperspace sectors that all gates will be connected to, to represent travel time through Hyperspace. Only wish I could limit new Jump Gates to open only to Hyperspace! (I do know that I can give a planet the ability to prevent new gates from being opened, but then a jump drive couldn't be used in that system to enter Hyperspace)

If you do come up with some creative way around this, please let me know!

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Any luck ?

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

None thus far. Just puzzling things out till I regain access to my computer. I was debating on whether or not I should include warp opening capability on the gate itself or just keep it as a door jam. Hadn't sonsidered the movement point thing though. Guess that solves that dilema.

I like the human controled open/close jump engine approach (indeed it was one of the first things that I thought of when I first looked through the components text file) but I was facinated by the concept wormholes being naturally unstable and ways to use that in a game while maintaining playability.

Since it will be quite some time till I can test any of this out myself, does anyone feel like testing any of this out in the meantime? If anyone does I merely ask that you post the results so that I have something to think about while I'm waiting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">What if you made all jump drives work to the same distance, say 50 light years or less, and then layed out you quadrant maps so that all non-hyperspace systems are at least 60 light years apart. Place some hyperspace systems in between, and then you would only be able to open warp points to and from hyperspace. Place some long distance warp points connecting the hyperspace systems at the begining. The only problem I can think of then is if a player makes the mistake (or does it on purpose for that matter) of closing one of these long distance hyper warps there will be no way to reopen them.

Geoschmo

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Sweet idea Geo.

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Geo:

I had actually thought about limiting the jump distance to 1-2 hex and making a 'dual layer' map that would have Hyperspace below regular space, thereby limiting it. This is great when making a map, but I was also trying to come up with something for generic games. Another issue is that it would be nice to force the ai to close the gate when done...

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Here's my theory of how to do this.

First change all of the pre-existing "low" severity events to one of the other three. Then add in, in pairs I would assume, an open warp point event and a close wp event. Now these are the only two types that fall in the low severity Category.

Now up the % chance on an event happening in the settings.txt to 100%. When you start a game, allow only low severity events. If it works the way I think it should. You should then have one warp point open and one close each turn. If that works you can dictate how many open and close each turn by adding more entries in the events file.

Of course you won't have any other events.

So if you want to make jump gates that close after a turn or two at most. Mod in a cheap component that every ship can carry which opens WPs, then if you have enough entries in the events file to cover all the possible open WPs, they will close by them selves. You can even give it a timed event so that it closes after a turn of two if you want them to be reliable for a certain time.

If it works that is.

[ May 21, 2002, 21:52: Message edited by: Jmenschenfresser ]

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Jmenschenfresser:

And then the trait "Lucky" would actually be "Builds Stable Wormholes!"

I like this idea the most (not to limit the others, which could be used in conjunction easily). And it's not like the random events are all that exciting anyway, I regularily play on maximum frequency, maximum damage, and they hardly slow me down. I'd just add to each warp opening or closing component the "increases chance of event" effect. This way, people that are opening/closing more worm holes will have their wormholes closed more often.

If you want nasty & unexpected events, introduce Rollo's monsters to the mod! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ May 21, 2002, 23:55: Message edited by: jimbob ]

Re: B5 style Jump Gates
 

Yes! The lucky trait would possibly allow your WPs to stay open longer.

Not sure about the ability of change bad events...doubt you can add that to a component, since it only appears on facilities, I think.

But you wouldn't need it. The opposite could be done. Have a facility that decreases the chance of bad events, and this could stabilize the WPs for a time.

The only problem with this mod is that it could never be used with the AI. As I assume more WPs will close every turn than open, if any open at all, most systems will lose all of their WPs after a while, and to travel anywhere will take a "jump drive."