Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

There a number of good Mods out there and even a few based on Sci-Fi TV like Babylon 5 (which is shaping up to be a fantastic Mod). However, there is no real Mod for Star Trek, a favourite of many Space Empires fans. What I am considering is to put together a team to do just
that - build an extensive Trek Mod.

Here is a possible outline:

It would be based on Star Trek in the TNG-DS9-VOY era (minus the silliness of VOY "Endgame").

It would include the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, Dominion, Ferengi, and the Borg as major races and a few of the minor ones like the Bajorans, etc, as Neutrals.

Instead of having unique techs such as crystalline etc, each race would have their own unique tech to allow for race specific components and facilities - like the Dominion's phased-polaron beams or the Federation's phasers.

Other components or facilities that are common to multiple races like disruptors or shields would be accessible for any race to research.

Most of the original SEIV components would be replaced by their Trek equivalents when necessary like anti-matter torpedoes becoming photon torpedoes or ion engines to impulse engines - things like that.

I don't think a FTL system is needed, so it would just use the normal warp point system of SEIV - but ships would probably use QN propulsion.

I would also like to add some more planets and things along that line just to add some more depth to the galaxy.

AI's wouldn't be so hard to make. Already there exists a number of Trek AI's whose owners would just have to modify them to use the specific components of the Mod.

Ok...so far not so hard right?

Well, here is the ambitious part:

For the major races I would like to see each have a ship set of custom made images and race portraits along the lines of the existing SEIV races. They do not have to be exact perfect replicas of Trek ships - but something fun and original. It might be a little time consuming but there are a number of creative SEIV community artists who are more than capable of putting a single ship set together.

I would also like to see a few new planet, component, facility pics made to represent the new techs. This wouldn't be very difficult and I have a few planet pics already.

So what is needed?

Well, people are needed.

For those who are not graphically inclined - you can easily contribute by doing some of the ground work in the data files. It's easy enough to add components and facilities and a few people could have it wrapped up in no time.

For those who are graphic compatible, it would great if a few of you would donate your time to building one of the ship sets needed. For those of you who don't have the time to build a ship set maybe a couple of planet pics or buildings would just as great.

If you are interested in any way, shape, or form - I would like to hear from you!

capt-kwok@rogers.com

So what do you think? Post your ideas or comments that you may have.

[ May 28, 2002, 18:52: Message edited by: Captain Kwok ]

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

The shipsets already exist. Atrocities has a more-or-less complete collection. Modding the game and then altering the AIs to suit the mod is all you would have to do.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

It would be nice, even if you want to make it a separate mod, if you can consider the basic structure of the sci-fi crossover mod (like the guy's working on the B5 mod) to make it easier to eventually merge it.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

You should also probably call it something other than "Trek Mod", to avoid confusion with the previous Star Trek themed mod by that name.

Geoschmo

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

I am aware that Atrocities has compiled some find ship sets - I just thought would be more fun to make some of our own that fit in with the SE:IV style. I know it's kind of an unnessecary detail and to some it might be a waste of time or effort - but I am still hoping a few Trek fans would be interested in doing it anyways. If not, then oh well, we can always work on the data files otherwise.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Consider to import colony development from Proportions. Babylon5 and Derek' mod using it.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Oleg - I was thinking of including something like the cultural facility or cities from proportions but maybe even something like giving reduced construction abilities to planets with low populations. For example a colony of 20 million would only build at 20% instead - combine this with increased population weight and it simulates the proportion mod feeling without the extra work.

Here is a image I just threw together in ten minutes of a galaxy class ship to give an idea of what I meant by original images...keep in mind it has no textures, so it will look much better when it does...

Galaxy Class

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

I messed with the idea of making a trek mod earilier this year, but the task of editing all the AI to use the modified RACE ABILITIES, was far too much for me to fathom. Hense, I stopped work on it.

I had set up files for each race so that each race had its own Racial Trait and race specific technology. Something along the ideas of what the Crossover Mod people have been working on.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Atrocities: There would only be 7 AI's to consider and it would be more of a change the numbers kind of thing...

This is how I would hope to distribute the work:

First there would be some sort of brainstorming session that would establish the common techs and custom techs for each of the 7 major races. Once those were decided, then we could make or modify the components and facilities. Each person of the team could pick one or two Groups and edit the data before it was compiled into the mod.

At the same time, our ship volunteers could work on designing the ships and other graphics.

Once the data files were done, the AI files could be edited and testing started. When the graphics were done then the whole mod could be put together and play tested.

Hopefully, if four or five people could work on the data files and a similiar amount on the graphics, it wouldn't be so much work for any one individual.

If you want to work on this Mod please let me know and what you would like to work on

capt-kwok@rogers.com

Once a few people have signed up then we can hold a brainstorming session where ideas for techs can be submitted and work can begin!

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

In Addition...

I think I might call it the "TNG-Mod" since it takes place during that timeline of the Star Trek universe.

Also, please be aware I do not intend to create whole new tech trees for each race, just a few custom techs and facilities to give the race the flavour of the Trek universe.

Here is a rough Romulan Warbird that I just put together as another graphic example - of course it doesn't have any real textures but I thought is shaping up okay.

Romulan Warbird

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

I just made a quick website containing most of the information in this thread:

TNG Mod Homepage

I hope to add some more detailed information about the Mod shortly but I have to clean up the house first before my wife gets home!

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Umm... for impulse engines, this is fine. However, for warp drive, it is not. The sub-space field generated about starships that allows for warp travel effectively nullifies the mass of the ship. This means that velocity is dependant solely on the amount of energy put in, and not the size/mass of the ship. Larger ships tend to go faster because they have more powerful engines and power systems. So, pure QNP would not be entirely appropriate. Just think about it: galaxy class starships are some of the fastest and largest ships in Starfleet.

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Fyron - Valid point. But their engines are also bigger too, right? I would like all ships to move around the same speed with a max around 10-12 at most like the regular SEIV game but with the bigger ships requiring more space for engines. The added bonus is that it makes it more viable for smaller ships to remain in the game longer too since the big ships will have a reduced fire power.

Some Ideas for custom racial techs:

Federation:
Phasers; Pulse Phasers + ?

Klingons:
Pulse Disruptors; War Shrine + ?

Romulans:
Plasma Torpedoes; Quantum Singularity Core + ?

Dominion:
Phased-Polaron Beams; Cloning Facility + ?

Cardassians:
Compressor Beam; Spiral-Wave Disruptor + ?

Ferengi:
Commerece Facility + ?

Borg:
Plasma Projectors; Cutter beams; Assimilators; Larger Hull sizes + ?

Feel free to suggest your own ideas for custom techs (doesn't have to be canon - but similiar)

Common Techs:
Bridge; Combat Bridge; Life Support; Crew Quarters
Engineering (Aux Control, Self-Destruct, +2 Repair)
Engines (Fusion-Ion-Impulse-Quantum)
Armor (Regular-Polarized-Ablative-etc...)
Shields (Regular + Multiphasic)
Sensors (All kinds)
Supply Components + Anti-Matter reactor

Common Weapons:
Torpedoes (Photon + Quantum)
Disruptors
Tractor Beam

New Common Facilities:
Capital (Bonus +research +intelligence +happiness)
Command Centre (Bonus +ship training +)

These are just some ideas off the top of my head...feel free to add suggestions...

[ May 28, 2002, 23:40: Message edited by: Captain Kwok ]

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

I mentioned some Ideas for the Scifi-Crossover mod a LONG time ago:

Edit: For Feddies.

Weapons:

Pulse Phasers: Meson BLasters with about 5X damage but crippled accuracy.

Phasers: Anti-Proton Beams with No damage loss with distance.

Photon Torpedoes: Anti-Matter torpedoes with added range and damage.

Quantum Torpedoes: Added range.

Tri-phasic Torpedoes: 2X the quantum torp damage.

Armor & Shield:

Ablative Armor: Crystaline armor with slight added damage resistance but no shield energy.

Metaphasic shields: Phased shielding with slightly added strength and slight recharge rate.

Ship Systems:

Replicators: Able to repair damaged/crippled ship in space without the help of space yards or rapair bays, Only effective for engines, weapons and command. Engines recieve half of the storage capability, weapons only 75% effective than original. Half of supplies are used for replication of needed materials. Requires Engineerings.

Warp Core: Quantum Reactor but this generates supplies up to 80% of the original supply capabilities rather than make it limitless.

Computer Core: 1 more movement added to engines. 80% accuracy in weapons. Size should be ridiculously large to compensate for the tremendous bonuses.

EPS Conduits: 30 Extra shiled strength. Decreased hull strength due to the volatility of the conduit.

Security: Doubles as Boarding party and Security Stations but half the effectiveness of both.

Scanners:

Scanner Array: Long range scanners with boosted range.

Engines:

Ramscoop: Generates 50 supplies for every storm or sun. Adds 75 supplies to the generation of supplies if Warp core is installed.

Impulse drives: Jacketed-Photon engines with extra supplies capabilities and extra movement bonus.

Nacelles: Adds movement bonus. (Size should be large)

Structures:
Starfleet Academy: Doubles as a ship training facility and Fleet training facility.
Starfleet Command: Extra combat bonuses for every ship fighting in the system.
Starfleet Communications: Extra 10% experience for fleets. Extra 10% combat bonuses for satellites.

BTW, I've cut the farfetched Ideas from my original post http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ May 28, 2002, 23:51: Message edited by: TerranC ]

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

If I could also suggest possibly including other races in the trek universe at some other date..I realize that such a project would take a sizeable effort, and thus is better kept small. I'd volunteer myself to assist but unfortunately I'm afraid that I know nothing on how to do scripting or editing in this game, so I can't see how I'd be of any use. I do know some people that might be inclined to use artistic talents if they thought the result might be interesting.

Also, newbie question..how on earth do you edit the preferences here? The Last post made is on top for me, and it's driving me up a wall..

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

For the propulsion system, how about:

- Impulse drives give the "afterburner" combat movement ability.
- Nacelles are 70-100KT each, and provide 7-10 MP.
- ships from escort to frigate and colony ship require one nacelle (7 to 10 engines per move). (Cheap stuff)
- ships from destroyer to battlecruiser require 14-20 EPM. (2 nacelles) (Most ships)
- Battleships require 3 nacelles (21-30 EMP). (Future Riker's Modded Galaxy)
- Dreadnaughts require 4 nacelles (28-40 EMP). (Beastly warships)

- M/ARCs (AKA warp core) provide from +3 to +8 bonus movment points, depending on tech and size of the reactor.

Tweaking the engines-per move in the range given allows you to require larger nacelles on slightly larger ships. There is always the possibility of putting one more of the smaller nacelles on, but that's just wasting space on your design.

Any ship with insufficient nacelles is completely immobile on the strategic map, no matter how powerful their reactor is.
Once you get enough nacelles for 1 MP, then the reactor kicks in. 80% to 90% of your speed will be based directly on the reactor's output.

=================================

Defenses.

We all know about the Exploding Panels of Doom (tm). This is really easy to simulate, and once again, I bring up the non-armor armor solution http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .
For low tech, this NAA will consist of just the bare deck plating & maybe a touch of outer hull plate.
For trek ships, the required number of crew quarters should be quite large (look at all the windows!), so this is not a problem. When the shields are breached, or just plain weak, hull ruptures will happen, and space will be filled with red cloth.
For medium to high tech, we get ablative armor. very nice, fewer hull breaches, but the panels are still exploding after a few hits. Non-Armor ablative armor! Most of the initial bLasts past the shields will be absorbed, but it starts leaking after a while.

Now, how do shields fit in?
Shields are quite good at first, but once they're down to 50% or less, the fireworks begin. That's a job for non-armor-armor! Take some non-armor armor, and increase the size to be appropriate for a shield generator. Leave the hitpoints, so the armor effect is not disturbed. Don't forget the crystalline effect; we want the shields to be partially breached when they're weak, remember?

So, we have a non-armor ablative armor and shields. The shields are, say 20KT, and 20 hitpoints. The ablative armor can be 4KT and 20 hitpoints.
If the shield generates 200 hitpoints, it should get a crystalline amount of about 20 as well.

Don't be afraid. The way crystalline works is thus:
40 shields, 50 crystalline, 50 damage:
- breach shields, 10 damage left
- 10 damage hits armor/internals, shield raised to 10.
10 shields, 50 crystalline, 50 damage:
- breach shields, 40 damage left
- 10 + 40 damage to armor/internals, shield raised to 40.

So, the crytalline effectively negates 50% of the damage hitting internals.
What happens?
The shields start out at 100%. Shots will strike, and fizzle.
The shield energy drops, but 100% absorption continues.
Once the SE4 shield meter reaches zero, the Trek shields become porous. Due to the crystalline effect they are now absorbing 50% of the damage.
Since the armor is non-armor armor, we have our Exploding Panels of Doom happening (yay!)
Now, since the shield generators are also non-armor-armor, they will be struck down fairly quickly. The crystalline ability of the shield generators is worn down, and soon it becomes less than the 50% of the weapon damage in each burst.
Our 50% absorption now starts to fade, and the shields finally collapse to a true 0%.

At this point, the hull/armor is torn up pretty bad, and the ship has probably lost a critical system or two.
Without reinforcements to save the day, the ship quickly breaks up.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Preferences are under "my profile", a link right beside the post buttons, and the register/search/faq/forumhome bit. Top right of your screen.
The Last-post-on-top is part of the forum, and I don't think you can change it.
Fear not, it will soon become your best friend, and, just like a wheelie mouse, you will wonder how you lived without it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .

[ May 29, 2002, 00:26: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie. ]

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Kwok:
Yeah, they'd take up more space, but it would not be proportional. The same percentage of space used for engines would get a higher movement rate on larger ships. I like SJ's ideas. In fact, that is similar to what I had come up with for the Sci-Fi Crossover Mod.

Here are the facilities that I had made for that mod. They aren't much, but at least it's something.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/newup...1015288527.zip

Re: Ambitious Star Trek Mod Idea
 

Kwok:

In reply to your PM:

I can help at my free time: but I'm busy a lot http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif which accounts for my slow reaction to PBW turns.