Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Okay here it is. Official release is Wednesday morning. This is what it will contain. From what I hear this is a substantial patch:

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

Version 1.77:
1. Note - Gold Patch 2 Release!
2. Fixed - Vehicle Size Minimum text in Mount report was 2 pixels off data value.

Version 1.76:
1. Fixed - New damage types were not being recognized.
2. Changed - If you change treaties with another race and you were at a Trade
alliance or better, and you change to a Trade alliance or better,
then you retain the same Trade %.
3. Fixed - In Simultaneous Games, sometimes the treaty between two races would
be set to None.
4. Added - Added the Weapon Mount Report window which you can get by right-clicking
on the mount name in the list or by going to the Help window.
5. Fixed - A space yard ship that was cloaked would not decrease its emergency
build time.
6. Added - Added a flag to the Shield Components decsription so that they will
show the true shields generated taking into account any mounts.
7. Fixed - AI player would choose Atmospheric Converter I over an Atmospheric
Converter III.
8. Fixed - Fighters would skip targets who had emissive armor high enough to
prevent one fighter's attack.

Version 1.75:
1. Fixed - Players can no longer exceed the maximum mines / maximum satellites
per sector restriction.
2. Fixed - Rare error on warp command execution.
3. Fixed - More improvements to Escape and Enter key usage.
4. Added - "Shield Percent" to CompEnhancement.txt.
5. Added - Added damage types - "Double Damage To Shields",
"Half Damage To Shields", "Quarter Damage To Shields".
6. Fixed - Improvements to how Emissive Armor is applied.
7. Added - Added new Settings.txt fields - "Seeker Combat Defense Modifier",
"Planet Combat Offense Modifier", "Planet Combat Defense Modifier".
8. Fixed - Point-Defense will now fire automatically on moving drones.

Version 1.74:
1. Fixed - Null-Space Projectors and Computer Viruses had the same component
family.
2. Fixed - Rare BitList error during combat.
3. Fixed - Rare Integer Overflow.
4. Fixed - Access Violation when completing combat.
5. Changed - A ship will gain benefits from a training center even if it is cloaked.
6. Fixed - Players can no longer exceed the maximum mines / maximum satellites
per sector restriction.
7. Fixed - Planets now display the number of drones they can launch / recover
in the Unit Launch window.
8. Fixed - Ships without cargo capacity are now omitted from the Cargo Transfer window.
9. Fixed - Ships without unit launch capacity are now omitted from the Unit Launch window.
10. Fixed - Escape and Enter keys work a little better on dialogs.

Version 1.73:
1. Fixed - "Different Machine" games would report an error in different exes.
2. Fixed - All Messages being sent default to "General Message".
3. Fixed - Damage Types of Pull Ship, Push Ship, and Teleport Ship will now be
targeted on as many enemies as possible (not all weapons on one ship).
4. Fixed - A Component Enhancement which has a weapon type of None means it can
only be used on non-weapon components.
5. Changed - The Comp Family Requirement in CompEnhancement.txt is now a list.
6. Fixed - The Mount listing in the Vehicle Design Add window will only show
valid mounts for the current type and size of the vehicle.
7. Fixed - Normal components will now display the mount they are using on their
report window.
8. Fixed - Capturing Ships during combat was not restricted to nearby square.
9. Fixed - Drones were not changes their target when the target was hit by an
allegiance subverter.

Version 1.72:
1. Fixed - Non-required fields were still being required.
2. Fixed - Fighters with weapon range of 2 or less were not attacking planets.
3. Fixed - Weapon Platforms were firing weapons at targets out of range.
4. Fixed - Added protections against the player file switching cheat.
5. Fixed - Added protections against exe hacking. The players and the host
must now be running the *exact* same exe.
6. Fixed - Fixed problem where cargo would sometimes show zero units remaining.
7. Changed - Revamped Jettison Cargo window.
8. Added - Mounts now support "any" weapon type, component families, maximum
vehicle size, and tech requirements.

Version 1.71:
1. Fixed - Ships were unable to ram planets.
2. Fixed - Drones were not smashing into planets.
3. Fixed - Tactical Combat was not displaying correctly after a Ram.
4. Fixed - Distance to planets has been reduced.
5. Added - Added fields to Settings.txt to allow for a higher maximum
value or resource amount.
6. Added - Added a "Bases Can Join Fleets" field to Settings.txt.
7. Fixed - AI would attempt to add units even when a planet was full.
8. Added - Added "No Retrofit Adding Of Spaceyards" and
"No Retrofit Adding Of Colony Module" so players can set
whether the game will enforce these rules.
9. Changed - Fighters and Drones will have full movement when launched.
10. Fixed - In a Turn-Based Game, fighters can only be recovered if they
have their full movement points (and are not in combat).

Version 1.70:
1. Fixed - Troops were unable to drop onto planets in combat.
2. Fixed - Only ships and fighter Groups can join fleets.
3. Added - Added Fighters, Satellites, and Drones Weapon Target Types in
Components.txt.
4. Added - Added "Two Per Vehicle" to "Ten Per Vehicle" to Restrictions
in Components.txt.
5. Fixed - Minefields will now accumulate damage against ships when
hitting them.
6. Changed - If a mine will not do damage to a target because of its damage
type, it will not strike the target. For example, if the mine
only does engine damage, and the target does not have engines,
then the mine will not strike the target.
7. Changed - Engine Damaging Weapons no longer skip shields.
8. Fixed - Integer Overflow when viewing a planet report window for a planet
that had been captured during combat.
9. Fixed - Ai should be cloaking again in Simultaneous Games.

Version 1.69:
1. Fixed - The Massive Ship Mount stated that you needed a ship size of
1100kT but it should actually be 1200kT.
2. Fixed - Rare Integer Overflow in combat when a planet was attacked.
3. Fixed - There was a way to bypass the Next Player Password dialog.
4. Changed - A ship cannot be retrofitted from a design which does not
have a Spaceyard to one that does.
5. Changed - A ship cannot be retrofitted from a design which does not
have a Colony Module to one that does.
6. Fixed - Range Check Error when a luck trait tried to prevent a star
from exploding.
7. Fixed - Set Players To Computer Control window was setting all ministers
off even for human players.

Version 1.68:
1. Fixed - Fighters no longer share their supplies with other ships.
They will not pool their resources when in a fleet.
2. Fixed - Newly launched fighters in a turn-based game will have no
movement. The next turn after they are launched, they will
receive full movement.
3. Fixed - AI was not reacting with anger when a planet or system was
destroyed.
4. Changed - Increased the number of formation positions from 30 to 100.
5. Fixed - AI was still not always closing to optimum distance for
launching seekers against planets.
6. Fixed - Seeker hit on a planet would sometimes not show an explosion
even if damage was done.
7. Fixed - AI was not always moving on the first turn of Tactical Combat
if it was the first player.
8. Fixed - Planet hit points would not always accurately portray damaged
units on the planet as well.

[ August 11, 2002, 21:29: Message edited by: Richard ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

latest history:

Version 1.78:
1. Fixed - Mine damage was not accumulating against Fighters or Drones moving
through minefields.
2. Added - More Empire options for showing letter identifiers for facilities on
planets.

Version 1.77:
1. Fixed - Vehicle Size Minimum text in Mount report was 2 pixels off data value.
2. Fixed - Mines would accumulate damage beyond their means and sometimes cause
an Integer Overflow.
3. Fixed - Orders to destroy stars, planets, storms, etc. could be executed even
after the ship moved away from the location.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

YEAH!!!!!!

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Looks good, looks good! In fact some great little tweaks in here.

But a few things are puzzling. If anyone can explain these, I'd be grateful.

Version 1.68:

2. Fixed - Newly launched fighters in a turn-based game will have no
movement. The next turn after they are launched, they will
receive full movement.

Version 1.71:
9. Changed - Fighters and Drones will have full movement when launched.

Does this mean the 1.68 fix is out and the 1.71 change takes it back to the way it is now?

Version 1.70:
1. Fixed - Troops were unable to drop onto planets in combat.

I didn't even know this was a problem; at least I never had one.

Version 1.71:
4. Fixed - Distance to planets has been reduced.

Huh?

Version 1.72:
5. Fixed - Added protections against exe hacking. The players and the host
must now be running the *exact* same exe.

Version 1.73:
1. Fixed - "Different Machine" games would report an error in different exes.

Um. Isn't the point of the 1.72 fix to create the problem fixed by 1.73?

Version 1.76:
2. Changed - If you change treaties with another race and you were at a Trade
alliance or better, and you change to a Trade alliance or better,
then you retain the same Trade %.

Again, this sounds like the way its always been. What is being changed here?

All in all a very nice patch, fixing a number of minor irritants... and a few major ones. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Kim

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

just one example:

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">yes, that is true. there was no problem with dropping troops in 1.67, but there was one in 1.69 (or 1.68, don't actually remember)

Rollo

[ August 11, 2002, 23:11: Message edited by: Rollo ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Cool Can't wait!!!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's pretty much it. The change in 1.68 caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth among several beta team members and so it wsas undone in 1.71 <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">These were not a fixes for problems from the current Version you are playing, but bugs that creeped in during some of the other changes. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, 1.72 fixed the hacking, but in the process introduced a new bug that made it impossible to do any simultaneous turn games. 1.73 fixed that new bug. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ok, I am not sure about this one, but I think it was an intermittant problem when upgrading your treaty would cause your trade percentage to reset to zero.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Thanks Geo, you da man! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Kim

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Ugh...I have to wait until Wednesday?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ditto, I don't wanna wait... I won't be able to sleep till then...

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

YEAH!!!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Ferengi Rules of Acquisition #79 Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Coooool!!!!

There is still work on SEIV - great news - really great news.

A lot of very useful improvements.

Go on, with that good work! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

6. Added - Added a flag to the Shield Components decsription so that they will
show the true shields generated taking into account any mounts.
____________________________

What is this ? Is it possible to use mounts for shield generators like weapons ? I am lost.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's not now, but with the new patch it will be. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Ok beta testers... When will you list all the new mount info...

... Modders are at your mercey...

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

&gt;Version 1.76:
&gt;2. Changed - If you change treaties with another &gt;race and you were at a Trade
&gt;alliance or better, and you change to a Trade &gt;alliance or better,
&gt;then you retain the same Trade %.

&gt;Again, this sounds like the way its always been. &gt;What is being changed here?

Previously if you downgraded an alliance, say from partnership to T&R, the trade level would be reset to 0%. I assume this is what is being fixed.

One question on the mine levels. When this patch is applpied to exisitng games, will 100+ mineflieds remain at this level or be reduced? I assume the patch just affects future creation.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">New to this patch is shield mounts. You can now have 'economics of scale' for shields as well as weapons. Now we can have true 'capital ships' with offense and defense capabilities that smaller ships are just not capable of. Of course, to maintain balance the cost should be a bit more rather than less per point of shields/weapon damage. But that's a mod issue.

The 'flag' is a substitution like you see in the events or intel files. [%ShieldPointsGenerated] gets turned into the actual shield power after mount modification so that the ability description in the information screen is still accurate.

With the new mount capabilities and Emissive Armor finally working like it did in SE III (damage is subtracted before being applied to the armor even if the damage is greater than the Emissive ability) we've got a vastly more interesting combat system in this patch.

[ August 12, 2002, 20:57: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's in the header of the CompEnhancement.txt file like all the previous info was.

[ August 12, 2002, 17:28: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

will shield mounts be available is the basic game then or only modded games ?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Some questions, on the off-chance someone among the beta test group might know the answers:

Is the Emissive Armor ability stackable with itself, in teh manner that Crystalline Armor and Organic Armor works better and better the more of it you appky to a ship?

If so ... *shudder* ... Starbases with 100 Emissive Armor III's (leaving 1500kT for their own equipment) ... the first 2000 damage goes away ... ?!?

Also, is the Emissive Armor's ability in teh patch going to be per ATTACK, or per COMBAT TURN?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, it does not stack.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">it is per weapon shot

Rollo

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Well... it doesn't stack literally. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Take a 200 point shot, and EA with 50 HP and 20 Emmissive Ability. It hits the first EA, getting lowered by 20 points. Then, it does 50 dmg to the EA comp, lowering the remaining dmg to 130. It hits the next EA, getting lowered by 20 more points. The 110 remaining dmg applies to the EA, destroying it. The 60 remaining damage hits the next EA, getting lowered by 20 more points. The 40 dmg is then applied to the EA, but is unable to destroy it. So, the EA ability meant that only 2 EAs were destroyed and one almost destroyed, instead of 4 armors being destroyed. So technically, they stack, but not all directly into one super-emmissive pool. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif It is un-like Crystalline Armor in this respect.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Emissive Armor is a delicate balance problem. If it is too powerful it will make you essentially immune to direct-fire weapons. If it is not powerful enough it is just expensive armor. The thing that makes balancing so tricky compared to SE III is mounts. Now you can multiply the damage of a given direct-fire weapon by 3, 4, or 5 times! Ideally, a given Emissive Armor needs to reduce the damage of weapons that are available at the same tech level but not completely cancel them. Figuring out how to balance research costs so roughly equivalent levels of EA are available for comparable research costs to the weapons is the trick. You have to factor in the changes that mounts cause, which is much tricker than the SE III system.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

IF: very nice. EA = good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Beta Testers: let me see if I've got this right. For mounts we can now limit a mount type by i) family number, by ii) minimum amount of ship mass required (as we could before), by iii) maximum amount of ship mass above which the mount cannot work(which is new), and iv) we can limit the number of a particular component from 1 to 10!?

Did I miss any?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

So...we need more levels of EA with higher emissive abilities? Should they match mounted or unmounted damage levels? Or do we need mount abilities for armor, too (although I can't see it being logical)?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Jimbob: A mount may also be restricted by tech levels, just like components. So you could have a 'miniaturization' tech field that returns nothing but mounts that make certain components smaller. I hope no one would just make a 'generic' miniaturization tech that reduces everything, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif There ought to be special fields to research to miniaturize various kinds of technology, and there can be with family restrictions.

There are 'X per vehicle' restrictions available but remember that the AI generally doesn't observe these.

Krsqk: Yes, I think we need more levels of Emissive Armor with increased Emissive ability. I've completely re-arranged armor in my personal mod. Normal 'steel' or 'titanium' armor is a starting tech like the DUC. I mean, what kind of idiot race would not be able to make basic armor? But 'Advanced Armor' has all the goodies, and still requires Chemistry 1 like standard armor does in the unmodded game. Currently I've got six levels of EA and a couple of armor mounts to make larger armor for 'capital' ships.

[ August 13, 2002, 05:00: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, it doesn't work that way. In said example the 200 point shot would be reduced to 180. Thus destroying 3 armor (3*50=150) and 30 damage leftover unable to destroy a forth armor.

Rollo

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

What? Are you saying that multiple emmissive armors do not apply their abilities? That doesn't seem right.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Thanks Richard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif for posting this.

[ August 13, 2002, 09:21: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Which essentially means, noone will ever want to put more than one EA slab onto a ship, it would be better to spend the space and resources on armor that provides more direct hp/kT.

I think reducing the EA reduction, and making it fully and completely stackable, would have been preferable (instead of three armors giving 10/20/30 emission, what about five armors giving 2/4/6/8/10 emission?).

Combined with armor-specific mounts, and "10 per ship" limits on armor, even the standard 10/20/30 EA can be made to work just fine, fully stackable.

If the EA ability can be modded to be 100% stackable, that is in fact how my mod owuld handle it. One can only hope the next patch will render "fully stackable EA" a game-setup decision, like turning Intelligence Projcects on or off is, right now.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Opps forgot to read further up.

[ August 13, 2002, 09:50: Message edited by: Wizarc ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

What I do not like : Even before this patch, bigger ships were almost always better then smaller ships. Now, the finally fixed emissive armor emphasize weapon mounts and hence ship size even more. Plus new shield mounts. IMHO, it would be a good idea to increase the cost of bigger ships. Even better would of course the implementation of Qusi-Newtonian propulsion, like it is done in most mods but it is asking too much.

What I like: Before, there was no much use for heavy-hitting slow reloading weapons like torpedos, WMG, HEM, etc. Fixed EA should really make things more interesting !

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Good question. Since Proportions uses QNP, small ships should still be important whole game. Fixed EA will add IMHO a new dimension to Proportions' warfare. Can't wait for the patch !

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Are the existing mods (especially TDM - my favourite one) compatible with the new patch?

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ummm... maybe. I suppose it's possible that the new features could have been included without adding the format of the AI files, but unlikely. You'll probably find that existing AIs (ie TDM) will work, but they will generate annoying error Messages and won't use some of the new features.

I'm sure you won't have to wait long for patch-compatible mod updates though: Modders have been waiting to play with this patch for ages and as soon as it's released they'll be on it like hungry wolves=-)

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Actually I don't think anything in the new patch will cause any sort of errors with exsisting 1.67 compatible races. Most of the changes are just new features that can be used by modders, but aren't required.

Some of the changes will require some AI rework probably. I know most of the races that use the engine killing weapons a lot will probably get tweaked. But you shouldn't get any errors. THey just might be a tad less overwhelming (But not much prolly) until the next TDM release.

Geoschmo

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

I like the new way that Emissive Armor will work. Stacking would not be good, because it would take small ships out of the game. With it subtracting damage, even multiple ones are good because, when the first armor is gone, you still get emissive effect on later hits on the new emissive armor.

Think of Emissive Armor III being equal to 80, 110, 140, etc points of structural damage, depending on the opponents damage above 30kt. 80 KT is equal in ratio to Armor III, but costs a little more. However, if it takes 3 hits, it is equal to 140 KT which is much better than Armor III. This has made Emmissve armor potentially cost effective, depending on the damage an opponent can do.

Did they fix the problem emmissive armor has against units applying damage as a stack? If not, -30 damage is negligable against a stack of 50 fighters. Now if emissive armor did -30x50 against 50 units, then it would work good.

Also, as weapon mounts get bigger in the game, the -30 factor becomes less beneficial. I can see emissive armor being good against Standard and Large mounts, not Huge or Massive.

The game could use some weapons with real slow rates of fire that do truely massive damage. That might make small ships cost effective. Just like Torpedo boats. You would be willing to sacrifice a Frigate or Destroyer or Drone, if it could really hurt a Dreadnaught or Battleship.

[ August 13, 2002, 19:10: Message edited by: LGM ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

I have a mount mod I used in beta testing I will post tomorrow afternoon once the patch is out.

It has 2 types of shield mounts, miniturization of certain components, improved mounts for direct fire and seeker weapons, armor mount. All are designed for Ships, weapon platforms, Satellites, bases.

All the new mounts will require researching technology already found in the basic games' tech tree. I made it pretty difficult tech to get because ships get pretty tough.

I created two Versions of this mod (I will post both)- one that can be used in existing games - and a Version to be used on new games. The second Version is better organized, cleaned up.

I found when I loaded the organized Version up to an existing game it messed everything in the designs up.

I forgot to mention - the AI uses all the mounts! IF it researches the technologies. Some of the main required tech for the mounts to become active are ; Research III, Computers VI, Physics 4, Advanced Military Science 6. In some intances you will need technology pertaining to the components you want to use the new mounts on. I.E armor, point defense, Shields.

[ August 13, 2002, 22:04: Message edited by: AJC ]

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

I agree Oleg. I for one intend to increase the cost of larger ships in order to promote more "real" game play by the AI.

I hate coming in contact with a fleet of 50 Dreadnoughts and no support ships. I guess the AI is an all or nothing kind of player.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Most of the changes in the patch have to do with new tools the modders can use to make changes. The mounts and such are there, but not being added to the stock game. The EmArm is a stock game change, but it's not a huge one, and it's more of a bug fix cause I guess it wasn't working right before.

Most mods do NOT use QNP, and most people playing the game don't even use mods. It would be a HUGE mistake to add that to the stock game. Although there is no problem with it being available for the modders if they want it. Actually there are a couple changes that could be made for future patches that would make the QNP work even better in the mods IIRC. Something about RCE's or something. But I seriously hope he never considers changing the stock game this radically.

As far as small ships being uselss, you are missing what in my mind is one of the most important changes in the new patch. The addition of the MAXIMUM tonnage allowed for certain mounts means a modder could make a mount that only works on ships below a certain size, or by using min and max you could make mounts that are only allowed on ONE size. This has the potential for great mods allowing small ships to be kept viable well into the late game.

Geoschmo

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

But that depends entirely on the need for escort/support ships. For example, in the age of sail, the only need for smaller ships was for scouting duties (they were faster) not for stand-up battles. The battleship ruled supreme until the advent of the fast steam-powered torpedo-boat.

Support ships I can still see requirements for:
Mobile shipyards, repair facilities and tankers;
Mine warfare ships;
Scouts - especially well-cloaked ones;
Planetary Assault ships - both troop transports and bombardment vessels.

How does this all affect Proportions Mod?

Steve.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

Atrocities - increasing the cost of larger hulls isn't going to change that the AI only builds dreadnoughts, getting the AI to build smaller ships and various support ships has to be done by who writes the AI for that race. Some of the races are getting a bit better on this.

Re: Official SE:IV Gold Patch 2 thread...
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm, I did not miss it because I did't even know it exist http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ! Very nice feature indeed.