Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

If a Newton type propulsion system requires that a bigger ship uses more resources, supplies and must have more space devoted to engines to have the same movement of a smaller ship. Using the engines per move entry in the vehicle size data file to simulate this effect has two drawbacks one that the AI does not get it and the player must know that all available engines must be added to their ships designs to work properly.

Try this idea for using the component enhancement data file to simulate the same effect. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Impulse Engine Components.
Tonnage Space Taken := 100
Tonnage Structure := 5

New Engine Installation Mount.
Cost Percent := 100
Tonnage Percent := 10
Tonnage Structure Percent := 100
Damage Percent := 100
Supply Percent := 100
Range Modifier := 0
Weapon To Hit Modifier := 0
Vehicle Size Minimum := 150
Vehicle Size Maximum := 400

Cost Percent := 120
Tonnage Percent := 16
Tonnage Structure Percent := 100
Damage Percent := 100
Supply Percent := 120
Range Modifier := 0
Weapon To Hit Modifier := 0
Vehicle Size Minimum := 600
Vehicle Size Maximum := 600

Cost Percent := 140
Tonnage Percent := 26
Tonnage Structure Percent := 100
Damage Percent := 100
Supply Percent := 140
Range Modifier := 0
Weapon To Hit Modifier := 0
Vehicle Size Minimum := 650
Vehicle Size Maximum := 1050

Cost Percent := 160
Tonnage Percent := 33
Tonnage Structure Percent := 100
Damage Percent := 100
Supply Percent := 160
Range Modifier := 0
Weapon To Hit Modifier := 0
Vehicle Size Minimum := 1300
Vehicle Size Maximum := 1300

[ March 17, 2004, 04:04: Message edited by: TNZ ]

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

The AI can use QNP systems fine. They will be unable to tweak them as finely as a human, but they still make viable ship designs.

Mount QNP has the draw-back that you lose the effect of having a lot of small engines, so you can not get (nearly as much) incremental damage to the engine systems. That and it is more complicated to use.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

Under this method, the AI would be told to add three impulse engines to all ship designs. But you are right, using this method a Romulan Dreadnought would have three, not ten, impulse engines. However, the three impulse engines would have the same resources costs, supply costs and take up the same space as ten impulse engines.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

Perhaps they should have a greater cost value ?

The new patch for the game will require all existing mods to be altered however so dont get to far ahead of youreself just yet.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

Actually it will not require any mods to be altered.

It is really a matter of preference on the 3 large engines versus 10 small engines issue. I prefer the engines to not have large numbers of hit points, but to remain around what they are in stock, or fewer. This is because I don't like them working like leaky armor. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

Perhaps you could try instead of 4 types make it more incremental say 8 steps along the way.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

my mod has mount engines. techpaths, on Fyrons site. it's incomplete.

[ February 25, 2004, 04:11: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

This mount does not increase the damage resistance of the impulse engines. That stays at 5 or 10 hit points. The damage resistance of the engine components in the default game is 20 hit points.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

I toyed with this a while back and ran into some problems. I can't recall the specifics, but the idea was sound, but the AI was not.

Re: Pax Mount Newton Propulsion System-PMNPS
 

I'm working with this for some months now in my mod (not available yet) and it seems to work fine.
Okay, have to tune the AI a bit, but it looks promising.

I ussed the same scaling for my bridge/lifesupport/crewquarters/Shields (bigger ships need larger shields for same power)/ cloaking and of course engines.

BTW PAUL1980au : I used 4% steps so it will work very acurate in comparison to size.