Improving Empire Designs
 

I've been tinkering with empire designs for several games now, and I want to learn how to make some specific improvements. Up to this point the results of these adjustments have been largely trial and error.

During empire set-up there are a number of racial modifiers and cultural modifiers that are given as percentages to be either added or subtracted. My problem is that I'm having a devil of a time locating the base values that these are intended to modify.

For instance, I can add 10% to the value for a spaceyard 1, but I can't seem to find what the base rate is for a homeworld. If I have a specific value in mind that I want for a planet (or homeworld), I want to be able to figure out what percentage I need to change any particular attribute to produce that desired value.

So, the question is: Where do I find the base values that these modifiers are modifying?

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

It depends on what is being modified. Something made by a facility? Facilities.txt. Some attribute of a component (eg: repair)? Components.txt.

In Settings.txt, all planets have a base build rate (2000 in stock). HWs have no special base build rate. When a SY is built, the build rate becomes that of the SY facility in Facilities.txt.

The pop modifier settings are also located in Settings.txt, so you can find the bonus you'll get based on the pop of your HW.

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

Okay, thanks. That brings up another question, but let me have a look at those files first...

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

The population and happiness modifiers in settings.txt seem clear enough, and I know that a planet with a spaceyard builds faster than without one, but I don't quite understand how this section from data\facility.txt affects the rate. What's shown here is 2000, 2000, 2000: the same as the base rate for the planet.


Name := Space Yard Facility I
Description := Large construction facility which allows the construction of ships in space.
Facility Group := Space Yard
Facility Family := 38
Roman Numeral := 1
Restrictions := None
Pic Num := 16
Cost Minerals := 10000
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Space Yards
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 4
Ability 1 Type := Space Yard
Ability 1 Descr := Can construct with 2000 minerals per turn.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1
Ability 1 Val 2 := 2000
Ability 2 Type := Space Yard
Ability 2 Descr := Can construct with 2000 organics per turn.
Ability 2 Val 1 := 2
Ability 2 Val 2 := 2000
Ability 3 Type := Space Yard
Ability 3 Descr := Can construct with 2000 radioactives per turn.
Ability 3 Val 1 := 3
Ability 3 Val 2 := 2000
Ability 4 Type := Component Repair
Ability 4 Descr := Can repair 5 components per turn.
Ability 4 Val 1 := 5
Ability 4 Val 2 := 0

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

When a SY is built, the build rate becomes that of the SY facility in Facilities.txt. The base rate in Settings.txt only applies if there is no SY; they are not added together.

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

But I did get that section from Space Empires IV\Data\facility.txt not from settings.

The 'Facilities' folder only contains pictures.

Now I am confused.

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

Examples all assume stock game:

Good homeworlds, low tech start, neutral culture, 110% construction aptitude:

A good homeworld is always Large size (hardcoded), and homeworlds always start at normal maximum population for their size, so the homeworld has 4000 population (PlanetSize.txt). The Advanced Storage trait increases the actual maximum to 4800, but does not affect starting population.

The first population modifier in Settings.txt with a max pop greater than 4000 is the 51st entry, with a space yard modifier of 150. The "SY" designation here is actually misleading, as this particular modifier applies regardless of the presence of a space yard. In fact, it is the only modifier that does so. If you scrap your homeworld's space yard, it will have a build rate of 2000 (base for planets from settings.txt) * 150% (population) = 3000 in all resources independent of other factors.

If you keep the starting space yard, however, then your Construction Aptitude characteristic applies, adding another 10%. Note that this is added to the population modifier before multiplication, so your homeworld's build rate would be 2000 (from Space Yard Facility I) * (150 + 10)% = 3200.


Now for a more extreme example:
Good homeworld, high tech start, Engineers culture, 150% construction aptitude, Hardy Industrialists advanced trait, Temporal Race advanced trait

As before, the large homeworld has 4000 population which provides a base modifier of 150%. The Engineers culture adds 5% to space yard rates (Cultures.txt). Your extreme Construction Aptitude adds another 50%. Hardy Industrialists adds yet another 25%, but for planetary space yards only (RacialTraits.txt). The total modifier is 150 + 5 + 50 + 25 = 230%.

Your homeworld's build rate would be 4500 (Temporal Space Yard Facility III - high tech start plus racial tech, Facility.txt) * 230% = 10350.

Now suppose you build a space yard base first thing with this setup. Bases don't have population modifiers, so nothing in settings.txt applies. Hardy Industrialists only works for planets, so you don't get its 25% here. The Engineers bonus and Construction Aptitude both still apply, however, for a modifier of 100 (base) + 5 + 50 = 155%. Since there is no temporal version of the space yard component, you're stuck with an ordinary Space Yard III. Build rate 2000 (SY III, Components.txt) * 155% = 3100.

Re: Improving Empire Designs
 

Okay. I think I see it now. Thanks again.