Mods...
 

I return to this game after a long time away, and just as before Mods seem as confusing as ever... Grrrr...

I have original SEIV, not Gold. I have just d'loaded and updated to 1.49. My previous "TDM_MOdPack_2.00" (or equivalent) gives me complaints on attempted startup. It was for 1.41, I think.

Simple question (you would think): what exactly do I need on the TDM-Mod front for 1.49? Precisely?

TIA

Re: Mods...
 

Well, it sounds like you have the right one for SE4 Version 1.49 found here: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/newup...1015284449.zip

What specific errors are you getting? Do you have any other mods installed?

Re: Mods...
 

Hello, Tampa_Gamer. Thanks for replying. I remember your name from my Last SEIV outting!

Since you ask, if my path.txt points to ModPack, upon trying to start SEIV I get an SEIV-type dialog containing (can't copy/paste, so annotated):

Games Setting data file errors: ...\tdm-modpack\data\settings.txt
* could not find field "use old log political message dsiplay" in record 1
* could not find field "system ship movement delay milliseconds" in record 1

Then it takes me to opening screen with only "Quit" (plus Credits!) available

From a brief read of the 1.49 read.me I think these are new fields. FWIW my tdm-modpack settings.txt is 30/06/2001 (UK style), whereas theirs is (now) 04/10/2001, so we can guess the problem. Like I said, AFAIK I had tdm for 1.41 installed, then I updated to SEIV to 1.49 and it no longer worked. And I couldn't find a TDM for 1.49 on this board for trying --- only TDM 3.00 which said for SEIV Gold. This site is not the best for finding things once you're in a forum...

Listen, I'm not idiot http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif but modding SEIV for use by non-modders always has been and still is a minefield I had a look around and it seems to me the problem lies in the way mods get picked up: it seems you modders have to supply *all* the files SEIV wants, not just those you want to overwrite. So obviously your mods are going to be out-of-date once a new SEIV is released. Why didn't they make it so you could supply just replacement files and it would pick up the others from their original location...

Anyway, whilst typing this in I'm d'ling your linked .zip file (yet again, it contains all the race graphics, I think, though I remember old "assurances" that one would only have to get these once and then the scripts would be available separately --- you wanna see UK phone bills and d'ld times?) which hopefully will sort me out once and for all (till next SEIV patch...)

*Please* don't get me wrong: I'm not wingeing about you modder guys, and I'm very grateful for your prompt and helpful reply.

While you're here (or anyone else) I have a couple of quick questions:

1. Say I don't want to play with mines (so to speak). I presume I would need to disable minefield (and minesweeper) tree on SEIV startup --- right? Then would I need to edit TDMModPack/SEIV-supplied race files to remove mines from being built, or would the AIs gracefully degrade to the next priority? And even if I did this, would TDM/Malfador's AIs then suffer from any change I make like this (in that they would somehow underperform because they needed/assumed mines)?

2. I play with a variety of your (TDM's) new races and the Malf originals. Could you please explain what you mod? (yes, I could probably diffs all the files, but...) What I mean is: do you only add in your new races and retain the originals' behaviours, or do you change Malfs races' behaviours too? And if so, does Malf accept your changes in its patches?

3. Could you just confirm the following: to ensure I get some of new races I need to select these explicitly on startup, otherwise I might not happen to get any --- right? The "race ministers" setting (use general/use from race) --- is this irrelevant in that it only affects my own race, and then only if I turn over to ministers, i.e. does the AI *opponent* always use its own race setting ragardless of this? I think this is where I found mods so confusing.

4. I saw a link here to somebody's web site (with a silly name, forget what) that claimed to have modded to introduce all sorts of brand new tech trees, tech items, component graphics etc. Any good?

5. Will I get a decent AI competition out of any of the latest Malfs/TDM/others these days? (No, human opposition is not an option.) I don't like giving the AI any "bonus" settings, but presumably "difficulty" I could set to "high" assuming that just makes it play better?

BTW, the d'ld has just finished and I can see that settings.txt in the .zip is 05/11/2001 so that should be better. Couldn't find that zip in the mods section... Yes, it works! And even says ModPack on the opening screen! I guess my old 1.41 was not good enough...

This has been a long reply. Please answer! TIA.

Re: Mods...
 

1) If a tech is disabled, the AIs will all just skip over it as if they had never researched it and pretend they never wanted to.
Be aware that disabling a tech may mean an easier time against AIs, rather than harder, since they would now have fewer options for defense.

3) Since races are chosen randomly at startup, there is a chance that you will get all original races. You can temporarily move the races you don't want to play with, or you can generate multiple games until you get enough new races.

4) There are plenty of modders web pages. Could possibly be mine. IMO, P&N is great, since that's the way it was designed.
If you like the idea of newtonian mechanics, and disadvantages for every advantage, and lots of defensive options, then you should like P&N.
If you are looking for a really challenging game, playing as a pirate (or a nomad) against AIs can really be tough.
I also host the Image modpacks, which have about a 100 megs (unzipped) of new images of various categories.

5) Difficulty = high means that all the ministers are used.
Lower difficulties mean the AI gets crippled.
The bonus settings multiply the AI's production of resources and research/intel. Setting that to low (or medium) is common, since it allows the AI to catch up with human micromanagement.

Re: Mods...
 

I don't have an affiliation with the TDM-modpack but I can answer some of the questions:

#2: In the TDM, only the race files have been modded...nothing else. As far as I understand, the TDM modpack is pure SE4, just the races have been tweaked to improve them. I believe most all the original races have been modified. Not significantly enough to change general behaviour, but enough to stop them from making stupid mistakes. As far as I know, Malfador has not changed it's original races (outside the TDM-modpack) to reflect what the modders have done. In otherwords, the general sentiment is, the TDM originals are better than the Malfador originals.

#4: Several I've run across--Ultimate Mod, P&N mod, Zippy's mod...all those add or change the components and data files of the general game.

#5: Well, the AI is still a push-over in many ways. Does dumb things. with the TDM they are significantly better, no doubt. Some of them are really good. However, if you play without an AI bonus, and you happen to get good placement in the galaxy, you probably won't lose. However, with a high bonus, high difficulty, med galaxy and 10-15 AIs you should have a pretty hellacious time.

#3 (sorry out of order): yes this is confusing. The "use race style" matters in two spheres. The only way it matters to a human player, is if you plan to use the ministers to run part of your galaxy. If you don't, don't worry about it. If you let the computer pick your opponent AIs, then this will be turned on automatically. However, be aware, that if you manually add computer opponents to your galaxy at startup, I would check to make sure this is checked, otherwise they will play with a generic AI and not the one designed for them. However, I think all of the TDM modpack AIs have this on by default. The other half of this question is easier for at least the TDM. It's a crap shoot on what empires are picked if you don't manually add them. WIth the TDM, they are all included in the settings.txt file as quickstart races, which means that even if you don't pick them, they could be picked. However, I always pick a few I want to be around and leave the rest up to god.

#1 This is a good one. Yes, you can disable tech on startup. I've never played a game against the AI with anything disabled. However, I think they just skip them in research as they are not available to research. No, the AI will most definitely not underperform for a lack of mines, not nearly as much as a human will. However, if you take out a specific weapon the race uses (not sure if this is possible), it will suffer. If you disable say, torpedos and a race uses them as their main weapon, they may be left with a secondary to use, but will suffer as this may be weaker than the first choice. This takes a bit of understanding as to the workings of the design file for ships the AI uses.

Hope I have been of some help.

Re: Mods...
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> most all the original races have been modified. Not significantly enough to change general behaviour <hr></blockquote> There's one exception to this: the TDM Xiati use religious tech, rather than their original temporal tech. That's a pretty radical change.

Re: Mods...
 

Goodness, I only went away to watch a TV program, you guys are prompt and great! Especially thanks for answers to "Jmenschenfresser" (No offence to others intended). You know, from the point of view of a player it's pretty confusing/important what you say about an AI player needing to ensure it has its race setting correct (I do (sometimes) pick opponents explicitly). I hadn't noticed TDM had this enabled correctly by default, had just been scared/confused by the option.

BTW, the "big change" mod I had in mind was "Zippy's"...

Re: Mods...
 

And BTW, is the accepted view that using Tactical combat (rather than just Strategic) against the AI still gives an unacceptable advantage? This is pretty critcal...

Re: Mods...
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Jon Brave:
And BTW, is the accepted view that using Tactical combat (rather than just Strategic) against the AI still gives an unacceptable advantage? This is pretty critcal...<hr></blockquote>Unacceptable? Nothing is unacceptable. This is a game. Play it like you enjoy playing it. Tactical combat can give a human player a huge advantage, but I really enjoy it so I play that way. I also give the AI the high bonus, and I don't use mines or deploy satellites against the AI. It's all a matter of what's fun for you.

Re: Mods...
 

Hmmm, I use tactical but then set orders to resiolve combat. get to watch the battle but let the AI run it..