[geoschmo]

Originally posted by PvK:
My main point is that the Meson BLaster has value and fills a niche as is, and is not really one of the underpowered weapons of the game. So I don't think it should be changed for a simple balance mod.

Good point. I am not a strong proponent of changing the MB. I was simply addressing suggestions that had come up.

Spoon, regarding you intel suggestions. I would merely point out that because of the hinkiness of the current intel system increasing the cost of an intel project makes a project harder to defend against as well.

Originally posted by spoon:

quote:

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Originally posted by Rollo:
just want to point out that any changes to the Talisman is likely to screw up religious AI.

I assume a lot of designs use the 'always hit' ability (I know the UF does). If such a component is not available it will cripple the AI.

Rollo

I assume this is equally true for the Quantum Reactor (ie, if you change the effect, then the ai won't know to put it on their ships).

Since changing the comp size is also bad, and Geo pointed out that greatly increasing the cost might drive the ai bankrupt, what options do we have to balance these two items?

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After a little digging I think the problem here is not as serious as we thought. The stock Norak AI has a call for combat sensors. This makes sense as you wouldn't want the ships at a severe disadvantage prior to the discovery of the talisman. If we make the talisman a more powerful Version of the combat sensors it will still be used on their designs. It will simply be placed on the ship through a different design call. We won't even have to make a change to the files. The call for the always hit ability will simply be ignored since there will be no component that can satisfy it.

EDIT: Although it appears that the UF specifically do not have the design call for combat sensors. I am not sure for the reason behind this, but being that the custom AI's are not as high a priority for this as teh stock AI it's not a deal breaker I don't think. The custom AI's can always be revised. It's not uncommon for this to need done after a new patch anyway.

The same principle applies for the quontum reactor. All the AI stock ship designs that I looked at have a call in them for supply storage. (EDIT: I shuld have said "Attack ships" here. Not all ship designs have a call for supply storage, but the attack ones do.) If the QR is simply a hign value supply component it will get used and the QR design call will be ignored.

I think these options are much preferable to any sort of increase in cost because of the reasons already stated.

Geoschmo

[ July 24, 2003, 00:38: Message edited by: geoschmo ]