[AJC]

The order of the components doesnt matter in the components.txt file - although if you add a new component to that file and it changes the order the components are listed in , this impacts your existing designs and You must totally restart the game you are using to test with , i.e. recreate the game like a new game. I recommend this anyway when testing.

I highly recommend using the same family for the components as the basic component you are basing the new ones off of. For instance - The regenerating Bridge component would be the same family as Bridge - this way you dont have to changes to the AI to get them to use the new component. When the component becomes available the AI will upgrade to that component IF it becomes available after the original bridge component.

I have done this with Regenerating engines, (the only way I could find to provide a defense against engine destroying weapons). I created regenerating engines (Under the guise of nano tech) at each tech level of engines- but the engines only becomes available after researching the correct prerequisites. For example I may require Ship contruction 7, Physics 4 in order to get regenerating engines.

I usually control when a new component becomes available by assigning prerequisite technologies. This avoids adding new levels of tech to the game - and avoids a major modification to all the AI research files.


For example - The Planetary Cloaking device I created requires Stellar manipulation 6, Cloaking 3, Physics 4 and Shields 10. I added this new component using the exisiting tech levels.