[President_Elect_Shang]

@ CPT Kwok: I know you had a thread started for ship changes (modding) or something to that effect but I would like to start a new thread for posting general tricks that have been found. For example:

1. You can make ship sizes that call for fractional engines.

2. I don’t use bridges (or master computer) at all and have worked around the hard coded restriction in SE5. To do this I have given the hull the ability control center.

Maybe if SJ can make this a sticky and others start posting tricks we can lay the ground work for a tips and tricks page for the Wiki master page.

@Q: That has got to be wrong; I would report it to Aaron.

@ Phoenix-D (well all modders): You have a good idea with the thread you started about grouping together and making a “Masters of the Empires” mod. Does anyone else like the sound of this too? The thought of your mod going head-to-head with a Star Destroyer or wing of Tie Fighters does nothing to stir your blood? I’m considering doing my part and I have to work around a complication when it comes to sharing my mod; which happens to be one reason why I didn’t in SE4.

P.S. to CPT K: I did work around the formula errors. I had to cut out each component one at a time; start the game to see if it had the problematic formula; wash rinse repeat till errors found and corrected. It is up and running even though I haven’t included all 16 tech levels and the components with them or the small craft, or the ships, bases …

This is getting long but I have one more trick to share. In SE4 I was plagued with the problem of how to create an External Ordinance Rack (XO Rack). The trick is it must fire drones at a controlled rate, must be zero tonnage, absorb one point (kt) of damage so the ship won’t become invincible, get damaged first along with the armor, and best of all the player (or AI) must be restricted to only placing a certain number of them on their hull designs.

Ok, that said I came up with half an answer in SE4. Only half because the AI never wanted to do it right. In SE4Deluxe I came closer. In SE5 I have finally hit on a solution. Limit the total number by (a) Fyron’s AI Tag solution or better still (b) restrict the component to only Armor slots. Now the player will need to choose if they want armor or an XO Rack. The AI question I have not attacked yet but it should be a simple matter of telling it how many it wants on a ship.

That’s it for now…

More tricks yet to be tested: A component whose cost is based on the size of the hull the component is being placed in. Larger ship means you pay more!

Cost and bonuses based on iif statements based on your current level instead of the generic steady progression in stock.

Really have to go now but please, share your thoughts! Is any of this useful or should I just give it up?