How to test Ideas / How Things Work in SE IV

[Gryphin]

How to test Ideas / How Things Work in SE IV
It occured to me I don't really know the "best" way to test a feature in SE IV.
I'm open to suggestions. (be gentle).
For example the Thread on Emissive Armor. I'm sure there is a methodical efficient way to test the effectiveness of Armor.
There must be a way to setup an efficient test for a given weapons system.

[Fyron]

Create a small map of 2 systems. Start a game with 2 human empires, and have each of them build what you need. The combat simulator is generally a bad way of testing things out.

[spoon]

I find it also helps to create a map (using the map editor) and manually instert two starting positions, either in the same system, or in adjacent systems (if you want to test warp-point battles, for example). Saves time on ship transit...

I assumed people have been using the simulator to test individual components (like emmisive armor). Is the simulator bad for this too?

-Spoon

[oleg]

Originally posted by Gryphin:
How to test Ideas / How Things Work in SE IV
It occured to me I don't really know the "best" way to test a feature in SE IV.
I'm open to suggestions. (be gentle).
For example the Thread on Emissive Armor. I'm sure there is a methodical efficient way to test the effectiveness of Armor.
There must be a way to setup an efficient test for a given weapons system.

Why, start a full-tech game, design any ship you like - not necessary latest Versions of components - and taste in combat simulator ! The only thing I was found impossible to check is effect of system-wide facilities, like Death shrine. Unless I am mistaken, even addition of the planet with such facility into simulator has no effect. Fyron' idea might work here.

[AJC]

I create a race with every racial tech, then I create a game with all tech already researched - to test and examine the new components. Without any opposing AI - just one player. I have found that the simulator is good for testing the results of changes to weapons.

When building an AI, I create a game that I save on turn 1.
I set the Ministers to Full AI, switch off some of the confirmation windows, such as colony types, end of turn confirmation.

Then I run the game and watch the AI I am testing to see how it does against the other AIs. As I make changes I reload the saved game on turn 1 to test the changes. F12 is a useful button ....

then when I think I am done I actually run a low tech game - with no economic bonus in the set up , and include all the main AIs in the game , with each running on full AI and watch and monitor the show. When I do this, I always include my personel Shipset AI to see how it does.

[Fyron]

Simulator combat is often completely unlike real combat, so that is why it is sometimes better to test things in real combat situations.

[oleg]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Simulator combat is often completely unlike real combat, so that is why it is sometimes better to test things in real combat situations.

Wow ! Incrediable ! You get real SEIV ships and can fight with them

Seriously though, are there are any examples of difference between simulator combat and "real" SE combat ? I did't find any except for mentioned inactivity of system facilities. o, yes, there is no way to introduce ship/fleet experience.

[Fyron]

When testing individual ships, the simulator tends to be accurate. But with larger forces, it gets screwey.

[Baron Munchausen]

You have to remember that the simulator is not actually the same as Strategic Combat. Even if you let the ships run under AI control, it's the equivalent of entering tactical combat and then turning on automatic and using the 'resolve combat' order. The routines in the two options are very different. Which makes me all the more surprised at reports that MM was originally not planning to allow tactical combat in SE IV... hmm. If the Simulator was supposed to let you 'test' your ships but it wasn't the same code as Strategic Combat was using, what good would that be? Maybe we need a special combat simulator option that goes to that strategic screen and really uses the strategic combat code...

[ September 04, 2002, 22:00: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Wardad]

ver 1.78 fix... defender was not always first in tactical combat...

OOPS... Before the fix that messed with my SAT testing. Defenders were supposed to move and fire first... but SATs don't move so I guess thats why they didn't fire first.

Try setting up a warp point defense in the simulator. Did Gold patch 2 fix it???

In simultaneous combat your ships, stations, SATS, and fighters are positioned close to the warp point and fire first. ...UNLESS your ally is also there, then your both in different corners. Try simulating that!!!