SE Refresh Mod

[Taera]

Hi all.

Recently i've seen mentioning of that the people here are just too used to the game as it is.
So, i came to an idea to make a mod for the game that will change the complete tech tree completely (example - early on DUC to later DUPP - Depleted Uranium Pellet Projector that will pass armor but do little damage - just an early idea) using still the same images to the most and using several of the unused technologies to fill up some gaps. Also will be used to insert/fix several things already needed in the game such as torpedoes not having any targetting bonus.

So two questions: does it worth doing it, and if i do do it i'll need people to help me to convert several of the races, preferably all the default, to the new technologies.

[Skulky]

Once you start getting into total conVersions it can get alittle shakey as teh whole idea of play balance can be thrown off. But if there is a dedicated community (right here) then it may work. Plus plenty of people would be willing to play test it i think.

[cswiger]

Originally posted by Skulky:
Once you start getting into total conVersions it can get alittle shakey as teh whole idea of play balance can be thrown off. But if there is a dedicated community (right here) then it may work. Plus plenty of people would be willing to play test it i think.

I'll certainly to try to give feedback to individual mods as I learn more about them.

It seems that a potential mod writer needs to change the tech tree (Data\TechArea.txt); ship and unit sizes (Data\VehicleSize.txt), component types, weapon damage, ROF, efficiency-per-kt ratio, (Data\Components.txt); and redo the economic model (Data\Facility.txt, PlanetSize.txt), first.

And then teach the AI races what to do.
And then rebalance the game.
And then do human playtesting.
And then rebalance the game.

Since these data files are interdependent, it's not a simple task. :-/ I've seen mention of a tech-tree viewer which displays dependencies and total cost...that would be useful. So would an turn-based simulator of the economic and research stuff to balance planet economies.

That way, you could balance the game in terms of empire development stages.

If you do it right, even an AI with a single planet should present a enough of a challenge to a human player at midgame (say around turn 100) to either require a few years worth of a single major shipyard, or else the concentration of, say, half the empire's production for a year to build a successful attack fleet. Planets are a little too vulnerable to assault once you get a tech advantage, IMHO.

-Chuck