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.