Quantum Reactor

[JoeViterbo]

I have the following problem:
I want to remove the quantum reactor from the stock game and all mods i have installed. Or even better I want to make it extremly expensive and tonnage-consuming(about 1000kt) so that you can only use them to build massive supply ships.

For the first solution, where do i have remove the tech and do i have to remove it from the ai files or will the ai just ignore it in their behaviour if it just isn't there anymore?

For the second solution, the question is almost the same: if it is too expensive, will the ai stop using it, or will it mess up it's designs?

Which files do i have to edit and in what way?

Thanks!

[ July 28, 2003, 08:11: Message edited by: JoeViterbo ]

[Pax]

Originally posted by JoeViterbo:
I have the following problem:
I want to remove the quantum reactor from the stock game and all mods i have installed. Or even better I want to make it extremly expensive and tonnage-consuming(about 1000kt) so that you can only use them to build massive supply ships.

For the first solution, where do i have remove the tech and do i have to remove it from the ai files or will the ai just ignore it in their behaviour if it just isn't there anymore?

Go into Components.txt and delete the reactor itself. I don't think this will truly screw the AI, aside from their relative incompetence in matters of supply without the QR.

For the second solution, the question is almost the same: if it is too expensive, will the ai stop using it, or will it mess up it's designs?

If the QR exists, the AI will use it, no matter the cost. That could bankrupt the AI, who will eventually put QRs on every ship design -- whereas a human will make a design that carries a repair bay or two, the QR, and related fleet-wide-benefit components ... and stick in one per fleet that needs endless supplies.

[Q]

There is even a easier solution that can be reversed quickly (even within a current game): go to the techarea.txt file and change there for the resupply tech the maximum level from 5 to 4. Then the quantum reactor cannot be researched. The AI will handle this situation without problem.
The increase of the cost would not be too much a problem for the economy with a medium or high AI bonus game, but the construction time would be increased and the AI would not take that into consideration.
The biggest problem for the AI would be a large increase of the quantum reactor size: the quantum reactor usually is one of the first misc abilities in the ship designs and the AI would follow this design instruction even if this would leave no space for other vital components of the ship. You would have to redesign all AI design files and that is a lot of work!!

[JoeViterbo]

thanks to both of you!

[Fyron]

Q, keep in mind that AIs with a bonus get bonuses to construction rates too.

[Q]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Q, keep in mind that AIs with a bonus get bonuses to construction rates too.

Yes I know, but the bonus for construction is less than for production.