Devnull Mod Gold: updates and discussion

[Rollo]

I haven't tried this myself, but others did and reported that negative values for combat move don't work.

Plus, implementing this would actually give people an incentive to spend research points to go all the way to Quantum Engine III, and not stop at QE I...Why else would someone spend 600,000 research just to get 50 more storage out of an engine?

In DNM Gold higher level engines use less fuel instead of giving additional supplies. For example, QE I uses 7 fuel per move, QE III uses only 5. If you want to make an update of DNM non-Gold, I suggest that you copy the engines from the gold Version. Btw, engines with supplies higher than supply storage I (500) can screw up the AI designs.

P.S.: Come to think of it...Does anyone think this post should be a separate thread entirely?

Nope this is the perfect thread for making suggestions and discussing DNM. As for upgrading the DNM non-gold, I think another thread would be helpful, so things don't get mixed up.

Rollo

[Taz-in-Space]

Hmmm, I may have just found an exotic bug in Devnull Mod. In a recent game I played I built a sphereworld and, pulling population from all over my empire, filled up much of it. After some more time, it filled up to 77 Billion and having built two more Sphere worlds, I wanted to transport some population to the new digs.

The Problem: I loaded some population to the transport fleet and then decided that maybe I should also transport some defense items as well.
So I offloaded, immediately, some population back to the planet to make room. Everything seemed to go alright when I noticed I only had 64 Billion left on the planet. The fleet could only hold about 6 Billion Max. So where did the extra 7 Billion go?
I was using the extra space storage trait.

So is this bug a SE4 bug or a Devnull Bug? Did I exceed a numeric limit or something?

[Slick]

Well I am into my 2nd game and here are some of my observations. Pardon any redundancy in this post as I haven't read this entire thread yet.

- First, I like the mod very much and it shows that lots of hard work went into it!

- I like the idea of PDC sweeping mines because it makes the AI less susceptible to mines. I also like the split between seeker and fighter PD. Gotta remember to put the weapons on the ship in the order I want them to fire.

- I like the idea of staggered normal/phased shields in the research tree. However, it seems to me at least that phased shields are usually better (yea, I know that they have less shield points) so it is frustrating for me to upgrade a ship because it will upgrade Phased Shields to Normal shields. Recommend splitting the family numbers or whatever to prevent phased shields from upgrading to the normal shields. Also, since I don't really like normal shields, the effect is that phased shields just cost more research - maybe just make them cost more in a separate branch of the tree??

- There is a strange intel thing going on. My CI is being severely drained (to zero actually) with no Messages of attack. Must investigate this further.

- Monsters. Cool. I like them a lot. Haven't been up against any big ones yet. Can't wait.

- I like the idea of mine warheads getting cheaper. Makes researching that tree a little more attractive.

- I really like the idea of the universal colony module.

- I like the idea of more cargo space on planets. I have always thought that in the unmodded game, there wasn't enough room for a "reasonable" amount of defenses.

- I don't find myself using all the different ship sizes. It seems like there are so many. Maybe even unnecessary. Any tips on effectively using all the ship sizes?

- Haven't explored too many of the new mounts yet. Looks promising.

I will add more later as the game(s) progress. Great work to all who made this mod!

Slick.

[Rollo]

Taz, that is a bug in SE4. Nothing that can changed in the data files, sorry.

[ April 29, 2003, 12:39: Message edited by: Rollo ]

[Pablo]

As it happened to me while playing the DNM I will post it here. I tried to capture a planet with a full cargo of weapon platforms. I was successful but... the cargo space on the planet was several times smaller than the amount of troops I landed there. I mean, cargo space on the planet was (weapon platforms of course were destroyed before that) 1200 kt and I landed ~300 troops there. The troops remained in the planet's cargo Next turn the defending forces wiped them out so I could not test anything else. Just an observation. I think this is not DNM issue and I don't have anything against it, but that looked funny.

[Dralasite]

- I don't find myself using all the different ship sizes. It seems like there are so many. Maybe even unnecessary. Any tips on effectively using all the ship sizes?

I'd like to hear this as well. I often do not use all the sizes/types as well. Here is what I mostly do, at least for early games:

Use the "normal" ship sizes like corvette, etc. to try to play with numbers so that I can get a closer match to a multiple of the production rates of my ship yards.

Fast transports, etc. I use extensively, as transports and scouts.

I havn't don't much asteroid mining, the one time I tried to use some of the prospecting ships my defenses weren't as good as I thought and I they all got slaughtered

I do replace my colony ships with ark ships but by then I'm making warships vs. colonizers so the maint. savings doesn't seem all that helpful.

[Dingocat85]

Originally posted by Rollo:
I haven't tried this myself, but others did and reported that negative values for combat move don't work.

Well, the description of the Converter does say that it 'decreases maneuverability'...so how about:
1) Only have three levels of Hyperspace Converters (get level 1 when you research Jacketed-Photon Engine III)

2) Hyp-Converter I reduces defense by 40%
>> Hyp-Converter II reduces defense by 60%
>> Hyp-Converter III reduces defense by 80%

3) Scratch the '-1 movement in combat' idea...if it doesn't work, no use using it.

So, is this doable?
(Or am I pressuring too much? )

Originally posted by oleg:
Unfortunately, it will not work, Dinocat. I tried to make a "repulsion" system - Nova star, exploding and pushing ships away ... cool idea, right ?... but it does not work . If only MM sacrifice some memory requirements and use real numbers throught

Exploding stars to move ships? That wasn't my idea, I'm not following you
---------

Also, on a completely unrelated topic...why is Emergency Propulsion available for bases? I've tried using one on a base, but it gains no movement at all - imagine building 20 starbases with emergency propulsion on them, to build a sphereworld - then being unable to move any of them from the planet that built them

[ May 03, 2003, 21:25: Message edited by: Dingocat85 ]

[mac5732]

Excuse me, I know this is dumb question, but I have not played the mod yet, but in looking over the files, I only saw 1 monster folder, how many monster races are available in the game? How do you know which one you can pick if there is more then one, You must excuse this old ones ludicrus questions, but as stated, I have not played it yet but will be shortly.

just some ideas Mac

[Taz-in-Space]

Mac, there is only one Monster race in 3 flavors:
2000, 3000, & 5000 points.

Believe me that one race should give you plenty of problems - especially once the larger monsters show up.

If they should happen to start within 2 systems of you; have your will made in advance!

In addition to monsters, there are plenty of new components, facilities, etc to explore as well.

[mac5732]

tks Taz, appreciate it, have some trible wings on me....

mac