A puzzlement ...

Elowan · #1 August 19th, 2002, 08:35 PM

What I don't understand is why SEIV will not load an established empire if its civ. points are greater than the default. One would think that the settings would be changed when the increased points were detected on load-up. After all - the app knows that the points in the empire exceed the default - it just said so!

It's a pain in the *** to have to reset the points every time a new game is started with the same empire. The ability to read the reqs. would seem fundamental! Sheesh!!

Suicide Junkie · #2 August 19th, 2002, 08:47 PM

The empire file does not include any info on what to do if the points are too high for the game being played. Only the AI_General files do.

If you randomly generate an AI player, they will choose more or fewer traits depending on the racial points allowed.

The EMP just lists which traits were chosen.

SE4 is not going to make random changes to your race setup until it is under the limit, that would just be silly.

Q · #3 August 19th, 2002, 08:53 PM

Elowan that's why all my emp files are made for 2000 racial points!
However if you frequently use the same races at higher racial point settings make three emp files for 2000/3000 and 5000 points.
If you want to use a emp files that needs to many racial points how should your poor computer know where to cut racial points away? (Well it could read the general.txt file but that's only used if the race is included as a random computer player).

DirectorTsaarx · #4 August 19th, 2002, 09:25 PM

I think Elowan wants the game to detect the (for instance) 5000-point empire, and automatically change the game setting to be 5000 racial points. Rather than have to go to the game setup screen, manually set 5000 points, and then load the saved empire.

I'd go a few steps further and (like others before me) ask that the game remember our preferred game setup settings, so I don't have to change 10 things on 5 different screens EVERY TIME!!! (/rant)

capnq · #5 August 19th, 2002, 09:29 PM

Another workaround is to change the settings to the higher point limit, load the empire, edit it down to the intended value, then change the settings back. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried this myself; I don't know if the program will let you change the points setting after you've loaded an empire.)

But it's much easier to just save an empire with a name that indicates how many points you used to make it.

Baron Munchausen · #6 August 19th, 2002, 09:30 PM

This is a security thing. When you are starting a game there has to be very tight control, but there is no seperate option for just editing. There needs to be a seperate EMP file editor like there is for maps. Then we could have a 'load and revise' function that would save us all the hassle of running random games until all empires have been selected and manually saved.

[ August 19, 2002, 20:31: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Elowan · #7 August 19th, 2002, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Q:
Elowan that's why all my emp files are made for 2000 racial points!
However if you frequently use the same races at higher racial point settings make three emp files for 2000/3000 and 5000 points.
If you want to use a emp files that needs to many racial points how should your poor computer know where to cut racial points away? (Well it could read the general.txt file but that's only used if the race is included as a random computer player).

I have no clue what you're talking about!

My race has 3K racial points. If I start a new game and try to load the empire I get an error msg! I have to go to player settings and change the points to 3k!

If the G-d D--n program already knows my empire needs a setting of 3K - why in hell can't it adjust the racial points? Then if I want to play with less - I can edit the empire.

How hard is that to figure out!

geoschmo · #8 August 19th, 2002, 10:06 PM

I am not sure how hard it is. But you are the one not able to figure it out. The game is doing what it is supposed to do.

If your empire is designed for 3000 points, and you want to play a 2000 point game then the first time you have this problem and you change the settings to 3000 and then modify your empire to 2K and then change the settigns back to 2 K, what you do at that point is save your empire as a 2K empire. Then the next time you start a game and want to play a 2K game you load the 2K empire, and if you want to play a 3K game you load the 3K empire.

Why is that so hard to understand?

If you have the game automatically change the game settings as you seem to be suggesting, then what will stop you from inadvertantly loading a 5000 piont empire up to play against your 3000 point empire?

Geoschmo

[ August 19, 2002, 21:09: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Elowan · #9 August 19th, 2002, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
I am not sure how hard it is. But you are the one not able to figure it out. The game is doing what it is supposed to do.

If your empire is designed for 3000 points, and you want to play a 2000 point game then the first time you have this problem and you change the settings to 3000 and then modify your empire to 2K and then change the settigns back to 2 K, what you do at that point is save your empire as a 2K empire. Then the next time you start a game and want to play a 2K game you laoad the 2K empire, and if you wantt o play a 3K game you laod the 3K empire.

Why is that so hard to uinderstand?

Geoschmo

You still don't get it. I always play a 3k empire. Every time I click on Use Existing and try to load that one-and-only empire - the game won't load it until I change the new game settings to 3K!

It's the game that's defaulting to 2K! If it's smart enough to know the loading empire needs more points than the default - it should change them based on the racial point setting in the saved emp file!

geoschmo · #10 August 19th, 2002, 10:17 PM

Yes, I figured out that is what you were saying after I had already posted. I edited my message too late apoarently.

If you have the game automatically change the game settings then what will stop you from inadvertantly loading a 5000 piont empire up to play against your 3000 point empire?

The point of the game configure screens are to determine the parametaers the game will be played under, then you add your empires. They have to be set to something by default. 2000 is as good as anythign else. What you need, and I can't disagree it would be something nice to have, is a settings.txt file entry to change thedefault racial points for the game, like you can with max ships and other stuff.

But having the game automatically change the limit to accomodate your empire file choice would be a bad thing.

Geoschmo