Proportions 2.1 available - Page 9

PsychoTechFreak · #81 April 18th, 2002, 06:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PvK:

I think I added it to see if it would work, and so that it would show up if/when MM implemented it.

What you have added would make up some tricky traps if it would work.
I got another WP idea, which I think would be bad for the AI, but could be nice for multiplayer. Really funky/unstable WPs with a random damage factor similar to black holes. But they should not be obviously recognized as unstable, I guess it could be even more interesting if every WP would show up with the same description, like "unknown WP, enter on your own risk".

PvK · #82 April 18th, 2002, 10:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by adder_inf:
Why are the colony cultural centers any easier to build they seemed to have the same cost as a straight cultural center?

I downloaded the entire mod from your site.

I love the mod so far great stuff. Thanks for all the hard work

Thanks adder_inf!

Currently, there is no difference except the name and description between the Colony Cultural Center and the homeworld Cultural Center. I may be adding some intermediate levels later, but for now they're essentially nearly-impossible to build, on purpose.

The reasons that there are two kinds are cosmetic and historical. Originally, there was only one type, which included extra construction abilities, that were cumulative on the homeworld, but made it impossible (due to SE4 hard-coded limits) to try to build a CC on a colony with another CC on it, or one with a spaceyard on it. Worse though was the more realistic attempt to rebuild or add a CC to the homeworld itself, which would also be prevented by SE4. So I added Colony Cultural Centers, which were like CC's without the construction bonuses. Later I decided it was unfair that homeworlds got a construction bonus that colony worlds never could, and I noticed the more important/realistic problem that spaceyards could not be built on planets with "constructing-type" (homeworld) CC's on them, meaning high-tech shipyards would have no effect on a homeworld. I also decided the slower build times and the need to build orbital shipyards was an improvement over the abstract representation of built-in construction abilities on homeworlds, and changed them to the way they are now, identical except for description, with no construction bonuses.

PvK

PvK · #83 April 19th, 2002, 03:02 AM

quote:
Originally posted by PsychoTechFreak:
What you have added would make up some tricky traps if it would work.
I got another WP idea, which I think would be bad for the AI, but could be nice for multiplayer. Really funky/unstable WPs with a random damage factor similar to black holes. But they should not be obviously recognized as unstable, I guess it could be even more interesting if every WP would show up with the same description, like "unknown WP, enter on your own risk".

Yes, I like tricky traps, as long as they're uncommon enough. I currently have three classes of warp points with 35 different abilities. They do say what kind of effect they have, but the amount of the effect isn't clear, especially for the damaging ones. Some warp points vary from minescule damage to baseship-shredding damage (which is quite rare, though).

Your idea to add some where the effect type is undeterminable or even misleading is a nice one - I'll have to add that, though I'll keep it rare. Actually, I should probably make a really wicked quadrant option

, but I should do the AI improvements first.

PvK

capnq · #84 April 19th, 2002, 04:40 AM

quote:
One question, I think I have seen this in one of your warp point changes, it was a one-way WP. Are one-way WPs now created by random? Wasn't it just possible with map editor? Is it even possible in the map editor?

Yes, it always has been. When you create a Warp Point in the Map Editor, you get that box warning you that you need to make a reciprocal Warp Point in the destination system, but nothing actually forces you to add the return link. Except that (IIRC) the warp line between the systems isn't drawn until you add the second.

DirectorTsaarx · #85 April 19th, 2002, 03:32 PM

I've seen one-way warp points in the "standard" game. Not very often, but once in a while. It's kinda strange; and I think the warp line appears if you have a ship in the "originating" system. Of course, the warp point never shows up in the destination system - your ships just seem to "appear" when warping in.

oleg · #86 April 19th, 2002, 03:43 PM

After Last SE patch, AI_design_creation.txt needs adjustments. SE keeps active the latest models of all possible design types. The structure of Proportion's AI design file (separate entries for escorts, frigates, destroyers, etc) forces AI to keep redesigning and building escorts and frigates even when battlecruisers and battleships are discovered. Obviously, it greatly handicaps AI fleets.

PvK · #87 April 20th, 2002, 12:31 AM

quote:
Originally posted by oleg:
After Last SE patch, AI_design_creation.txt needs adjustments. SE keeps active the latest models of all possible design types. The structure of Proportion's AI design file (separate entries for escorts, frigates, destroyers, etc) forces AI to keep redesigning and building escorts and frigates even when battlecruisers and battleships are discovered. Obviously, it greatly handicaps AI fleets.

Not at all. In Proportions, larger ships do not make smaller ships obsolete. It's desirable in Proportions that the AI continues to build a mix of warship sizes after it researches larger ships. There are tradeoffs between the sizes, and an AI that only built the largest ships it could would, I think, be at a disadvantage.

PvK

Iskander · #88 April 20th, 2002, 11:54 PM

>> If there are players still running pre-2.0 games who are eager to get 1.6 (since they can't upgrade to 2.x), let me know.
>>

Thanks for this mod, I tried it for the first time tonight, it does just about everything I thought needed changing from the standard.
Love the change to the engines, nifty...

Now for my question, I'm playing proportions from the CD, from the above quote I'm thinking I need to install something befor proportions 2.1. Is this correct? If so, what do I need?

Thanks on advance for any help...

Isk...

PDF · #89 April 21st, 2002, 12:06 AM

Hmm, I tried this mod, the ideas sound great, but have problems with the AI/Empires : only a couple of "player" races with AI are in the mod, and of I try to add "stock" races I have a "load error" message, perhaps due to change in traits lists ...
How can I play solo ? Only with created or random AI ??
Or perhaps do some other races sets exist that are compatible ??

oleg · #90 April 22nd, 2002, 12:28 AM

Iskander, all you need is the latest proportions 2.1 patch. It should work just fine over CD Versions.

PDF, if you play with AI, download AI general files I put in SE IV races forum. Once you started game with random AI, go to game/players pull-down, turn all AI players under your control and then go through them and "save empire".
Repeat untill you have .emp files for all races.