SE4 Stock Balance Mod

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by oleg:
As to limitless SEIV missiles - there is no way to make them do damage beyond 20. You may increase the targeting range above that (actually I'm not sure) with mounts, but actual damage could be done only inside 20.
There still be missile dance, but at longer range.

This is incorrect. What SJ is talking about is taking advantage of a little bug in the SE4 code. Normally you can't give a weapon damage beyond 20. But if you give a seeker a damage for range 21, the seeker never expires. It continues to seek after it's target until it catches it, is destroyed, it's target is destroyed, or the combat round ends.

Geoschmo

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by oleg:
As to limitless SEIV missiles - there is no way to make them do damage beyond 20. You may increase the targeting range above that (actually I'm not sure) with mounts, but actual damage could be done only inside 20.
There still be missile dance, but at longer range.

What I would like is to increase missile speed and decrease PDC accuracy a bit.

Actually, I do believe that if you add a 21st damage area into the missle file that it will have unlimited range and it will damage beyond that. I'm just going off memory here so if someone could correct me I'd be thankful.

Edit: Geo beat me to it.

[ July 23, 2003, 15:48: Message edited by: Ragnarok ]

[oleg]

Uhhhh. That is evil !

[Andrés]

This would require hard-code changes, but it would be nice if missiles would start moving when they are launched. If the target is within movement range, and there's no PDC involved, there would be no different between a seeker and a direct-fire weapon.
But going back to what is possible, I agree with Oleg, increased seeker speed would be nice.

Increase renge of WMG like in SE3.
And this would screw AI, but it would be nice if different high-energy weapons would not only have different comp families, but also differnt weapon families allowing AI modders to decide which of them they want their designs to use.

[spoon]

Originally posted by geoschmo:

quote:

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Originally posted by spoon:
- Talisman (increase cost by a factor of 10 +, and increase size*)

I think both of these are bad ideas. Either one would be fine for humans, but the AI isn't smart enough to use the Talisman more judiciously once it's more expensive. The result would be bankrupcy and military irrelevance for any AI programed to use it.

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Great point. Forgot that the ai can't handle significant increases in cost.

The +100% to hit that you and others have suggested does seem a better approach.

Ditto for the Quantum Reactor. If you can't balance it by price or size, then changing its effect is next best...

[spoon]

Originally posted by geoschmo:

quote:

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Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
In addition, if we went back to the unlimited range missiles from SE3, it could help too... no more missile dancing. With mounts we can keep the launch ranges the same as unmodded, so there won't be any difference for the AIs.

While I like this idea on a personal level, I think it is a risky change to try and get implemented into the stock game.

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I agree with Geo (ack, twice in one day). Weakening PDC will go a long way to making missiles more effective. Don't want to overdo it, though it is something to keep our eyes on for future iterations.

[spoon]

On meson bLasters

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:

What about leaving the same range as APB, but with APB decreasing over distance, and MB doing the same damage everywhere as the APB does at its mid-point?

I agree with raising range to 8, but given that it costs much less to research, I think the current damage of 35 is good. (37 would be equal to APB midpoint, so I guess it's moot to argue about...heh)