SE4 Stock Balance Mod

[Suicide Junkie]

In SE3, it did.

In SE4, the highest Emissive ability of the ship is used, no matter which component is hit.
(For damage types that don't skip armor)
It works similarily to Crystalline armor, really.

[ July 28, 2003, 14:58: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Pax]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
Given the above, a token improvement for levels 4 to 6 would look better than exact duplicates.

A token mprovement for them, and an overall hp/kT improvement for all armor, would be best.

Here's a possible suggestion:

code:

---

Component ... Old HP      ... New HP      ... Net Research cost

                                              (Medium)

Armor I   ... 30 (3.0/kT) ...  30 ( 3/kT) ...  55,000

Armor II  ... 35 (3.5/kT) ...  40 ( 4/kT) ...  65,000

Armor III ... 40 (4.0/kT) ...  50 ( 5/kT) ...  87,500

Armor IV  ... n/a         ...  60 ( 6/kT) ... 127,000

Armor V   ... n/a         ...  80 ( 8/kT) ... 199,500

Armor VI  ... n/a         ... 100 (10/kT) ... 289,500



Note, the cost includes the cost of Chemistry(1) at 50,000.

---

Compare this with shields:

code:

---

Component  ... Old HP+SP        ... Net Research cost

                                    ( Medium )

Shield I   ... 30+50  ( 2.7/kT) ...    60,000

Shield II  ... 40+100 ( 3.5/kT) ...    80,000

Shield III ... 40+150 ( 4.8/kT) ...   125,000

Shield IV  ... 40+225 ( 6.6/kT) ...   205,000

Shield V   ... 40+300 ( 8.5/kT) ...   330,000

Phased I   ... 40+75  ( 2.9/kT) ...   510,000

Phased II  ... 40+150 ( 4.8/kT) ...   755,000

Phased III ... 40+225 ( 6.6/kT) ... 1,075,000

Phased IV  ... 40+300 ( 8.5/kT) ... 1,480,000

Phased V   ... 40+375 (10.4/kT) ... 1,980,000



Note, the cost includes the cost of Physics(1) at 50,000.

---

With that said, I think that a few things should be fixed. The Shield Generator I component is the ONLY 30kT shield generator. IMO, it should be upped to 40kT, with 40kT structure, to maintain the pattern.

As well, Shield IV and V have greater increases in shieldign levels compared to prior levels. I think they should be adjusted to 200 and 250, respectively.

OTOH, the entire progression fo Shield tech and components could be changed:

code:

---

Component  ... New HP+SP        ... Net Research cost

                                    ( Medium )

Shield I   ... 40+100 ( 3.5/kT) ...    60,000

Phased I   ... 40+50  ( 2.3/kT) ...    80,000

Shield II  ... 40+200 ( 6.0/kT) ...   125,000

Phased II  ... 40+100 ( 3.5/kT) ...   205,000

Shield III ... 40+300 ( 8.5/kT) ...   330,000

Phased III ... 40+150 ( 4.8/kT) ...   510,000

Shield IV  ... 40+400 (11.0/kT) ...   755,000

Phased IV  ... 40+200 ( 6.0/kT) ... 1,075,000

Shield V   ... 40+500 (13.5/kT) ... 1,480,000

Phased V   ... 40+250 ( 7.3/kT) ... 1,980,000



Note, the cost includes the cost of Physics(1) at 50,000.

---

This would make unphased shields better, for the same comparative level of component, in terms of SP generated, and total effective hp/kT. Of course, it's then rock-paper-scissors WRT PPBs, APBs, and the like: do you want more SP but vulnerability to PPBs, or, do you want less total SP but the ability to stop PPBs with your shields?

It might also serve to nerf PPB without changing that weapon at all, as the first phased shields (albeit weaker than unphased) would be available for a total of only 80,000 research points, rather than the current 510,000 cost.

[Asmala]

My suggestions (lots of them has been mentioned earlier by others but without exact numbers):

• Different component families to normal and phased shields (doesn't affect to computer, easier to upgrade ships if using normal shielding)
• Supply Storage: double the amount of supply stored and count as a cargo space (ridiculous that an engine can store more supply per kT than a supply storage)
• Massive Shield Depleter and Massive Ionic Disperser: +100% to hit (only one hit per combat so it should hit)
• Ship and Fleet Training Facilities system wide, only 1% per turn, max 10/15/20 (only one effective per system)
• Psychic training centers 1/2/3 max 10/15/20
• To hit modifiers to weapon description (one dummy-ability which describes the modifier)
• Citizen Databank Complex and System Citizen Databank: intelligence 1 for tech area required (when playing without intelligence those facilities won't appear then)
• Massive Planetary Shield Generator: 30000 shield generation
• Medical Lab: prevents level 1/3/5 plagues instead of 1/2/3
• One-resource bonus facilities should have 20/40/60 bonus
• Scanners:
  Temporal/Psychic: half the size and costs -> 20kT and 750/0/250
  Hyper Optics: double the cost (3000/0/1000)
  Gravitic sensor: no changes
  Tachyon sensor: level 3 tachyon sensor scanning level from 4 to 5 -> the only sensor which see through the red system-wide storm. Level 5 scanner will also see mines though in their description says it prevents level 5 scans. Perhaps mines' cloaking should be rised.
  

Some comments please!

[Asmala]

Originally posted by Pax:
Here's a possible suggestion:

I wouldn't improve the armor so much. You should remember that Shield Depleter is extremely powerful weapon. Just include a few of them and all of enemy's shields will be gone very quickly. So if an armor and a shield have the same HP/kT I'd rather choose the armor (unless I'm facing a crystal race )

[Pax]

Originally posted by Asmala:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pax:
Here's a possible suggestion:

I wouldn't improve the armor so much. You should remember that Shield Depleter is extremely powerful weapon. Just include a few of them and all of enemy's shields will be gone very quickly. So if an armor and a shield have the same HP/kT I'd rather choose the armor (unless I'm facing a crystal race )

---

But the armor won't have the same hp/kT; it's have nearly the same. As, IMO, it should.

My second suggested chart for the shields would have the top nonphased shield giving 13.5 effective hp/kT.

Also consider that some weapons, such as the Graviton Hellbore, might be getting the Armor-Skipping ability.

SDs are nice, sure enough, but the truly BEST setup will likely be a mixture of armor and shields, in equal proportions. Handles shield-skipping, armor-skipping, and SD-heavy, all alike, with equal applomb.

[Asmala]

Originally posted by Pax:
But the armor won't have the same hp/kT; it's have nearly the same. As, IMO, it should.

My second suggested chart for the shields would have the top nonphased shield giving 13.5 effective hp/kT.

Also consider that some weapons, such as the Graviton Hellbore, might be getting the Armor-Skipping ability.

SDs are nice, sure enough, but the truly BEST setup will likely be a mixture of armor and shields, in equal proportions. Handles shield-skipping, armor-skipping, and SD-heavy, all alike, with equal applomb.

It's enough for me if the armor has nearly the same hp/kT, I'd choose it still (with one shield of course in case of engine destroying weapons or boarding parties). Of course those new changes can change this a lot, especially armor skipping for Graviton Hellbore and weakening the PPB.

[Suicide Junkie]

Going through all the Posts from the weekend...

Many of the major changes to armor suggested would be design changes suitable for a custom mod...
Also:
By token improvements I meant reducing cost from 50 to 30/20/15, or perhaps 2-3 additional hitpoints per level.

Changes that are compatible with savegames are nice, but it would be extremely restrictive to require them.

At worst, two Versions could be submitted to Aaron, one breaking saves, and one not.

3. Capital Ship Missiles - do NOT give them unlimited range, as was suggested earlier. If low-tech missiles can be fired from extremely long range, then ...

The suggestion was to keep the current firing ranges, but allow the missiles to keep tracking until they are shot down.
IE: CSM II can be fired from range 10, but not range 11. That CSM would never fizzle out until combat ends.