Space Monsters!!!

[Trachmyr]

SJ, just wanted to thank you again.... The aipatcher worked great!

As a side note, found a quick (subjectivly) way to make .emp files:

Step one: Make sure all empires have a "quick-start" entry in settings.txt

Step Two: make sure all AI_General files are patched

Step Three: Make(or copy the old ones) .emp files in the empires directery... they don't have to work or have any info what-so-ever, renamed txt files will work as will the old non-working .emp's.

Step Four: Start SE4 and do the following for each empire...
1) Quick-start a game
2) Set the password (to "1" for instance)
3) Save the .emp file under a tempoary name (i.e., first 3 letters of the empire)
4) select a NEW GAME, and repeat for the next empire

Step Five: In the Setup for a new game (not quick-start), load all the tempoary .emp's and for each do the following:
1) Select edit & remove the password
2) Select the Designname.txt file (this is the only entry that AI_general.txt dosen't specify, either write down the correct ones or choose appropriate ones)
3) Create the empire and Save it to the Permanent file (This removes the AI's intial ship designs that were in the temp. .emp file)

Step Six: go to the empire directory and delete all the temp. .emp files.

Although this is a bit long, it's quicker than cut & Paste or remembering/writing all the entries... one problem, it only works for 2K setup, you'll still have to hand do 3K & 5K Versions.

Hope that info can help you!

[Suicide Junkie]

The way I usually generate .EMP files is:

1) Start a random game, max AIs, no Neutrals.
2) On turn one, set all AIs to human control.
3) As each AI takes its turn, "Save Empire"

If the AIs were patched by my patcher, that is the end of it. If not, then:

4) Start a new game, "Add Existing Empire", then edit and add the required normal/civilized/etc. traits.
5) Save Empire again.

It goes pretty fast that way.

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[Lastseer]

If you want to make it so that players/AI can't take the space monster's hive planets, give them a facility that give +10000% ground combat. Their militia will make conquest nearly impossible, forcing players to bomb their planets into oblivion. (The facility should be pretty high in their priority, so you can't take a hive planet after they build the other goodies but before they their anti-ground stuff). Just make it cheap to build.

[Taqwus]

To prevent capture, you'd also have to either ban intel entirely, or make the monster race in such a way that they don't have planets.

Otherwise, there'll be a planet path, and they will be vulnerable to CI/PPP. (And CI applying to, oh, a giant space squid is just... weird. ) If you give them powerful intel to defend, they'll probably also use that to attack -- which is also rather odd.


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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[Phoenix-D]

Well, the squids don't use the normal tech tree, right?

You could make their ground defense facility *also* provide massive amounts of intel points, but make it so they only research that- and that tech gives them the best Counter Intel level ONLY. So they can't attack with intel- no projects to do it with.

EDIT: here's any example.

quote:

---

Name := Squid CI
Description := Defensive preparations within an empire to prevent enemy intelligence operations. Counter-Intelligence will prevent attacks while it is in progress.
Group := Defense
Cost := 500000
Type := Intelligence Defense
Effect Amount := 3
Num Source Messages := 1
Source Message 1 := Our counter-intelligence operations have prevented intelligence attacks by the [%TargetEmpireName].
Num Target Messages := 1
Target Message Title 1 := Intelligence Project Defeated
Target Message 1 := One of our intelligence projects against the [%SourceEmpireName] was defeated by counter-intelligence defenses.
Source Picture := IntelSabotageByUs
Target Picture := IntelSabotageByUs
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Squid Protection
Tech Level Req 1 := 1

---

Then just make it so "squid protection" also only gives the ground defense/intel facility, and makes sure they can't/won't get applied intel.

Phoenix-D

[This message has been edited by Phoenix-D (edited 10 July 2001).]

[Taqwus]

Nifty idea... could be turned into a racial trait for intelligence near-immunity, even (could it be overwhelmed with lots of ops? Hrm.). In this particular case, I'd suggest using a sillier message, 'tho.

"Squid. Squid. Squid. Your spy. Which one doesn't belong?"

Or something to that effect.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[Trachmyr]

Good idea phoenix, right now one of their facilities uses the "Reduces Bad Intel" at -100%, but I'll but in the CI only intel production as add'l security.

BTW, there is no way for them not to use planets... ALL races start with a planet and no ship.

Well, the facilities are not so powerful now for humans... so I'm not too worried about intel. I'm still concerned with psychic's ability to subvert the squids.

Does anyone know if a ship is vunerable to computer viruses and allegance subverters if it has a bridge/lifesupport/crew AND a master computer?