Modding SEV Thread Questions

[Elsemeravin]

I'm sorry but I still don't get what is the difference between your "Ion engine" and your "Nuclear Engine" except the name.
Does the Nuclear engine has anything different from Ion Engine except the name and maybe 1 bonus mvt point ?

I understand now that you want only 1 Tech which provides 2 components, but I'm still interested in the difference you desire between the two engines

[President_Elect_Shang]

The engine thing was only an example. I don’t use a Nuclear or Ion Engine in my mod. Here is an actual component from the Mod. At high Tech level 2 and Force Weapons level 1 you get the Force Projector. At High Tech level 4 and Force Weapons 2 You get the Force Beam. Here are the differences between the two and also why they must be entered as different components and not as progressive components:

1. The name but that’s a given!
2. Tonnage Space, this could be done with an iif statement but not a formula.
3. Cost, which could be done with an iif statement but not a formula.
4. Vehicle type it can be placed on.
5. Requirements Formula.
6. Abilities change.
7. Min and max weapon damage changes.
8. Weapon To Hit modifier changes.
9. Weapon reload rate changes.

When I say they can’t be done with a formula I mean that the differences are so dynamic from one version to the next that there is no formula I can think of that would mimic the changes.

Using the example of the engines again. You may be able to write a single component that will phase out (in our example the Ion Engine) when another comes along (once again in our example the new one was the Nuclear Engine) however you can not phase the Nuclear Engine out when the Chity-Chity Bang-Bang Engine is developed unless you make a new component; which by definition means you have just made a generational component.

Now remember what I said at the start? This is only one example. Now imagine a mod that has absolutely nothing in common with Stock. All new tech areas, new vehicles, new vehicle types, new governments, no intelligence, new economy, and I think that about covers it. The example Force Projector and Force Beam are generational components. A generational component is one that can not be developed using a formula stuck in a few key places because there are too many changes from one version to the next. If it could be done with a clever formula or two it would be a progressive component.

Edited in: Also note that the Force Beam is not the final component in the Force Weapons line. Each new version phases out the one before.

[Phoenix-D]

On 2 and 3: you realize you can use iff statements in all formulas, right? I haven't tested it in components.txt yet, but it works in techareas.txt.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I have iif statements set in a few formulas but have not reached those techs in the testing yet. I will let you know what happens when I get there. I did say that I could use iif statements, I was saying that I could not use formulas.

Edited In: Oh I see what you’re saying. I could have used iif statements for all the fields that take formulas, right! I could have but there a few places such as weapon to hit and damage that I already have formulas in and that still wouldn’t help the many other places I can’t use formulas or iif statements. For example how do I tell the game the Force Beam can be put on bases if I am using the Force Projector in progressive style? It would have to be generational style or nothing.

[Elsemeravin]

I see, the first example was a bad one
Of course if the two generation of components are so different then you are stuck in the well.

Like I am for my big spreadsheet defining 5/6 types of cloaking/sensors on different levels with interaction (like camo, gravity, invisibility, system wide code security) from se4 or my sets of plague levels, or my battery system for electric weapon (whose power depends on the number of battery onboard), or like the possibility to make requirement level-dependent for techs...

SO I can add one more and wait with you for correction !

[President_Elect_Shang]

I agree that was a really poor example for me to pick. Funny enough the only reason I did is that I thought using a component from the stock files was the best bet. Oh well! Anyway let me take a look at your spreadsheet, I can imagine several of the elements you are trying to make coming together; however, without a look or detailed understanding of some kind I can’t really help.

[Elsemeravin]

You can find most of my non-yet working ideas around here as in below threads, but all of them need Aaron work:

Plague extension
Facilities building tree

And here for the sensor/cloak design:

Re: Modding SEV Thread Questions [Re: Q]
#453696 - Sat Oct 07 2006 03:20 PM

To know about the working one you'll have to wait for the release