Proportions 2.1 available

[Nodachi]

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Originally posted by PvK:


Aquatic ship sizes are often expressed in displacement in terms of weight of seawater displaced, which is exactly the same as the ship's weight, because that's what floating objects generally do (displace a weight of water equal to their own weight).

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Quite right, I stand corrected.

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Space ships should probably be measured both in terms of mass and volume.

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You're right but it should be pointed out that mass and volume are not neccessarily related.

I used to work for a magic show and this reminds me of something my boss used to say, "When we perform a magic trick we want the audience to have a suspension of disbelief, they know it's a trick but are willing to accept the illusion as real in order to be entertained." That's the way it is with SE4 for me. I tend to think of the ships as smaller than Star Trek craft, which in turn would be dwarfed by some of the ships in Star Wars. The numbers are just labels for us to work with the system.
Nodachi

[Tnarg]

Couple of questions: First has it been determined if 2.1 works with the new Gold patch, and is the new gold patch worth downloading.

Second, is there a projected date for 2.2 and what might we expect to find in there.

Third, I am having trouble incorportating downloaded ship sets to use for myself in proportions. Where exactly should I unzip these to, or if there is more than one step what might they be. Everytime I unzip one and I go to create a new race I get through a handful of the regualar shipsets and aliens, and then I get an error. Thanks for your time.

[Tnarg]

One Last question, does the AI handle the tri-polar wide, and what exactly is the difference between regualr tri-polar. Also should I use all warp points connected on not. The galaxy looks pretty segregated with no points connected. Does the AI handle this very well.

I've also noticed that even with 250 as my systems setting, I will only get about 50-60 systems that actually have stars and planets. Should this be so?

[Fyron]

The patch is definitely worth downloading. All mods compatible with Gold are compatible with the new patch.

Shipsets:
Unzip them so that they go in folders like this:
C:\Space Empires IV\Pictures\Races\Race Name\*.*

Then, create an empty "Race Name" folder under the Proportions Mod in the same type of location. It would be best if you take a Proportions AI's text files, copy them into the new folder, and rename them with the appropriate Race Name, so that they will work as AIs in the mod. Otherwise, they won't work very well.

[PvK]

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Originally posted by tnarg:
Couple of questions: First has it been determined if 2.1 works with the new Gold patch, and is the new gold patch worth downloading.

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Yes, it works. You should definitely get the new Gold patch, because otherwise you will eventually hit an overflow error from massive hitpoints (usually on homeworlds) in combat.

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Second, is there a projected date for 2.2 and what might we expect to find in there.

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I think about the the weekend after this coming one, or April 27. It will mainly contain some AI improvements (I know a lot of ways to improve the AI, but it takes a long time to enter them in and test them). There will probably be some revision of some of the resource production facility values, too.

A few others:
* Changed drone Anti-Ship Warheads to only be usable against ships and
bases (not fighters/satellites/planets/etc).
* Extended Temporal Shifters three tech levels with diminishing results,
to fall in with null space boost to adapt to Proportions armor. Note
that Temporal Shifters are easier to research and to build but shorter
ranged and somewhat less destructive than null space projectors.
* Ship control components now upgrade to their same type.

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Third, I am having trouble incorportating downloaded ship sets to use for myself in proportions. Where exactly should I unzip these to, or if there is more than one step what might they be. Everytime I unzip one and I go to create a new race I get through a handful of the regualar shipsets and aliens, and then I get an error.

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I believe the pictures go in your SE4/Pictures/Races/"race name" directory, but then for them to appear in Proportions, you should create an empty folder with the same name at SE4/Proportions/Pictures/Races/"race name". Or, if you just want the race to appear in Proportions only, you can just copy the pictures to SE4/Proportions/Pictures/Races/"race name".

The AI files for the new shipset are a little trickier. If you copied the race pictures under Proportions (at SE4/Proportions/Pictures/Races/"race name") only, then you can just delete the AI race files, and it will use the default Proportions AI. If you have a custom shipset with AI files under your non-Proportions Races directory, then if you want the AI or ministers to use that shipset without causing warning Messages and possibly doing something extra-silly, you should then copy and rename some AI files from a Proportions race into your new shipset - probably best to use the Amon'Krie ones and/or one of the Default AI's. Rename the start of those AI files to match the folder name of your new shipset.

I hope that was clear and correct.

PvK

[PvK]

What Fyron said!!

[PvK]

quote:

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Originally posted by tnarg:
One Last question, does the AI handle the tri-polar wide, and what exactly is the difference between regualr tri-polar. Also should I use all warp points connected on not. The galaxy looks pretty segregated with no points connected. Does the AI handle this very well.

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Yes the AI should be fine with either Tri-Polar type, or Sideral types.

The difference between Tri-Polar and Tri-Polar-wide, is just the warp point pattern, which you can see by generating a few samples. The wide one has fewer, more widely spaced warp lines, and more strands of systems with only two warp points a piece. I guess in theory the wide one is riskier for the AI, because it could get stuck between black hole systems on a strand, or something. Depending on your tastes, though, that could actually be interesting.

I haven't tested the AI with lots of broken off (unconnected by warp points) systems, but it is supposed to be set up to research and build warp point creation ships. I would expect it to be a disadvantage to the AI, but I haven't tested it.

All warp points connected is recommended unless you are using one of the following types (which will have almost all connected anyway):

Sidereal
Atypical Sidereal
Rich Spiral Arm
Semi-Standard
Mid-Life
Galactic Edge
Spiral Arm
Grid
Ancient

For Rich Spiral Arm, I actually recommend going with All Warp Points Connected set to OFF - it will almost never have isolated systems, anyway, and is has a more interesting shape with it off. (Unless you WANT massive numbers of connections, in which case that's what you'll get with it on).

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I've also noticed that even with 250 as my systems setting, I will only get about 50-60 systems that actually have stars and planets. Should this be so?

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That depends on the quadrant type. In Tri-Polar and Sidereal types, most systems should have planets and stars. In Ancient and Atypical types, there will be more special systems without planets, which is what is hard for the current AI in 2.1.

PvK

[ 18 April 2002: Message edited by: PvK ]

[PsychoTechFreak]

This is not an urgent request, but could you provide a (very brief) description of your (new) quadrant types? I should take a closer look into quadrant types.txt, with almost every patch you add some new ones. I like your ideas to change some of the system abilities, e.g. organic infestation.
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?

[PvK]

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Originally posted by PsychoTechFreak:
This is not an urgent request, but could you provide a (very brief) description of your (new) quadrant types? I should take a closer look into quadrant types.txt, with almost every patch you add some new ones. I like your ideas to change some of the system abilities, e.g. organic infestation.?

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There are some extremely brief descriptions in the QuadrantTypes.txt file, that don't get shown in the game. I'll try to embellish these at some point. For now, I'll cut & paste:

Name := Tri-Polar
Description := Slightly different from sidereal, with a few more special systems.

Name := Sidereal
Description := A middle-aged sheet of systems with somewhat irregular connections.

Name := Atypical Sidereal
Description := A middle-aged sheet of systems with somewhat irregular connections and unpredictable contents.

Name := Sparse Edge
Description := The galactic edge where systems are spread evenly, and there are fewer warp point connections.

Name := Rich Spiral Arm
Description := A spiral arm quadrant with many warp point connections. Try without "all systems connected" - they will be anyway.

Name := Ancient Bi-Polar
Description := Old section of the galaxy dotted with nebulaes and black holes, where warp points tend to be at opposite sides of a system.

Name := Rich Cluster
Description := A globular cluster section of the galaxy with many warp points.

quote:

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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?

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Is it even possible in the map editor? I thought it was just an idea that has not (yet?) been implemented. I think I added it to see if it would work, and so that it would show up if/when MM implemented it.

BTW, a couple of other things in 2.2 will be:

* Corrected cosmetic typo in "Spatial Rupture 2".
* Fixed cosmetic duplicate Rad Storage III.

PvK

[ 18 April 2002: Message edited by: PvK ]

[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