Pseudo-Newtonian Movement

[travislp]

I have a couple of questions regarding the implimentation of this movement system. In SJ's mod the movement factors are 3,4,5 and six respectively with 400 supply per engine and no max engine restrictions. In PVK's mod the movement factors are 9,11,13 and 15 with supplies ranging from 250 to 600 per engine and max engine restrictions. Both use the same engines per move formula. This results in wildly different speed and supply results. Under SJ's movement ships would be faster and have more supply while under PVK's the ships would be slightly slower but have minimal supply. Both claim pseudo-newtonian but the results are much different. Also when I tried to use this movement system with the none gold Version I found that the AI would build ships with only a few engines resulting in ships that had 0 or 1 movement. Does the Ai need to be modded to use this system correctly. I am currently useing the TDM mod for AI. Any enlightenment on this subject would be greatly appreciated

[Jmenschenfresser]

Yep. You'll have to mod the design file for vehicles. Most are set to have between 4 and 6 engines by default.

Meaning you have to mod this file for every single AI.

[Suicide Junkie]

I have written an AI patcher specifically for that job.

Just select the mod from the dropdown box, and browse to the AI you wish to patch. Easy as that.

Try it on TDM AIs for extra fun.

(It's in my P&N downloads section, see sig)

Both claim pseudo-newtonian but the results are much different.

The definition of QNP is that speeds are divided by the mass of a vehicle.
It dosen't matter what scale is used, as long as a ship that is twice as big needs twice as many engines to move the same speed.

Under SJ's movement ships would be faster and have more supply while under PVK's the ships would be slightly slower but have minimal supply.

Not nessesarily. In P&N, you can build a ship that moves 20 sectors per turn, but it would be just one big pile of engines with a Bridge and lifesupport stuck on the top. Obviously this kind of ship is next to worthless, except maybe as a galaxy-mapping scoutship.

I find that my ships all have between 5 and 7 MP as I go from low tech to high-tech. Even though I could make them much faster, but that would mean sacrificing weapons or armor, which goes against my racial strategy.

My dad likes to pile on the engines, and is buzzing around the galaxy in flimsy, 8 - 12 MP ships.

My brother goes for more weapons. Weapons, and solar sails for the zero fuel use. He ends up slower and somewhat flimsier than my ships, but never needs to resupply, and packs a mean punch.

Faster, slower, more or less weapons and defenses, its all a matter of economic and cultural influences when QNP is properly applied Everything has a niche use.

[ 10 May 2002, 16:58: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
My brother goes for more weapons. Weapons, and solar sails for the zero fuel use. He ends up slower and somewhat flimsier than my ships, but never needs to resupply, and packs a mean punch.

Heh, a little OT, but your brother will be in for a rude suprise when the new patch comes out. He's going to need supply for his weapons to work.

Geoschmo

[travislp]

Thanks for the info SJ. I'll look into the Ai patcher.

[Suicide Junkie]

You need supplies in order to get more than 1 MP (even if your engines don't use supplies), so he's already compensated for that

A Supply tank or two is more than enough for the amount of fighting that actually goes on.

[ 11 May 2002, 17:54: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[jimbob]

I'd go with your dad on the movement thing. I figure if I build 10 ultra fast ships, they can move from one battle to another in less time and it's easier to mass the ships together - avoid having singles and doubles picked off as they go to join a fleet. Someone with slower ships has a harder time amassing their ships - so I can pick off the singles and the doubles!

Also, if my movement is double his, I can essentially be in two places at once (well, close enough), meaning that I need one fleet of 10 ultra fast ships, and he needs two or three fleets of 8 slower but stronger ships just to engage me.

Well, that's what my aliens tend towards anyway.

Edit: Oh, and doesn't your brother find the mass to propulsion ratio a little low with solar sails? How 'bout a supply ship in each fleet (I'm big into ultra-specialized ships)

[ 11 May 2002, 18:31: Message edited by: jimbob ]

[Suicide Junkie]

I figure if I build 10 ultra fast ships, they can move from one battle to another in less time ... ...

Your ships can be as fast as you like, but they still have to travel through warppoints .
I think both ways are probably best. Fast interceptors, and heavy warships each in their own fleets and roles. One plugs warppoints and lays siege to planets, the other picks off anybody who gets past.

Edit: Oh, and doesn't your brother find the mass to propulsion ratio a little low with solar sails? How 'bout a supply ship in each fleet (I'm big into ultra-specialized ships)

The max-tech solar sails are almost as powerful per KT as JP engines. Its not that bad.

As for the supply ship?
My brother's supply ship is a warppoint opener orbiting the cluster of 12 Huge planets in the Hercules system. (As you can tell he's been doing a lot of Stellar Manip )

In case you're wondering;
- Yes, those planets are all in the same sector
- Yes, they are all breathable, Huge oxygen worlds.
- No there is no system type with a stack of huge planets.
- He moved them there using his powerful Stellar Manip techs.
- Yes, he is very powerful, but despite that, I have just bumped into the MEE limit
- No, you cannot borrow my fleet of BattleMoons.

[jimbob]

- No, you cannot borrow my fleet of BattleMoons.

Aww, come on dad, everybody elses parents let them drive the BattleMoons to the prom.

[Suicide Junkie]

If you just want one, that's ok. Don't mind the 7000 Commandos in the back, just think of them as chauffeurs.

Please be careful not to crash into anything; the locals usually get quite upset when that happens...