Balance Mod Available for SE:V

[Captain Kwok]

This TreatyElements.txt file is a figment of your imagination. However, there are adjustable trade values added to settings.txt for the next patch.

I'm not sure why all the fuss with Boarding Parties. They double in their ability from low to max tech, as most items in the mod do. It's a good idea to research them if because you're Boarding Ships will need more support components such as Shield Depleters etc. as the game progresses. Not to mention, you get Security Stations with the same research as well.

I don't see the fuss with sensors. Big deal if it's an important tech to research at the beginning.

[Ed Kolis]

LOL, you're right about the treaty elements! I must have been thinking about victory conditions or something

Oh, the boarding parties do double? I guess they're reasonable then - I thought they only went up to level 5 with 300 marines apiece.

The sensor issue I think is a balance thing - if the first few levels of sensors are Really Really Important and anyone who fails to know the secret that they have to research them is going to fall significantly behind, then it seems the sensor tech is unbalanced, much like Meson Blasters were in stock - Meson Blasters were the uber weapon and if you didn't know that they were and didn't research them, you fell significantly behind. (OK, it's not all THAT serious, given that it's only 2 levels of a tech, not an entire tech with 100 levels or whatever, so you can't fall TOO far behind - but it just seems unbalanced to me!) So it's a minor balance thing, but a balance thing nonetheless.

[Kana]

Saber Cherry said:
I realize that, but... it is very disappointing to discover that destroyers 1 and 2 are strictly inferior to the frigate 3 that you will already have when you get destroyers. There's no reason for destroyers 1 and 2 to exist, as long as frigates are so big (and faster, cheaper, more fuel-efficient, and more evasive).

Essentially... I don't think you should have to max out a ship type's technology for it to show any improvement over the old ship type. In that case, it is better to research strictly improving technologies - namely, anything else. Even destroyer 3 is only questionably better than frigate 3, given the disadvantages in speed, fuel efficiency, cost, and evasion you pay for a mere 60kT of extra usable space. That is to say, it is NOT better, unless you have pretty good large ship mount technology, too.

I've seen the talk over at the Official forum as well on the subject of uber frigates and how the new destroyers get fraged by them. After reading this it just came to me what is wrong. If the frigate is getting bigger, why is it retaining its offensive/defensive values? I know certain people say that this is because of minaturization, and automation. Its not that the frigate is getting any bigger.

I would rather see it as it is getting bigger, or at least heavier or something. So that the time a frigate is the same size as a destroyer, then they are either equal, or that the frigate is only slightly better than the destroyer. If you want the advantage of automation or miniturization, then mod that in with components or mounts.

[Captain Kwok]

Except it's a lot more obvious. The player will be like, "Man, my sensor range is quite small", and will look to see how he can make it better. The effectiveness of a weapon compared to another is less obvious.

[Captain Kwok]

None of the ship sizes overlap in the Balance Mod as they do in stock. The larger size of the ship does come into play for acceleration and turning, so a 250kT Frigate will be a bit more nimbler than a 300kT one.

[Romulus68]

After many simulations, I was shocked to discover that I could not build anti-ship fighters with armor, rocket pods, sensors, and ECM that could beat my anti-fighter frigate with APBs, point-defense, sensors, ECM, and emissive armor, at equivalent costs. So perhaps I am wrong. But, on the other hand, small rocket pods seem so much better than an equivalent tonnage of capital ship missiles that it is hard for me to feel like they are both balanced relative to each other.

1. Change the Rocket Pods fighters to Max range strategy and they will perform better against ships. That helps them stay outside Point Defense ranges.

2. Drop armor on Fighter and squeeze shields on it.

3. Bomber load out: Rocket Pod, Shields, Cockpit, Life, Engines.

Try that at Max range against your Anti-Fighter Frigates.

[Raapys]

Any ETA on BM update, Kwok?

[Captain Kwok]

I should be able to post the update tonight.

[Romulus68]

Pleeeaaassssseeeeee make a 1.09a, so MANY of us can continue our PBW games that are MANY turns into the game!

Yes, I'm begging. :-)

[Captain Kwok]

Ugh, there's a few minor AI issues to resolve before I can post v1.10. It'll probably push until Saturday night.

---

I will do something for v1.09, but probably not until the next weekend.