Empire specific components, tech - possible?

[gregebowman]

[quote]Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
[QB]1) Start a game with randomly generated AIs.
2) Click the Clipboard menu (top left), click players, and uncheck all the AIs.
3) During each AI player's turn, Click the Clipboard menu, and "Save Empire". Don't bother saving the ship designs; the AIs will always overwrite them anyways.
4) When saving give the file a good description, such as "Rage 5000 rp"

That's another question I have. For each race, there are 3 .emp files. Why is that, and if using the above method, how do I know which number to use?

[Phoenix-D]

"That's another question I have. For each race, there are 3 .emp files. Why is that, and if using the above method, how do I know which number to use? "

Different racial point levels, depending on how your game is set up the 5000 one may be too high (invalid, not useable) the 2000 one too low (unspent points, PAIN) and the 3000 the correct one.

[gregebowman]

Different racial point levels, depending on how your game is set up the 5000 one may be too high (invalid, not useable) the 2000 one too low (unspent points, PAIN) and the 3000 the correct one.[/QB][/quote] Ok, let me see if I got this right. Depending on how many racial point levels I use, I can save the race using that number. But I still don't understand why each race has the three different .emp numbers. Can anyone expand on this issue?

[Elowan]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
Ok, let me see if I got this right. Depending on how many racial point levels I use, I can save the race using that number. But I still don't understand why each race has the three different .emp numbers. Can anyone expand on this issue?

Because in multi-player (MP) games - not all will be played at 3K or 5K. Hence modders will often save different emps for different MP game levels.

There's another issue. If you try - using Add Existing - to load a 3k RP game - SE will give you an error msg. It will load a 2k Version of the empire - because 2K is the default. Then you can set the RP's load the desired 3K empire and remove the other. Of course - you can set the RP lvl BEFORE attempting to load your 3K empire.

This error msg is/was the subject of the current thread ; A puzzlement ...

[ August 20, 2002, 18:30: Message edited by: Elowan ]

[capnq]

On the Game Setup/Player Settings screen, there are four options for Racial Points for New Players: 0, 2000, 3000, and 5000.

That's where the three numbers come from. (Too few people play 0 point games to bother making an .emp file with that value.)

Higher starting totals let you give a race more Advanced Traits and/or higher Characteristics. (Another reason why 0 point games aren't popular.)

[ August 20, 2002, 23:52: Message edited by: capnq ]

[gregebowman]

I understand that. But Last night, I started a new game. I recenlty downloaded some race files, which had everything but the .emp files. So I tried to load one of those races as an existing race. None of them would come up on the list. But interestingly enough, when I saw the list of AI races, one of those races was showing up as one of my opponents. I don't understand how the computer could use that race, but I couldn't. How can I save those new races with .emp files when I can't even get them to show up on the list of playable races?

[Pax]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
I understand that. But Last night, I started a new game. I recenlty downloaded some race files, which had everything but the .emp files. So I tried to load one of those races as an existing race. None of them would come up on the list. But interestingly enough, when I saw the list of AI races, one of those races was showing up as one of my opponents. I don't understand how the computer could use that race, but I couldn't. How can I save those new races with .emp files when I can't even get them to show up on the list of playable races?

The computer can use them because "designcreation.txt" (IIRC) is a set of instructions on how to create an EMP -- instructions for the computer to do so, in fact.

NFC how to save them yourself; IMO the best idea would be to hand-build them yourself, while reading the design-creation file as a guideline on where to spend points, etc.

[dumbluck]

OK. In the game where you got the empire you want to save a .emp for:

• go to the Game Menu (upper left hand corner of the screen).
• Click on Players.
• UN-dot the empire in question. This will put it under human control (namely, you).
• Hit End Turn
• The turn will run until it gets to the empire in question, then you can play it's turn. Instead, click on Game Menu.
• Click Save Empire. Don't bother saving the shipsets, the AI will overwrite it for every game.
• Give the new .emp file a nice name, like Empire 3000, for a 3000 point .emp file.
  

Does that clear it up?

EDIT: Of coarse, you could also just make it yourself, as previously suggested.... But this way the AI will pretty much work how the author intended...

[ August 21, 2002, 14:47: Message edited by: dumbluck ]

[geoschmo]

You have the right idea Pax, but the file actually used is the AI_General.txt file.

It has the basic information of the race in question, as well as what characteristics and advanced traits are to be used for 2k, 3k, or 5k racial point games.

If you want to have one of these as an empire file simply click the "Game Options" icon in the upper left, then click "Players" and turn off the green dots by the empire you want. Green dot on means its under compouter control. Then hit end turn on your empire and it will bring you to that empire. If it asks for a password it's probably 'master', then same the empire and you will now have an .emp file to use the next time you play.

Geoschmo

[dumbluck]

Or you could just do it how Geo suggested...
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Hey, wait a minute here...