Babylon 5 Mod - Page 93

pathfinder · #**921** June 16th, 2002, 01:39 AM

Val: 1 error noted in AI_research.txt: in ship construction you go from lvl 8 to lvl 12, no lvl 9-11. Would this cause an RCE?

Similar error in propulsion: goes from lvl 7 to lvl 12 without lvl 8-11.

Noted this when building the Shadows research.txt file...

Questions:
1-Solar Resource Generation-(*): Is that what is used to generate supplies per ship? Why all 3 types (minerals, organics, radioactives)? Just wondering...

2-Why at Dreadnought does it switch to solar supply generation instead of solar resource generation-(*)?

[ June 16, 2002, 00:01: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Val · #**922** June 16th, 2002, 04:00 AM

Pathfinder:
I don't think the skip in levels should have any effect, it should just leave that research project in the queue until it reaches that level. But maybe I am wrong. I will try changing it and see what happens. Good eye!

As to the SRG - Min,Org,Rad, I used those to force the AI to put a Reactor in each ship. I used the different levels to represent small, medium, large reactors (respectively). I had originally switched it to SolSupGen at dreadnought level because the AI should pick the BEST reactor available (ie - the largest), but maybe that isn't working either. So, I changed the larger vessels to SRG - Rad in the latest AI I am testing.

Nothing else Shadow unique, yet... Other stuff I have 'made' but not yet added - A Vortex Disruptor (closes jump points), Shadow Armor (SJ is working on this), Phasing Drives (to let the shadows harder to hit as the fade in and out of realspace) and some additional weapons. Another thing to note is that the shadow fighters have their own special cockpit that lets them use the experience of the lead vessel - to represent how they are controlled by the ships rather than having pilots.

I use the "Weapon Family" number for which weapons I want the AI to choose - should be at the end of each weapon's entry.

What do you mean by "ran out of space" while doing research AI?

Gil:
Right now Simon is working on the background for the race we are going to use for your shipset, more details will follow

All:
I have looked at the engine that seems to be causing trouble and have made some adjustments that I am now testing out, but I don't see any reason for the RCE! Any ideas?

Also, wanted to thank everyone again for all the help they have been giving - especially with testing, background info and suggestions!

pathfinder · #**923** June 16th, 2002, 05:09 AM

Val: "ran out of space" Is pathfinder for, "I reached the end of the research file but had more stuff to add"..hehe...means *groan* I gotta go back and put stuff in different (earlier) places I guess...

I try to make the progresion kinda even spaced (follows ship construction)...

I fixed the skip, just see what would happen...haven't gotten that far yet...

on the mineral/organic/rad---thought that was why (forcing use of reactor), what "threw" me was that it was different types of supply for the different Groups of ships (didn't think about different size reactors being represented), then the dreadnought was totally (in my uneducated eyes) different...

Note: I think the Shadows are going to have a bear of a time in the early game due to the slow growth. IF they survive, their "slice n dice" should rule. They seem to have a heck of a time getting enough organics. Just some observations as I check the research and designcreation files I am revising.

Update - sorta: The skip levels doesn't affect the RCE. I redid ship construction to non-skip and still get that lvl 6 engine RCE.

[ June 16, 2002, 14:34: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

pathfinder · #**924** June 16th, 2002, 04:02 PM

Shields: Are there actually shield components? If so what are they (can't find them, even with entry for them (lvl 10 only in the default research file)

[ June 16, 2002, 18:07: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

Baron Munchausen · #**925** June 16th, 2002, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pathfinder:

Note: I think the Shadows are going to have a bear of a time in the early game due to the slow growth. IF they survive, their "slice n dice" should rule. They seem to have a heck of a time getting enough organics. Just some observations as I check the research and designcreation files I am revising.

The shadows should have stealth capabilities from turn ONE. Do they? AND they should be able to get better stealth/cloaks than anyone else.

If only MM would implement planet cloaks, then they would be able to play their role properly.

geoschmo · #**926** June 16th, 2002, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:

The shadows should have stealth capabilities from turn ONE. Do they? AND they should be able to get better stealth/cloaks than anyone else.

If only MM would implement planet cloaks, then they would be able to play their role properly.

You can ptretty much do this now. You mod in a component with the sector obscuring ability. It works just fine. Only has two downsides. You can't disengage the cloak like a ship cloaking device, it's always on. And it cloaks any planets and ships in that sector, regardless of which empire they belong too. But since you can always see your own ships the other guys would probably never notice it. The only way they would is if a third empires ships moved into that sector they would seem to disapear.

Geoschmo

[ June 16, 2002, 17:08: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

pathfinder · #**927** June 16th, 2002, 07:09 PM

Baron: ATM no cloak, though Val is going to add that capacity (IIRC) in the near future. As for the planet...dunno

pathfinder · #**928** June 16th, 2002, 09:48 PM

Lighthorse: A spreadsheet would be a daunting task. There are so many classes of weapons; then to take it further individual race-specific weapons. For the Shadows to get all of their race specific weapons 3 different weapons tech areas have to be researched....unless I missed one

To put it into perspective: the components file prints to ~1600 pages of 8 x 11 paper printed in portrait (do NOT ask me how I know)

Val · #**929** June 16th, 2002, 10:59 PM

Pathfinder:
If you want to send your preliminary Shadow AI, I'll add it to the next patch

I had to add something to slow down these ancient races - in 10 games (before the changes) the Shadows were always #1 - even just using generic weapons

There are going to be shields - but they are mostly for Abbai, Brakiri & Vorlons. Though Shdaows (and other ancients) will have shield like stuff.

Man - I still can't believe you printed out the whole thing!!! You are insane! (and most likely responsible for the deforestation of a small South American country)

Baron Munchausen:
The Shadow's don't really have any cloaking, they are just able to phase in and out of hyperspace - which I guess for SE IV purposes is the same as cloaking. Even with that being said, there is another Ancient race that has even better (true)cloaking ability - the Torvalus, and their cloaks are alrady in the Mod, and at their highest level are impenetrable by the younger races. I am planning on adding the phasing drive for shadow ships - which will give them cloaking ability. There were very few examples of cloaking in B5 - other than the Torvalus, the Centauri had some for fighters and I think the Hyach had some - and of course there are the Techonmages.

Lighthorse:
I do have some spreadsheets on all the weapons I have so far released, plus about 100 other weapons that I am still balancing out. So, before going crazy tring to make one, I could probably dig up these files and post them. The only problem is that they are on my home PC in PA and I am currently in MA - I will try to get them when I get a chance to go home.

Geo:
Thanks for the tips on cloaking planets - maybe one of the ancient facilities will have that ability to start to make their homeworlds more difficult to find.

All:
I am getting ready to implement the WP change - WPs will now only be usable against fighters (and I would also like them to fight troops), so you will have to rely on sats and ships to defend your worlds.

I am also working on adding the EM weapons, but what I would like to do is have the 'Damage Engine Only' attribute given to all EM weapons, but would also like to have them effect weapons, reactors and a few other components. I know the Sci-Fi x-over mod will have the "Only Boarding Parties" ability to allow this, but I was wondering if there was any harm in giving an 'Engine := 0' ability to all the components, or will this mess up the AI? Anyone try this yet?

Suicide Junkie · #**930** June 16th, 2002, 11:22 PM

Quote:

I am also working on adding the EM weapons, but what I would like to do is have the 'Damage Engine Only' attribute given to all EM weapons, but would also like to have them effect weapons, reactors and a few other components. I know the Sci-Fi x-over mod will have the "Only Boarding Parties" ability to allow this, but I was wondering if there was any harm in giving an 'Engine := 0' ability to all the components, or will this mess up the AI? Anyone try this yet?

I should point out that a laser IS a pure EM weapon. You might want to refine the term.

Adding a zero-point engine ability shouldn't affect the AI, but it will make all of those items count towards the engine limit. Increase each hull's limit to 255 just to be safe.