Some questions about game

[Jason2]

First, could anyone mod the sats and battlestations (and space/star) - they seem useless to me since they cannot move at all. They just seem to be plopped down in a random space on the tactical map and not worth having.... Or am I just using them wrong? I try placing them around warp points/planets - but everyone just flies away from them and then stays away. Shouldn't they be able to move at least 1 or 2 spaces a turn, or have their weapon ranges doubled a ship's (I mean a battlestation is pretty freakin huge)??

Also, how do I change the atmosphere of a planet? I know how to upgrade the conditions, but not the atmosphere. I play low-tech games and work from there - I don't want to start high tech because it ruins the surprise. I've had the game for months and am still finding new things when I focus in a certain tech area (my games usually end before all tech is researched).

Finally, has anyone EVER gotten subjugation to work?? I will be massive compared to another empire, but they never make this treaty (or protectorate)... They seem to either defy me or surrender.

Thanks for the help.

Jason

[Marty Ward]

The component enhancment file from the Dev mod increases the range on WP, bases and I think sats among other things. You might want to use this in place of you existing file. Beware though that some items have EXTREMELY long ranges!
The atmospheric converter in under Planet Utilization, level 7 is the first one I think. Takes a while to get and work but it is worth it.
I don't think anyone has gotten sats or bases to move. I would love to see them have a combat move of 1 or 2 to give them a litte more use.

[Jubala]

Getting sats and bases to move is a piece of cake. Just give them the "Generates X additional movement point during combat" ability from the figher afterburners or create specific base and sat thrusters with that ability. That will give them combat movement put not strategic movement.

[Marty Ward]

I tried that but in combat they would not move. Were you able to get this to work?

[PvK]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jason2:
First, could anyone mod the sats and battlestations (and space/star) - they seem useless to me since they cannot move at all. They just seem to be plopped down in a random space on the tactical map and not worth having.... Or am I just using them wrong? I try placing them around warp points/planets - but everyone just flies away from them and then stays away. Shouldn't they be able to move at least 1 or 2 spaces a turn, or have their weapon ranges doubled a ship's (I mean a battlestation is pretty freakin huge)??

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Even in the regular game, base mounts extend range on direct-fire weapons, making them powerful and fairly able to defend planets and warp points. Normal-game sat and WP mounts are also good, but don't increase range. Using long-range missiles on them can be good, though. Satellites with high-tech point-defense can be helpful to protect planets from missiles. However, the ideas to deploy them better, and to give them tactical thrusters, are good ones.

quote:

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Also, how do I change the atmosphere of a planet?

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Atmosphere conVersion facility, I think...

quote:

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Finally, has anyone EVER gotten subjugation to work?? I will be massive compared to another empire, but they never make this treaty (or protectorate)... They seem to either defy me or surrender.

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I think maybe the AI can't handle the concept yet - anyone seen the AI do this? I believe it works for human players in multi-player, however.

PvK

[Jubala]

Yep. Did it back in the beginning of time. Lost that particular mod though, but it wasn't hard to do. I'll see if I can't duplicate it and tell you how I did it.

[Jubala]

Works like a charm, just like I remembered it. Take a look at this:

Name := Space Station
Short Name := Space Station
Description :=
Code := SS
Bitmap Name := SpaceStation
Vehicle Type := Base
Tonnage := 500
Cost Minerals := 500
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Base Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Combat To Hit Defense Minus
Ability 1 Descr := Large size makes base 20% easier to hit in combat.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 20
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Modified Maintenance Cost
Ability 2 Descr := Reduced wear and tear allow for a decrease in maintenance cost of 50%.
Ability 2 Val 1 := -50
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0
Ability 3 Type := Combat Movement
Ability 3 Descr := Generates 3 additional movement during combat.
Ability 3 Val 1 := 3
Ability 3 Val 2 := 0
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 2
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 2
Requirement Uses Engines := False
Requirement Max Engines := 0
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 0

I just copied the ability of the Afterburner III, changed it be ability 3 from 1 and upped the Number of Abilities to 3 from 2. Gotta remember that Last one or it won't work. I imagine it will be easy to create base and sat thruster by just copying the entire fighter afterburner and change the vehicle type it can be used on and rebalance it for use on either bases or sats.

[Jason2]

Thanks for the responses.

Anyone else have a comment about the subjugation/protectorate? It's a cool idea but doesn't seem to work.

J2

[Will]

For protectorate you have to be between 6 and 8 times bigger, and the AI has to be one of the non-"we will fight to the death" types. Subjugation is 8 to 10 times bigger. Surrender is 10+ times bigger. Which also happens to be the MEE point.

quote:

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Originally posted by Will:
Surrender is 10+ times bigger. Which also happens to be the MEE point.

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Ouch! Does that mean that even if I have not passed the score for MEE the smallest empires will consider me to be a MEE ? That would explain the Ukra Tal (number 20 of 20)at score 1/8 mine falling from Brotherly to Moderate over the Last dozen turns or so!