Noobie Question(s)

[Fyron]

Some components have too many vehicle sizes to be placed on, but it really isn't that big of a deal.

Is the planet research bonus really planet-based, or is it sector-based?

It is planet based.

How does the plain research point generation work if it's attached to something that the player can't directly control/own?

It doesn't work in that situation.

Does the system research bonus stack if there's more than one?

No. Only the highest one is applied. Others are ignored.

Is there any way to script events?

Unfortunately, no, there is not.

One of the other ideas that I'm fairly certain will work is assigning higher construction costs to a ship and then adding "Reduced Maintenance" bonuses to the components, so that a damaged ship will cost more to maintain, but I'm not sure if that stacks either...

Maint Redux ability on a comp does not stack with multiple comps from the same family. I think it will stack if you add components with the ability that are in different families (like ECM, Combat Sensors, etc. do).

[ January 23, 2003, 03:23: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Alari]

Yeah, the only way I saw to do what I wanted was to assign the abilities to a facility and then somehow convincing the player to build it. Even then, I couldn't knock techs down at all, but I could probably blow up the planet real good.

What I originally had in mind was a series of techs that would unlock the next level up, but in being researched they would damage the society trying to harness the newfound power.. This isn't something I was thinking of springing on the unsuspecting, either, these would be late-game techs with definite warning signs that the player was dabbling into the realms of the Dangerous and Pointy. Or something.

Thanks for the advice, I'll have to play with things and see how it goes.. I've played enough stock games to understand the basics and dabbled with a few mods (luv the quadrant mod BTW ^.^) I know I want to make my own now, just gotta figure out how. =)

[dbt1949]

When you design your own race and you use something like 3000 racial points and then start a regular game,do the random AI's race add extra points over the normal 2000?

[Suicide Junkie]

Is there any way to script events?

Unfortunately, no, there is not.

You can "script" a single event, such as in one of my scenarios, where you command a "neutral" empire that is forced to flee its only system into the dangerous galaxy full of large AIs because your star is about to go nova.

What you would do is temporarily fiddle the events.txt so that the event you want, with an appropriate delay, is almost guaranteed to happen each turn.
Keep reloading the savegame and ending turn until it gets triggered on the appropriate object/system.

Alternatively, you could have an uber-tech race own a maintenance free, ubercloaked ship having 1MP, and give it orders to move and then do something. Blow up a star or planet, close a warppoint, open a warppoint, whatever.
Leave the uberrace with no planets or uncloaked ships, and none of the players will know they exist.
Set the Uberrace to use the "no-ai" ministers, so nothing happens to your scripted orders.

The only thing you need to worry about is mines, and sundestroyers, and possibly random events.
Give the uberships a massive sweeping capacity, and set the scenario in a time before sun destroyers are available.

When you design your own race and you use something like 3000 racial points and then start a regular game,do the random AI's race add extra points over the normal 2000?

All AIs have custom settings for each possible number of racial points.
Look in AI_General.txt to see the three sets of race setup choices.

[ February 03, 2003, 04:08: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Instar]

wow SJ that is one smart way to overcome scripting shortfalls... I doubt Id have thought that up