Could anyone use a design analyzer?

[Ed Kolis]

Status report: Weapon mounts (at least the stock ones, haven't tested any with any optional fields in them ) are successfully being loaded from CompEnhancement.txt; next on the list will probably be loading the hull sizes and components - and after that, I can REALLY get started!

[Karibu]

Originally posted by Kana:
A ship library would be kinda neat....I'm sure most combinations of ships have been tried...but it would be interesting if someone designed someting you hadn't considered...

Kana

Actually, I don't think most (possible) combinations are tried, yet most sensible ones propably are tried. Most combinations are ineffective or just plain useless, ie. a ship loaded with only armor and necessary ship control and engines. Or ship with all defence troops or a ship with all Shield depleters and nothing more, etc.

Sure there are combinations I haven't thought at, but how to organize such library only to include effective and inventive models? And who would do it? Who would make the decision which model is inventive instead of stupid? Considering how many combinations you can make only make using 2 weapons and 5 different mounts, it is stunning one (also to take notice the firing order, ie. weapon order in the ship). There are also valid reasons not to use always the biggest available mount (cost ie. building time and damage/weapon tonnage)

[Suicide Junkie]

What would be good is to have a Human-readable format for importing/exporting ship designs
EG:

{name}
{size}
{m mountname}{component list} {x multiplier}

Ubernaught Attack Ship
Light Worldship
Bridge
Life Support {x 10}
Crew Quarters {x 10}
Plasma Projection Armor V {x 750}
Phased Shield Generator V {x 25}
{m Planetary Core Mount}Ripper Beam IV {x 5}

Something nice that you can move directly to and from message Boards and just toss into the program easily.

[Ed Kolis]

Good idea... I was going to do XML, but I could always make it even more human-readable

(but what if a Drushocka wanted to read the file? )

Problem is, for importing, you can have multiple mounts or components with the same name, even for the same hull type... so this would have to be an export format only, otherwise the program wouldn't know which one to use if there was a duplicate...

[Ed Kolis]

Now, if I just knew how to send mouse clicks to another application so I can write a superior ship design interface where you can use spin-buttons to select the # of a component (like in MOO2)... and then send all the mouse clicks to SE4 to create the design in-game without having to click on "Plasma Projection Armor" 750 times and breaking my mouse (not to mention my finger!)

Hmm, I'm sitting here at work with nothing to do, THAT sounds like something I could do a little research in the MSDN library on... it might even have an application to something work-related someday!

[Parasite]

Originally posted by Ed Kolis:
... and then send all the mouse clicks to SE4... it might even have an application to something work-related someday!

A friend uses a program called "Winrunner", by "Mercury interactive". It is not anywhere near cheap, but you could possibly write scripts to have Winrunner enter data (mouseclicks) into SEIV. It is a testing software, but can be used in a Datadriver mode for scripts.

This hint might lead to another better application for your use.


Also if you have a Stylesheet for your XML, it could very easily be readable to normal people.

[ May 25, 2004, 19:01: Message edited by: Parasite ]

[Suicide Junkie]

Originally posted by Ed Kolis:
Good idea... I was going to do XML, but I could always make it even more human-readable

(but what if a Drushocka wanted to read the file? )

Problem is, for importing, you can have multiple mounts or components with the same name, even for the same hull type... so this would have to be an export format only, otherwise the program wouldn't know which one to use if there was a duplicate...

If they're the exact same name for the same size hull, its probably a very silly mod.
Just use the first matching mount...

As for druk, we don't want them learning our secrets anyways...

[ May 25, 2004, 19:17: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]