Starfleet Battles Mod (SFB Mod)

Kana · #1 October 7th, 2004, 02:22 PM

The leaky shields may work for what I want but it doesn't seem quite what I want. If you are unfamiliar with SFB combat...here is a quick synopsis:

Each ship has shields. The shields have shield facings. Each representing an individual shield area that can be knocked down, and then shot through without hitting any shields. There are 6 facings (like a hex grid). So basically your number 1 shield facing (front) can be shot down to nothing, but the 5 other shields are still intact. So basically we say that a individual facing has 30 shield points. 6 of those will equal a total of 180 shield points. 30 points of damage reduces a single shield to zero. Leaving 150 shield points remaining, with one area vulnerable with no shields.

It seems that 'leaky shields' might work...but the degredation of the shields doesnt seem right...I'll have to look at it in simulation...but I hope this help explain what I'm looking for...

Kana

Fyron · #2 October 7th, 2004, 02:32 PM

Ok. Look at the combat statistically, not per shot. In an abstract manner, leaky shields are the only way to roughly simulate hitting different shield facings. With normal shields, it is all or nothing. All facings have to be knocked down before any damage can be done to the ship. With leaky shields, you do not quite get a shield facing system, but on the average, it works out to have similar affects on combat. SE4 ships do not have a facing, so the shields added from damage can represent one shot hitting a facing without shield points, then the next shot hitting the ship from a different angle, where there is energy in the shield layer. Certainly, shots from the same ship would probably hit the same facing each time in a round. Taken abstractly, it can represent shots from different ships hitting the same target from different angles, thus different facings. It is not perfect, but it is the closest you can get in SE4, and it does make combat far more interesting...

Kana · #3 October 8th, 2004, 12:45 PM

Unfortunately this doesn't work like 'leaky armor'. Which would be a much better emulation I would think. Then a given volley of fire might actually have a chance of getting stopped by no shields at all...but from what your saying that can't be done.

Thanks for the help IM...it has got me thinking...

Kana

Fyron · #4 October 8th, 2004, 04:23 PM

Well, every so many shots is not affected by shield points at all, depending on the values involved... It does function similarly to leaky armor statistically. Not necessarily on a per shot basis, but overall the effects are very similar. Leaky shields would definitely be a plus for any mod.

PvK · #5 October 9th, 2004, 09:44 PM

Mixing in some shield generation would help, too.

In SFB, all energy sources can be used to reinforce the shields to a significant (and immediate) degree until they are knocked out (rather unlike stock SE4), so you could give shield regeneration ability to all power source components (i.e. engines and auxiliary reactors).

PvK

Kana · #6 October 11th, 2004, 07:07 PM

Good idea...PvK...I was planning on having the APR, AWR, and Batteries as components...but their use has not been completely defined yet.

Next new question...

Shipsets and the ship type file...

You can name the ship classes what ever you want right? Can they be different for each race? Is there a maximum size or number of ships in the file? I was considering combining some ideas for early era star trek (Rom-Earth War), and then eventually based on tech advances the ships will start to look radically different...which means I would have to have all of those ships in the shipset, and defined in the ships type file, correct?

Kana

Fyron · #7 October 11th, 2004, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Kana said:
Shipsets and the ship type file...

You can name the ship classes what ever you want right? Can they be different for each race? Is there a maximum size or number of ships in the file? I was considering combining some ideas for early era star trek (Rom-Earth War), and then eventually based on tech advances the ships will start to look radically different...which means I would have to have all of those ships in the shipset, and defined in the ships type file, correct?

Kana

You can make a vehicle require a racial technology, restricting certain ship classes to specific races. You can have them named whatever you would like, and use whatever graphics you would like. The Star Trek Mod does exactly this. Keep in mind that every shipset in the mod will need a BattleCruiser image, as that is what is used when selecting your shipset in the empire creation screen. The races don't actually have to ever use that image in game, but it must be present.