Space Monsters!!!

[Phoenix-D]

Well, the squids don't use the normal tech tree, right?

You could make their ground defense facility *also* provide massive amounts of intel points, but make it so they only research that- and that tech gives them the best Counter Intel level ONLY. So they can't attack with intel- no projects to do it with.

EDIT: here's any example.

quote:

---

Name := Squid CI
Description := Defensive preparations within an empire to prevent enemy intelligence operations. Counter-Intelligence will prevent attacks while it is in progress.
Group := Defense
Cost := 500000
Type := Intelligence Defense
Effect Amount := 3
Num Source Messages := 1
Source Message 1 := Our counter-intelligence operations have prevented intelligence attacks by the [%TargetEmpireName].
Num Target Messages := 1
Target Message Title 1 := Intelligence Project Defeated
Target Message 1 := One of our intelligence projects against the [%SourceEmpireName] was defeated by counter-intelligence defenses.
Source Picture := IntelSabotageByUs
Target Picture := IntelSabotageByUs
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Squid Protection
Tech Level Req 1 := 1

---

Then just make it so "squid protection" also only gives the ground defense/intel facility, and makes sure they can't/won't get applied intel.

Phoenix-D

[This message has been edited by Phoenix-D (edited 10 July 2001).]

[Taqwus]

Nifty idea... could be turned into a racial trait for intelligence near-immunity, even (could it be overwhelmed with lots of ops? Hrm.). In this particular case, I'd suggest using a sillier message, 'tho.

"Squid. Squid. Squid. Your spy. Which one doesn't belong?"

Or something to that effect.

------------------
-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[Trachmyr]

Good idea phoenix, right now one of their facilities uses the "Reduces Bad Intel" at -100%, but I'll but in the CI only intel production as add'l security.

BTW, there is no way for them not to use planets... ALL races start with a planet and no ship.

Well, the facilities are not so powerful now for humans... so I'm not too worried about intel. I'm still concerned with psychic's ability to subvert the squids.

Does anyone know if a ship is vunerable to computer viruses and allegance subverters if it has a bridge/lifesupport/crew AND a master computer?

[Trachmyr]

I didn't that there was a "change ground defence" ability, but I see it in abilities.txt. That's great, does anyone know if it actually works though? And what the maxinum value it can use.

As a side note, I discoverd that If I changed ground combat in culture.txt, any percent greater than the max allowed by settings.txt (in this case 150) is ignored, same with all the culture values... I wanted to make them produce NO minerals/radioactives, so I set production value to -50%, Minning/refining to 50% and farming to 150%... but no dice, they still had a min. value of 50%. Similar problem with maintainence... I wanted to change culture.txt so the space monsters have 25% maintaince bounus, and change all their ships to have a modified maintence cost of 900%.... thus if they were subverted by psychic races, they would cost 10x to maintain! But the creatures value is a min of 5% (as per settings.txt), so they wound up paying 10x5%=Twice normal! I can put this idea back in BUT I would have to alter settings.txt to allow a max maintance reduction of 25% (no maintaince)...

Still considering it, what do you guys think? Should I alter settings.txt to protect monsters from being abused by psychic races BUT allow players to abuse it by setting maintance reduction to 25% OR should I leave it alone? Give me you opinions please!

Oh, SJ... I kinda feel dumb now, your way would work alot faster!

[Suicide Junkie]

The way I usually generate .EMP files is:

1) Start a random game, max AIs, no Neutrals.
2) On turn one, set all AIs to human control.
3) As each AI takes its turn, "Save Empire"

If the AIs were patched by my patcher, that is the end of it. If not, then:

4) Start a new game, "Add Existing Empire", then edit and add the required normal/civilized/etc. traits.
5) Save Empire again.

It goes pretty fast that way.

------------------
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[Trachmyr]

Well the ground combat ability dosen't seem to be working (atleast in the simulator), gonna have to rely on lots of powerful troops.

[ZeroAdunn]

Couldn't you make a custom shipsize that requires no bridge or life support or AI? would it still be capturable?

[capnq]

Rather than using ZeroAdunn's suggested custom shipsize, what if you gave the squids a "Squid Brain" component that functions like a Master Computer? The MC bug with the psychic races is supposedly fixed. I've never encountered a computer virus in the game, so I don't know whether it would affect this squid brain.

------------------
Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

[Puke]

quote:

---

Originally posted by capnq:
Rather than using ZeroAdunn's suggested custom shipsize, what if you gave the squids a "Squid Brain" component that functions like a Master Computer? The MC bug with the psychic races is supposedly fixed. I've never encountered a computer virus in the game, so I don't know whether it would affect this squid brain.

---

why not just give it all the abilities for bridge/crew/lifesupport? i think it would be cool if a race could psychially enslave a space monster. sort of like Dune, but not really. if the tech is on racial traits, you cant analyze it for anything.

if you want it to be immune to psychics and to computer viri, make the brain equal to a few dozen crew quarters. psychic take overs are based on the crew capacity of the ship. you could also build in a self destruct function. sure, if the brain goes then it could be captured (psychic or boarding party). what does that get you? a squid corpse in space? you cant repair any of the components, so it does not do any good aside from a trophy.



------------------
"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

[Suicide Junkie]

Adding multiple lifesupport or crew quarters abilities gives you no effect. The max is one per component.

If you make the brain an MC with more hitpoints that the most powerful Virus wepaon, it won't be damaged by those weapons.

Psychic allegiance subverters have a success rate equal to the damage rating, in percent.

IE 60 damage = 60% chance of takeover, but only if the shot hit the ship.

Crew Quarters have no effect on the A.S. They do, however, have a built-in 16 points of defence against boarding parties.


------------------
The latest info onPirates & Nomads (forum thread).
-<Download V2.0>-
-<Download V1.6>-
-<Download compatible EMPs for P&N v1.6>-
-<SJs latest AI Patcher>-
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