Component.txt Knowledge Base

[President_Elect_Shang]

Generational components do not work at all! I set this up:

Number Of Requirements := 1
Requirements Evaluation Availability := AND
Requirements Evaluation Allows Placement := TRUE
Requirements Evaluation Allows Usage := TRUE
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have achieved C&C Tech level 1.
Requirement 1 Formula := (Get_Empire_Tech_Level("C&C") <= 1)

So if C&C is above tech level 1 this component should not appear in the component list. It is listed. I can’t speak for any other mods but if this doesn’t get fixed my hopes of finally creating this mod are done. I am feeling very depressed about all of this right about now!

Edited in: The components will phase out as they are supposed to; however, the only way I managed to get them to work correctly was to save the game then reload it. In other words by forcing SE5 to read the Components.txt file again. That explains why all of this stuff was working for me before. During my testing I would save, quite, modify, then load the save game over and over.

[Phoenix-D]

That's interesting. If you use the ALLTECH cheat, they do disappear..

EDIT: yep, confirmed. There's a couple of things that don't update until a save is reloaded. Technology that's obsolete does disappear. Pester MM about it.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Phoenix-D: First of all full credit goes to David who made the avatar at my request. I just didn’t tell him what it was for! Anyway I added the rank, four stars for a General. So why bother you ask? I noticed that you didn’t have an Avatar and I wanted to say thanks for the help you have given me. My mod wouldn’t be this far along if it wasn’t for your help.

So thanks,
Ed

[Devnullicus]

I'm trying to create a new component that is destroyed after one use, but I can't seem to get it to work correctly. It doesn't seem to get destroyed after one use. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Name := External Mount Missile
Description := Externally mounted one-shot heavy duty missile with nuclear warhead.
Picture Number := 87
Maximum Level := 11
Tonnage Space Taken Formula := 10
Tonnage Structure Formula := 10
Cost Minerals Formula := 20 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Cost Organics Formula := 0
Cost Radioactives Formula := 30 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Supply Amount Used Formula := 10
Ordnance Amount Used Formula := 5
Can Be Placed On Vehicle Typ := Ship, Base, Satellite, Drone
Can Be Placed In Ship Sections := Outer Hull
Component Type List := Technological
General Group := Weapons
Custom Group := 0
Number Of Requirements := 1
Requirements Evaluation Availability := AND
Requirements Evaluation Allows Placement := TRUE
Requirements Evaluation Allows Usage := TRUE
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 1 in Missile Weapons.
Requirement 1 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Missile Weapons") >= (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))
Number Of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Ordnance Storage
Ability 1 Description := External Mount Missiles store [%Amount1%] units of ordnance.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 5
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 0
Ability 2 Type := Component - Destroyed On Use
Ability 2 Description := External Mount Missiles are destroyed on use.
Ability 2 Scope := Space Object
Ability 2 Range Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 1 Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 2 Formula := 0
Ability 3 Type := Description Only
Ability 3 Description := External Mount Missiles travel at [%Amount1%] km/s and have [%Amount2%] points of damage resistance.
Ability 3 Scope := Space Object
Ability 3 Range Formula := 0
Ability 3 Amount 1 Formula := 40
Ability 3 Amount 2 Formula := 10 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 1)
Weapon Type := Seeking
Weapon Delivery Type := Missile
Weapon Target Type List := Ship, Base, Planet
Weapon Damage Type Formula := "Normal"
Weapon Space At Range Distance Increment := 10.0
Weapon Space Min Damage At Range := 0.0
Weapon Space Max Damage At Range := 0.0
Weapon Space To Hit Modifier At Range := 0.0
Weapon Space Min Damage Modifier Formula := (100 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)) - iif([%Range%] > Min(200, (([%Level%] - 1) * 10) + 150), 10000, 0)
Weapon Space Max Damage Modifier Formula := (100 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)) - iif([%Range%] > Min(200, (([%Level%] - 1) * 10) + 150), 10000, 0)
Weapon Space To Hit Modifier Formula := 0
Weapon Reload Rate MS Formula := 5000
Weapon Display Type := Directed Torpedo
Weapon Space Display Effect Name := Missile 9
Weapon Ground Display Effect Name := Missile 9
Weapon Explosion Effect Name := [Random Specific Type] Weapon Explosion
Weapon Sound Effect Name := Capital Ship Missile
Weapon Seeker Speed Formula := 0.04
Weapon Seeker Turn Rate := 0.01
Weapon Seeker Tonnage Structure Formula := 10 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 1)
Weapon Seeker Defense Modifier Formula := 50

Moderator Mode:
Post edited to fit into window (stop side scrolling). No content removed. PE Shang

[President_Elect_Shang]

The problem is that weapons fire automatically, meaning you may target them but they fire by themselves. The ability “Component - Destroyed On Use” is a player used ability. It’s like apples and oranges (automatic and player activated) unless you can talk Aaron into re-writing the code this component won’t work the way you want it to. For my Mod I have an XO weapon too; are you copying me? Anyway there are two ways to work around your problem.

1. Set the “Weapon Reload Rate MS Formula to a very high number so the weapon will only fire once every combat action. I did this for a type of satellite that was intended to be a one shot deal. Since I couldn’t blow the thing up (like you are trying to do here) I just set the reload time to something absurdly huge.

2. Split your weapon into components (what I did for my XO weapons). First make an XO Rack that launches only “XO Weapons”. Then make a new vehicle called an “XO Weapon. Give the vehicle a limited number of slots and then break the type of missiles you want into components as warheads or weapons. Just remember that your drone/XO Weapon will try to ram regardless of what you put inside. The work around to that is to set the tonnage low (what I did) so when it hits it won’t do much in the way of extra damage. Or there may be a way to create a new strategy for your XO Weapon to use that keeps it from ramming. I haven’t tried this out so that may be a long shot.

[Devnullicus]

Damn. ok, thanks for the advice.

By the way, External Mount Missiles were in devnullmod for SEIV, so, no I'm not copying you. Are you copying me?

[Kana]

I still think the 'drone' usage for missiles/seekers is a bad idea for the fact that they dont launch like seeker components like CSM, based on range and target, they will launch more like fighters. This isnt as bad probably for tactical combat, but for simultaneous combat it just doesnt work, so I would defintely go with PES's option 1 over option 2.

Now if we could launch 'drone/unit' objects based on range and target, that would be ideal, then we could make a launcher, seeker platforms, and warhead/components. Anyone in good with Aaron? Or do you think its just too late to program in such a thing?

[Onomatopoeia]

I'm not exactly sure where this question should go, but it is about the component.txt file so I suppose this is the best place.
I was told once that SEV still supports the old SE4 weapon damage system (i.e. not formulas but instead 30,30,25,25,20,20 etc).
But I still cannot find a clear answer on exactly how to do it. I think Iremember you have to use the "Weapon Space Min/Max Damage At Range" fields, but no matter how I input the figures it never seems to work, I've tried spaces in between the numbers, tabs, commas, it just won't work.
Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I thought Imperator Fyron at one time describe a method that was a sort of back door which allowed you to do just that. Unfortunately I don’t recall how he said to do it. I have sent him a PM asking so he (or me if he sends the message to me and not here) should be getting back to you very soon. This was the right place for this question by the way. If nothing else it can be done in a formula but I suspect you already know this.

[Fyron]

Technically, it was SJ.

Take a look at a snippet from the DUC:

Weapon Space At Range Distance Increment := 10.0
Weapon Space Min Damage At Range := 0.0
Weapon Space Max Damage At Range := 0.0
...
Weapon Space Min Damage Modifier Formula := blah formula we don't care about
Weapon Space Max Damage Modifier Formula := blah formula 2

The Damage At Range lines are exactly like SE4, except you can use decimals. They are a space-delimited listing of damage values. The range increment is moddable, as you can see from the first line. IIRC, the first value is used at ranges up to the distance increment, the second value is used at ranges up to 2x the distance increment, and so on.

Damage done at any range is the sum of the appropriate value from the Damage At Range list and the result of the Damage Modifier Formula (the damage is random between the Min and Max values).

Let's take an example:

Weapon Space At Range Distance Increment := 20.0
Weapon Space Min Damage At Range := 50.0 40.0 30.0
Weapon Space Max Damage At Range := 50.0 40.0 30.0
...
Weapon Space Min Damage Modifier Formula := iif([%Range%] < 60, (5 * ([%Level%] - 1)), 0)
Weapon Space Max Damage Modifier Formula := iif([%Range%] < 60, (5 * ([%Level%] - 1)), 0)

This is a range 60 weapon that increases damage by 5 per level. A short chart of resultant damage at range values (taken at increments of 10 to look like SE4 damages):

L1: 50 50 40 40 30 30
L2: 55 55 45 45 35 35
L3: 60 60 50 50 40 40
L4: 65 65 55 55 45 45
L5: 70 70 60 60 50 50
...