SEV Beta History starting V1.0

[Aiken]

22. Added - Cheat code "runturns X" which will run X turns with all players as computer players.

Rulez!
/me types runturns 65535 and anticipates the Skynet.

[Solymr]

President_Elect_Shang said:
Latest info:

5. Fixed - In DamageTypes.txt, Damage Percent for armor and shields can now be zero or negative and it will not skip that section entirely when applying damage.

Just wondering what exactly that means, if you set it to zero or below, it'll still damage the armor or shield sections? If that's the case, why set it to zero or below at all?

[Suicide Junkie]

Previously, a damage percent of zero would mean that the armor is skipped.
If you want to skip armor, that is what penetration percent = 100 is for.
Damage percent zero should mean zero damage taken. (And now it does)

As far as hardcode changes, this implies only a removal of the special case checks, and lets the mathematics be free.



Practical example:

Start with the incident damage points from a weapon.

Split it into Penetrating and Absorbing portions...
Penetration = Damage * penetration percent
Absorbed = Damage - Penetration

EG:
Given a 50 damage weapon.
100% penetration = 0 points to the armor, 50 points skip to the hull.
50% penetration = 25 points to the armor, 25 points to the hull
0% penetration = 50 points to the armor, 0 points to the hull.
Logically then,
200% penetration = -50 points to the armor, 100 points to the hull
-100% penetration = 50 points to the armor, -50 points to the hull

Then, apply the damage percent:
Eg:
HP = HP - Absorbed * damage percent
If HP<0 then penetration = penetration -(HP / damage percent)
// If armor is destroyed, overkill damage becomes penetrating damage

50 damage points absorbed by armor means...
200% damage = 100 HP lost.
100% damage = 50 HP lost.
50% damage = 25 HP lost.
0% damage = 0 HP lost.
-100% damage = 50 HP regained.

Finding a use for the options is up to you.


For example, "antimatter armor"
-------------
Against "physical" damage type, it has a penetration percent of 200, and a damage percent of -100
Thus 50 damage worth of DUC projectile means 100 damage to the hull, and 50 damage to the armor. (Atomic KABOOM!)

Against an Antiproton Beam, doing "antimatter" damage type, it could have a penetration percent of zero and a damage percent of zero. Making the ship immune to APBs until the armor is destroyed by other weapons.

Also consider a Fantasy mod.
Fire damage vs Fire armor could have a penetration percent of 5, and a damage percent of -100.

Thus a 20 points fire spell would deal 1 damage to the target, and boost the hitpoints of the target's armor by 19 points.

[Atrocities]

All of these files and scripts are way over my head... I am either to old or to stupid to try and figure them all out.

[Ironmanbc]

Gee do I feel like a 486 right now, I'm still learning how to script SE4 and to all the modders out there I wish you the best of luck to making a mod that works (the A.I. can use all the new stuff that you put in) this is going to be the year of learning and I just wanted to say thanks to all of you.

[se5a]

It's not that hard if you sit down and read it step by step...
if youve looked at aarons forumlas... well, just don't go there, they are not easy to follow. there are far simpiler ways to write them (the weapon damage at range formuas)

Have you tested these now SJ? does negitive damage *fix* broken components/armor and/or add more hitpoints to them? or does it get ignored alltogether?

[President_Elect_Shang]

I thought I would go nuts when I first sat down to look over modding SE5. After a while you just sort of start to see the patterns. Once you see it you can shape it into what you want. I am still stretching to shape new things. That has always been my problem/challenge though. Once I learn I can start to recombine and create fusions but I can't seem to create novel new ideas. Anyway I'm drifting, modding isn't so hard once you invest some time. I think what will keep our numbers low in the first year or so will be (a) the lack of info for learning and (b) the shock you get when first look under the hood.

Now about those negative values. You can't give a component more HP than it had to start with so I am assuming additional are lost. How about trying to mod a component that will absorb those points rather than lose them. A form of capacitor maybe? One type for armor slots and one for internal slots would make for an all new strategy. A new line of weapons to knock the capacitors out by giving them an AI Tag then have the weapon target only that. Make the capacitors large and costly... What ability would you need to absorb the surplus HP? I have maybe one idea but would need to look it up.

On the fantasy example you gave SJ. I understand you were giving an example but when I read it I couldn't help think of Avatar and wonder what a mod based on it would be like.

[Ed Kolis]

Heh, healing beams are the first thing I thought of with that negative damage percent... too bad you can't fire on and heal your own ships

Goblin 0001 fires Fire Arrow at Berzerker 0001! (10 damage)
Goblin 0002 fires Fire Arrow at Berzerker 0001! (10 damage)
Goblin 0003 fires Fire Arrow at Berzerker 0001! (10 damage)
CLERIC!!!
Cleric 0001 fires Healing Beam III at Berzerker 0001! (-30 damage)

[Ironmanbc]

How about this...

A repair ship the fix's ships IN combat (add armour points per sec like 5.00 per sec or 1 comp every 10.00 per sec)

we could ask Aaron about that

[Kana]

Ed Kolis said:
Heh, healing beams are the first thing I thought of with that negative damage percent... too bad you can't fire on and heal your own ships

Can be fired on and destroyed by Owner is an option for units...does this apply to ships as well?