Proportions Mod: Multiplayer anyone? - Page 6

PvK · #51 March 17th, 2002, 10:27 AM

PTF, SE4 Gold has a neat feature that allows modders to specify two pictures per ship class: a preferred and a second choice. If the preferred isn't found, the second choice will be used, and the second choice is one found in the default set, and looks fine IMO. As of Proportions 1.5, all new ship classes first look for a picture with a name as defined in the SE4 Image Neo-Standard. See http://www.sandman43.fsnet.co.uk/neostand.htm for lists of ship sets that include the extra ships.

As for when the AI takes over, Fyron has the best answer, which is turn turn all (or almost all) of the ministers off in your empire settings, so your existing orders will be followed, and the AI won't go rampaging around like the nut it generally is. If you had to pick an AI file to use, though, I would use the Proportions Amon'krie one, as it is the most tailored to the mod. This would mean you would need to make a shipset with the AI files you want in it, and upload it to PBW so the server can use those files. I'm not 100% sure PBW will even do that courtesy, though - it might not bother to load custom AI files from a player's ship set - I dunno.

PvK

PsychoTechFreak · #52 March 17th, 2002, 04:49 PM

Thanks. The Neostandard is not yet downloadable, but I think the defaults are sufficient.

But I would like to suggest to wait a few days more before we start, because your changes in ver 1.5 make up a completely different game as in 1.42, I would like to become familiar with the changes. At the moment I have got even problems to setup a good race. And I guess there are still some wrinkles to plain, or at least some features would be good to know. For example, you changed the solar sails to an engine-like behaviour without using supplies, but have you noticed that you need at least one little supply niche to have some supplies available ? Otherwise, if you setup a ship just with solar sails, your ship will just get one turn (per month).

EDIT: All right, OTOH I think it would be interesting to learn things by doing and I guess this PBW proportions game would not be the Last one !

[ 17 March 2002: Message edited by: PsychoTechFreak ]

PvK · #53 March 17th, 2002, 11:19 PM

It will be another day or two before we will start, at least.

Do notice that if you are planning to design a race with maintenance reduction, that the scale now works differently. It's now actually what it says it is, proportional rather than additive. That is, in unmodded SE4 or Proportions 1.4.2 or less, 25% is the base, and buying 10% maintenance reduction will give you a 15% maintenance cost compared to ship cost. In Proportions 1.5, 26% is the base, and buying 10% maintenance reduction will cost far less and have less effect, giving you 26% x 90/100 = 23.4% maintenace costs. (It can be raised to higher levels. 50% will give you 13% base costs etc.)

The SE4 Image Neo-Standard isn't a ship set you would download - it's a standard for other mods and shipsets to use, so that they are compatible. It says what file names to use for what sorts of new ship types. So, if you use a ship set made for this standard, its special images like Scout, Infantry, Heavy Base Ship, etc., will get used in Proportions 1.5. See http://www.sandman43.fsnet.co.uk/neostandlist.htm for a partial list of ship sets that have these.

True about solar sails - though they work better than trying to make a sail-only ship in unmodded. Just put something with supplies on your sail ship and it'll fly. I'll adjust this for 1.6.

PvK

PsychoTechFreak · #54 March 17th, 2002, 11:55 PM

I like the sailing through the complete quadrant idea, and a 5kT supply niche is acceptable for that

Maintenance: How do the cultural modifiers kick in ? If I would take merchants (5%), will this reduce the absolute maintenance ? I have tried to check it out, but it seems to me that it is just added to the characteristic value (if this one is at 150, you get 155, but not sure about it). And we still have got the 5% minimum Maintenance, hardcoded, right ?

I still don't get the Neo-standard stuff, poor brain is completely in a mist, sorry this is a day of 18 hours testing Proportions mod... You stated:

"So, if you use a ship set made for this standard, its special images like Scout, Infantry, Heavy Base Ship, etc., will get used in Proportions 1.5"

Confusion completed: What ship sets can I use for proportions 1.5 ? In the readme files to the published shipsets, I cannot remember any terms like "this shipset is Neo-standard compatible".

Edit: Don't mind about my Last question(s), I will do my homework and read the SJ Thread about the image request idea, again.

[ 17 March 2002: Message edited by: PsychoTechFreak ]

Phoenix-D · #55 March 18th, 2002, 12:02 AM

"Do notice that if you are planning to design a race with maintenance reduction, that the scale now works differently. It's now actually what it says it is, proportional rather than additive."

How'd you do that?

Phoenix-D

PvK · #56 March 18th, 2002, 12:13 AM

The cultural maintenance mods are added to the characteristic setting. You can buy up to 90%, and merchants would make that 95%. No way around the hard-coded 5% minimum, and actually you need to use a culture to get higher than 90%. I guess I should raise the limit on the setting to +95%.

Any ship set that works with standard will work with Proportions. Shipsets that conform to the neo-standard (there are several) will also get you distinct pictures for the new ship classes. E.g., an empire using the Vandron ship set will have distinct pictures for their scouts and escorts, while a standard Toltayan empire will have escorts and scouts that use the same graphic.

PvK

PsychoTechFreak · #57 March 18th, 2002, 07:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by PvK:
The cultural maintenance mods are added to the characteristic setting. You can buy up to 90%, and merchants would make that 95%. No way around the hard-coded 5% minimum, and actually you need to use a culture to get higher than 90%. I guess I should raise the limit on the setting to +95%.

PvK

Wait a minute... In this case, the cultural modifiers should be tweaked, regarding the new maintenance model. My favorite one, e.g. is Engineers, just because of the 2% maintenance reduction, but they are pretty much worthless now, should be 7 or 8 in this case, merchants now 20...

PvK · #58 March 18th, 2002, 08:18 AM

Ok... ok...

Let's see... 2 of 25 is 8%, so ya. I'll adjust those.

PvK

dogscoff · #59 March 18th, 2002, 11:57 AM

I will be using my viking shipset. (It's on the gold CD, within the TDM modpack zip.)

I may soon have an updated Version with more images than there are on the CD. I really ought to update my website. I should do the neo-standard page while I'm there as well, since it's badly out of date and seems to be causing confusion. Just to clear up a few points:

1- The neo-standard isn't something you can download, despite the "download" page on the site. Like I say, it's out of date=-(

2- The neo-standard isn't necessary for proportions or any other mod. All mods and shipsets will work just fine without it.The neo-standard should not be a source of worry (unless you happen to be responsible for the website=-) Just think of the neostandard as a "bonus" which is unlocked if you use certain mods and certain shipsets together.

3- The neostandard has nothing to do with S_J's imagemod, although the philosophy behind them is similar.

Gorgo · #60 March 18th, 2002, 01:25 PM

I'm using the Terrans. Seems as if no Gold mods are supported yet by PBW, so we'll have to wait until that will have been set up.

Not too bad for me, as I'm on holidy from Thursday till April 30th, and I'm begging you all to wait for me, as it's really a big deal for me to play in this game!

Gorgo