Possible "event triggers" in Scenario Creation

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by capnq:
I've yet to find a use for the Patrol order in SE IV, but if it works the same as every other game I've seen it in, the ship will just shuttle back and forth between its current position and a target destination. I don't know if supplies will have any effect on a Patrol order.

You can use the Repeat Orders command for a similar effect, as well.

Except the repeat order doesen't clear when an enemy ship appears. IIRC the Patrol order does, like Sentry.

As far as applying this to scenario creation, that definetly bears some experimenting. I will test it when I get a chance. However, I don't wnat to get your hopes up. It may not work as expected becuase in the past when I have tried giving AI ships orders at the begining of a scenario, the AI tends to change those orders once they take over running things. It's not quite the same as using sentry or patrol for your own ships during a game beacuse you aren't going in and changing that order the next turn like the AI is perfectly capable of doing.

Geoschmo

[Taera]

geoschmo:

Except the repeat order doesen't clear when an enemy ship appears. IIRC the Patrol order does, like Sentry.

What do you mean?
I was talking about mining ships, the repeat order does not remove itself when put in repeat orders.
THe point is that the mining ship will mine, when it'll be short on resources it will move to the ressuply, go back and mine again without you even bothering to take a look at it, and it wont appear in the next ship list.

As for scenarios, yes the AI does control the ships, but it adds orders only after the current orders are executed. As far as i know, the AI does not use the "cancel orders" command, meaning you can control what will the given ship do to a period of time (orders like sentry -> go to system -> destroy sun shouldnt be to much complex)

hey, can i give an order to "destroy sun" or is it aviable only from stellar manipulations dialog? Never used it.

[capnq]

I could have worded that more clearly. What I meant was that you can use Repeat Orders to set up a Patrol. "patrol from A to B and back" = "move to B; move to A; repeat orders"

I don't know whether Patrol clears the same way that Sentry does.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Taera:
What do you mean?
I was talking about mining ships, the repeat order does not remove itself when put in repeat orders.
The point is that the mining ship will mine, when it'll be short on resources it will move to the ressuply, go back and mine again without you even bothering to take a look at it, and it wont appear in the next ship list.

As for scenarios, yes the AI does control the ships, but it adds orders only after the current orders are executed. As far as i know, the AI does not use the "cancel orders" command, meaning you can control what will the given ship do to a period of time (orders like sentry -> go to system -> destroy sun shouldnt be to much complex)

hey, can i give an order to "destroy sun" or is it aviable only from stellar manipulations dialog? Never used it.

Taera, I was responding to Capn there, not saying anyting about yout mining ship orders. You wouldn't really want mining ship orders to clear just because an anamy approached, unless you think they might attack it.

As far as giving an order to destroy a sun. I *think* if you are sitting on the sun, you could chain some orders like move to 3 systems away, move back to here, destroy sun, and it should work. Assuming your star blower had sufficent supply you might even be able to time your suns destruction that way. Would be worth investigating.

I am pretty sure I have seen the AI clear orders before. Although I haven't tested for that specifically. It just seems like I was trying something else and that happened a few times. I'll have to run some tests.

Geoschmo

[ May 24, 2002, 15:51: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[dmm]

This is a promising line of thinking. I hope it works. Would be even better if MM could also include that hoped-for "wait N turns" order.

[Taera]

I surely hope but doubtfully.
STILL

YOU can create the function using the very same sentry command. Have a ship sitting with sentry order. Have another ship of another empire heading to the system, count the requied turns and send it to the system the way it would reach in exactly when you need it. THen have it enter a minefield which you also should plant in the same system. This way the target ship(s) will be triggered in time and the triggering empire will be erased.

[geoschmo]

Oooo. I just had an idea, assuming this all works. Anybody see the episode of Star Trek with the doomsday machine? Have a really tough ship that moves slow, maybe 2 or 3 squares per turn. And has a QR so it doesn't run out of supply. Put it out on the edge of the quadrant and give it orders to head for the home planet, going over all teh colonies along the way. Set it up so it takes like ten years to get to the home planet and the player has to find a way to stop it before then.

Geoschmo