AI Modding Consortium - Please read

[Baron Munchausen]

Great idea! I've been toying with the idea of releasing my custom files as a mod, but that means I'd have to work on them to make them consistent and write a bunch of explanations. It would be much easier to send my ideas to the mod consortium, like 'We should add some boarding DEFENSE ability to boarding parties. Security stations aren't the only way to defend a ship. Boarding parties are MARINES, right? So they ought to defend as well as attack.'

Also, you ought to make coordinated parts of this "standard mod" so people can use parts that they like. What if I want the best planet selection/colony build queue for the AI, but want to keep my own components? Make sure that the parts that are not inherently dependent (designcreation and components for example cannot be seperated, or AI research and techareas) are not linked unecessarily so you can use them seperately.

[pathfinder]

Great idea guys. I only have one comment or question. That is, ability to add race set(s) without overiding others. and ease of doing it....some of us (ME!) aren't too swift at adding these things (took me 3 tries to get the EA MOD installed correctly and it actually in hindsite is very easy to add).

I would, as Londo commented, love to have say the EA fight the Romulans and a Star wars race in the same game.

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 12 January 2001).]

[Mac]

Great idea. It would be a Godsend for me. I've added peoples mods, done some of my own, added sets and races, tinkered with AI's and frankly, I've lost track of exactly where I am and what I've altered. A centralized uniform collection of these might help keep all these changes straight for those of us suffering from impaired organization.

[Jubala]

I'm in, but I can't promise to always have time. Don't know how much time my courses will take this semester. My tweaking of the AI has so far been centered around getting it to build more base space yards early and colonizers late in the games. Quite succesfully I might add. I have also tried to get it to build troops and use them but not with the same amount of succes. It builds them and loads them on ships and moves the ships around, but I have so far not seen it invade anyone.

[jpinard]

Excellent responses so far. I like the idea of no central boss as well, so that's one less thing to think about. Everyone please read the new thread here which has 2 e-mails from MM responding to this idea:
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/For...ML/000935.html

Second I'd like to extend the strength of this consortium for three different things:

1. As Daynarr and several others stated, there is a lot that can be done with just making edits to the races themselves. I feel we should leave all the default races alone(for those just starting the game), but create new Versioned races based on the originals with a slightly modifed name. Like Sergetti-1...
This way people won't be too worried about losing (overwriting) anything with a "total mod-patch" which will add (EASILY) lots of new, verified, complete races.

2. We now have the opportunity to help MM patch every AI concern we have. I'm sure they do not have the time to look at EVERYTHING, so we need to consolidate the most important problems and show what has been fixed on our own. This will maximize the amount that can be added to the next patch.

3. Anything not included in the patch, we can work from to add later as a Space Empires IV "added game type". Such as extened technology trees, added ship types, etc etc. People could choose and install that which piques their interest most. When it's posted by us, people will know they can play and install without risk... that it will be balanced and fun.

Lastly, don't worry if you're short on time. That's the reason for having a group of dedicated people. Everyone has a life outside of Space Empires, right??

[Tampa_Gamer]

jpinard-

Great job getting everyone's attention and a response out of MM! A lot of the requests seem to be for MM to add or change the way an existing file works in order for the fans to have greater flexibility in AI modification, which will hopefully result in a smarter AI. My question is, until the patch comes out in a couple of weeks, what do you plan for the consortium to concentrate on? I think until the patch comes out, modders will be hesitant to make any drastic changes. Perhaps we can put together a "Mod Consortium Pack #1" that will combine Mephisto's Mod, the EA, the Darlok, the Sergetti, the Esyk? and the universal fix to the Default_Design which fixes the ECM/Sensor bug which are all mods that DO NOT overwrite any data files (other than my additional formation for the Darlok which I will remove if people want me to) but provide additional AI challenges until the patch comes out. Sorry if I left any other mods out that do not modify the data files. Thoughts. . .

[Mephisto]

Tampa, that's a good idea.