Ok. First off, thanx to mumbles I know that I left a minor file out of the Last .zip file. Here is the corrected file:
AoWv0_81.zip
2nd: Pax, if you're still interested in working on this with me, I'm leaning towards the Hybrid model of the mQNP. 9 levels of ship construction is easily divided into 3 levels of Engine sizes. Oh and I can't find your e-mail addy anywhere, so if you could send me a quick email, I'd appreciate it.
3rd: If you read the Alpha tester thread, you may have noticed that I mentioned a departure from the standard SY model. This is what I was thinking of:
---3 levels of SYfacilities, with very low build/repair rates, researchable thru the SY tech field.
---9 levels of base mountable SYcomponents, small and with low build rates. Components increase in size as tech levels advance (but the build rate/kt ratio improves with tech increases). They are researched thru the Ship Construction tech field. They have minor repair abilities. Base SYcomponents are
NOT limited to one per ship. So their buildrates are stackable. (If I understand the game mechanics correctly)
---3 levels of ship mountable SYcompontents, larger than and with faster build rates than Base mountable Versions. However, they are intended to be considerably less effiecient than a dedicated Base SY. The build rate/kt ratio improves with tech increases; or alternately, increased tech levels may just reduce the maintenance penalty (see below). They're limited to one per ship. They might also include a minor repair ability. They are researched thru the SY tech field. I haven't yet decided whether they will be more or less efficient than Planetary SYs.
---Each SY tech level (or possibly Base Construction instead of SY tech) also yields mounts that reduce the size of Base SY components slightly.
---I'm also considering adding a maintenance penalty to the components to make them cheap to build, but expensive to maintain and run. I have yet to decide whether to make the penalty decrease with tech level, remain steady, or tie it to the buildrate/kt ratio.
The general idea is that Planetary SYs would be just about useless. You need them (or a ship based SY) to build your first orbital Base SY, but after that, you'd probably be better off scrapping it to open up the facility slot. Most ship construction would occur at Base SYs. Mobile SYs give up a lot of efficiency in exchange for that mobility, and would probably have steaper maintenance penalties than the stationary variety (
after compensating for the base hull mainteance bonus).
I'm hoping to keep it down to about 5 SY components per base in order to avoid absurdly high repair rates. Thus the gradual size increases, to somewhat keep up with the implementation of larger base sizes.
Of coarse, this whole concept hinges on the assumptions that SY build rates stack and that I can remove the one per ship tag on the SY components. Assumptions I haven't tested yet.
OK, are there any questions/comments/observations?
[ January 20, 2003, 12:49: Message edited by: dumbluck ]