SFTC Lite

[Slick]

I don't think there is a way to pick a low level component unless it is already in a design, hence the dummy designs.

The right answer here is a change to the design screen to allow picking not-the-latest components.

edit: you are also severely limited on what you can do while you are "holding" a component.

[Phoenix-D]

SJ: you can, and that makes the concept workable. Thanks.

Slick: True, but I can't do anything about that.. Thus, emailed MM about it, then set to finding workarounds.

Kind of like how Pirates and Nomads really needed point generation from components, but SJ found a workaround that did what was needed until those abilities were added.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Ahh, that's a cool concept and neat way to approach the problem. It also avoids the problem the SFTC has. Which is every version of every component is listed. Saving the design then clicking to copy and change the layout is much closer to what I have in the SFTC. The only diffrence I see between the two is that you have to save the "generic" design for every size ship. Even then I don't see how that will work if you want to create them on hulls that will be developed. Isn't the ship layout stripped clean when you reselect a new hull size? Wouldn't that also have the effect of stripping your "generic" design clean preventing a retro-build? I can't think of a reason why you would want to retro-build a more advanced hull but you can still do it in SFTC. Maybe you want to make an opponent think you have a higher tech ally that is building the stripped hulls for you. I like the approach you took P-D. I also like SJ's term for it; "Antique Designing", as opposed to "Retro-Construction". As I mentioned in another thread we are pioneering new ground here. We get to coin the terms that players in future years will throw around as standard vocabulary. What a wonderful privilege! This is like a Golden Age for us modders.

[Phoenix-D]

You can't change the ship size, so you have to do it for every hull size as well. Messy. Copying a hull does NOT clear the components though, so it works.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Sorry about the confusion it is my fault. I didn't mean when you copy I meant when you change hull sizes after selecting the copy button for the generic design. When you do that it clears the design. So your idea will only work if every possible hull that can be built is available for building from the very start. Otherwise (using the SFTC as an example) You wouldn't be able to place a Missile Launcher on a Battleship because the Missile Launcher will have been replaced by a better version before then. You see in SFTC you can take any hull you have developed and create a new design using any component that you have ever developed. So you could take a High Tech Level 16 Juggernaut and fill it with Missile Launchers even though that is a starting weapon.

That is what I am calling Retro-Construction. What you are describing is what I think SJ's term is best suited for. Antique Designing. You have the antique (the old saved design) and now you are just making changes in it. You aren't creating new construction (newly developed hull sizes) with retro components.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I'm just about done with the next patches for this one too. Is there any input from anyone?

[President_Elect_Shang]

First patch for the Lite version sees many changes to update to more of a SFTC feel. System generation is still on the to-do list but is lower down. AI is next on the list but the full version will be getting worked on before this version. Enjoy:

Version 0.11-B 28 January 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Changed -- Prototype Fighter Gun component name to Fighter Gun.
2. Fixed -- Formula error in Fighter Gun Component.
3. Changed -- Opening picture for atmosphere and planet types to more clearly indicate which are Not Used.
4. Fixed -- X-Ray Laser Detonation Chamber was not registering when added to a vehicle.
5. Replaced -- All bmp’s with Mineral and Radioactive icons to reflect new “MC” and Personnel icons.
6. Fixed -- New Empires were not using the strategies included with the SFTC-Lite.
7. Changed -- Intelligence Font color changed to black (0, 0, 0) to reduce attention on these numbers.
8. Changed -- DataLink and Improved DataLink so only 1 may be mounted per vehicle.
9. Added -- Personnel points for vehicles.
10. Changed -- Organics costs for vehicles to reflect crew consumption rate of Personnel divided by 2 rounded up.
11. Corrected -- A few entries in the VehicleSizes.txt reflected incorrect information.
12. Changed -- References to kT have been changed to “HS” or “tn” or left as “kT’ depending on line usage in MainStrings.txt.
13. Changed -- Select references to “Minerals” and “Radioactives” to “MC” and “Personnel”.
14. Added -- University facility type.
15. Changed -- facilities to reflect a work force.
16. Updated -- HomeworldStartingFacilities.txt.
17. Changed -- Organics Farm Facility to Protein Processing Plant.
18. Changed -- Some flavor text in MainsStrings.txt.
19. Corrected -- Assorted type-o’s in GovernmentTpes.txt.
20. Added -- Ability to “build” in personnel points to facilities and components.
21. Changed -- Organics build rate reflected SE5 Stock style; now reflects SFTC style.

[arthurtuxedo]

Not to be overly critical, but you've managed to create a 2 page thread without even stating name of your mod, much less telling us what it is or what it's about. What does SFTC even stand for?

[President_Elect_Shang]

It's certainly not being overly critical. The rest of the info you are asking about is located in two other threads, not counting the one that produced the name and opening logo for this Mod. I didn't see the point in repeating the info a third time but I will if it helps you and anyone else out in any manner.

The name of the Mod is the SFTC-Lite, pretty simple it's in the subject of the posts and the name of the thread. You will notice around the forum that naming the thread after the name of the Mod is standard procedure.

The full information on the SFTC is located in the thread named SFTC; however, I think its rude to send people on a post chase so I will cover the essence here.

SFTC stands for Solar Flare Total Conversion. If you are not aware a Mod is an adjustment to the SE5 Stock game. So when you play a Mod you will see anything from a few changes to many; however, the essence of Stock will still be there. The Balance Mod is a perfect example of a Mod. A Total Conversion is as the name implies a complete re-write. There is nothing left of Stock. The game fundamentals are still there (i.e. warp points) but nothing else remains. This TC is based off of an old board game I played years back called StarFire 3rd Edition. I took the concept of it and translated it into an SE5 format. Trying to describe what that means is just too much to go into. The infrastructure, hull sizes, colonies, simply to much for any single post to cover.

The SFTC comes in two forms. The first is the full blown hard-core version which allows options such as retro-construction of ships. The primary factor to this version is that the components progress in an SE4 style. The SFTC-Lite follows the SFTC except the components progress in a SE5 manner. Put another way in the SFTC there are three forms of ship engines each level one. In the SFTC-Lite there is only one form of ship engine with three levels. Each one is directly comparable to the other despite the different ways in which they progress. that proved to be a real challenge from a modding perspective. Many iif statements!

So where is the SFTC and SFTC-Lite? Well I pulled them both from here. Between the two there were over 60 downloads yet not a single report of anything wrong. This was in spite of the fact that I clearly stated they were both open betas and I needed help finding and fixing the problems. I thought that I could get at least one person to help while I continued work on getting the parts that had not been implemented working. Such as the planet sizes, stellar objects, and AI to name a few or three. By pulling them I didn't have to worry about keeping my progress and patches flowing. I didn't have to worry about avoiding "game breakers" as it doesn't bother me in the slightest to restart.

So does that cover it? If not try searching for SFTC or let me know here and I will link the main thread for you.

[arthurtuxedo]

Thank you. Look forward to the restart.