Babylon 5 Mod - Page 24

thorfrog · #**231** January 28th, 2002, 10:59 PM

I believe the limit is 255 systems.

Val · #**232** January 28th, 2002, 11:24 PM

That's what I thought... I was hoping it would be more so I could create "hyperspace" systems under the "realspace" systems. Guess I could move it to special quadrants like SJ did, though I wanted to keep the warp paths more consistant to the B5 game maps.

Suicide Junkie · #**233** January 29th, 2002, 12:22 AM

IF: The current armor setup goes like this:

Most armors are actually inert internal components, that are extremely likely to be hit before any other components.
They come in 4 grades:
Structural: Extremely high HP/KT rating. Usually hit Last. Comes in 1KT chunks.
Light: high HP/KT. Usually hit before sensitive electronics, but after anything larger. Small chunks
Medium: moderate HP/KT. Usually hit before anything other than the large guns. Average sized chunks.
Heavy: low HP/KT (for armor). Approximates SE4 classic armor. Massive chunks.

Then we have the fancy high tech armor & items.
Shield generation + Crystalline ability forms the basis for things such as "refractive armor", "shadow armor", and "gravitic deflectors", all of which can knock off the first few points of damage from a hit.

To keep the ability levels on these armors from stacking too high on large ships, there are two Versions of each.
Primary X Armor: Limited to 1 per ship. Provides the full ability amount.
Additional X Armor: Unlimited amount, provides 10% to 25% of the ability amount of the primary, and is slightly larger & stronger.

That makes the additional plates more likely to be hit first, and means that a 1650KT ship will have only 2 to 3.5 times more special ability than a 150KT ship.

One thing I'm wondering is:
How much stronger should the armor get as tech improves?
Should it keep pace with weapons tech, or become relatively stronger/weaker?

Val · #**234** January 29th, 2002, 12:41 AM

That's a good question... B5 weapon/shield tech wasn't too much a priority in the show, it seemed like new weapons were being developed throughout, but not much in the way of shield/armor. I would say it should keep pace with weapons tech in percentages, though I think it should be very expensive to research as you go up levels, maybe even require the person to research "Advanced Armor" tech before freeing up the next level of each armor group. Also, the armor/shields should plateau at some point before weapons do - in effect this will allow the weapons of a particular 'age' to outstrip armor from the same tech 'age' (Young v. Middle v. Old v. Ancient).

Rambie · #**235** January 29th, 2002, 07:46 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Val:
That's what I thought... I was hoping it would be more so I could create "hyperspace" systems under the "realspace" systems. Guess I could move it to special quadrants like SJ did, though I wanted to keep the warp paths more consistant to the B5 game maps.

I wouldn't stress over hyperspace. I'd rather see a big map with plenty of systems to conquer than "hyperspace" systems.

Keep up the great work, it's looking great!

Val · #**236** January 30th, 2002, 12:44 AM

I was thinking about layering another map under the existing map with the different warp points set distances from each other, this way it takes some time to move through hyperspace, rather than the instantaneous transfer. Would be much easier to have a move delay on jump points

Fyron · #**237** January 30th, 2002, 01:06 AM

Layering another map? Can two systems exist in the same spot on the map? Or were you making these "hyperspace" systems be in an adjacent spot to the system that they are supposed to represent?

Suicide Junkie · #**238** January 30th, 2002, 01:22 AM

Two systems can be at the same location on the map, but the only thing that accomplishes is being a pain in the butt when trying to select systems.
Better to place them "up one and right one square" or somesuch.

Val · #**239** January 30th, 2002, 05:49 PM

I had actually tested it out and put several HS systems 'under' the existing systems. The effect was that it WAS a pain to monitor the HS systems, unless you had a ship in it (then go through the ship list). The HS systems also allowed time to be chewed up on jumps, rather than the instantanious jumps in the current B5 Map. It worked well, just a ROYAL pain to create.

Also - anybody out there have any pics/closeups of any B5 weapons? I've completed ~60 or so to date, but I am having trouble with what some of the Gravitic (Brakiri) and Antimatter (Vree) weapons look like. Any pics would be of help

Suicide Junkie · #**240** January 30th, 2002, 06:20 PM

Val: RE hyperspace.

Since you're making a map in the editor anyways, why not create paths through hyperspace.

IE: fill up a "hyperspace" system with red storms, that dish out 5000 damage. Then, create a warppoint in, clear a path straight across (arbitrary number of squares), then a warppoint out to the destination.
Ships which veer off course get demolished by the storms, and you can make the travel time whatever you want.
If you use only one or two paths per hyperspace system, you can have the storm damage vary with distance from the path.