Babylon 5 Mod

[Nomor]

Nomor: Do you have a good idea for a flag for the Ipsha?

Timstone: Try looking up National Flags on Google and see if you can find something you like.
As I have said earlier the Ipsha remind me of Kermit the frog, so... using a flag from some equatorial county, nice for amphibians, might be appropriate. I like the look of the Congo flag or maybe even the "new" South African.

http://www.photius.com/flags/alphabetic_list.html
this is a good link... I like Jamaica

[ January 15, 2003, 02:51: Message edited by: Nomor ]

[pathfinder]

Timstone:

how about this (Isle of Man):

http://www.flags.net/ISMA.htm

[grumbler]

IF: I guess my point is that there are lots and lots of "passive" armor type entries in the components file (making it bigger) but the differences between them are small. It seems disproportionate to research passive armor physics to level 1 and scattering armor engineering to level 1 (total cost 120,000 RPs) and get Scattering Armor 1, and then proceed all the way through the chain to its end at Emissive Armor VI (almost 1.6 million RPs later) and see that the differences are:
1. 5 tons lighter
2. Takes 25 tons less damage
3. Costs 50 min more
4. Reduces damage from weapons by 25 ADU vice 15.
5. Can withstand 25 ADU hits without damage vice 15.
6. Regenerates 25 shields per turn vice 15.

I guess my point is that if the game is going to have such small differences between armor types then they should either be made racial or else the research deltas should be much less. Even better would be to not have such subtle distinctions and simplify the components file.

[Fyron]

I'm sure there is a very good explanation for all of that. SJ is the one that made the armors, so he'd be the one to ask.

[Timstone]

Nomor, PF: Thanks for the links. The Manx of Isle of Man is certainly interesting. Maybe I can make something of it.

[pathfinder]

Currently trying to finish up what I can do with the AI. Couple of questions:

Should I enable large colony ships to have weapons other than pd?

[Fyron]

For AIs, one small weapon or 2 can be useful. Gives you a nasty surprise when you attack them.

The B5 Mod PBW Game has restarted!

[pathfinder]

IF: yeah, tried that my Last test game. That why I asked.....

[grumbler]

PF: Why is the AI (especially the Narn) building so many weaponles scouts and Escort Carriers with no reactors? On the latter, the CVE design specs call for "solar resource generation - minerals" which is the light reactor. Curious, huh? Is the AI using the default AI somehow, you think?

I also noted that the Shadow's Heavy Molecular Slicer Beam I is twice the weight of the regular MS VII (which you have to have to get to Adv Shadow Molecular Weapons and the Hvy MS), but only does about 20% more damage. At all comparable design levels, the percentage weight increase is barely ever matched by the increase in damage, and the ranges are the same. Wazzup wif dat? Who's doing the weapons data? Maybe I can help with some analysis.

[Suicide Junkie]

Originally posted by grumbler:
IF: I guess my point is that there are lots and lots of "passive" armor type entries in the components file (making it bigger) but the differences between them are small. It seems disproportionate to research passive armor physics to level 1 and scattering armor engineering to level 1 (total cost 120,000 RPs) and get Scattering Armor 1, and then proceed all the way through the chain to its end at Emissive Armor VI (almost 1.6 million RPs later) and see that the differences are:
1. 5 tons lighter
2. Takes 25 tons less damage
3. Costs 50 min more
4. Reduces damage from weapons by 25 ADU vice 15.
5. Can withstand 25 ADU hits without damage vice 15.
6. Regenerates 25 shields per turn vice 15.

I guess my point is that if the game is going to have such small differences between armor types then they should either be made racial or else the research deltas should be much less. Even better would be to not have such subtle distinctions and simplify the components file.

Note: The tonnage difference you see there is only the "prototype" vs 1st "real production" component, and you will see that for each class. The Prototypes are 50% larger than the regular ones.

Also, you don't need to research any engineering or manufacturing techs to move on to the next theoretical physics level in passive armor.

The way the techs are set up is that you will research Passive Armor Physics as deep as you like. The farther you go here, the better your results will be later.
Practical tech developments for one class of passive armor will not carry over to the next class (Scattering armor manufacturing does not help with Conductive armor manufacturing)

Once you are ready with PAPhysics, you can start actually building production armor by researching the level-specific Engineering tech.

You can also optionally reduce your costs with the level-specific Manufacturing tech area.

Summary!
Passive Armor Physics
This is the critical first step, and determines how much emissive ability you will get per KT.
Reaching the top gives 2/3 more resistance than the first level.
Also, once you start reseaching the practical armor use, you will start to lock yourself in. The appropriate level to stop at is the one that lets you finish constructing ship with the best armor before the enemy attacks

Engineering
First level moves you from theoretical prototype to a real, useful primary armor. Second level allows you to add a single "add-on" armor segment. Third level removes the one-per-vehicle restriction on the "add-on" segments.
(You need only level 1 for small ships, 2 and 3 are good for large and very large ships or bases.)

Manufacturing
Advantages here are pretty obvious, and simple. Lower price means you can afford more ships.

Mental Picture
To view the Passive Armors, think of them as offices and cubicles in an office building. The salary of the occupant is the value of the armor.
PAPhysics tech is the elevator in the office. The longer you spend in there, the higher up you'll go, and the better salaries you will see.
Once you decide to get out, you can travel in two dimensions (North or East, say, for Manufacturing and Engineering) These techs will take you to the windows, and then the corner office.
At that point, you would have to return to the elevator and explore the next floor to see a better salary.


AI notes, and general points
PS:
If you are worried about the high research costs, don't! This is the Very Tip Top Tech in damage absorption technologies, so it shouldn't be fully researched until well into the endgame.

PPS:
If you are worried about the hitpoints per KT of the armor, just put a primary on, and then add lots of Inert armor over top of it.
For enemies with plenty of low damage weapons, it may be more effective to add the secondary armors, but considering that you are scripting an AI, its not worth thinking about.

PPPS:
I suppose the manufacturing techs could be given a greater effect, since they only provide a maximum of -20% to price, but on the whole it looks pretty good to me! Something to spend your research points on in the very late game.

Spiel/Rant
I did not intend for these techs to be sprinted down. That happens too much in the regular game for my liking.
Do a bit of armor research, then quit when the return on investment gets too low. Research Basic ECM for a while instead. Once those returns start to slow down, then come back to armor and do a few more levels. Soon, the Advanced ECM will appear to have more effect for the dollar than further armor research.

Flying through projectile weapons tech so fast that you may not even bother making a design that uses the DUC III seems silly to me. You can't change the player, since they're just doing what's best for the empire. Instead you change the game balance to encourage slowing or stopping in the middle!
See what I mean?

Edit: Hey, long enough to be worth a sig
And, added some Category headings.

[ January 19, 2003, 02:54: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]