OK players.. the patch for Gold is out. Get it!
I'll begin setting up the scenerio. Unit and ship limits are set to max. May take a bit, because I've got to get a decent map, tweak for effect, and then play EVERY empire into their proper places and starting techs, and create/test the mod listed below.
There WILL be a few minor mods to the data files. The game will run on PBW, but I'll download and process the turns manually. This will slow the game down slightly, and delay the start a bit.
I'll go into the changes in a minute. But first- we still need new players!
Races available:
Terran (core): available
Terran (fringe/rebels): TerranC
Orion: Big Game Hunter
Ophiuchi: available
Gorm: Tesco
Bugs: suicide junkie
If no one else joins, I'll be taking the Terran Core. If one person joins that wants the core, I'll take the Ophiuchi. If TWO people join, I'll be happy and bow out.
Changes include:
-Quasi-newtonian propulsion
-Military and civilian grade engines. The military grade engines are faster, but they are also power hogs compared to the civilian drives. So the civi drives can in the long run go faster in places where resupply isn't available.
-Population size doubled.
-No happyness bonuses for troops (too easy to exploit)
-PD will be made slightly less effective by dropping their to-hit bonus down. AFHAWKs will be added though.
-Standard missiles will be added. Half the range of standard missiles, but much smaller in size.
-FM2s and FM3s added. Rocket Pods renamed to FRAMs. FM2s and FM3s are seekers, FRAMs are direct fire.
-Fighters will be a bit harder to hit
-Gunboats (larger-sized fighters) added. Easier targets than fighters, but they'll pack a mean punch.
-Fighter weapons will be changed. Some weapons will be unable to target ships- fighters and seekers only. Vice versa for other weapons.
-SBMHAWK pods and ABAM pods have been added. These cannot be stored in ships however
Essentially they are very small hard to hit ships that can only be loaded with a single component. That component will serve as a Master Computer, 1 move engine, and fire a single missile. I recommend that you build these on-site. I need the players to excersise come restraint here- don't put these components on your regular ships. I thought about using drones, but they don't fit the real use of SBMHAWK pods, which is a prelude to a warp-point assult.
Some technologies will be dropped out of the data files because they don't really fit the setting as I see it. The Bugs will have the Organic trait, for example, but it will be re-named and NOT have organic armor. No quantum reactors either.
That's the end of the regular data file changes.
New Racial Trait:
Fighter experts, for the Ophiuchi. Their fighters are faster and their pilots are better. Harder to hit, higher modifers TO hit. No, the Orions don't get any fighter bonuses. They LIKE fighters, but they aren't inherently superior at using them. The Ophiuchi are.
Oh, and I won't be designing the races according to a "fair" point system, rather trying to capture their relative strengths and weaknesses.
Closed warp points: those of you who have read the books know that there is a kind of warp point that is "closed" and can only be seen from one end. You can transit through the "closed" end, but only if you know where it is.
To simulate this, I'll do two things. First, I will make some one-way warp points in the map editor. Second, I'll have an observer ship parked on the enterence to that WP, invisible. When someone transits the closed warp point, the closer ship will close that WP. Then, the next turn, the WP opener ship will make another WP to the original system. The resulting WP may or may not be in the same spot as the original WP exit, and it will be visible to all players.