Babylon 5 Mod

[Phoenix-D]

"or so the ship destructs on the use of the Warp Component?"

You can't. You also can't prevent other ship types from loading the module, unless you make the jump ship and module much bigger than any other ship class.

Phoenix-D

[Val]

Already though of the size thing It's 4995 tons - too big to mount on even a StarBase (and it is a Ship only component) in this mod.

I was trying to use the unique components but couldn't find it in the abilities.

Update7.zip

[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]

[Val]

I'm trying to make a jump engine now, and would like to use the Unique Component option (so I can limit it to certain ship sizes) but can't seem to get it to work. Anybody play with this before?

SJ:

Have you tried out the new weapons and components with the armor yet? How's it working? Do you need a larger sampling of weapons to test against? Check in the Image Mod Request thread for all the latest armors - are those enough images or am I missing some?

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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Would you be able to add another 2 levels to the ECM and Targeting (above Elite)? Would request you add Ancient class, to keep them one notch ahead overall (will only be researchable by Ancient Races).

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The ECM bit should be taken care of by the advanced armors. The Targetting thing could be built into their weapons.

quote:

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I know another ship could repair the component right now, so how do I set it so it can only be repaired at a planet or so the ship destructs on the use of the Warp Component?

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How about restricting mobile space yards in the same way? If you want to repair your gate generator, you'll have to build another very expensive ship. Make the spaceyard quintuple maintenance if you want to allow it on regular ships.

quote:

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Vorlon armor is able to 'heal' damage and Shadow armor is able to absorb and shunt off a certain amount of damage. Other than that they are also both more advanced (obviously) than the other races armors.

Minbari armor is just a more advanced Version of the same stuff you find on the EA and Narn and Centauri ships (well, dif material but same as far as SE IV would be concerned). It's their jammers that make them tougher than nails

If you want, once we have the basic armor pics made I can easily recolor armor for the major races (EA & Narn - Grey, Centauri - Purple, Minbari - Blue) or we can have the armor progress through the colors, it's your call!

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Hmmm. I'm thinking that the armor tech should work something like SE4 classic engines:
A series of price decreases, then a step up to the next grade of armor.
EA->Narn->Centauri->Minbari->Older Race tech-> Ancient race tech...
That would be good for a tech progression, but the question is, how do we handle the starting levels for the different races.

The other option would be to go with a split.
EA -> Narn -> Centauri -> Cheap Version Shadowy-type stuff
EA -> Narn -> Minbari -> Cheap Version Vorlonish-type stuff
or even:
Basic-> EA -> Centauri -> ... (crystalline-effect stuff)
Basic-> Narn -> Minbari -> ... (organic armor-effect stuff)

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As you may have noticed, I've been pretty busy lately. I've also been hunting for that elusive crashing bug that has to do with sphereworlds full of units.

[Val]

SJ:

Yeah, been pretty busy myself between this and the rest of life (how dare life interfere with SEIV)

One thing to note, EA and Narn armor are pretty much the same, even the Centauri armor isn't all that much better - could just be a higher level of the same stuff. The Minbari armor is a bit more advanced then that, but still no healing or absorbtion. The only real differences I can think of were the White Star & Excalibur - which both used partial Vorlon Tech. I just included them for RP value But the progression levels do make sense, I like the idea of a split in directions, but if a race is to get low level Vorlon or Shadow armor they should need the tech area "Shadow/Vorlon Assistance" (which I was using to give low level weapons research to younger races). Also, I've been trying to make it so the Ancients wil still always be a bit better tech wise even at the end - don't know if everyone agrees with that or not, but I didn't see humans getting to ancient level in the span of the game - the Minbari had barely advanced in 1000 years between Shadow wars! So, there will be an racial ability called B5 Ancient Race which gives you access to ancient abilities. Some items will be able to be reverse engineered, but mostly you are going to have to make a trade with the Vorlons or Shadows to get a White Star/Shadow Omega type ship.

I like the Maps:

Basic -> Narn/EA -> Centauri -> Drahk/Hyach (soemthing high end) -> Shadow(low end available to all with "Shadow Assist", high end restricted)

Basic -> Narn/EA -> Abbai (something midrange) -> Minbari -> Vorlon (ditto "Vorlon Assist")

Though EA/Narn can be split up as well to give 6 classes in each tree (but only 9 total armors).

Could also call them by armor type names:
Armor -> Reenforced Armor -> ? -> Reenforced ? -> Bio-Armor (Shadow/Crystalline)

Armor -> Reenforced Armor -> Poly-Crystalline -> Reenforced P-C -> Bio-Armor (Vorlon/Organic)

Then you have a few extras like the stealth coating and the shields (Abbai (EM), Brakiri (Gravitic), Minbari (Grav), Vorlon (EM)).

The Centauri, Vree and Drahk also have a Gravitic def shield grid - like a 'pre-shield'. EAs answer was the Energy Web.

As for starting level, might as well start them at basic and let them choose the path to what they want to research.

Good idea on the mobile spaceyard costs

[Val]

All:

I know SJ and I are working on quite a few things, and Rambie is working on a revamped EA & Imp Fyron is willing to give a hand when we need it Is anybody else working on anything?

Edit -

Also wanted to know if anyone has tried any of the new modded techs?

[ 13 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]

[Val]

DataUpdate.zip

Here are the most recent data files.

New Techs include: External Fighter Rails I-III, External Launch Catapults I-II (Drazi), Fighter Bays I-VI, Cobra Bays I-VI (EA), External Cargo Pods I-III, Living CPU I-X (Shadows), Shipboard Telepaths I-X, Jumpgate I-V, Jump Drive (this is for roleplaying and will require the player to close the jump point after opening it and passing through - though other ships may also pass through before closing - also requires a LOT of supplies to use so ship will need at bare minimum a Huge and Medium reactor), Light/Medium/Heavy/Neutron/Spinal Lasers I-X, Slicer Beam I-X (Shadows), Medium Lightning Cannon I-X (Vorlon), Interceptors Mk I & II I-X, Standard Particle Beam I-X, Fission/Fussion/AntiMatter/Gravitic/HyperspaceTap Drives & Reactors.

I also left in SJ's original armors (posted a while back). I had been taking them out with the weapons that are not done, but accidently left them in this time. Oops!

Another note: the externally mounted components have the Armor ability so they will be hit first by most weapons. This is to represent their exposed nature and fragility.


Currently working on Weapons, Boarding/Security, Specialty Crew components, Mines/Sats/Layers, Troops/Infantry, Planetary Defense facilities & Racial Techs.

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Val ]

[Val]

Question for all:

I am just about ready to merge all the weapons into a file, but I'm having a little trouble making a decision on the tech trees.

Should I go with Idea A -
Limit the weapons to individual races - this would mean only the Narn would be able to research Energy Mines, only Drazi can research the Solar Cannon, only the Hyach can research Spinal Laser, etc.. There are weapon techs that are freely researchable by all, such as low end particle and plasma weapons, most matter weapons, Ionic weapons and a few here and there in the others (Low end lasers, etc.).

- OR -

Should I go with Idea B -
The other option is to make researching the different fields more expensive but giving everyone access to just about everything (Ancient stuff will still be restricted to their races). This way you could do broad research into everthing, but concentrating in one/two fields would yield more powerful weapons quicker. AI would be set to research the weapons that that race traditional uses - so in general the AI ships will stick to the basic B5 ideas, but a human could choose to research 'whatever' (so the Minbari might become Plasma/Missile experts rather than Molecular/EM experts).


I would like any input y'all might have ASAP


Also, I changed the cargo and fighter bays a bit. The tech side of the mod is really picking up speed now and I am aiming to get the weapons done this weekend if I hear from everyone. Would also like to add in whatever SJ currently has working for armor and then start writing the AIs. Most of the component pics are done and are posted on SJ's homepage (look in his signature for the link).

Thanks!!!

[thorfrog]

I'm for option "A". This would force you to trade for this tech or spy for it. Plus it would keep most races unique to their own tech.

[Phoenix-D]

"This would force you to trade for this tech or spy for it. Plus it would keep most races unique to their own tech. "

You cannot trade for or spy steal racial techs. Only complete ships.

Phoenix-D