Star Wars Mod - II (Sci-Fi Xover Mod)

[Morgoth]

I have a stupid question.

I have tried to play the Babylon 5 Mod, but I get multiple errors during startup.

Which of the files do I need to install and in what order. I am anxious to play.

Thanks!

[ October 19, 2002, 00:23: Message edited by: Morgoth ]

[pathfinder]

Morgoth: Did you play it in Gold?
the "official" Version is non-gold atm. PDF did a Gold Version in June which is posted for d/l in the SE IV data/sound forum. You can make non-gold AI conform to Gold by modifying the AI_fleet and AI_setting files.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...0;t=000002;p=3

Look for the flaming head (June 4th)

[ October 19, 2002, 00:39: Message edited by: pathfinder ]

[Morgoth]

Thanks!

Now all I have to do is fix Lescano's Mod

[Andrés]

To make it gold compatible you have to edit not only the AI but also data files.
For example picture lines in vehiclesizes.txt and Vehicle Type/Weapon Target in components.txt
(there are hundreds of other details like these but I cant remember them all, check DataFileHistory.txt)

But mine is still incomplete but I'm using Last gold patch.
If there is enough demand we may want to downgrade it for 1.49 once it's more or less finished.

[ October 19, 2002, 04:42: Message edited by: Andr&eacutes Lescano ]

[Erax]

I just thought I'd post some random impressions from my ongoing playtest game (still using the 'old' SW tech tree) :

- Infantry could be a separate tech area from Troops (aka Vehicles). Troops is expensive to research as is (50k Construction + 50k for Troops 1). You shouldn't need Construction to research Infantry.

- Infantry weapons could also be separate from vehicle weapons, so you can research them without having to go through Construction.

- Fighter-mounted proton torpedoes are devastating. My curent TIE Bomber design has a cockpit, two engine Is, two laser IVs, four PT IIs and one armor - three Groups of eight bombers each are more than enough to guard a warp point against the 'SE IV Klingons' (#1 empire in the game - I'm #2). While this huge advantage is balanced by poor capital ship tech, I think PT launchers could be made larger - 4kt instead of 2kt. The TIE Bomber would hold 2 of them (which would be more accurate) and you wouldn't be able to fit one on a TIE Fighter. Caduceus Fighters could becom a 6-level tech area, with the TIE Bomber inserted at level 2.

- All Imperial fighters currently have two engines and move 8 sectors (except for the Scimitar bomber), but it would be nicer if the Interceptor was a little bit faster, the Bomber a little bit slower, and so on. I'll fiddle around with the numbers and see if I can bring it off (I'm a 'numbers' sort of guy, I guess).

[Erax]

An update :

- The Klingons have started sending light carriers and ships with PDCs against me, so now my TIE bomber Groups are taking heavy losses - but they still destroy fleets worth many times their cost before being defeated.

- Here's my suggestion for SW fighters with speeds in scale with their MGLT Ratings (my main source is the game X-Wing Alliance, plus various websites for New Republic era craft).

Engine thrust Ratings will have to be increased :

Ion engine I - 32
Ion engine II - 36
Ion engine III - 40
Ion engine IV - 44
Ion engine V - 48

Abbreviations : EPM - engines per move, Max - maximum engines, SM - strategic move (with Ion Engines III), CM - combat move (with Ion Engines III), MGLT - MGLT rating.

TIE Fighter
EPM = 8
Max = 2
SM = 10
CM = 5
MGLT = 100

TIE Bomber
EPM = 10
Max = 2
SM = 8
CM = 4
MGLT = 80

TIE Interceptor
EPM = 7
Max = 2
SM = 11
CM = 6
MGLT = 111

TIE Advanced
EPM = 6
Max = 2
SM = 13
CM = 7
MGLT = 133

TIE Defender
EPM = 8
Max = 3
SM = 15
CM = 8
MGLT = 144

Note : The Defender has a threefold symmetry, so it's reasonable to suppose it might have 3 ion engines instead of 2.

TIE Scimitar
EPM = 17
Max = 4
SM = 9
CM = 5
MGLT = 90 to 100 (exact value uncertain)

Z-95 Headhunter
EPM = 16
Max = 4
SM = 10
CM = 5
MGLT = 100

Y-Wing
EPM = 10
Max = 2
SM = 8
CM = 4
MGLT = 80

X-Wing
EPM = 16
Max = 4
SM = 10
CM = 5
MGLT = 100

A-Wing
EPM = 6
Max = 2
SM = 13
CM = 7
MGLT = 120

B-Wing
EPM = 17
Max = 4
SM = 9
CM = 5
MGLT = 91

E-Wing
EPM = 14
Max = 4
SM = 11
CM = 6
MGLT = 110

K-Wing
EPM = 8
Max = 3
SM = 15
CM = 8
MGLT = 140

These figures are not 100% to scale, but they're acceptable (to me at least). I tested all of the TIE craft with the new engines and EPM values and the move values were as shown; Rebel fighters should follow the same pattern.

Hope it helps.

[jimbob]

I don't want to be a bummer, but it is my thinking that the fighters, while nimble and quick in combat, are not so fast in intra-system movement. What about giving them less movement points, and more combat movement bonuses? Then the combat movement could be very high, allowing them to make initial contact during combat well in advance of any capital ships (which seems to be how they're used in both the movies and in the various games like X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, etc)

[Erax]

While I do agree that fighters should not be allowed to travel up and down and across a system at will, I feel that this has more to do with range than speed. There is no reason to suppose that a TIE fighter travels any slower on a long-term basis than it does in the short term, but you can't sit inside one for one month straight (nor inside an X-wing, for that matter).

My suggestion, if we want to implement this, is to make fighter engines 'burn' more supplies per move (or - and I prefer this option - store less of them), so they can only move a few sectors (4-6 is my guess) before running out of supplies. This would allow you to transfer fighters between planets, but they would become a much less effective defensive force.

You could give the fighter life support component some supply storage, so that Rebel craft can have a little more range than TIEs (you could also design a TIE craft with a life support component to give it more range - give it some shields and you have Vader's fighter).

[jimbob]

I feel that this has more to do with range than speed.

Very good point. And I like your solution too.
I'm sold.

[Erax]

OK, here's some more stuff on fighters :

- Fighter ion engines currently hold 50 supply each. Reducing this value to, say, 16 will allow them to travel only 8 sectors (less if they fire their weapons). The life support component could hold an extra 20 supplies to give Rebel fighters added range.

- All of the fighters (Rebel and Imperial) can be recreated as they appear in the movies with the current hull sizes, except for the X-Wings. Cockpit + life support + 4 engines + 2 launchers (2 kt each) + 4 lasers + shields (5 kt) + R2 unit = 20 kt (current X-Wing fuselage size is 19 kt).

- Fighter hitpoints are a bit too high - since the best fighter laser cannon does 3 points of damage and since you should be able to take a TIE fighter out with one shot from twin LCs and an X-Wing (unshielded) with 2-3 shots, that's 5-6 structure for a TIE fighter and 12-18 for an X-Wing. My suggestion is to make the fighter ion engine 1 kt space and structure and the shield generator 5 kt space and 1 kt structure.

- Fighter launchers are definitely too powerful; one solution is to make torpedo launchers 4 kt in size and structure, another is to adjust their damage Ratings (material for my next post).

- Andres, do you have a tech list ready for the Rebels ? I could try to write one if it's OK with you.