Opinions wanted on new tech (Pirate Mod) - Page 4

Trachmyr · #31 April 24th, 2001, 04:53 AM

Well, they are kinda standerdized...

Projectile: "The Control Group"

Laser: Slightly heavier, Better range and accuracy, lower damage

Particle: Heavier, slightly better range/accuracy, Higher damage (tears up fighters!... just added them & started testing.)

Light Guns: Counts as armor, gets taken out easily by weapons and fighters. Each type has better resistance: Guns (2xtonnage), Lasers (2.5x tonnage), PAWS (5x Tonnage)

Cannons: Adds Weight/Range/Accuraccy/Damage

Missiles: High range/damage, good accuracy, Heavy with reload 2

RAP & CM: special... single use, lower acc then PD weapons... RAP is better, Heavier + armor

As far as meson bLasters being advanced particle weapons... I'll probally do exactly that.

Projectile weapons: Guns->Electomags->Gravguns (I was gonna make grav stuff a seperate racial tech, but decided against it)

Laser Weapons: Laser->Xaser->Graser (Gamma radiation laser)

Particle Weapons: N-Paws/C-Paws(charged particle accelerator, more damaging but only works vs. planets (needs an atmosphere)->Meson Particle Accelerators->Anit-Particle Accelerator (fewer levels... higher cost)

Each type will be a seprate field (laser,Xaser,Graser), but will require the Last level of the previous type and one higher physics... So Laser needs nothing, but Xaser needs laser 5 & Physics 1, Grasers need Xaser 5 and Physics 2. Projectile weapons will need physics for Electromags, but Astrophysics for Gravguns... Missiles might need chemistry or propulsion to start a new "Tech Thread". (I still got some work to do on the tech-tree)

This is in addition to missiles, planetary weapons, torpedos, Poloron weapons (std/phased/anti), Fusion Weapons(high-energy discharge), Gravity weapons, etc.

I just wish MM would get around to activating the CUSTOM GROUPS so I can finish up my mod and post it! (instead of jus' talkin' 'bout it

)

[This message has been edited by Trachmyr (edited 24 April 2001).]

Trachmyr · #32 April 24th, 2001, 05:16 AM

Oh, BTW here is a little tidbit you might find interesting.... if you give missiles a range of 21 (it won't cause a crash!), 2 things happen:
1) The missile can target ships at that range or less.
2) The missile can't be outran... it has no max. Range! that means it goes until it hits or is deystroyed. just FYI

Suicide Junkie · #33 April 24th, 2001, 05:43 AM

How would you actually do that?
Add an extra, 21st number to the end of the damage Ratings?

Trachmyr · #34 April 24th, 2001, 05:59 AM

Yep, just add one more damage entry... but the entries all have to be non-zero (I think)

[This message has been edited by Trachmyr (edited 24 April 2001).]

Lupusman · #35 May 6th, 2001, 05:33 AM

Ok, I didn't really go through all the postings about this so sorry about the repeats.
I have to say that what you did was pretty good. By that I mean, making enough changes so that the entire style of the game is quite different than the original.

I only tried one long game so far, and I noticed a few things up till now.

When you pick Nomad and Pirate as a racial trait, lots of components get doubled in the listings.
The Swashbuckler component shows up on the fighter list, but I get an error when trying to use it, saying that this vehicle [fighter] is not able to use it.
Also, I must have tried about 40 times to capture an unshielded ship with it (using a regular ship) and it failed every single time. Maybe it was my bad luck.
Computer generated AI's (not the ones that you made the emp files for) for example neutrals (but not only them), don't start with a space yard on their planet. Hence they cannot build anything and are useless.
A few of the component family numbers need to be changed. The Swashbuckler component always overrides Boarding parties (even level 5) when upgrading ships. Something is also wrong with that new Shield generator component you made (can't remember the name), as it overrides regular shielding components that are better.
Also on shielding, phased and regular shields seem to be alternating as they are researched.
It is extremely difficult to fight against races that put self-destructs on their ships. Not a negative thing, just pointing it out.
Although the game starts very slow, it goes fine. A good challenge. Once you get a base installed in a red Nebulae system, though, you can never be beat, as the AI (I doubt) will ever clear it in order to see you.

So, yes sir, I like it (Said in the style of the horse from Ren and Stimpy, if anyone know what the hack I'm talking about).

Suicide Junkie · #36 May 6th, 2001, 04:25 PM

It looks like you didn't quite use this mod as intended

quote:
When you pick Nomad and Pirate as a racial trait, lots of components get doubled in the listings.

You really should only pick one of the three, unless you're trying to get a really easy game. Pirates are half-way between Nomad & Normal, so they have quite a few crossover techs, and the only way to do that is to double them up. If you play as only one type, you won't see that.

Also, the SE4's restrictions aren't working right now, cause otherwise you wouldn't be able to choose more than one

quote:
The Swashbuckler component shows up on the fighter list, but I get an error when trying to use it, saying that this vehicle [fighter] is not able to use it.

I'm afraid that is just SE4, it dosen't bother to even check to see if the fighter has a boarding component. Its hardcoded, but should be easy to change, so I left it in and am waiting for a fix.

quote:
Also, I must have tried about 40 times to capture an unshielded ship with it (using a regular ship) and it failed every single time. Maybe it was my bad luck.

If you check the description, they are only about half as effective as the Highly trained BPs. The crew from one crew quarters can defeat them, so you must destroy all crew quarters, or have more Swashbucklers than enemy crew quarters.

Thats a small failing in the description of Crew quarters

. They don't even have an explicit ability for BP defence, but they have 16 defence each (80% of a BP1's attack)

quote:
Computer generated AI's (not the ones that you made the emp files for) for example neutrals (but not only them), don't start with a space yard on their planet. Hence they cannot build anything and are useless

Yep. They're not "Normal", and theyre not "Pirate" or "Nomad", so they get almost no technology.

You can add more races by randomly generating, save the race on turn 1, then start a new game, add them to the game, edit them, and give them "Normal". Save again, and they're ready to play.

SEE P&N

quote:
A few of the component family numbers need to be changed. The Swashbuckler component always overrides Boarding parties (even level 5) when upgrading ships

Can Do. Will update

quote:
Something is also wrong with that new Shield generator component you made (can't remember the name), as it overrides regular shielding components that are better.

The big ones or the little ones?
The First Heavy Shield Generator is slightly weaker, but is Way cheaper to operate. The next levels of Heavy are all more powerful than normal shields.
The Hardened mini-shields are half armor, so they actually provide more protection to your ship than shield generators.

quote:
Also on shielding, phased and regular shields seem to be alternating as they are researched

Yep. Cool eh?
You have to decide whether to get Lots of shield points, or some phased shield points, or research another level to get lots of phased. But then, one more level gets you PILES of normal shield points

.

quote:
It is extremely difficult to fight against races that put self-destructs on their ships. Not a negative thing, just pointing it out.

Oh, yeah. Part of the challenge of being a pirate

Some would rather die than be captured, tortued and sent to the slave camps!

quote:
Once you get a base installed in a red Nebulae system, though, you can never be beat, as the AI (I doubt) will ever clear it in order to see you.

As a Pirate, you could get starved out and killed by maintenance costs, but Nomads would potentially sit there forever.
Heck, a normal player could dump a few fighters and stay in a nebula forever too.

[desperate]I'm not dead yet! I'm not dead yet! I'm still good![/desperate]

-highly paraphrased from Homer Simpson.

Lupusman · #37 May 7th, 2001, 01:47 AM

Not as intended? Excuuuse me! All I did was play.

I just wanted to tell you that 'if' you pick both pirate and nomad, some components come out double. There might be a way to avoid that.
Concerning the generated AI's, was it done purposefully so that they start with no Space Yard, or is that just a side effect?

Suicide Junkie · #38 May 7th, 2001, 04:41 PM

quote:
I just wanted to tell you that 'if' you pick both pirate and nomad, some components come out double. There might be a way to avoid that. Concerning the generated AI's, was it done purposefully so that they start with no SpaceYard, or is that just a side effect?

The doubling is nessesary to give the small space yard to both Nomads and Pirates, but not Normals.

As for the generated AIs, they don't choose the advanced trait of "Normal", so they don't get any techs. The AIs would have to be altered to choose those techs, and I haven't touched the AIs in my mod.

PS: It dosen't matter to me whether you chose more than one trait, but don't expect everything to look right or be as challenging as it could be