Pointer Mod -- v1.2 Released

[Urendi Maleldil]

And I still need Savegame and Empire folders

[Urendi Maleldil]

Here's the next Version. Commercial Facility family numbers are now different from their normal counterparts. Let me know how the balance is with the commercial "maintenance cost". There are now Savegame and Empires directories too.

This includes the latest AI I'm working with (Terrans)

[Urendi Maleldil]

Latest updates:

1/3/05
decreased range of Grav Lance
increased Ion Cannon reload time
reduced size of Reflex Missile
reduced size of Counter Missile
added Fighter Electronics Mount
fixed Astromech Droid for use on Ships, Bases, Satellites, Fighters, Weapon Platforms
fixed Fighter Shield Mount to use all shields
added AI Tag description to Stasis Field, Astromech Droid, Biohazardous Waste, and Radioactive Waste
added AI Tag 06 ability to Light Sail and Magnetic Sail
removed Direct Fire Troop Mount (not needed)
reduced size of Tachyon Warhead, Nuclear Warhead, Plasma Warhead, Antimatter Warhead, Subspace Warhead, Gravitic Warhead, and Reflex Warhead to 20 so they fit on mines better.
changed family number of the Medical Unit (was duplicate of Motivation Unit)
removed Defense Platform Deployer (was causing AI problems)
increased cargo capacity of Cargo Bay
Test AI now uses Solar Arrays and Light Sails on scout ships if they are available instead of regular engines

[Combat Wombat]

Can you give us a summary about what your grand goal for this mod is? What makes the Pointer Mod unique from other mods?

[Urendi Maleldil]

I guess there's a lot of little things I've done in this mod, but only two main things:

1. The Tech Tree
It's totally redesigned. Whatever combinations of techs an empire researches better affects the way that empire will play the game.

Physics gives bigger guns, faster engines. Construction gives you your ship hulls and will eventually yield Megascale engineering (for orbital towers, ringworlds, space habs, and that kind of stuff). Economics research gives greater production capacity, but is a greater drain on your empire's economy if managed poorly. Psychology/Sociology and Biology/Chemistry allow you to manage population better and help you secure your empire. (Unless you're a Psychic or Organic race. Then you'll find all your cool technologies there)

Some research is almost indispensable. Every race will probably want to research Construction till they get at least cruisers and Physics till they get Nukes. You can go without these techs, but you'll have a slower time expanding
and a hard time defending against an enemiy's fully-loaded Nuclear Missile Cruiser.

I've incorporated things from books, movies and tv shows that I would like to have seen in the game and plugged them into the tech tree where they would work the best. The most famous are probably the Phasers and the Superlasers, but I'm particularly fond of the Psychohistory facilities.


2. Ship Design
Propulsion:
I originally just wanted something better than the QNP propulsion system. I liked the mQNP idea, but it had limitations too. So I decided to combine them into a hybrid system.

I wanted ship designs to devote a large percentage of their tonnage to vital systems. As it stands now ships using Construction Level 1 mounts will give a little over 50% of their hull space to engines, bridge, CQ, Life Support and supply components. Miniaturization is included in the mounts as a race researches up the construction tree.

Engines per Move = (Ship kT * 2 / 1000) > 0
Engine mount reduction = (Ship Kt / 10) - Miniaturization Level

Using this system means that capital ships (Cruisers, Dreads, Battleships) have much more useable space than smaller ships and can pack more of a punch in battle.

This also makes Stations and Satellites more valuable because they don't have to use up that 50% and can devote 100% to weapons or whatever.

The system isn't perfect *yet*. Right now a 200kT Frigate has about 10kT less useable space than a 150kT Escort. A minor adjustment, but everything else is fine.

--------------------------------------------------------

As for the little things, they're too numerous to count.

I increased the value of electronics by making them really small. (as they should be)

Military Science gives you some interesting tactical weapons like the Seeker Decoy and Chaff and also opens up new weapon types.

As I've built the mod new things keep appearing automatically. For example there appear to be four distinct types of direct-fire weapons:

* Heavy weapons: MAC gun, Superlaser, Reflex Cannon, Grav Lance, Ion Cannon, Disintegrator, Graviton Hellbore
* Medium Weapons: Phaser, Disruptor, Turbolaser, Antiproton Cannon, Fusion Beam Cannon, Plasma Cannon
* Light Weapons: Laser, Railgun, Meson Cannon, Graser Cannon, Plasma BLaster
* Torpedo Weapons: Plasma, Gravimetric, Antimatter, Subspace, Quantum

They're all good at different things. I didn't plan them that way, they just came out that way. It's like I'm not the only one working on this mod. Weird.

It's a long summary I know, but I was on a roll. I hope this answers some of your questions.

[Urendi Maleldil]

Latest Updates:
I've moved to New York and I'm busy scouting the city for work. Never fear though. Work progresses on the Mod. Facility.txt is now complete. AI is a little better, but modding them is a little more time-consuming than modding the data files.

1/8/05
changed resource usage on commercial facilities
removed Cloning Center facility (duplicate of Gestation Vats)
added Gestation Vats II-V
added Replicant Center II-V
added Commercial Ecology Center II-V

[Urendi Maleldil]

Here's the latest Version

Updates: Filled in a few blanks and added in a few of the things I've been planning. I've totally fixed the hull sizes. Now there's a reason to actually build 200kt frigates instead of 150kt escorts.

To do: Still gotta get the AI up and running. Seems like once I fix one problem another one comes creeping up on me. There's one success though: the AI will design Scout ships with normal engines and supply components and then design them with Light Sails and Solar Arrays when they become available.

I tried doing the same thing with Transports and Colony Ships, but it just adds a wierd number of Cargo Bays and colony components instead. Maybe one of you guys can figurte it out.

Updates list:
1/12/05
added One Per Vehicle restriction to Stasis Field
added Launch Rail II-V
added Hyperspace Jump Gate II-V
added Hyperjump Drive Initiator II-V
added Hyperjump Drive Terminator II-V
added Ion Cannon II-V
added Grav Lance II-V
added Planetary Mass Driver II-V
added Reflex Missile II-V
added Reflex Warhead II-V
added Orbital Foundry I-V
added Orbital Refinery I-V
added Orbital Hydroponics I-V
increased Minerals Extraction tech area to 8
increased Radioactives Extraction tech area to 8
removed Resource Extraction tech area (no longer used)
added Orbital Academy I-V

1/11/05
added Hyperspace Jump Gate I (for B5 style propulsion)
added Hyperjump Drive Initiator I
added Hyperjump Drive Terminator I
added Planetary Mass Driver I
added Launch Rail I
increased cargo capacity of Rider Bay
increased cargo capacity of Cargo Bay
added Garbage tech area
fixed Transwarp Engine roman numerals
fixed ship hull sizes


Edit: corrected bad download

[Ed Kolis]

Any chance of an upcoming PBW test game?

[Urendi Maleldil]

That's something I'd really like to do. I'll see what I can put together. Bear in mind that I've never used PBW before and I don't have a constant conection to the internet, so the game might go a little slow. I actually use various free wireless access points around the city.

It'll be good to see what real people can do with this mod. It'll be a welcome change from the AI, who are only effective at making you pull your own hair out by the roots.

[Urendi Maleldil]

AI success!!

The AI is now puttering aroung the galaxy, exploring, and doing what the AI does. They handle resources poorly and their tactical prowess is atrocious, but they work.

Although for some reason they insist on putting Scout Infantry on all their ships. That's a troop component. I have no idea why they do that. Another day, another problem.