Devnullmod

[Devnullicus]

Status update:

I have sent the file to the people who did TDM-ModPack for testing. I am also testing the release-candidate right now. Hopefully, I'll have the new mod for posting here in a few days =) Note that any changes for races in TDM-ModPack are pending approval and may be taken out before the release of this mod.

Current Changes for DevnullMod 1.3
==================================

Mods By Devnullicus:
-updated data files for SE4 Version 1.35
-updated mod to reside in it's own directory instead of overwriting SE4 files
-Modified Light Weapon Mounts slightly as they were a bit overpowered. Reduced range by one.
-Made all missiles half size, +25% cost.
-significantly raised seeker damage resistance for heavy bombardment missiles to make them worthwhile
-slightly increased sprint missile damage
-reduced sprint missile seeker damage resistance
-raised supplies used by missiles significantly
-since missiles are so much more deadly, races now start with point-defense I. Military Science will still
have to be researched to get Point-Defense 2+, Anti-Fighter Missiles, and Mini Point-Defense.
-made supply storage 10 tons instead of 20 to help make it fit better and be more useful. Halved the supplies
stored with each component.
-increased supplies stored by higher-level engines
-Split up point-defense weapons into two Groups -- one for seekers and the other for seekers/fighters/satellites.
-added mini point-defense cannons for very short-range point defense.
-increased anti-fighter missiles range, damage, and hit mods in order to make them viable.
-added Reactive Armor to Psychic Technology Tech tree. As regular armor with a 1-shot super Point-defense
built-in
-added Splinter Armor to Crystalline Technology Tree -- low cost, easy-to-research (relatively) ablative armor
with the properties of crystalline armor as well.
-Added Small Crystalline Armor I/II/III
-Created a new technology: Monolithic Construction - prereq Construction. Monolith Facilities now
need this tech instead of Stellar Manipulation. Ring/Sphere World Placement Pods and Cables/Plating now need
this tech as well as Stellar Manipulation.
-Revamped costs of many components in an effort to make the game not quite so skewed toward just minerals. Raised
the amount of radioactives used on many things, reduced the amount of minerals on many things, and raised the
amount of organics on some things. This changes the balance of the game somewhat, but I believe it's a good
change overall. I will be continuing to tweak these values as I play in order to balance them more.
-significantly reduced cost of a number of small weapons to make the costs consistent with their damage output.
-Gave new components good pictures and switched a few old component pictures.
-re-ordered components.txt file to streamline ship design
-modified description of satellite engines and barge engine that they don't currently work because MM has
hard-coded that satellites cannot do combat movement and bases cannot do regular movement.
-Modified Plasma Missiles making them more damaging, longer range, and faster reload. Also increased their
tech level by 1. This was to make them worthwhile compared to Capital Ship Missiles.
-Modified races to use new technology and completely rebuilt their research queue and vehicle construction files.
-Abbidon
-Amonkrie
-Cryslonite
-Drushocka
-Eee
-Fazrah
-Jraenar
-Krill
-Sallega
-Terran
-Toltayan
-UkraTal
-Xiati
-Modified Q's races to use new tech (re-did research queue)
-CueCappa
-Phong
-Modified TDM-ModPack Races to use new technology
-Colonial
-Darlok
-EarthAlliance (also fixed it with FillerTech so it would mostly research in the order I think the author intended)
-Klingon (completely replaced Research Queue -- the one in there already looked like a standard MM queue)
-NarnRegime (and fixed it with FillerTech and slightly rearranged things so research would happen in approx the order the author intended)
-Norak
-Piundon
-Romulan (completely replaced Research Queue -- the one in there already looked like a standard MM queue)
-Sergetti
-Toron
-XiChung
-Added a little utility program (getcomp.pl) that will analyze Components.txt and create two files
(Families.txt and WeaponFamilies.txt) so that we can keep our families in order =) getcomp.pl is REALLY badly
written, but hey, it works and it only took me 20 minutes =) Also, it's currently set up for unix since I've
never done Perl programming in Windows. If anyone wants to convert this to a Windows Perl executable, that would
be cool, otherwise, I'll eventually get around to writing it in C++ and making it an executable that can be run
in Windows.
-Changed cost of Applied Research to 50000 (from 100000). It was too high of a cost for too small of a benefit.
-Changed cost of Mineral/Organic/Radiation Extraction to 25000 (from 50000). Again, too high cost for too small
of a benefit.
-Made higher-level Base Ship Yards back to 400kT because AI will not build larger bases than space station (for
some unknown reason), so they would never use the higher-level base shipyards. When they got the tech, the AI
would build SpaceYard bases (space stations) and not put any yards on them because they were too big. *sigh*
Stupid AI.
-BUGFIX: re-ordered new enhancements in CompEnhancement.txt because apparently the order that they're listed in
the file is meaningful.
-BUGFIX: made family unique for all new seeking parasite missiles so that AI upgrades work
correctly (really, I actually did this time...honestly)
-BUGFIX: fixed typo for vehicle type with satellite engines that was causing them to not show up for use
-BUGFIX: made the families and roman numerals for
plasma charge -> hyper plasma charge,
electric ray -> lightning ray
acid globule -> enveloping acid globule
be consistent to help the AI upgrade correctly.
-BUGFIX: Fixed Neutral races to take out racial trait - rock colonization (etc)
-BUGFIX: Made Anti-Fighter Missiles actually act as Point-Defense Weapons. Apparently, even though you set a
weapon as having point-defense ability, you STILL have to set it's weapon-type to "Point-Defense".
So, no seeking Point-Defense Weapons. Ah, well.


New Race AI, construction, etc files by Q:
-for CueCappa and Phong.


New Events by Dracus (from EyeCandy v1.02)
-added approx 20 new events, many of them good to balance all the bad events.


FillerTech by GodEmporer:
-added FillerTech 1,2,3 to allow for AI races to make better research queues


Selected mods from Pirates & Nomads v1.5 by Suicide_Junkie:
-made emissive armor soak 80/90/100 to make it worthwhile (esp. since emissive armor seems to be broken
in general (only the first hit gets 'emissed', and even then if the damage is > the emissive value, it all
gets through).
-"normal" shield generators provide the amount of hitpoints that "phased" shields used to. Normal shields are
now only on odd tech levels, 1/3/5/7/9. Phased shields are available on even tech levels, and provide
slightly more hitpoints than the previous normal (at techs 2/4/6/8/10). Normal and phased Shield generators
I/II/III/IV/V provide 1/2/3/4/5 points of shield regeneration.
-Shield Regenerators - Available on even tech levels. Provide bonus shield points equivalent to one turn of
regeneration.
-Split up Small Armor into Small Armor I/II/III
-Split up Small Emissive Armor into Small Emissive Armor I/II and upgraded it's armor value
-Split up Small Organic Armor into Small Organic Armor I/II/III
-Interspersed Small Shields and Small Phased Shields and gave them slight regeneration
(NOTE: Unit shield regeneration is not currently working in SE4)
-Improved Range of higher-level Wave Motion Guns (range now 8/10/12)
-Kamikaze warhead I/II/III do 60/120/180 damage.
-Added Ablative Armor I/II/III/IV/V (AI will not seem to use this armor -- no idea why not)
-Tachyon Dampener. 30Kt, 100 hitpoints. Will absorb a fraction of weapon-destroying attacks.
-Hardened Mini-Shield Generator I/II/III. 10kT, provides 25/45/65 shield points, regenerates 2/4/6 points/turn.
Provides 20/30/40 armor points. Requires shield tech level 3/6/9. Requires Armor tech 3/5/7.
-Mini-Shield Regenerator I/II/III. 5kT, regenerates 2/3/4 points per turn. Requires shield tech level 5/7/10.
-increased max armor tech to 11
-Added new combo-tech components
-Telepathic Armor I/II/III
-BioCrystal Armor I/II/III
-Bio-Engineered Fanatic (Troop Cockpit)
-Psychic Stun Crystals I/II/III
-Accelerated Psychic Sensors I/II/III
-Harmonic Shielding I/II/III
-Spirit Crew Quarters


Emissive Armor Classic by Suicide_junkie:
-Added Emissive Armor Classic. Not working yet because emissive armor in general is screwed up. But when
emissive armor gets fixed, it should negate the first X points of damage every hit, taking that X off of the
damage that gets through (currently if the damage is greater than the emissive ability of the armor, the full
damage goes through).


Mount Mods by DeathStalker:
-Mounts for weapons have been added to give each of the different ship sizes different roles in combat instead
of 'bigger ship, bigger guns' that exists now.
-Destroyers have extended range weapons (+25% cost, +2 Range, -10 to hit)
-Cruisers have Pulsed Weapons (+25% to hit, +25% damage, +1 rng, +100% cost)
-High Energy Focus Mount has been added for Baseships (5x cost/tonnage, 8x damage/Supplies, -1 Range, +10 to hit)


Point-Defense Mount by Daynarr:
-Added Daynarr's Point-Defense mount mods for Weapons Platforms and Bases. Increases range of Point-Defense Weapons
for these units when these mounts are used.


Intel_Fix 1.1 mod by Lucas:
This modification is designed to make the AI players' use of Intelligence more effective. To help the AI,
I have restricted them from using less effective Intelligence projects, or projects
(like "Force Concentrations") which they aren't clever enough to use effectively.

To gain access to all of the Intelligence projects, be sure to research "Human Intel".

If you don't research "Human Intel", then the only Intelligence projects you will have access to will be the ones I have restricted the computer to using, which are:

Ship Bomb
Crew Insurrection
Cargo Bomb
Anarchy Groups
Puppet Political Parties
Technological Espionage
Technological Sabotage
Intelligence Sabotage
Counter - Intelligence Level 1
Counter - Intelligence Level 2
Counter - Intelligence Level 3


TDM-ModPack Version 1.72:
-Added mods from TDM-ModPack 1.72
-(1) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Earth Alliance" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Randy Stuce and other artists and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).
-(2) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Narn Regime" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Randy Stuce and other artists and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).
-(3) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Toron Confederation" - Version 2.01 (with shipset by Klaus Lehtonen and AI/speech files by K126 Mephisto).
-(4) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Darlok" - Version 1.65 (with shipset by Don Phillips a/k/a Voidhawk, AI files by Tampa_Gamer and speech file by John Zamarra).
-(5) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Sergetti" - Version 1.71 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).
-(6) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Xi'Chung" - Version 1.32 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).
-(7) Revised default AI_Planet_Types file to tweak planet selection for AI (by Daynarr).
-(8) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Piundon - Version 1.10 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Tampa_Gamer, speech file by John Zamarra)
-(9) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Rage Collective" - Version 2.0 (with shipset and AI files by Alpha Kodiak)
-(10) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Battle Star Galactica - Colonials" - Version 1.10 (with shipset by Dracus and AI files by Tampa_Gamer)
-(11) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Norak" - Version 1.11 (with default shipset from Malfador Machinations, AI files by Daynarr).
-(12) New formations.txt file that includes 8 new formations (made by Tampa_Gamer and Daynarr)
-(13) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Pyrochette" - Version 1.2 (with shipset by Grand Mausic Yith Saulkar and AI files by Master Belisarius).
-(14) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Klingon" - Version 1.35c (with shipset by Atrocities and others, AI files by God Emperor and speech file by Dracus).
-(15) Complete AI Race files and Shipset for "Romulan" - Version 1.35c (with shipset by Atrocities and others and AI files by God Emperor).

[Daynarr]

I am d/l your mod as I type, so I should have it testing very soon.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Devnullicus:
-Added Ablative Armor I/II/III/IV/V (AI will not seem to use this armor -- no idea why not)

---

Just to explain this.
AI doesn't care for the KT of the armor. When AI decides which armor gives better protection it just looks at damage resistance. I know it sucks but that is how it is.

[Devnullicus]

That's the reason I took out the Heavy Shield Generators -- they WERE being used...to the exclusion of everything else because they were so d*mn big.

*sigh*....my new mantra lately "Stupid AI"

[Trachmyr]

To get the AI to use abaltive armor, simply create a few tech trees... each one with a diffrent armor type, or if you put them all into one tree... give them a 2nd prerequisite that is diffrent between each armor... then make sure the AI has only researched the Armor-type that you want it to use. I've had to to this with a few things to get the AI to only use specific componets (Sensors, Stealth, Armor, PD, and others).

As for the shields... it can be a problem, you could create a few AI's that only use heavy shield generators once available by doing the same as above, but you'd have to calculate space on the designs carefully. OR you can give the smaller shield a ability tag like for something you've removed from the game (For instance, I've removed "Emergency Supplies", thus that "ability is freed up), then require the ship design to have a few of that ability (Just set the ability bonus to 0)... so your smaller ships wouldn't have any "shields" but a few "emergency supplies"... which ofcourse means the smaller shields! ...but that means that you have to remove an exisiting ability... your choice!

[This message has been edited by Trachmyr (edited 05 May 2001).]

[mottlee]

Dev, I got your mod to work again, how ever the Sat jets are not there in the build window it is in the comps file but I can not use them??


------------------
mottlee@gte.net
"Kill em all let God sort em out"

[Devnullicus]

That's a bug I fixed in Version 1.3 of my mod. However, they don't work in any case due to some hard-coding, so don't worry about it =)

[Stockman]

Behold!! Our new gaming god Sir: Devnullicus.
What he has added and gave us I think top gaming companies take a couple of years to give us.
I stand back with awe and thank you for giving us this added treat to a great game.

[javaslinger]

Sorry, for the perhaps dumb question...

I understand the Dev mod and the TDM mod are two seperate.

Are there efforts to combine these into one 'ultimate' mod? OR will they be forever two seperate though perhaps somehow confusingly combined mods?

Please! I vote combine them! Work together!

KEn

[Suicide Junkie]

I believe Dev is trying to incorporate as much of TDM as possible, and adjusting the AIs a bit so they research up to the new max tech levels.

BTW: I just discovered a wee little but with the Crossover techs I supplied.

Bio-Crystal Armor: Num tech requirements should be 2. Right now it is ignoring the crystalline requirement.
Psychic Armor: Num tech requirements should be two also. Same reason, but Psychic.

SE4 didn't give me an error about having more requirements than I said I had, it just ignored the rest.

You may want to add more to the organic and mineral costs of the psychic and biocrystal armors, respectively.

Beware the bio-crystal! The crystalline shield regen keeps you from taking too much damage while the armor heals .
I may upgrade the Psychic armor to get a weak, range 1 psychic attack, for balance.

[Devnullicus]

SJ: already fixed the tech level error =)
And I changed the costs.
So, way ahead of ya =)

Javaslinger: Yes, I am trying to integrate the mods. We'll see how it goes. See the thread "TDM/Dev" for more details.