Darloks 1.30 Posted (finally)

[Tampa_Gamer]

Tampa_Gamer Darloks Version 1.30
01/07/01
Space Empires IV Version 1.19

This AI race is the compilation of at least 100+ hours of tweaking and testing. Many thanks to Aaron and the rest of his team for this game. I have not spent this many hours on a 4x space game since the MOO days and even then there were only a handful of patches and very little interaction with the programmers! Also special thanks to Shrapnel for two great games (AoA:WDK2K and SE4) in one year!

This AI race can be added to both tweaked and "pure" games b/c I have not modified any components, facilities or research techs.

The zip file is set-up to extract the files to the proper directories and contains the following:

(1) A fixed Version of the "Default_AI_DesignCreation.txt" (the Last patch did not update certain abilities contained in this file, thus the computer players were not using Combat Sensors or ECM components. This will most likely be fixed in the next patch, but here it is for now. NOTHING ELSE WAS CHANGED IN THIS FILE.

(2) An augmented "Formations.txt" file that includes one additional custom formation for the Darloks. NONE OF THE ORIGINAL FORMATIONS WERE MODIFIED.

(3) A custom race called the "Darlok" based loosely on the infamous MOO race. All AI files have been built (almost) from scratch. Nyx from Twin Galaxies is working on a speech file for this race which will be incorporated in the next Version. The current speech file has some lines from MOO2 built in, but nothing fancy. I am not a graphics artist, so the graphics were slightly modified from the cousins of the Darloks, the Xiati.

(4) Three .EMP files called "Darlok 2000" "Darlok 3000" and "Darlok 5000" for their respective racial points used.

(5) New design name file with 750+ entries based on legal terminology (sorry, could not resist).

KNOWN LIMITATIONS: (many of these have already been posted in my "Bugs/Wish-List" thread on the Shrapnel Games Board

(1) The biggest advantage the Darlok had was their stealthy ships. I had originally included a new racial trait called "Stealthy" and correspending components available only to races with this ability. However, during playtesting it appears that NONE of the AI races use the cloaking ability at anytime, so it was removed temporarily until this is fixed in a (hopefully) forthcoming patch.

(2) The second biggest advantage the Darlok had was their Intel capability. Although I have given them a considerable Intel boost via racial %, the text files currently do not let you prioritize the Intel projects by a certain race. This leads to many projects. Most races have between 8-12 projects outstanding at a time with very long completion times. My suggested fixed was to have a file similar to the research file where races can have a priority order and % operating at a time (again similar to the research file). This would accomplish (A) specifying certain races to have aggressive, neutral or defensive projects depending on their demeanor and AI_State and (B) eliminate the current problem of inefficent use of Intel Points.

(3) A custom "Strategies" file was removed temporarily until a forthcoming patch causes the game to read custom strategy files in the individual races subdirectory. Currently, all races share the same default file and I did not want to alter all the races.

(4) The selection of planet types by the AI needs a lot of tweaking which is not currently available via modifying the text files. I have suggested a field to base the decision on "static" resource % amounts instead of "relative" to each other.

(5) Periodically all races (even the EA) will "pause" and not produce anything for a set number of turns even though there are sufficient resources. My theory is that they can only read so many "construction queues" per turn in the .txt file, but I will continue to tweak this.

(6) Still working on the designs to allow the Darloks to utilize stolen technology.

As this will be a continual work-in-process, please forward all tweaks, suggestions and bugs found to me at ctraber@ngn-tampa.com.

Have Fun!
-Tampa_Gamer


[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 08 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 08 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 09 January 2001).]

[Tampa_Gamer]

Version 1.31 is now over in the download section. I just caught two errors when I got home regarding spacing in the Facilities and Vehicles construction file as a result of Last-minute changes. Thats what I get!! Anyway, I sincerely apologize to anyone who already downloaded it, but I will bet you found the Darlok very quiet after turn 50!

Here are the two files for those of you who already downloaded Version 1.30.

Again, sorry for the screw-up.

[KiloOhm]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tampa_Gamer:
Ok, this is embarassing replying to my own post - but has anyone tried installing and running the 1.31 Version yet? Any bugs? Please let me know how it is doing in your games or any bugs you find b/c I can only playtest it so much, the real test is when other people install it.

Thanks
Tampa_Gamer

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I installed it with no problems. I could open and select the race (all 3 point values)and the racial points seemed right. I started a random game so I don't know if they are included as an enemy yet (or do I have to edit some setting file to get the computer to select them as an AI race?).




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Regards,
KiloOhm

[jpinard]

I like them a lot!!!!

[Tampa_Gamer]

Jpinard-

Thanks.


KiloOhm-

I don't know if the game will randomnly add custom AI races or not, but my guess is not. I did place them in "Personality Group" 2, but I don't know the precise method of how the computer randomnly picks from the .emp files, etc. Anybody else know the answer to this? I know I always add them - choose the "Add Existing" option in the setup menu under players, then choose the "Darlok XXXX" file, where XXXX is the amount of racial points new races are using in that particular game.

[Tomgs]

The computer uses the races I have downloaded all the time. I have 5 or 6 races and 3 or 4 neutral races that I have downloaded. I just made the txt files for the ones that didn't have them already and the computer will randomly select races from the \SEIV\pictures\races folder. If there is missing information you will get errors however so you have to make sure that all txt files are in place and they are compatable with the latest patch.

[Londo]

Hey TampaGamer, any plans for other Moo or Moo2 races? I know that two of my personal Favorites were the Mrrshan and the Bulrathi. It would be rally great if we could get more of those old great races created and interact with the SE4 default races and all of the cool mods out there. Imagine the Intelligence wars that could occur between the Darloks and the Romulans for example.

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Vir! You have made a mess of this post once again, now give me a large cup of brivari so that I may begin to forget the bad times and remember the glory of the great Centauri Republic.

[Tampa_Gamer]

Ok, this is embarassing replying to my own post - but has anyone tried installing and running the 1.31 Version yet? Any bugs? Please let me know how it is doing in your games or any bugs you find b/c I can only playtest it so much, the real test is when other people install it.

Thanks
Tampa_Gamer

[Tampa_Gamer]

Could you please send me a savegame and let me know what type of game you were playing (i.e. tech level, # planets, type of warp points, etc.). Was there anything in their queue? Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Tampa_Gamer (edited 11 January 2001).]

[Tampa_Gamer]

Could be, but probably not until another patch is out. As it stands, I want to tweak the Darlok a bit more. In the next week, the Darlok AI files (updated with somet weaking I have done to the ships designs and construction queue) will be combined into Voidhawk's shipset and a special speech file created for them by Nyx.