Balancing Technologies

[LT411]

See the attached HTML file for tables that contain the Balanced Design for SE4 Technologies, Facilities, and Components.

I finally have time to take on the massive task of re-designing SE4. The main reason I'm doing this is because I want to play the game, but need to balance it in order to enjoy it.

The AI will be updated so all races support the changes.

What I've basically done is re-assign all of the abilities supported by the engine to facilities and components. I've followed the existing design where possible to minimize potential problems, but have freely changed things where I have a good reason to do so.

Feedback is always welcome, fellow modders can feel free to use any ideas they like from the Balancing Modpack.

--LT411

[Suicide Junkie]

Did you intend to have terraforming available ONLY to organic tech races?
You realize that that trait would give a race just over 4 times the facility spaces of any other race (since breathables get 5x, and 1/5th of planets are already breathable)

[LT411]

Good point. I usually play the game with the 'only colonize breathable' setting so it didn't seem that important to me; but your right. I'll have to make that generally available and give the organics something else. Let me know if you find any other problems.

Thanks for the feedback.
--LT.

[Suicide Junkie]

Your Cube facility will probably not work right under V1.41

See Nature Shrine Bug / Intelligence Bug

Predictive Targeting Center Temporal
Damage Modifier - System
"Targetting" should increase accuracy, not damage. If you already had ~200% accuracy to hit a ship, then maybe you could get more damage by targetting structural weak points.

Time-Efficiency Center Temporal
Reduced Maintenance Cost - System
How about a "Temporal Decelerator" or "Cronoton Disruptor" for the same effect. "Reduces the flow of time in the system, leading to reduced maintenance costs. The device is turned off during combat situations."

Faith Shield
Religious
Planet - Shield Generation
I reccommend that you replace "Planet - Shield Generation" with "Phased Shield Generation"
You get the same effect, but it is proof against PPBs.

Platforms
Platforms
Combat To Hit Defense Minus
No effect here; the planet already has a -200% defense modifier.

Bio Scanner
Organic Technology
Sensor Level (EM Passive)
Bio Cloaking Device
Organic Technology
Cloak Level (EM Passive)
How about "Chameleon hull" for the cloak? I'm not sure what to call the scanner ("bug eyes")

As for all of the cloaks:
If those are racial techs, as I assume they still are, you would only be able to hide from alien races if you have every racial tech they have.
EG. If you had a gravitic cloak, then Temporal sensors would see you.

If they are not racial techs, it would be possible to hide from anyone until you hit max tech. Still, you'd have to research 5 different areas (and spend 200KT on your ship) to get an all-around cloak, while the defender needs only to research one area and place one component.

[LT411]

You raise some good points. I've cleaned up the tables and attached them to this message.

The nature shrine bug is just something Users will need to be aware of. I'll leave the cube in for now. It may be fixed in a patch.

I think I'll leave the cloaking the way it is too. The racial techs are expensive and that's one of the advantages they get. Players won't normally be able to hide from their specialized scanners. The scan / cloak levels only come into play when two races with the same racial tech mix it up.

Regards,
--LT

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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The scan / cloak levels only come into play when two races with the same racial tech mix it up.

---

That is, two players with the EXACT same choice of racial techs. If one player has two of 'em, then he'll be able to see the enemy ships with even his most basic scanner, and hide from the enemy with advanced cloaks.

I really think you should have some cloak options available for regular shmoe races.

EG. Master Computer: Psychic cloak since there are no minds aboard.
Stealth armor: Good against Passive EM, OK against Active EM

It is also required that a schmoe race have some sort of sensor tech, otherwise they will be totally unable to defend their empire.

[LT411]

I like the master computer / psychic cloak since the player will want to send computer controlled ships against psychic enemies anyway.

All races have access to Tachyon Sensors and Cloaking for the EM Active scanning type.

Perhaps players can beg, borrow, or steal cloaking technologies if they really want it.

--LT

[LT411]

I have expanded the tables in the attached HTML file to show all the facilities, vehicles, and components in the redesign.

I think I can make the AI use fleets of mixed size ships instead of just the largest.

Feedback is always welcome.
--LT

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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Perhaps players can beg, borrow, or steal cloaking technologies if they really want it.

---

Only one ship at a time, since it is a racial tech.

Would you be interested in making the cloaking device tech stealable by others, but not researchable? It is fairly easy to do, and players would then guard their cloaks jealously.
Whenever they lose the tech to some other race, they would be forced to research an extra level higher in their cloaking and sensors areas, then guard the new tech.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Just a few things (some of these are personal preferences, ignore if you wish):

I notice sphereworld components are gone, but ringworld components still exist. Was that on purpose?

I think it's a little too easy to get the atmosphere converters. Maybe move the first one to level 6 of Conservation, the second at level 9, and the third at level 11 (after resource converter).

I also noticed you took out a lot of hull sizes; I agree with a couple of those, but the Light Cruiser is a fairly useful size for certain things (i.e., repair bays). I also think the Carrier hulls ought to be linked to fighter tech somehow; after all, why have a carrier unless you have fighters?

I like the structure for propulsion, but I'd want to see numbers before making a final verdict - i.e., how is an "Engine 2" better than an "Engine 1"? Especially since it looks like the engine bonuses have all been allocated to other devices.

More on Stellar Manipulation: only one type of warp point opener? What's the distance limitation? And only one each create/destroy planet? What size can it create/destroy?

Putting the talisman at Religious 3 might make Religious too powerful too early. Then again, I didn't see any weapons specific to Religious Tech; that would be a nice addition...

You may have trouble with the auto-cannons; ISTR that the auto-fire ability isn't triggered by ships moving.

And the name Mental Flailer should be changed when you move the weapon to Temporal. Something like "Reaction Disruptor" and the description refers to altering the enemy crew's sense of timing. Oh, and the Temporal maintenance reducer could be an "Entropy Reducer" that slows down the rate at which entropy increases in a system, thus reducing maintenance.

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