SE5 Modding: Variable and functions wishes

[Elsemeravin]

President_Elect_Shang said:
Vehicle Mounts my foot! I want it to work so I can create components with costs based on the size of the hull they are being placed in!

So I would add::

20. Make Function Get_Vehicle_Size() (returning tonnage of ship hull) work.
File: Components.txt, ComponentEnhancements.txt

[MrToxin]

24. The ability to play with the maximum population size of a planet with facilities and/or research. It'd be nice to make Planet Maximum Population actually do something or let the Planet Size files take on formulas.

Facilities.txt and PlanetSize.txt

No amount of tinkering has let me do this.

[Raapys]

I'd really like to see the ability to add more vehicle types: right now we can only add new unit types. Being able to add vehicle types instead of just having 'ships' of different sizes would greatly ease work with components and mounts.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I'm not sure what you mean by new vehicle types. You can do that. In the SFTC I have added the shuttle, IDW, Pinnace, and HAWK Pod to name one or two. They aren't just repeats of vehicles sizes from stock, they are each unique and have there own advantages. You can set the abilities of vehicles in the same file. Want to create a atmospheric fighter or an atmospheric assault ship, or an atmospheric carrier. Want a special hull that can't warp?

[Raapys]

By new vehicle types I mean adding new categories such as 'Base' or 'Ship'. What you're talking about is adding new ships.

The game already allows you to create new vehicle types, but they all end up with unit behaviour( i.e. they stack in system view, etc.), unfortunately.

As I mentioned, the biggest advantage of this would be that you could simply put your new vehicle type in the 'Vehicle Types Allowed' field in components.txt to easily restrict weapons/components to certain vehicles without using mounts or other complex formulas.

[Phoenix-D]

It won't stop them from appearing in the components list, but you can stop a component from being usable for a vehicle size simply by adding a requirement to the hull.

[Raapys]

Yah, but that could mean creating a ton of extra requirements for each ship.

At any rate, being able to add new vehicle types would mean that we could more specifically specify which weapons can target which ships, too. Say you wanna make a special ship that can only be hit by a certain weapon, etc.

Not saying there aren't other ways to do this; there usually are. I'm just saying it would make the whole thing way easier and less formula'ish.

By the way, anyone know how the Range Formula for component abilities is supposed to be used?

[Suicide Junkie]

We need supply and ordnance storage abilities to work on facilities too.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I'll second that!

[nesrall]

Examples of ideas

If (Does_Enemy_use_Component_With_Name("Shield Generators") then
set primary_weapon := "Phased - Polaron Beam"

If (Does_Enemy_use_Component_With_Name("Crystalline Torpedo")then
set AI_Design_Tonnage_Ship_Pct_Shields := + 5
set AI_Design_Tonnage_Ship_Pct_Armor := -5

// Does warp point already have units in sector?
Sys_Get_Number_Of_Units_In_Space_Sector does not seem to return correctly if at all over a warp point.

A function to list colonies in defense location systems as a defense location sector to protect.

A function to return colony date creation.

A function for a drone minister.

A function returning number of nonvisible sectors in a system.

A function returning a random nonvisible sector in a system.

A function returning if one player has violated his treaty with another empire.

My apologies here for straying a small bit off thread but stock SEV resupply depots are way off, a resupply depot at level 20 supplies(without bonuses) generates just 3000 supplies per turn. While a fleet of only 10 ships will use well over 5000 supplies in just one movement phase.