DevnullMod 1.0 Released!

[Devnullicus]

At long last, DevnullMod 1.0 for Space Empires V is done! Well, done enough to do an initial release, anyway..

Background:
===========
This mod is intended to make a somewhat faster-paced, though still epic-scale game of Space Empires V while addressing some of the balance issues that I have found in the weapons, facilities, and the tech tree. Through the use of the principles of miniaturization (i.e. the higher the tech level, the smaller the component/facility) and durability (the higher the tech level, the stronger the component/facility), and balancing, this mod attempts to introduce a new feel to the game and give a somewhat faster pace to the timing. Research starts out a little slower, but has a much higher potential to build up, usage of minerals, organics, and radioactives is somewhat reduced in many areas and much more balanced in general (i.e. most things don't just use minerals any more, but a more balanced mix of resources).

DevnullMod is NOT a direct port of DevnullMod for Space Empires IV, but there are a few of the same guiding principles. The changelist is just as large, though and I've personally lost track of where the mods have diverged. Suffice it to say, DevnullMod for SEV is a new mod that gives a nod to the previous mod, but is really a new and standalone mod.

This mod was built from a base of Captain Kwok's Balance Mod, V 1.09 and if many of the files look familiar, that's why. I have found Captain Kwok's work to be invaluable and a vast improvement over stock SEV (for many reasons which I won't bother going into here) and thus it was the best choice for a base to start from for DevnullMod. I have also included the readme.txt for the Balance Mod in order to give the reader a better idea of the changes from stock that the Balance Mod introduced.

A full list of changes for DevnullMod is in the history.txt file.

The full list of features along with the download, etc. is on my website. http://www.devnullsoftware.com/se5

[Devnullicus]

Also, if anyone would like to post this announcement other places, I'm fine with that. I would post it myself on SpaceEmpires5.com, but for some reason, it won't let me log in any more. It says I'm online in the "who's online" window, but it won't let me post and keeps asking for login/password in the upper-left corner. Very annoying.

[se5a]

I'm suprized you didn't wait till the next release of se5.
when it does come out you'll need to do a quick patch to make it compatible.

[Devnullicus]

I've been waiting for several weeks. I got tired of waiting. When it comes out, I'll hopefully have time to make the necessary tweaks to both the editor and the mod. *shrug*

[Randallw]

Well I think my longest and best games in SE4 were with Devnull. I particularly liked that mixing two racial traits created unique components. I'll keep an eye out for a Devnull game.

I see there aren't any unique components, but I see the armour plating and missiles I forgot. Is there something preventing colonise all modules?

[Fyron]

Didn't P&N have some trait mixing too?

[Suicide Junkie]

Most definitely.
Pair up any of the 6 major traits to get crossover techs.

[Devnullicus]

I'd forgotten about that, actually. That sounds like a fun feature to add for the next release of DevnullMod. I'll have to figure out some interesting crossover tech ideas to implement. Any suggestions welcome!

[Tnarg]

Psychic/Religous: ????? named facility - a temple that utilizes the enhanced mental capabilites of the race to facilitiate system wide happiness.

Temporal/Psychic: ????? named facility - This massive facility is able to cloak an entire planet by phasing space time in the area and sending out powerful electrical impulses that trick most minds into beleiving that there is no planet present.

Organic/Religious: Gaia Temple - This shrine is really a terraforming facility that is converting the planet into an optimal planet type for the race turning the atmosphere into one that is breathable and also improving the conditions. (? On becoing a Gaia type planet the organic production on the planet is increased 20% ?)

Sorry I can't think of names for any of these facilities, just wanted to throw some ideas out.

[Tnarg]

Suicide Junkie said:
Most definitely.
Pair up any of the 6 major traits to get crossover techs.

6 major race traits? I thought it was just:

Organic, Religious, Psychic, and Temporal

What are the other two?