Pirates and Nomads

[Rainstorm]

I downloaded the P&N mod and am starting out, my question is, where can I find information on the basic idea of the mod? I see that I can be a pirate or nomad race, but I'm not sure exactly how this is different from a regular empire.

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by Rainstorm:
I downloaded the P&N mod and am starting out, my question is, where can I find information on the basic idea of the mod? I see that I can be a pirate or nomad race, but I'm not sure exactly how this is different from a regular empire.

There are many threads on the subject, but I understand they are a little long. Here's my quick and dirty explanation of Pirates.

Normal is just that. You colonize, build miners, send ships out to conqueur the galaxy. Their goal is to rule the entire galaxy.

A pirate can't colonize. And they can't build miners, farms, and refiners. They start with the technology to capture ships and to build small shipyards. They steal ships, scrap them for resources to build ships of their own, deconstruct them to acquire new technology, or just keep them as attack ships. Their goal is to be a perpetual thorn in the side of those normals with their delusions of galactic conquest. Bah, they may rule the galaxy, but they can't take the freedom of space from us. Arrg, matey.

Oh, by the way, propulsion is totally redone to be quasi-newtonian. So load up those swashbucker destroyers of yours with engines, you can get them going much faster than speed 6.

I never tried nomads, but they get a component that allows them to recycle everything, so maintenance is tiny for them. Likewise, they have no colonizing ability. Playing both as a pirate and a nomad is a little cheezy -- but I did it anyway. Pretty cool. Nothing cost me anything.

[Suicide Junkie]

Try the bottom of page 2, in the "A Pirate's Life For Me" thread.

The biggest things to watch out for are:
- Quasi-Newtonian Propulsion (Carefully watch the speed of your design as you add engines)
- Racial crossover techs. Buy two racial techs, get a component that uses both!
- Shields/Armor: phased shields come early, and armor can be stronger than shields.
- Some weapons have been tweaked: APB is weaker, Torpedoes have accuracy bonus, WMG is really long range.
-Units use tiny-mounted ship components! Watch out for WMG fighters

In addition to what Arkcon said, when playing as a Pirate or Nomad, feel free to use tactical combat, and any move (except cheat codes) that will give you an advantage over the AI. You will need it

[ September 16, 2002, 17:45: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[geoschmo]

SJ, Are you planning on adding that new style QNP that was discussed a while back? The one that's mount based?

Geoschmo

[Rainstorm]

I really like what I've seen so far SJ! Very innovative! I'm really liking the living ships trait.

[Suicide Junkie]

Mount-Based, you say?
I can see a few ways how that could be better; how was it going to work?

Rainstorm:
Yeah, Living Ships is pretty useful, and a good reason to keep your repair trait high
The Racial Crossover techs are pretty nifty too (check out the Biocrystal Armor, and the Harmonic Shields)

I like playing a 5000 point game and taking all 6 racial techs, plus living ships You have to take quite a few negative characteristics, but there are a lot of toys to play with

[ September 16, 2002, 19:25: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[geoschmo]

Sorry SJ, I thought you had posted in that thread. I see now you hadn't.

It's an idea Pax came up with. Sounds like a good one to me, but I don't know that much abou tthe ins and outs of QNP.

Anyway, here's the link.

Geoschmo

[Suicide Junkie]

That sounds like a great idea.
It might even allow unmodded AIs to play QNP games!

I wonder what a hybrid EPM/Mount system could do...

[Fyron]

I still don't like that mount-based system. It makes engine damaging weapons either useless, or it makes them require new, heavy mounts to be effective. So, small ships with engine damaging weapons can't hurt the engines of large ships. This stacks combat even more in favor of large ships.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
I still don't like that mount-based system. It makes engine damaging weapons either useless, or it makes them require new, heavy mounts to be effective. So, small ships with engine damaging weapons can't hurt the engines of large ships. This stacks combat even more in favor of large ships.

I think you are reading something into the idea that isn't there. And if it is and I missed it you can certainly take it out. The idea as Pax explained it is each engine would move the ship one MP as it does in the stock game, but that as ships get larger each engine takes up more space indiviually. There is nothing that says the structure has to increase with hull size, only tonnage. So basehip engine under this system will be just as suceptible to engine damaging weapons as escort engines.

Geoschmo