TDM-modpack compatability question:

[dumbluck]

I was thinking of making some minor mods to the game. Not adding new comp. or ships or anything, just editing a few existing settings. For example, I think it is kind of ridiculous that a dreadnaught can travel just as quickly w/the same # of engines as a ship w/ much less inertia to overcome (ie escort, dest, etc).

Now, I know there was a somewhat.... energetic discussion about this subject and about how to fix it. There were some pretty complicated theories, in fact. However, since this is my first mod, I want to keep it SIMPLE. So i thought that the easiest way to do this was to just assign some movement bonuses to the smaller hull sizes.

Speaking of engines, I also though that it was silly to spend all those research points on propulsion just to get a measly 20 minerals knocked off the price per engine. So I'm thinking of increasing the supply storage per engine slightly per lvl. (eg lvl 1: 500s, lvl 2: 600s, lvl 3: 700s) I 'm going to write that one off as increased fuel efficiancy.

Now I doubt THAT one will cause any problems; after all, EVERYONE uses engines!

I was also thinking of increasing the weights of both the fighter bays and the fighters themselves. I find it hard to believe that one carrier can support more that about 100 fighters max. (this one is still pretty much up in the air, tho. I may not bother with it yet till I get more exp. w/fighters.

My question is this: Will the TDM race be able to account for all this, and perhaps not give up on the small hull sizes so quickly, or will they just ignore the changes and go on their merry way? Will changes like these mess up the races?

thanx in advance for your help.

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May your Life prosper and your Dreams be sweet.

[This message has been edited by dumbluck (edited 13 May 2001).]

[jc173]

Regarding use of smaller hulls, most AI's will use the largest hull available normally. However some of the TDM races have been modded so that they construct ships of the same type in different weight classes, just depends on what the modder did with them.

[Marty Ward]

Assigning movement to hull type will not present any problems to the AI and is a good way of keeping the small hulls useful. I have done this before.
You could even try adding negative movment to larger hulls if you want to adjust them but I don't know if this works.
Consider adding both regular and combat movement to the hulls for variety.

[dumbluck]

quote:

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Originally posted by Marty Ward:
Assigning movement to hull type will not present any problems to the AI and is a good way of keeping the small hulls useful. I have done this before.

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Ok. Thanks for the info.

quote:

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You could even try adding negative movment to larger hulls if you want to adjust them but I don't know if this works.

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I had thought about that, as well. I haven't really worked out exactly the bonuses I'm going to give yet, I was wanting to make sure it wouldn't cause problems.

quote:

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Consider adding both regular and combat movement to the hulls for variety.

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Ok. now you lost me. I didn't know there was two types of movement. What is the difference between them?

Anyway, thanx for helping me out.

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May your Life prosper and your Dreams be sweet.

[Marty Ward]

There are two different movement abilities you can assign to a hull, standard and combat. If you assign standard movement you it's like having additional engines. If you assign combat movement it like having afterburners for ships.
Check out the Abilities file to get the exact wording for the abilities. If you add abilities remember to change the number of abilities line in the hull.
You can mix and match as you like, ie escorts get 2 extra standard moves and 3 extra combat moves and destroyers get only 1 extra combat move etc.

[dumbluck]

quote:

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Originally posted by Marty Ward:
You can mix and match as you like, ie escorts get 2 extra standard moves and 3 extra combat moves and destroyers get only 1 extra combat move etc.

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Would these be cumulative? Ie 2 standard movement points and 1 extra combat move =3 extra movement in combat. Is that correct?

[DirectorTsaarx]

To discuss another aspect of the proposed mod, ISTR that others have tried increasing the supply storage of the -II and -III Versions of engines; the only problem they had was with the AI using engines instead of supply storage components, and ending up with extra engines in AI designs (!). So you may want to increase the amount stored in supply storage components as well (which makes sense anyway, since the supply storage components take up more room (tonnage) than engines).

[Nitram Draw]

IIRC as long as you don't make the engines store more supply than the supply component the AI shouln't use engines as the supply component. The AI seems to look for the ability then the amount.

[Nitram Draw]

It would work out to 2 extra combat moves, 2 standard moves/2 + 1 extra combat move.

[dumbluck]

Thank u 4 the heads-up ob that. And you are right, sup storage SHOULD store more.