Peace Station Mod

[Mad Gigerdi 2]

Well, I've now released the Version 0.91 of the Peace Station mod for SE IV. Here's the site:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/psmovie/psmod/

The mod has new technologies, ship sets, AI files and lots of other things too. The mod is fully playable, however some of the ship sets are incomplete and unofficial. In case you got some suggestions, questions, comments or anything just say it.

In case you want Peace Station mod for SE III as well, you can get it from this site: http://koti.mbnet.fi/teenik/hcnf/psmod/

[Fyron]

From site:

You need the image pack 3 in order to get this mod work

Image pack 3? Egads! There are lots of cool images available in the 12 or so Versions of the Image Mod that have been released since Version 3 available.

Scratch that... You included some empty folders in the zip file. There is an empty Mod Info folder, an empty AI folder and an empty Pictures folder (well, they have some more empty folders inside them).

Also, having fewer than 20 races in the mod can cause some weird effects when playing games with random AIs, such as getting a random ship set mixed with a random set of AI files (Phongs using the Jraenar shipset instead of the Phong one, for example).

It appears as if you did not actually use the Image Mod for this mod, but instead just copied some images from it and moved them to the empty slots in the default Comps/Facilities files. Normally, the purpose of using the Image Mod is to just use the images in the spots they are in in the Image Mod, and instruct people to download it. This saves hard drive space and download time, as you do not have to download the same image files over and over and over again.

RE: Specific Racial Traits
Is there an option for playing a race without one of the specific racial traits (Bacterian, IPA, Gigerdian, etc.)? If not, why do they all cost so much? The only effect that has is to drop the points available to all races, which can be accomplished simply by picking a lower point total when starting the game up. The Bacterian is the only one that is cheaper. Perhaps just make it -500 cost, so they get 500 more points than other races (if it is really that much weaker, ofc)?

I am fairly certain that the troop strength modifying ability used by the Ground Base does not actually work. Have you tested it and seen evidence to the contrary?

Keep in mind that system happiness affecting facilities do NOT stack, so having so many available might be a little redundant.

Universal Colony Modules are finicky. The way SE4 works, it gives each empire the tech to build the Last type of component in the file that can colonize the appropriate planet type. So, all races will get the UCM by default with the UCM being after the standard CMs. But, if you place it before them, the AI will not be able to ever use them. But, you can trick them by adding dummy abilities to the CMs, and call for those instead. A dummy ability is one that does nothing on a component, but can still be used for AI design purposes.

Telepathic Sensors will stack with Combat Sensors, as they are in different families. That is a huge amount of total to-hit bonus. Same with ECM and TCM. Advanced Sensors will stack with all of these.

[ August 04, 2003, 03:26: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Mad Gigerdi 2]

I mean with that image pack 3 the image mod 3, which contains the planet pics.

And I fixed the .zip now.

And the lack of races is only because of the lack of races in the PS universe, at least more major races. Still at least Hemmoian ship set will come, when I can get the pics for it. Perhaps some smaller race's ship sets will also come and perhaps the first ones.

I did use the image mod, the images in the facilities I ripped from BOTF, and in the components modified myself as the image mod didn't have those.

I made the racial traits cost much due to the fact that they are quite good, Bacterians don't have so effective racial technology.

And I have not tested the ground base, so I'm not sure does it work properly and even if I had tested it might still be unsure did it work.

I just made system happines facilities for almost every racial trait so that's really the main reason there is so many of them.

Universal colony really only saves design time and really almost should be the only colony module type as in PS universe any colony ship can colonize any planet, but for now all of them will remain.

[Fyron]

I mean with that image pack 3 the image mod 3, which contains the planet pics.

They really are not numbered, except Version numbers. I suggest changing it to say the Planet Pack of the Image Mod or somesuch.

I made the racial traits cost much due to the fact that they are quite good, Bacterians don't have so effective racial technology.

Yes, but if every race has to take one, all that does is drop everyone's points by 1000.

[Rollo]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
...Universal Colony Modules are finicky. The way SE4 works, it gives each empire the tech to build the Last type of component in the file that can colonize the appropriate planet type. So, all races will get the UCM by default with the UCM being after the standard CMs. But, if you place it before them, the AI will not be able to ever use them. But, you can trick them by adding dummy abilities to the CMs, and call for those instead. A dummy ability is one that does nothing on a component, but can still be used for AI design purposes.

Unversal colony modules are not a problem for the AI at all. You have to place them above the standard modules in the file and just give them a higher tech requirement (i.e. number of tech levels needed) than standard modules.
The AI will use them just fine, no bogus abilities or changes of designs needed.

Rollo

[Mad Gigerdi 2]

Well I didn't change that image mod 3 thingy, but added some more stuff after it since in the readme I have it says Image Mod Readme 3 Planets.

And you don't have to pick any racial trait that gives new technology, they are only available for those races that can have unique technology, they are similar to the SE IV's original technology racial traits.

And I may try that thing with the universal colony.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Rollo:
Unversal colony modules are not a problem for the AI at all. You have to place them above the standard modules in the file and just give them a higher tech requirement (i.e. number of tech levels needed) than standard modules.
The AI will use them just fine, no bogus abilities or changes of designs needed.

Rollo

Hmm... sounds good.

[Suicide Junkie]

Well I didn't change that image mod 3 thingy, but added some more stuff after it since in the readme I have it says Image Mod Readme 3 Planets.

I still am totally confused as to the "3" part.

Perhaps you mean "Imagemod Planetpack, Version 3 or higher" ?

The imagemod is a collective term for the four separate packs of image files; Planets, Combat, Components and Facility.
Each pack has Version numbers from 1 to 20 or so, increasing with time as submissions are made.

Since images make for large downloads, the imagemod packs are designed to be placed over top of the original, unmodded files.
Thus, all mods can make use of the files at the same time; only one copy of them needs to be downloaded, and only one needs to remain on the user's harddrive.

Since the larger packs are up to 10 megs zipped, this is a major savings.

Modders such as yourself can use any of the images. You get free access to all of the great pictures, and it doesn't even increase the size of your mod. Most people won't even have to download the imagemod packs, since they will already have them.

[Mad Gigerdi 2]

Well I finally decided the update the mod. Added three new race styles to there.

Also the site has moved to a new location: http://peacestation.no-ip.org/psmovie/psmod/