SE 4 Deluxe/Gold Various Questions

[Dethgod74]

Hi folks,

After playing both demos, I like SE 4 Deluxe/Gold much better than I do SE 5.

That being said, I need to ask some questions, as my friends and I are about to try a 4 player game of SE 4.

I did read all the FAQs I could find and could not find definitive answers for the following questions. I also used searches on both manuals.

1) Game Setup: In setting up the game, is it possible to have both 4 human players and a limited number of AI players, set up with either dumb or medium intelligence?

2) Game Setup: Is it possible, since I have already played, that I can start the game with a 'pre-built' race? IE: I already have my ship designs created and so on?

3) Game Setup: Instead of the GM handing us preset races, is it possible that each player can tailor his race slightly or each CHOOSE his race and fiddle with the settings, as I was able to do in the single player mode?

4) Game Setup: is there an FAQ or Setup guide for PBW/PBEM games? We have had numerous troubles setting up trouble free games of this nature.

5) Facilities: Does each PLANET need a Space Port or do you only need one per SECTOR ?

6) Since this is a rather old game and several links are out of date or have not updated their info to include the latest patch, Where are the definitive sites and where are the definitive FAQs and Strat guides for SE 4 Deluxe/Gold ?


Thanks for your time folks. I'm looking forward to playing against many of you soon.

Regards,

Rob aka dethgod74

[Phoenix-D]

1. Yes. Up to 20 players, any mix of human or AI.
2. sorta. Not initially, but when you've gone through a game you can save and re-use your empire, including the ship designs. Note: this doesn't work as well as it sounds, because you won't be able to build most of them due to too-low tech levels.
3. Yep. Or make a completely new race for that matter. Just have them make their race, then save it and email it to the game master.
4.
5. Per SYSTEM. Note that sector in SE4 terms is an individual square. Keep that in mind or some abilities will confuses the hell out of you.
6.

[Fyron]

6) Note that there is not very much difference between 1.91 (last Gold release) and 1.95 (latest Deluxe). There are a few bug fixes here and there, and new capability for MP3/Ogg Vorbis music support. But other than that, the game is the same. Anything that applies to 1.91 (Gold) applies the same to 1.95.

In terms of FAQs and strategy guides: The SE4 subsection of here (notably the FAQ thread) and the Wiki.

In terms of modding: The Wiki and SEIV Modding 101.

A place to download additional content: SEnet Downloads

[Dethgod74]

Hi folks,

First want to say thanks to Imperator and Phoenix for jumping in and answering my questions.

I could use some clarifications:

Sector = one 'square' on tactical map ?
System = all planets displayed on ONE tactical map ?
or one 'dot' on strategic map ?

Does there exist a spreadsheet with a list of facilities/buildings and technologies and their requirements or dependencies?

Game Setup: If each person wants to pick their own race in a new game, how does the GM set that up?
Example, our GM in our test game allowed us to FTP a file from his website and when we started SE 4, our race was already chosen for us. We did not get to 'spend any points' enhancing any facets of our race 'design.'
Did the GM go a little too far in game setup? Where should he have stopped?

Thanks again for the help here. I haven't played this game in over 8 months (I had to look at an old turn file to verify) so I really appreciate the help.

Once we get the bugs worked out, we're going to invite my two sons (who live out of state) to play.

Many thanks,

Rob aka Dethgod74

[Suicide Junkie]

Combat Map -> System Map -> Galaxy Map

All of the Squares in the combat map are in one System Map square.
All of the Squares/Sectors in the System map are in one Galaxy Map square.

One sector is one square on the System Map

A System is short for "star system". The star(s), planets, storms asteroids, warppoints and empty space between them.


---


The GM needs to first specify all the game settings so that the players can create legal empires. How many racial points, whether intel is disabled or not, and so on.

The players then start SE, and create a new empire. They fill in all the info normally, and then *SAVE EMPIRE*.
This creates an EMP file, which is sent to the GM (by uploading to PBW, for example).

The GM then downloads the EMPs, and starts a new game (filling in all the settings he promised earlier).
The EMP files are loaded via the "add empire from file", importantly *in the order specified by PBW*.
The GM needs to make sure the game filename and master password are set to match what he told PBW they would be.

Note: If the players are added in the wrong order, then the players will get the wrong turns on PBW.
First player in the PBW list needs to be the first player in the game, and so on.

SE4 will generate a .GAM file for 2400.0, and the GM will upload that to PBW via the admin menu, thus officially starting the game.

All players will be sent the .GAM file.
The players play their turns, and when they hit "End Turn", SE4 generates a .PLR file.
The players all upload their .PLR files to PBW (or email them to the GM)

When all PLR files are uploaded, PBW will automatically process the turn, and send out the new .GAM file along with combat, stats, and whatever applies.

If the GM is doing it manually, he downloads the PLR files, loads the game as "host" and hits end turn.
Then the GM zips up all the resulting files (.GAM, CMB, etc) and sends them out to the players.

Repeat until the game is won.

[capnq]

Dethgod74 said: 4) Game Setup: is there an FAQ or Setup guide for PBW/PBEM games?

If you haven't already seen it, the PBW site has a FAQ graphic UI/text UI (PBW's graphic UI is flashier, but slower and doesn't play well with non-IE browsers; the text UI is faster and gets along better with other browsers.)

Phoenix-D said: when you've gone through a game you can save and re-use your empire, including the ship designs. Note: this doesn't work as well as it sounds, because you won't be able to build most of them due to too-low tech levels.

Designs you can't build will be greyed out in the lists, but there no way to filter them.

Dethgod74 said: Does there exist a spreadsheet with a list of facilities/buildings and technologies and their requirements or dependencies?

The raw data for this is in the Data folder (Components.txt, Facility.txt, TechArea.txt). I'm sure someone has made more accessible versions, but I don't have links handy. (My best guess would be somewhere among the modding guides.)

You can get a listing of the complete tech tree by starting a new game and enabling the option "Players can see complete tech tree". This option allows you to export the tech tree from the Research screen. I know someone cleaned that output up into a PDF, but don't have that link handy, either.

capnq
PBW admin

[EaX]

The raw data for this is in the Data folder (Components.txt, Facility.txt, TechArea.txt). I'm sure someone has made more accessible versions, but I don't have links handy. (My best guess would be somewhere among the modding guides.)

You can get a listing of the complete tech tree by starting a new game and enabling the option "Players can see complete tech tree". This option allows you to export the tech tree from the Research screen. I know someone cleaned that output up into a PDF, but don't have that link handy, either.

capnq
PBW admin

I did, linky: http://www.matiasvillagarcia.com.ar/Hidiour/SE4TT.pdf