FQM 5.00 Beta 2

[Atrocities]

Looking forward to using it.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I didn't mean to use the Mod I said to use the python and create custom "tweaking and fiddling". I don't know how to use python and would prefer using a program made by another. Such as Devnulls editor for components but in this case easy system generation.

[Fyron]

Its really easy to modify a quadrant in notepad or similar. Systems are not much harder. A GUI editor is not going to be able to do much to make it any simpler, other than a list/tree view of names to click on instead of the ctrl-f search mechanism.

The python scripts just make it easy to add a new system type, and add it to all quadrants automatically, keeping chance values mathematically sound. Their primary purpose is to keep track of all the data and variants. FQM SE4 got out of hand. The scripts certainly aren't necessary for tweaking the data. Maybe if whoever makes a GUI editor for quadrant type stuff implements that sort of functionality, it would actually be useful. Hint, hint.

[Atrocities]

You should consider writing up a small tutorial or something about the need to know and how to's of quadrant modding Fyron.

[Fyron]

I did. That's for SE4, but its pretty much the same thing with SE5, until you get to dealing with the actual object models and such.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Well that's not encouraging to hear. That there isn't an easier way. As for rewriting those files I have already. In fact I don't think there isn't a single file that I haven't rewriting by now. I've done everything from the lowliest ship name lists to my current complete from a blank sheet of paper write of the AI. Suggestions like the one I made here aren't for my benefit, it is for those who who are yet to try it. In that regards I still think some form of GUI editor would be beneficial. If for no other reason than to lessen the "psychic blow"; know what I mean?

[President_Elect_Shang]

I have been so frustrated trying to get my systems to generate and nothing, I mean nothing at all seemed to work. Everything would be fine until I would insert my PlanetSizes.txt file then the whole thing would go nuts. Systems without warp points, missing planets, all kinds of chaos. I just couldn't understand why it wouldn't work. Well I just finished retyping the entire thing using an unmoded PlanetSizes.txt from Stock. I did each line of each planet size one at a time and you know what? IT WORKS JUST FINE! Why oh why? I have two copies of the same text of the same file name and one works and the other doesn't! WHY!!!!

Anyway Fyron the nebula are nice but there is so many in the systems (nebula type) it slows my old computer to a crawl! Can you do something about that? Oh and if I get a system with both nebula and asteroid belts (the systems without planets) I might as well go out for a cup of tea or coffee. A ship in that kind of system may be done moving by the time I come back; may! Too bad the nebula don't work like black holes, they don't slow me down much at all.

[Fyron]

How do other people find the performance of the nebulae type systems?

President_Elect_Shang said:
"Anyway Fyron the nebula are nice but there is so many in the systems (nebula type) it slows my old computer to a crawl! Can you do something about that?"

You can... ahem... edit a line in the python script (solar_systems.py) and rerun it to reduce the storm count. This line, around 1357, controls how many storm objects go into the nebula systems:

num_storms = 70

Or you could manually go into the SystemTypes.txt file and reduce the number of objects lines for the 10 Nebulae systems. Don't delete storms, just reduce the number of objects the system will use. Both methods would have the same end result.

There is also another option, reducing the count of clouds in each storm object. This could be altered by going into XFileClasses_Stellar.txt and finding the Nebulae Type # entries. In the Bitmap Effects section, you will see lines called:

Effect # Duplicate Count := 10

If you reduce these values, you will cause SE5 to draw fewer clouds in each storm object. Note that there are 4 types of cloud for each storm, so you will want to make sure to reduce all of them equally.

If you want to do a little experimenting, you could perhaps tell me what storm settings give you a decent framerate.

"Oh and if I get a system with both nebula and asteroid belts (the systems without planets) I might as well go out for a cup of tea or coffee."

What system type are you referring to, exactly? The Asteroid Belt (1 ring of asteroids and a few storms)? The Protostar (a ton of storms (30) and a few asteroids)?

What sort of performance do you get in stock Nebula and Asteroid Belt systems, compared to normal solar systems? Turning on the frame rate display in the game options would be most handy.

"Too bad the nebula don't work like black holes, they don't slow me down much at all."

Every storm has 40 objects. A Nebula has 70 storms. Compare that to a black hole, which has far, far fewer objects rendered. The black hole type rendering also loses the ability to have certain sectors with extra/improved abilities.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I'll avoid the whole python thing and toy with the SystemTypes.txt file first. As for which system I didn't save that game. I was still trying to get my blasted planet sizes to take. If however I run across another one I will let you know. I clearly recall the system had a star and that it was predominantly nebula with only a smattering of asteroids. Since I would like to repeat this problem I will avoid tampering with the settings for now.