Questions About the Coming Gold Patch

[Mephisto]

'In how many text files does the 'Drone Attack' strategy have to be referenced, and using what parameters?'

Sorry, nearly missed this one: Have a look for every file called *_AI_Strategies.txt. These files need the "drone attack" strategy. The "DefaultStrategies.txt" does need it, too. All races added manually over an emp file need the drone strategy in their emp file, too.

You need to add something like this:
Name := Drone Attack
Primary Movement Strategy := Ram
Secondary Movement Strategy := Maximum Weapons Range
Targeting Priority 1 := Has Weapons
Targeting Priority 2 := Strongest
Targeting Priority 3 := Most Damaged
Targeting Priority 4 := Nearest
Use Type Priority First := False
Type Priority Planets := 14
Type Priority Fighters := 3
Type Priority Seekers(On Us) := 5
Type Priority Seekers(On Others) := 10
Type Priority Mines := 6
Type Priority Carriers := 8
Type Priority Colony Ships := 11
Type Priority Transports := 9
Type Priority Bases(No Weapons) := 12
Type Priority Ships(No Weapons) := 13
Type Priority Bases := 2
Type Priority Ships := 1
Type Priority Satellites := 4
Type Priority Drones := 7
Dont Fire On Planets := False
Dont Fire On Fighters := False
Dont Fire On Seekers(On Us) := False
Dont Fire On Seekers(On Others) := False
Dont Fire On Mines := False
Dont Fire On Carriers := False
Dont Fire On Colony Ships := False
Dont Fire On Transports := False
Dont Fire On Bases(No Weapons) := False
Dont Fire On Ships(No Weapons) := False
Dont Fire On Bases := False
Dont Fire On Ships := False
Dont Fire On Satellites := False
Dont Fire On Drones := False
Fighters Launch Group Amount := 10
Break Formation Planets := True
Break Formation Fighters := True
Break Formation Mines := False
Break Formation Carriers := True
Break Formation Colony Ships := True
Break Formation Transports := True
Break Formation Bases(No Weapons) := False
Break Formation Ships(No Weapons) := False
Break Formation Bases := False
Break Formation Ships := False
Break Formation Satellites := True
Break Formation Drones := True

[ 03 April 2002: Message edited by: [K126]Mephisto ]

[Sinapus]

*reads updates posted on another thread*

Aw... drat. Drones can no longer target fighters or other drones. I was going to make a defense drone design that used a strategy with drones and fighters at the top of the target list and see if that would do any damage to drone and fighter swarms.

(Think "defensive mines" from the Crest of the Stars anime series.)

Hopefully that is something that is not hard-coded, but if it is, oh well.

(What is wrong with you people, not one of you have asked the most important question about the patch: When is it going to be released?)

("releaseD", sigh.)

[ 03 April 2002: Message edited by: Sinapus ]

[Clovis]

This has been most informative, Professor Mephisto!

I must confess I had not considered what might be included in those 'sleeper' .EMP files! I have been loading them and reloading them right and left. Obviously it is something in those files that is not recognizing the 'Drone Attack' strategy name! And, by the way, those files are *code* in every meaningful sense of the word. This means that us run-of-the-mill gamers can't mod them except through the game creation interface, right?!

Ergo we have to START with .EMP files that have been created in Version 1.60 -- or are otherwise 1.60 compatible -- in order to have our customized or altered Versions of the stock 'out of the box' races take any advantage of the drone-use coding whatsoever!

This crucial insight, coupled with your sage advice on file-searching for all the text file references, *may* enable me to get 1.60 functioning to my exacting specifications -- with another few hours of modifications, testing, etc. I sure hope so! And personally I certainly see that the game is worth the effort!

However, it doesn't solve what could be seen as Malfador's and Shrapnel's problem of having a game come out of the box functioning in less-than-optimal mode. Still the best one out there, mind you.

.... but could the patch include a clearly-articulated and thoroughly-implemented bipartite or tripartite drone strategy for all races, at the 2000, 3000, and 5000 levels? I'd hate to see those two different types of warheads go to waste!

Otherwise us folks who thought it was clever to copy our old (sometimes customized) .EMP files from previous Versions -- or from the mods that are available here and there -- may encounter the same kind of difficulty over and over again!

[Hmm ... no wonder I couldn't save over that Ferengi .EMP file yesterday!]

[ 05 April 2002: Message edited by: Clovis ]

[Clovis]

So, after all is said and done, does anyone know when the patch is coming out? And does anyone know what the new content regarding Drone AI's might be? Seems to me the use of drones in the game needs to have some sort of standards set. Otherwise new players will be endlessly confused about them.

[Mephisto]

Richard and Aaron said that the patch will be out early next week. There were 3 beta Versions this week so no one should say we were lazy .

Version History for Space Empires IV
---------------------------------------------------

Version 1.67:
1. Fixed - Players created with the existing empires would require a password
when loading an autosave game.
2. Fixed - AI was using construction queue resource rate instead of actual
item cost when computing how many resources remained for purchases.

Version 1.66:
1. Fixed - The wrong System Physical Type was set on some of the nebulae
systems in the SystemTypes.txt file.
2. Fixed - Problem in the SE4 Map Editor which would cause Access
Violations when you edited abilities.
3. Fixed - Cloaked minesweepers will decloak their entire group if they
encounter a minefield (regardless of their minister settings).
4. Fixed - Improved the AI's calculation of resources available for purchases
of ships and units.
5. Fixed - The Construction_Units.txt file can now have a list of comma separated
colony types.
6. Fixed - Multiple items from the Construction_Units.txt file were being added
each turn to the same construction queue.
7. Added - Added "Percentage of Resources To Reserve For Unit Construction" field
to the Construction_Units.txt file.
8. Fixed - "Lucky" racial trait was not always working.
9. Fixed - Abilities "Change Bad Event Chance - System" and "Change Bad Intelligence
Chance - System" were not always working.

Version 1.65:
1. Fixed - Range check error when AI was processing its turn and
was trying to launch drones from a planet.
2. Fixed - Display error where the Fighter report would display
in the upper left-hand of the Main window.
3. Fixed - QuadrantTypes.txt had a misspelling which caused spatial
ruptures to not show up.
4. Fixed - Fleet name generator was incorrect for fleet numbers over
100.
5. Fixed - Combat Simulator would remove a fleet when you tried to add
the first ship to it.
6. Changed - Fighters with zero supplies only get one movement per turn.
7. Changed - Ships and fighters with zero supplies get zero shields.
8. Changed - Ships and fighters with zero supplies will not be able to fire
any of their weapons.
9. Changed - Drones can only target planets, ships, and satellites. Fighters,
mines, and other drones are too small to target.
10. Added - TCP/IP Host dialog will display all valid IP Addresses for the
host's machine.
11. Added - TCP/IP Player dialog now allows the player to select which source
IP Address they wish to use for play (the selection defaults to
the first available).

Version 1.64:
1. Fixed - Resource modifiers were going into negative percents.
2. Fixed - Integer overflow with large numbers of units in combat.
3. Changed - Increased the "maximum number of ships per player" and the
"maximum number of units per player" selection to have an
upper limit of 20,000 each on the Game Setup screen.
4. Fixed - Maintenance cost displayed for designs was not taking into
account abilities of that design.
5. Added - You can now use an AI_Construction_Units.txt file with your
AI. The file will only be used if it exists. This supplements
the AI_Construction_Vehicles.txt file with specific units to
purchase. See the AI_Construction_Units.txt file included for
more details.


Version 1.63:
1. Fixed - The AI was not matching class names correctly from the Vehicle
Construction file.


Version 1.62:
1. Fixed - The AI was not purchasing colonizing ships.
2. Changed - Put in opening screen from release Version.
3. Added - More details to AI Fleet order debug output.
4. Fixed - AI was not creating multiple designs which were of the same AI
Design Type (even if they had different names).
5. Fixed - Troops were not using their shields in ground combat.

Version 1.61:
1. Changed - The Default_Ai_Construction_Vehicles.txt file will now allow
for the design name or the design type. The term "Colonizer" is
till hard-coded to be evaluated to the needed type of colonizer.
When looking for the design to build, the game will look for the
latest design which matches the design name. If no match is found,
then the latest design which matches the design type will be located.
If neither is found, this purchase item will be skipped.
2. Added - Added an optional file called "DebugSettings.txt". This filed should
be placed in the SE4 directory and controls whether certain debug
setting are used in the game (if the file is not present all of the
debug settings are turned off). See the file for complete details.

[Deathstalker]

"9. Changed - Drones can only target planets, ships, and satellites. Fighters,
mines, and other drones are too small to target.
"

Just curious,why? What was the problem with drones and fighters/mines/drone targeting? Does this mean drones armed with PD can't hit them either?

[Bman]

> 3. Fixed - Cloaked minesweepers will decloak their entire group if they encounter a minefield (regardless of their minister settings).

Does this mean we can now safely run around with a cloaked fleet that includes minesweepers and they will auto-decloak and minesweep if they hit a minefield instead of just blowing up? :-)

> 8. Fixed - "Lucky" racial trait was not always working.
> 9. Fixed - Abilities "Change Bad Event Chance - System" and "Change Bad Intelligence Chance - System" were not always working

Looks like we need more tests done on the Religious shrines now! P.S. Has anyone ever tested the anti-intel capabilities of the religious shrines? Any idea what they do?

[Atrocities]

quote:

---

2. Fixed - Integer overflow with large numbers of units in combat.

---

Alright, the fighter bug has been addressed.

[Suicide Junkie]

Actually, I believe that was the Sphereworld-full-of-units bug.

[Mephisto]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bman:
> 3. Fixed - Cloaked minesweepers will decloak their entire group if they encounter a minefield (regardless of their minister settings).

Does this mean we can now safely run around with a cloaked fleet that includes minesweepers and they will auto-decloak and minesweep if they hit a minefield instead of just blowing up? :-)

---

No, it is an AI setting and IIRC will only work with known minefields. Hit an unknown minefield and things go BUM!