Balance Mod v0.99 Available!

CaptainKwok · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:09 am Post subject: Balance Mod v0.99 Available!

Greetings!

Version 0.99 of the Balance Mod is available for download:
http://www.captainkwok.net/balancemod.php

There were a number of fixes and changes in this version, along with the addition of the new AI treaty proposal scheme. They should be making better treaties with more appropriate names and provisions now. Let me know how it goes.

eggsrid · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 27, 2006

Strangely, the new balance mod won't seem to work for me. When I try to start a 0.99 game, it says there are [lots of] missing fields in MainStrings.txt.

It goes like:

Data File Error

Main Strings Data File
Filename: c:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\spaceempiresv\se5\gametypes\balance mod\data\MainStrings.txt

Could not find field "Log Message Title 264" in record "Main Record"
Could not find field "Log Message Text 264" in record "Main Record"

...

and so on, it lists about a hundred "fields" it cannot find in "Main Record".

Any idea why this is happening?

damador · Space Emperor Joined: Oct 20, 2006

.99 doesnt include mainsting.txt in data structure

remove the whole dir then clean install .99

eggsrid · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 27, 2006

Aaah thank you Smile

Silly me!

damador · Space Emperor Joined: Oct 20, 2006

Envinormental studies does nothing - i have 4 lvl of it - and nothng happens - also there is no cion of anyhing in "expected results"

but this info ma be obstolete if you plan to redesign research in 1.0 Smile

Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Environmental Sciences") >= (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))

should be

Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Environmental Studies") >= (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))

in CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS DATA FILE ?

edit Smile

yes - fix work

edit 2 Smile

partialy - still no icon in expected results but now see 4 % bonus in Help -> Cultural Achievements

CaptainKwok · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the catch.

The icons don't show up for any tech that has 2 or more requirements.

damador · Space Emperor Joined: Oct 20, 2006

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

I've seen similar issues with multi-tech levels; I think it's an SE error, not Balance.

The_Doctor · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 28, 2006

There's an error in Facilities.txt - Temporal Space Yard is showing up at level 1 instead of level 10.

Hi btw Smile

CaptainKwok · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the TSY catch.

damador · Space Emperor Joined: Oct 20, 2006

the feature checking ordnance / supply weapons are implemented ?

because auto put ordnance storage on non ordnance ships and supply on non supply ships

probably the drones are bugged - are the drones available from the beginning ? because i research drones later again - and i bet i could construct the drones from the beginning

CaptainKwok · Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject:

All weapons use supply so that is ok. I haven't put in the full no ordnance on non-ordnance using ships yet although most of the variables are in place.

The Drones tech area is not available at the start.

Veikko · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 29, 2006

http://medlem.spray.se/lentopallo/abitodd.jpg

I got this.

// every ship, mine and AI's turned that big.

CaptainKwok · Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:23 pm Post subject:

It's a random thing that happens with SE:V from time to time. Razz

Veikko · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 29, 2006

Ok, i just reported it as i hadn't seen it with the vanilla SE:V.

MRing · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 07, 2006

Whatever that is, I'm pretty sure it's eaten the Enterprise at some point, only to be given indigestion.

NecroDeathMortum · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 22, 2005

Trithemius · Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:51 am Post subject:

Psieye · Space Emperor Joined: Dec 03, 2006

First, thanks for writing Balance Mod which makes things much more sensible in SE V! I always make my own tweaks to it after grabbing the latest version after a main patch though. Figured I may as well write here what they are so that the bugs and typos at least can be fixed for everyone.

Note: I'm still on v 0.98 of Balance Mod.

Typos and Inconsistency fixes:

ComponentEnhancements:
+ Massive Base Mount increases +Hit% by 30, not 10 to keep in line with Base Mount trend

Components:
+ Stealth Armour has typo in description ("only Stealth Armour effective per ship..." - missed out '1')
+ Added the +Dodge% bonus of seekers to their description (e.g. "Capital Ship Missiles travel at [%Amount1%] km/s, have +50% Dodge and have [%Amount2%] points of damage resistance."
+ Added 3rd ability to all plague bombs for the above kind of information (for consistency - I know it's not so interesting as we're just dropping it on a planet)

TechAreas:
+ fixed typo in new Point-Defense Blaster tech requirement description

Facilities:
+ fixed typo in Psychic Fleet Training facility's description ("Fleets in this system will gain [%Amount1%]% experience points each turn.")

VehicleSizes:
+ Made consistent the cost/space formulae for:
--- Battleship
--- Crys. Cruiser
--- Org. Weapon Platform (all 3 sizes)
--- Drones (cost should have minor resource prices being 1/5 of major resource, where Org. vehicles have Organics as the major resource, etc)
--- Crys. Medium Troop

Personal Style tweaks:
> Greatly enhanced Ship Experience aspect of the game: 20 levels of veterancy giving ultimately a +40% Hit and +30% Dodge boost. Nerfed Training facilities and "EXP from staying alive" to make it difficult to attain maximum veterancy. Various components such as Stupefier and Holy War Totem were tweaked to reflect this.
> Engines and Hulls can be upgraded higher - I liked the concept of upgrading a Frigate long after you could go for Destroyers. This ties in with extended Ship Experience aspect - more incentive to build early ships and keep them alive if you can upgrade them that much further.
> Alloy Burner Missile and Ripper Beam upgraded as I felt they were redundant with the current numbers.
> Crew Quarters and Life Support gain more capacity per level - again felt it was pointless to research this for such small gains.
> Weapon Platforms gain more space per level with more expensive research cost.

Once the main SE V patches fix the bug with anti-weapon/anti-engine/etc type weapons, I'll probably extend the entire tech tree so that while everything is still as expensive, you can upgrade even higher than ever. Again, personal style - I agree with the philosophy of "let's not have 100 levels of weapon tech such that we need to retrofit so frequently" but the current tech tree is too stunted IMO. Actually, I should wait and see what v1.xx of Balance Mod does to the Tech Tree first.

Oh and the AI once built troops that had no weapons - everything else was there including Combat Sensors, but no weapons.

CaptainKwok · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:31 am Post subject:

Thanks for the detailed feedback.

I had already caught some of the typos, but you gave me a few more to fix. Razz

I suppose I could add the defensive modifier into the missiles description since I don't change any of them with tech level. I think the descriptions have already become unruly enough in length without it. Razz

It's been a long time since I looked at ShipExperience.txt and it could probably use some updated. I'll take a more detailed look at it soon as I think the overall bonuses could be a bit higher and maybe slightly more attainable.

The Frigate to Destroyer transition is the only one that isn't intertwined. It was originally, but many of the early testers thought that Destroyers became available too soon. Extending the Frigate further would nerf the entire destroyer line since it would end up with more usable space and a much higher weapons / kT ratio.

I've been toying around with increasing engine levels but I can't think of anything to make it worthwhile other than add some more supplies or reduce the supply increase per level etc...

One problem with intertwining engine levels as in stock was that it was always better to go for the higher tech engine once it became available because you would get the increase supplies anyway and not throw in extra points on a dead-end engine tech.

CQ and LS were decreased to 3 levels from 5 and increase at 25 crew per level. Reasons for this came about from the CQ discussion in another thread in this forum.

I bumped up the Alloy Burner Missile. The Ripper Beam got a boost a few updates ago, it's weaker at long range - but at close range it's better than its contemporary levels of APB and MB.

Do you happen to remember which AI built the non-weapon troop? I can see this happening if the weapon it wanted to add was too large for the space remaining on the design...

albi_joe · Space Emperor Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Location: USA

On engine tech...

Would it be worth it to only have 1 level per engine, and have "Resupply" modify engines? Not required for tech, but in the supply storage formula...

Maybe that would make "resupply" too attractive, and quantum reactors consequently too common...

MRing · Space Emperor Joined: Nov 07, 2006

Psieye · Space Emperor Joined: Dec 03, 2006

The_Draf · Space Emperor Joined: Jan 16, 2006

I think engines needs a cost cut. They are not as important as they were in SE4. With the addition of RT ship combat the first shot advantage to the player with the best engines were lost.
I don't bother researching engines unless I am in a commanding lead and have RP to waste.

Psieye · Space Emperor Joined: Dec 03, 2006

Hmm, it is a point, also reflected in how standard Ion Engines can produce Mv 12 Frigates with higher engines only adding 1 more to that - compare to SE IV's Mv 6 on the space map with each engine adding 1 to that.

On the other hand, superior engines are what allow you to hunt down retreating enemy ships - I know there's drones or fighters that could do that for you but I prefer to have a Retractor Beam equipped Ship Capture Frigate chase them down. Then again... these days I just force the enemy to retreat in a certain direction such that they end up in the centre of a sector where another capture ship is.