Unoffical SE IV Patch Version 1.91.1

[Atrocities]

Since Malfador has stated that there will most likely not be another patch for Space Empires IV, I propose that we, the fans I guess, prepare our own patch that address some of the more descriptive issues left unaddressed.

For example we could easily address the issue of the descripitions of the Sphere world and Ring world components so that there use is more clear to new players.

How best to word the component description would be the first step toward resolving the issue.

<font color="blue">CURRENTLY:</font>
Name := Ring World Placement Generator
Description := <font color="brown">Provides the gravitational matrix needed to assemble a ring world. </font>
Pic Num := 169
Tonnage Space Taken := 2000
Tonnage Structure := 2000
Cost Minerals := 50000
Cost Organics := 50000
Cost Radioactives := 50000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 800
Restrictions := None
General Group := Stellar Manipulation
Family := 1050
Roman Numeral := 0
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Level Req 1 := 5
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Create Constructed Planet
Ability 1 Descr := <font color="brown">Will create a ringworld around a star. </font>
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 2 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 10000kT of Gravity Plating present at location. </font>
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 10000
Ability 3 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 3 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 10000kT of Hyper-Dense Cables present at location. </font>
Ability 3 Val 1 := 2
Ability 3 Val 2 := 10000
Weapon Type := None

Name := Sphere World Placement Generator
Description := <font color="brown">Provides the gravitational matrix needed to assemble a sphere world. </font>
Pic Num := 178
Tonnage Space Taken := 2000
Tonnage Structure := 2000
Cost Minerals := 50000
Cost Organics := 50000
Cost Radioactives := 50000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 800
Restrictions := None
General Group := Stellar Manipulation
Family := 1051
Roman Numeral := 0
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Level Req 1 := 8
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Create Constructed Planet
Ability 1 Descr := <font color="brown">Will create a sphereworld around a star. </font>
Ability 1 Val 1 := 2
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 2 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 20000kT of Gravity Plating present at location. </font>
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 20000
Ability 3 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 3 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 20000kT of Hyper-Dense Cables present at location. </font>
Ability 3 Val 1 := 2
Ability 3 Val 2 := 20000
Weapon Type := None

<font color="blue"> PROPOSED CHANGE:</font>
Name := Ring World Placement Generator
Description := <font color="brown">Provides the gravitational matrix needed to assemble a ring world. Must be constructed at a star. Requires 5 each of Planetary Gravity Plating and Hyper Density Cables. </font>
Pic Num := 169
Tonnage Space Taken := 2000
Tonnage Structure := 2000
Cost Minerals := 50000
Cost Organics := 50000
Cost Radioactives := 50000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 800
Restrictions := None
General Group := Stellar Manipulation
Family := 1050
Roman Numeral := 0
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Level Req 1 := 5
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Create Constructed Planet
Ability 1 Descr := <font color="brown">Will create a ringworld around a star. Must be constructed at a star.</font>
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 2 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 10000kT equal to 5 Gravity Plating present at location. </font>
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 10000
Ability 3 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 3 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 10000kT equal to 5 Hyper-Dense Cables present at location. </font>
Ability 3 Val 1 := 2
Ability 3 Val 2 := 10000
Weapon Type := None

Name := Sphere World Placement Generator
Description := <font color="brown">Provides the gravitational matrix needed to assemble a sphere world. Must be constructed at a star. Requires 10 each of Planetary Gravity Plating and Hyper Density Cables.</font>
Pic Num := 178
Tonnage Space Taken := 2000
Tonnage Structure := 2000
Cost Minerals := 50000
Cost Organics := 50000
Cost Radioactives := 50000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 800
Restrictions := None
General Group := Stellar Manipulation
Family := 1051
Roman Numeral := 0
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Level Req 1 := 8
Number of Abilities := 3
Ability 1 Type := Create Constructed Planet
Ability 1 Descr := <font color="brown">Will create a sphereworld around a star. Must be constructed at a star.</font>
Ability 1 Val 1 := 2
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 2 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 20000kT equal to 10 Gravity Plating present at location. </font>
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 20000
Ability 3 Type := Constructed Planet Requirements
Ability 3 Descr := <font color="brown">Must have 20000kT equal to 10 Hyper-Dense Cables present at location. </font>
Ability 3 Val 1 := 2
Ability 3 Val 2 := 20000
Weapon Type := None

What do you think?

This would be the extent of our fixing, just work on the descriptions of things in order to help new players understand there use better.

I think it is a novel approach and one that I hope does not offend Aaron. Since we would not be making any changes to any component or other except in their descriptions I can see no reason to call this a mod however if it would help to call it a mod then I propose we call it the Unoffical Patch Mod or UPM for short.

[Aiken]

I see no reason to make such patch. To fix the issue which is not the serious bug? What for?
This patch will make no difference for 99.99% of se4 gamers, but will cause another headache for pbw players.

I'd consider interesting a _real_ 3rd party binary patch, which make some positive changes and fix some hardcoded annoyances. Unfortunately it should involve se4 decompilation which is 1) mostly illegal (not that I care too much about it); 2) risky, cause it can bring too much new bugs.

[although dll injection to se4 process looks promising]

[Atrocities]

I see no reason to make such patch. To fix the issue which is not the serious bug? What for?



For the fun of it and to help new players.


This patch will make no difference for 99.99% of se4 gamers, but will cause another headache for pbw players



I had not considered that changing the Description would alter the PBW games. You might be correct on this. In that case I would strongly suggest not making any changes unless they are done acrossed the board including at PBW and the likelyhood of that happening is remote at best. So good point.

[Arkcon]

aiken said:
I see no reason to make such patch.



Look {here} (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB23&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0 &amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=2)


Atrocities said:
How best to word the component description would be the first step toward resolving the issue.




You forgot to fix the self-destruct device, and the scrap units function. Seriously, you're slipping here. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Suicide Junkie]

Don't forget to label weapons with their built-in accuracy bonus.

[Fyron]

Arkcon said:

aiken said:
I see no reason to make such patch.



Look {here} (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB23&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0 &amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=2)

This link does not seem to work?

[Arkcon]

Imperator Fyron said:

Arkcon said:

aiken said:
I see no reason to make such patch.



Look {here} (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB23&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0 &amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=2)

This link does not seem to work?



Oh please don't say that. It works for me, I cut and pasted from the link bar when I surfed the thread on this bulletin board.

I just finished updating all (except for one I can't find) the links to this forum over at the Encyclopedia Malfadorica. {example} (http://invirtuo.cc/phpwiki/index.php/Top%2020%20topics%20of%20discussion%20in%20the%20S E4%20forum)

So please don't tell me the links only work for me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif I notice that my forum preferences are embedded in the links, and I don't know if they carry over, or if your prefs supercede, of if they overwrite your prefs for a session, or permanantly, or whatever. I'll worry about that later.

But please don't say they link to nowhere.

[Aiken]

Arkon for some reason your link drove me to quick reply page http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

[Fyron]

It looks like the picture attached...

[Timstone]

Let me guess, you all use Firefox or something else then Internet Exploder. The link Arkcon gave works fine. It links to the thread about that bbq guy complaining about the lack of descriptions.

[Will]

I'm using Firefox and the link works fine for me. I think Fyron's just crazy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[boran_blok]

the fix you propose is kind of hard I think, because it's intended audience (the not so experienced SE4 players) will not get the unofficial patch.

[Aiken]

Will said:
I'm using Firefox and the link works fine for me. I think Fyron's just crazy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



Then, I'm crazy too, because I have same problem as Fyron. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Atrocities]

no problem here. I loaded just fine in FireFox and Netscape for me.

When a web site tells you that you MUST use explorer, then I worry.

[Arkcon]

Timstone said:
Let me guess, you all use Firefox or something else then Internet Exploder. The link Arkcon gave works fine. It links to the thread about that bbq guy complaining about the lack of descriptions.



As if I would ever use Microslime's Internet Exploder for any purpose. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif


aiken said:
Arkon for some reason your link drove me to quick reply page http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/confused.gif



Aiken, would you embed a link to a page on this board in a message of yours? I'd like to see what happens.

[Aiken]

No problems. Link to a tread with complains about sphereworld construction (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0&amp;view=collap sed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=1)

[Fyron]

aiken said:
No problems. Link to a tread with complains about sphereworld construction (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0&amp;view=collap sed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=1)

I can load this page without issue... This forum software is very weird.

[Fyron]

Are you viewing Posts in that wacky revered "first to Last" order? I removed part of the URL, and it works now...

removed:

&amp;fpart=2
working link (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB23&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0 &amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=)

[Arkcon]

Imperator Fyron said:
Are you viewing Posts in that wacky revered "first to Last" order? I removed part of the URL, and it works now...

removed:

&amp;fpart=2
working link (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB23&amp;Number=301598&amp;page=0 &amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=)



Yes, I do like the threads ordered the way the old board was. So that's the answer, is it? What happens when my prefs don't match yours -- complete link failure?

Well, with a little more confirmation I can go back to the EM and redo all those links, no problem, not that I'd mind.

*Grumble* *Grumble* Forum upgrade my butt *Grumble* *Grumble*

[Fyron]

I am viewing threads in the correct order. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

I have no idea what parameter "fpart" is, but it seems to serve no purpose other than to not allow people such as Aiken and myself to view threads...

[bbq]

To Atrocities,

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't really want to cause problems for other players if this will mess up their pbem games. And the Last thing I want to do is to start something divisive amongst the forum guests. My complaint was mostly directly to the developer which hopefully in SE5 things will be better explained. It would not fair for me to ask anyone to jump through hoops for me to change this game. Thanks anyway I don't want to cause problems for you all.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

We've had political and even philisophical discusions without any flame wars. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif