Random Questions

[Sardia]

Can someone explain to me what each kind of scanners do? What is the difference among basic, tachyon, long range etc etc.? Can I drop the basic sensors after I get some of these?

P.S. There is this annoying bug; if you select drop troops, you can't unselect if you hit it by mistake. Very annoying if you want to do something else, like capture a ship. Also stops you from selecting other ships, I think.

[Randallw]

Well there's a difference between sensors and scanners.

There's basic sensors which show the surrounding area. They're not specialised and their strength goes up slowly. They focus on range.

Then you get sensors that focus on strength but have slightly less range. If the enemy has cloaking devices, hides in a storm or asteroid field they are concealed to a certain level. basic sensors aren't made to see them, although a level 1 cloak might be visible to level 10 basic sensors. You need advanced sensors to detect cloaked ships. There are just different paths. Depending on what path you follow, temporal, psychic, etc, you use different technology. I'm not sure but possibly psychic sensors might be slightly more efficient.

Long range scanners are supposed to allow you to see what a ship is made along with what cargo they carry

Jammers stop that sort of thing.

[Sardia]

Ok, now here's another:

How do I make a ringworld/dyson sphere? The biggest ships are 1800kt but the smallest item to make above items are 2000kt each. Any ideas?

Also, if you use the cheat to get all the techs, it does not give racial only but more importantly; it corrupts your empire by permanently giving all techs to the empire. Anyway to disable the cheat?

[Randallw]

I know of no way to disable full tech once you choose it. I only use full tech to gain access to descriptions of everything after I save a game so I can plan how to reach certain tech.

As for ringworlds and dyson spheres the idea is to build several starbases with the components. These are destroyed when you create the artificial world.

[Sardia]

Sardia said:
Ok, now here's another:

How do I make a ringworld/dyson sphere?
The biggest ships are 1800kt but the smallest item to make above items are 2000kt each.

Any ideas?

No, turn on the alltech cheat and check out the stats. I can only use the stock mod in order to build a ringworld/sphereworld. In the balance mod, a cable or plating has 2000kt but the largest ship, which is a base ship has only 1800kt worth of space. Probably oversight due to rarity of occurrence.

[Arkcon]

Sardia said:

No, turn on the alltech cheat and check out the stats. I can only use the stock mod in order to build a ringworld/sphereworld. In the balance mod, a cable or plating has 2000kt but the largest ship, which is a base ship has only 1800kt worth of space. Probably oversight due to rarity of occurrence.

I'd built ring- and sphere-worlds in past versions of the Balance Mod using the starbases. This may be a new sizes bug that's crept into this version. Or the alltech cheat is doing something freaky with the Balance Mod's tech tree.

[Captain Kwok]

It's not an oversight, I made it like SE4. The plating and cables have to be on starbases, and only the generator needs to be placed on a baseship since it needs a movement point to work.

[Sardia]

Starbases are bigger than baseships? I thought it was the other way around, thanks.

[Fyron]

Baseships are smaller, portable starbases. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Sardia]

What does computer player bonus and technology cost do for the game?

Oh, and what settings do you guys prefer?

[Suicide Junkie]

Bonus is a multiplier for resource income and build rate.
In SE4, it is 2x, 3x, and 5x for both.
In SE5, it is 2x, 3x, and 5x for resources, and 1.5x, 2x, 3x for build rate.

[Fyron]

In SE4, isn't the bonus for build rate also 1.5x, 2x and 3x?

[Renegade 13]

I believe it is.

[Sardia]

If you get into a war with an AI, is it possible to make peace with them? I'm in a situation where I could crush a computer player, but that would strip defenses from another front. Right now, it is just a drain on my resources.

What I'm asking in essence, is how do I intimidate an AI? How do I get them to sue for peace?

Also, what happens when you damage weapons and other components? Do they degrade in usefulness or are there set breaking points where they become useless junk?

[Suicide Junkie]

Settings.txt:

Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Weapon := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Component := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Facility := 0.50

[Captain Kwok]

If it's a Balance Mod game, a losing AI should consider making a "Ceasefire Agreement" which usually consists of paying the stronger player a small resource tariff each turn - but it's race dependent to a large degree. You can try asking for a basic treaty such as non-interference or non-aggression. They should accept particularly if their mood is shown as terrified.

[Sardia]

How would I "get them into the mood"? I have options but I'm not sure which action I do makes them more scared or angrier. Is a show of force sufficient? or do I need to lay siege and/or proceed to glass a planet?

[Captain Kwok]

What's their current mood description? Have you tried asking for a treaty with just a non-aggression element?

If you want to make a treaty, it's better to avoid conflict and pull your ships out of their systems with colonies. Over time their anger will fade and they'll be more likely to accept a treaty, particularly those with additional clauses.

[Sardia]

Thanks for the tips.

Onto another topic:
Boarding parties don't destroy the number of crews that they state they do. For example, 1 boarding party says it can take 200 or 100 crew, but when I test it out, it can only take about 40-50 before they all die. It takes 2 boarding parties just to capture a single 100 crew ship. Is this a typo?

Next, a carrier can launch a fighter every 3 seconds yet a fighter bay can only launch every 9. Why?

Lastly, how do I change the starting fleet names? The alphabetic/greek system isn't very distinctive for me, I sadly prefer numbers. You know, instead of alpha/beta fleet; 1st/2nd fleet.
P.S. Some standard AI fighter bombers carry no weapons early game. I think its cuz the cluster rockets are too big.

[Captain Kwok]

Oops. It's a bug. I've reversed the values on the Boarding Parties component. You can correct it by editing the Boarding parties entry in Components.txt (in the data folder).

From:

Ability 1 Type := Boarding Attack
Ability 1 Description := Boarding Parties provide [%Amount1%] attackers that can overcome [%Amount2%] regular crew members.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 50 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 200 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)

to

Ability 1 Type := Boarding Attack
Ability 1 Description := Boarding Parties provide [%Amount2%] attackers that can overcome [%Amount1%] regular crew members.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 200 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 50 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)

[Sardia]

Suicide Junkie said:
Settings.txt:

Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Weapon := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Component := 0.50
Damage Factor Object Still Operational - Facility := 0.50






I got a capital ship missile to the face from a supposedly nonoperational missile launcher. =( 88% damage and it still got off 3 shots, enough to cripple my carrier, the FS Foch.

[Sardia]

Has anyone ever managed to get the abbidon or the terrans as computer players? I've been playing on and off for several months now and I have yet to see them.

[capnq]

I faced the Terrans twice and the Abbidon once within my first five solo games.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Now that the thread has drifted a bit...

'Random Answer #1,

Random Answer #2'

* Wonders if anyone saw that coming.

[Captain Kwok]

You might be using their flags or ships, which would mean the game wouldn't add them as empires since it would mean duplicate ships/flags.

[Sardia]

Hmmm, that might be it.

Is there anyway to change the initial fleet names? I dislike the current greek system, and I don't want to keep changing the fleet name every time I make a new fleet.

[Captain Kwok]

The default fleet names are hard-coded.

[Santiago]

I wish they weren't hard coded.

[Captain Kwok]

It's interesting to note though that when an AI creates a fleet, they are named simply Fleet 1 .. Fleet N etc.

[Sardia]

Anyway we can get the AI to name our fleets?

[Captain Kwok]

Not really, unless you want to hand your fleet operations over to the Fleets Minister. Just as easy to hit "N" after you create a fleet to name to something different.

[Fyron]

Only if you want to cede all control over fleet management to the AI minister. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/stupid.gif

EDIT:
Aargh, stupid forum not taking me to the last page first...

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Stuff like that can happen with only one post on the new page.

[Sardia]

I'm playing the balance mod with the FQM data files, and I have a planet with 3300 facility space. I thought it wasn't possible to have facility space that end in odd numbers.

Any thoughts? Is there a racial that allows extra facility space?

[Captain Kwok]

It's possible in stock if you have the Advanced Storage Techniques racial trait, but the Balance Mod's version of that trait does not increase facility space. Is it possible you've overwritten some of the BM's data files? BM data files usually have "Captain Kwok's Balance Mod" in the title of the data file, it might be worthwhile to check racialtraits.txt in the BM's data folder to see if that's the case.

[Sardia]

I found out that FQM gives random planets certain abilities, like bonus research or space.

Onto something else!

I like to retrofit but I have to remove the ship from the fleet in order to retrofit it. Am I losing the fleet xp, or does it not matter as long as the fleet has a ship left?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

If it's like SEIV, the second.

[Captain Kwok]

As long as the fleet is not destroyed or disbanded, its bonus will apply to any ship in the fleet.

[Sardia]

Is there anyway to show close the fleet is to leveling up?

[Captain Kwok]

These are the experience point amounts required to reach level along with the bonuses to attack and defense:
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Ship Experience:

Level Xp Pts Atk Def
-----------------------------
Recruit 0 0 0
Trained 1000 2 1
Regular 2000 4 2
Veteran 5000 6 3
Elite 10000 8 4
Legendary 15000 10 5

Fleet Experience:

Level Xp Pts Atk Def
-----------------------------
Recruit 0 0 0
Trained 5000 2 1
Regular 10000 4 2
Veteran 25000 6 3
Elite 50000 8 4
Legendary 75000 10 5
</pre><hr />

[Suicide Junkie]

Try the ships/fleets report, using the crew layout.

[Sardia]

It doesn't show how much xp the fleet has.

[Sardia]

Hey, time for round 2.
Does anybody use the demanding, neutral, or pleading options when sending messages? How much do they matter?

[Randallw]

I am not sure they make any difference. I have one game where an alien race has practically ceased to exist. They only have one plague ridden planet with no population and they still won't surrender. I mostly use the different moods for RP just in case it makes a difference. Even with human players. I don't know that you can see what mood a message is in but if other people know how to they can figure out my messages tone I guess.

[Sardia]

How much damage do asteroids and warppoints with "deals damage to space vehicles" do?

[Fyron]

Its in Data\StellarAbilityTypes.txt. From stock:

Name := Normal Asteroids
Number of Poss Abilities := 0

Name := Normal Storm
Number of Poss Abilities := 4
Ability 1 Chance := 250
Ability 1 Type := Sector - Damage
Ability 1 Descr := Turbulence causes damage to space vehicles.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 200
Ability 1 Val 2 := 1

Name := Unstable Warp Point
Number of Poss Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Chance := 1000
Ability 1 Type := Warp Point - Turbulence
Ability 1 Descr := Strong gravitic fields causes damage to ships.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 200
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0

[Growlytiger]

I have my own random question of SEV.

I have tried to amend the data file which sets out the various design types (attack ship, defence base etc etc).

I have found the file (using explorer) and right clicked to open it, have made the amendments I want but when I try and save it, it says path not recognised.

Any ideas what this is? I am on Windows Vista Home Premium, and all I know about computers is how to turn them on and hit them when they go wrong.

[Fyron]

If you installed the game to the default location (Program Files), you will have to run apps with elevated admin privileges to write to the folders. The easiest solution is to move your install to another location, such as C:\Games\Space Empires V\. You don't need to reinstall or anything, but you might want to update your desktop/start menu shortcuts.

[Baron Munchausen]

Wow, you mean he doesn't run Windows XP in administrator mode like everyone else? Amazing. I wonder how many other programs don't work for him, then.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

He uses Vista.

[Growlytiger]

Blimey, I did say that I was a computer numpty - me now understando

[Sardia]

I have the temporal racial ability but I'd like some advice on when to best utilize it. I have a 1.66 game that has high technology cost and a medium sized paradise galaxy.

What technology does temporal replace? I know it is not a full racial tech since it does not provide a temporal shipset. However, there should be things like the temporal spaceyards that are better than normal ones.

[Randallw]

I recently played a game with temporal tech. Keep in mind this was with the Devnull mod, and we're still working on it since temporal is apparently unbalanced.

1. Temporal spaceyards in stock have faster contruction I think. In Devnull we have had an enhancement facility that increases the rate by a percentage.

2. There are temporal sensors that let you detect cloaked ships, much as with psychic sensors.

3.There might possibly be facilities that let your people do stuff like take vacations, making them happier.

4. There's a bunch of weapons that use temporal tech. Strong normal weapons, direct fire that ignores shields, direct fire that does 4x damage to shields, torpedoes that age armour (I'm not certain that one is stock), and something that increases the enemies reload time. I've never figured out what use that last one is as it seems to work in miliseconds, and increasing you opponent's reload time by 1/4 of a second, if you're lucky, seems pointless.

[Atrocities]

What color does a smurf turn if you choke him?

Do you really believe that people who draw stick figures on stone wall actually designed and built the pyramids?

If heat rises, then how hot is heaven?

[Xrati]

@1- Blue (that was easy) /threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif

@2- Well, kinda! (that was tougher) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/Injured.gif

@3- A comfortable 72º as the air cools as it rises. (That was a toughie) /threads/images/Graemlins/icon07.gif

[Fyron]

Sardia said:
I know it is not a full racial tech since it does not provide a temporal shipset.


Organic and Crystalline traits are no more "full" than the other tech traits; the ship hulls they provide are almost pointless, and primarily serve to burden the player with excessive options.

[Sardia]

Randallw said:
I recently played a game with temporal tech. Keep in mind this was with the Devnull mod, and we're still working on it since temporal is apparently unbalanced.

1. Temporal spaceyards in stock have faster contruction I think. In Devnull we have had an enhancement facility that increases the rate by a percentage.

2. There are temporal sensors that let you detect cloaked ships, much as with psychic sensors.

3.There might possibly be facilities that let your people do stuff like take vacations, making them happier.

4. There's a bunch of weapons that use temporal tech. Strong normal weapons, direct fire that ignores shields, direct fire that does 4x damage to shields, torpedoes that age armour (I'm not certain that one is stock), and something that increases the enemies reload time. I've never figured out what use that last one is as it seems to work in miliseconds, and increasing you opponent's reload time by 1/4 of a second, if you're lucky, seems pointless.



So for 1000 racial points, I get a better Spaceyard, better sensors and some weapons?

[Captain Kwok]

You also get a facility that increases your combat accuracy for all ships and units in a solar system.

In the Balance Mod, TSYs can outproduce normal SYs by 50% at max tech.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

How do you shoot a pink elephant?

How do you shoot a gray elephant?

How do you shoot a blue elephant?

[Sardia]

I'm at version 1.66 right now, but I don't want to patch up to 1.71. Will there be any problems with the balance mod if I do not patch up?

[Randallw]

I have a 1.66 game with BM 1.13. I don't see any problems, apart from for some reason if a carrier is destroyed it drops all its fighters in the sector.

[Xrati]

Narf, too easy...
How do you shoot a pink elephant? With a water gun. The pink paint runs off as we all know elephants aren't pink. The elephant turns to gray, it's natural color.

How do you shoot a gray elephant? With a rubber band on it's trunk. The rubber band get stuck on the trunk and the elephant (not being able to breath) turns blue.

How do you shoot a blue elephant? With a paint gun. Use pink paint and no one will ever know you shot it in the first place.

See, AND you only need one elephant this way!

Any questions http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/confused.gif ?

[Suicide Junkie]

Randallw said:
I have a 1.66 game with BM 1.13. I don't see any problems, apart from for some reason if a carrier is destroyed it drops all its fighters in the sector.

If the fighters had been launched in combat, and the carrier died... then the fighters are still in space with nowhere else to go.

If a carrier is just blown up unexpectedly (intel op, random event, or whatnot), the unlaunched fighters should go up in the blast.

How did your carrier die?

[Randallw]

It works like this.

My enemy sent a colony ship through a WP. I destroyed it. The colony ship had a fighter bay and 16 fighters onboard. in the brief battle one was launched (1 bay). in the next turn the other 15 fighters, which never launched, were dumped on the wp and fought by my fighters.

I noticed this strange event and tested it in the simulator. a freighter with 1 bay and 50 fighters will die, launching maybe 1 or 2 fighters. The other 48 fighters are niow listed as existing when the simulation ends, and if you restart it, will be massed in the area the freighter died.

So now I, and I wouldn't put it past my enemy to do likewise, build freighters with lots of cargo space, and one bay (you need at least 1 bay for it to work). The ship will die, but then it drops 50-60 fighters on the wp.

This is 1.66 with BM 1.13. It seems a bit buggy, but nevermind we can both use it equally. It just adds an interesting change to war plans.

Edit: I just remembered he used it too. He dropped 41 fighters on my side of the wp that then flew off across the system, avoiding my 60 fighters.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

...Emergency launch!

[Randallw]

Personally it reminds me of the Star Wars novel where the Empire uses a cloaking device on freighters, not to hide the freighter, just its cargo. It scans as an empty freighter, until it breaks up and squadrons of TIE fighters float out and attack.

I think of them as Tenders. They don't hold the fighters inside, they are on external hardpoints and just detach.

The delightfully ironic thing is we stuck with 1.66/BM 1.13 to avoid the new 1.71 rule that fighters can only leave their carrier once a turn http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Daynarr]

Actually, this happens with all units (except that ground units get lost as they can't exist in space of course). I know some AI cargo ships who were carrying satellites and mines. It managed to launch some satellites before I killed it, but when it was gone, there were tons of mines and satellites in sector that I had to wipe after that battle. Apparently the cargo does not get destroyed if it can be used in space (fighters, sats, mines).

[Randallw]

it does require the relevant unit bay though. I just tested.

[Xrati]

Units like that (mines, fighters and SATs) are carried in an inert state. They are not sitting there on racks 'ready to go' they have to be "launched or primed" for operation. They would be sitting there as "Space Junk" with maybe a small chance that a small percentage of them would be in an operational mode.

[Randallw]

My opponent is now claiming it is a bug. I just used it once. He has benefitted from it maybe 4 or 5 times. As I said I had no problem with it, we could both do it equally. He begs to differ.

I will say no more.

[Suicide Junkie]

How would you avoid it, anyways?

Not using carriers at all?

[Randallw]

Xrati said:
Units like that (mines, fighters and SATs) are carried in an inert state. They are not sitting there on racks 'ready to go' they have to be "launched or primed" for operation. They would be sitting there as "Space Junk" with maybe a small chance that a small percentage of them would be in an operational mode.



There was that epsiode of DS9 where they were preparing mines. Dax was demanding they hurry up and launch all the mines, while she avoided enemy fire. O'Brien told her she risked setting off every mine on the ship.

Edit: not that I wish to go on about it but if by some chance I've misunderstood his concern then I apologise for any seeming criticsm. I made the mistake once of failing to understand someone's point.

[Xrati]

Even a better example yet. A chain reaction explosion of ordnance on the ship. Nothing would be left except bits and pieces of the ship.

DS9 is SciFi. In REAL life any explosive ordnance is kept in an inert state. It must be set or primed for use. O'Brien's reference had to be all the mines blowing up as a result of some catastrophe (like one detonating early)!!!

[douglas]

Xrati said:
DS9 is SciFi. In REAL life any explosive ordnance is kept in an inert state. It must be set or primed for use. O'Brien's reference had to be all the mines blowing up as a result of some catastrophe (like one detonating early)!!!


If the SciFi technology is sufficiently advanced, there is at least justification for some non-inert storage - antimatter ordnance isn't really possible to store in an inert state.

[Sardia]

Is the distribution of ice, rock and gas planets equal in a bm +FQM game? I've noticed a lot more gas planets than rock and very few ice planets.

[Captain Kwok]

Yes, all 3 types are more or less equal.

[Randallw]

In one of my favourite series of books a ground crew is loading anti-matter missiles while the pilot looks on. They're being careful but no-one is overly tense or worried, after all if by some chance the containment fields go off no one on the entire ship is ever going to realise. A nearby ship is certain to notice the explosion, but no one on the carrier will have a chance to feel anything.

[Xrati]

Actually in a SciFi used system, the ordnance would be in a stasis field. That would make it inert.

[Suicide Junkie]

Not in a hard SF setting. Besides, if you break the containment and it leaks out, your stasis field isn't going to help.

[Xrati]

If you break containment on a stasis field, your a putz and don't belong traveling around in outer space. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Sardia]

If you share resupply with an ally, do their resupply depots resupply your ships every turn? Do planets get resupplied? or only the planet that has the resupply depot on it?

[Leternel]

if you share supply, you will get from your friend, but he will have preference for his ships.
The only really effective way to get supplies is to go on his planets.

[Sardia]

I am currently using a combined FQM + balance mod 14.b. What is the best way to find planets with special abilities like extra facility space or extra supply production?

[Fyron]

AFAIK, there is no particularly good way to do so. The "Special" filter in the Planets list shows all planets with a ruins ability, but does not seem to cover planets with other abilities.

[BlueTemplar]

Maybe Colonised &amp; Breathable + Special ablilities list?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Did you know that great apes may get human rights in Spain?

[Xrati]

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/confused.gif
And that has what to do with the high tariff on bananas from Alaska? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smirk.gif

[narf poit chez BOOM]

...Penguins!

[Nocturnal]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
Did you know that great apes may get human rights in Spain?

It's about time I say!

Not going to help them though: They still torture bulls to death every Sunday.

Now I shall sing you part of a song (http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/De-Evolving) in honor of our fellow primates and our beloved simian brothers and sisters.
*Throat-clearing.* Ahem.

"And I know there’s a monkey in the future for you,
And there’s nothing modern science can do.
Keeping the thumb but I’m getting dumb,
I’m devolving, I’m devolving,
I am de-evolving.

Why get so angry at me?
I don't understand how you expect me to defend my actions
Knowing what you now know.
Monkey one and monkey two,
Monkey me and monkey you,
Monkey see and monkey
Do you still love me
Now that I’m a monkey?"

[Fyron]

Nothing wrong with bull fighting; those bulls wouldn't even exist if they hadn't been bred for the task.

[PvK]

Depends on what your values are. Some people, such as Buddhists, are concerned with all suffering, and bull-fighting looks like a lot of suffering.

[Fyron]

All life is wrought with suffering; going overboard with worry will leave one empty inside.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

'To dig out a mountain, one must first decide which pebble to move' - Me, just now. Someone probably said it before, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Randallw]

I recorded an animated movie for my Nephew the other day. It inolves a sailor and his best friend, a Penguin, who team up with a Koala to protect their magic pudding from puddin thieves. He was just watching it again and I pointed out to his grandmother that it's that sort of story that creates vegetarians, having talking animals, then the child grows up not wanting to eat the talking animals http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Incidentally, recently on tv here there's an ad campaign where the spokesman for a chicken products company offers help to those unfortuante .001% of the population that don't like chicken. I expect the vegetarians to get annoyed.

[capnq]

BlueTemplar said: Maybe Colonised &amp; Breathable + Special ablilities list?

I poked around a bit, and could not find anyplace that displayed planet abilities, other than each individual planet's Abilities tab.

[Fyron]

I saw lots of kids movies/cartoons with talking animals growing up, and I still find them very delicious. Now, you want to talk about blatant propaganda films, look to Fern Gully..

[Randallw]

Well me too naturally.

The weird thing I noticed in this movie, "The Magic Pudding", was that the main villain wanted to steal the magic nevereneding pudding so he could always eat vegetable pudding, despite the fact the pudding's guardians always had Steak and Kidney pudding. Only when he couldn't have the pudding was the villain forced to eat meat, which he didn't want to. Mind you he was a wombat as far as I can figure.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

...I'd be more worried about the kid getting brain damage from the movie.

[Randallw]

Well for the record he's only 3.

I have brain damage or something I suspect. I had 2 seperate occasions as a child involving blows to the head. I fell onto train tracks head first, and once down a hill into a rock, head first. When I describe my problems to counsellors I am amazed afterwards at the complete tosh I came up.

"Where did that all come from?" I wonder.

In high school I went around telling people I had a steel plate in my head from the second incident. I don't, but even I started to think I must, otherwise why was I telling everyone that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/fear.gif

[Parasite]

Veggie Tales have talking vegitibles. Does that turn people into Carnivores?

[Fyron]

Nah, it turns them into fungivores. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[narf poit chez BOOM]

...And if you eat the wrong one, you're not much of a fungi.

Or you're 'having-to-much-fungi guy'. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Sardia]

Is there anyway to reload ordinance in combat? All of the strategies have it set to true, but I never see it happen.

[MrToxin]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
'To dig out a mountain, one must first decide which pebble to move' - Me, just now. Someone probably said it before, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



"He who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." - Confuscius http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Sardia]

How do I add a new shipset to space empires?

[Fyron]

Extract the shipset archive into the Empires folder.

[TurinTurambar]

SEIV or SE5?

&lt;EDIT&gt; Oops, missed Lord Fyron's reply on the next page. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Sardia]

I know you can destroy supplies and ordinance in SEV, how much "health" do supplies and ordinance have?

[Captain Kwok]

It's 0.1 hitpoints per supply/ordnance.

[Sardia]

How much hp does population have?

[Captain Kwok]

In stock, population structure is 5 and in the Balance Mod it's 10. However, the Population Amount Killed Per Damage Point values in DamageTypes.txt is what really determines how fast the population is killed. In stock it works out that 4 damage kills 1M and in the Balance Mod it's 20 points to kill 1M. Anything less than the damage to kill 1M population is ignored.

[Sardia]

Captain Kwok said:
In stock, population structure is 5 and in the Balance Mod it's 10. However, the Population Amount Killed Per Damage Point values in DamageTypes.txt is what really determines how fast the population is killed. In stock it works out that 4 damage kills 1M and in the Balance Mod it's 20 points to kill 1M. Anything less than the damage to kill 1M population is ignored.



Are you saying population has emissive 20?

[Fyron]

No? Partial damage to population is not stored. Either full 1M pop unit is killed, or none at all.

[Nocturnal]

That sounds like the same as saying population has emissive 20.

[Fyron]

It isn't. Pop with emissive 20 would mean 0 pop die with 1 to 19 damage, 20 pop would die with a 20 damage shot, 100 pop would die with a 100 damage shot, and so on.

[Suicide Junkie]

Emissive was fixed from that lame scheme in the mid beta, Fy.

If it were 20 emissive points, there would be no losses from 1-20 damage, then losses = damage-20 above that.

[Fyron]

Eh. Still totally different from population damage behavior!

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Why do people have assumptions of meaning other than what was said in normal conversation? It seems to be a whole lot of bother for a negative return.

[Sardia]

How do mines work in tactical combat? I attacked 2 locations with mines and I lost several ships in one battle and none in the other battle.

[capnq]

narf poit chez BOOM said: Why do people have assumptions of meaning other than what was said in normal conversation?

1. Language is ambiguous, and few people bother trying to be precise in their choice of words.

2. People project their own opinions on what they read, and respond to that rather than the actual content. Some people will reply to keywords without actually reading the entire context.

3. Some people enjoy arguing more than communicating.

[Randallw]

Ok, now I can't actually see what the problem is, so admittedly I'm just leaping on the question



Why do people have assumptions of meaning other than what was said in normal conversation?




Without going into great, great detail (well greater http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif), I believe it is because people approach problems from different directions and despite their best efforts they do not have access to the motivation or information behind a statement and so they can make assumptions which may make sense from the statement they reply to, however the person who wrote the original may have meant something else, but no person can consider every possible interpretation of something so they fail to realise how what they said may appear.

I know I have in the past come away from something with the wrong message, and to my shame responded wrongly. With improved communication the basis of things can become clear and common agreement can develop.

One recent incident I can use as an example, and I choose this one mostly because it's the most recent I can recall, was that someone told me my roleplaying was a failure because my empire was on the verge of being defeated. I attempted to explain to this other player that on the contrary my roleplaying had been going great, but there is a difference between staying in character and winning the game. I believe he missed the point for he pointed out how my previous success was only due to such things as my neighbour quiting, thus basically giving me free colonies. So my point is, we have a conversation but I hope it is clear that we are approaching it from opposite directions. My argument was based on the fact that I am trying to have a fun game, playing the game as the race I chose would be in real life, whereas it appears to me that he can only see the problem in the form of "does my approach have a chance of emerging victorious?".

Please excuse me if I have myself missed the point and gone off on a diverging tagent. I just hope I can show how two people can disagree because they are in fact having two different conversations.

For the record, and I do hope this is apparent, I try to come across as eloquent because knowing that people can get the wrong idea I try to phrase my comments as accurately as the limitations of english, and my own ability, allow.

or it could be my OCD http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Fyron]

Sardia said:
How do mines work in tactical combat?

They don't. Mines are encountered before combat. The total minesweeping ability of your fleet or ship is used to destroy 1 mine per ability point. Next, if there are any mines remaining, a detonation loop occurs. If there is a surviving ship, one mine detonates and damages a random ship, continue the loop. If there is no surviving ship, the loop breaks. After the detonation loop, if there are still any surviving ships, combat occurs.

Edit:
Btw, this thread is starting to grow unwieldy. Its better to make new threads for new questions. Better search results down the road, easier to track discussions, etc.

[Captain Kwok]

In addition to Fryon's answer, mines are also launched in tactical combat if they are in cargo. In stock they are not visible on the combat map, but can cause damage. In the Balance Mod they are visible and can damage ships in combat, but they can also be targeted by point-defense.

[Fyron]

How do mines cause damage in combat? Do ships run into them? Or do they "fire" their weapons?

[Captain Kwok]

They can be hit by ships.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Well, there's a few things I didn't know. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Thanks, Capnq and Randallw

(And some things I did http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif )

[Sardia]

Captain Kwok said:
They can be hit by ships.



How far do I have to stay away from them? Will point defense cannons be sufficient or do I need to flak cannon range?

[Randallw]

My most recent experience was with BM14b. An enemy fleet made it through a minefield (using the "soak up damage with plenty of armour" tactic). this left my minelayer fleeing while dropping one or two mines every once and a while. The enemy followed destroying the mines with PD. DUC fire too perhaps. Think of them as helpless units that just sit there. I've done tests where the enemy doesn't have weapons capable of targeting them. It'll chase after the minelayer, directly through mines. If they practically touch they'll go off. Anything further than basically on top of them and they don't do anything.

I'll also mention the mines in the B5W test can use weapons it seems, but we haven't gotten far enoguh for me to test them yet.

[Sardia]

Is there anyway to deal with a large number of mines piecemeal? I have a 160 mines and my minesweeper only sweeps for 60. Do I really have to wait for 3 mine sweepers just to deal with them?

[Fyron]

You want to wait until you get enough sweepers together. Entering a minefield with fewer sweepers will result in the remaining mines blowing your fleet up.

[Sardia]

Under what conditions will SEV not allow me to save a map? I want to save a particular random map, but I forgot to save it when I generated it. Now it won't let me save the map. Does it have to do with the ancient race trait that I have? Or is there a time limit first?

[Captain Kwok]

You need to select "Allow Map Saves" in the game options menu before starting a game. The default setting is not to allow them.

[Fyron]

The default is to prevent any map saving in-game, as it would be a very easy way to cheat in a multiplayer game.

You really need to start making new threads... giant threads like this are hell on users searching for helpful information down the line.

[Randallw]

This isn't related to SE so I suppose that makes it pretty randomn

Back in college, I think, I read a novel that I'm interested in finding again. Recently I read of a supposed sci-fi classic involving life forms that grew on a pulsar. I don't know if it's the same book. Anyhow, in the book I do remember there were a group of explorers who were in a space ship orbitting a planet. The native inhabitants were living at the speed of life or similar. They had the custom of eating their dead and most of what I remember was wars where the victors would eat their enemy dead in feasts. Not in a vicious tribal cannibalism way it was just that for this race it was natural not to let the protein (or whatever they were made of) go to waste. I remember that at one point the observers shone a beam of light on one of the battles and everyone of the aliens caught in the light beam was blinded. I seem to recall it had something to do with the specific frequency.

Anyway I wonder if anyone knows what the book is, and can tell me? I think it might even have been a series as I don't remember reading how the explorers got there.

[capnq]

Dragon's Egg, by Robert L. Forward. Human explorers discover a sapient race living on the surface of a neutron star. There was also a sequel called Starquake.

[Randallw]

Thanks. Now I need to find a copy. Probably my local bookshop could order it.

Incidentally can we still edit our posts? I mean it goes without saying anything lives at the speed of life. I meant light, of course.

[Fyron]

Posts can only be edited for 30 minutes or so.