Newbie/demo question

[zircher]

In the demo (or the full game for that matter), how do you move from one star system to the next when there are no warp points connecting them?
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TAZ

[Q]

You need a ship with a "Gravitational Quantum Resonator" to open a new warp point. This component is available through the "stellar manipulation" reasearch area.
I personally don't use maps where not all systems are connected, because the AI handles this situation poorly.
Hope this helps!

P.S. just my curiosity: what is your name for? Is it the dialect form of Zuercher??

[zircher]

Thanks for the info, even if it's not what I wanted to hear. [Looking to port a hand moderated PBEM game to SE4, but warp point movement is not standard FTL in that game universe.] Perhaps laying warp points out on a grid or triangular pattern will blunt that. What is the max number of warp points per system

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Zircher (pronounced 'Zur-ker) has been the family spelling for at least four generations and can be traced back to southern Germany were the trail is lost. There is a suspected French influence in the re-spelling of it from more traditional German names. Can't offer much more, my grand parents were pretty tight lipped and wanted to distance themselves from Germany (due to WWI and WWII, of course.)
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TAZ

[Phoenix-D]

Using the editor? Unlimited. Using WP openers? 10 per system.

Phoenix-D

[zircher]

That's cool since the max I was thinking of was six per system.

Next fun question, can warp points be set to something other than instantaneous? If I wanted warp lines to represent trade routes, I'd like for them to take X number of turns based upon distance and possibly drive types.
Also, can ships be set up so that they can not use a warp point? (ie. system defense boats or perhaps a low tech neutral race)
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TAZ

BTW, thanks to ya'll for taking the time to answer my Posts.

[Phoenix-D]

Fighters can't warp. Neither can bases, sats, or mines (since they can't move)

You can't make WPs anything other than instant unless you link them to a non-usable "hyperspace" system which has the link to the *real* destination.

Phoenix-D

[zircher]

Hmmm, that might work. Such empty systems would represent the space between worlds and allow for 'deep space' combat. Multiple nodes would lengthen the journey. Thanks.

Perhaps I can set up an AI behavior for low tech races where they will not use warp points...
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TAZ

[Phoenix-D]

No warp point AIs = the neutrals.

Phoenix-D

[Q]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
No warp point AIs = the neutrals.

Phoenix-D<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not completely. The neutral AI empires send sometimes ships out to other systems, but will not make colonies there. I even had a full technology game where a neutral AI empire blew up the sun of a adjacent system. Nasty surprise!

[dogscoff]

QUOTE:
can warp points be set to something other than instantaneous?
/QUOTE

No, but this would be a good addition to the game - would be very useful for scenario builders.

Another one for the wish list.

[capnq]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Next fun question, can warp points be set to something other than instantaneous? If I wanted warp lines to represent trade routes, I'd like for them to take X number of turns based upon distance and possibly drive types.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You might want to look at suicide_junkie's FTL propulsion map (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/Forum23/HTML/003670.html), and my Hypermaze mod (URL in sig), which was inspired by it.

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Cap'n Q
My first mod! Hypermaze quadrant (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/Forum25/HTML/000018.html)
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

[This message has been edited by capnq (edited 27 September 2001).]

[zircher]

Thanks. SJ's map is... interesting, but perhaps a bit too convoluted for what I want (being the simple wargamer that I am.) I found that laying the star systems on a hex grid renders the instantaneous effect moot with a minimum of distortion. The warp points show up as a grid of triangles. By placing the warp points at (0,3),(0,9),(6,0),(6,12),(12,3), and (12,9) within a system, each warp point is equi-distant from each other and simply links the edges of star systems together. The 'perk' of such a layout is that no single warp point is better than another. So, the free roaming nature of the universe that I want to model is preserved.



The 'grid' option in the map editor comes close, but it skips some intersections and cuts corners on others. Perhaps a future Version of the map editor will have a true grid setting (one system at every intersection even if it is empty, with an all diagonals or no diagonals option) and a hex grid
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TAZ

[Oh yeah, stopped by the FedEX ground terminal at lunch time just so I could play with the full Version before getting home.]

[Suicide Junkie]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>within a system, each warp point is equi-distant from each other and simply links the edges of star systems together. The 'perk' of such a layout is that no single warp point is better than another. So, the free roaming nature of the universe that I want to model is preserved.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That is especially true for my map. The warp points are all at the edge of the system, so you take whichever is closest to your present position. Once you have "gone to warp", you travel one galaxy-map square using 1 movement point. It then takes 1MP to return to normal speed at your destination.

While you are in FTL space, you can wander the galaxy map as you please, the only restriction is that you cannot stop in an "empty" space between the star systems.
You can in effect, sneak around enemy held systems, as long as your enemy dosen't have an FTL interceptor force on patrol.

EDIT: Reading the entire thread, I cannot see why my map does not suit your needs.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>If I wanted warp lines to represent trade routes, I'd like for them to take X number of turns based upon distance and possibly drive types.
...
Such empty systems would represent the space between worlds and allow for 'deep space' combat. Multiple nodes would lengthen the journey<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Using my map, you get:
- FTL around the edge of a system to get to the far side. (2mp)
- Multi-turn travel times entirely FTL.
- Go from any system to any other system directly, though it may take a while.
- FTL space cannot be blockaded, and completely protecting a system from FTL attacks in nearly impossible. (Random movement ability in hyperspace disrupts blockades)
- Ships can be lost in hyperspace: with random movement of 2, a ship with 1MP is helpless and must wait to drift past a starsystem.


[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 27 September 2001).]

[zircher]

Nothing wrong with your map, I'm just being difficult. :-) Actually, I'm wanting to port a hand moderated PBEM game to SE4, so I have specific mapping and technology 'issues' to overcome. In some places I'll have to bend to SE4's methods, but if I can customize SE4 to a Fire on the Suns method or set of values, I will. When done, the mod might look like SE4, but that will be skin deep only.
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Todd (mad scientist/game designer wannabe) Zircher