Re: Component-dependant engines
 

You can always use abiliites that are non-functional in the file in question...

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

Yeah, but if MM wants to make the game really mod friendly (more so than it already is http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif ) why not take it all the way and come up with a method for us to use custom dummy abilities?

Of course, this would be something for the future, for now, kill those bugs! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

Well, turns out it was alot easier than using the ability stuff, I got the Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count to work, meaning I don't need to check for any abilities at all. It would be nice if it actually worked on the engine requirements themselves, though, instead of having to give that requirement to every single ship.

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

Do we know functions DO work in the movement formula?

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

Oh, they work. The problem is that some functions don't work in components.txt, including the ones you'd need for this trick.

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

But you can also add abilities directly to ships in vehiclesizes.txt. When I've added movement-generation abilities using formulas to ship hulls, they never work.

For example, Combat Movement with the formulas Get Specific Component Count or Get Design Ability Total do nothing. So problems with the movement formula extend beyond just components.txt.

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

It might be those functions only work in requirements, then.

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

I have added just this function to my custom blend of the game, however I used a Reactor piece, didn't make it mandatory. What I did do was removed all but a basic amount of "supply" from ship engines. Changed the ships all over to a fuel based system. Instead of Ion Engines for lvl 1 you get Solar Sails which have 10 supply takes no supply to use and 0.5 movement, and because it's classified as a "engine" the AI will use it. I also redefined supply storage as fuel tanks which are fragile and only hold a small amount, only in late game can you forgo a reactor and have any range. The principle is that the reactor uses your fuel to improve efficiency of the fuel, much like a real ship would use fuel to generate thrust and energy. so just modify AI ship building priorities to include a minimum of supply storage and viola.
I liked this especially because it made my very first ship feel very low tech, with solar sails that were fragile, large and slow, but free to use.

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

I'd just like to thanks all the posts here. I had been struggling trying to get mutually exclusive devices (only one type of engine on a ship etc) and couldn't get anywhere. The AI Tag # thing worked perfectly! Thanks. Prior to that no amount of boolean logic seemed to exclude things other than to say '1 of this type allowed'.

A query on a similar vein. I'd like for engines to use fuel based on the number of engines has anyone tried dividing the fuel use by the vessel move to get supply useage? In every mod I've played two ships with the same number of engines but different ship masses will have different fuel useages as the supply listed is used for every move point! Really weird way of doing that.

(Edit: OK re-read some of this thread. I guess something similar HAS been tried and failed. Is the formula for reading space based move of a ship one that won't work with components.txt?)

Thanks again for the help so far

Re: Component-dependant engines
 

I don't think there is such a formula. All the formula functions are listed in the modding pdf.