Fun with armor!
 

I decided to try a little experiment with a new armor type and I was shocked when this actually worked exactly as I intended it to. How ... unusual. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Name := Neutronium Armor
Description := Super dense armor that absorbs massive damage, but slows a ship down.
Picture Number := 280
Maximum Level := 11
Tonnage Space Taken Formula := 20 - trunc( [%Level%] / 2 )
Tonnage Structure Formula := 1000 + ( ( [%Level%] - 1 ) * 50 )
Cost Minerals Formula := 500 + ( ( [%Level%] - 1 ) * 10 )
Cost Organics Formula := 100 + ( ( [%Level%] - 1 ) * 5 )
Cost Radioactives Formula := 500 + ( ( [%Level%] - 1 ) * 10 )
Supply Amount Used Formula := 0
Ordnance Amount Used Formula := 0
Can Be Placed On Vehicle Types := Ship
Can Be Placed In Ship Sections := Armor
Component Type List := Technological
General Group := Armor
Custom Group := 0
Number Of Requirements := 3
Requirements Evaluation Availability := 1, 3
Requirements Evaluation Allows Placement := 2
Requirements Evaluation Allows Usage := TRUE
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 10 in Armor.
Requirement 1 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Armor") &gt;= (10 + ([%Level%] - 1))
Requirement 2 Description := This vehicle can only have half as many neutronium armor components as it has engines
Requirement 2 Formula := ( Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count("Neutronium Armor") * 2 ) &lt; ( Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Movement Standard") - Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count("Neutronium Armor") )
Requirement 3 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 10 in Stellar Manipulation.
Requirement 3 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Stellar Manipulation") &gt;= (10 + ([%Level%] - 1))
Number Of Abilities := 2
Ability 1 Type := Component - Is Armor Type
Ability 1 Description := Armor protects the ship from damage.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := "Normal Armor"
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 0
Ability 2 Type := Movement Standard
Ability 2 Description := The massive density and weight of this armor reduces the movement of the ship
Ability 2 Scope := Space Object
Ability 2 Range Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 1 Formula := -5
Ability 2 Amount 2 Formula := 0
Weapon Type := None
</pre><hr />

Re: Fun with armor!
 

Did you try this in a ship with no engines or a ship whose engines were destroyed?
I tried something similar in SE IV, but there the game crashed when the total movement got negative.

Re: Fun with armor!
 

Did you try that in the latest versions? Less than 0 movement was a problem in SE4 pre-1.60, but it was fixed in Gold.

SE5 doesn't tend to have any problems with negative values; better edge condition testing seems incorporated everywhere than SE4 started out with.

Re: Fun with armor!
 

As of the last time I tried it (~1.30?), any ship that gets negative movement becomes extremely quick instead.

That is, the movement value wraps from 0 to the highest possible positive movement value.

Re: Fun with armor!
 

Brad over at SE5.com made a mini-mod for Balance Mod that had weighted armor.

Link:
http://www.spaceempires5.com/en-US/node/4061

Re: Fun with armor!
 

The way that formula works, you can't get negative movement. Each engine has 5 move points and each piece of that armor added subtracts 5. The placement requirement limits you to 1/2 as many armor components (rounded down) as you have engines.

I suppose if someone did damage that skipped armor and destroyed your engines, it could have problems, though. I'll have to test that.

However, I did test that with a ship with no engines (wouldn't allow placement), a ship with partial engines and full engines. In each case, it would allow up to half as many armor pieces as you had engines and then it wouldn't allow more placed armor.

Re: Fun with armor!
 

Fyron I am not sure which was the version of SE IV that had problems with negative movement. It is good to hear that this was fixed in the final version and then probably it is no problem in SE V.