[MOD] Improved PPC weapons for capital ships [1.3]

[beyer_garratt]

I thought it was in my profile... check your inbox.

[Mergelsberg]

It's enroute...

Only the basic version though, this doesn't alter the weapon firing rate.

[beyer_garratt]

Updated the front page with spk's and neato colours and stuff


edit: I seem to be having problems with the script packager program... even when I use the .xsp file it is installed as a standalone mod into the /mods folder, which I don't want. How do I convince it to install into the pluginmanager mod like most other scripts do?


edit2: I suspect its because this does a lot more than what most other scripts do. I've reverted back to the false patch versions for now.


edit3: Now I have problems with the .spk nuking every weapon except the ppc's.... back to the drawing board for me.


edit4: After teaching myself .spk use from scratch I now have functioning pluginmanager files for my mod. w00t.

Please report to me if you use the .spk files... even if they work. thxbai.

[Mergelsberg]

I'm using the .SPK that I sent you and it seems to be working just fine for me.
I also have a little mod installed in the same way which makes 1GJ shields recharge in about 5 minutes and 10GJ shields in roughly 9 minutes.

[beyer_garratt]

Strange.

When I install the .spk, and run as "original game" from the "Select Mod Package" screen I get neither the pocket destroyer mod, nor the improved weapons.

When I run as "PluginManager" I get the new ships, but not the new weapons.

When I run as "impPPC", all weapons except for the PPC disappear form the game, and even the PPC do not fire. I do not get the new ships either.


In found that in order to fix it I needed to have all weapons in the .cat file, not just the ones I modified.

I also discovered that renaming the .cat file to anything else than a two digit number (ie. 08.cat) forced the PluginManager to install it into the /mods/ folder instead.

What am I doing wrong?

[Nexuswolf]

Now, do correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this a bit OTT? I can understand modding the PPC a bit so that they have a decent chance of hitting an M3, but from the stats you've put up they make it pointless to have anything else on the ship. And a range of 10k is more then a little silly.

Surely this is what FAAs and IBEs are for, or just plonking a bunch of PACs on would do?

There's a number of weapon layout quick changes out there, or just planning ahead can sort it. Having a fighter escort would do it, or an M6 with PACs or PSGs set to protect for fighter cover (A Teladi Osprey would do it, heavy shields, 3 turrets and an excellent selection of lasers to choose from, speeds not too much of a problem with Destroyers).

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. I would suggest bringing the range back into line, dropping the turret speed below that of a BHEPT (I do think turret sped of 0.05 on a APPC is a little silly), maybe about 0.12 for Alpha, 0.1 for Beta and 0.08 for Gamma.

The bullet sped is actually greater then an AIRE, truely OTT, and looking at the speeds of the things before hand (HEPT) they seem pretty in line as they were.

Unless you were going for a cheat script to begin with that is >.> just looking at that post about going through the Xenon sector should really be enough, looking at it from the other side, you should be able to make it across Xenon space with some good flying and liberal use of the strafe drive (Dreads to think how he would drop that Adv. Satalite in the middle of that Xenon sector for the Bala Gi missions with this script going...)

Anywho, I write far too much...... I just think this could be a really nice script if it was had a lot of balancing

[beyer_garratt]

If you've ever flown a Phoenix against a fleet of assorted opponents you will understand the motivation behind this mod.

Yes, PPC are extremely powerful. But on a 100,000,000+cr ship, you'd expect some pretty kick arse weaponry - able to quickly and effectively dispense with any small ship dumb enough to pick a fight.

FAA have range issues - many ships never fly close enough, although when they do they will get mowed down pretty quickly. Not all M1/2 can mount them either.

PAC are too slow - by the time a bullet reaches its target the target is a hundred yards away. The same applies to HEPT.

I wouldn't consider this a cheat script either, since although you can easily kill things with PPC's, things with PPC's can easily kill you as well.

I basically left the ranges as standard although perhaps they do need some reduction, especially on the Alpha version. I'll have a tinker after posting this.

[Nexuswolf]

Hmm, then maybe the FAAs and PBEs could do with a look at? Sort of turn this into a rebalance of Capital Ship Weaponry.

I know the IBEs are pretty much useless for anything other then missile defence, but there's not much point in a weapon that only does missile defence. I would like to see it with about 1.5/2km distance, at least give PACs a run for their money, at a cost of more energy to use or something like that. (APBEs use about 127 energy/sec, betas 269, maybe an increase to about 200 and 350 a piece).

Same could go for FAAs, more range for more energy, alpha at 1.8 (normally 1.2) and beta out to 2km (normally 1.5). I think small adjustments like these help bring cap ship defence back into standard.

Each size ship should have its advantages, a squad of about 10 M3s should be able to take out an M1 or maybe an unprepared M2, an M6 should be able to defend against an M3 or two escorted by some M4s. It's pretty much a case of match the prices. (I wonder how many M5 you could get for the same price as an M2.....)

....Would be nice to have each individual turret target separately....

[MitchellExplorer]

I first downloaded .spk version installed it with plugin manager - then uninstalled it - couldn't start save game after that.

I tried also fake patch method and put cat & dat files to root dir - downloaded save game ok. Then removed those cat & dat files - again could't load save game.

All my other scripts & mods work like they should - so question is how to get rid of this mod?