[script/mod] ImprovedRaces R15.31 (24.04.2012)

[djrygar]

corporations are factions, not races
i.e. they are subraces that are defined by local vars


Serial Kicked is preparing his Factions:AI plugin that will be faction oriented, not race

[TrixX]

How many factions are possible? Sorry I got the corps bit wrong

Though I would like to add a couple more races

[Jack08]

My guess would be 2,147,483,647 (the maximum number of an signed 32 bit intiger)
or 4,294,967,295, the maximum number of an unsigned 32bit intiger

[Jack08]

Hello!
In this post i will be explaining how the new equipment packs feature that has been added to Player Ship Construction
R15.17 Deployed - Functions Available

In order to access this new feature Player Ship Construction has to be enabled
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A New menu entry has been added to IR:CS [ external image ]
By using this option, and then selecting a shipyard
OR by using the IR:CS hokey with a shipyard selected
You will be taken to this menu:
[ external image ]
By Choosing the ship you witch to order, You will be taken to the Load out selection menu
[ external image ]
For the purpose of this tutorial, we will be buying a Nova Sentinel at the Federal Argon Shipyard in Light of Heart with the load out of a CODEA: Fighter
[ external image ][ external image ]
In the load out editor you have 5 Slide switches, witch allow you to toggle Weapons, Shields, Engine Tunings, Rudder Optimizations and Cargo Bay Extensions on and off
Under the Equipment label, you will see a list of currently selected equipment along with the '- Add Equipment -' option, using this open takes you to the 'Add Equipment' menu that can be seen on the right

By selecting a piece of equipment under the equipment label, you can remove it from the load out
Changes to load outs are not saved, So if you wish to save your load out make sure to save it
This can be done two ways:
The First is to save it as a 'Class' load out (eg M3) - That when you order an 'M3' class ship, you can select this load out again

Load out's can also be saved as 'Universal' Meaning they will be available no matter what class of ship you choose

When you are happy with your load out (and saved it if you want too), Select the Proceed to Checkout Button
[ external image ]
On this menu you can see what the cost of your new ship will be, As well as its build time

The first option will allow you to change the amount of ships to buy, This can be set to any number as long as you can afford it

The Home base options will allow you to set the home base for these new ships

The last option 'Return to Loadout Editor' will take you back to the load out editor to make any changes to the load out that you wish too

By selecting 'Buy Ship(s)' you will be presented with a confirmation box:
[ external image ]
If you say yes, The credits will be deducted from your account, And construction will begin, If you say no you will be returned to the checkout menu
[ external image ]
And here is our brand new Nova Sentinel being constructed, and equipted, It will be ready soon

[mr.WHO]

Two Questions:
- will I be able to select other weapon configuration, or only ships specific (aka Nova's 4x HEPT) ?

- will I be able to use this option WITHOUT ship construction (aka waiting for SY to build this ship - I want vanill instant build) feature?


Anyway it's what I've been wating for a long time

[Jack08]

Two Questions:
- will I be able to select other weapon configuration, or only ships specific (aka Nova's 4x HEPT) ?

No, The are locked to ship defaults - Capital ships / corvetts will not have weapons and will only have 1 200 MJ shield

will I be able to use this option WITHOUT ship construction (aka waiting for SY to build this ship - I want vanill instant build) feature?

No - well it could be done, but this is an extension to the ship build plug in, so i don't know if i will

[djrygar]

only shields and x4 HEPT, similar to L/S/M variants like it's always was in shipyards

there is no 'add any weapon' option - as we decided this would be bit of cheat and would take too much out of game

[TrixX]

Jack08 stop posting porn, people won't be able to see their screens...

It looks amazing mate, can't wait to test it out

[mr.WHO]

Two Questions:
- will I be able to select other weapon configuration, or only ships specific (aka Nova's 4x HEPT) ?

No, The are locked to ship defaults - Capital ships / corvetts will not have weapons and will only have 1 200 MJ shield

will I be able to use this option WITHOUT ship construction (aka waiting for SY to build this ship - I want vanill instant build) feature?

No - well it could be done, but this is an extension to the ship build plug in, so i don't know if i will

There could be weapon loadout included, but to make it ballance, it should be race specific (aka Argons Mass drivers, Teladi Gauss) plus in limited numbers, like 10 PPC per hour.

Please make this with no "ship construction" option too. I'd like to buy lots of well equipped ships fast. It wouldn't be a cheat coz customization and manual ship equipping is fun at the begining, but after would own fully equipped carrier, it's pain in the ass.
It wouldn't hurt if this would be "enable/disable" option so I could have this without ships construction wait time.


I humbly remind you what you wrote at OP:

CUSTOMIZABILITY
Almost all of features can be switched on/off during game so you can shape your game the way you like. Use Cycrow's Plugin Configuration Menu to set options (you may run setup menu from AL PLUGINS menu as well)

[Jack08]

Right now, EQ packs and Player Ship Construction are heavily connected
I cant seperate them with crippling both functions, not without extream redesign

I said it could be done, But actually doing it is another thing entirely

It was designed as an extention to ship construction, and itll haev to stay that way

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R15.17 Deployed, Functions Available: See This Post for details

[mr.WHO]

Shame, it would be neat to select max shields and weapon loadout for ships builded/bought at shipyard.
For ballance purpose weapons and shields could be 10% more expensive than buy them directly from Equipment docks (something like a payment for shipyard supply traders.

BTW I spotted a bug:
The "True relations" option has two entries, one in "universal options"- set to Enable and other in "more options" - set to disabled.

When I set both to disabled then... ... it enables the True relations.
Nothing gamebreaking (I guess if I leave the first to enabled and the second one to disable, the true relations will be disabled) but still strange.
I also think that you could remove "Improove Pirates" menu as you don't use (and AFAIK you don't plan to use) it.

BTW any chance to have back a selectable rapid improovement for Xenon?

[Jack08]

The "True relations" option has two entries, one in "universal options"- set to Enable and other in "more options" - set to disabled.

The option in universe options is non-functinal... i havent figured out how to remove it yet

I would love to remove improved pirates from the menu, but the issue is the same as above

7ate had a wacky way of coding menu's... the moment i try to modify somthing the hole thing breaks

The rapid improvement feature for the xenon is diabled because it causes crashes due to an unknown error

[Ikaruga]

I agree with Mr.Who, you should be able to choose your weapons and shields by yourself, it would save a lot of time ! Especially when equipping a M2, finding enough shields and cannons is just a pain...

Also, I'd like to auto equip already existing ships in equipment docks. Is it possible ?

[Jack08]

I agree with Mr.Who, you should be able to choose your weapons and shields by yourself, it would save a lot of time ! Especially when equipping a M2, finding enough shields and cannons is just a pain...

Also, I'd like to auto equip already existing ships in equipment docks. Is it possible ?

If you want to choose your weapons and shields, use the cheat package, this is not a cheat package
This is what complexes are for, or traders

Perhaps use Auto Prep Ships by ThisisHarsh, i dont have any plans on exenting this feature beyond construction

[Chestburster2]

So if you order a ship, the shield and weapon loadout will be the same like if you order a L version (just with customized tunings and software)?

[Jack08]

So if you order a ship, the shield and weapon loadout will be the same like if you order a L version (just with customized tunings and software)?

Exactly

[mr.WHO]

If you want to choose your weapons and shields, use the cheat package, this is not a cheat package Razz
This is what complexes are for

Perhaps use Auto Prep Ships by ThisisHarsh, i dont have any plans on exenting this feature beyond construction

<facepalm> but I don't want to use a cheat, I mentioned above that this feature could be more expensive and limited to make it ballanced.

What I want is time-saving feature not game-ruining cheat.

If you will tell me to use cheat script to spawn ships and then remove the proper amount of cash the I can only say that it's not time-saving, neither simple (spawn ship->spawn weapons/equipment/shields upgrades-> use calculator to estimate the cost -> remove cash via cheat- the REPEAT for every single ship).

Forgive me if I sounds nasty, I'm aware that you say it would require some serious coding so I'm not pushing you, but claiming that I want cheat-feature when I don't want cheat-feature is really demotivating

So if you order a ship, the shield and weapon loadout will be the same like if you order a L version (just with customized tunings and software)?

Exactly

I know, I know, S,M,L variants plus upgrades & equipment. Nice, but this could be so much better with weapons & shields.

[Jack08]

<facepalm> but I don't want to use a cheat, I mentioned above that this feature could be more expensive and limited to make it ballanced.

It will NEVER be balenced, Because no matter what way you look at it, no matter how much more it costst, or how much more time it takes to build, at the end of the process it will still be spawing weapons and shields from nothing...

Building shields and weapons is part of the game, removing that part of the game isnt somthing we want to do

[djrygar]

<facepalm> but I don't want to use a cheat, I mentioned above that this feature could be more expensive and limited to make it ballanced.
.

you do, you just call it differently

[essi2]

Will Friendly races defend their stations in my sectors even though I can't set defender? (ie. Defender list in Empire manager is empty)