Drone Carrier Software (DCS) v1.30 (2012-05-17) [TC][AP][SCRIPT][AL]

[DrBullwinkle]

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Drone Carrier Software (DCS)

DCS Drone Carrier Software v1.31

It's like a swarm of killer bees... with laser beams... attached to their heads. -- Dr. Evil

The drone carrier is the perfect solution to OOS patrols. It can take on any size enemy, is quick for rapid response (on a Griffon or similar craft), and manages its "fighters" by itself, with no need for constant management by the player.

DCS Drone Carrier Software turns your M7C (or other carrier-class ship) into a reliable, affordable, self-managing, Out-of-Sector (OOS) patrol craft. Its single purpose is to help you to: Maintain peace through superior firepower.

Among other things, this is the missing software for the Griffon drone carrier frigate (M7), which is the final reward from the Final Fury plot in TC.

(Works for TC and AP. As far as I know, DCS is compatible with everything except for LSDC and SSDN -- and that incompatibility is only temporary).


Features

Fully automatic. Everything is set up for you: Just turn it on (Active), set the ship on patrol, and it will do the rest.
On-Board Drone Production, using (Star Trek) Replicator technology.

One of the major limitations of previous drone carrier softwares is that they required that you supply the drones, or that you supply resources to an on-board drone factory. Successfully managing re-supply to a patrolling vessel is extremely difficult. It *can* be done, but you have to be a rocket surgeon and probably use exotic teutonic software to make it work (such as CODEA or CLS or, maybe, FDN).

DCS greatly simplifies the process, by producing the drones from credits. Furthermore, it does the production automatically and when you need it; thereby greatly simplifying this otherwise-complicated task.

The Drone Carrier calculates appropriate response size on his own, and will take on any enemy military ships it encounters.
Kills military ships and Reports enemy transports. Just in case you "need" a new transport.
Beast Mode (currently "on" by default. And, really, just "on" until I implement an "off" feature.).

I play a challenging, combat-oriented, heavily-modified game, which spawns huge enemy fleets too often for me to kill all of them myself. So I needed some help. I needed a fully-automated OOS patrol craft that was capable of destroying an entire fleet of Xenon invaders (including multiple J's and K's). In a vanilla game, destroyers and carriers make good OOS patrol craft. But my needs were more... um... "extreme". Hence my interest in perfecting automated carrier software that really delivers on the "automated" part. The Drone Carrier is ideally suited to the job.

In the future, I will give the player the option of more balance. Since the balance part is still in development, DCS is currently stuck in "Beast Mode". What this means to your game is that your Drone Carrier will be very nearly invincible OOS. Main cause of death would be jumping in within turret range of an enemy capital ship. Also, the drone carrier is more vulnerable in-sector.

At least one commenter said that is the way that it should be... reliable and nearly invincible for OOS patrols.

Pricing is not yet implemented. Currently, DCS replicates drones for free. In the future, the drones will be significantly more expensive than normal purchase price.

Requirements

Fight Command Mk1 Software on a carrier-class ship (M0/M1/M2/M7/M6/TL/TM).
WILL NOT RUN ON PLAYER SHIP.

How to Use DCS

1) Install DCS with the Plugin Manager.


1a) DCS includes the lib.chem.strings library and corresponding 8910 language files. Do not be concerned if you already have these files; go ahead and overwrite (or keep the existing files... it really does not matter).

2) The Artificial Life plugin will start itself automatically. You do not have to turn it on, although you can toggle its status in the Artificial Life Settings on the Gameplay menu.
3) On a carrier-class ship with Fight Command Mk1 software, select "Drone Carrier Software Menu" on the Combat tab.
4) Toggle Status to "Active".

That's it! Now send your new Drone Carrier (DC) on patrol, or give it orders to Defend Sector. Your Drone Carrier will do the rest, automatically.





Additional Information
If you are playing TC, the script will add the Griffon Drone Carrier to Argon Shipyards for you. AP already has several Drone Carriers available. In a future version, the software may only run on Drone Carrier ships (Griffon, Guppy, Ariadne, Cormorant, Maccana). I am open to opinions on the subject. The tradeoff is that drone-carrier-only is better for role-play but, on the other hand, most carriers could benefit from better fleet management (and that is what DCS is).

The Drone Carrier has always been an overpowered beast; capable of killing entire fleets of enemies. That might be *too* much of a good thing, and will be nerfed in the future. However, for OOS patrols, it kicks ass and takes names.

My vision for the future is more "realistic" drone carrier software. I want it to have different capability IS vs. OOS, because my primary goal is an effective OOS patrol ship. In-Sector, I do not want a Griffon to be able to overpower a Raptor (which it can now easily do). For OOS, I will probably allow the beast (perhaps as an option), because my as-yet-unpublished-combat-mods require something awesome to keep those pesky Xenon under control... when not fighting them myself.

DCS is inspired by Logain Abler's LSDC and SSDN. Both were terrific ideas which I have extended and made more reliable.


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History

v1.31 Minor update to guarantee prevention of a possible bug reported by garry34.

v1.30 Initial full release. Same as 1.204.

v1.204
- Automatically restart drone carriers after reload, if their task was stopped (bug fix)!
- Remove requirements for Patrol Command and Carrier Command Software.
- Automatically start AL plugin
- Colored display of AL plugin name
- Many cleanups

DCS v1.203
- Added al.LSDC.event, which was missing in the previous versions.
- Name change, since this project is rapidly moving away from LA's code.

LSDC v2.02
- changed default Rules of Engagement (RoE).
- Always automatically produce drones; no resources required.
- Make default deployment = Combat (transporter launch; near carrier).
- Limit number of drones to 30 (fixes runaway-launch bug -- quick and dirty technique -- better implementation in the future).

Discussion thread: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=322929


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[DrBullwinkle]

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[DrBullwinkle]

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[DrBullwinkle]

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[jack775544]

Sounds pretty amazing I'll try it when I have spare time (I have spare time? ).

[Logain Abler]

Nice to see someone taking up the mantel, I’ll watch with interest

Good luck LA

[DrBullwinkle]

Hey, LA! I've been looking for you for six months!

You made some great scripts. I only "picked up the mantel" because you were not around to support them.

I am particularly impressed by your user interface work. Great stuff.

Thank you for everything that you have done! I'd love to hear your ideas/feedback/help/whatever. I am probably headed in a different direction than you might go, but I'm always open to creativity.

@Jack[2]: Thanks. Hope you like it. Heck I just hope it works and doesn't blow up on you. Garry34's targets are shooting back at him, apparently. Yikes!

[joshyp00]

I have been waiting for this! MARS! ON CRACK!!!

[pelder]

Does this work with XRM

[Litcube]

[DrBullwinkle]

@pelder: I don't see why not, but... Congratulations! You have been elected to test it and report back.

(Then please punch yourself for asking)

@Litcube: There'd better not be more people asking about mod compatibility, or else ima put up a giant notice like you have on your Bounce thread.

And, for the record, "Chicken Poop" is also the name of a lib balm (like Chapstick). Seriously.

@Everybody: As far as I know, DCS is compatible with everything except for LSDC and SSDN (and that incompatibility is only temporary).

Original Post updated.

[joshyp00]

I already have been using it with a new save with xrm and pretty much every one of luckie scripts and like 10 other mods no problems fine i'll take my rainbow awesomness back

any chance this will run on the player ship in the future?

[DrBullwinkle]

[joshyp00]

I admit to having a script that keeps my monies topped out haha i wasn't paying attention in the slightest

I like the no beast mode personally makes my life easier haha

[DrBullwinkle]

I meant that you did not mention the price of the bribe... um... "reward"... that you were offering for such an obviously illegal "enhancement".