[SCR] MARS Fire Control (v5.25 - 16.02.13)

[Gazz]

would it be possible to get a turret option so that turrets act as fighter defense and only attack m3's and smaller ships?

Supervegeta's turret commands can already do that.

I can't find how to get MARS to attack shields only? Does your script simply replace Egosoft's version and do I use their command slot? I can only set my turrets to Mars Defense or Mars Offense?

It's on the target section of the MARS menu. (where else?)
Everything on that menu has a function.

You can use Egosoft's script as well but then you have to balance the ships' damage yourself.


I can deal with that slowdown issue but vacation's over now and after a day's work I'm not really in the mood for anything complicated like that. Sometime this weekend...

[cleaverlch]

Hello.

I'm wondering whether it is possible to tell MARS that it should only use a specific weapon at a specific turret e.g. only use IBLs on the front turret.

[Gazz]

No but the Egosoft scripts can already do that.
For MARS that would be extremely inefficient.

[cleaverlch]

I'm not sure what you mean by "extremely inefficient".

Instead of doing the calculations for all available lasers the turret can mount, wouldn't it only need to look for the specified laser, calculate whether it can hit or not and shoot if the target is hittable? Or am I missing something?

[Gazz]

While IBL can hit an M5 they aren't the first choice for me or MARS.
Sure, occasionally it would just not fire but if it does then IBL are still not a very useful laser for hitting the M5 and this would use like 10 times the laser energy for same job...
Not efficient in my book.

Telling MARS to not change weapons is like removing 2 wheels from your car because you have seen a bicycle run on 2 so obviously 2 are sufficient.

[cleaverlch]

Sure, occasionally it would just not fire but if it does then IBL are still not a very useful laser for hitting the M5 and this would use like 10 times the laser energy for same job...

... but is still saving more energy compared to the EGOSOFT scripts which shoot regardless of whether it hits or not.

[MillitantOne]

Just copy into the X3TC folder. Then enable the script editor in game by renaming your pilot into

Thereshallbewings

Save. Reload. Mars should activate. Save and reload again. Presto.

Creston

Thanks for that Creston, im quite along way in to a game and didn't want to mess with the game files without knowing what I was doing.

Just wondered how many people activate MARS for NPC ships?, it seems like it might be an unfair advatage if only my ships have it, and I imagine the combat is pretty insane (in a good way) if you do give it to them

- not sure how bad the fps will be if I do tho. my pc is pretty fast (quad core, GTX280 + 8Gb Ram), but I play on max settings @1680x1050 and get some lag already in big fights without any MARS at all.

[Creston]

Just copy into the X3TC folder. Then enable the script editor in game by renaming your pilot into

Thereshallbewings

Save. Reload. Mars should activate. Save and reload again. Presto.

Creston

Thanks for that Creston, im quite along way in to a game and didn't want to mess with the game files without knowing what I was doing.

Just wondered how many people activate MARS for NPC ships?, it seems like it might be an unfair advatage if only my ships have it, and I imagine the combat is pretty insane (in a good way) if you do give it to them

- not sure how bad the fps will be if I do tho. my pc is pretty fast (quad core, GTX280 + 8Gb Ram), but I play on max settings @1680x1050 and get some lag already in big fights without any MARS at all.

No problem man, glad to help.

I think most people activate it for all ships, since MARS is not a cheat script of any kind. It's logical that in a day and age when we have jumpdrives and interstellar travel and plasma burst generators, we'd also have a computer that can actually HIT something.

It just fixes Egosoft's broken crappy scripts.

The only reason I am currently not using MARS for capital ships (Gazz's claims that I'm a chicken to the contrary ) is that I'm playing a non combat-intensive game and just don't want the added difficulty.

I had it on for NPC ships in my previous game. It does add a bit of slowdown to the game if there's a few ships in sector that use it, especially M2s. This decrepitly old engine still only runs on a single core, so any extra calculations come at the cost of extra calculations for the rest of the game.

Creston

[954flyer]

Lately it seems I lose goblins faster than I can blink (it's a long blink). I usually carry 24 fighter drones in my capital ships. I usually fly a Panther or Tiger but have recently been experimenting with an Osaka. In the past, I remember going several fights and still have about half my drones left before calling in my resupply frieghter. Lately it seems I go through all my drones in about 5 minutes and spend the rest of the fight without them. It started getting frustrating to call in resupply so often that I turned off goblin decoy missions.

I like the idea of decoy missions, so I'm not sure if goblin's behave differently in the latest update or it's just my perception. The drones seem to get shot down easily whether they are fighting cap ships or fighters, xenon or pirates. Has anyone else noticed an increase in goblin losses?

[Gazz]

Version 4.25 released.

• Fixed issue with enableing MARS for AI ships through the menu instead of the AL Plugin.
• Massive slowdown from AI ships fixed (I think)
• Generally (slightly) reduced CPU load during firing a turret

[MillitantOne]

No problem man, glad to help.

I think most people activate it for all ships, since MARS is not a cheat script of any kind. It's logical that in a day and age when we have jumpdrives and interstellar travel and plasma burst generators, we'd also have a computer that can actually HIT something.

It just fixes Egosoft's broken crappy scripts.

The only reason I am currently not using MARS for capital ships (Gazz's claims that I'm a chicken to the contrary ) is that I'm playing a non combat-intensive game and just don't want the added difficulty.

I had it on for NPC ships in my previous game. It does add a bit of slowdown to the game if there's a few ships in sector that use it, especially M2s. This decrepitly old engine still only runs on a single core, so any extra calculations come at the cost of extra calculations for the rest of the game.

Creston

Thanks again Creston, have now installed and turned on for all ships.

And thanks to Gazz, amazing, ships behave like they should now. This script should be part of an official patch. Going to try your complex cleaner as well.

[G.Org]

one problem: after installing MARS: without the needed software my equiped flaks do not hit target anymore. from M5 to M3 its all the same. normally a khaak cluster would disappear within seconds (im sitting in agamemnon with flaks in all turres where they fit). but now they sooting and sooting and sooting and weapon energy goes low and the bugs still around.

EDIT:
ok, bought the software now and the flaks still DONT hit like they used to.

btw. how to remove or disable mars scrips till problem is solved? without reinstalling the game... i dont like the idea hanging around in khaak sector with not working flaks.

X3TC1.4

[Gazz]

The good old Flak bug has nothing to do with MARS.

[kelmen]

Ok, I got some funny bug, not sure is it due to MARS or not. But this bug exhibit by the feature of drone-collecting-cargo.

I noticed on local map, 2 patterns when drone is attempt to collect cargo:

1. When drone near/reach the cargo pos, the cargo disappear! Drone state changed to "no target, returning".

Sometime, the dissapear cargo seems to teleported to another place!

2. Sometime drone behaving like returning the cargo, with speed around 180. But the cargo stay on a spot, and not tucking by the drone.
When the drone near its mothership, it keep flying around it, never return to cargobay.

If I issue the "send drone" hotkey over the confused drone, it will drop its command (as expected) and return home, but then new drone will be send to pick up the cargo, and problem repeat again.

***

I'm not sure what can cause this, as I did applied few new mods.

Basically what's new mod I'm using now:
CMOD3 (4.2 beta) - I encounterd the mentioned problem in 4.1, maybe 4.2 will fix this, till I can confirm it.
- I also installed few other mods recommended by it:
-- Military HUD
-- Replace CIG by A-PPC gun
-- Comms Ambient

Mars 4.25

[Gazz]

Reinstall MARS. (copy all files again...)

Sounds like you or some other script messed with it's script files.

[MillitantOne]

one problem: after installing MARS: without the needed software my equiped flaks do not hit target anymore. from M5 to M3 its all the same. normally a khaak cluster would disappear within seconds (im sitting in agamemnon with flaks in all turres where they fit). but now they sooting and sooting and sooting and weapon energy goes low and the bugs still around.

EDIT:
ok, bought the software now and the flaks still DONT hit like they used to.

btw. how to remove or disable mars scrips till problem is solved? without reinstalling the game... i dont like the idea hanging around in khaak sector with not working flaks.

X3TC1.4

I have Agamemnon too, same thing with flaks, but like Gazz says its not related to Mars, did it before I ever installed it. To get round it I just carry enough PSG's for all turrets, in Khaak/zenon sectors area damage is no problem. I also have enough IBL's, ISRG's and PBE's for all turrets in the cargo bay, and thanks to MARS they just switch out to the best solution, thats the beauty of it.

[Creston]

Gazz,

Would it be possible to get MARS to stop firing on Marines if the Marines' race happens to be set to foe? I'm on a war of extermination with the Paranid, and as a result, my three best Marines (all Paranid) can't be used anymore because as soon as I kick them out the airlock, MARS blows them to bits.

It's pretty impressive how fast it goes too. It takes approximately two seconds for it to kill three marines

I can work around it, but it's a bit of a hassle to have to do so every time I try to board something.

Just a request. If it's not possible, oh well.

Thanks!

Creston

[Gazz]

Collaborators shall be shot on sight!

I think it's pretty funny that your marines can be of a hostile race.
MARS is just a machine and takes it's "destroy all paranid" order literally.

Planning ahead for which races you plan on going to war with would be a good thing. =)

[omegaxypher]

Good god, i loaded up this mod finally and now i feel a little guilty that i am in active war with a race. This mod tears everything to absolute shreds in moments. Hell i can just leave my M2 on Attack all and be pretty damn sure that the sector is going to burn in a hail of weapons fire.

This mod ramps up the M1/M2's ability for defense and offense that its almost a I WIN button.

[VincentTH]

I cannot read through 55 pages of posts, but I have this obvious question, and my apologies if this has been asked before:

- Gazz, do you have any intention of submitting this script for signing? (Note I am not asking if this is in the work, being afraid that that info is under NDA).