[MOD TC/AP] Combat Mod 4 - v4.16 17/06/13 - AP 3.0 Compatibility

[paulwheeler]

The CIG uses a blue/violet projectile.

I originally gave the FPD more of a pink/violet projectile, but I didn't think it looked as effective.

One thing I did do with the FPD which I think really helped with the look was add a lens flare effect to the projectile. I could add lens flares to other projectiles perhaps...

One thing I could add at some point (when Cadius adds some M0s perhaps) is new heavy weapons that are only compatible on M0s. These could have ST ware size to prevent them from appearing on smaller ships. In this case a Dark Matter Projector could work.

I guess I could do this for Cadius' M2+ ships instead and certainly for the Valhalla.

[paulwheeler]

OPINION REQUEST
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Missiles
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I've been playing with missiles a lot recently and I've decided that once you add a turret script (MDMk2, MARS ect.), even with the sped up version I've already added, missiles are pretty useless.

So, I'm thinking about overhauling the missiles, making them far more deadly with a couple of important changes:

1. No dumbfire missiles at all - Honestly, whats the point? The only thing I could think of is adding a bomb which is unguided but packs a huge bang for use against stations. Even then do we really need it?

2. Re-address all existing missiles to add more variety. Use more of the special flags like fragmentation, the abitility to aquire new targets etc.

3. Significantly increase fire rates. At current rates you can fire off twenty torpedos at a target and they will all get shot down by a single defensive turret.


Obviously this will require the use of a turret script as missiles with vanilla turret scripts are already too deadly. I will balance it using MDMk2, but it should fit MARS turrets equally well.

So, what do people think?

[mr.WHO]

I do think that missiles need a serious reballance.

I hope that it would be possible to reduce missile collison box to make them a bit more difficult to shoot down.

[Spectre01]

Agree. Personally, I'm using the ADAM turrets command (MARS is too meh for me). The bad thing is the ADAM works on NPC as well. So if your opponents have more than 2 turrets in the whole fleet, none of your missles will ever hit.

[vkerinav]

One thing I could add at some point (when Cadius adds some M0s perhaps) is new heavy weapons that are only compatible on M0s. These could have ST ware size to prevent them from appearing on smaller ships. In this case a Dark Matter Projector could work.

I like this idea, but I'm curious as to how you plan to go about it? Would they share a subtype with the experimental beam cannons? In that case; Dark Matter Railgun as a Split/Teladi collaboration.

Quantum Field Disruptor for Terrans.

Dark Energy Projector for Argon/Boron.

[Osiris454]

@Paul,

I noticed the lens flares too, but the longish trail tended to obscure the flare a bit.

Dark Matter Cannon does sound cool doesn't it?

I would love more swarm IFF missiles. I used AWRM up until recently and the advanced tempest missile and firestorm torpedo were swarm weapons. Even with MARS they were hard to strike down and if they did connect you are dead.

I had an idea about a turret tracking function.
Basically it would allow you to take control of your ship's front turrets while still on bridge. The turrets would follow your mouse cursor and fire where you tell them too. It would give you the sense of being in a fighter with front mounted weapons while being on an M2. You would still have control over the steering and speed of your ship, but you also now have a set of 12 PPC's under your direct control.

[HotSake]

Check out Gazz's Autoattack script. It's basically a simple turret script for your front guns so you can start and stop them with a hotkey. A small tweak could see it controlling your front turrets instead, letting you keep control of movement while micromanaging your front turrets.

[Osiris454]

Check out Gazz's Autoattack script. It's basically a simple turret script for your front guns so you can start and stop them with a hotkey. A small tweak could see it controlling your front turrets instead, letting you keep control of movement while micromanaging your front turrets.

Thanks!

I'll post the question to Gazz. My programming expertise is non-existant.

[Rogue]

One thing I could add at some point (when Cadius adds some M0s perhaps) is new heavy weapons that are only compatible on M0s. These could have ST ware size to prevent them from appearing on smaller ships. In this case a Dark Matter Projector could work.

I like this idea, but I'm curious as to how you plan to go about it? Would they share a subtype with the experimental beam cannons? In that case; Dark Matter Railgun as a Split/Teladi collaboration.

Quantum Field Disruptor for Terrans.

Dark Energy Projector for Argon/Boron.

Dark matter weaponry... I think I just wet myself a little.

Would love to see some truly killer cap ship weaponry like that

[paulwheeler]

I've had a little play around with the missiles and come up with a few ideas.

Rather than dumb fire missiles, you have missiles with very slow turning, proximity detonation and a large blast radius. Then at least you have a vague chance of hitting something with them - good for taking down swarms of fighters.

Heavy torpedos will be much faster with a higher refire rate so you can at least give defensive turrets too many targets to aim at. Theres nothing worse than spending a fortune on twenty Firestorms, just to see that K swat every single one you fire.

I'll keep the Mosquito as fairly useless - just for missile defence really, but everything else will be worth while - even the Dragonfly. Light missiles will be very fast but shorter range, except for one or two specialist missiles.

Rare missiles, like Disruptor, Banshee etc. will have a bit more kick.

Volumes of the larger missiles will go up a bit. These will be harder to shoot down so it stands to reason that you want to be able to take less with you. Also it may help with missile spam where AI M7Ms are involved.

A turret script and Gazz's AI ammo cheat will be essential.

The whole thing will still be based on Imperium3's MRM, but with lots of tweaks.



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BTW - there will be a small interim update coming in the next day or so. This will just be a compatibility patch for the imminent SRM update. Non-SRM users do not need to worry.

[Requiemfang]

paul... don't forget MARS has it's special missile defense *drones*

[Rogue]

Had a bit of a Mod screw up today which resulted in things becoming so entangled that I was forced to do a full reinstall. due to constant crashes.

Natch I don't want to have to do that again.


Mods I wanted to use were

SRM - CMOD 4 - Cadius Ship Pack - Deathmatch Arena - Cycrows Improved Boarding - FCC - MARS - Marine Repairs and IR

Is there a particular load order I should be looking at?


I know SRM says it should be loaded first and CMOD last, is that just for SRM's additional mods or for all packages?


I was also looking at putting in Tubeless Complex / No Adverts and Smaller Aldrin Rock to reduce CPU load on my jury rigged machine

I didn't think I had any conflicts going before but I got some pretty heavy CTD (hence the clean slate)

[HotSake]

SRM includes X-tra ships, so you don't need the ship pack. The Repair Drones from MARS are also included in SRM, so you can drop that too. The SRM thread has the load order for SRM, SRM addons, and CMOD. If your other mods don't conflict with them, then it doesn't matter what order they load in; just keep SRM before its addons before CMOD.

edit: Remember to use the script-only Factory Pack for CMOD if you're using SRM, and don't use the EMR compatibility pack.

[mr.WHO]

Would it be possible to nerf flaks a bit? Comparing to other weapons (like PRG or PBE) the are exeptionally accurate and fast (which is good), but their dammage is so massive that unless you use crazy amount of heavy fighters, big capships will wipe them preatty fast.

[paulwheeler]

As has been said, you cannot install the SRM and the Xtra mod together. This will break one or the other. The Xtra mod is already fully merged with the SRM so just install the SRM and you'll automatically get the Xtra mod too.

Also don't install the MARS repair drones mod for the same reason. Again its already merged.

The complex cleaner should be installed before the SRM. There are full compatibility instructions with most mods and cat/dat order information in the main SRM post.

Also if you are adding this to an existing game you must fly to an empty sector first - full instructions are in the main SRM thread. Please read this thoroughly.

[paulwheeler]

Since flaks are capital ship only, it seems to me to be right that they should be a bit more potent than fighter weapons. Going up against a capital ship in a lone fighter should be suicide. Also, if I nerf them then cap ships will have a hard time fighting off corvettes, which can generally dodge heavier weapons.

But - what does everyone else think?

[mr.WHO]

I do think that flying into M2 flak should be suicide. However I think that they should be nerfed that you could have a chance to fly to and then away from M2/M1, but if you stay to fight you're dead.

Right now flying to M2/M1 is one way job. You can fly into, but then you can fly away.

Your ISR ballance is a good example that it's possible.

Also, if I nerf them then cap ships will have a hard time fighting off corvettes, which can generally dodge heavier weapons.

IMO that would be good coz M6 class is rather pathetic right now, nerfing flaks might make M6 more useful.

[Rogue]

As has been said, you cannot install the SRM and the Xtra mod together. This will break one or the other. The Xtra mod is already fully merged with the SRM so just install the SRM and you'll automatically get the Xtra mod too.

Also don't install the MARS repair drones mod for the same reason. Again its already merged.

The complex cleaner should be installed before the SRM. There are full compatibility instructions with most mods and cat/dat order information in the main SRM post.

Also if you are adding this to an existing game you must fly to an empty sector first - full instructions are in the main SRM thread. Please read this thoroughly.

My inability to read not so good seems to have been the cause there then. Sorry if I noobed myself a bit heavily.

I'm going to be starting over for this install, but I'll bear that in mind re: the FCC

Loving the mod from what I've seen so far though

I'll just be extra careful with the script installer *pulls out pen and paper*

[xalien]

Funny, I installed this and SRM, as instructed used a factory script-only pack, when I start a game at first it looks fine but when I finally get through the initial installation and message popup stage all stations in terran space vanish. If I start the game without factory script pack all is fine. Any ideas what's going on?

Edit: entered another sector as of terran plot, full of station debris.

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

I've had a little play around with the missiles and come up with a few ideas.
...

Are the ideas you have in mind going to result in added entries to the TMissiles file? If so, may I request that you reserve entries in the TMissiles file for the AWRM missiles to make merging of the two mods easier.