Post
by Ashakar » Tue, 14. Mar 23, 22:46
First off, I'd like to say thanks to Joubarbe and Hector0X for creating a really fun set of mods for X3. Its a shame X4 is missing all of these additions (such as all the fleet control options, which are super useful).
What program do ya'll use to modify/make all the scripts that you use? I tried using X-studio, but I end up getting a bunch of <Unrecognised Command> lines throughout some of the scripts, which prevent me from recompiling them. Is there an easy way to fix this, or do ya'll do all of your scripts mods using the in-game script editor?
What I'm really trying to do, is to figure out a way that I can implement an option to upgrade your outposts (which would take a huge amount of resources, say 100-200k of each of the main 6 resources), so that we can have two extra tiers of outposts (the first that gives 9 huge docks, using the "stations\others\argon_player_headquarter_scene", and then a final upgrade that uses the "stations\Cadius\USC\Headquarters_Scene" that gives you 18 huge docks. I can already incorporate those scenes into unused dock IDs in the Tdocks file, but the hard part for me at the moment is being able to go through all the scripts, create the new menus, and make all the edits necessary to not cause any bug issues (especially with the X-studio issues). I also envision that these upgrades could come with a few other potential boons (or malices), such as higher populations (or increased influx to support military operations), higher potential specialization levels, support for additional (or less) stations, or maybe even an additional production queue for ships/lasers. You could even add some of these options as perks that are only selectable once upgraded and we could choose how to allocate our "upgrade" perks once the upgrade is completed. Potential malices could include initial reductions in specialization levels (or resetting to 0), less trade and agent slots (as these are pure military complexes), less tax potential on population (we give tax breaks to military personnel), faction relation hits for bordering factions (Militarizing border zones makes people uncomfortable, and double the hit if you upgrade in a Dejure zone), along with taking your outpost production queues offline for the time of the upgrades (which could take hours/days, which you could define in a T-file).
I also think you could go the other way, and upgrade other outposts to be more like full fledged trading/market hubs instead of military industrial complexes, where you basically give up the Huge docks and the production queues, but could have increased numbers of general, trade, and mining agents assigned, potentially population bonuses and increased tax rates, and more station support slots (or maybe allows for upgraded stations with enhanced production outputs).
The other issue comes in allowing the AI to do these things. However, I'm not sure the AI would even be able to put the differences into play effectively.
At some point I'm also going to look into the research system to see what can be done to spice that up a little. Right now, its basically research a good fighter, then an M6, Then focus on getting a M1/2/7. There isn't much of an incentive to research multiple different types of the same class of ships right now.
right now I did just shortcut and replace the current outposts with the one with 9 huge docks, and it sure does make building and re-supplying a fleet with multiple huge ships much easier, especially a group of M7Ms.