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

[Jaga_Telesin]

Being a big fan of MARS and having used it quite a bit (even printed out and read the manual a few times), I have a few questions regarding MARS, A.I. ships, and playerships.. and how performance is affected.

First - there are two toggles for AI and Capital ships so they can use MARS. One labeled "Enemy Capital Ships use MARS". That's pretty self-explanatory I think: Khaak and Xenon cap ships will use MARS. Possibly factions like Pirates. It is a little ambiguous with the use of the word "enemy" however, since a ship can turn from neutral to red in the blink of an eye. Any info on exactly how this works? Is MARS installed magically when it turns red?

Second question - "All AI Capital Ships use MARS", would mean that any capital ship that exists in the game has MARS installed and active at all times (possibly even when OOS?). I suspect this is the case, and would lead to a larger performance hit having this on, especially as your game grows and you place more satellites in the universe.

I would like to run MARS on my personal ship and any other ship I own where the MARS software is actually bought/installed (not on all of them). i.e. I might have 2 cap ships without it installed, but I might also have 10 docked M3+ all with MARS installed where I'd want it to run, including my personal ship. I'm not that concerned with every faction's cap ships running it - it seems that when both of the options I mentioned above are turned on, my performance takes a nose-dive.

As indicated, I did read the manual a number of times, but didn't pick up much information on these two options, nor how they affect performance of the game. Any light you can help shed on it would be grateful.

I realize that there are specific performance switches that affect all ships running MARS, but I wanted to get an idea of which ships run MARS under what configuration settings first.

[Gazz]

First - there are two toggles for AI and Capital ships so they can use MARS. One labeled "Enemy Capital Ships use MARS". That's pretty self-explanatory I think: Khaak and Xenon cap ships will use MARS. Possibly factions like Pirates. It is a little ambiguous with the use of the word "enemy" however, since a ship can turn from neutral to red in the blink of an eye. Any info on exactly how this works? Is MARS installed magically when it turns red?

Enemies of your ship. It's really that simple. =)
That's the only way to do it since mission targets are often neutral race which can't be set to hostile.

Second question - "All AI Capital Ships use MARS", would mean that any capital ship that exists in the game has MARS installed and active at all times (possibly even when OOS?). I suspect this is the case, and would lead to a larger performance hit having this on, especially as your game grows and you place more satellites in the universe.

Turret scripts do not run OOS. Ever.
Now if you enter a sector with an AI military fleet there can be quite a bunch of cap ships...

I would like to run MARS on my personal ship and any other ship I own where the MARS software is actually bought/installed (not on all of them). i.e. I might have 2 cap ships without it installed, but I might also have 10 docked M3+ all with MARS installed where I'd want it to run, including my personal ship. I'm not that concerned with every faction's cap ships running it - it seems that when both of the options I mentioned above are turned on, my performance takes a nose-dive.

Your ships are not affected by these settings.

[Jaga_Telesin]

That's all great to hear, thanks for illuminating how it works Gazz.

I assume by your last comment that if I own a ship, and it is in-sector, and it has MARS installed, it will then process any MARS-related directives. That would include turrets, Goblins, etc. Essentially just what I was asking for. Regrettably I think installing it on a wing of 30 M3+ fighters with front/rear turrets might be unrealistic, but I understand why.

I'll assume then that the overall load due to # of ships isn't that high if MARS is kept to Capital and escort ships, and proceed to do some performance tweaking with the settings.

[Gerik]

Seem to be having a problem with mars defense.

All options and hotkeys for mars offense seem to work fine, but most/all of my defense options are either unresponsive or respond incorrectly. I installed the script in an already active save.

My specific problem is with the hold fire hotkey. As when I ask it to cease fire it does the opposite and actually targets all drones and seems to put higher priority on the current. It says 'no target selected' when i just have the target active. Though when I mouse over the target so my reticule turns red it states 'target acquired'.

I've reinstalled the script, restarted, and saved. Is there some option that I have incorrectly selected, or simply a problem with the script?

[semiliterate]

have you got more than one save game on the go, and if so have you checked your hotkeys?

the list of assigned hotkeys in a control profile is in a set order without reference to the hotkeys. a new game started after the script will have them in a different order and so the keys will be different.

[Gazz]

I'll assume then that the overall load due to # of ships isn't that high if MARS is kept to Capital and escort ships, and proceed to do some performance tweaking with the settings.

Well, try it. =)
Fighters with MARS use fewer resources than cap ships but still a whole lot more than ES scripts.

My specific problem is with the hold fire hotkey. As when I ask it to cease fire it does the opposite and actually targets all drones and seems to put higher priority on the current. It says 'no target selected' when i just have the target active. Though when I mouse over the target so my reticule turns red it states 'target acquired'.

I am confused.
Any kind of mouseover action is not part of the MARS Script but instead the X3 core interface.
It's normal that the hotkeys do not affect this.

The MARS menu shows all current cease fire states.

the list of assigned hotkeys in a control profile is in a set order without reference to the hotkeys. a new game started after the script will have them in a different order and so the keys will be different.

Hotkeys are now alpha sorted.

[Gerik]

have you got more than one save game on the go, and if so have you checked your hotkeys?

the list of assigned hotkeys in a control profile is in a set order without reference to the hotkeys. a new game started after the script will have them in a different order and so the keys will be different.

I have just used it in a singular game.

When I have MARS set to offensive mode the script responds normally. I started to think that it was another script or something in the default default ui that had a contradictory command. I've sorted through most of the menu but I can't find anything that fits the case.

Til I can find the problem it seems I'll be a bit more destructive than I would prefer .

[duboisandre]

hello,

i have a weird problem with MARS script for turret control, every time i put mars on the turrets (in offense and defense) one of the weazpon of each turret is systematically removed and placed in the cargo bay.

i have constated it for at least the ship VIDAR and CERBERE (french names for argo ship)

is there something i need to do to use all the weapons of the turret or it is a bug ?

for information i have a French version of X3TC

[semiliterate]

read the manual.

MARS removes all but one weapon from the turrets to have them available for other positions. it will still fire all the guns you have when the turrets are active.

[f4rmerbo]

I love this script, but I have just one problem with it. MARS insists on using FAA at ranges that are somewhat long. This was especially annoying when trying to kill a pirate M1 after I first got a Panther and it would insist on attacking the M1 with FAA while I'm trying to get max range out of my CIGs. It does the same elsewhere, trying to hit ships at 3.5+ km, when I've never seen it hit anything with FAA at a range farther than 2.0.

Is there any way I can tell MARS not to use the FAA like that?

[semiliterate]

you could adjust its damage down in the config file perhaps. might cause odd behaviour in close range.


i've so far got the impression that it's best to just put your trust in MARS' maths.

[Skott]

The cargo is already near the ship, so the goblin pick it up and probably attempt to lodge it into the ship bay, but due to inproper bay size, it abandon and return to ship.
so the XL still floating outside, but goblin still being relaunch to attempt to pick it up.
So the process keep repeat, and Betty keep pronoucing "Cargo bar closed"

I have to shut off the auto-loot-collect in that sector.

Well, what you "have" to do is do is using a real freighter for the collecting. I didn't even know there was a TS that only carries L cargo...

2) is Electro-Magnetic Plasma Cannon being supported? I have a Cutlass as wingmen, which only can equip that type of weapon.
I noticed the turret fire mode is "Idle"

Does the ship even have a laser installed...?

Laser not available means that just. Quite literally so.

I'm trying to use a Cutlass with MARS (decided to fly it myself for a change), and I'm getting the "laser not available" error, myself.

Any ideas? I've done the save/reload thing, deleted old MARS installs and reinstalled them (both in-game and out, heh), and generally can't figure out why the turrets aren't working. Are there any troubleshooting options I've missed?

[f4rmerbo]

The cargo is already near the ship, so the goblin pick it up and probably attempt to lodge it into the ship bay, but due to inproper bay size, it abandon and return to ship.
so the XL still floating outside, but goblin still being relaunch to attempt to pick it up.
So the process keep repeat, and Betty keep pronoucing "Cargo bar closed"

I have to shut off the auto-loot-collect in that sector.

Well, what you "have" to do is do is using a real freighter for the collecting. I didn't even know there was a TS that only carries L cargo...

2) is Electro-Magnetic Plasma Cannon being supported? I have a Cutlass as wingmen, which only can equip that type of weapon.
I noticed the turret fire mode is "Idle"

Does the ship even have a laser installed...?

Laser not available means that just. Quite literally so.

I'm trying to use a Cutlass with MARS (decided to fly it myself for a change), and I'm getting the "laser not available" error, myself.

Any ideas? I've done the save/reload thing, deleted old MARS installs and reinstalled them (both in-game and out, heh), and generally can't figure out why the turrets aren't working. Are there any troubleshooting options I've missed?

It won't work unless the EMPCs are in its inventory and not in its main gun mounts. I had no problems with my Cutlass

[Skott]

Ahhhhh, that makes all the sense in the world, oddly enough.

[baric]

I have seen the question asked a couple of times but not sure I saw an answer. Does MARS work out of the box with the Combat MOD 3. I am one of those people who is afraid to edit any files myself aka the text files for damages or whatever.

Thanks

[f4rmerbo]

I have seen the question asked a couple of times but not sure I saw an answer. Does MARS work out of the box with the Combat MOD 3. I am one of those people who is afraid to edit any files myself aka the text files for damages or whatever.

Thanks

I read some of the thread and it seemed like people were modding the files for MARS to work with CMOD. I think you can dl them.

[semiliterate]

on the cmod thread, take the 7047-l44 file they uploaded and replace MARS default one with it.

hey presto.

[baric]

Found it and Thank You.

[diabloz]

One noob question, I installed X3TC 1.4, how can I activate MARS? I can't find the ship extension anywhere.

[BlkKnight]

Hi Gazz, great work on the mod.

Just a small observation:

I'm in an M6 about to go on a boarding operation to cap another ship.

MARS Turrets are currently active shooting all and sundry.

Now, once target shields are down, I want to stop turrets firing at the target - but continue to attack other ships.

(no problem, hit the ignore target button).

BUT, I also want to send fighter drones to attack shields of target - but I am unable to launch drones as "target not available".

Any ideas?