Drone Carrier Software (DCS) v1.31 (2012-05-17)

[eriladin]

Uahh!
Triing to install this, checking if i was to overwrite anything, i just saw that MARS already uses T files 8910-L007,8910-L033,8910-L039 and 8910- L044..
Maybe i didnt manage to read you carefully enough, but is that intended to be?

EDIT: ok just checked files, they are the same except yours have a
[<!--lib.chem.strings --> ] line.., so i suppose its ok to overwrite?

EDIT: Thanx for quick answer, will keep yours, i like that [<!--lib.chem.strings --> ] line!

[DrBullwinkle]

MARS already uses T files 8910

Don't panic.

MARS itself uses 7046 and 7047.

However, MARS includes the lib.chem.strings library, which uses 8910.

DCS, likewise, includes the lib.chem.strings library, and the same 8910 files.

In other words, they are just duplicate files; not conflicting files. The files are identical (except that I add a comment to mine, so that you can see, if you open it, that it is for lib.chem.strings).

So keep or overwrite -- it makes no difference. (Except that my files are a tiny bit better.)

• ("How to Use" instructions updated in the Original Post.)

[CKYRules]

Downloaded and going to give it a try. Looks good

[Aegyen]

Been tossing around this idea for a bit, so need to get it off my chest.

How about, making an optional, modifed version of DCS, that can be installed via !config scripts for AIs?

If the casual downloader doesn't know how to modify Jobs, the script won't harm anything. But for those who do?...

Might want to think about toning down DCS soon..


Edit: I so want to try and board an enemy drone carrier.. will get there soon.

[Logain Abler]

Hi DrBullwinkle,

I've had a look at DCS whist taking a quick break from scripting before I go cross eyed and forget the difference between an integer and array!

I likey, very simplified., ideal for the intended OOS combat.

Before taking what turned out to be an extended break I had planned to implement squadrons, a fixed number of squadrons split between anti-fighter and anti-capital ship roles, and missile drones....
I also started work on a enemy contact tracking screen from which you could target contacts and deploy squadrons at will.

Obviously I didn't get around to starting a rebuild of SSDN/LSD-C, my play on "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds", but could be food for thought.


LA

Edit: And hats off for working out what the hell my script was doing, I've just had a look and its

[DrBullwinkle]

DCS ... for [other races]?

ROFL

Oh, dear, that really is an evil thought, Aegyen! It would certainly change the way that you load out your destroyers. Fewer PPC's and more Flak cannons!

But, you know... if things evolve the way that I envision, then it is probably inevitable.

Long-term, DCS has the potential to greatly enhance the carrier part of the game.

Might want to think about toning down DCS soon..

Oh, I *think* about it all the time. I have been too busy alternately fixing and breaking gnasirator's fine scripts (mostly breaking). But it may percolate up to the top of the list soon.

I so want to try and board an enemy drone carrier.

You could probably do it with boarding pods. Spacewalking might be dangerous for your marines. Transporter might be dangerous for your ship. Still, it would be an interesting experiment. It would definitely be more challenging than trying to board any vanilla ship.

I likey, very simplified., ideal for the intended OOS combat. ...

...squadrons split between anti-fighter and anti-capital ship roles, and missile drones.

Thank you, LA. Missile drones? Drones that launch missiles? Or drones that stop missiles, like MARS goblins?

I can envision a wing of Keris Bombers. But, really, that should be a capability that is allowed only for enemy Drone Carriers, don't you think? Mk1's can already melt an M2 in seconds. But a wing of Spectre-launching Keris coming your way... that is a threat that the player would have to take *seriously*.

I have thought about multiple wings for different targets. That is a definite "maybe".

I also started work on a enemy contact tracking screen from which you could target contacts and deploy squadrons at will.

Are you thinking of a global enemy tracker? Or an in-sector thing? So far, I have been focused on the Drone Carrier for OOS patrol. In-Sector nerfing will come before In-Sector enhancements. But it sounds interesting. Tell me more about your idea?

• OMG, is *that* what "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds" refers to? Hokey Smoke!

[Logain Abler]

The work I'm doing on FDN and implementing virtual storage is ideal for expending SSDN to every station. Use DCS for patrols and mobility with SSDN to protect static assets.

SSDN depends on Adv Sats and the scans run on them, rather than having 100's of scans running SSDN response could be linked to the attacked signal on the stations simplifying the whole setup.

The missile drone ideas was heavy drones with swarm missiles, but like you say a bit of an over-kill as LSDC/DCS and SSDN can clear whole sectors easily.

The contact/engagement report was going to be a real-time report on contacts, deployed drone squadrons and engagement status across LSDC & SSDN.

LA

[Fallencomrade182]

I'm very excited to try this one out. As the owner of a medium sized fleet, I need a ship that I can patrol nearby sectors and don't need to worry about it being taken out by a few m3 ships. Will post my experience with this mod soon.

[bluenog143]

Finally, this (DCS) and an astraeus hauler and I have excellent defense coupled with speed! I gave this script a run and it worked like charm (or hive rather ).

[Logain Abler]

I had one idea that I didn't get around to looking at and that was sending camera/spy drones out on patrol from the carrier acting as scouts and early warning?

LA

Edit: And the other thing was Station busters, heavy drones loaded with TNT that did a bit of Divine Wind on a station?

LA

Edit: EMP drones, stuns ships, smaller the ship longer the stun?

LA

[DrBullwinkle]

@LA: You certainly have a lot of creative ideas.

@FallenComrade: Kaplah!

Finally, this (DCS) and an astraeus hauler and I have excellent defense coupled with speed! I gave this script a run and it worked like charm (or hive rather ).

That's outstanding, bluenog... exactly what I was aiming for!

[ThommoHawk]

I like this. Thinking of using it to compensate the fact that oos is way unbalanced in AP... my maxxed megalodon in AP gets bummed everytime a K comes into grand exchange. (in sector it never happens so the 'improved OOS more closely matches IS' is just a pipe dream imo). So for me it would be worth it just to have one drone patrol in that sector alone.

I have a sugestion also: How about simple commands on a droneship with this mod for "attack shields of" and "return to droneship base". The idea is to assist with boarding. ATM in vanilla for instance it is required to order each individual drone to do this, and when I launch 40 or more drones to do so it is very tiresome... (Im a bit out of touch with S&M, so if such a thing already exists here then this may bee moot).

[DrBullwinkle]

Thanks, TommoHawk. I'm glad you like DCS.

AP's OOS *is* better than TC. In TC, your destroyer could be killed by a Harrier. In AP, it takes another destroyer to kill it. That's better.

But, yeah, it is still imperfect.

If you make your enemies stronger, as I do, then OOS combat can become even more unbalanced. In my TC game, I had invasions every few minutes with 50 ships; half a dozen of them M1's and M2's. It was great fun to engage them myself, but the invasions were too frequent for me to handle personally. So I had destroyers with the predecessor to DCS doing OOS patrol. They were the "great equalizer" that made the game playable.

How about ... "attack shields of" and "return to [drone carrier]". The idea is to assist with boarding.

Great ideas: I have been planning to add "boarding support" to Balanced Mode. Also "defend target after capture" and perhaps "repair target".

I may even be able to automate the entire process. "Boarding Mode": attack shields when they are up; defend target during boarding; defend and repair target after capture.

[DrBullwinkle]

I am happy to announce that the legendary Logain Abler has just agreed to help with the Balanced Mode rework.

It is a large job, and LA's help should speed up the process significantly.

[Logain Abler]

I am happy to announce that the legendary Logain Abler has just agreed to help with the Balanced Mode rework.

It is a large job, and LA's help should speed up the process significantly.

"Legendary!"
More linke Leg-end

LA

[Aegyen]

I am looking forward to seeing what evolves out of this collaboration.. I am going to turn one loose in xrm today, and see how it does, there.

One thing, that should be a prerequisite of it's use, is that the ship have the drone hauler extension built in. This does open it up to a smaller class of ships (drone haulers) that are in the game. Actually, for the number of drones Doc Bull has been using, I think they fit in the smaller drone hauler, nicely. Lots of room in a big ole Griffon. For good stuff, of course, like missiles..

I envisage something like a small squad (Say Griffon, and 3 of the drone haulers) of these, being like a light carrier, with escorts. A cheaper alternative to a big carrier, for short patrol areas, sectors, what have you. Not to mention, earlier game access to effective security.

I had been digging into making myself a custom jobs, that would make my game more dangerous, and as I dug through threads, following what I had seen done with Jobs, I ran into this:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... sc&start=0

If you were to tie your script into this vanilla file (as part of the drone logic, ie wing control and coordination);
1. It would look cool (drones working together).
2. Inadvertantly ( ), you would tie into some mods that are using the work that evolved from this.

I gave a dir to XRM, merely because I saw that he is using this within that Mod, and I wanted to see how the combination of a Jobs designed to provide things like invasions, border wars, pirate activity, etc, would work out, in addition to upping the AI's abilities.

The wing control alone is amazing to see. The AI Jobs, with rrf, and this logic, provides some of the most, and best, combat I have yet had in X. Not to mention just sitting back a few times already and watching them go at it.

I think DCS can really shine, and make for another, potent, element of strategy. Let's see what you got...

[DrBullwinkle]

Gee, I thought that DCS already shines.

I have mentioned the possibility of limiting DCS to drone carriers elsewhere. It is still a "maybe". However, DCS has the potential to become a full carrier support script. So maybe not. In my own (heavily modified) TC game, I have needed multiple destroyers armed with DCS in order to effectively patrol Terran Unknown Sector 3 after one of the plots "opened the door" to a new-and-more-aggressive Xenon sector (I don't recall whether that was Aldrin Expansion, Balance of Power, or ATF Outpost).

An alternative possibility is that DCS might have different limits on different classes of ships, so you could have the best of both possibilities. That approach could improve the performance of TM's as "micro-carriers". At the other end of the scale, a future version of DCS could potentially manage 64 Solano's or Asp's on a Raptor. Maybe.

If it makes sense to allow adjustment of options in the t file, then we will do that.

If I understand the intention of Litcube's Expensive Vanilla Scripts (a.k.a. Vanilla Rewrite), it should automagically work (for ships), independent of other scripts. So there should not be much to "tie in". Of course, the first post in that thread is not very descriptive, so one would have to read 24 pages of brainstorming... and, in the end, be left wondering.

Note that there are two kinds of drones. The originals (Mk1, Mk2, Keris), are special-purpose objects with their own behaviors for flight and combat. There are also the newer ship-type "drones" in Albion Prelude, which behave like normal ships. The plan is to support both types in the future, although the ship-type drone support will be "later". Somewhen.

I will always try to keep DCS compatible with other scripts and mods, to the best of my ability, although I have no plans to do anything to specifically support XRM.

During your research into jobs, you may have come across Ulfius's Xtreme Mode and Hard Mode Jobs (scroll down the page to find the Jobs packs). It was was the Xtreme Mode jobs pack (combined with a 25x multiplier in line 711 of OBS.xml) which inspired the need for a better OOS patrol craft.

Xtreme Mode is a lot of fun! But it also needs an OOS "counterpoint".

That counterpoint is DCS.

[Osiris454]

I use Gazz' OOS Combat rebalance for TC. Does DCS get affected by this?

[DrBullwinkle]

I use Gazz' OOS Combat rebalance for TC. Does DCS get affected by this?

Which version of OOS Rebalance?

The drones will be affected by OOS Rebalance, yes. However, I doubt that the overall effectiveness of DCS will change much. In its current form, DCS will launch as many drones as required to kill the target. That is not the long-term plan... but that is how it works now.

[Osiris454]

I use Gazz' OOS Combat rebalance for TC. Does DCS get affected by this?

Which version of OOS Rebalance?

The drones will be affected by OOS Rebalance, yes. However, I doubt that the overall effectiveness of DCS will change much. In its current form, DCS will launch as many drones as required to kill the target. That is not the long-term plan... but that is how it works now.

Version 1.

I know who your avatar is. I wonder who else also knows....
Six was the only 'level-headed' person on that entire show IMO.