Uncle_Joe wrote:
It's very easy to mod that out though and restore balance to the game. And since the AI doesn't use LR Kinetics, reducing that lethality only has a positive impact on the gameplay.



It took me about 20 mins to figure out what files to mod and about another 2-3 mins to actually do it. It's well worth making the tweak because the game is suddenly MUCH more interesting...

Is there a mod out there that you would suggest which pre-packages these changes? I'd like to try out for sure as I am basically using more kludgy 'mods' to handicap myself - like taking more and more negative point faction races, self discipline not use kinetics at all or only in melee range form, etc.

Hmm, deleting it from my mod folder causes them to disappear? That's interesting. Then yeah, I guess easy enough to just copy the default one into the mod folder instead.



I'm modding back and forth between ES and GalCiv3 so the file structure and requirements for mods are slightly different.

Uncle_Joe wrote:
Posted the fix for this on the previous page. Just go into my mod folder (C:\Users\Mou\Documents\Endless Space\Disharmony\Modding\Enhanced\Simulation) and delete my Hero.xml file.

btw - deleting the hero.xml file in your mod \simulation folder just causes all heroes to be eliminated. It doesn't load the default heroes, so I just copied my own hero.xml file from my default installation subdirectory (under steamapps in the sub-folder \public_xp1 which has the disharmony heroes list) and that worked fine to restore the default heroes

jacozilla wrote:
Ditto. I dont use adventurer / non-pilot combos but i really do like adventurer / pilot combos.



...

I like adventurer/non-pilot combos because they have the minister of propaganda option, which makes your people happy on a system.



PS. Thanks to Uncle Joe for his mod and telling us how to customize it!

jacozilla wrote:
Ditto. I dont use adventurer / non-pilot combos but i really do like adventurer / pilot combos.



But that part at least I do know how to mod back in myself. Had to manually edit the heroes XML file as part of doing some of the hero specific achievements so it should be easy to try this mod and add back the adventuer combo heroes.

Posted the fix for this on the previous page. Just go into my mod folder (C:\Users\Mou\Documents\Endless Space\Disharmony\Modding\Enhanced\Simulation) and delete my Hero.xml file.

coyote303 wrote:
Interesting. I like the sounds of your mod except to adventurer removal part. I like adventurer as a secondary trait to either a pilot or system hero. I HATE fleet commanders.

Ditto. I dont use adventurer / non-pilot combos but i really do like adventurer / pilot combos.



But that part at least I do know how to mod back in myself. Had to manually edit the heroes XML file as part of doing some of the hero specific achievements so it should be easy to try this mod and add back the adventuer combo heroes.

coyote303 wrote:
Interesting. I like the sounds of your mod except to adventurer removal part. I like adventurer as a secondary trait to either a pilot or system hero. I HATE fleet commanders.

Easy enough to restore. Once you put the mod into your ES Harmony/Modding directory go into C:\Users\...\Documents\Endless Space\Disharmony\Modding\Enhanced\Simulation and delete file Hero.xml. This should put the default hero stats back while keeping the rest of the mod.

Uncle_Joe wrote:
I do have a quick mod that tweaks the LR Kinetic damage and increases all 3 defenses active efficiency by about 20% (to discourage glass cannons being the superior archetype). It also removes the 'Adventurer' Hero-type (replacing that trait with one of the other four) since Adventurers seem to be significantly weaker/underdeveloped in comparison.



These changes help the AI since it wasn't using LR Kinetics, it DOES tend to put defenses on ships, and it will pick (and waste) Heroes as Adventurers.



Finally, it includes the 'Card Text' mod from the modding forum (don't have the name in front of me) which IMO makes the cards far more understandable. But this can easily be removed if preferred.



I have not yet looked into how to host the mod onto the site but I will take a look when I have some time over the weekend and if it's a simple process, I'll put the mod up for you (and anyone else so inclined) to try.

Interesting. I like the sounds of your mod except to adventurer removal part. I like adventurer as a secondary trait to either a pilot or system hero. I HATE fleet commanders.

OK, mod posted:



/#/endless-space/forum/37-modding/thread/16304-enhanced-mod-lr-kinetics-fix-and-a-few-other-tweaks

I do have a quick mod that tweaks the LR Kinetic damage and increases all 3 defenses active efficiency by about 20% (to discourage glass cannons being the superior archetype). It also removes the 'Adventurer' Hero-type (replacing that trait with one of the other four) since Adventurers seem to be significantly weaker/underdeveloped in comparison.



These changes help the AI since it wasn't using LR Kinetics, it DOES tend to put defenses on ships, and it will pick (and waste) Heroes as Adventurers.



Finally, it includes the 'Card Text' mod from the modding forum (don't have the name in front of me) which IMO makes the cards far more understandable. But this can easily be removed if preferred.



I have not yet looked into how to host the mod onto the site but I will take a look when I have some time over the weekend and if it's a simple process, I'll put the mod up for you (and anyone else so inclined) to try.

Ok so. . .I didn't play ES for like 2 years. I bought Disharmony when it came out but never play it due to RL issue and being busy. So, i installed ES back and. . .i don't understand anything. I search and read about new stuff but don't quite get it at all. The new weapon modules balance. The way how defense modules work. Battle action card seem to change or the text is misleading. I need someone to refresh me about the game again.



Things that made me confused the most if defense mechanism and hull weakness. Game said that small hull ship got x3 hull weakness. What does it mean? And 200 defense for kinetic deflector? What does it do? There is nothing explain in the game i can read about it. Totally confused here.

It's very easy to mod that out though and restore balance to the game. And since the AI doesn't use LR Kinetics, reducing that lethality only has a positive impact on the gameplay.



It took me about 20 mins to figure out what files to mod and about another 2-3 mins to actually do it. It's well worth making the tweak because the game is suddenly MUCH more interesting...

I will echo coyote - it will be somewhat boring once you've gotten decent at ES, but 100% LR kinetics on 100% of your tonnage on 100% of all ships is the win-win-win design solution.



Eventually, even Endless mode will be cake walk and you'll redesign just to give a handicap, but until you get there, LR kinetics for combat is best because:

1. Highly accurate - with exansion, weapons no longer have optimum weapon ranges inherent to type. All weapons are good at whatever range specified when you install on ship. So there is no inherent weakness or edge you give up by using kinetics at long range.



2. High rate of fire and immediate hit effect - this is the true combo power here. No matter how much crushing damage you may think missiles can give, missiles fire on round 2 of every combat phase and hits on round 4 - a 3 round delay in which the AI can still inflict damage on you.



This is best seen on higher difficulty modes where your LR missile fleet will slaughter the AI fleet on phase 1 - never even get into medium range combat phase - but you will still lose some ships because the AI if it has LR weapons or even enough inaccurate but lots of medium weapons will live long enough to fire off shots. Because again, missiles fire on round 2, but delay hit till almost end of that phase.



Wheras kinetics fire and hit on each and every round. So in a weird way, kinetics despite being ballistic weapons with no self sustained velocity booster beyond initial expulsion, are treated as "light speed" weapons that basically fire and hit imstantly - and missiles which ought to have far higher velocity given self sustained boost through duration of flight course, is treated as slow ballistics.



In short, kinetics fire so fast AND hit so instantly, that you can massacre the entire enemy fleet on round 1 of phase 1 combat. That is the key - round 1, phase 1 - because enemy missiles dont even begin to fire until round 2. So any ships you kill on round 1 dont even have a chance to fire back if armed with missiles, and the doesnt usually pack enough density of any other weapon type to burn through your long range defenses.



For definition and clarification, all combat is 3 phases, with each phase consisting of 4 rounds. Long, med, then short ramge phases if both fleets still alive at start of each phase. Technically there are 5 phases if you include the first entry and last exit phase if you watch battle manually. But 3 combat phases is all that really count.



So call it 12 total rounds (3 phases x 4 rounds) of combat. If you 100% stack LR kinetics, every weapon/ship you have will fire and hit on round 1, phase 1.



By stacking enough firepower, you can burn away just about any AI fleet, even tank dreadnoughts (usually but not always) on round 1. It becomes fairly borng after awhile so personally i no longer use LR kinetics when i want to try a challenge game but if youre still trying to conquer endless mode,,theres no subtitute.

English is confused some time : S

FreedomFighterEx wrote:
Since when i'm talking about playing against you?

Your opponent doesn't matter. The principles I speak of work against human or AI alike.

Since when i'm talking about playing against you?

FreedomFighterEx wrote:
I am wondering if Hull Weakness mean to multiply the damage receive? I still don't understand the defense value, but if you said that each module installed reduce the damage taken like that then it will no longer block all damage like it was in original game. So, no point to install a lot of them but i could go take armor instead. As for ship setup, i still using old style. MK, MRB, and LRM. I installed all of them on my ship and it still work quite good. The LRM would blast majority of the enemy ship on first phase. Unless they change their design then i will still use this build.

Keep in mind, my long-range kinetics will hit twice before your long-range missiles hit. So, your ships better survive if you hope to get any hits! Also, if I'm outgunned and run, your missiles won't hit. I'm not saying don't use missiles, but realize they have these disadvantages.



When I look at what I'm fighting against the computer, I check for one thing: do they have long-range weapons? If not, chances are good I'll take no damage. So, use MK or MRB if you like, but you are handicapping yourself when you do.

I am wondering if Hull Weakness mean to multiply the damage receive? I still don't understand the defense value, but if you said that each module installed reduce the damage taken like that then it will no longer block all damage like it was in original game. So, no point to install a lot of them but i could go take armor instead. As for ship setup, i still using old style. MK, MRB, and LRM. I installed all of them on my ship and it still work quite good. The LRM would blast majority of the enemy ship on first phase. Unless they change their design then i will still use this build.

FreedomFighterEx wrote:
Ok so. . .I didn't play ES for like 2 years. I bought Disharmony when it came out but never play it due to RL issue and being busy. So, i installed ES back and. . .i don't understand anything. I search and read about new stuff but don't quite get it at all. The new weapon modules balance. The way how defense modules work. Battle action card seem to change or the text is misleading. I need someone to refresh me about the game again.



Things that made me confused the most if defense mechanism and hull weakness. Game said that small hull ship got x3 hull weakness. What does it mean? And 200 defense for kinetic deflector? What does it do? There is nothing explain in the game i can read about it. Totally confused here.

If I understand it correctly, one defense reduces the corresponding damage to 1/2 (e.g., deflector reduces kinetic damage); two defenses to 1/3; three defenses to 1/4; etc.



I don't pay much attention to hull weakness. If something has greater hull weakness, it generally has a higher evade score to make up for it.



As far as weapons go, stick to long-range weapons, especially long-range kinetics.



Please correct me, anyone, if I am way off base on any of this.

Hull Weakness is, well, hull weakness. x2 hull weakness means that ship has more hp than x3 hull weakness one.

As for defense, actually, you could try reading this: /#/endless-space/forum/33-strategy-guides/thread/14056-beginner-s-guide-to-disharmony-improving-your-game it explains pretty well the way damage formulas work.