TargetProperty="MoneyNet" I really can't think anything else.



I mean problem with Imperialistic Expansion is that when $(Money) is set to "right side" of formula it becomes empire level factor.



And I really don't think that empires happiness should base to how much gold does entire empire generates (though it could be fun).



Imperial Overseer I really like this one but problem is that I'm not sure whether there even is any check to where heroes are. And building one needs one to change hardcoded stuff. (sounds fun but maybe I pass this time)



Imperial Overseer This has exactly same problem I think. Game doesn't understand meaning: "hangar", althought it has IdleShipXPPerTurn it doesn't have IdleShip anywhere :/.



Mass Media this is midly problematic too. Not to generate effect but to tell game to stop it. Basically when it comes to affinities right now those are build elsewhere and called from there. I have to see what I can do though.



Economic Exploitation: exactly same problem than with Mass Media.



Growing Pains game sadly doesn't understand meaning: "home system" or well it doesn't understand word distance either.



Adminstrative Expenses Corporate Payoffs : problem is again that Heroes don't have systems. These can go otherway but not this way.









All in all you have plenty of good ideas. Sadly you need some REALLY good modder or development team to implement most of these. (hardcoded stuff and lot)



There is loads one can do but sadly even more limitations :/ .

H, want me to pass you over my changes to weapons, ships and pirates to include? There is very little change size-wise

iamgory wrote:
H, want me to pass you over my changes to weapons, ships and pirates to include? There is very little change size-wise

What I meant with my size was:

Anti missile defence 1 is most cost efficient and takes also lowest amount of space (well ok, maybe later was 4th)

That really doesn't make any sense. Surely the better technology you have the better your anti missile defence is.



By just increasing all 5% you end to situation where it's still best to put rank 1 anti missile defences to ship.

Basically I lowered rank 1 and rank 4 by about 2-3% and increased others up to 8% just to make it more sensible.



Of course one could do same to weapons too.



Also I did changed bit your idea of how to balance kinetic weapons. Instead of rising their damage I did rise amount of bullets fire by each round.

This means that more bullets go past shield and kinetic weapon will have higher chance to do damage instead of doing more damage.

I'm not sure about Pirates then, I did lowered their health 100-200 points but did also rised theirs ships cp points a lot. This should mean that they are way weaker.



Sadly they can now be so weak that it makes them pointless. (instead of having 5000 power they would have approx 3600 power now)



Game Values: (Anti Missile)

Component Name	Cost	Size	Power	Power/Cost Efficienc	Power/Size Efficiency
ModuleDefenseAntimissile1	3	7	100	33,33	14,29
ModuleDefenseAntimissile2	5	8	106	21,20	13,25
ModuleDefenseAntimissile3	9	9	115	12,78	12,78
ModuleDefenseAntimissile4	14	10	128	9,14	12,80
ModuleDefenseAntimissile5	20	11	144	7,20	13,09
ModuleDefenseAntimissile6	26	12	164	6,31	13,67
ModuleDefenseAntimissile7	35	14	188	5,37	13,43
ModuleDefenseAntimissile8	45	16	216	4,80	13,50
ModuleDefenseAntimissile9	58	18	250	4,31	13,89

My Values: (Anti missile)

Component Name	Cost	Size	Power	Power/Cost Efficiency	Power/Size Efficiency
ModuleDefenseAntimissile1	3	7	92	30,67	13,14
ModuleDefenseAntimissile2	5	8	106	21,20	13,25
ModuleDefenseAntimissile3	9	9	121	13,44	13,44
ModuleDefenseAntimissile4	14	10	135	9,57	13,5
ModuleDefenseAntimissile5	20	11	150	7,50	13,64
ModuleDefenseAntimissile6	26	12	164	6,31	13,67
ModuleDefenseAntimissile7	35	14	193	5,51	13,79
ModuleDefenseAntimissile8	45	16	222	4,93	13,88
ModuleDefenseAntimissile9	58	18	252	4,34	14,00

I thought you liked a challenge xD. But yeah I knew some of this ideas would be difficult to do. Growing pains was definitely one of those. Maybe instead of distance it coul somehow be influence based? The less influenced system generate less profit or something.



So how does hero upkeep work? I know that upkeep increases per lvl, the idea was to add a modifier in there somehow. The other idea regarding heroes generating approval was to get away from the flat + approval rating bonus. Could UE heroes simply gain a +approval rating talent that again generates an approval rating of FIDS / pop * x%? That should be doable from my understanding. Can UE affinity give heroes a specific ability by default?



But does the idea of FIDS divided by pop of a planet / system times some undetermined % work as a means of adjusting dust generation?



Regarding ships, since there isn't a "in hanger" check you can use, having the fleet in orbit of a planet would be fine, is there a check for that? I know ships heal different depending on friendly terrority or hostile. And in the overview screen it does indicate if there is a fleet defending the system.



Regarding mass media the idea was based on the hisso affinity where successful battles or loosing planets generated x result for x turns. The idea was to attach this to on building completion trigger. The only problem is you destroy and rebuild the approval structure... Maybe on destroy improvement if an approval structure generates y negative approval rating for y turns; call it disillusionment and y value is greater than x which is the value you gain on construction. That should work perfectly and avoid exploits



The idea for handling the UE was basically utilize the output of planets (the economy) to generate approval rating rather than be the same as every other race in game while still keeping the corruption and military themes. Dust determining approval rating just seem to fit perfectly and I hate expansion disapproval.

Hupailija wrote:
What I meant with my size was:

Anti missile defence 1 is most cost efficient and takes also lowest amount of space (well ok, maybe later was 4th)

That really doesn't make any sense. Surely the better technology you have the better your anti missile defence is.



By just increasing all 5% you end to situation where it's still best to put rank 1 anti missile defences to ship.

Basically I lowered rank 1 and rank 4 by about 2-3% and increased others up to 8% just to make it more sensible.



Of course one could do same to weapons too.



Also I did changed bit your idea of how to balance kinetic weapons. Instead of rising their damage I did rise amount of bullets fire by each round.

This means that more bullets go past shield and kinetic weapon will have higher chance to do damage instead of doing more damage.

I'm not sure about Pirates then, I did lowered their health 100-200 points but did also rised theirs ships cp points a lot. This should mean that they are way weaker.



Sadly they can now be so weak that it makes them pointless. (instead of having 5000 power they would have approx 3600 power now)



Game Values: (Anti Missile)

Component Name	Cost	Size	Power	Power/Cost Efficienc	Power/Size Efficiency
ModuleDefenseAntimissile1	3	7	100	33,33	14,29
ModuleDefenseAntimissile2	5	8	106	21,20	13,25
ModuleDefenseAntimissile3	9	9	115	12,78	12,78
ModuleDefenseAntimissile4	14	10	128	9,14	12,80
ModuleDefenseAntimissile5	20	11	144	7,20	13,09
ModuleDefenseAntimissile6	26	12	164	6,31	13,67
ModuleDefenseAntimissile7	35	14	188	5,37	13,43
ModuleDefenseAntimissile8	45	16	216	4,80	13,50
ModuleDefenseAntimissile9	58	18	250	4,31	13,89

My Values: (Anti missile)

Component Name	Cost	Size	Power	Power/Cost Efficiency	Power/Size Efficiency
ModuleDefenseAntimissile1	3	7	92	30,67	13,14
ModuleDefenseAntimissile2	5	8	106	21,20	13,25
ModuleDefenseAntimissile3	9	9	121	13,44	13,44
ModuleDefenseAntimissile4	14	10	135	9,57	13,5
ModuleDefenseAntimissile5	20	11	150	7,50	13,64
ModuleDefenseAntimissile6	26	12	164	6,31	13,67
ModuleDefenseAntimissile7	35	14	193	5,51	13,79
ModuleDefenseAntimissile8	45	16	222	4,93	13,88
ModuleDefenseAntimissile9	58	18	252	4,34	14,00

Mine is similar, but increases in increments (efficiency) of 0.35 per rank from a base of 13 to 16.15.



You're only looking at a 0.79% efficiency increase over base, for example, with rank 9. Mine works out at approx 15% at max, but is lower on lower ranks, so it increases with level. Other than your rank 4, which is a 5% increase, or 3 which is about 4.2%, it will have changed very little.



Of course, the reason I do it is not to learn or fiddle or correct some strange patterns you've clearly identified, but to actually make them more efficient with level, not just stronger to combat missile spam

iamgory wrote:
Mine is similar, but increases in increments (efficiency) of 0.35 per rank from a base of 13 to 16.15.



You're only looking at a 0.79% efficiency increase over base, for example, with rank 9. Mine works out at approx 15% at max, but is lower on lower ranks, so it increases with level. Other than your rank 4, which is a 5% increase, or 3 which is about 4.2%, it will have changed very little.



Of course, the reason I do it is not to learn or fiddle or correct some strange patterns you've clearly identified, but to actually make them more efficient with level, not just stronger to combat missile spam

Mm, isn't 0.35 bit too much? Have you tested that value against missile ships?



Then again YOU have more experience from GAME than I do. So I will change it accordingly.



should check weapons too, I'm starting to ponder whether they just tossed random numbers when they made modules. Some of those doesn't make any sense.

God I hate being sick, one can't code more than hour or two before massive headache starts and going out to walk is unthinkable (walking is essential part of my coding... it lets me think new ways to do things and get completly new ideas).





Oh well, good thing is that I finally managed to play Mass Effect through.

Mass effect Was playing online myself earlier but turns out Im a terrible N7 Fury lol.



Im going to completely rebalance weapons, defences and HP tomorrow evening when my Mrs is at work to balance them out and get one about as level as the other, more in line with GalCiv2 to make weapons a choice and a counter rather than a "must-have". I'd like to see longer battles too - instead of 99/100 battles being a win, I'd like to see larger, even battles to have a lot of draws and see more attrition. Think this would work out?



I don't know about a lot more time, but to be fair I've been addicted since full release and I've hit about 200hrs lol/

I'm Idiot!



Why I keep wondering whats correct government for faction X?

Correct question would be: If someone wants to really play gov x why to prevent it.



After all I have nearly unlimited space... why not use it most efficient way and develop couple dozen different governments and ways to live.



Likewise who am I to say that people who born in Terran likes Tundra more than Desert or Asteroid?



This is why I hate being sick... I just can't get my brains to work -.-

The Craver Republic is a strange place, although discrepancy's solved by axe fights are more effective then most human systems. lol

Swarm Democracy: "vote me today! I promise that I won't eat you tomorrow!"

Playtesting changes now.



All defences boosted, kinetics slightly better, lasers and missiles are worse.



So far about 1 in 5 battles is a draw with similar strengths, closer to 1 in 2 when weapons and defences cancel eachother properly

iamgory wrote:
Mine is similar, but increases in increments (efficiency) of 0.35 per rank from a base of 13 to 16.15.



You're only looking at a 0.79% efficiency increase over base, for example, with rank 9. Mine works out at approx 15% at max, but is lower on lower ranks, so it increases with level. Other than your rank 4, which is a 5% increase, or 3 which is about 4.2%, it will have changed very little.



Of course, the reason I do it is not to learn or fiddle or correct some strange patterns you've clearly identified, but to actually make them more efficient with level, not just stronger to combat missile spam

Hey guys I love the work.. I've been lurking a bit while I learn the way the xml files are put together. Something I've been toying with for my own game was increasing the efficiency of the anti missile system, however also keeping the weight in check as well. Something real world is that when a system gets better it also gets smaller and almost never increases in size.



If the low end AMS weighs 8 tons then why does a top of the line model weigh 18...?



Now this also plays into the way I play the game. As I tend to like defensive builds better than boats bristling with a ton of guns on them. As such i've modified the build time for the "slow" game play to about 3.5 and really nerfed ship building. But ships tend to last longer in combat in my games as well.



Something in the future I"m gong to work on is changing the linear progression of weapons. I'd like to see more evolutionary leaps rather than a straight progression 1-9.. This is the abc cannon model 1,2,3 with models 1,2,3 being more expensive but taking up less space. Then leap to next generation xyz cannon with models 1,2,3 etc... much heavier than abc but more powerful as well.



I guess the generic feeling of the weapon systems bugs me. missile 1-8, kinetic 1-6 etc..



Ahh well keep up the great work guys, i learn a lot from your posts.



-me

I have been thinking this... but before I really start to toy with weapons I really would want more freedom with editing.

I mean I also agree that having just 1 weapon which evolves is dull.



Galactic Civilization 2 had something which I really did love. It's weapons both evolved AND revolved when you reseached those. Yet base idea was always same.



Sadly making new graphics is bit uhm, well lets just say that I can't do it so things like blackhole generators or planet destroyers aren't possible. (boy I want those)

Hupailija wrote:
I have been thinking this... but before I really start to toy with weapons I really would want more freedom with editing.

I mean I also agree that having just 1 weapon which evolves is dull.



Galactic Civilization 2 had something which I really did love. It's weapons both evolved AND revolved when you reseached those. Yet base idea was always same.



Sadly making new graphics is bit uhm, well lets just say that I can't do it so things like blackhole generators or planet destroyers aren't possible. (boy I want those)

Nice reference. Yes Gal Civ 2 was a brilliant and well thought tech tree. I'd love to come close to it even here.

I'm sure we can "lift" the images or similar graphics and edit them to what we need. Even if they only show only in the tech tree and ship building layout but don't have supporting models in the combat phase I would still be satisfied.