Topic: The Upcoming OP Patch, Multi-Era Mods, thoughts

[FireSoul]

Additional thoughts:

1- PA Module: Can do. Add it to equations in script. Make script decide when to dump it in space... .. and maybe even reacquire it if handy.
2- Temporal Elevator: no can do. Can't make weapons just stop in space.

3- Maulers: uhh..  .. that's a hard one, because the panels are hooked to the mauler itself. A script doesn't know which specific weapon was fired, so can't increase the damage caused based on contents of panel. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Another idea would be to control the maximum number of batteries based on batteries on the ship, and charged panels. Unfortunately, I don't think a rise in number of batteries would make them charged. (The ship would have the total of both batteries and panel's power as batteries in shiplist and would start with some damage to that system when created.)



BTW,
Additional damage: tShipInfo::mDamageRandomInternals( int numHits )  ---  additional damage doable.
 

[Chris Jones]

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Quote:
There's a certain fun factor here. That could a story of a skewed time line in which the NeghVar goes back in time. Perhaps several Constitutions vs. a NeghVar - or perhaps all of the ships over time that were named Enterprise in one scenario. For me anything like this is acceptable. In Advanced era the entire shiplist will be available.  

Personally, I'd rather see a timeline where ships are gadually retired (gradually, using Year Last Avaialable. Maybe leave a few "venerable" classes like Miranda, but don't overdo it.) rather than a big stew between different eras.
Of course, I like the idea of "Yesterday's Enterprise", and some time travel/anomaly, but I think that should be done via special scripts (or skirmish), not an everyday occurance.

Anyhow, just an opinion, I have full faith in Chris' mods.    

Thanks for the support.

Actually the thought about retiring ships had crossed my mind recently and would make more sense. I'd like to show a preliminary shiplist with some ideas in the next week or so..

This idea of scripting Andros is intriguing..  

[Klingon Fanatic]

Quote:
Additional thoughts:

1- PA Module: Can do. Add it to equations in script. Make script decide when to dump it in space... .. and maybe even reacquire it if handy.
2- Temporal Elevator: no can do. Can't make weapons just stop in space.

3- Maulers: uhh..  .. that's a hard one, because the panels are hooked to the mauler itself. A script doesn't know which specific weapon was fired, so can't increase the damage caused based on contents of panel. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Another idea would be to control the maximum number of batteries based on batteries on the ship, and charged panels. Unfortunately, I don't think a rise in number of batteries would make them charged. (The ship would have the total of both batteries and panel's power as batteries in shiplist and would start with some damage to that system when created.)



BTW,
Additional damage: tShipInfo::mDamageRandomInternals( int numHits )  ---  additional damage doable.
 

Alright Firesoul! Awesome.

 

[Klingon Fanatic]

Quote:

Quote:
KF -


Remember when I offered to do an SFB mod with Tholians, etc, back when SFC3 was announced? It got lukewarm response so I did not pursue it. SFB fans are passionate about having things exactly, or as close to exact as possible. The main question was about simulating the Thoilan Web. I thought the Helllbore was as close as you could get to that, but several people said they didn't want cool models with the same weapons.


 

The Slave Girls 3 mod had Tholians in it.  1 person played Tholians on that server.

Tholians without webs are like beer without alcohol.  What's the point?

Now Andros, they can still be quite evil . . .  

I thought the Klingon Academy Tholian conversions by DarkMatrix looked very cool and I admittedly, prefer them to SFB designs.  I admit the Tholian web (as depicted in KA/what SFB has) would have been really cool to play in SFC. However, I am also not a SFB purist as I neither played SFB and I can, grudgingly, accept the limitations imposed on us by the SFC games.

Best wishes to all.

KF

[FireSoul]

Quote:

Alright Firesoul! Awesome.
   

... but incomplete. .. I need other scripters to look at this..

[Tumulorum Fossor]

My general comments, for what it's worth:

FireSoul: I agree with NOT making the OP+ shiplist overly ambitious.  Better to keep it focussed and done well rather than expand out to unsupported races and do half-a$$ed versions of them (due to the limitations of the SFC2OP engine).  Now, if someone ELSE comes up with a way to translate the Tholian specific weapons and the Andromedan specific weapons, consistent with SFB style, then I think it would be reasonable to revise the scope of the OP+ shiplist to incorporate those races.  But I don't see that happening anytime soon.  So keeping the shiplist up-to-date, bug-free, and as balanced as possible given SFCOP's limitations with the currently available races is ENOUGH work, thank you very much.

ChrisJones: The MultiEra Mod is a GREAT idea!
The "Early=TOS/SFB; Middle=Movies; Late=TNG; Advanced=Everything else" makes incredible sense.  But since it is cutting across ParamountFilm/ParamountTelevision/ComputerGames/SFB/IndyModeller sources, I think we agree that it is beyond the scope of FireSoul's semi-official OP+ patch, so I don't think it should formally be part of that mod...
...but I DO think it should be an UNOFFICIAL MOD TO OP+ (preferably okayed by FireSoul).
Why?  Lots of reasons:
(1) It'll help galvanize more support for Orion Pirates over EAW (which is the direction the SFC community is headed ANYWAYS, but it'll help accelerate the tranisition).
(2) It'll help galvanize more support for the OP+ shiplist, which is based on the SFB standards which seems to be serving SFC's longevity, so it's good for SFC fans even if they've never played a turn of SFB in their lives (vis-a-vis's SFC3's problems and SFC2OP's XShip2 problems when they strayed too far from the SFB path-of-enlightenment ).
(3) There are more ships, MANY more ships, that can accommodate more worthy models (as well as more VARIANTS of the same models).
(4) I assume that for any project to get FireSoul's Unofficial Blessing, it would have to adhere to SFB standards regarding HULL TYPE.  In other words, not just ANY model can be assigned to just ANY ship due to rules regarding identical HULL CLASSES, which has implications in the computer game in making actual visual identification of ships more part of the game (am I making sense here?).  In other words, I COULD make every drone cruiser in the game use a THOLIAN model, if I wanted, such that regardless of my Tactical Intelligence or Probes or range to enemy ship, I'd be able to identify drone ships immediately.  A FireSoul Approved OP+ Shiplist Mod would allow for variation in the models but minimize the cheese effect of such a ploy, for people who play by the honor system but still want an interesting selection of eye candy.

So that would put more constraints in place in assigning ship models (paying attention to hull classes and making sure those restrictions as dictated by SFB standards are maintained), but serve to make the game MORE SFB like, while still offering visual variety.


One last thing: I think the race assignments you were suggesting, Chris, were great!

I would ask you to not forget MONSTERS.  If we could work in a few of them here or there, that would be cool, too.


Thanks,

-Tumulorum Fossor
 

[Klingon Fanatic]

The idea of using mission specific triggers to get the Andros (or even Tholians) to behave a certain way  makes a great deal of sense and was something I had advocated on these forums long before this thread

I think the way to go might be for a self contained mini-mod similar to Centauri Vaugn's Wolf359 TNG mission packs if I understand what I'm reading. Maybe a fan based Andromedan Invsion campaign a la EAW: ISC War of Pacification..

Qapla!

KF

[Azel]

ATOLM Has Come......

I must agree with the concept of a reaction controlled situations
can it be done???
 ATOLM wants...that is if it can be

 

[Chris Jones]

Firesoul has told me something I never knew, because I was never a server admin or didn't pay attention or whatever, is that the Year Last Available only matters in the D2, not in standard multiplayer or singleplayer. This means that in Advanced era in single or multiplayer, all eras of ships will be available for selection.  The beginning year does matter, so obviously you could play, say, mid era and not see TNG stuff, but you would see TOS stuff.

 

[FireSoul]

That's exactly right.
Sorry I didn't see the MSN msg last night. I figured a PM would be the best way to respond.

[Chris Jones]

This Multi-Era Mod will not have a server, it is for single and multi-player enjoyment. When selecting a race, you'll see the actual races available. Lyran will be Lyran/Dominion, Gorn will be Gorn/Borg, Mirak is Mirak/Cardassian. Hydran is Hydran/Breen. You'll also see Orion/Ferengi, Mirror Federation, Tholian, Maquis, Korgath/Duras, Kazon/Wyldefire, and Aliens. When Selecting a ship to play in any race you'll see the race name. Instead of 'Lyran Ship Statistics' you'll see Lyran/Dominion Ship Statistics. Gorn becomes Gorn/Borg. Mirak becomes Mirak/Cardassian. Hydran becomes Hydran/Breen.  Instead of EXIT GAME you'll see 'Exit Multi-Era?' Weapon names will be different. Hellbore is Polaron Torpedo, Fusion is Polaron Beam, Plasma X is Quantum Torpedo. Heavy Photon becomes TNG Photon.

Its the things like that that make the game fun.


Still working...........

[Chris Jones]

The LDR will be in the TigerHeart slot. Kinda makes sense. The specs will not be totally stock. Some, including a Starbase and the PFs, have been beefed up and are now in advanced era. Always liked those dark Lyran models...

Tholians move to the Camboro slot.