Topic: ShieldItems.gf -- efficiency ratings? (Read 2023 times)

Captain KoraH · « **on:** February 09, 2003, 05:32:00 pm »

Has anyone figured out what the shield efficiency ratings do in the Shielditem.gf file???

Captain KoraH

Stormbringer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2003, 07:25:13 pm »

After seeing an old post on this subject, I fiddled with the ratings in all fed ships. It appears to cost less energy to both green line the shields and to redline them but does not appear to effect recharge rate. Looking at shield energy allocation slider the red and green lines are barely off the zero mark when efficiency is increased leaving more power from warp for other systems.On the speed part, I might be wrong because I had not added the scimitar and when I did, it appears it's shields regenerate much faster than any other ship. I need to look at its loadout and gf file line. It uses SB warp core; perhaps it uses SB shields, too. If not then efficiency may increase speed at the higher end of the efficiency range. BTW the increment used to modify does not appear to matter at all.

Captain KoraH · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2003, 12:55:51 am »

What do you mean the increment doesn't matter? Are you saying that if the shield has efficiency rating 3 and I change it to 5 it will have no effect? This sounds like more research is needed.

Captain KoraH

Captain KoraH · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2003, 12:24:02 pm »

Bump for hopeful clarification...

CK

kiaghi7 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2003, 05:11:35 pm »

from what I've experemented with, the higher the setting, the lower the amount of system energy needed to power the shields...

in otherwords... normally the value of "3" takes a lions share of the total system energy to run the shields at full strength, but when I raised the "3" to 3000 the red line is so low, that it apparently takes a miniscule amount of energy to run the shields, and thus you are "gifted" with surplus energy for other functions, such as pumping weapon power...

I haven't tested past 3000 or so, but I feel it safe to surmise that they atleast used 4 bytes for that value, so if you're feeling extra power-hungry, you could make it 65,535... or maybe only 65,534 if they used the "1" value a the zero-mark... regardless, 3000 is FAR more than enough to make the Scimitar easily on par with the best rigged borg cube... I tried

lol

now the shields aren't any stronger (unless you have also modified that stat, which can also be in the thousands from what I've experemented with) and they don't regenerate any faster, they just take ALOT less energy to power, and thus, your weapons get a chance of always being flooded with energy to let you hammer harder on your enemy.

I am still working on a means to accelerate the regeneration rate(s), to simulate regenerative shielding (and lower the actual strength to compensate)

Stormbringer · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2003, 05:53:52 pm »

I meant that the increment does not have to be a certain value. Some times when tinkering you may find that not all increments are acceptable as input, E.G, does not need to be a multiple or factor of the original number, 2.4...4.8 9.6 and so on) In this case, any number will work and not cause crashes or glitches. Obviously the numbers have an effect. just that any (postive, and possibly integer)value can be used. I'm sorry but I did not think this was being unclearly put forward. Where's the love?

Captain KoraH · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2003, 07:28:39 am »

Hey I would like to thank you both for the excellent info. Storm, thanks for the clarification!

For game balance, this seems like a valuable tool, to be used wisely.

Captain KoraH

Captain KoraH · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2003, 01:01:39 am »

Ok I think I finally figured out exactly what this means... it's the rate at which engine power is turned into shield power. Shields seem to use power "points" that are smaller than warp power "points" and the efficiency rating is how they convert over. Now exactly what ratio it is I don't know, because 3 obviously doesn't mean 1:3. That will take more research.

Captain KoraH

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