Topic: VERY Large scale battles...

[Icehawk]

ah yes 20 ships turning to attack the host player and ignore the other ais sounds like fun lol

[Bonk]

ah yes 20 ships turning to attack the host player and ignore the other ais sounds like fun lol

I have never had my own AI attack me. However, I do not run a software firewall.

[IAF Lyrkiller]

ah yes 20 ships turning to attack the host player and ignore the other ais sounds like fun lol

I have never had my own AI attack me. However, I do not run a software firewall.

Bonk, I am now using my laptop w/o a firewall and works great. now all I need to do is reinstall windows on my desktop syst.

I was on the Forge last night w/ my laptop, brought it out of retirement.

[FPF-DieHard]

Even whackier idea tha may or not be possible . .  .

What about setting up AI "bots" are "Large fleets" that an RM can place in a particular hex to defend it?  This would add real strategy to the game and make it more than who can fly the most missions.

Bonk, is this even possible?   

[Dizzy]

Even whackier idea tha may or not be possible . .  .

What about setting up AI "bots" are "Large fleets" that an RM can place in a particular hex to defend it?  This would add real strategy to the game and make it more than who can fly the most missions.

Bonk, is this even possible?   

This is a mission script idea. ED would need to hex seed it so the draw requirement dictates it only rear its ugly head in the hex the map maker sets up.

[Bonk]

Bonk, I am now using my laptop w/o a firewall and works great. now all I need to do is reinstall windows on my desktop syst.

I was on the Forge last night w/ my laptop, brought it out of retirement.

Saw ya on there, nice to see the name up there again. 

Even whackier idea tha may or not be possible . .  .

What about setting up AI "bots" are "Large fleets" that an RM can place in a particular hex to defend it?  This would add real strategy to the game and make it more than who can fly the most missions.

Bonk, is this even possible?   

I could try creating such an AI character, now whether it would come up in mission and with all its ships I'm not sure. Also, server AIs move on the map, but I think that can be disabled. It just might be possible, but would take some experimentation to find out.

I suspect though, that mission AI is separate from server AI and server AI will not appear in mission, in which case Dizzy's assesment is correct.

[FPF-DieHard]

Okay, so it can't work.   

[NuclearWessels]

Even whackier idea tha may or not be possible . .  .

What about setting up AI "bots" are "Large fleets" that an RM can place in a particular hex to defend it?  This would add real strategy to the game and make it more than who can fly the most missions.

Bonk, is this even possible?   

This is a mission script idea. ED would need to hex seed it so the draw requirement dictates it only rear its ugly head in the hex the map maker sets up.

And of course the missions can't control what hex number something shows up in, only the hex type. 

We could designate some particular hex terrain type that is only used for that purpose, then let the RM's pick their hexes and the admin could edit the terrain type of those hexes so the special mission could appear there, but again the AI bots would be script generated.

dave

[Dizzy]

Irs not needed for this server. What needs to be done is a list needs to be compiled of all the different sort of map terrain choices we have so we know how many special scripts can be made. Then they need to be documented so the map makers and admins know what hexes they need to define so they appear.

Already, I have 2 or 3 special mission types that use varied terrain. I need to document it so they wont overlap.

[Bonk]

What needs to be done is a list needs to be compiled of all the different sort of map terrain choices we have...

Ask and ye shall receive:

Thought this worthy of note:

Terrains:

artifex stock defs
0="(none)"
1="Black Hole"
2="Asteroid 1"
3="Asteroid 2"
4="Asteroid 3"
5="Asteroid 4"
6="Asteroid 5"
7="Nebula 1"
8="Nebula 2"
9="Nebula 3"
10="Shipping Lane"

stock map
0="(none)"
1="Blackhole1"
2="Blackhole2"
3="Blackhole3"
4="Blackhole4"
5="Blackhole5"
6="Blackhole6"
7="Asteroid 1"
8="Asteroid 2"
9="Asteroid 3"
10="Asteroid 4"
11="Asteroid 5"
12="Nebula 1"
13="Nebula 2"
14="Nebula 3"
15="Shipping Lane"

my artifex new defs
0="(none)"
1="Asteroid 1"
2="Asteroid 2"
3="Asteroid 3"
4="Asteroid 4"
5="Asteroid 5"
6="Asteroid 6"
7="Black Hole"
8="Blackhole1"
9="Blackhole2"
10="Blackhole3"
11="Blackhole4"
12="Blackhole5"
13="Blackhole6"
14="Dustclouds"
15="Nebula 1"
16="Nebula 2"
17="Nebula 3"
18="Nebula 4"
19="Nebula 5"
20="Nebula 6"
21="Shipping Lane"
22="Space 1"
23="Space 2"
24="Space 3"
25="Space 4"
26="Space 5"
27="Space 6"

scripting api and serverkit (mapconstants.h)
kTerrainSpace1      = 1 << 0,
kTerrainSpace2      = 1 << 1,
kTerrainSpace3      = 1 << 2,
kTerrainSpace4      = 1 << 3,
kTerrainSpace5      = 1 << 4,
kTerrainSpace6      = 1 << 5,
kTerrainAsteroids1      = 1 << 6,
kTerrainAsteroids2      = 1 << 7,
kTerrainAsteroids3      = 1 << 8,
kTerrainAsteroids4      = 1 << 9,
kTerrainAsteroids5      = 1 << 10,
kTerrainAsteroids6      = 1 << 11,
kTerrainNebula1      = 1 << 12,
kTerrainNebula2      = 1 << 13,
kTerrainNebula3      = 1 << 14,
kTerrainNebula4      = 1 << 15,
kTerrainNebula5      = 1 << 16,
kTerrainNebula6      = 1 << 17,
kTerrainBlackHole1      = 1 << 18,
kTerrainBlackHole2      = 1 << 19,
kTerrainBlackHole3      = 1 << 20,
kTerrainBlackHole4      = 1 << 21,
kTerrainBlackHole5      = 1 << 22,
kTerrainBlackHole6      = 1 << 23,
kTerrainDustclouds      = 1 << 24,
kTerrainShippingLane      = 1 << 25,
kTerrainNone      = 1 << 26,

ALSO, from a stock or artifex generated map:

[Classes/Cell/Economic]
type="int"
range="0<5<35"
[Classes/Cell/Impedence]
type="float"
range="0.01<1.0<100.0"
[Classes/Cell/Strength]
type="int"
range="0<50<100"

Note the max economy value...

All these terrain types as they appear in the SQL db:

0="(none)"-->67108864
1="Asteroid 1"-->64
2="Asteroid 2"-->128
3="Asteroid 3"-->256
4="Asteroid 4"-->512
5="Asteroid 5"-->1024
6="Asteroid 6"-->2048
7="Black Hole"-->262144
8="Blackhole1"-->262144
9="Blackhole2"-->524288
10="Blackhole3"-->1048576
11="Blackhole4"-->2097152
12="Blackhole5"-->4194304
13="Blackhole6"-->8388608
14="Dustclouds"-->16777216
15="Nebula 1"-->4096
16="Nebula 2"-->8192
17="Nebula 3"-->16384
18="Nebula 4"-->32768
19="Nebula 5"-->65536
20="Nebula 6"-->131072
21="Shipping Lane"-->33554432
22="Space 1"-->1
23="Space 2"-->2
24="Space 3"-->4
25="Space 4"-->8
26="Space 5"-->16
27="Space 6"-->32

Note however, we encountered difficulties with mixed mission sets where not all were aware of all terrain types. (at least I think that was the issue I encountered when I used them all on The Forge, though I think I confused the issue in testing by using the Rogue Pirates on the empire map as well with only some TG missions aware of them...)  For now it is best to stick to those defined in the stock map. Though if a mission set is used where all scripts are aware of all the terrain types used, then theoretically it should work for the full set of 28 terrain types defined in the API. Though a scripter may be able to say better, as I suspect that all scripts already are aware of these terrain types because of the header file included in the scripting API. This definitely needs more testing.

[NuclearWessels]

... big snip ...
 I suspect that all scripts already are aware of these terrain types because of the header file included in the scripting API. This definitely needs more testing.

Correct, all scripts have to include that header, and the overwhelming majority simply rely on one of the collective map specifications,
kTerrainSpace, kTerrainAsteroids, kTerrainNebula, kTerrainBlachkholes, kTerrainAnyTerrain

Code: [Select]

kTerrainSpace = kTerrainSpace1 | kTerrainSpace2 | kTerrainSpace3 |
  kTerrainSpace4 | kTerrainSpace5 | kTerrainSpace6,

kTerrainAsteroids = kTerrainAsteroids1 | kTerrainAsteroids2 | kTerrainAsteroids3 |
  kTerrainAsteroids4 | kTerrainAsteroids5 | kTerrainAsteroids6,

kTerrainNebula = kTerrainNebula1 | kTerrainNebula2 | kTerrainNebula3 |
  kTerrainNebula4 | kTerrainNebula5 | kTerrainNebula6,

kTerrainBlackholes = kTerrainBlackHole1 | kTerrainBlackHole2 |
  kTerrainBlackHole3 | kTerrainBlackHole4 |
  kTerrainBlackHole5 | kTerrainBlackHole6,

kTerrainAnyTerrain = kTerrainSpace | kTerrainAsteroids | kTerrainNebula | kTerrainBlackholes |
  kTerrainDustclouds | kTerrainShippingLane,
(with similar collective settings for the planet/base types)

Note that if a mission is generated in a map hex where the terrain type isn't recognized then the missions go with the default empty space map.

dave

[Dizzy]

You forgot 2 seperate entries. Planet drop down allows you to select asteroid base1-3

and

Base dropdown allows you to select weapons platform and listening post.

All can be combined, or used in combinations.

[Bonk]

I guess I'll try the full set of terrains on the next Forge map so we can play with them.

Yes Diz, good point, the presence of planet or base types can also be used in this manner, though I was thinking only of terrains.

[Dizzy]

well, they have been used in this manner already. Work well to restricting the mission to that hex. Very effective.