BSG Mod |
IDEA:
This is not the kind of post were the topic starter only suggest an idea for someone else to do 
. I've actually started the mod but, for a mod of this scope, migh need some help.
Everybody interested in sci fi know of Battlestar Galactica, both the old and new series. Now at it's third season, the new serie is considere the best sci fi to date. Being an SE4 Lover, and a BSG fan, I thought about the possibilities of merging the two.
PLAN:
To start, I'll simply create new tech tree and components. Since I've never even started learning AI files, I'll leave that to another time. I'm now stuck to adding everything unless of replacing...
The next part will be to creat two new races. This is where I suck. I have 3ds max, but can't get something good out of it. I've never really tried texturing, but my hopes of good results aren't high.
Third would be, if ever implemented by Aaron, to script a universe consistent with the story.
LIMITATIONS:
1. Jump drives... Maybe if enough people are interested in other ways of travelling trough systems, then an email to Aaron will have him add it to a new patch.
My idea here was that, like in SE4, you see all systems on the map, but not the planets in it. In the right-click menu, you have an option to use your jump drive. You then select the target system, and will appear in a random sector of this system. If you appear in a planet's sector or a sun's, you have a low percentage of being destroyed. If you appear in a sector where an ennemy fleet is, you automatically engage it.
There would be a second option to the list: The ability to do a precise jump. In order to do that, you'd have to actually have seen the sector before.(Where you can send a raptor to scan the syste before jumping)Ranges(like maximum ranges when opening warp points) would vary depending of the size of the jump drive, so, if you want to jump in a system far away, raports would be of no use. You'd have to take the risk.
2. Nomads... I've never known if it was possible in SE4 actually. I don'T know if it's a limitation or not. If there's a possibility to have a fleet and no colony, the it's perfect, f not, then some kind of unusable, tiny and unreachable planet would act as beacon?
3. Scenarios... Use your imagination: After 50 turns, your twelve colonies are going well. You have at least a hundred battlestars, tens of mining installations all over your systems. But, in an instant, Basestar fleets jump everywhere. They immediatly engage most of the battlestars, using computer viruses(One use weapon that target engines, weapons, etc.?) and nuke the colonies to hell. Only some of your transport ships survive, but they quickly reunite with some of your battlestars. Other Carriers were ordered to engage cylon fleets.
Your rag-tag fleet jumps away.(Ragnar anchorage? A reordonance component?).
There, there, there would be two kind of maps: A random map, where only the three(or four?) systems of the colonies are properly named and placed while everything else is random, or a "series" map. Where jump drives are limited in range and you have to follow systems that are composed of what was in the series. Kind of a pseudo-campaign.
Ok, that last idea might not interest everybody, and actual "story scripting" might be to complicated to implement.
The Mod is in Early phase, as in trying to fit tech areas to components properly. If any one wants to help. I'll make a excel file for infos in case you want to do things like components.
So, in fact, I need:
-Modellers or;
-someone who could find bsg models, ask permission and get proper credits;
-someone who whould help with components;
-someone who could find more info on ships, colonies, maybe even about their gods;
-support
It you have ideas, want to help, think I wasted your time with useless crap, think I'm wasing my own time by doing this, please post something
If you've never watched BSG before, shame on you! 
Jump drives
Just operate with all war points closed and mod the Jump point opener so it’s lower tech and isn’t destroyed on use and set up a script which closes all warp points a turn after creation. Something which I believe has already been discussed on this forum.
I think you are on to a loser expecting Aaron to change the warp points as the FTL method in this game since it’s been structural since SEII but if the above works and the AI can cope with it or be scripted so to do then you are on
"Bugs"
A) Stellar manip components destroy on use even if the tag isn't present.
B) The script in question just doesn't seem to work.
_______________________
There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't.
I shall fight you to the bitter end subject field
If you don't ask you can't get.... So ask away, just be aware that how you travel from one system to another is an integral part of this game and a lot of people (myself included) start to get nervous / angry when people start saying they want to change this fundemental part of the game.
That said your idea sounds like a tweaking of what already exists (rather than out right change) and opens up a load of intresting possibilites that would be quite cool too explore.
Lots of Possibilities are already available for FTL
Here is how to do what you are asking. First start a game with the 'no warp points' option enabled, as well as all players having the 'galaxy seen' option on. You need players to have the galaxy seen enabled in order to provide a target star system for FTL drives. Without the ability to see all star systems, you'll never get out of your starting star system.
Here is how it works:
A total of two (or three) ship components need to be created/modded. The first ship component can be called the hyper-drive, warp-drive, FTL, so on. It would allow any equipped ship to open a warp point to any system in range provided there are enough supplies. Note that by using your hyper-drive, it will break and need repairing (can't change that yet). Then you would jump your ship(s)through the warp point into the new star system.
Once there, you would use the second ship component, called the Navigation Computer, to close the warp point behind you. Once again, this action will break your ship component leaving it in need of repair. Now your ship(s) are in a new system and you didn't have to use the traditional stable warp point system to travel.
(Optional) A third ship component (let's call it Star Chart Updater) can be placed on your ship that offers a very minor repair ability (like 2kt a turn). If you make your Hyper-Drive and Navigation Computer with very low structure (say 1kt each), this Star Chart Updater will be able to repair them in a turn. So you can make your ship able to jump every other turn if you want (provided you have the supplies). Also, this way players can't use the Star Chart Updater as a cheap repair cheat.
Yes, the open/move/close routine might get a bit tedious, but it does work. By using this system, you get a FTL system that closely resembles Babylon 5, and is workable with Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica. Unfortunately, Trekkers are out of luck.
Also, at this time the AI can't work with the above system so your games will have to be human versus human only.
But good news may follow soon. Now, there are script add ons that Aaron might make available at a later date if we are all really good...and we ask him. Some interesting scripts would include: one way warp points, one use warp points, all warp points close at the end of the turn. The one that really has me interested is the "Fold Space" script command that isn't working at this time. I suspect this may be a real system to system FTL drive that Aaron is toying with.
Don't get me wrong, I love the standard warp point system. However, I would also love a real FTL ship component for modding purposes. That would also go a long way in making this game an even bigger hit as well as increase its lifespan.
Be sure to go to Space Empires V home and email Aaron about your FTL wish list.
Are you sure?
Are you sure about that? I coulda sworn someone confirmed that the stellar manipulation menu bypased the need to "see" a system -- it opened its own window that showed all systems even if you haven't explored 'em.
_______________________
There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't.
Finding Flaws
Just to give you an idea of a few of the flaws I'm spotting right away... I don't think you can do scenario scripting, for starters.
And Aaron will never drop jump points, they are a core component of the game. And the system your describing sounds like asking for him to script just your system, instead of a generic FTL approach.
Your best hope for this kind of mod is what I'm hoping for Aaron to do come SEVI: do to the engine what he's done to the AI, give us access to the scripts ourselves.
_______________________
There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't.