Balance Mod v1.03 Available! |

Well, v1.03 of the Balance Mod has finally been posted. Keep an eye for any weirdness. 
Download here:
http://www.captainkwok.net/balancemod.php
Here are the details:
Version 1.03 (01 February 2007) ------------------------------- 1. Fixed - Error in maximum level for Organic and Crystalline Baseships 2. Fixed - Some ships had the incorrect number of maximum engines 3. Fixed - Error in ability amount for Mineral Scanner facilities 4. Added - Updated generic slot layouts (Thanks to Fyron) 5. Changed - Slight increase in supply usage for seeker weapons 6. Changed - Slight reduction in defense structure for Crystalline Torpedoes 7. Changed - Small increase in bolt speed for bolt weapons 8. Changed - Increased damage amount required to kill population 9. Changed - Slightly adjusted base reproduction rate 10. Fixed - Error in attenuation for Hyper-Plasma Bolts 11. Changed - Improved AI's facility selection for its colony types 12. Changed - AI will no longer add ordnance storage on ships/units that don't use ordnance 13. Added - AI will scrap obsolete Weapon Platforms 14 Changed - AIs will take score into consideration for accepting treaties 15. Changed - Reduced anger ranges for some of the AI's proposed treaty types 16. Updated - AI research spending tweaked 17. Updated - AI Scripts
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I was reviewing your updates because my mod is based off of Balance Mod (at least, initially) and I noticed that you changed the supply usage of seeker weapons and this confused me a bit. Seeker weapons could use a nerf, I agree, but I would think they would consume more ordinance, not supplies.
I'm not entirely sure why weapons use supplies at all, but I think that's another matter.
By the way, thanks for upping the base reproduction. It eliminates the silliness of a 0% reproduction rate, but at the same time the trivial nature of population makes the low reproductive rate trait seem like easy racial points.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Supplies are for the mechanics that fix the technical bugs in the windows based seeker software 
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Also but dident fall of chair as their is not enough space they are not called all called Peter by any chance.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Must be using Vista... (sorry shameless bash on MS...I couldn't help it...=) Please don't throw me into forum flame hell.)
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
The ordnance usage was fine, but the supply usage was actually far less for seekers than other weapons when you considered the size and rate of fire. Also think of supplies as power and that the power is needed for seekers to allow them their own movement etc.
Windows jokes aside, I view it more as a comparison of storage. The amount of space used to store a missile versus storing a bunch of DUC rounds is vastly different. Supplies ought to be something that energy weapons consume, or in the event of a weapon that can be "manufactured" on the spot, as perhaps some organic weapons, then that would apply.
But I'll get back to working on my mod. I appreciate your efforts with Balance Mod with providing a better base perspective to work from! I have the big task of reworking weapons totally, and from there I'll probably have to delve into the nightmare of AI scripting so they'll learn how to use different components like fighter rocket engines, the different way missiles will work, and being able to handle building giant ships from the start.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
would not changed Space Combat Crew Boarding Strength :=0.1 in the old BM 1.02 to :=1.0 make the boarding parties 10 times stronger as it is for me there 1/2 as strong it not takes two boarding parties to capture a ship with 100 crew ie a colony or frigate
Also if i make changes to the setting file will thay effect a game already started (save and reload)

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I'm new to this modding stuff for SE5 to bear with me on this. From what you wrote, the equation:
Space Combat Crew Boarding Strength :=0.1 means 100 crew are equal to 100 boarding marines for defense purposes.
Are marines equal 1 for 1 in this respect?
Also, if I were to change the :=0.1 to :=1.0 would that mean 100 crew = 1000 marines or 1000 crew = 100 marines?
What I'm getting at would be to make boarding marines more effect at their specialized task. Would this also help the security stations in their task?
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
1.02 bug(think I'm using 1.02 anyway) but not listed on your fixed list in 1.03. Drushocka Empire Space Bases, have no supplies. I came across an awesome set of defence bases...., guns, missiles, PD, Quantum Generator.... but no supplies at all, no space for them.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available! - Population happiness bug.
I upgraded to SEV 5.1.25 + BM 1.03 two turns ago.
Now I´ve found I have 4 planets rioting.
Two of them had 10 troops, another one 20 troops, the last one 20 troops, 5 WP and 1 fighter.
As far as I know, the presence of troops should avoid population rioting.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
yes, but i think the number of needed troops is relativ to the population on the planet. maybe you just have too few troops out there.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available! - Population happiness bug
Planet 1: 10 troops, 5 Million population.
Planet 2: 10 troops, 11 million population.
Planet 3: 20 troops, 21 million population.
Planet 4: 21 troops, 5 WP, 1 fighter -> 23 million population.
Isn´t that enough??
I´m capturing planets with small 12 troops groups... and planets riot whith double amount of troops?? It´s ridiculous!
In the case of planet 4, there are 5 enemy ships in the same system (negative bonus, I suppose), but I have 7 ships there (positive bonus, I suppose). And I destroyed 5 enemy ships in the last 2 turns (as far as I know, this should give me some happiness bonus due to victories).
In the last turn, I captured an enemy planet in another system. Shouldn´t that give an empire-wide happines bonus, or only a system-wide bonus??
Edited: I have "naturally deppresed" trait. But previosly to the patch, planets with 20 troops were raising their happiness (10 troops -> +1 % bonus -> population happiness stable; 20 troops -> +2% bonus -> population happiness rising slowly... or thats what I calculated - and worked!)

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available! - Population happiness bug
I´ve been checking my colonies. All them are going angry with an awesome speed. I´ve been keeping them under control with lots of troops for the last 20 turns (some of them were growing happy) and now, after upgrading, all my empire is rioting.
Populations that were "jubilant" (captured planet, 20 troops on it) have turned "Unhappy" in two turns. Another captured colony passed from jubilant to indifferent in two turns, but in this case there are 54 units (25 troops, 29 fighters) in the planet!
If 54 troops aren´t going to be enough to avoid people going angry, something must be wrong.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I only have 2 captured planets (both were jubilant, now are unhappy or indifferent).
the 4 rioting planets I´m talking about are colonies, with population under my flag.
The rest are my colonized planets, with pop under my flag. Planets with 20 troops were slowly raising their happiness, planets with 10 troops just kept their happiness level. All before the patch.
In two turns, most of my colonies are angry. And I have 10-20 or more troops on all of them. Friendly troops placed lots of turns ago.
I´ll try to remove troops in captured planets, to see what happens. But what do I do with ALL my colonies, if they are rioting even with 20+ troops in then??
Maybe the fixes in loyalty/happiness are seriously multiplied by corporate government and depressed trait?

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
with what reason do they riot?? normaly there is a message that tells you what caused the unrest...enemy fleets, lost units etc.
maybe it´s just because the cause weights more on the negative side than your stationed troops do positive.
also i think only troops have that effect so weapon platforms and fighters won´t count....but not 100% sure about that.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
What about removing population (HA HA HA (*diabolical laught*) )?

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I only get the message "population of planet X is rioting". No reasons.
In my last 2 turns, I have destroyed 6 enemy ships and captured 1 enemy planet. Only lost a few fighters/troops, so I suppose I should get possitive bonuses. No war declared. I receive typical "computer" messages from my opponent: "You are bad... bla...", but nothing else.
I have 10-20 troops (not fighters) in all planets. Fighters are counted apart.
I´ve been testing in some games, and planets with 20 troops are happy after 30 turns. Planets with 10 troops go angry, but after 30+ turns they don´t riot.
So I can´t find what is the rioting reason.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I´ve sent You last turn file. I hope this helps.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
The one part of the game that still drives me nuts is dealing with retreating enemy ships.
As it stands there is no way to deal with 'non-combat' ships like freighters and colony ships except to completely surround them on the strategic screen, and then micromanage your ships into pinning them against a wall during a tactical fight.
Is there any way we could see retreating toned down in the next edition of the balance mod? Right now it is one of the aspects that keeps me from finishing any of my games.
Thanks Kwok

torpdoes in BM?

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
nifty!
I guess i got too used to seeing the same weapons-
but let me clarify-
different races preferring different weapons, is that SE5, or just something you did?
in the game i was playing, the abiddon kept using APbeam even though they had a superior Psychic weapon, and the Xianti, whom i SWEAR are in every game i play, haven't hti me with temporal anyhting yet.
I did see shard cannons once tho! 
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I think I found a bug in the data files. In the vehicle sizes text file, the organic hulls regenerate according to a formula that uses "[%Level]" when it should be according to "[%Level%]" - I don't think organic ships were getting the regeneration they were due.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available! Good Influence.
1. the weapons..
at least at those levels, which were similar, the #'s broke in favor of the psychic weapon - i wouldn't lie to you. but overall, that might not be true.
at that point, it was, ton for ton, range for range, dmg spread was lookin better. min-max, i know.
i didn't realize it was an abiddon thing- iwas just used to the ai using default.
2. YOU ARE A VERY ENCOURAGING INFLUENCE.
You know I'm always saying, all i knew was turbo pascal, I can't do this...
your remark encouraged me to glance at the scripts...
I had no idea the scripts were in pseudocode - i thought it was...
i was expecting C++ or something.
I had no idea i could READ it.
I'm not ready to take a plunge, but at least I'm not cowering in superstitious terror.
I recall, though not agreeing with EVERY tech change, being very impressed with the Essence of Balance mod techs - looking at the tree reminded me why.
thanks again--
I don't know where this game would be without you.
I know where i would be though: buying another game.
salutations.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
See?
Ur loved!
Re: GP Weapons. AC, Meson
new
Submitted by Grendel on Fri, 2007-02-09 22:41.
Cap. Kwok made a very good work with Meson/APB:
- Meson Blasters are smaller and short ranged, allowing a lot of firepower at close ranges.
- APB have long range and reduced negative bonuses for distance, working nicely as your Foolproof weapon.
That´s why I love BM.
I´ve told it like a thousand times: Forget about stock, it is so unbalanced that it should be considered a bug.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I´d love to skin a Badger...


Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Don't know that they make good eaten though...Are they big enough for a purse?

i'll get you; my pretties!
... and your little ...
pokemon; too!
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
-----
So, given that organic ships regenerate and can produce ordnance, does this mean they're immune to lasting damage and fatigue? I mean, technically they don't need repair ships or massive ordnance storage, since by entering combat they can regenerate faster than they could repair or potentially resupply.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
I am pretty sure the regenration only affects organic armor regeneration and not other components like weapons/engines. I'm playing a balance mod game right now and I have had to build repair ships.
Ordinance vats are amazing though, and the reason I almost always choose organic racial tech. Coupled with solar panels they let a fleet operate independently without any need for resupply bases.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Does regeneration of Org. armor add? So if my ship have 10 org. armor componets, will it regenerate faster than if it had only one?
Can destroyed/almost destroyed armor be regenerated?
btw, its strange that org. armor does not repair itself out of combat (repairing ship by attacking eg. enemy planet and not fighting is et least bit strange).
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Someone mentioned the Xiati, or whatever they are called, not using temporal weapons. In my current game they were the first enemy i fought and they were using them.
On ships running, i wish drones or fighters were faster in BM so at least they could catch up. There has to be some way to stop fleeing ships. In stock I would ALWAYS use drones or fighter for this, i think their speed needs to be raised.
I find just having ord/supply storage, especially the 20kt one on larger ships, is more than enough for extended periods.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
well in combat drones, the last time i used them in 1.02, were never able to catch up to ships unless I had a clear advantage in engine tech. Usually I was chasing down colony ships. Sure the drones were faster however combat ended or they escaped before it was reachable. Also since they were launched from the ship if I attacked twice in one turn it would have to re-launch instead of continue where they left off.
I'll try it again, maybe they didn't have enough engines or something but I did auto-complete.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
If you almost catch them and you are playing aginst AI, set tactical map bigger (and longer battle), so you have more time and space to catch them.

Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
Set Retreat to OFF in Settings.txt if you're that bothered by it. Shrink combat mat size too.
---Sig---
Playing Touhou games (Go here if interested . No, nobody else is that good/insane as that replay). No rush for SE V bug fixing.
Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
The research minister does not appear to be working at all. I turned all the ministers on but you have to manually select your research each turn.





Re: Balance Mod v1.03 Available!
woot!
edit: and 1st bug: Crystaline Dreadnought has only max lvl 3 instead of 6