Balance Mod v1.04 Available!

30. Changed - AI will now use a mixed variety of ship sizes

You finely decided to do it .

32. Added - Patrol and Scout Ship AI design types

Did you include a patrol routine with your Patrol ships? If not it's not very useful.

33. Added - AI will now scrap obsolete ships

Some code i need, haven't managed to make my own...

I guess the uncompiled AI scripts are not included?

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Hmmm, I have found the BM mod to be amazing up until the AI sent a cloaked colony in to colonize on one of the worlds in my home system and then told me to get out.

I responded by sending two cruisers with 6X napalms, 2X radiation bombs and a telekinetic pulse weapon and after 10 tactical attacks on the planet, it maybe took 500 structural damage of 7500.

That's kind of lame =/ I understand the purpose behind it, but you went a bit overboard with the effectiveness, or lack there of, of bombardment.

Update: I also had a small light cruiser design, designed to make quick strikes on enemy colony ships. It had two meson lasers as weapons and it will not fire at colony ships. It will fly in close, jerk, and then try to get in range again, jerk, try to get in range, jerk, wash, rinse, repeat.

Is this a bug with the BM 1.04?

Have to start a new game??? NNNNOOOOOOOO! I refuse...I've been playing my present game for weeks...I've lost all my friends, my wife is going for a divorce and my house needs a really good clean. Its just getting interesting...a full scale quaderant war is about to explode.

The federation and the Tornoth are ready to make a stand aginst the Xen-chi insectoid Imperium which spans 60 or so systems.
The Nilith Empire is in a stand off agaisnt the Earth Alliance who are being secertly helped by the Federation.
The Kilrathi are also just about to attack the huge Xen-Chi Imperium after researching their new secret weapon.
The Silicon Alliance is lost in their own little world of systems...trying to stay out of the way of everyone. But the Yevolon Empire knows where they are...heheh

No! this is one I have to finish...mmuuhhaaa...have to finish...have to f i n i s h...

Wait to patch it until the epic is over perhaps even wait for 1.05

Well hurry up then!

You should try stop sleeping and eat while you play. (I did that once..)
Also quitting your job helps loads!

There you go!

As does working on your caffine adiction so you can give up sleep

I´m with You... Dark side is strong, very strong...

Yes! thats it!...why didn't I think of that...I'll quit my job stay in my house all alone.. Hey, I have you guys to talk to right?... and play until the bank knocks on the door to kick me out... as for food...pizza hut can feed me

Another life ruined by SEV.

Yes, but isn't life meaningless without Space Empires (and computer games)?

One of my mates skipped work by telling he was sick so he could play the entire week on the release of WOW:Burning Crusade.

Interesting. I planned on cleaning the code and shrinking it, but it's a lot of work and it's fairly easy to break working features... My mod is in dire need of simplification.

You could easily add a patrol routine to the patrol ships, i did it in IRM. I just converted the patrol routine of fleets to use with a single ship. Of course, it's a bit more complicated since you don't want every patrol ships on patrol all the time and you want the AI to know they are patrolling and not availiable for something else...

The memory leak is much bigger in 1.04 than in 1.03.

I think the problem is caused by FQM, because if you reduce the graphics detail, the leak is smaller.

Other than that, is real fun ....

Thanks Captain! I'll give that a try.

gnosis, You're right, life is meaning less without SEV...my worst nightmare is that my comp just stops working for some reason and I can't fix it....scary!

I have prepared for that I have a little clock work laptop so I dont even need electricity

+100 points!

and don't forget:

Mineral planets are the best!

Sure thing! But the meson blasters still don't damage colony ships. Not sure if it is just colony ships or not

Also, drones are huge... o.o; they look bigger than some of my capital ships.

Capn,

Just curious...

With the impending release of the latest patch, 1.30ish, I'm wondering why you didn't wait for that so that it would be compatible. Couldn't wait to release the latest masterpiece?

Enjoying it as always...

Javaslinger

Right now, i lost more than 100mb of ram for each turn (111 in the last one).

I play in a 150 systems universe and added also the Atrocities and the Ngrath and Arackterra shipsets.

Capn'

Are you using FQM v.5 in your mod?

Thanks,

Javaslinger

I have to second that the memory leak is much worse perhaps due to the inclusion of FQM. This would seem to suggest that the memory leak is graphically related. Does anyone know if Aaron is aware of this?

I am getting slowdowns and 'Virtual Memory Low' messages and I'm only 8 turns into a brand new game..... It would previously take perhaps 40 turns before it became an issue...

Just reporting in...

Javaslinger

FQM makes Nebulae systems have a LOT more storms. I usually play Paradise systems for the sake of the AI but I suspect it also helps the memory leak be minimal. That and I never bother with huge systems with tons of AI - no point if the AI are all going to be too weak (for me) anyway.

---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.

I guess having 2 gigs of ram helps because I haven't noticed a leak yet =/

I have 2 gb of ram, xp pro sp2 with all the updates, directx 9.0c feb2007, gforce 6600 93.71 drivers.

The media is 100 - 111 mb ram lost each turn.....

Same type of game in 1.03 lost 60/70 mb ram turn.

Is graphic and size related ......

If i play a small universe i lost less memory.

I also noted that AI battles in 1.04 take a way long than in 1.03.

Ditto the turns

Related to memory leak ?

Don't know.

One thing I love about this mod is, playing with full tech is a lot more fun. You can't just put one of everything on a dreadnought and be invincible. You actually have to, for example, put multiple mind sweepers to actually be able to sweep mines, you need more shield generators/armor to be well protected, everything, it's quite cool

Edit: Played it again and even set to optimal range my ships still do not attack colony ships.

They fly in close from behind, and jerk to the right or left before firing, catch up, jerk to the right or left, catch up, blah, blah.

I seriously think there is a bug either with meson blasters or with the combat of the game.

I'm not entirely sure how a few more storm objects would cause massive increases in memory leakage.

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I have a problem with the paradise map , the game would crash to desktop stating that there was an access violation in SE5.EXE

What do you mean, you have a problem with the paradise map? A crash upon map generation? A crash upon player placement? A crash after you start the game? I can't seem to replicate an access violation with Paradise maps in FQM or BM. What other settings (eg: map size) did you use? Have you made any alterations to the data files? Do you have trouble with any other quadrant types? Did you generate any maps previously before getting the access violation, in the same session of running SE5? Say, generate a few quadrant types to see what they look like, then try Paradise?

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At a guess - Boromeo did you load a previous version's generation of a Paradise map then try to load that into BM v1.04 which uses the latest FQM? Or even: did you not re-start and re-make the map from scratch after getting BM v1.04?

---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.

In 1.04 i see the AI using fleets of attack ships + carriers with lots of fighters + support ships.

Also the planets are defended with WP + fighters + armed satellites.

The down side is, the turns are more slow because the battles last long.

Overall, is much better.

Well, I´m not an expert on Windows and memory leaks, but all my games in BM 1.03 where flawless, until I added the quadrant mod, and I´m having the same problems on 1.04 (the most annoying of all is the infinite turn processing).

So I would like a BM version without the mod. If anyone knoes which files I need to edit to disable the quadrant mod, I would be grateful. Thanx =)

Again I'm no expert...but couldn't the leak be worse because the AI is now doing more things now? loading up carriers, ships on patrol etc. As I'd tend to agree with Fyron adding a few more storm objects shouldn't(shouldn't being the key word here) make the memory leak jump like its been reported. I have only experienced this problem after long periods of play...so I must be lucky...just touching some wood now...No, not that wood!...god what dirty minds!

If you manage to remove the quadrant mod bheusi, let us know if it has any effect.

FQM has had the same number of planets since beta 1.

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No, i just installed the balnced mod in my game types folder , then played the game generating a paradise map then when the computer created the map , the computer wouldn't draw the lines between the systems and when the game started there was no warp points at all, i don't have any problems with the other maps , there's one thind i did through , i changed the number of system to 220 , in the settings.txt file, first in maximum of system and in minimum number of systems to 220 and the maximum of systems to 220 too but i would be surprised it could be cause of that since the other maps are workin well

Is this line higher than the Large Max setting?

Maximum Number Of Systems := 100

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An earlier post by the good captain explained how to convert BM1.03 to 1.04 to run without starting a new game. This is probably the best way to play the BM mod without the quadrant mod. I have tried it and it seeems to work fine.

Yes mine is : maximum number of systems :=220

Lots of improvements, thanks for the update!

FQM graphics are a definite improvement, especially the planet glow and warp point effects.

The first game I started I actually am haviving a fun fight with the AI. I started off with the Terrans in the next system over, we made contact and they agreed to trade colonization techs but refused a treaty. Naturally I immediately built a small invasion fleet and took their home planet and 2 colonies without much of a struggle. I then spent about 3 turns consolidating my gains before moving on to try and take the rest of their planets. That was a mistake. The AI had actually put much more research into weapons than me and quickly built up a substantial number of fighters, troops and weapons platforms. I am now fighting difficult battles to take each of the remaining planets in the system.

Loads of fun and an enormous improvement over earlier versions.

I had no problem generating a 300 systems paradise map with BM 1.04

Of course the memory leak lets me only play one turn every time and turn processing takes about 10-15 minutes... but it works.

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Thanks for the mod! I'm new to Space Empires and I found the only way to play it is with the Balance Mod and IRM (but I prefer this one because the tech tree is more intuitive somehow, although IRM is more challenging). The only problem is that this is still way too easy. After first 10 turns I always end up the 1st in the score table. I've tried setting up hard difficulty, max. bonus for AI; enabling starting tech levels doesn't work because the AI doesn't want to use it (so it's better to disable), also racial traits seem best left at 0. Is there anything I can do to make the Balance Mod more challenging? I like starting at the bottom of the score list and working my way up... There just isn't any motivation left when you can see that you're clearly the winner after 15 minutes of starting the game.

My strategy is always the same really, just spam the galaxy with colony ships, then build some basic attack ships and consolidate the empire while exterminating everyone. It's kind of hard to unlearn it since it seems to work in all strategy games...

Is there a way to make the AI super-strong initially and have the human player start as real underdog?

Cap't Kwok

Thanks. I too have been playing a long game and really didn't want to start another one just yet. I really, really look forward to your Balance Mod upgrades. It makes playing the game so much more enjoyable over the stock version, Not to detract from all the other Modding effoerts going on, I have chosen to latch on to your efforts. I have only so much time I can spend on this game before my wife advises me that I have to come back to reality. She does let me have my time on Space Empires which she loving tells people that I am off "killing aliens"
I instinctively loaded your v1.04 and had a lot of crashing. Loved the viusual effects that I see now and can't wait to start another game....but a campaign is a campaign. I want to see the victory screen.
I made the changes you recommended and while the graphics are back to the old way, things look stable.
Thanks.

300 systems ? I thought the maximum u can put was 255

If you really want a challenge though, don't make random computer players - make a bunch of initially human ones, give only them a tech boost at the start (don't give yourself any), give them racial traits if you want and don't give yourself any. Then start the game and go to "players" in the main menu. Type in "master" for the password. Set all those other players to AI controlled. You now have given AI empires a headstart.

To make even harder, go build a scout ship or something and have those not-yet-AI empires find each other and make them surrender ot each other. Make sure they all breathe the same atmosphere beforehand. Then switch them to AI.

It's advised not to use "All Vision" as that hinders the AI more than helping it I found.

---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.

Another idea to make the game harder:
Try a "One System Challenge" (or even a "One Planet Challenge"!)

I'm 33 turns in and no sign of a memory leak here. The se5 process is sitting on about a meg - about a tenth of size of my web browser.

Bug report
Population transport minister not working individualy neither is the colony transport minister also individualy

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

The only problem with 300 systems is that the quadrant map does not show all warp point connection lines, although the systems are connected. (And of course the slow turn processing and memory leak)

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Whatever the defaults are. I think that's medium size and medium number of AIs.

The research minister is not working either. Even when other ministers are activated.

If you try to load in a drone carrier drones already deployed, the game crash

Thanks guys for your help, I've started a new game with some custom made enemy empires and its definitely harder (I couldn't be bothered to do the scout ship and surrendering thing though). After 30 turns I'm still the first on the score list, although some of the enemies have way better tech levels (e.g. 55 as opposed to my 44). It's actually becoming quite challenging as I've started to fight one of the supposedly weaker enemies. I've sent a missile destroyer (2 capital missiles, 1 DUC, combat sensors, 4 CT engines, 3-4 armor 2) to enemy planet and I encountered a squadron of 10 indestructible fighters (armor level 1, 1 duc). After maybe 2-5 minutes of shooting at each other I've retreated. Not sure why I couldn't destroy even one of them since these guys had worse tech than I did (maybe the high computer player bonus has something to do with it), but this is definitely a good thing - finally some challenge!

Once again thanks for help, and thank you Captain Kwok for this great mod - I'd never play the vanilla SE without it.

That means ?..and in the settings.txt file it says this :

Maximum Number Of Systems:
Number of Systems the galaxy can contain. The maximum value for this
setting is 255.

so i'm like confused did u mean i can put more than 255 systems ?

Speaking of which, has that "sector wide is applied across entire system" Stellar Object abilities bug been fixed in v1.30+? I like FQMs elite Storms but this bug gets in the way of them...

Oh and on a tangential note... is it possible to make a Stellar Maniipulation component that creates asteroid fields?

---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.

No no, I meant "create an asteroid field out of nothing" instead of "create a planet out of an asteroid field". Similar to "create a stellar storm out of nothing".

---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.

I am aware of how unbalanced it would be if unchecked. I was thinking "system must not have any star to use". Mainly so Nebula'd or Black Hole'd systems can have something other than Ring/Sphere Worlds to repopulate them.

---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.

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Captain Kwok:

It could be the storm - I just double checked and its there (although 10 hexes from the battlefield). I'll check out the data files to see if I can fix it. In any case, I'm not complaining, the harder it is, the better My frigates can still outrun the fighters, and as soon as the fighters run out of supplies, I turn my ships around to destroy the star bases and have my Planetary Devastators decimate the planet Great fun

Thanks again and keep up the excellent work!

I was wrong - enemy fighters are not indestructible. My 6 frigates with DUC and anti-matter torpedos (probably also don't work against fighters) and 30 fighters just managed to destroy a single enemy fighter, so it's actually possible.

PS. I couldn't find the storm bug you've mentioned. The closest thing to storm ability definition was in StellarAbilityTypes.txt, but every storm has the 'sector' as the scope. Is it a bug in the game code instead? I'll try reducing fighter's defensive bonus a tiny bit to make it more realistic.

It's weird though, I'd swear I didn't see this sector/system bug with BM 1.03/SE 1.25

Shouldn't the fighters then give up the chase BEFORE running out of supplies? You know, the point of no return. Why bother with fighters then. Unless, there is a defense setting I don't know about.

Captain Kwok,

Will you be launching 1.05 at the same time the next malfador patch is released and will you include the latest FQM?

The reason I ask is because of a nice all in one package for PBW.cc, set with the latest and finest stuff?
(say 1.31 with BMod 1.05, including FQM5.8 )

Keep up the good work

~Myrath

Hi Captain, I´m playing the BM a bit while I´m waiting for the next patch. It´s great, I have a suggestion to improve 1.05 a little bit more. I noticed that the AI defends its planets with mines, sats and fighters.

However, since it builds small numbers of them the defenses can be easily destroyed piecemeal. Instead, each empire should focus on an specific unit for planetary defense, because it´s easy to beat a defense of 10 fighters/sats/mines, but 30 fighters or sats are much more dangerous. Also, it would focus it´s research in a single area instead of spreading, making those units of choice even more powerful.

Planets with more than 3000 pop should always be defended by a space base, too. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the update Captain. I've started playing a new BM1.04/SE1.25 game.
I've searched the forums here and looked at the BM1.04 topics over at the spaceempires.net bal. mod. forum, but am still confused by a couple things:

- the fighter max speed per move point now seems OK at .0012 in the current BM1.04 download since frigates are at .001, I guess you fixed it since the above comment.

- the stellar ability, combat sensor interference, sector scope bug, you mention being fixed post SE1.25. I hope so, but I do not see any mention of it in all the post 1.25 change logs you've kindly posted here. And are any other stellar abilities' scopes affected the same way?

- Emissive Armor stacking ( damage point reduction additive for multiple EAs )
This apparent change happened in SE1.25, but I don't see any mention of it in the version history file. This is a significant rule change, that totally changes fighter strategy, it seems to me. It now seems that beam fighters are only useful against other fighters, ships with none/few EA, and in otherwise doing shield damage. Links to discussions on this? please.

-- all your planets are belong to us --

I don't like the graphics or tech changes. Is it possible to edit out those changes to make it just so it mods the AI? Or is there a mod that just improves the AI or has subtle changes like bugfixes to the game?

not that I know of the only one was Marran's AI mod which has not been updated recently and isent compatable with the current version of the game

I've been playing the 1.04 for a bit now, and beam weapons simply can't hit squat. I've had fleets engage at point blank against enemy ships that don't have ECM or stealth armor and I still can't hit them. Well, okay, every 40th shot or so hits, but that simply is no where near what the stats say my odds are of hitting.

So, what is wrong here?

probably the storm bug which causes storm effects to have system scope and not just effect the hex the storm is in. this is knowen and will be fixed in the patch released on monday

So when will we have 1.05 ?
Will you enhance AI to make it similar like in IRM 0.9c?
I like IRM 0.9c - AI sometimes behaves really clever. But I hate this research tree and to big ship/planet icons...

Can't have everything...

Ironicaly the tech tree is more or less the reason I prefer IRM to BM but I will grant it does take a long time to get used to as its very diferent from stock and having played most versions since 0.54 I have had time. The Balenc e Mod is a very good mod but it strikes me as missing somthing which even stock with all its inperfections has and the IRM has in spades

Well its all a matter of opinion. BM Tries to closely emulate Stock as much as possible, for a vanilla game experience.
IRM is a mod good for a very unique style of gameplay:
They are both good methinks

I agree entirely. Indeed it’s a great strength of the game Aaron wrote that it can be developed in such different ways so that it can suit different tastes.

I do play the balance Mod and look forward to its next version as much as I do the next stock patch and the next version of the IRM