Freighters and Ordinance |
A couple problems with Ordinance being separate from supplies:
- Freighters cannot be designed to carry ordinance, because the ordinance carrying modules don't register as cargo carrying modules. Hauling missiles cannot be done with a freighter?
- The choice of Ship Design Type doesn't offer a "write your own" box. The only freighter options are Pop. Transport and Troop Transport, neither of which is appropriate for carrying Supplies or Ordinance.
SE:V Balance Mod Fixes that...
I agree. That's why in the SE:V Balance Mod many items like Supply or Ordnance Storage are treated as cargo. I also made it so that the AI Cargo Transport design is actually a Supply/Ordnance carrier.
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Freighter Types
@Capt. Kwok, Hey great -- in the demo I have need to build several different "freighter" classes:
- General Freighter -- unarmed/max cargo;
population/fighter/sattelite/wp/drone shuttle - Troop Transport -- heavy defenses
- Tanker -- fuel resupply
- Ammo Carrier -- ordinance resupply
Is it possible to have the Ordinance and Supply modules satisfy the cargo requirement?
@MageKing17, I'll try that. But I don't know what all kind of ships I'm going to need yet, so making me decide before the game starts about all the possible vessel missions seems like maybe a bit too much exposure to the AI's thinking process. Perhaps a separate tab for player Missions and AI missions?
AI Consideration
Although for AI performance, I'd keep a 50-50 split for a cargo transport with Supplies and Ordnance. It'll be hard enough to make sure they add them to fleets.
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Well ordnance would be more
Well ordnance would be more 'explosive' than regular supplies. They may need special storage containers, and holds.
I'm wondering, if there will be a way to mod a damage potential to ordnance supply components, so when they get hit in combat, the can cause castrophic damage to the ship carrying them...
Supplies = Power/Energy
Keep in mind that supplies are really power or energy, not just cans of alphagetti. 
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Supply/Ordnance carriers
Did you just give the Supply and Ordnance components a zero-value cargo storage ability?
(Did that with space yard and repair components in SE:IV to let me use freighter hulls as space yard and repair ships. Gave them combat penalties so they had to be escorted and they were slower than warships regardless.)
Improved Freighter Usage...
Yes I did. In fact, in the SE:V Balance Mod I've added the 0 cargo storage ability on supply/ordnance, SY, Repair, and Remote Mining. I've also added AI design types and functioning AI/Auto-Complete designs for each of these items as individual types of ships/freighters.
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Modding already?
SE:V Balance Mod? Did you get the name on that mod wrong, Kwok, or are you building a mod for a game that isn't even released yet?
Robert, Earl of Huntingdon
Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.
Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45
The Orion Sector
No, its for the beta + release
See topic. I imagine the testers were modding the game from the day they got it. Both to test the modding concepts and for personal enjoyment.
SE:V Balance Mod
The Balance Mod started during the beta and is ready to be released once the game is out. I'd say it's in a bit better shape than the current data files...
I started building a page for it yesterday:
Balance Mod Website
The tech chart by Tampa Gamer for the mod is helpful to get a sense of the changes that were made.
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Ten kinds of awesome
I think in games like this, proper balancing (and playtesting, and balancing, and re-playtesting, and balancing...) are of the utmost importance. After reading the flowchart on your website I have a pretty strong feeling that at release I'll be mostly playing Balance mod.
I salute you, good Captain.
Release
Might as well release the Balance Mod now Kwok; some people do have the full game already. 
Not quite backwards compatible...
I would, but since I didn't know the game would be released this early I never saved a copy that would be fully compatible with 1.00 - so there will be a little bit of a wait until patch 1. Although I'll see if I can backtrack a little bit to make a compatible version...
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1. 'Tis a flaw. Unless you
1. 'Tis a flaw. Unless you can somehow carry ordinance in a cargo bay, which I don't think you can.
2. The DesignTypes.txt can still be edited, like in SEIV. Not much consolation, is it?
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"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot