Modding... Boarding parties on fighters?

I don't recall a setting for units to use boarding in VehicleUnitTypes.txt, so like SE:IV I don't think it will work without a code change.

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Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

Very, Very Disappointed.

Don't be sad. The key is to e-mail MM and let Aaron know that you'd like to see a "Can Use Boarding Parties" option for VehicleUnitTypes. It shouldn't be a very difficult addition.

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Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

what is Aaron's email so we can email him our ideas?

Is this the best way to have our ideas heard?

SEV, more than a feeling.

There are forums for that; I created my own...
http://spaceempires5.com/en-US/node/2365/edit

I rather think and hope that as this is the "official" site, things that get brought up enough WILL be noticed.

i don't know how to email Aaron, but if you go thru the sE5 site i'm sure there are more direct links..

Kwok?

To e-mail(or even paper mail) Aaron Hall of Malfador Machinations go here:

http://www.malfador.com/

then go to "Contact" or "About".

I think it'd make more sense to assume that boarding parties should be checked for all units. Including, say, space stations (so if a ship tries to board a space station with boarding parties, the plan can backfire!)

Rather than add another option to clutter the already dense text files, it should be safe to assume that if it can equip it, it can use it.

Further boarding pod / shuttle research.

Modded together a capital ship missile and a boarding party.
the component can be fitted and used in combat but doesn't carry out the boarding party effect.

Boarding party components require repair after combat, so game code changes would be required for boarding shuttles to work.

If you watch a boarding ship doing its boarding attack you'll see a small shuttle fly from it to the target. That's your boarding shuttle, immune to PD fire far as i can see.
During my test i found the AI has created a colony component carrying space station.

Just out of curioisty...

Why do you want to put boarding parties on fighters anyway? For the speed boost?

1 to confuse Badger

2 so that there is a risk of having the target ship shoot the shuttle down on the way in. More risk than having the launching ship destroyed

Added to the end of VehicleSizes.txt above the *END* marker gives you a Ship with fighter like speed that can only be used for launching boarding parties. As workarounds go it's clunky.
Moves at speed 12 on the strategic map with quantum engines, dies horribly to direct fire and seeker weapons in combat.
Also note the little assault pod that's launched only goes at 10 km/s so almost any ship can outrun them and only 2 or 3 boarding party pods can actually board a ship, any excess assault pods circle over the target for about 20 seconds then disapear.

Name := Boarding Assault
Short Name := Pod
Description := Tiny ship designed for Boarding assaults.
Code := Pod
Vehicle Type := Ship
Maximum Level := 10
Tonnage Space Formula := 30
Tonnage Structure Formula := 30 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 25)
Cost Minerals Formula := 20 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 20)
Cost Organics Formula := 10 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Cost Radioactives Formula := 10 + (([%Level%] - 1) * 5)
Engines Per Move := 0.1
Maximum Model Size := 1.0
Vehicle TopDown Picture Index := 13
Vehicle Portrait Primary := [%EmpireName%]_Portrait_SmallFighter.bmp
Vehicle Portrait Alternate := [%EmpireName%]_Portrait_Fighter.bmp
Vehicle Portrait Default := [%EmpireName%]_Portrait_Fighter.bmp
Vehicle Large Portrait Primary := [%EmpireName%]_LargePortrait_SmallFighter.jpg
Vehicle Large Portrait Alternate := [%EmpireName%]_LargePortrait_Fighter.jpg
Vehicle Large Portrait Default := [%EmpireName%]_LargePortrait_Fighter.jpg
Vehicle Inv Portrait Primary := [%EmpireName%]_InvPortrait_SmallFighter.jpg
Vehicle Inv Portrait Alternate := [%EmpireName%]_InvPortrait_Fighter.jpg
Vehicle Inv Portrait Default := [%EmpireName%]_InvPortrait_Fighter.jpg
Vehicle Inv Configuration Layout Primary := [%EmpireName%] Small Fighter Layout
Vehicle Inv Configuration Layout Alternate := [%EmpireName%] Fighter Layout
Vehicle Inv Configuration Layout Default := [%EmpireName%] Fighter Layout
Vehicle XFile Class Name Primary := [%EmpireName%] Medium Fighter
Vehicle XFile Class Name Alternate := [%EmpireName%] Fighter
Vehicle XFile Class Name Default := [%EmpireName%] Fighter
Vehicle Texture Start X := 0.25
Vehicle Texture Start Y := 0.50
Vehicle Texture End X := 0.50
Vehicle Texture End Y := 0.75
Space Combat Maximum Speed Per Movement Point := 0.0025
Space Combat Turn Rate Base := 0.00222
Space Combat Turn Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.0000005
Space Combat Turn Rate Minimum := 0.0011
Space Combat Acceleration Rate Base := 0.00022
Space Combat Acceleration Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.000000068
Space Combat Acceleration Rate Minimum := 0.0001
Space Combat Deceleration Rate Base := 0.0004
Space Combat Deceleration Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.00000012
Space Combat Deceleration Rate Minimum := 0.0002
Space Combat Banks When Changing Height := TRUE
Ground Combat Maximum Speed Per Movement Point := 0.0
Ground Combat Turn Rate Base := 0.0
Ground Combat Turn Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.0
Ground Combat Turn Rate Minimum := 0.0
Ground Combat Acceleration Rate Base := 0.0
Ground Combat Acceleration Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.0
Ground Combat Acceleration Rate Minimum := 0.0
Ground Combat Deceleration Rate Base := 0.0
Ground Combat Deceleration Rate Decrease Per kT := 0.0
Ground Combat Deceleration Rate Minimum := 0.0
Ground Combat Banks When Changing Height := TRUE
Number Of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Combat To Hit Defense
Ability 1 Description := Small size makes ship [%Amount1%]% harder to hit in combat.
Ability 1 Scope := Space Object
Ability 1 Range Formula := 0
Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula := 80
Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula := 7
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Description := Evade level [%Amount1%] scans.
Ability 2 Scope := Space Object
Ability 2 Range Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 1 Formula := 1
Ability 2 Amount 2 Formula := 0
Number Of Requirements := 4
Requirements Evaluation Availability := 1
Requirements Evaluation Allows Placement := 2, 3, 4
Requirements Evaluation Allows Usage := TRUE
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 1 in Light Hull Construction.
Requirement 1 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Light Hull Construction") >= (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))
Requirement 2 Description := This vehicle must have 1 Boarding Parties.
Requirement 2 Formula := Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Boarding Attack") >= 1
Requirement 3 Description := This vehicle must have at least 1 engines.
Requirement 3 Formula := Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Movement Standard") >= 1
Requirement 4 Description := This vehicle can only have a maximum of 1 Engines.
Requirement 4 Formula := Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("Movement Standard") = (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))

.......................
I thunk therefore i wuz.

Ships require specific orders to launch boarding parties in tactical combat, the boarding transport boxes are immune to point defense and the boarding parties components are destroyed after firing.

If his excellency Aaron were to make coding changes i'd prefer them to be changes to the range and vulnerability of the boarding crate things, making them vulnerable to point defense, speeding them up to about 20 km/s and having them launchable further from the target.

Alternatively change the boarding parties graphic to a transporter type effect between the ships. the crates are pretty ugly.
.......................
I thunk therefore i wuz.

why not make boarding require a sort of ramming...

if you want "boarding shuttles", thats a knid of fighter and IT can "grapple" the target

leaves more options ffor the player, too.

if you want to shoot out shuttles, that would be represented by fighters, which are indeed vulnnerable to being shot down.

The stock boarding parties boxes do ram the target.
They don't do damage and like i've said above they're immune to point defense fire.

A damage type "Assault Trooper" or similar which could be assigned to weapons to produce either a boarding missile or a transporter type beaming attack would do the trick. At the moment the code prevents me from modding any satisfactory boarding shuttle effect.

.......................
I thunk therefore i wuz.

I'm aware of that.
I don't LIKE that you are shooting shuttles at someone that can't be shot down.

Its not that i don't GET what you're saying, its that i had a way I WISH it worked, but lack the ability to code it.

So i floated the idea on a foorum to see if anyone else was interested.