Balance Mod without FQM

You can probably just delete the following
files from the Balance Mod's Data folder:
Quadrant Types.txt
XFilesClasses_Stellar.txt
BitmapEffects_System.txt
StellarAbilityTypes.txt
Formulas.txt
StellarObjectTypes.txt
SystemTypes.txt

Unless BM overwrites some Pictures or something, which I don't believe it does, those files in the Balance Mod's Data folder would contain everything that is altered by the part of the FQM that the Balance Mod uses..

Just to note, the Balance Mod doesn't use any new planet graphics - it uses the stock images only.

I think MCT's list was accurate. Note that any previously saved games will not be save game compatible, nor will you be able to load previously generated maps if you scrap those files

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

You must have the same data files as other players to play multiplayer.

Laptops handle FQM stuff... Mine doesn't have any trouble at all, even on Vista (windowed mode naturally). The only possible rendering issue would be the nebula systems, which have 1200 total bitmap effects instead of the stock 800 (necessary to make them really pretty). This can be reduced fairly easily for performance concerns, though. Open up SystemTypes.txt and reduce the "Number of System Objs" fields for each Nebulae system. 40 will bring the bitmap effect numbers back to the stock level. Alternatively, you could reduce the number of animations for each Nebulae Type # entry in XFileClasses_Stellar.txt. You'd want to reduce the Effect # Duplicate Count lines, to perhaps 3. This brings the total bitmap effects down to 700, which is actually lower than the stock nebulae of 800.

Reducing the star sizes is very easy to do; just crack open XFileClasses_Stellar.txt and change the Starting Scale values for the stars you feel are too large. Note that stock stars have sizes of 16, 18 or 20, depending on size. And as others have said, the Balance Mod does not include any of the planet graphics. These things are only about 2% of what the mod does..

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You'll want to restore the XFileClasses_Stellar.txt and StellarObjectTypes.txt data files from the Balance Mod archive into your mod dir. The latest version of BM basically has FQM beta 12 in it already, minus the planet textures, with a few tweaks by Kwok (such as a pathological deletion of 4/5 star systems ( ), and a different (less interesting) set of storm abilities in StellarAbilityTypes.txt).

Another option might be to check out the new set of planet textures in the works... See this thread for links to screenshots and a download location for the files on the BT tracker.

SpaceEmpires.net | Space Empires Wiki

The intel bug, which caused rebellious empires to join player "0", was fixed a long time ago in the Balance Mod.

There can be a faulty move order (fixed in v1.64) with one of the AIs. I've found you can usually re-run the turn and it will work just fine.

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Fewer Stars + Less Colourful Ability Descriptions >>> Ugly Planet Graphics

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod