Free research points from savefile |
| Project: | Space Empires V |
| Component: | Code |
| Category: | bug |
| Priority: | critical |
| Assigned: | Unassigned |
| Status: | active |
Description
I've no idea if this has been mentioned yet.
When you load a saved empire, if you edit that empire and go to technology, you will have 476,000 research points to spend. I assume this is the value of all of your "base" techs. If you spend points on things other than your base techs, you will still get those techs for free when the game begins.
For example, Quick Start a game and save the empire.
Quit that game and go to new game and load the empire file.
Click Edit, spend the points on Ice and Gas Planet Colonization.
Save, then start the game.
When the game begins, check your tech - you have all 3 planets colonizeable.
This will break ANY multiplayer game with an unscrupulous host.
Thanks for your time!
It's actually a separate bug...
No, what the patched fixed was giving back the starting levels of the tech.
This is actually a second bug where changes to any of the data files makes a saved empire revert to level 0 in all techs.
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Are you sure?
I saw that when I edited the saved empire it said I had 0 in all techs. I purposely left "Rock Colonization" at 0 to see what would happen. I still had the Rock Colonization tech after I started.
What I take your meaning that there are two separate bugs, it sounds to me like you are saying that the free tech bug is fixed, yet there is a bug that sets all your techs to 0 if you load a saved empire, and if you hypotheticaally started a game with 0 in all techs you wouldnt have nay tech at all. However when you start the game you'll still have the techs.
I'm not trying to sound contrary, I just guess I don't fully understand.
Still get free tech...
I noticed the other thread talking about this issue, just wanted to add that these empire files I created were created AFTER I patched to 1.08. I had deleted the old ones fearing bug "taint" 
Please feel free to check it on your machine if you don't believe me =)
Bug yes, same one no.
Yes you'll still get the starting levels for the 0 level techs when they are reset - so in a way it's like the original bug from before - but now if create a new empire and try to give back the starting levels it won't give you free points like it used to prior to the patch.
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Alrighty, I read ya now
OK, I got it straight now. I see creating a new empire during a game setup won't let you give them back. I just noticed it because in MP games I like to play a "stock" race so my friends won't know it's me playing. I saved them all using quickstart, and noticed when I loaded them from a file I was getting scads of freebies.
We are on the same page now! Woot!
it's an accounting problem
It's an accounting problem.
There's a fee for basic required techs (like ion engine, frigate hull, space yard, etc). But the game won't run without them, so they aren't really optional charges. The money and fee for them might as well not exist.
Start a game with 0-rp start, and you'll still get the techs.
This fee (the cost in RP for ion engines-1, etc) is being charged and then extra work is being done to make up for it. It would be a much cleaner system if the basic techs were just plainly free, instead of a mandatory charge and a balance correction.
This could be done by making ion-engines-0 provide basic engines, space yards-0 provide basic space yards, etc. Or by changing the cost formulas so that ion-engines-1, etc cost 0 research.
Misunderstanding...
I think you misunderstand AW. You are suppose to get certain starting techs regardless of how many RPs you get to start with. This includes Ion Engines I, Light Construction I, DUC I, etc.
When you create a fresh empire, the starting techs are dispalyed as they should be and you can no longer give them back to get free points (as you'd get them anyways) which you could do before the patch.
However, there is a bug with saved empire files that resets all tech levels to 0 when you reload, giving you the X points it costs for the starting tech levels (which you still get anyway) allowing the player to pick other things they otherwise couldn't afford - this is the remaining bug.
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re: free techs
In other words: Free.
Immediately available, doesn't reduce the points a player has, and cannot be cashed in for more points.
They are free techs, so their cost should be set to zero.
Can't set cost to zero
No, the costs shouldn't be set to zero because it would influence the future costs of the next level in that tech.
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required techs
In Components text, Ion Engines, alter these two formulas:
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 1 in Ion Engines.
Requirement 1 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Ion Engines") >= (1 + ([%Level%] - 1))
To be:
Requirement 1 Description := Empire must have at least tech level 0 in Ion Engines.
Requirement 1 Formula := Get_Empire_Tech_Level("Ion Engines") >= (0 + ([%Level%] - 1))
But inconsistent..
Sure it can be done with modding, but adding 0 level techs for items and not others is inconsistent.
Anyways, it won't even be a problem if the saved empire file bug is fixed to start with. 
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Or even better
Life Support modules in stock have a requirement of Medical Science level-0.
Another solution would be to mod a set of basic componants that the player is given at startup. Something like:
Impulse Engines: Max level=0, starting level:0, no requirements
Well, I'm out of arguing juice, so I'm gonna go play for a while. Have a good morning 
Free research points from savefile
Kwok mentioned that the patch had fixed this. I verified that I am running 1.08. This savefile was made after I patched the game.