Matrix Games Forums

Thanks very much for the feedback Francoy! My specific replies are embedded in a copy of your post, below.

I will shortly upload a new version to take into account your comments.

Osito

ORIGINAL: Francoy

I found a big bug... none of the research order work !
The research ID for WeaponsResearchProjectOrder, EnergyResearchProjectOrder and HighTechResearchProjectOrder are NOT on the same line as the project order!!!

Are you absolutely sure this causes the research orders not to work? In the next update (2.2) I have changed the files to remedy any potential problem, so I did not check whether it actually causes any problem. However, if it does cause a problem, then you may wish to consider reporting this on Icemania's AI Improvement mod thread, because some of his research project orders also have the numbers on a new line.

Because of the slower hyperdrives and freighters too big, I have also made the following tweaks:
Remove CommerceCenter from monitoringstation.
Set FuelCell to 10 for explorationship.
Set CargoBay to 6 for smallfreighter.
Set CargoBay to 8 for mediumfreighter.
Set Engine to 14 for largefreighter.
Set LongRangeScanner to 1 for gasminingstation.
I agree with you about exploration ships and have changed this in the new update. I'm not convinced about the other changes, though, so I haven't done anything about them at this stage.

Replace 106,166 in EnergyResearchProjectOrder for all non-pirate races (except dhayut):
with 166,106,167,501 (add 2 hyperdrives).
This seems sensible - changed in the new update

Replace 106,166 in EnergyResearchProjectOrder for dhayut:
with 166,106,154,155
This seems sensible - changed in the new update

Add 198 at the end of HighTechResearchProjectOrder. (Long Range scanners).
This seems sensible - changed in the new update

Set TechFocus1 to 15 for all races. (HyperDrives).
I have done this for non-pirate races, but not for pirates, as they have faster hyperdrives with a much shorter tech line.

The research ID for WeaponsResearchProjectOrder, EnergyResearchProjectOrder and HighTechResearchProjectOrder are NOT on the same line as the project order!!!

Yes, the research script must start after the semi-colon, not on the next line.

Set TechFocus1 to 15 for all races. (HyperDrives).

Debatable if the AI follows this well, in the race or policy files. Scripting the research is the only guarantee.

Also when scripting research for a race, make sure the design templates allow for usage or it's wasted research.

The 3 changes to freighters:
Set CargoBay to 6 for smallfreighter.
Set CargoBay to 8 for mediumfreighter.
Set Engine to 14 for largefreighter.
are to be sure that the freighters are below the 300 size limit.

The change:
Remove CommerceCenter from monitoringstation
is because when a discover a monitoringstation, all the freighters try to resupply the station and that become a drain to my economy.
Anyway i consider these station to be Military station only.

The change to Set TechFocus1 to 15 for all races, will probably have not much effect because the policy will override it!

is because when a discover a monitoringstation, all the freighters try to resupply the station and that become a drain to my economy.

Commerce center is not the reason although it serves no purpose on a MS. Freighters are transferring cargo for future upgrades and this is completely normal.

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

The research ID for WeaponsResearchProjectOrder, EnergyResearchProjectOrder and HighTechResearchProjectOrder are NOT on the same line as the project order!!!

Yes, the research script must start after the semi-colon, not on the next line.

Ok, fair enough; it's fixed now. Someone should tell Icemania, because it applies to some of his research project orders.

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

Set TechFocus1 to 15 for all races. (HyperDrives).

Debatable if the AI follows this well, in the race or policy files. Scripting the research is the only guarantee.

Also when scripting research for a race, make sure the design templates allow for usage or it's wasted research.

I guess it doesn't hurt to leave it in, but in any event there are now more hyperdrive techs in the research project orders.

Incidentally, I'm not aware of any scripted research in my mod which isn't allowed for by the design templates, but if anyone happens to notice any, please let me know.

Osito

ORIGINAL: Osito

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

The research ID for WeaponsResearchProjectOrder, EnergyResearchProjectOrder and HighTechResearchProjectOrder are NOT on the same line as the project order!!!

Yes, the research script must start after the semi-colon, not on the next line.

Ok, fair enough; it's fixed now. Someone should tell Icemania, because it applies to some of his research project orders.

In the AI Improvement Mod they are on the same line after the semi-colon.

Oh, yes, sorry about that - should have known better than to open them in notepad.

Hi Osito, I've been testing various mods to see how they load up in my mod tool and I found a small issue with yours.

You have some duplicate lines in the napoar.txt file under the races folder, the block starting at "ResearchColonizationCostFactorContinental" repeats itself immediately afterwards, with different values. I'd be interested to know which set you actually intended to use?

for some reason my explorer ships wont auto explore with this mod, kinda strange. any ideas why thats happening?

EDIT: nm i figured it out i had to increase fuel capacity

Thinking out loud about the Hyperdrive tech tree:

Because this tech tree is very long, would it help the AI if
we shifted the tech tree one column to the left, starting with Reactive Hyper drive down to Efficient hyper drive.
I would put the Enhanced gerax drive one line lower (just under the Efficient hyper drive).
and put the three lines of Hyperdrive linked with Hyperdrive Technology instead of Enhanced gerax drive...

Note:
If i understand how the AI work; it research techs by column, so it won't go too far to the right before researching all other techs in that column.

here are the modified files.

ORIGINAL: Sabranan

Hi Osito, I've been testing various mods to see how they load up in my mod tool and I found a small issue with yours.

You have some duplicate lines in the napoar.txt file under the races folder, the block starting at "ResearchColonizationCostFactorContinental" repeats itself immediately afterwards, with different values. I'd be interested to know which set you actually intended to use?

I'm impressed that your mod could find this! I have no idea how that duplication got in there. It was certainly added by me, but I was never consciously changing anything in that part of the file. Anyway, I will correct it in the next version of the mod.

Thanks,

Osito

ORIGINAL: adecoy95

for some reason my explorer ships wont auto explore with this mod, kinda strange. any ideas why thats happening?

EDIT: nm i figured it out i had to increase fuel capacity

Out of interest, were you using the 2.2 version of the mod? That has explorers with a higher fuel capacity for the explorers, so there may be less of a problem.

Osito

ORIGINAL: Francoy

Thinking out loud about the Hyperdrive tech tree:

Because this tech tree is very long, would it help the AI if
we shifted the tech tree one column to the left, starting with Reactive Hyper drive down to Efficient hyper drive.
I would put the Enhanced gerax drive one line lower (just under the Efficient hyper drive).
and put the three lines of Hyperdrive linked with Hyperdrive Technology instead of Enhanced gerax drive...

Note:
If i understand how the AI work; it research techs by column, so it won't go too far to the right before researching all other techs in that column.

here are the modified files.

Thanks for that. On the face of it, I can't see any reason not to do it that way. I'll take a look at it, and update the mod to incorporate your changes, if I can. Incidentally, was there anything you changed in the races files, apart from the changes to the research project orders you mentioned in your earlier post on 28 March?

Osito

I have made the following change in research:
project 513: change parent to 526 (suggested by Retreat1970)

For the projectorder i used the race style (documented in "Extended AI Improvement Mod.xlsx" of Icemania mod):

- Races with Speed/Agility or Power will research the HighSpeed Hyperdrives
- Races with Balanced will research the Reactives Hyperdrives
- Races with Efficiency will research the Efficient Hyperdrives

ORIGINAL: Osito

ORIGINAL: adecoy95

for some reason my explorer ships wont auto explore with this mod, kinda strange. any ideas why thats happening?

EDIT: nm i figured it out i had to increase fuel capacity

Out of interest, were you using the 2.2 version of the mod? That has explorers with a higher fuel capacity for the explorers, so there may be less of a problem.

Osito

aah i wasent, ill download that. ty

whats up with the race specific fighter bays (all dimension) having 50% less fighter capacity? have they just not been changed yet or is there a reason for them being that way i dont see

EnergyResearchProjectOrder ;123, 95, 105, 363, 166, 465, 477, 479, 115, 106, 167, 501, 120, 468, 124, 116, 107, 96, 74, 157, 133, 145, 89, 172, 158, 487, 108, 90, 75, 159, 134, 146, 121, 469, 488, 109, 91, 80, 173, 395, 130, 550, 117, 110, 103, 81, 396, 546, 101, 174, 122, 470

Above is an example of how far I had to script UE2 (soon to be 3). The AI by itself chooses research very poorly. I've watched hours of AI play, and cannot find a pattern to AI research paths. The only way to guarantee smart research is to script it, and scripting makes a hard AI (which most of us want). I just finished scripting 40+ races, and let me tell you, it gets old fast. UE scripts may be compatible with RU though, since UE integrated your research.

On a side note, the AI doesn't upgrade fighter bays in UE (most likely RU too). The higher researched bay shows up on the component side of the builder window, but the AI doesn't upgrade. What I have found by experimentation, is that the AI doesn't recognize an increased repair rate as an upgrade. What I have changed is the number of fighters instead. Normal hanger bays go 4, 6, 8 fighters, and the racial bays go 6, 8, 10 fighters. This has fixed the AI upgrade path for me. This is a suggestion only.

I have supplied an alternative raceBiases file, which makes the empire to empire raceBiases match those devised by Icemania for his AI Improvement mod, rather than the original raceBiases devised by haree78. It's an alternative intended for those who prefer it. See the OP for more information.

Osito

Is it possible to remove the UI mod, or at least change the resource icons to the vanilla versions? Really do not like the DAS UI icons.

AlexCrimson, if you do not like Das' UI style, I'd recommend using Syrian's resource and component icons, together with Stuff & Bit's UI chromes.

The style is ok, if a little cartoonish. I just want to use the vanilla resource icons.