Warhammer 40k DW:U Mod

[mensrea]

Well, it's finally ready. 837 techs, 151 components and everything I ever wanted (in a tech tree). I not only achieved everything I wanted to do with the tech tree but I am also almost fully done with balancing the races according to my new system. After this update I have the facility update, the AI update and the character update as well as ongoing art, tech and racial polishing. After all that is done and any remaining bugs are squashed we will officially be out of beta. Please note that there are blank spots and unfinished tech lines in the research tree as I have not added all the races I want to yet (Squats, Tyranids, pirate races) and have not messed around with viral weapons or bio-weapons in general. Of course there is still all the backend like changing the opening post which hasn't been changed in months, doing those absurd MHTML documents for the pedia, and of course the scenario. Out of all that the one thing I truly dread is the AI work; maybe I will save it for last.

I also wanted to thank you guys for all your encouragement and input. Without you guys this mod would be nothing, really. Your input has definitely had a profoundly positive effect on this mods development, and I feel, evolution into something much greater than it was or ever would have been without you. Thanks guys.

Anyway, here it is: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/561 ... 20v.10.zip

Here's the changelog, too. Enjoy.

v.10 changelog
-added hightech tree
-rebalanced other trees and added more techs
-added many new components and changed many old ones
-completely rebalanced races according to these categories
-aggressive: Eldar, Imperial, Lacrymole, Laer, Megarachnid, Necron, Ork, Quietude, Scythian
-tech: Auretian, Interex, Jorgall, Kinebranch
-trader: Diasporex, Ghassulian, Kehletai, Stryxis
-expansionist: Gykon, Tarellian, Tushepta, Vrakk
-rebalanced races according to further minor catagories listed in the snippet
-started work on extensive cataloging effort. heres a snippet:

"A.Fat
-Can't use fighters
-Can't do deep cover or inspire revolts
-Bigger ships
-Tougher troops

B.Warriors Legacy
-Cheap troops
-Better troop transports
-Immediate access to cheap military academies

C.Subversive Legacy
-Sensory Camoflage (cloaking component)
-Better Special Ops
-Immediate access to Special Ops
-Immediate access to cheap intelligence academies

D.Defenders Legacy
-Immediate access to Planetary Defense Forces
-Better Planetary Defense Forces
-Immediate access to cheap planetary shields

E.Spacefaring Legacy
-Exotic Engine (engine component)
-Exotic Vector (vector component)
-Compressed Fuel Pods (fuel cell component)
-Immediate access to cheap admiral academies

F.Cybernetic Legacy
-Cybernetic Command Node (command center component)
-Immediate access to cheap science academies

G.Robotics Legacy
-AI Targeting System (targeting component)
-Repair Drones (repair component)
-Immediate access to cheap robotic troop factories

H.Psyker Legacy
-Psychic Amplifier (detector component)

I.Resilience
-Deep Space Survival Module (colonization component)
-Immediate access to all planetary colonization tech

J.Genetic Modification Legacy
-Cloning Center (medical component)
-Immediate access to double growth rate at all colonies

K.Traders Legacy
-Trading Complex (commerce component)
-Pleasure Complex (recreation component)

L.FTL Legacy
-Exotic Drive (warp component)

M.Major Races
-More points
-More unique components
-Fewer victory conditions
-Universally despised"

-added a great deal of new art including thanks to Japhet
-addressed all issues discussed on forum
-prepared for next update with tractor beams
-under the hood changes for posterity
-changed document headings "'WH40k mod v.10 for Distant Worlds: Universe 1.9.5.7"
-much, much more

[Capshades]

Woooo, downloading now!

Edit: Possible bugs as I find them.

Last 3 techs for governance are empty, no benefits.
Acidic spores tech is empty, no benefit, no unlocks.
Viral Weaponry is empty, no benefit.

Are tech, happiness, and economy wonders now gone?

[mensrea]

Yeah the facilities update comes next as I mentioned and some tech trees were left blank as they will be used for future races.

Wonders will be completely reworked so in the meantime the old ones are mostly gone.

[SF-Inc]

Never mind then

[Capshades]

Works fine on 1.9.5.7 for me.

[SF-Inc]

Never mind then

[mensrea]

That's strange, I am running it in 1.9.5.7 now.

[Capshades]

I'm getting a really weird lag, construction % for buildings on planets only refresh when i click on the planet again, and the research completion % at the top lags behind by about a minute.

Edit: Solved by restarting

[Japhet]

Playing as the Necrons is kinda boring at the beginning, because of the very long construction times. There is simply not much to do. It can also be very dangerous, because you can basically not defend yourself against early attacks. In one of my short test games, four races have found me (Imperium, Hrud, Diasporex & Interex), before my (large) spaceport was even finished. If one of them would've decided to attack, I would've been completely helpless. Thank god, the Hrud decided to attack the Imperials first.

Also I noticed that the Hrud are always very close at fullfilling their racial goals, even at the start of the game.

I finally finished the combined pack. Besides all the other former packs, it contains some component images for the Eldar, Necrons and Tau, updated ui icons for all races and some art for two new ones: the Zoats and the Rak'Gol. The later would make a good pirate race.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/hgc2d ... K+pack.rar

I'm not sure if I'm doing any work on the remaining races, I found them relativly uninteresting to be honest and there isn't much lore on them to work with. They are mostly generic sci-fi races anyway and I don't think that there are many prominent races left, besides maybe the Nicassar (space bears) or the Slaugth (worm people). However, I think Blackstork's xhuman ui would work well for the Interex.

[mensrea]

Any word from anyone else on the Necrons? I may have went to far with the nerfing..I was hoping the addition of the particle whips might swing the balance in their favor despite being slow builders.

I will definitely be adding the Rak'Gol. Those guys are pretty terrifying even for WH40k standards.

Thanks for the art. Having a big pack like that makes it a lot easier on me.

I feel you on the remaining races. Most of them are just listed as having been met and then killed during the Great Crusade....not much to work with there. On the other hand so many blank slates mean we can pretty much use tropes or races from other sources. The Gykon are based entirely on the Grineer (http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Grineer), the Auretians based off the Corpus (http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Corpus) and the Scythian sort of a mixture of Tenno and original lore (http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Tenno). If anyone has any races from other fictions they might want to superimpose over some of our more bland races please let me know.

I'm not sure if Blackstork would be willing to share but I will ask.

[Blackstork]

Now i understand what you wanted in pm, i state it here :
I like what you do and i do not object if you use some of my UIs as long you will credit me and my mod (Beyond, because Alien Immersion is part of it already) with linky to it.

[Blackstork]

@Japhet
I checked your work, it is really intence and rich! Liked it very much , keep it up, i like that your mod takes detailed art and immersion approach. Once i have time for it i will defenitely try it up (version with your art implemented). Keep up good work.
My tips on troops - build vector parts, and use them as lego for different races (you can use similar parts for Eldar and Dark Eldar, While Dark Eldar could be mix of troop parts from Eldar and Chaos).
I really like those alien UIs (the thing i do in Alien Immersion/Beyond) and this makes great deal of diversification and immersion of playing Alien race - is to navigate through alien signs pannels.
Kudos for both of you, keep it up guys.

[Japhet]

@Blackstork
Thanks, that's nice to hear. It was actually your work that inspired me, as you can see by the characters/diplomacy buttons (and to be honest, your Dhayut face was a very usefull blueprint for my Vespid head). It's also funny that you mention the mixing of Eldar and Chaos for the Dark Eldar, because that's what I did for the Dark Eldar head.

Also, thanks that you allow the usage of your stuff. I like it so much more than mine, what program do you use for your work?

@mensrea

Any word from anyone else on the Necrons? I may have went to far with the nerfing..I was hoping the addition of the particle whips might swing the balance in their favor despite being slow builders.

It's less the vulnerability in early game that irked me or that other races have a headstart (I think that's actually fitting for the crons), it was more the fact that you simply don't have anything to do other than waiting for your first ship or base to be build. You cannot research properly, because no research stations. You cannot explore, because well, no ships. It's like that phase in a pre-warp vanilla DW game were you have to wait for your first hyperdrive, only longer and even more restricted....That sounded way more irritated than it was meant to be, sorry. Seems the Necrons remain a problem child for now.

On the other hand so many blank slates mean we can pretty much use tropes or races from other sources.

Definetly true, but honestly, it's less fun two work on something you don't really care about much (and other people too, because let's face it: the majority of players will choose one of the "true" 40k races, that's why they want to play a 40k mod [:(] ). I will try my luck on the kinebrach, though. They're monkeys, if everything fails, then they will get banana icons as ui [;)]

[Blackstork]

I work in CorelDraw (different versions, since i use different computers at home and and work for very minor fixing sometimes) and Paint.NET and use them for different tasks.
I have also Corel Painter but i do not need to use it normally, because it normally used for really complex bitmap art drawing, while i work mainly in vector. (I have also Illustrator on my job but i really prefer Corel)
I really advise you to try to work with vector as well, combination of raster and vector graphics is best. You are normally too limited if you work only with one type.

Also i have tips for you, also comes from my Beyond mod, which been quite nice thing - you can specialize and customize races using characters. This requires very complex modding but the result can bring interesting things - you can specialize races in such things as :Armor troops, Diplomacy, Counterespionage, Hysperspatial Navigation, Shield Recharge, Troop Recruitment speed etc. Means there alot more of race definition than just race.txt, policies and designs. If you emphasize certain custom pattern on race it can move it from bland into very special and flavorful race with special features, pros and abilities.

And, ps : I am glad that my work inspiring people, thats nice thing to hear. Keep it up !.

[mensrea]

Blackstork - Yes, I just wanted to borrow stuff that you have already released and I will most certainly see to it that you are given credit. I also sent you a PM about character modding, as I am not sure how you were able to release so many characters like that and I could use some tips in general. I have added maybe a couple dozen so far and noted that there are some things we can do with them that are just not possible through other avenues which I really like. Colony ship construction speed was one of the ones I liked the most.

Am I the only one who uses Jasc paint shop pro?

Japhet - I see what you mean about the Necrons and I actually think character modding could fix it. A Necron governor with substantial bonuses to build speed would limit their fast construction to one planet, which seems to be what we all want for them. I will give that a go and see how it works out. Also, about the not caring about the minors, I knew from the moment I made them that they would pretty much have a walk on part in the war. That may be the reason I am surprised to hear that people play races like the Diasporex, Auretians and such. The fact that people do play them anyway just makes me want to make them more interesting though, or at the least balanced against the majors in some way.

My Kinebranch model is this race http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT-43#The_Karmans . AT-43 is another table top game. The funny thing is I have maybe played table top games 2-3 times in my entire life. I'm just into WH40k for the lore.

[swizzlewizzle]

Mensrea I think the previous construction speed for necrons was fine (albeit they need to have a higher ship maintenance cost to balance their improved tech etc..).. I recommended just modifying the construction speed for colony ships (think I saw an option in there to modify ONLY that construction speed). Ultra-slow building of *everything* from planets is not good.

[mensrea]

The colony build speed is misleading. It not only refers to colony ship construction but anything the colony itself builds in general, which includes orbitals and such. I think I can possibly give negative colony ship build speeds to a governor, but that won't stop people from just dismissing him, just the AI.

[Blackstork]

You can tie to race characters that all will have traits that create negative bonus
then player , even if he dismissing, will get the same negative bonus
You can also make all characters with certain negative bonus, so all the pool will have them
just force patterns on all race's characters

also such things could be done and if you know excel 30 mins and you have simplistic hcaracter builder that wont force you into using complex structures and structured names as our soft will do
list skills/traits, use number of 2 digits, take selection list from the lists of skills and traits , use function LEFT.
Automate at any way you want - and combine results with function CONCATENATE at some end row , then just copy that row results - and you have character file text ready

[Japhet]

My Kinebranch model is this race http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT-43#The_Karmans . AT-43 is another table top game. The funny thing is I have maybe played table top games 2-3 times in my entire life. I'm just into WH40k for the lore.

Same here. I've had some minis and rule books, but never played the game. I wasn't really good at painting and the people at the local gameshop were...quite weird and elitist. Even for 40k nerds. AT-43 looks interessting, I never heard of it before.

Anyway, I finished the Kinebrach. They are labeled as "Kinebranch" by the way, is that intentional? The funny thing is, they're now looking the exact opposite of what they are described as in the lore: here, they are huge gorillas with white fur and blue-white bulking armours. In the lore, they are smaller than humans, have red fur, black skin and wear skin thight red-bronze armour. Oh, and they have weird slot like noses and mouths.

[mensrea]

I agree about the gameshop thing. I walked into one about a year ago thinking it would be a bunch of people just sitting around drinking and bullshitting, maybe half assedly playing some board games or something. I walked out a little stunned and surprised; table top gaming is serious business!

I never found any lore on the Kinebranch aside from some tidbits about their history and behavior (and a minor proclivity towards chaos). Can you link me that?