Matrix Games Forums

Hi everyone,

The new v1.7.0.12 Public Beta is now available and I want to call your attention to these new features:

• Pre-loaded Optimized Designs
o Added new feature that allows usage of pre-made custom ship and base designs loaded per race from folders at game startup:
o New designs subfolder under main game folder can contain subfolders for each race containing saved design files, e.g. "C:\Matrix Games\Distant Worlds\designs\human\"
o These design folders are also used by any themes/mods (i.e. you can create a designs subfolder cointaining race subfolders in a theme)
o These designs are loaded for each race at game startup and are used as optimized designs for each empire
o These optimized designs are used whenever an empire has all the required tech and is within current construction size limits. These optimized designs are always preferred over all other designs, unless made obsolete
o If multiple optimized designs for a single subrole can be built (e.g. multiple optimized destroyer designs), then the most advanced design will be preferred
o Optimized designs also guide AI research decisions: preference will be given to research projects with components required by the optimized designs
o Because of the above, you should make custom designs that use the race-specific tech and tech focuses (from Empire Policy) for the race, otherwise there will be many required research paths, and research will be diluted, e.g. Boskara designs should utilize Shaktur Firestorm torpedoes (race-specific tech), and Phasers (Empire Policy tech focus)

• Creating New Custom Design Files
o Create custom designs in the Design screen and then save them to a file
o Ideal setup to create new designs is to start a new game at max tech level (Level 7) so that all components are available, then create custom designs at various tech levels (different components that become available at different times in the game)
o Note that saved designs preserve the ship/base picture and any race-specific tech, so design files probably should not be shared between races - i.e. you should create different custom designs per race

Added in 1.07.13 Beta:

DESIGNS

- improved design selection for pirate ships so that not prematurely using advanced optimized designs
- AI will now create new designs to replace optimized designs if tech is significantly better than best buildable optimized design
- AI now properly obsoletes/removes old optimized designs when better designs available
- starting designs for new empires now more accurately reflect starting tech level (when using advanced tech start)
- optimized designs now properly have their Date Created reset to current date and Build Amount reset to zero when loaded
- added extra filters to designs screen: Show Latest Buildable Designs, Show Buildable Non-Obsolete Design

The combined play time all of you have put into Distant Worlds since its release is incredible and we've seen some save games with very well optimized ship designs and very successful empires. We would welcome your submissions for customized designs that the AI could learn to use to improve its play. If you have some excellent designs that you consider optimal for a particular species or combination of technologies, please read the notes above and zip up and post those files here. We'll choose the best ones to add to the official release!

Regards,

- Erik

Just did a quick test and it appears to be working!

So for mods, create a folder in your customizaion folder called 'designs'.

Create race folders inside your designs folder for each race.

Then save the designs inside this folder, and they load each time a new game is started.

Customization folder should look like this :- Matrix Games\Distant Worlds\Customization\'Themename'\designs\'Racename'\'yourdesigntechlevel1'.dwd

Really nice work Elliot and team!

I think I might have to go through all these for the Picard Era and at least rename the designs to match canon. I'll work on changing the components of the designs later. Oh the fun!!! [:D]

ORIGINAL: Igard

I think I might have to go through all these for the Picard Era and at least rename the designs to match canon. I'll work on changing the components of the designs later. Oh the fun!!! [:D]

Darn.....see what we've started Elliot! [:D]

Now we'll have Romulan and Klingon ships with Disruptors, Federation ships with Phasers,
Ferengi ships with Phaser Cannons, Breen with Shockwave Torpedoes.....on and on and on...

Oh my Galactic goodness!

This is excellent! My custom Skaven race will be able to have good starting designs now, which is a big deal since they have -20% military ship size. They also have access to the StarBurner drive, which seemed appropriate.

I wonder if this means the pre-built mining stations will use the designs as well. That would be nice to have them armed by default.

Question: Why is it that starting on the basic tech gives you access to racial tech from tier 2, but starting with tier 1 tech doesn't? With smaller military hulls this made going with tech 1 worse for ship designs. Is that intentional?

Maybe someone uploads his designs and free me from hard work? [:D][:D][:D]

ORIGINAL: WiZz

Maybe someone uploads his designs and free me from hard work? [:D][:D][:D]

I was hoping the same thing [:)], that someone much more experienced than I would upload a generic (non-mod) set for me to use on my AI opponents. Would be great, but it IS a lot of work I know.

I have enough skills to create a deadly ship, but I'm too lazy to do it. That's why I'm using standard designs in DW.

Excellent idea.

Nice addition but this is pretty complex and a lot of work.

But the more fan loving mods like the Trekkie mod will use it for more accuracy. If only the warbird etc. use the stealth module it will give the game a little bit of fun...

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76
Nice addition but this is pretty complex and a lot of work.

Just start with one ship. Pick a faction you enjoy playing, design a ship, save it (you can now save individual designs) and post it here. [8D]

Regards,

- Erik

Spot on there, Nedrear. If only![;)]

I will attempt to get some designs for the humans going - just so we can avoid too much duplicate effort. I think the best approach would be to provide some basic designs for different "tech stages" that can then be used by the player to further refine his designs. Not sure if the AI would be able to do that, too?

Hang on, is this going to change the game hugely?

Are all factions going to have brilliant ships now (that players are able to upload them for official release)? I kind of like the fact that the ships change depending on what the intelligence and other personality traits are of the AI races. I don't want every race to have optimized designs by pro players [&:]

If there was some way to limit (or increase) what players could put into ship designs race by race, forcing less intelligent races to have worse ships, but allowing players to design them to their optimum, that would be cool. Same with perhaps allowing more weapons on aggressive races ships etc

But correct me if I;m wrong there are no such limitations right? So the best ship, is the best ship fullstop, races lose the differences.

Valid concerns, WoodMan.

I would hope that we have the sense to design these ships with an element of role-play in mind.

Maybe we should discuss our ideas a bit more before we jump in.

For example, Humans are 'all-rounders' yes? Try to give them a balanced design scheme.

Kiadians are smart but weak. Try to give them above average shielding, but low armour, less torpedoes (kinetic weapons are so uncivilized).

Perhaps we should give reasons for our design choices, or ask for feedback before we begin?

That Vor'cha cruiser model is nice indeed! Now finish the picard mod before you go and revamp everything with custom ships! LOL!!!![:-]

Valid point. My GW II mod - Not the WW II parody maybe the RP mod - will get a release using pre-designed RP ships. Maybe a later version 1.X. I will not work with the patches until they are official anyway.

I really would like to see some kind of hardpoint system in the future, it would make creating ship designs much more fun for each race. For example, we keep the current size limit, but also add hardpoints, a peice of equipment takes up 1 hardpoint.

The hardpoints could be categorized:
Firstly, total hardpoints
then:

maximum weapons
maximum shields
maximum reactor
maximum armour

etc...

Then based on intelligence increase or decrease the max number of hardpoints, to make overall different quality ships. For example, if low intellgence, reduce total hardpoints by (pulling a number out of the air) 4. Then, you have to think, should I take off the shield or the reactor to make room for the laser etc.

Then based on personality, add or take away categorized hardpoints. So Quameno being intelligent would gain overall number of hardpoints, but lose weapons hardpoints due to the passiveness, and I guess gain shield hardpoints due to their cautiousness.

This would keep a difference between races (I think the next expansion should make this its mnain focus btw, difference between races) but make ship design great fun and I'm sure provide much fun for modders and some interesting strategic discussions for various races on the forums [:)]

ORIGINAL: Nedrear

But the more fan loving mods like the Trekkie mod will use it for more accuracy. If only the warbird etc. use the stealth module it will give the game a little bit of fun...

Precisely. I'm forcing myself to finish the race files for my custom Star Wars mod so I can start a game and dig in making accurate designs for the Old Republic, Separatists, etc. I can't wait to encounter reasonably-accurate Munificents and Lucrehulks.

Woodman: I find the prospect of power play ship designs for each race attractive. My preference is for a challenging game first and foremost, roleplay second.

I respect your wish for a roleplay mode where you can nerf the ship design of races who are supposed to be less intelligent in the back story. A solution would be an easy way to select between shipsets in game setup. Similar to the mod selector we have at present?

My preference for the default base shipset is that it be a power play approach where the ship sets are optimised for the race specific techs.

The ships design will not be uniform due to the race specific techs, unless of course another race acquires the race specific tech through trading.

Perhaps a randomiser for which ship sets get used by each race? There are likely to be multiple optimised ship sets rather than a perfect design for each collection of techs?

In summary:
1) I prefer the ships to be the best possible for all races. No nerfs for roleplay reasons please.
2) Game setup feature for which ship set to use (either for each race or a single collection of sets for that game. Include a random feature for available ship sets)

ORIGINAL: WoodMan

Hang on, is this going to change the game hugely?

Are all factions going to have brilliant ships now (that players are able to upload them for official release)? I kind of like the fact that the ships change depending on what the intelligence and other personality traits are of the AI races. I don't want every race to have optimized designs by pro players [&:]

If there was some way to limit (or increase) what players could put into ship designs race by race, forcing less intelligent races to have worse ships, but allowing players to design them to their optimum, that would be cool. Same with perhaps allowing more weapons on aggressive races ships etc

But correct me if I;m wrong there are no such limitations right? So the best ship, is the best ship fullstop, races lose the differences.