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Home » Stars! Clones, Extensions, Modding » VML lounge » VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes
icon4.gif  VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Mon, 27 January 2003 14:50 Go to next message
Verker is currently offline Verker

 
Master Chief Petty Officer
VML mod guy

Messages: 99
Registered: January 2003
Location: Vienna, AUT
Hi everybody,

I'm happy to report that interest for the VML-mod seems to be quite decent, since I'm getting more and more msgs containing suggestions, bug reports and player requests for the upcoming "transwarp III" game. Thanks everybody!

You have motivated me to better the download page: I have *very* little sparetime, still I'll try to update the page until Sunday evening approximately. The update will/may include some screenshots, a game section for "transwarp III" and maybe an updated version (1.0a) of VML-mod.

Changes in v1.0a will include:

a) bugfixes

- superlatanium and heavy strobnium will have their armor value reduced by 125 pts to 1375 dp, to prevent a math overflow in dp on ultra stations and deathstars

- changes to the DN hull: inevitable, since putting heavies all over weapon and armor slots will cause a math overflow in weight (I had only tested that with Nubians and 1600kt seemed to work). I'm planning a new ditribution of slots, which will allow a maximum of (not all together) 22 shields / 10 armor / 30 weapons. This may be less than the original DN, but still seems ok compared to the MkII BB, which has a maximum of 14 shields / 8 armor / 22 weapons. I hope WM players can live with that. I *may* think about balancing the cost of the DN hull, but it's rather unlikely that this will be a big change. The alternative (lowering weight of all heavy items) seems no option ATM, as this will ease putting them on ships too much.

b) balance changes

- players seem to like the combo slots, but common concensus seems to be that there are too many of them. I plan to reduce every combo slot by 1, resulting in the galleon having 2*1, the pocket nubian 4*1, the nubian 4*2

- I consider changes to the HE metamorph hull: slot distribution 6-3-3-2-2-1 gp slots, less engines required and a 10% cost decrease in order to keep it attractive vs the galleon with its combo slots

- galleon moving from con13 to con14 (see above)

- cost for std TF will decrease to 80, in case of TT to 60 points, in order to shorten CAs advantages a little more

Comments and suggestions including discussion welcome. Please keep sending bug reports / balancing problems.

Btw: players keep sending me new graphics to include. Sorry folks, I just used a exe which already included the graphics, I didn't do that. If anybody knows how to change the graphics, especially for tech components, please gimme a hint.

Join the fun - keep Stars! alive.


Verker ||¬]

verker@home.antispam.pages.at remove the obvious for mailing me
download the latest version of my "missing link"-mod zip package
for use with Stars! 2.7j rc3 (english) from my provisional website
http://members.chello.at/verker/VML-download.html

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Tue, 28 January 2003 09:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
overworked is currently offline overworked

 
Lt. Junior Grade

Messages: 403
Registered: November 2002
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Verker wrote on Mon, 27 January 2003 14:50

Hi everybody,

Comments and suggestions including discussion welcome. Please keep sending bug reports / balancing problems.



I haven't done any serious testing with the mod at all, but I did notice one thing that I wonder whether or not it was taken into consideration.

The Range 0 weapons were converted into "Chaff Shredders". Are you also aware that said weapons are essentially "SFX and bomber Shredders" as well?

- Kurt



Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana.
- Groucho Marx

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Tue, 28 January 2003 16:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Verker is currently offline Verker

 
Master Chief Petty Officer
VML mod guy

Messages: 99
Registered: January 2003
Location: Vienna, AUT
overworked wrote on Tue, 28 January 2003 09:02



The Range 0 weapons were converted into "Chaff Shredders". Are you also aware that said weapons are essentially "SFX and bomber Shredders" as well?

- Kurt


No, I did not consider that so far. My focus was to strengthen starbases vs cap missile fleet attacks using a lot of chaff. I always thought that utility vessels using chicken tactics would get away, but it seems the 8+1 (for the base) range hits these on round 1 too, since the shredders hit every target in range (untested).

Maybe it would be wise to reconsider the range - OTOH Stars! v1.1 had range 9, 10 and 11(!) beams. Besides, an attacker could dispatch his utilities just before reaching the planet, couldn't he? Ofc that might be a problem for bombers, but I'm yet to test how much power from the shredders is left at high range. Is it enough to kill bombers of corresponding tech levels (if anyone tested that, please post) ?

Thanks for your help,


Verker ||¬]

verker@home.antispam.pages.at remove the obvious for mailing me
download the latest version of my "missing link"-mod zip package
for use with Stars! 2.7j rc3 (english) from my provisional website
http://members.chello.at/verker/VML-download.html

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Tue, 28 January 2003 17:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Hetzer

 
Chief Warrant Officer 1
Titans of Steel mentor

RIP Hetzer, Nov. 28, 2006

Messages: 139
Registered: November 2002
Location: Hollywood

Yes, but your mod doesn't allow cap missle ship attacks any more.


If you can't trust me, who can't you trust?

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icon10.gif  Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Wed, 29 January 2003 02:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Verker is currently offline Verker

 
Master Chief Petty Officer
VML mod guy

Messages: 99
Registered: January 2003
Location: Vienna, AUT
Hetzer wrote on Tue, 28 January 2003 17:35

Yes, but your mod doesn't allow cap missle ship attacks any more.


Not true! Please read the helpfile.

You just need an unlimited shipyard (ultra station, deathstar) to mount cap missiles on ships. True, they are hard to move due to their weight / fuel consumption (use an engine with free warpspeed, hint hint), nearly impossible to gate, but that works both in defense and attack - just run a testbed!

Btw, I've updated my page to make it look a bit better, still provisional, but in order to let you see what's to come. Check it out.


Verker ||¬]

verker@home.antispam.pages.at remove the obvious for mailing me
download the latest version of my "missing link"-mod zip package
for use with Stars! 2.7j rc3 (english) from my provisional website http://members.chello.at/verker/VML-download.html

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Thu, 30 January 2003 16:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gible

 
Commander

Messages: 1343
Registered: November 2002
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Is there a particular reason you're using v2.7 rather than 2.6?

Not that I mind the effort to aquire wavemix.dll (or have yet) but I have heard of problems with some OS's even with wavemix.

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icon14.gif  Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Thu, 30 January 2003 17:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jeffimix is currently offline jeffimix

 
Officer Cadet 1st Year

Messages: 218
Registered: November 2002
Location: EGR, MI, USA

The sound files for Stars! are indeed very bad, that is why 2.6 remains around. The best thing to do is not to play other sounds while playing Stars!, if you must use 2.7 . 2.6 and 2.7 I guess would make him do duble work, admittedly the files would probably be interchangeable? They are between them now. The things this modification are doing impresses me. I thought stared could only modify math values, I guess it still can only do that, but Verker is getting new stuff in, it makes me reconsider modding as for once I could use my own 3D art. (although it'd be rather flat)


Email me as ----jeffimix@----yahoo.com----
(remove dashes)
The spamatron! run!!!

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Fri, 31 January 2003 03:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Verker is currently offline Verker

 
Master Chief Petty Officer
VML mod guy

Messages: 99
Registered: January 2003
Location: Vienna, AUT
gible wrote on Thu, 30 January 2003 22:56

Is there a particular reason you're using v2.7 rather than 2.6?


No, there's no particular reason. I just have been using the retail version 2.7 over the last few years - without any problem from the wavemix.dll file BTW.

Jeffimix is correct that doing the same with v2.6 should be possible, but I would have to start from scratch. Concerning the data, StarEd certainly makes things easy (just exporting and importing a .stm file) - but the graphical changes require more effort. BTW, Jeffimix is also correct, that StarEd cannot change graphics. One has to do that on his own Wink

About graphics in general: I'd be perfectly willing to incluce others graphics in v1.1 of the VML-mod. Just put them on a page where I can take a look (*don't*, please don't blow my mailbox sending me any of them). However, concerning VML I reserve the right to decide what I like, and what I do not like. The race for the splashscreen is already decided BTW Wink

Still, there's arguments for changing from 2.7 to 2.6, since there's a 2.6j rc4.

IIRC, its only difference to rc3 is dealing with the SS popsteal. Personally, I like to have the "bodysnatcher" and "hunt for the bad boy" ideas in a game. OTOH, it seems common consensus, that popsteal is a severe, unbalancing bug.

AFAIK, players using 2.6 can play in games hosted in 2.7 and vice versa. However, if I would switch to 2.6j rc4, that would result in players that only have the retail version would have to download the shareware rc4 one. In that case, I should put it on my website (if that is ok with the Jeffs and Ron from AH).

I'll decide about that depending on the feedback I get, given that 2.6 really allows me to do all the things I managed to do (and looking fwd to do) in 2.7. Maybe I'll even do a poll, we will see.




Verker ||¬]

verker@iname.donotspamhere.com remove the obvious for mailing me

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Fri, 31 January 2003 10:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ron is currently offline Ron

 
Commander
Forum Administrator
Stars! AutoHost Administrator

Messages: 1231
Registered: October 2002
Location: Collegedale, TN
Verker wrote on Fri, 31 January 2003 03:31

Still, there's arguments for changing from 2.7 to 2.6, since there's a 2.6j rc4.

IIRC, its only difference to rc3 is dealing with the SS popsteal. Personally, I like to have the "bodysnatcher" and "hunt for the bad boy" ideas in a game. OTOH, it seems common consensus, that popsteal is a severe, unbalancing bug.



JRC4 also fixes the E/W and N/S minefield warp 10 travel bug, I believe, and a few other bugs.



Ron Miller
Stars! AutoHost

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Fri, 31 January 2003 11:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Verker is currently offline Verker

 
Master Chief Petty Officer
VML mod guy

Messages: 99
Registered: January 2003
Location: Vienna, AUT
Thanks Ron, for letting us have a place of our own. Hm, maybe we were just getting on somebodies nerves Wink

Verker ||¬]

verker@home.antispam.pages.at remove the obvious for mailing me
download the latest version of my "missing link"-mod zip package
for use with Stars! 2.7j rc3 (english) from my provisional website http://members.chello.at/verker/VML-download.html

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Re: VML-modfile: updated bug report and upcoming changes Fri, 31 January 2003 13:35 Go to previous message
BlueTurbit

 
Lt. Commander

RIP
BlueTurbit died Oct. 20, 2011

Messages: 835
Registered: October 2002
Location: Heart of Texas
Quote:


JRC4 also fixes the E/W and N/S minefield warp 10 travel bug, I believe, and a few other bugs.


popsteal... minefield travel... also the JRC4 fix for the extremely dangerous freepop hack? Is there a more dangerous technique than getting hundreds of thousands or millions of free pop/resources every year? Smile



BlueTurbit Country/Rock

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