[Proof of concept mod] Device slot overwrite

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Prophet
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I have multiplied all the vanilla playership device slots by 10 and overwritten every weapon, shield and device to change the slot requirements.

The mod is currently working and available on xelerus

I started playing around with changing device slot requirements and decided to poll the community.

Currently:
-Reactors do not use device slots at all. You can never have more than one so the slot requirements are a non issue as any upgrade replaces the prior reactor.
-Drives cost 20 slots ( double original) I figure they are quite large, and overlap the base drive rather than replace it.
-Enhancer devices use 15 slots ( x1.5 original) This is to balance the reactors that no longer use slots. I may change this as it will negatively affect the Wolfen disproportionately.
-Quantum CPU uses no slots
-Shields are currently unchanged
-minor changes to a few weapons
-'light' variants use slightly less slots ( -2)
-'heavy' variants use slightly more slots ( +2)
-any weapon that already used 2 slots now uses 20

Things to remember:
The playership restrictions have been multiplied as well (wolfen maxNonWeapons=40 and freighter maxWeapons=20)
with that in mind, if a weapon has a slot use of 6, the freighter could then mount up to 3 weapons. This could be a way to make the mining weapons useable again. The other two weapons would undoubtedly have to be underpowered for their level.


I am currently trying to formulate some rough guidelines for the new item slot use and would like to hear some ideas.

Examples:
base laser slot use = 8
base kinetic slot use = 12
base launcher slot use = 5
dual config = +1
omni config = +1
Coming soon: The Syrtian War adventure mod!
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Can you defend the Earth from the Syrtian invaders?
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Atarlost
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You've so thoroughly nerfed the freighter it's no longer interesting at all

The Wolfen at 40 nonweapon slots can use two enhancers, a shield, a QCPU, and a reactor. In vanilla it can use two enhancers a shield, and a reactor.

The Freighter with 60 nonweapon slots (assuming you fully use the weapon slots) can use a drive, two enhancers, QCPU, a shield, and a reactor. In vanilla it can use a drive, two enhancers, a shield, a reactor, and one other device, nearly any of which suck less than the QCPU. The freighter is also most hurt by the restriction on "heavy" weapons.

The sapphire, like the Wolfen typically breaks even, trading two enhancers for a reactor, but only if you don't use a drive. and picking up an absolutely useless QCPU for free. If you want a Titan 440 or megadrive as George assumed in moving towards 8 slots for the sappire you're arguably hurt worse than the freighter because it takes you below the threshold to mount any enhancer at all with three weapons totaling 30 slots.


I'd put the baseline bulk at 8 or 9, not 10. Leave reactors as having bulk and give some "premium" stuff like the lancer, starcannon, advanced tritium cannon, and IFC 10 slots. Put only the really overpowered stuff like dual weapons (except the dual recoilless unless you drop it a level) and the Ares lightning turret at 12 or even 14. Dual slot stuff goes to 16 or 18. Then put the "trash" at 2-4 slots. The QCPU free might as well be preinstalled equipment. At 2 slots it's worth using since there'll probably be spare space. The holds are trash as well, not worth a full slot, same for the mining laser. Lastly some of the shields are worth a premium.
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digdug
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yay Prophet !
I really like this idea, I'll try it out right away! :D
I have a suggestion, make the mining laser 6-5 slots, so you still have some space for other 2 weapons.

Many other weapons can be fine-tuned. Howitzers can be 15 slots. Light recoilless cannon 4 slots, etc...
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Periculi
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Prophet - it's an interesting challenge to redo the weapon slots and balances, isn't it?

I wonder if you would benefit from a different approach - it takes more coding, but can result in better end results:

I had set up a model for switching to an entirely non-slot system - where instead of using the built in slots approach, all the game items and equipment installation and requirements could be handled through dockscreen control.

In essence, a ship would install a technology platform - this platform would then have it's own internal methods of managing what could be installed into it. ( A lot of what had to happen was done with sleight-of-hand methods that installed a `real` device object onto the ship from a collection of non-playable objects so that the displays would work, etc)

Anyhow, something to consider if you really want to dive into redesigning the way that the ship equipment is being handled rather than try to alter the existing system - using a sort of abstracted layer where the player sees 'marker' objects that combine (install) into the actual ( invisible ) weapon and device objects. It works fairly well, from the little but that I experimented with the idea, and that was prior to overlays and item data being added, so you can probably go a lot further with the concept in the new version of transcendence.
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Prophet
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Periculi, that's a very interesting idea!
Are you talking about making predefined hardpoints with hardcoded fire angles that will accept a variety of weapons?
I would definitely be willing to give it a shot, can you give me some more details?
Coming soon: The Syrtian War adventure mod!
A Turret defense genre mod exploring the worst era in Earth's history.
Can you defend the Earth from the Syrtian invaders?
Stay tuned for updates!
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