KA2: Empire at War 1.2 beta

posted on November 2nd, 2014, 4:40 pm

From the crash reports that have been sent in, it looks like the vast majority of crashes are caused by craft-AI controlled Shield Remodulation ordnance self targeting. Shield Remodulation, along with other ordnance, when used by the AI will crash in any Armada version.

posted on November 2nd, 2014, 6:48 pm

Ah ha! That'd be the GDDS then (hence why Sha'Kurians crash the game most. All their ships have GDDS).

Is there any way to disable an AI from using a specific special weapon whilst leaving it able to be used by the player?

posted on November 2nd, 2014, 7:11 pm

You would have to make the AI build its own type of ship (or make it unable to build the tech requirements), as well as stop the player's craft AI from being available (which would screw up other special weapons on that ship).

You could also use a different mechanic, such as is used for the Phase Shield special ability for the Dominion's C-17 Siege Cruiser.

posted on November 2nd, 2014, 7:19 pm

I converted the GDDS from a Corbomite Reflector type weapon to a self-targetting shield remodulation as per Klingon Academy, the defensive mode of the GDDS is used as a temporary reinforced shield, stopping (almost) all damage until the GDDS "shell" is depleted. A Corbomite Reflector weapon only reflects beams and torpedoes not pulses.

The phase shield thing is a replace weapon from what I can see. Hmm, doable but messy. Perhaps I am better converting it back to a corbomite reflector weapon

posted on November 3rd, 2014, 12:02 pm

I'm sorry for bothering you again. These things are minor insignificant details and they are not extremely important. Also i'm very sorry to make you read another comment on this topic that sounds like nitpicking, but i just want to inform you for anything...

First - Romulan research station pods are somewhat wrong...

Second - Klingon research station pods are somewhat wrong...

Third - Weapons hardpoints for Tholian resurs processing base are somewhat wrong...

Attachments

Romulan research station pods...

FOScreenShot_141103_141340.png (670.34 KiB) Viewed 889 times

Klingon research station pods...

FOScreenShot_141103_121339.png (461.43 KiB) Viewed 896 times

Weapons hardpoints for Tholian resurs processing base...

FOScreenShot_141103_121317.png (516.56 KiB) Viewed 896 times

posted on November 3rd, 2014, 1:37 pm

Also Federation and Gorn research stations pods are somewhat wrong...

Attachments

Federation research station pods...

FOScreenShot_141103_141541.png (427.28 KiB) Viewed 888 times

Gorn research station pods...

FOScreenShot_141103_141651.png (622.14 KiB) Viewed 888 times

posted on November 3rd, 2014, 4:13 pm

I've got a couple of "bugs", all minor things, no crashes as of yet for me:

- The Lyran Leopard class, built quite often by the AI, but never seems to fire...
- The ISC Commander Nortene's build button doesn't appear, and or some reason he likes to fight at point blank range (physics error?).
- For the Romulan technology stealing, "acquire" is spelled wrong in the text and the button image.
- The USS Cerberus's Admiral's Log image is too big; only half of it shows.
- The Planet Killer's a bit nippy isn't it? Maybe slow it down a tad? (opinion, not bug)

See, all tiny nitpicks from me. Again, astounded with your work SJ; this is pretty much everything I'd wanted for Cold Front, and more! Even where you've re-used the stock models, you've done it in a really good way, so they don't seem out of place. The voiceovers in particular are awesome; very much enjoyed playing as the Hydrans.

posted on November 3rd, 2014, 8:02 pm

Nice update Squire! Thanks!

posted on November 4th, 2014, 8:41 pm

RIghty hoop

Some legitimate bugs there. The issue with the admirals log image. The Tholian station (seems like a hp I forgot to change) and such. To address the non-bugs

Unfortunately, research pods are that way due to the lack of reliable hardpoint rotation in Ms3d. Ideally i'd remove the idea of research requiring pods altogether. It's very gamey. But alas. Hopefully they are small enough not to be a nuisance.

The Planet Killer, well, I have the original KA installed and I tested it the other day with the Planet Killer in skirmish (was trying to see how they'd mapped the textures in case I wanted to use that model). It's surprisingly quick and nimble, though probably purely for game purposes. I have considered altering it, but physics in Armada 2 are a pain and if I slow it too much its turning circle is impaired and it just arcs around the map slowly.

It is intended (and the Whale Probe doubly so) to be used by map makers far cleverer than I to code a patrol path where it orbits around the map, giving players time to respond (or in the case of the Whale Probe, sort of, freeze them for a bit). I would also like to somehow make them randomly appear like the Borg Cubes did on Star Trek vs Star Wars for Armada 1, but even to this day how they did that seems a bit of an enigma.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that said, I am glad you like it Atlantis. I did have the plans i'd read for Cold Front in my mind when I added the Starfleet Command inspired elements like the Space Monsters, the D refits for the ISC, Scout Cruisers (particularly the Federation Ranger GSC) and I was trying to blend KA and SFC (two quite disparate ideas of Star Trek) together.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: Checked some of those bugs. Easy fixes for the log image, but the Leopard and the ISC Hero ship work just fine. Nortene's ship won't appear as a build option until the research for the D-Refit Dreadnought is complete (same as the Enterprise-A doesn't show up until research for the Constitution Refit is done)

posted on November 4th, 2014, 10:56 pm

Don't worry, as i said before, these things are insignificant ( the research pods rotation )! And your mod is great!!!
Bay the way, did you have the chance to fix ( Sha'Kurians special weapons issue ) amd ( some maps crash the game ) problem?

posted on November 6th, 2014, 7:47 pm

The map crash and Sha'Kurian crash seem to be one and the same, since they are the race that most prominently uses the GDDS Defensive Mode. I may simply remove the defensive mode altogether, or put it back to being a corbomite reflector weapon (which although slightly flawed, works almost as well. The purpose of the GDDS in Defensive Mode was never to block light weapons fire like disruptors, but to try and offset the damage caused by secondary weapons like Photons, Plasmas and Impulse Projectiles.)

posted on November 6th, 2014, 8:08 pm

OK, Thanks for the answers.
So, i gathered that the other maps that crash on me, don't do that in your game?

posted on November 6th, 2014, 9:54 pm

I'll test them again but they load in the map editor fine.

posted on November 6th, 2014, 10:29 pm

Thanks.

posted on November 25th, 2014, 12:07 pm

So how is the work on the mod going? I know i'm very impatient but i em like this from very little...
I don't want to pressure you, take your time but if you have say any news about your mod...

P.S. Ignore the annoying buzzing around your head , that's me ...