Shrike's Mines & Missiles ++

[Atarlost]

What about using armor:8 or so on it? That would leave it weaker against shields but do serious damage to armor.

[Song]

What about using armor:8 or so on it? That would leave it weaker against shields but do serious damage to armor.

It's an option, certainly. Because shields have a rather bad damage resistance curve compared to armor that would balance out at "decent against both".....but having 48 fragments at once + the remaining fragmentation bugs....may make it a bit overpowered even then if it gets a direct hit.

[Song]

Finished up the Lamplighter and Lamplighter Prototype. Here's the lamplighter:



Doesn't look too good in screenies, but ingame it's looking nice. I've toned down the damage from what I buffed it to....but this is still a very dangerous weapon if you can land hits. When starbursts are fixed I'll need to nerf it.

The lamplighter is particularly effective against Phobos dreadnoughts and Chasms. It's not so good against the Deimos because it can shoot down the shots with its howitzer.

Edit: Updated the XML on the release thread to the 1.1 version. A few improvements over the initial release...should be fun for the handful of peeps using this mod.

[JohnBWatson]

New LL looking good.

[Song]

It's been almost a month since I last posted about the mod, and a few things have been going on. First off, and I have to say this since it's a wall of text and begins with the phrase "It's been X since I posted about this, and things have been happening"......SM&M++ is not dead. But life's been in the way of anything that's really cool to show off. But here's an update on things, since there are some big shifts (potentially) coming.

I updated the mod early this month (after the last post in this thread) to introduce new stuff (eg. Kiloton cannon) and fix some bugs. I also cleaned up some un-used files. As usual, feedback is welcomed.....I get virtually no feedback, and never know how many people use SM&M++. I'm hopeful that when Workshop support arrives with the steam version that this will change, but for the time being I lack feedback and bug reports that would really help. So if you're using the mod, or feel like trying it out, send in issues or feedback. Stuff you like, don't like, and things like "this has the wrong weapon icon".

Anyway. Here's what's happening with development of Shrike's Mines and Missiles ++


First off, I'm working to update the mod for the current API (27, IIRC) This isn't a small job, since SM&M++ is actually built on API14, and was originally made in a much older API. In fact, it actually pre-dates API labels in mods (although virtually everything from back then has been thrown out over the years). I'm also trying to future-proof it a bit. As part of this, I'm splitting the mod into modules and libraries...and this is new territory for me. Once that split is done, I'm thinking about working on sounds some more, and building up the fledgeling sound library I've been building as part of this upgrade.



Secondly, I've been looking into taking some or all of the mod and converting it to registered content. Since I'm a registered dev, and I do have 5 years worth of effort (theoretically) invested in this thing already. What will this be? Excellent question. I've offered the mods parts for other developers (and for incorporation into stock)*, but first I'm seeing what might be feasible as a standalone. Obviously the architecture of the mod (as an over-writing mod) works against me.....but it may be possible to split the mod. Early days, but I'm working on it. George likes some of my effects, and given that some (well...a lot) of SM&M++ is tweaking stock weapons with better effects, who knows? Might be possible to have some upgraded/altered versions of SM&M++ effects make it into the main game.

I'm certainly looking into releasing the SM&M++ Sound Library (Or reverting to the old SASS name for it) as a registered library, as that makes it really useful and easy for other developers (registered and unregistered) to take advantage of. Of course, I'm also still making quiet noises about stock sounds getting upgraded eventually....but in the meantime, this will do.

This won't prevent updates to the unregistered mod version that I put up on the forums (on the contrary, the upgrades should make it a heck of a lot better and easier to work on), but they might slow them down for a bit. There's also some RL issues that have messed things up a bit*, but I think those are starting to wind down now. Hopefully some more fancy screenshots will pop up in time when I get bored of restructuring and go back to making flashy weapons for a while.



*Fun fact: I made the offer of SM&M++ as regdev content while in the middle of an anxiety attack and a bout of depression. This is generally a Bad Idea, for the record, but it seems to have worked out in this case now that things are a tad better.

[Jay2Jay]

I know how you feel brah...

Anyway, next playthrough I was going to install some mods, and SM&M has always been a favorite, so since there's nothing that adds weapons or devices or changes effects or anything I'll do some bug reports then.

Shrike you've always been one of the best, the community loves your mods so please don't stop making them!

[Song]

Having complained a bit of late about the corsair-II being a bit overpowered with the revised NAMI missiles, and the Corsair 1 being a joke......I figured I'd do some testing.

So I've revised some setups and started to test. No idea how it's gonna go, but here's the experimental changes:


-Buffed corsair armor (ultra-light titanium ---> light ceramic armor), altered Corsair-II armor to match
-Nerfed corsair-II shield (Class A ---> Laser deflector)
-Buffed corsair gun (laser cannon ---> Bollide blaster) and rate of fire adjustment (not by much though)
-Added chance for corsair IIs to have either KM100s or 110's.

This works out as a net buff to the Charon pirates, and while I think that's good (for the basic Corsair), the freighters would be a bit crunchy without some changes as well.

-Buffed EI200 gun (bollide blaster ---> turbolaser cannon)
-Buffed EI7000 gun (turbolaser cannon ---> Bushido laser turret)
-Halved ROF adjustment on all Antares series freighters



In addition to this, I've altered the Himal Interceptor as a test of making better interception ships. I'll report on that when I've tested it. G.O.D. has broken for me, so testing this is very slow.

[Song]

I'm still testing the Charon tweaks (I need to start a new game), but I've just tried out the revised Himal interceptors. They work exceptionally well as interceptors. Possibly too well: I need to revise their firerate adjustment.

The problem with Himal is that they're used in a way that doesn't match their traits. The ship is very delicate, very fast, and very hard to hit when flying straight towards a target. Unfortunately, they have the 'Flyby' AI. While not as bad as the standard AI, this isn't ideal: the moment you can line up shots in front of a himal interceptor you're probably going to kill it. It's long enough that it will just fly into it. Close range combat, as with most 'interceptors' in Transcendence, is actually a really bad idea.

So as an experiment to see if I could make it a better interceptor without improving the armor, I gave it an omni-mounted smartcannon. The omni is only so that the AI will fire it. As well as the Bollide (which is a backup gun that the AI won't use unless you fly in front of it). I also altered the settings so that it used the Stand-off AI. This results in these fast little ships keeping their distance (but not excessively so), and pelting you with with tracking munitions from a relatively safe distance. Careful flying will beat the AI and let you close distance and kill them, but if you're stupid enough to let them stay far away, they'll probably kill you. So all in all, not bad. The downside, as mentioned above, is that I haven't tuned their AI settings yet. Right now that smartcannon is firing just a little too quickly. It needs to do enough damage to be a primary weapon, but not enough that it kills you before you can kill it. And a stock playership right now has serious issues against himal.

At the same time as doing this I'm also planning to nerf the hell out of the himal station. Because it's far, far too tough for early-game weapons to handle, given that the bollide blaster isn't a bad gun if you're forced to sit still in front of it for a minute trying to kill the station.

[AssumedPseudonym]

At the same time as doing this I'm also planning to nerf the hell out of the himal station. Because it's far, far too tough for early-game weapons to handle, given that the bollide blaster isn't a bad gun if you're forced to sit still in front of it for a minute trying to kill the station.

 I’m not entirely sure that’s necessary. Most (not all, but most) Himal stations tend to spawn where you have something you can use as cover — be it asteroids or a planet — and it’s generally not that hard to get yourself positioned where you can hit the station without giving it a clear line of fire. If you do wind up with one that spawned in the middle of nowhere, just sneak in for a few good shots on it and back out if your shields can’t handle it. …Or just ignore them altogether since they generally have kack for loot.

[Song]

At the same time as doing this I'm also planning to nerf the hell out of the himal station. Because it's far, far too tough for early-game weapons to handle, given that the bollide blaster isn't a bad gun if you're forced to sit still in front of it for a minute trying to kill the station.

 I’m not entirely sure that’s necessary. Most (not all, but most) Himal stations tend to spawn where you have something you can use as cover — be it asteroids or a planet — and it’s generally not that hard to get yourself positioned where you can hit the station without giving it a clear line of fire. If you do wind up with one that spawned in the middle of nowhere, just sneak in for a few good shots on it and back out if your shields can’t handle it. …Or just ignore them altogether since they generally have kack for loot.

True. But even then, it's a bit too bullet-spongey for its level. Especially since less experienced players don't retreat in time. Might combine a slight nerf to HP with a slight increase in loot.

[Song]

I've retuned the Himal for a reduced rate of fire, and altered their stations in line with what I had planned (HP: 55 --> 40, upped their loot).

Himal are nasty little things now, as are Corsairs. However neither is invincible by any means. To prove this, I've been testing combat against them in a stock Manticore. If that thing can shoot them down, anything can. Ideally I'd want to reduce the damage on the Himal....but I just can't do that without breaking a lot of other stuff. But I think they're more or less where I want them at this point.

[Song]

Further game balance tweaks for the next version are in the works. I've nerfed the hell out of the Revelations missileship: George tried to buff the rather weedy damage output by replacing the laser cannon....with a flenser. Even with a reduced rate of fire, this was overkill. I've knocked it down to an AK15. On the other hand, I've improved their missile loadout: they'll always have at least 10 missiles to fire at you. I won't be able to test this for a while though, since I still don't have G.O.D. working again.


On the other hand, I'm starting a new game anyway: my manticore got OHK'd by a 'friendly' manticore.

[Song]

So it turns out that altering the heavy CLAW to fire 4 centauri-recoilless rounds per shot (with a multishot burst) made it so absurdly overpowered that the heavy raider was the best ship in the New Beyond by far, simply because anything in front of it would die very quickly.



I do like the gun, but I'm going to be toning it down a lot, obviously.

I've also been messing with the EI7000. Trialing the bushido laser turret on it showed that it worked nicely....but on an EI ship it makes little sense. So I'm still working on exactly how to set up the various freighters.

[Song]

New stuff:

-Made the sound on the RK15 match the AK15
-Nerfed the Revelations by making it have an AK15 rather than a Flenser (may change to RK15)
-Altered EI freighter gun setups. I'm pretty happy with them now:

EI100: Omnidirectional laser cannon
EI200: Omnidirectional laser cannon + Collimator (and higher ROF)
EI7000: Omnidirectional turbolaser cannon (this thing is insane)

Because these guns have a low ROF, and because the charon are now generally resistant to lasers, I really buffed the ROF now. An EI7000 can fire its turbolaser as fast as the player can. This makes vikings melt, but Corsairs and Frigates are both very deadly.

Taking an EI7000 mission when under-equipped is now very dangerous.....the freighter can hold its own just fine, although it will eventually die if a frigate keeps hammering it. You on the other hand......

EI100 and 200 mission on the other hand....well....you can leave them alone up to a point, but they have trouble killing Corsairs.

(Viking feel a bit fragile now though. Might see if there's a paste enhancement that'll help them)

[Atarlost]

I think you'd probably be better off changing the Charon. Previously the Charon tended to resist kinetic and the outlaws laser. Making both resist laser produces the same problem the ungoverned territories have with everything resisting particle, but worse because the solon also promotes using kinetics rather than lasers.