Weapon Labs

[sdw195]

i just have to make sure, but most of the changes made are in the stations.xml file in modules/ is that up do date?

if you could try and recreate that error, because i had no issues with the xelerus version, thanks

[Mage]

i just have to make sure, but most of the changes made are in the stations.xml file in modules/ is that up do date?

stations.xml also has timestamp 2012-05-10 09:56, so seems pretty up-to-date

i

f you could try and recreate that error (..)

Will try again with a new vanilla 1.08b and Weapon Labs as the only MOD.

[Mage]

Will try again with a new vanilla 1.08b and Weapon Labs as the only MOD.

Another error:

Code: Select all

05/26/2012 13:29:15	Start logging session
05/26/2012 13:29:16	Transcendence 1.08b
05/26/2012 13:29:17	Loading extension: Extensions\weapon labs
05/26/2012 13:29:27	Loaded game file version: 1000802
05/26/2012 13:29:42	Division by zero [((objgetdata gsource "damg") damagenum)] ### (divide (objgetdata gsource "damg") damagenum) ###
05/26/2012 13:29:44	Division by zero [((objgetdata gsource "damg") damagenum)] ### (divide (objgetdata gsource "damg") damagenum) ###
05/26/2012 13:33:27	End logging session

Ok, here is what I did:
tried to create (two times) a custom weapon with
- turret
- repeating
- laser
- damage 3
- normal weapon slot
and got the above error.

As my setting is now Transcendence 1.08b and only Weapons Labs mod, it seems to be a real bug...

A savegame for testing is available at:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/71837003/MagE-8048.sav_10SDW

edit:
- more logging data added
- savegame donwload link added

[Mage]

@SDW195:
Some idea about the errors I get - I found some cost-calculating code for a custom weapon, but do you check if the user has enough credits left to pay when the custom weapon will be build? As this is the moment I get the errors, and as my tests are during an early stage of the game, I only have some 2.000 credits (see the savegame I posted).

[sdw195]

@SDW195:
Some idea about the errors I get - I found some cost-calculating code for a custom weapon, but do you check if the user has enough credits left to pay when the custom weapon will be build? As this is the moment I get the errors, and as my tests are during an early stage of the game, I only have some 2.000 credits (see the savegame I posted).

hrm, i guess i forgot to add code to check if the player can afford it.... will fix

ok, i uploaded a fixed version, (256 dls) it has mostly bug fixes in it, no new features yet, not in the right mind state to add them

Enjoy!

[Patupi]

Just a quick thought. At some time you might want to put in an extra stage in the weapon building... ie another type of module. Something to include range. Right now (unless I'm missing something) the only thing that determines range is the damage type. laser is fairly short, kinetic a bit longer etc. The longest I've had in the (admittedly few) tests has been a positron weapon, but that was with a damage 1 module. One thing that might help later is if you want a particular type of weapon, but know it's over powered, you could opt for a short range version to cut back on costs and power consumption. Short range does reduce options in combat a fair bit, but this would require quite a bit of further balancing.

BTW, I have FINALLY managed to find an SDW station in my current permadeath game before I died. It was actually in a system with the Urak Warlords who destroyed about half the system before someone managed to nail them. I was in the process of trying to get the funds together to pay for a positron gun, but when I was done the Urak were already dead Well, at least I'm still alive for the moment Hopefully I'll find another SDW lab in a system further in so I can recycle better weapons.

Good job so far. No errors and the power balance seems better than before.

[sdw195]

your are right about the only thing that judges range is weapon type, i actually averaged~ vanilla range to get a base range for my weapons,
i am planing to add an option for howitzers to take up 2 slots, but have more damage/range/poweruse so i might just increase range all round....

[Patupi]

increase range for all weapons? I'm not sure about that. It seems pretty good so far (though I haven't played with laser and kinetic much to see how short ranged they are) I still say some way to vary range might help. Perhaps instead of a seperate module you might do something similar to how you handled launcher mounted weapons. Simply put an option at the end for short, medium or long ranged weapons. This would then modify the cost/power use in the end. If there is already a little variation based on weapon damage type then those three options would end up with quite a variation in weapon ranges possible

[Patupi]

Actually, I'm just curious. I haven't looked through your code yet (other than a very brief scan through) but it's obvious you don't check for weapon stats, rather have a list of possible weapons to recycle. Maybe it would be possible to recycle ANY weapon without huge lists. Port in all the weapon stats and use those to give what parts it produces. I actually would think this would be easier to code (or at least quicker to code) than a list of possible weapons and what they produce... unless I'm totally misunderstanding what you're doing.

[sdw195]

unfortunately you are right, i could make it guess the parts...... that would make it work with "any" weapon

now i have to try it.....

edit, i had a play... but i find weapons with x damage type, but i cant get config, or additional damage types, emp mining etc, sorry the list will have to stay for a while.....

[Patupi]

Just a wild, off the wall, crazy suggestion... but could you create a test ship with a copy of the weapon in question, a test target ship right infront of it, cause it to fire and register damage, emp, mining etc from that? It'd be a pain, but it might work. I know you can tell if a ship is EMPed (can you make the test ship more vulnerable to EMP? Make sure it would be stunned if it could be?). You could check for spread weapons by creating multiple smalll ships in a semicircle (or circle, there are some custom weapons that fire backwards or sideways) and detect which directions the weapon shoots in, rate of fire, range etc, even if that won't detect EMP or special weapon effects... could even create an asteroid and fire into it... any way to make a vulnerable asteroid that blows up with a single hit from a mineral damage 1 weapon?

If the ships are deleted after the 'test' the player would never know it happened... except I guess you'd hear the weapons go off . So you'd have to create the ships a way from the station so it wouldn't be heard.

(EDIT: Also on Xelerus they list the function 'itemmatches' to check 'criteria'. Of course the wiki link about what criteria are is long gone... would that help? Could you check it against a known EMP weapon to see if it has the same ability etc?)

[RPC]

You could try and do something similar to what Test Drive does.

[Mage]

do you check if the user has enough credits left to pay

hrm, i guess i forgot to add code to check if the player can afford it.... will fix

ok, i uploaded a fixed version, (256 dls) it has mostly bug fixes in it (..)
Enjoy!

Great, thanks!

Will download and try - and let you know about the results..

Take care & best regards

[Mage]

on weapons range module idea:
------------------------------

(..) put in an extra stage in the weapon building... ie another type of module. Something to include range.

second that! (indeed I was thinking the same last game session, because...

Right now (unless I'm missing something) the only thing that determines range is the damage type. laser is fairly short (..)

... I have a complete different experience - my custom laser turret with mining goes the full visible range of my radar, like the vanilla Ares positron weapon!

So I would suggest:
- extra building stage with range module
- should have an impact on power at least, e.g. medium range needs double power, long range needs 8x power (to get some kind of balancing here).
- again, should be expensive to build long range weapons


on SDW station availability:
--------------------------

BTW, I have FINALLY managed to find an SDW station (..). It was actually in a system with the Urak Warlords who destroyed about half the system before someone managed to nail them.

I found a SDW station during several test games always on the third system (=two after Eridani).

@sdw195
Is it hard-coded? I would really like to see Weapon Labs work together with "The Network" mod (maybe it would be updated to work with Transcendence 1.08b+).

[Patupi]

Yep, for me it's always been the third system in, but I've been doing The Network so it's not always easy to find which third system it is without ending up dead fairly quickly. Plus if I happen not to have a system map rom I could miss it when I do a survey. On an old game without the network I found a second one further in, but I can't recall what number system that was. 6 sounds right but I couldn't guarantee it.