General Pants

For those interested, this is one I'm working on that is based loosely on the Beyuran Nova shipset from Steam... I may contact the author to be sure this is cool. Those ships have a 3-way gyroscope in the center, but when viewed from the side, it just looks like they have a big paddlewheel. So these are basically paddlewheel starships. The front is supposed to look like a wet-navy ship, and the wheel turns. Anyway, these are very stereotyped. I'm not sure I like

[quote who="treborblue" reply="101" id="3664945"] Motivation will be needed when Crusades is released, Tech Tree Editor won't be compatible (probably). [/quote] Agreed... I have delayed ALL mods, including one I've been working on since Spring, so that I don't waste effort before Crusade changes everything. [quote who="treborblue" reply="101" id="3664945"] Thanks for the offer, but I prefer something a little stronger. [/quote] Beer mon

Remember when we called factions races in GC2? That was not a great idea. The term has been used in science fiction for species, and it is firmly ensconced in the popular tabletop game StarFleet Battles (which once proposed a supplement called Race War!). I think abandoning it for GC3 was a good idea (changing 'jewels' to 'components' was also good). It wasn't necessarily politically corrrect so much as factually correct to do so. From a scientific standpoint, a &#

Ummm, one thing I just thought of: if vertical empires come to be, this will create an interesting situation for minor races, since they are effectively empires of one (snicker... old Star Wars fan film). Or 2-3 if you have Guantlet's Race Pack. Anyway, they might exploit any vertical strategy and become very powerful. I'm not sure this is a bad thing. I remember people asking in GC2 if, in the future, it could be set up so minor races could become major races if they were successful

[quote who="tilyas89" reply="2" id="3664450"] Another solution would be for the AI to recognize that certain players are outpacing them all in tech and thus offer research treaties and alliances to counter the emerging threat, with war if need be to prevent them all from being outclassed. The biggest problem with the game is snowballing in general and reactionary alliances would be great. [/quote] I think 2.0 is working toward this. [quote]==> Divide a civili

This is apparently scheduled for Crusade. Thank you so much, StarDock!

As OP, I formally rescind the basis of this post. Major improvements in the game have happened BEFORE Crusade, and the news on Crusade is so promising, and the expansion may go so far toward solving problems and improving the game, that it seems best to let StarDock do what they do best. Thanks StarDock!

[quote who="admiralWillyWilber" reply="14" id="3664310"] Also sorry general I forgot about your post. [/quote] Hey, no sweat man, we're all working towards the same goal. I am sure the StarDock folks would see both of them, one topic just makes an easier discussion. I think the discussion here has been more productive. [quote who="gringoesteban" reply="18" id="3664427"] Here is my idea to solve the 'tall' issue from a research standpoint:

[quote who="treborblue" reply="75" id="3659536"] but I have a list of minor bugs, small features I have to finish first. [/quote] Gee, I know this feelinng all too well. You might consider what Gauntlet did, and provide an avenue for players to slip you some money on the side. This tool is so useful it should be part of the game, and I would be happy to donate a little coffee money to keep you productive!

Thank you all for all of the encouragement! [quote who="Gauntlet03" reply="1" id="3664757"] The triangle ship images are simply not visible for me to judge. [/quote] I considered redoing them in grey so you could see them, and then I realized they are just a bunch of black triangles with three white lights at the corners. They are mostly there as an X-Files homage. I'll go pretty far for an homage... [quote who="Gauntlet03" reply="1" id="3664757"]

Thank you... I have missed these stories!

Since Crusade is likely to redo some of the faction system, I am procrastinating on finalizing my other mods for distribution. Between my own illness and the terminal illness of a family member, I've had a LOT of time to work on ship sets. Most of these have factions already for them. Some of these factions were inspired by factions from Steam (due credit will be given), some are right off Steam and will not come with a separate .faction sheet so you have to subscribe to the original auth

I definitely think the idea of special racial abilities as suggested above, is possibly a key to vertical strategies. Like India and Venice in Civ5 which have special abilities geared towards vertical strategies.

[quote who="Ascaloth" reply="1" id="3664578"] If I may add a suggestion, all of the warship blueprints need a complete overhaul for just one sole reason; Ship Roles. [/quote] I considered adding this: 5) Wild Weasels (escorts): ships intended to draw fire away from the main force. Another common problem with the blueprints is speed. The AI doesn't us

[quote who="Publius of NV" reply="3" id="3664312"] Any Stardock change to GC3 to encourage tall empires must include much more terraforming to allow for more farms to allow for more population. [/quote] OR more efficient farms for tall empires, or higher pop cap for small empires. Or space habitats (residential starbases) that generate food and hold population for the nearest planet. These could be racial abilities.

[quote who="Lager_74" reply="19" id="3664514"] is how to mine Durantium et cetera at a larger scale [/quote] Simple, give small empires a mining bonus, so that each mine produces more of each resource.

[quote who="Horemvore" reply="19" id="3664509"] You can change the amount of minors that get placed in GameSetupDefs.xml. This file only controls minor and pirate placement. FYI is max of 12 minors on Immense - Insane on abundant. My Star Trek Minors mod increased this to 36. [/quote] Yeah, problem is, I only have about 20 minors from between Gauntlet and vanilla. I plan to add back in the old minors, which might be enough.

[quote who="Gauntlet03" reply="610" id="3664504"] Thanks General Pants! I'll reply more when I'm not in a plane! [/quote] No problem. Your mod adds a lot to my game (GC2 too), and $60 a year is a small price to keep you going. Note that Stardock is getting less money from me for Crusade than you are for the mod. If you are listening Stardock, please take note; I have more ca$h if you have more content! Or you could just hire Gauntlet... and you could then get more of

[quote who="Lager_74" reply="1" id="3664502"] I like the system of buying them [/quote] I'm sure this is much less AI intensive, which is why I don't expect it to change. [quote who="Lager_74" reply="1" id="3664502"] I like to pretend that I open up a new area and private mining companies move in. [/quote] I think that will happen with the starliner too... I think Frogboy said resources, possibly including people, will move t

So basically, I will have to do it for every faction, even if I don't design new ships. Ugh! I have put in a request to Stardock that these designs might be added in the future, but I won't hold my breath. Frankly, I think all of the blueprints could use work... I believe several people have done that. You see, Stardock can 'easily' assign someone to make new ships for all their existing ship sets. Gauntlet could add them too. Those of us with 2-5 unique factions can d

Three modules it would be nice to see (although all three would likely complicate the AI greatly): A) I'd love to see the Asteroid Miner module from GC2 come back. I don't like the new system, and I think building mines rather than buying them is a better dynamic (and buying them just means the AI will have tons and you will have none). And it gives raiders another target. B) I'd like to see some kind of Starliner, a module that carries population, but cannot itsel

Ok, so now that I've discovered it would be a huge amount of effort to add in new blueprints for every faction myself, I thought I'd try to sell Stardock and my fellow gamers on the idea that some new blueprints might be good additions to Crusade. Here's what I was thinking of, just a few ideas based on my gameplay experience: 1) Cargo-hull combat variants: because of the way combat works, you don't have to waste military hulls on combat support ships and carriers. <sp

I was thinnin' that it would make sense to program the computer to use some of my favorite designs, like the SWAC Tug (Cargo-hulled sensor scout), the auxiliary carrier (Cargo-drone carrier), the combat auxilliary (Cargo-hulled support), and the Super SWAC (Eye of Sauron, a Huge hull with only sensors). So I know step one is the blueprints. I think I can figure that out. What I want to know is, do I really have to alter ShipClassDefs.xml and ShipDefs.xml AND

I don't have the pirates or mercenaries parts of the GRM running (although I think the GRM models have replaced all the pirate models and the bazaar anyway). I enjoyed the discovery of a multiplanet minor in one game, but I tend to have so many majors relative to minors (50 vs. what, 16?) that I don't see much of the minors. So, I enjoyed it a lot, and I like having the option for a sort of 'middle power' that is slightly stronger than a minor, but slightly weaker than the Kor

Don't sweat asking for donations, Gauntlet. You are providing the equivalent of nine $5 DLC packs from Stardock, for free. I'll happily donate to the cause (when I gets my version 5.0, and not a second sooner! :) ). For all the person-hours you've put in on this project, you deserve more than just our adulation. So, here's what I say: if anyone out there has ever said, "Gauntlet, Stardock should pay you," then throw