It's not the installer causing those issues, it the fact that Aurora is written in VB6. VB6 uses those versions, even though I guarantee there are newer ones on Steve's computer.
Quote from: "Haegan2005"you may also just drop msstdfmt.dll into the same folder as Aurora.exe. I run this off my jump drive and don't want to have to register all the dll's in windows at each computer that i use. If the needed dll's are in the working folder aurora finds them just fine.
This didn''t work for me with vista 64bit. Placed the dll in the applications directory and the error persisted, even after restarting the application. (didn't try a reboot). It worked though as soon as "regsvr32 msstdfmt.dll" was entered in a command prompt (after changing to the game directory). Might help less experienced users.
It would help even more if it could be installed with the game. During installation I also had to manually and repeatedly select "don't overwrite" for maybe a dozen other dll that I'd already got in a more up-to-date version. Maybe time for a new installer if possible ?
you may also just drop msstdfmt.dll into the same folder as Aurora.exe. I run this off my jump drive and don't want to have to register all the dll's in windows at each computer that i use. If the needed dll's are in the working folder aurora finds them just fine.
That is correct. There have been a couple debates about transporting planetary TIs, generally resulting in the opinion that the ability to do so would render terraforming ships far less useful, andthat would make the game less fun. It seems to be about a 60-40 split against moving TIs though, so make you opinion heard.
I'm pretty sure a modern warship spending that much time in port is
either to save money or a major refit. Until recently I worked right
next to a USN Commander but unfortunately he is at sea now. I'll have
to ask if there are any senior chiefs or such I can chat with about
how often and how long the average modern warship needs to be
overhauled.
Quote from: "jfelten"Yes, there was sufficient maintenance facilities. The problem was
that the ship was going in to overhaul status but apparently was not
considered at the homeworld, just very very close to the homeworld, so
the clock kept advancing. And of course sometimes I wouldn't notice
this until a year or more later meaning it had to then spend much more
time being overhauled once I moved it to the HW. This happened
several times when I was trying to play with maintenance turned on. I
wonder how many people are playing with maintenance turned off so they
don't encounter this problem?
I am allways playing with maintenance ON but have never encoutered this situation.
Of course, I pretty much allways give orders in that, well, order:
Refuel at colony
Resupply at colony
Begin overhaul
I am assuming here, that the Refuel/Resupply orders make sure, the ship is really at the planet when overhaul starts.
Yes, there was sufficient maintenance facilities. The problem was
that the ship was going in to overhaul status but apparently was not
considered at the homeworld, just very very close to the homeworld, so
the clock kept advancing. And of course sometimes I wouldn't notice
this until a year or more later meaning it had to then spend much more
time being overhauled once I moved it to the HW. This happened
several times when I was trying to play with maintenance turned on. I
wonder how many people are playing with maintenance turned off so they
don't encounter this problem?
It sounds like there is some other problem here otherwise I would be getting a lot of bug reports about this. Are the maintenance facilities where the overhaul is taking place large enough to support the ship being overhauled? As to the time taken by overhauls, most real-world warships spend more of their time in overhaul than in Aurora. I think the last set of overhauls for the Nimitz class carriers were scheduled for 33 months each.
Steve
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"Quote from: "jfelten"At first I really liked the maintenance system but after playing awhile, IMO it became more work than it was worth and slowed down gameplay too much for my taste. A matter of opinion of course and I know you primarily write the software for your gaming. Plus there was a bug or something I was doing wrong that became increasingly annoying where sometimes when I started an overhaul on a ship, but while being overhauled it would continue to deteriorate (I think for some reason the overhaul orders were not putting some ships at the HW where the maintenance facilities were supposed to stop ships from falling apart; I had plenty of maintenance capacity there and when I noticed this and manually moved them to the HW the deterioration stopped). And it just seemed silly for ships to be spending multiple years being overhauled, sometimes taking longer to overhaul than building a whole new ship of that class. Part of my dissatisfaction with the maintenance system was because I had used sample ship designs for my setup that I later learned were designed for a game with maintenance turned off. Later ships I designed with more inherent maintenance space worked much better, but I was still spending a lot of time fiddling with it when it wasn't adding much game enjoyment for me. So I started a new game with maintenance turned off. I am glad that is an option although it is a bit of a shame to not use that part of the game since there is a lot there. If there was a configuration option to tone down the rate at which ships fall apart, I would have gone for that instead.It sounds like there is some other problem here otherwise I would be getting a lot of bug reports about this. Are the maintenance facilities where the overhaul is taking place large enough to support the ship being overhauled? As to the time taken by overhauls, most real-world warships spend more of their time in overhaul than in Aurora. I think the last set of overhauls for the Nimitz class carriers were scheduled for 33 months each.
Steve
I've encountered this one before... and I believe I reported it... 2.5 or 2.6 I think, around then.
Quote from: "jfelten"It sounds like there is some other problem here otherwise I would be getting a lot of bug reports about this. Are the maintenance facilities where the overhaul is taking place large enough to support the ship being overhauled? As to the time taken by overhauls, most real-world warships spend more of their time in overhaul than in Aurora. I think the last set of overhauls for the Nimitz class carriers were scheduled for 33 months each.Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"3) Ships need maintenance and overhauls, as well as a base where that can sit without accumulating time on their maintenance clocks. All of these require maintenance facilities, which in turn require population to man them. Although you can explore and project power 3-4 systems from the home world, your survey ships will soon be spending more time in transit then exploring. Establishing forward bases will allow you to expand more easily, using the base as a node. It can overhaul survey ships and can serve as a forward base for warships. If you are at war with an alien race, establishing a colony with maintenance facilities close to their territory will allow you to forward deploy ships without running up their clocks and create a defence in depth.
At first I really liked the maintenance system but after playing awhile, IMO it became more work than it was worth and slowed down gameplay too much for my taste. A matter of opinion of course and I know you primarily write the software for your gaming. Plus there was a bug or something I was doing wrong that became increasingly annoying where sometimes when I started an overhaul on a ship, but while being overhauled it would continue to deteriorate (I think for some reason the overhaul orders were not putting some ships at the HW where the maintenance facilities were supposed to stop ships from falling apart; I had plenty of maintenance capacity there and when I noticed this and manually moved them to the HW the deterioration stopped). And it just seemed silly for ships to be spending multiple years being overhauled, sometimes taking longer to overhaul than building a whole new ship of that class. Part of my dissatisfaction with the maintenance system was because I had used sample ship designs for my setup that I later learned were designed for a game with maintenance turned off. Later ships I designed with more inherent maintenance space worked much better, but I was still spending a lot of time fiddling with it when it wasn't adding much game enjoyment for me. So I started a new game with maintenance turned off. I am glad that is an option although it is a bit of a shame to not use that part of the game since there is a lot there. If there was a configuration option to tone down the rate at which ships fall apart, I would have gone for that instead.
Steve
It sounds like there is some other problem here otherwise I would be getting a lot of bug reports about this. Are the maintenance facilities where the overhaul is taking place large enough to support the ship being overhauled? As to the time taken by overhauls, most real-world warships spend more of their time in overhaul than in Aurora. I think the last set of overhauls for the Nimitz class carriers were scheduled for 33 months each.Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"3) Ships need maintenance and overhauls, as well as a base where that can sit without accumulating time on their maintenance clocks. All of these require maintenance facilities, which in turn require population to man them. Although you can explore and project power 3-4 systems from the home world, your survey ships will soon be spending more time in transit then exploring. Establishing forward bases will allow you to expand more easily, using the base as a node. It can overhaul survey ships and can serve as a forward base for warships. If you are at war with an alien race, establishing a colony with maintenance facilities close to their territory will allow you to forward deploy ships without running up their clocks and create a defence in depth.
At first I really liked the maintenance system but after playing awhile, IMO it became more work than it was worth and slowed down gameplay too much for my taste. A matter of opinion of course and I know you primarily write the software for your gaming. Plus there was a bug or something I was doing wrong that became increasingly annoying where sometimes when I started an overhaul on a ship, but while being overhauled it would continue to deteriorate (I think for some reason the overhaul orders were not putting some ships at the HW where the maintenance facilities were supposed to stop ships from falling apart; I had plenty of maintenance capacity there and when I noticed this and manually moved them to the HW the deterioration stopped). And it just seemed silly for ships to be spending multiple years being overhauled, sometimes taking longer to overhaul than building a whole new ship of that class. Part of my dissatisfaction with the maintenance system was because I had used sample ship designs for my setup that I later learned were designed for a game with maintenance turned off. Later ships I designed with more inherent maintenance space worked much better, but I was still spending a lot of time fiddling with it when it wasn't adding much game enjoyment for me. So I started a new game with maintenance turned off. I am glad that is an option although it is a bit of a shame to not use that part of the game since there is a lot there. If there was a configuration option to tone down the rate at which ships fall apart, I would have gone for that instead.
I need to learn about trade. Can you trade between your own colonies and HW or only with aliens?
I've not noticed anywhere in the game yet that mentioned any special rare trade goods on any planets.They are rare
. If a planet has any it will mention it on the SUmmary tab of the pop window.10) A planet with a good amount of accessible sorium can be the fuel production centre of the Empire. Rather than bringing the Sorium back to the homeworld, put mines and fuel refineries (and an officer with good production/mining bonuses) on the planet.The fuel production bug doesn't stop fuel production entirely. It only will stop it occasionally if you have already turned off mines.QuoteThat is a good point. I've not really thought of that since I can't produce fuel in the 3.2 game I'm playing due to the fuel production bug. I tried the work around but that failed so I've just been cheating on fuel so far and letting the Sorium pile up.
Something along the lines of the history of Weber's Terran Federation, which was measured in hundred of years.
3) Ships need maintenance and overhauls, as well as a base where that can sit without accumulating time on their maintenance clocks. All of these require maintenance facilities, which in turn require population to man them. Although you can explore and project power 3-4 systems from the home world, your survey ships will soon be spending more time in transit then exploring. Establishing forward bases will allow you to expand more easily, using the base as a node. It can overhaul survey ships and can serve as a forward base for warships. If you are at war with an alien race, establishing a colony with maintenance facilities close to their territory will allow you to forward deploy ships without running up their clocks and create a defence in depth.
6) If you build spaceports on colonies, you can create trade routes that generate more wealth. Some planets have a rare trade goods bonus that will increase the wealth from trade routes. The Commonwealth in my current campaign is generating 25% of its income from trade.
8) Ruins can be a good source of installations. Rather than bring them all home, use them as a basis of a new colony, bring in population and only remove what it is unnecessary.
10) A planet with a good amount of accessible sorium can be the fuel production centre of the Empire. Rather than bringing the Sorium back to the homeworld, put mines and fuel refineries (and an officer with good production/mining bonuses) on the planet.
I note in your answer you mentioned infrastructure. Worlds with colony cost zero don't need infrastructure so It's a good idea to build terraforming ships and select planets that can be rapidly terraformed. The best place to analyse this is on the Available Colony window (ctrl-A from the main menu or the World icon on the System Map).
Quote from: "Erik Luken"Don't forget atmospheric pressure. If you got the right mix, you also need the right pressure (or within tolerances) to hit that 0.0 habitability.Currently the amount of oxygen is a minimum and maximum amount based on the pressure and percentage range of the species from the homeworld. That is it is the partial pressure of oxygen, not the % of oxygen present that is important. There is also a maximum total pressure that a race can handle. If the total pressure is greater than the racial tollerance, or the O2 amount is outside of the racial limits then the atmosphere is not breathable and the minimum colonization cost is a 2.
All this being true, a race from a low pressure world is going to have an easier time adjusting the O2 levels for planets with little or no atmosphere. They will tend to have extreme problems however on denser atmosphere worlds as thier tollerances are going to be very small (20% or .2 is only a .08 range where 20% of .05 is .001) While it may be a lot easier to get to .049 partial pressure from nothing, it is going to take a lot more to get down there from that .2 world. A sort of side note on this is that races from heavier grav worlds are going to tend to have a wider range of acceptable planets to work with, but they will tend to need more terraforming than races from lower grav planets will (gravity and density of atmosphere generally being linked to some extent)
Brian
