Author Topic: v2.6.0 Changes List  (Read 30338 times)

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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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v2.6.0 Changes List
« on: January 25, 2024, 09:02:59 AM »
Changes List for 2.6.0 (unreleased)

This post includes bug fixes or minor changes. The more significant changes each have their own post below this one.

Fixes
  • Centre on Selected Body and Create Colony on the Minerals window work on Wide View.
  • Fixed error sequence #1954, #1943, #478, caused by an Alien Race without a class naming theme.
  • Move Waypoint now functioning correctly.
  • Parasites dragged into a different fleet or sub-fleet will be launched.
  • Species characteristics, such as growth rate, research rate, etc. are passed on when used as a base species for a new species design.
  • 'Redo minerals' works correctly for comets.
  • Lagrange stabilisation time no longer displayed for comets.
  • If a class has no valid hull type, it will be saved as a cruiser.
  • Fixed plasma carronade tech cost at 70cm and above.
  • Wreck text uses same tonnage rounding as class summary.
  • Fixed bug that could result in new race being created on a planet with less than 20% water.
  • Fixed bug that duplicated parasites attached to a fleet when using drag-drop on the Fleet window, without being visible to the player. This could cause deletion problems in certain situations.
  • Fixed bug in the selection of nearby systems for new system generation. Credit to ISN for doing the math to identify this one.
  • Prevented Copy + Upgrade from duplicating ground unit classes where only weapon strength has changed and they do not have ground-based weapons.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented laser torpedoes from detonating at the correct range.
  • Fixed a bug that caused tractored ships to consume fuel.
  • Fixed the text of thermal reduction 24% technology (from 25%).
  • The explosion contacts for the detonations of laser torpedoes will now also include those hitting the target, rather than only those that missed.
  • Point defence impacts on laser torpedoes shown at the missile location, rather than the ship.
  • FAC exclusion option on fuel, logistics and repair tabs of the Naval Organization window now working correctly.
  • Cryogenic transport was ignored for survivors after total life support failure. Now fixed.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented weapon 'special functions', such as Bio-Acid, being passed on to a turret using that weapon.
  • Fixed a bug that could result in ships have a negative amount of crew.
  • Fixed a bug that could result in survey ships with hangar bays being classed as carriers.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented successful ramming attacks.
  • Fixed a bug that removed wealth costs for research if research speed was set to greater than 100%.
  • Double-clicking events for mineral shortages, mineral exhaustion, civilian mining colonies, unrest increasing and inactive labs will now select the correct population, instead of the home world.
  • Double-clicking events for over-allocation of labs will now select the research tab, rather than the mining tab.
  • Genetic modification centres will be stopped if you turn them off on the industry tab.
  • Construction units can no longer recover more abandoned installations than exist, during the increment when the number of abandoned installations is reduced to zero.
  • CIWS ECCM correctly displayed on Technology window.
  • Range and Speed text boxes on Class window are no longer multi-line.
  • Ship components in cargo holds now take up correct amount of space.
  • NPR terraforming now works correctly.
  • Fixed rare problem with ruin recovery that could cause a #1429 error and subsequently corrupt the database on save. Workaround is to go back to previous save and edit the DB to ensure RuinRaceID and RuinID are 0 in FCT_SystemBody if AbandonedFactories is 0.
  • Fixed rare bug in automated ship design that could cause a hang during game creation.
  • Fixed rare bug in automated ship design that could result in a ship design a few tons larger than its jump drive capability.
Minor Changes
  • Population requirement removed for Spaceports. This is line with population being required for 'producing' installations, rather than 'facilities' installations.
  • Removed crew requirement for maintenance storage bays.
  • You can only tractor inactive shipyards.
  • If a ship is transferred to another race, including via capture, any trade goods on board are removed.
  • NPRs should improve their coordination of missile fire from ships in the same location.
  • The number of terraforming installations and/or orbital terraforming modules will be shown on the environment tab.
  • Added a 'Delete All' button to the Waypoints tab of the Tactical Map sidebar.
  • Alien Autopsy research cost reduced from 5000 to 1000 RP.
  • Shortened Tech system names where necessary so they all fit within the left-hand column on the Research tab.
  • [N] suffix on Research tab changed to a prefix.
  • Added non-interrupt event for each ground unit unloaded.
  • Ground force templates are now obsoleted instead of being deleted. Obsolete templates can be viewed and toggled back to non-obsolete. This will prevent issues with formations lacking templates.
  • Added a game option to use a system naming theme in a real stars game.
  • Black hole systems on the Galactic Map have a purple background, rather than green.
  • Missile contacts will be grouped in the same way as ships.
  • The AI will consider more factors when allocating missiles to targets.
  • The current jump point suffix of (JG) is replaced with (S) for stable, instead of the legacy reference to 'jump gate'.
  • The "Class cannot be modified while locked" message will only popup if a component in a class is double-clicked, rather than selected.
  • Added a blank line between shipyard types on the shipyard tab of the Economics window.
  • Added total fleet fuel (excluding harvesters) and maintenance capacity to the Race window.
  • Increased maximum missile size to 200 MSP (500 tons).
  • Distance display on the Galactic Map finds the shortest route in billions of kilometres, rather than number of transits.
  • When refuelling from tanker fleets (such as fuel harvesters), the tankers will be accessed in order of which has the most fuel relative to capacity.
  • On the Commander window, ship classes with the 'No Officers' flag set will be excluded from potential ship assignments.
  • When using the Load Installations order on the Naval Organization window, the number of cargo holds required is displayed in parentheses after each installation.
  • When using the Load Ground Units order on the Naval Organization window, the size of each formation in tons is displayed in a new column.
  • Ground combat summaries are now by planet or ship, rather than Empire-wide.
  • The treeview nodes for Naval Admin Commands retain their expanded or closed status on save.
  • Double-clicking a ship in the Ship List for the Parent Class will select that Ship (or parent fleet if that option is selected) in the Naval Organization Window.
  • Only player race populations count toward reduction in Aether Rift growth.
  • Wealth cost of research now modified by 1 / Species Research Speed. For example, this means that if the species research is 50% of normal, the cost per RP will be 2 wealth.
  • NPRs will analyse any ground formations gifted by the player and assign them one of their own templates, so they can use them effectively.
  • Added a Clear Queue button to the Ground Construction tab on the Economics window.
  • Added a Collapse All button to the Naval Organization window. This closes every node in the tree, including admin commands, fleets, sub-fleets, ships and squadrons.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2024, 10:10:07 AM by Steve Walmsley »
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2024, 07:33:46 AM »
Limited Planet Distance

A new game-level option for v2.6 is Limited Planet Distance. This option has the following effects.
  • No planets or asteroids will be created if their perihelion is more than twice the distance of the outer ring of survey locations. That is 12 billion kilometres for Sol.
  • Bodies with eccentric orbits that have a perihelion within the limit and an aphelion outside will still be created, but their starting position will be somewhere on the portion of their orbit that lies within the limit.
  • Companion stars with a perihelion more than 24 billion kilometres from the primary will be deleted unless they have a planet with a LaGrange Point and either the primary star, or another star within 24 billion kilometers of the primary, has at least one gas giant or superjovian.
  • Companion stars with eccentric orbits that have a perihelion within the 24 billion kilometre limit and an aphelion outside will still be created, but their starting position will be somewhere on the portion of their orbit that lies within the limit.
Every current system body in Sol will still be created as they all have perihelions less than 12 billion kilometres.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2024, 11:32:32 AM »
Shipping Line and Colony Changes

New Shipping Line Income
0.0001 per colonist per billion kilometres travelled
0.004 per passenger per billion kilometres travelled
0.25 per trade good per billion kilometres travelled
0.0001 per cargo point per billion kilometres travelled

Export payments are removed.
Dividends are removed.

Shipping Line Tax
Each race can set a tax rate for its shipping lines from 0 to 100%. This starts at zero and can be updated at any time on the Wealth tab of the Economics window. This tax will be deducted from the income of the shipping line and assigned to the race. With 100% tax, the shipping line does not generate any profit and cannot buy new ships. The tax will also be applied to income from player contracts, which means the player could effectively use shipping lines for free in an emergency, again with the downside of no new ships.

While in reality the shipping line would have overheads for fuel, etc. this is assumed to be included in the mechanics. Otherwise I would have a slightly higher income, maintenance charge, lower max tax rate and end up back in the same place with extra coding involved.

Trade Good Changes
The base production of Trade Goods is halved. In addition, the production is multiplied by the manufacturing percentage of the colony, so smaller colonies will generally produce more trade goods per capita. For a homeworld, trade good production is likely to be about 1/8th of the existing level (halved and then multiplied by 25%).

Colonization Pressure
An entirely new mechanic called Colonization Pressure has been added. This determines the percentage of any given population that is willing to pay for passage on shipping line colony ships or liners. This is calculated as follows:
  • The base rate is 2%
  • Colony Cost is added as a percentage, so a Colony Cost 2 world would add 2% to colonization pressure.
  • Each 50 points of radiation adds 1% pressure
  • Where a colony has insufficient infrastructure
    • Modified Colony Cost = Colony Cost * ((Required Inf - Actual Inf) / Required Inf). If Inf is required and zero is present, then MCC = CC
    • + 25% is added to pressure for each point of modified colony cost (so CC2 with no infrastructure adds 50%)
  • If the population for a system body exceeds the max pop the added pressure = excess pop / total pop. So if a colony was on a planet with max pop 100m and actual pop 125m, 20% would be added to pressure.
  • If a colony has insufficient protection (which only applies at 10m+), the added pressure is (1 - (Population PPV / Required Protection)) * 10. So completely unprotected will add 10%.
Ideal habitable worlds with no issues around security or radiation will generally have low rates - usually 2%. Colonies with high colony costs, or that are overcrowded or unprotected, or that have suffered recent bombardment, will have higher pressure.

Available Colonists will be tracked for all populations, but only displayed for those selected as a Source population.

New Colonists
Each construction phase, more colonists will become available at the rate of:
(Length of Construction Phase / Year) * Population * Colonization Pressure

For example, if colonization pressure was 5% and the population was 100m, then a 5-day construction phase would generate (5 / 365) * 100m * 5% = 68,493 colonists. A population of 1 billion with 2% pressure would generate 274,000 colonists every construction phase.

The max number of available colonists at any time will be equal to the annual amount generated. This 'production' of colonists has a side effect of breaking up the shipping line colony ships so they all don't move everywhere together. As shipping line colony ships load colonists they will be deducted from the available colonists total.

Shipping Line Restrictions
Shipping line colony ships will only select a colony as a source of colonists if the currently available number of colonists, minus the capacity of shipping line colony ships already en route to load colonists, is greater than or equal to the ship's capacity.

Shipping lines will not deliver colonists to a population with a pressure of 10 or greater. This simulates that potential colonists are unlikely to pay to move to a planet where undesirable factors are causing a notable portion of the existing population to leave.

Government-owned Colony Ships.
None of the above affects player-controlled ships and player ships will not reduce available colonists. Essentially, people will go where the government tells them, but they won't pay to go anywhere undesirable.

Why Change?
These changes are to prevent shipping lines overwhelming the game by growing too large. They can end up with hundreds of huge ships, that strip planets of colonists or generate so much wealth as to make it irrelevant. Income based on distance, player taxes and a much smaller supply of colonists and goods should restrict their growth without any 'artificial' restrictions. Also they will no longer deliver colonists to unprotected colonies, which gives the player a new problem to solve.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2024, 08:32:18 AM »
Shipping Line New Ship Selection

For v2.6, when a shipping line considers building a new ship, it will use the rules below. For the purposes of those rules, a liner can only be selected if there are at least two systems with surface population greater than zero. A fuel harvester can only be selected if harvester tech is available, there is a Sorium deposit in a player system with a population of 10m+ and the civilian harvester option is on
  • If there are less than six civilian ships, or if all existing colony ships and freighters have orders, a freighter or a colony ship will be selected. If there are fewer of one type, that type will be built. Otherwise it will be random.
  • Else if all freighters have orders, a freighter will be built
  • Else if all colony ships have orders, a colony ship will be built
  • Else if all liners have orders (or there are no liners) and they are permitted, a liner will be built.
  • Else a ship type will be randomly chosen, with liners and harvesters included if permitted. Freighters have double the chance of the other types to be selected.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2024, 07:15:45 AM »
Updated Missile Salvo Display

I have updated the Missile Salvos tab on the Naval Organization window to show System and Location, with the latter using the same method as the fleet location description. It also sorts by system and then order of salvo creation.

I've also added a new sidebar tab to the Galactic Map display that shows salvos in a selected system, with just the missile name, amount and location. This is primarily for checking buoy placements.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2024, 09:55:26 AM by Steve Walmsley »
 

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2024, 09:58:26 AM »
Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul

I've added a new order called 'Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul'.

This functions as a combination of the Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul orders, with the moving fleet joining the target fleet and immediately entering overhaul. This order will only be available if the target fleet is in a maintenance location and the overhaul will only start if the target fleet is still in a maintenance location when the moving fleet joins it.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2024, 06:55:49 AM »
Galactic Map Right-click Menu Update

Currently, right-clicking on a system on the Galactic Map allows you to select Fleets or Populations in that system and launch the Naval Organization or Economics windows respectively with the target item selected.

For v2.6, I have added a menu item to open the Tactical Map for that system, plus separate menu items for each fleet to centre on them in the Tactical Map, rather than opening the Naval Organization window.


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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2024, 06:39:03 AM »
Population Fuel and Maintenance Warnings

Each population now has two 'warning levels', one for fuel and one for maintenance. You can enter these amounts in two fields in the Governor/Misc tab of the Economics window (the Governor tab in v2.5.1)

If the amount falls below the specified fuel or MSP level during a construction phase, a 'stockpile warning' event will be generated with the current amount and warning level of fuel or MPS.

If the Single Warning option is selected, this event will only be displayed once and will not be displayed again unless the stockpile increases above the warning level and then decreases again.

If the Constant option is selected, this event will displayed in every construction phase where the stockpile is below the warning level.


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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2024, 05:10:55 PM »
Galactic Map Search

Added a 'System Search' button to the Galactic Map.

You click the button and it pops up a text entry box. Type the system name, press enter and the galactic map will centre on the desired system (if one can be found with the search text).

I've also added a 'Centre on Selected System' checkbox to the Mineral Search window. If this option is selected and the galactic map is open, it will be centered on the system containing the selected system body.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2024, 08:07:35 AM »
Maintenance Failure Event

I've added a new 'Maintenance Failure' event. This occurs in three situations:
  • Replaces the 'Maintenance Problem' event after a weapon failure that cannot be repaired.
  • Replaces the 'Maintenance Problem' event after a life support failure that cannot be repaired.
  • Replaces the 'Damage Report' event after a maintenance failure that cannot be repaired.

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2024, 08:45:49 AM »
Auto Route Update

On the Naval Organization Window, the Autoroute by System option displays system destinations based on the same priority as System Locations. Populated systems will be displayed first, then those with automated mines, civilian mining colonies, terraforming capability or deep space tracking stations, followed by all other systems in name order.


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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2024, 09:09:44 AM »
Galactic Map Sidebar Update

The Galactic Map sidebar tab for jump point locations has been updated.

The dots displaying jump point locations will show orange for stable jump points and the existing red colour for non-stable jump points. The list of jump points above shows an (S) suffix for stable jump points.


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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2024, 05:05:19 PM »
Ship Construction into Admin Commands

The shipyard tab has an extra checkbox called Use Admin (next to Use Components).

If you click this, the Fleet list (where you select the fleet that receives the new ship) is replaced by a list of Naval Admin Commands. You can select an admin command as the destination of the new ship. When it is built, it will be created in a single-ship fleet under that admin command.

There is a Default Admin button (replacing Default Fleet when the checkbox is clicked), so that the shipyard will remember the destination admin command in the same way as Default Fleet

The checkbox retains its value independently for each shipyard. So if you are using Shipyard A to build into an admin command and Shipyard B to build into a fleet, the UI will swap between the admin command list and the fleet list when you select the different shipyards, along with their respective defaults.

Only construction tasks can have an admin command destination. It does not apply to refit, repair or scrap.

This does not affect (for now), the destination fleets for fighters and space stations.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2024, 04:51:03 AM by Steve Walmsley »
 

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2024, 06:24:57 AM »
Instant Build into Admin Commands

This works in a similar way to Ship Construction into Admin Commands.

On the Priorities/Misc tab of the Class window, you can choose to build into a fleet or an admin command. The location of the new fleet will be the location of the admin command.

If you build multiple ships at once, they will be created as individual fleets within that admin command.

All the normal options apply, such as naming up front, including missiles, strikegroup, etc..

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Re: v2.6.0 Changes List
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2024, 06:26:19 AM »
Variable-Range Laser Torpedoes

Laser Torpedoes can be assigned a minimum and maximum detonation range. These can be the same value.

When launched, a salvo of laser torpedoes will generate a random detonation range between the minimum and maximum values and detonate when it reaches that range. The strength of any successful hits will depend on the range at detonation.

All laser torpedoes of the same type launched at the same time, even in separate salvos, will have the same randomly generated range. This is to avoid torpedoes from the same wave detonating during different increments.

This mechanic should introduce a new factor into point-defence planning.