v2.6.0 Changes List

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Standing Orders for Detachments

I've added three checkboxes under the standing and conditional orders list. These checkboxes will retain their state after the game is shut down and restarted.

• Copy Standing on Detach
• Copy Conditional on Detach
• Include Squadrons

When using the Detach button on the Naval Organization window, or the Divide Fleet order, the standing orders of the parent fleet will be copied to the newly created detached fleet if the 'Copy Standing on Detach' checkbox is ticked. The conditional orders of the parent fleet will be copied to the newly created detached fleet if the 'Copy Conditional on Detach' checkbox is ticked.

This applies to detachments of individual ships, sub-fleets and squadrons directly from the Treeview, plus ships selected from the ship list tab associated with fleet, sub-fleets and squadrons. However, fleets created from a Squadron, or from ships selected from the ship list tab when a Squadron is selected, will only have the orders copied if the 'Include Squadron' checkbox is checked.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Replenish from Ship Standing Order

The new "LG: Refuel from Tanker" standing/conditional order will trigger a 'refuel from stationary tanker', if one is available. The order will check for the nearest tanker with fuel, refuelling capability and no movement orders. This will work across multiple systems.

The "LG Replenish from Ship" standing/conditional order will trigger a 'refuel from stationary tanker' order, followed by a resupply from stationary supply ship order', if a suitable fleet is available. The order will check for a fleet with no movement orders that has both a tanker with fuel and refuelling capability, plus a supply ship with supplies and a cargo shuttle bay. This can be the same ship for both cases. This will work across multiple systems.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Flag Bridges and Naval Admin Commands

The role of flag bridges is changing for v2.6. Previously, an officer assigned to a flag bridge added a reaction bonus to the fleet under his command. For v2.6, the flag bridge can instead host a naval admin command.

On the Naval Admin tab of the Naval Organization window, the potential location list for a Naval Admin Command now shows ships with flag bridges as well as populations with naval headquarters. These can be assigned on creation or via updating the admin command. Multiple admin commands can be assigned to the same flag bridge. Admin commands on ships function in the same way as admin commands on planets, with two major restrictions:

• They have a zero radius, so they will only have an effect in the same system
• They cannot have subordinate commands. This is checked on creation, update, drag-drop, etc.

Because the admin command is based on the ship, its commander may be killed if the flag bridge is hit, or the ship is destroyed. He may also end up in a lifepod and subsequently be captured by another Empire.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Hull Categories

I've added an optional Hull Category layer to the list of classes in the Class Design window. This splits up the listing into Military, Commercial, Space Stations, FAC (501 - 1000 tons) and Fighter (500 or less). Any class with no armour will be placed into space stations, regardless of size.

You can theoretically have the same hull type in two hull categories. For example, a fighter category Tanker class and a commercial category Tanker class.

Unchecking the Hull Category checkbox will remove the hull category layer.

Here is the full class design window with the latest version of all the treeview changes.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Ignore Standing and Conditional Orders

I've added two checkboxes named "Ignore Standing Orders" and "Ignore Conditional Orders" to the Standing Orders tab of the Naval Organization window. If either is checked, the fleet will ignore any orders of the respective type until the checkbox is unclicked.

This is for situations where you have multiple orders set up and don't want to remove them during a period when they might be inapplicable.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Random Wrecks

Systems may occasionally contain one or more random wrecks. These will generally be old precursor wrecks, although the type will be unknown unless you have detected an intact version of the same type.

While the player may salvage these wrecks, they may also draw the attention of NPRs and certain spoiler races.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

NPR Hostility

With the advent of multi-system NPRs, it is far more likely now than you (or another NPR) will meet an NPR at the edge of its territory, where you do not pose an immediate threat. Consequently, you are less likely to get into a confrontation over disputed systems.

Therefore, there is now a chance that some NPRs will be automatically hostile, regardless of territorial concerns. If the primary species of the NPR has Xenophobia and Militancy above 50, there is a percentage chance equal to Xenophobia + Militancy - 100 that any first contact situation will result in the NPR declaring the new race as hostile. This is done on a case by case basis, so it will not necessarily be hostile in all cases.

As species characteristics are determined on 4 x D25, the average characteristic is 52. Therefore this check will be performed on slightly more than a quarter of NPRs and many of those will have a low probability. However, the existing Hostility Modifier in game option adds that modifier to both Xenophobia and Militancy, so increasing that number will result in more immediately hostile NPRs.

This immediate hostility does not prevent communication attempts.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Alien Race Portraits

Currently, Alien Race portraits are shown on the Intelligence window as soon as a new race is detected. For v2.6, the portrait will remain blank until one of the following events occurs

• Communication is established
• A populated colony of the alien is captured or transferred to the viewing race.
• A ship of the alien race surrenders or is captured
• A lifepod of that race is rescued.
• A boarding action takes place involving the alien race.
• Sufficient ELINT data is gathered to generate an Intelligence Event

Ships and Flags will still be displayed as normal.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Starting Research Points for Spoiler Races

On the New Game window, there are four new text boxes that allow you to specify minimum research points for the Precursors, Raiders, Invaders and Swarm, giving you the option to make the various space-based spoiler races more or less of a challenge.

These options have default values of 600k, 400k, 1.5m and 600k respectively. These match the current defaults in v2.5.1, except that Invaders has been increased from 1.2m to 1.5m.

The specified minimum research points for each spoiler race will be overridden in the cases specified below (as are the current defaults):

• Precursors will always have at least 20% more research points than the player race with the most starting research points.
• Invaders will always have at least 50% more research points than the player race with the most starting research points.
• For research point purposes, Raiders are generated in the same way as a starting NPR. This will override any lower minimum RP and be overridden by any higher minimum RP.
• For research point purposes, Swarm are generated in the same way as a mid-game NPR, plus a research time boost. This will override any lower minimum RP and be overridden by any higher minimum RP.

In general, Swarm will be the least affected by any minimum research as they naturally generate stronger swarms as the game progresses.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Change to Raider vs NPR Encounters

One of the game-level options is for NPRs to encounter raiders. Currently, if this is set then Raiders will randomly select any system known to any race. In games with many NPRs, this can reduce the raiders to a very occasional threat for a single player race. This will be even more true in v2.6 with the addition of multi-system NPRs.

Therefore, for v2.6, the 'NPRs Encounter Raiders' option will work differently. If this is set, there is a 50% chance the Raiders will choose any system and a 50% chance they will choose a system known to a player race. Note that in the former case, this could still be a player system and in the latter case, the raiders could still enter an NPR system that is known to the player.

This should add some variety to raiders by allowing NPR vs Raider battles, without minimizing the threat to players.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Mineral Tracking

Aurora now tracks all mineral production, usage and transport for player races. The only exception is civilian mining production that is not purchased in place or sent via mass driver.

This can be viewed on a colony or Empire basis, and over periods of one, three, six or twelve months. When minerals move around, via freighter or mass driver, they are tracked on departure, in-transit and on arrival.

The following types of mineral production, usage and transport are tracked:

Inflow
Mining
Civilian Mining (in place)
Starting Stockpile
Recovered from Ruins
Scrapping Components
Scrapping Ground Units
Scrapping Installations
Scrapping Ordnance
Unloaded from Freighter
Received from Mass Driver

Outflow
Installation Construction
Space Station Construction
Ship Component Construction
Ordnance Production
Fighter Production
Shipbuilding
Shipyard Upgrades
Ground Unit Training
Fuel Refining
Maintenance Production
Loaded into Freighter
Sent by Mass Driver

In Transit
Freighter Cargo Holds
Mass Driver Packets

For example, below there are minerals from mining, minerals recovered from ruins and minerals arriving via freighter and mass driver. In this case the same minerals are tracked at the Empire level as recovered from ruins and arriving by freighter. They are also tracked as departing by freighter so the net inflow amount is the amount recovered from ruins. While this might seem odd at an Empire level, it is similar to double-entry book-keeping and allows you to more easily track minerals at individual populations.

In addition to the inflow and outflow, any minerals currently on freighters or in mass driver packets are tracked separately.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Pre-Industrial Races

In v2.5.1, there is a checkbox for generating NPRs as pre-industrial races. For v2.6, this is replaced by a percentage field in the same way as minor races, with a default of 10%.

The chance for pre-industrials is checked before minor races, but this is adjusted for by checking for the minor race percentage vs (100% - pre-industrial chance). For example, if pre-industrial is 10% and minor races is 25%, the pre-industrial is checked on 10/100 and then the minor race is checked on 25/90. This will lead to the long-term distribution being accurate vs the selected percentages. Otherwise, the minor race would be 22.5%, not 25%.

Because of the above, the chances for pre-industrial and minor races cannot add up to more than 100%. If they are set to greater than 100% in game setting, it will be adjusted by automatically lowering the minor race percentage.

Pre-industrial races will be generated with an average population of about 1/8th that of a full NPR (not minor race) generated at the same point in the campaign. They do not have industry or ships, but they do have ground forces.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

New Conventional Systems

The following systems will be treated as conventional for v2.6

• Laser 10cm Focal Size
• Infrared Laser
• 10cm Railgun
• Railgun Launch Velocity 10,000
• Particle Beam Strength 2
• Particle Beam Range 60,000 km
• 15cm Carronade

This provides a few basic weapons for conventional races and reduces start-up RP costs a little.

All the second steps on the above progressions, as well as Capacitor Recharge Rate 2, will need Trans-Newtonian Technology.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Industrial Age NPRs

'Industrial NPRs' have been added for v2.6. These are conventional races, but are not on the path to Trans-Newtonian Technology.

They have a population similar to minor races and have conventional industry, ground force construction complexes, tracking stations and ground forces, including primitive STOs. They do not have shipyards or research facilities. although they may have conventional-engined freighters and colony ships and might colonise a suitable body in their home system. They are effectively 20th Century or early 21st century civilizations. They can train additional ground forces and build additional academies, tracking stations, ground force construction complexes and conventional industry. The latter cost 240 BP and require a variety of minerals (for balance purposes).

There are effectively five different starting levels now:

• Pre-Industrial
• Conventional Only (Industrial)
• Conventional Progressing to TN (Player Conventional Start)
• Minor TN Race
• Major TN Race

Player Races can be 3 or 5. NPRs can be 1, 2, 4 or 5. The process of 3 becoming 5 would be very complex for the AI to handle, so I am adding 2 now and I might add an NPR version of 3 at some point in the future.

Industrial NPRs have a percentage field on the Game Details window in the same way as Pre-Industrial races, with a default of 10%. The chance for industrials is checked after pre-industrials and before minor races, with the same adjustments made as for pre-industrial so that they are true percentages. The total for pre-industrial, industrial and minor races cannot add up to more than 100%

Industrial NPRs present a more interesting situation than the 'speed-bump' Pre-Industrials and can engage in diplomatic relations, become friendly, declare war, etc. If you conquer them, they provide a source of conventional industry that can be converted into TN factories. In this regard, they fulfil a similar function to ruins, albeit with without the Precursor guardians.  On that basis, a high % of Industrials will tend to make the game easier.

Because Industrial NPRs are now possible, the Conventional Option on the Create Race window can be applied to NPRs, allowing you to manually create an Industrial NPR,

I considered including a shipyard and some limited conventional warships, but it would be a lot of coding for something that would not be any threat - even to unarmed survey ships. If I get around to creating a Conventional Progressing NPR, I will tackle it then.