Suggestions for v5.1

[Commodore_Areyar]

On your terraforming mirror/ shade idea.

good idea, I really like it! However I'd not have it time intensive, but rather maintenance intensive.
Since they are not providing a permanent alteration to the environment, but directly increasing/decreasing the albedo *
(* actually altering received solar radiation, but albedo is the factor that comes closest from those listed in the environmental box of the sysgenscreen).

It is the quick fix approach to planetary engineering:

They would be fairly cheap to build (similar cost to infrastructure, but utilising another TN element), and you would still require quite a number for them to be effective, but their effect on planetary base temperature (or albedo, whichever works) would be instantaneous.

The drawback is that they would also require maintenance. Or alternatively take up pop like infra does.
The best option would be to have them decay (orbital).
(one unit could in/decrease basetemp by one degree one year one, but this decays by 0.1 each year. or 10%/year for the entire unit to fail).

They would be equally succeptable to collateral damage as infrastructures,  but not directly targetable like shipyards.

my two creds.

[mrwigggles]

An instantly decaying orbit? Why wouldn't the civvie engineers place them in a more permeant orbit? Or did you mean that it would decay without the support staff?

I'm in favor of mega constructions in general though, so this gets my thumbs up.

[waresky]

On your terraforming mirror/ shade idea.

good idea, I really like it! However I'd not have it time intensive, but rather maintenance intensive.
Since they are not providing a permanent alteration to the environment, but directly increasing/decreasing the albedo *
(* actually altering received solar radiation, but albedo is the factor that comes closest from those listed in the environmental box of the sysgenscreen).

It is the quick fix approach to planetary engineering:

They would be fairly cheap to build (similar cost to infrastructure, but utilising another TN element), and you would still require quite a number for them to be effective, but their effect on planetary base temperature (or albedo, whichever works) would be instantaneous.

The drawback is that they would also require maintenance. Or alternatively take up pop like infra does.
The best option would be to have them decay (orbital).
(one unit could in/decrease basetemp by one degree one year one, but this decays by 0.1 each year. or 10%/year for the entire unit to fail).

They would be equally succeptable to collateral damage as infrastructures,  but not directly targetable like shipyards.

my two creds.

Am not agree,dislike "decay" orbit.
There r so far micromanagement.
When u colonize 2000 solar systems or planets..show u HOW many micro u need follow:))

[waresky]

Ciao Steve.
Am found little difficult on research Specialist on Scientist selection windows.

Can u setup a sort of "query" list,and sort them for Specialization?

Eg: Am will found how many best Scientist are on Energy,or Construction even Missile/Kinetic field are.

For more fast selection and for put them on a sort of "list" from better to weak..

hope u understand:)

See ya

[Brian Neumann]

Steve, is there any chance you could change the way maintenance modules work.  Currently if you do not have enough modules then they have no effect on a ship.  Instead could they have a prorated effect.  There have been plenty of times in history, and in stories where a facility was just not big enough for some of the ships based at it.  They could maintain some stuff, but over time the ships would have problems.  Thier problems however were much slower to set in and it took much longer for them to get critical.

Have the effect be something like (# of modules/# of modules needed) with a max effectiveness of 90%.  That way even if you are only missing one module to maintain a really big ship it will have an effect, but with the clock going up at 10% of normal it will still take a long time.  For smaller ships if they are missing even one module it will probably be a greater percentage anyway so the max effect doesn't do anything.

Brian

[Hawkeye]

The bug issue with planetary tracking stations brought forward a nagging feeling I had for some time now.

As it is, scattering a few tracking stations here and there is not realy efficient in my book.

Take our solar system, for example. Playing a conventional start, I usually have colonists on Mars and often Titan too, along with some mining outposts on one or two other planets, some moons and asteroids/comets. Initially, I put one or two planetary tracking stations on each colony/outpost.

Lets assume I have a total of 8 outposts/colonies, each with 2 tracking stations.
Those will cover perhaps 20% of the system at a given signatur strength. Once I reel all of them in back to earth, They suddenly cover the entire system out to Neptun, perhaps even further.
This doesn´t realy make a lot of sense.

What I am trying to say is, am I the only one that thinks, that at higher levels, the sensor strength of PTS seems to rise way too fast or should they be toned down a bit?

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

The bug issue with planetary tracking stations brought forward a nagging feeling I had for some time now.

As it is, scattering a few tracking stations here and there is not realy efficient in my book.

Take our solar system, for example. Playing a conventional start, I usually have colonists on Mars and often Titan too, along with some mining outposts on one or two other planets, some moons and asteroids/comets. Initially, I put one or two planetary tracking stations on each colony/outpost.

Lets assume I have a total of 8 outposts/colonies, each with 2 tracking stations.
Those will cover perhaps 20% of the system at a given signatur strength. Once I reel all of them in back to earth, They suddenly cover the entire system out to Neptun, perhaps even further.
This doesn´t realy make a lot of sense.

What I am trying to say is, am I the only one that thinks, that at higher levels, the sensor strength of PTS seems to rise way too fast or should they be toned down a bit?

An interesting point. The simple solution would be to have planetary sensors add their values together rather than the current method of 25% greater effect for every additional module. I can't even remember why I set it up that way in the first place. I would guess that my intention was to restrict the capability of planetary sensors. Although that is true when only a few sensors are involved, the reverse becomes true as more sensors are added. Does anyone have a problem with changing planetary sensors to a simple aggregate value?

For example, assuming sensors of strength 300:

For 10 sensors, the current value would be 2793. On a simple aggregate basis it would be 3000

for 2 sensors, it would be 375 / 600

For 5 sensors, it would be 915 / 1500

For 20 sensors: 26,020 / 6000

For 30 sensors: 242,338 / 9000

As you can see, an aggregate method would be better for 10 or fewer sensors but much worse for larger amounts

Steve

[Erik L]

An interesting point. The simple solution would be to have planetary sensors add their values together rather than the current method of 25% greater effect for every additional module. I can't even remember why I set it up that way in the first place. I would guess that my intention was to restrict the capability of planetary sensors. Although that is true when only a few sensors are involved, the reverse becomes true as more sensors are added. Does anyone have a problem with changing planetary sensors to a simple aggregate value?

For example, assuming sensors of strength 300:

For 10 sensors, the current value would be 2793. On a simple aggregate basis it would be 3000

for 2 sensors, it would be 468 / 600

For 5 sensors, it would be 915 / 1500

For 20 sensors: 26,020, 6000

For 30 sensors: 242,338 / 9000

As you can see, an aggregate method would be better for 10 or fewer sensors but much worse for larger amounts

Steve

That works for me. Means more strategic thinking in placing listening posts.

[schroeam]

Steve,
Any thoughts on a release date for v5.0?
Adam.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Steve,
Any thoughts on a release date for v5.0?
Adam.

Still have quite a bit of testing to do. Sometime this week I would guess though.

Steve

[quintin522]

In the Honorverse, they would burn out the enemy missile's guidance system using ECM. Any chance of something like this being implemented?

[backstab]

Steve,
Any thoughts on a release date for v5.0?
Adam.

Still have quite a bit of testing to do. Sometime this week I would guess though.

Steve

Darn ... just started my mega-campaign ... might have to put it on hold for a while and see what you have included in Ver 5.0

[plugger]

Aliens on your Doorstep

I'd like to request an additional option when you first start a new game that places a randomly generated NPR somewhere within your start system. Eg. The methane breathing Ice-slugs of Titan or the Red Dust Swarms of Mars.

I realise that you can do this via SM mode but that provides the player with a lot of pre-knowledge that takes away the surprise and challenge of the unknown.

Having a random race in a semi-random location in your system enables the player to quickly transition to the Alien Contact / Combat part of Aurora which can take an awfully long time to encounter in a normal game.

Sort of a 'fast start' option for a different type of game. One that puts you in clear and present danger from the word go.

Cheers,
Plugger

[ZimRathbone]

In the Honorverse, they would burn out the enemy missile's guidance system using ECM. Any chance of something like this being implemented?

This is what High Power Microwave projectors are for.

And what the electronic Hardening tech is there to prevent.

Note that you can't mount HPMs in a turret for anti missile use but I'm not sure if they would be effective in this role anyway unless the missile was on ATG (OTOH Steve may have coded them to take out a missile if 1 pt of damage penetrates, like most other beam weps).  You CAN however burn out the guiding ships F/C. Real problem here is the range - HPMs are about as short sighted as Mesons, other than JP assaults, unless youre lucky they wont often come into range of missile ships until after all missiles have been fired

[Brian Neumann]

This is what High Power Microwave projectors are for.

And what the electronic Hardening tech is there to prevent.

Note that you can't mount HPMs in a turret for anti missile use but I'm not sure if they would be effective in this role anyway unless the missile was on ATG (OTOH Steve may have coded them to take out a missile if 1 pt of damage penetrates, like most other beam weps).  You CAN however burn out the guiding ships F/C. Real problem here is the range - HPMs are about as short sighted as Mesons, other than JP assaults, unless youre lucky they wont often come into range of missile ships until after all missiles have been fired

The other place that HPM's work is in a nebula.  There the short range is not a factor, and there are no shields to stop them.

Brian