Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread: C# Edition

[Migi]

Changing the name of any component can be done via the Technology Report or in the Class Design window.
Changing the name in the DB should (in principle) do the exact same thing, as long as you don't make any typos in the SQL when doing so.

I've not seen anyone claim to change the name of any minerals/elements like 'Duranium', although I've not exactly done an exhaustive search. My guess would be that these names are hard coded and not in the DB.

since my campaign goal is a multifaction Earth conventional scenario and there's going to be a lot of power posturing around Earth's space... space. What's the equivalent term to airspace in space? Spacespace? It can't be, right?)

Earths' Sphere of Influence or the Space-lanes around Earth might serve.

[nuclearslurpee]

If you've found where in the DB are the names of the minerals, please tell me, I did look and I never found them.

I've never found it either, it was only an example sadly.

BTW I'm looking for the place where's the list of names used for newly generated species, and I haven't found it either...

You can change the names for types of empires (DIM_EmpireTitles or similar) but curiously there is no table with species names.

On changing the names, what I meant is that for tech names, you'll need to change it in multiple tables for it to work. Even then, changing the name of a weapon tech (and probably any user-specified component), it *won't change* the generated component's name when you try to design it. So you have to write it in full every time, and it gets boring. Also, if there's a way to change the name of the group where your components end up in the ship design window, I haven't found it yet. It's twice annoying to look for my newly-designed and named subspace mortars, when I forget they must be under "mesons" ugh...

DIM_ComponentType is one of the tables you need, you can rename mesons to subspace mortars or whatever else you want and it will use this as the category name in component design, tech window, etc.

FCT_TechSystem is the other, which changes both the tech name and the auto-generated name used when designing components. There is a second column for an optional name which is used for auto-generated naming, currently only engines and fighter pods use this but it might work for any other component type you can design if you add a name in that column for each level of the relevant tech.

[dsedrez]

In order to edit the DB you need to close the game, make your changes in an editor and save them, and then reload the game. Changes in a DB editor will not modify the game while it is running as the game does not read from the DB except when loading the save initially.

I've just tried it again. Copied the BD for safety, changed current wealth in the Race table, saved, opened the game, checked that the new value was there, advanced 5 days, and the value was back to what it was.
Closed the game, changed *both* the current wealth and the previous wealth in the BD, saved, opened the game, checked the new value was there, advanced 5 days, and yes, the value was back to where it was... It even registered the change in the top of the window, -100000 wealth (the value I'd added on the BD, an outrageous value just so I wouldn't miss it). Therefore the game must be saving the current amount somewhere else as well. Possibly a whole list of past values.

[dsedrez]

DIM_ComponentType is one of the tables you need, you can rename mesons to subspace mortars or whatever else you want and it will use this as the category name in component design, tech window, etc.

FCT_TechSystem is the other, which changes both the tech name and the auto-generated name used when designing components. There is a second column for an optional name which is used for auto-generated naming, currently only engines and fighter pods use this but it might work for any other component type you can design if you add a name in that column for each level of the relevant tech.

Yes, these are two I've changed, but there's two more: DIM_ResearchCategories that's used (as far as I can see) for the component design window, but I've only dared changing the names. And there's DIM_TechType, which says where the tech is listed (under Beam Weapons or Missiles/Kinetics in my case). Still, my subspace mortar remains listed under the "Mesons" category in the class design window... it's probably hardcoded in the executable.

But I hadn't tried this second column, thanks for the tip! I'll try and see if it works to give a more appropriate name for my components.

[LuuBluum]

Ah, it would make sense for it to be hardcoded. Not a big deal in the end; honestly I don't think my write-up is actually going to include all that many screenshots of game menus, so I won't have to edit over it or anything like that. Mostly just mild annoyance on my part.

I suppose I have the time while waiting for 2.0 to figure out Blender, at least.

[alex_brunius]

Copied the BD for safety, changed current wealth in the Race table, saved, opened the game, checked that the new value was there, advanced 5 days, and the value was back to what it was.

Worked just fine for me to change the wealth via DB edit, for me the changed wealth value persists through both economy tick and saving + closing down Aurora and opening it again.

Did you edit the "WealthPoints" column?

[nuclearslurpee]

Ah, it would make sense for it to be hardcoded. Not a big deal in the end; honestly I don't think my write-up is actually going to include all that many screenshots of game menus, so I won't have to edit over it or anything like that. Mostly just mild annoyance on my part.

Aside from doing the mental work to keep track of your RP changes, it's very possible to handwave the Aurora terminology and even certain mechanics for the sake of an AAR. Stormtrooper for example has done this very effectively in his Dark Forest AARs.

[Coleslaw]

Ground combat is still really confusing to me and I have various questions about it.

Is there a way to have your bombardment units indiscriminately fire on any and all enemy formations or do all bombardment units in support/rear echelon have to be assigned to support a specific formation in order to attack?

Are light bombardment elements that fight on the front line less likely to be targeted by enemies? Do they still fire on attacking enemies as if they were supporting?

If a bombardment unit is set as "non-combat," does it suffer the malus to its chance to hit when bombarding or only when it's on the frontline?

Do units with static headquarters, or really any static units, completely miss out on the ability to do breakthroughs? For example, for a tank formation with a static HQ, can the tanks still do breakthroughs?

Can static elements attack or only defend?

[nuclearslurpee]

Is there a way to have your bombardment units indiscriminately fire on any and all enemy formations or do all bombardment units in support/rear echelon have to be assigned to support a specific formation in order to attack?

If your bombardment formations are not assigned to support, they will do counter-battery fire, basically they will fire at any enemy bombardment element within range. However there is not an indiscriminate fire option unless you want to put your artillery in the front line (please do not put your artillery in the front line).

Are light bombardment elements that fight on the front line less likely to be targeted by enemies?

No.

Do they still fire on attacking enemies as if they were supporting?

Light bombardment elements in a front line attack/defense formation fire as normal units. They are small and cheap enough that this is an okay strategy if you want to use them to represent infantry mortars, however they can also work from the support echelon. Note that LB are not generally capable of counter-battery due to short range so if you use them in the support echelon they need to have a support relationship set.

If a bombardment unit is set as "non-combat," does it suffer the malus to its chance to hit when bombarding or only when it's on the frontline?

It will suffer the malus. The only units which should be set as non-combat are those which do not fire in ground combat (note that this includes STOs, since they do not fire in ground combat, even though they are a type of weapon).

Do units with static headquarters, or really any static units, completely miss out on the ability to do breakthroughs? For example, for a tank formation with a static HQ, can the tanks still do breakthroughs?

Breakthroughs occur on a formation basis, so a formation with static elements can break through but will have a lower chance to do so due to the static elements.

Can static elements attack or only defend?

Any formation can be set to any stance, including front line attack and defense. Static formations are no exception. The difference between front line attack and defense is only that attack uses unit evasion/hit modifier stat while defense uses unit fortification stat, and that attack stance formations have a higher breakthrough chance (factor of 2x).

[Coleslaw]

Much appreciated!   

[dsedrez]

Copied the BD for safety, changed current wealth in the Race table, saved, opened the game, checked that the new value was there, advanced 5 days, and the value was back to what it was.

Worked just fine for me to change the wealth via DB edit, for me the changed wealth value persists through both economy tick and saving + closing down Aurora and opening it again.

Did you edit the "WealthPoints" column?

Yeah, both the WealthPoints and the PreviousWealth columns. Strange... are you using v.1.13 as I am?

[alex_brunius]

are you using v.1.13 as I am?

Yeah.

[alex_brunius]

Another question.
Why is my infantry only fortifying to their base value (3) on Earth? Based on this update on Planetary Terrain ( and on what's visible in DB in DIM_PlanetaryTerrain Table ) Temperate Forest should have a fortification modifier of 1.25 which should work as "a modifier for the max fortification level".

I was expecting them to fortify to 3.75 based on this.

[Steve Walmsley]

Another question.
Why is my infantry only fortifying to their base value (3) on Earth? Based on this update on Planetary Terrain ( and on what's visible in DB in DIM_PlanetaryTerrain Table ) Temperate Forest should have a fortification modifier of 1.25 which should work as "a modifier for the max fortification level".

I was expecting them to fortify to 3.75 based on this.

The 1.25 is applied in combat, not as a modifier to max fortification. Otherwise it would be confusing when you looked at the fortification rate of units on different planets without checking the terrain first for each one.

[nakorkren]

Is it normal to get an autopsy research item for Precursors? I've gotten ones for other races when I've blown up their ships and then rescued survivors, but I've never actually seen any Precursor lifepods, much less picked one up. I have a screenshot if it turns out to be a previously unreported bug, but didn't want to post it here because there's no way to spoiler tag an attachment.