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[Draginea]

You just need to increase the memory allotted to Starsector. This http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=5310.msg111235#msg111235 explains how to.

[xenoargh]

You shouldn't need to do that at all, if you've picked a low-memory start.  I list that stuff at the start for a reason

Anyhow, sounds like I need to actually write the abstraction system I planned out earlier to reduce the memory use even further; I think I can make the game run comfortably and without much delay on load / save with dozens of Systems, if not hundreds, even for users with only 1 GB assigned to the game.

[Nanao-kun]

Anyhow, sounds like I need to actually write the abstraction system I planned out earlier to reduce the memory use even further; I think I can make the game run comfortably and without much delay on load / save with dozens of Systems, if not hundreds, even for users with only 1 GB assigned to the game.

That sounds pretty crazy.

[xenoargh]

We'll see, but I'm fairly confident this can be done

[c plus one]

We'll see, but I'm fairly confident this can be done

I'm placing my mildly-low-RAM laptop's destiny in your hands, then. Good luck with the abstraction system..."help me, Xeno-Argh Kenobi; you're my only hope"

[xenoargh]

OK, I think that the customizable-AI feature is fully working.  After some testing, I've decided to offer players 3 types of AI:

Carrier AI:  Good for ships like the Venture; it causes these ships to behave as if they have the CARRIER setting, regardless of whether they have a flight deck (which also, incidentally, makes them do more broadsides).

Sniper AI:  Good for missile boats and Tachyon Lance snipers, where we don't want them to close with the enemy at all.

Brawler AI:  Good for any ships bristling with short-range weapons, where they make up in damage what they'll take in incoming.

Also am thinking about implementing a "shield removal" mod, for those ships who are better off without shields, foregoing protection for more Flux for weapons.

Then all I need to get done (for this build) is a couple of minor changes to put diplomatic relations in (in a very basic way, basically, adjusting relationships with everybody in the Sector when you fight another fleet) and put in some sort of "fleeing" state for the AI / player (right now due to changes elsewhere, there is no Escape mode, but it's moderately fun so it's going back in) and I think this build will finally be ready.

[Nanao-kun]

OK, I think that the customizable-AI feature is fully working.  After some testing, I've decided to offer players 3 types of AI:

Carrier AI:  Good for ships like the Venture; it causes these ships to behave as if they have the CARRIER setting, regardless of whether they have a flight deck (which also, incidentally, makes them do more broadsides).

Sniper AI:  Good for missile boats and Tachyon Lance snipers, where we don't want them to close with the enemy at all.

Brawler AI:  Good for any ships bristling with short-range weapons, where they make up in damage what they'll take in incoming.

Also am thinking about implementing a "shield removal" mod, for those ships who are better off without shields, foregoing protection for more Flux for weapons.

Then all I need to get done (for this build) is a couple of minor changes to put diplomatic relations in (in a very basic way, basically, adjusting relationships with everybody in the Sector when you fight another fleet) and put in some sort of "fleeing" state for the AI / player (right now due to changes elsewhere, there is no Escape mode, but it's moderately fun so it's going back in) and I think this build will finally be ready.

Hah, now if only we could fill weapon slots with special flux vents/capacitors. A mounted shield that works in the direction of the turret/hardpoint would be cool too, but I don't think that would work.

[Debido]

What if you received a flux/venting bonus for EACH unused Ordinance Point? Might then be able to have that as a hull mod. Then you've got to choose between taking your guns or having more flux for the guns you kept on the ship.

[xenoargh]

I don't know whether that's even possible, but I might look into it?

[xenoargh]

That appears to be vaguely possible, maybe? 

Not quite sure how I'd structure that, though, in terms of presenting it to players, and then there's the balance knock-on effects.  For example, it'd turn a Spearhead into a DPS monster, if you could fire the Heavy Plasma Cannon constantly while also draining Hard Flux like crazy.  Not sure that's a good idea

[Debido]

Hm, well I suppose you can balance how many points of flux/vent you get per class. I'm not sure which ship the spearhead is - so many Starsector mods and ships!

I think it would be worth playtesting to see how it actually affects the capabilities of ships. I mean we're decreasing the overall damage output of the ship, but allowing you to fire for longer and keep your shields up a bit longer as well. Sort of a tortoise vs the hare analogy. Once your shields are down, the other guy is going to be doing more damage to you, than you can ever do to him (in theory).

That's the intention anyway what are the stats on the Spearhead?

[Debido]

Another thought, for energy based ships, you could have a specialised 'Energy weapon Flux conduit concentrator' mod that gives you extra damage for unused OP.

I mean what's the going rate OP rate for a large energy weapon? 20-30 points? Have it so that for every 35 points of unused OP the remaining energy weapons get a 100% boost to damage, but with it the you also get the increased flux generation.

With that you could make a very powerful single energy weapon at the expense of shields/hullmods/flux capacity etc. However your one-shot ship is going to be a total glass cannon.

[xenoargh]

Spearhead:



If you've ever fought one, then you probably know why I'm a bit leery of making them even more powerful.  Sometimes their arrival in a big fight is a game-changer.  Not to mention what you could do with a Paragon or Odyssey; they could be made, for all practical intents and purposes, invulnerable, and they're already very difficult nuts to crack if a player has one.

Another thought, for energy based ships, you could have a specialised 'Energy weapon Flux conduit concentrator' mod that gives you extra damage for unused OP.

That can't be done in this mod, because of the Energy / Ballistics split.  Basically, SS doesn't allow for Mutablestats to be assigned to a Weapon arbitrarily; we can't just pick out Weapons that use Flux and give them a bonus; bonuses must be applied to the Slot class.  This is something that Alex could change, but he's fairly unlikely to atm.  That said, if he did, I could get rid of the Energy / Ballistics split.  That's why the only damage upgrades are Energy Pump and Armor Analysis

[xenoargh]

I think that the release is getting really close to being done.

Tried out abstraction of fleets (basically, fleets only really exist in the local System, rather than being explicitly simulated everywhere) and it works like a charm; SS + Vacuum with 32 generated Systems uses less than 512 MB of RAM.

The only creeping RAM eater that remains, therefore, is store inventories... which I'll look into.

So it appears that there will not be any memory limitations for users for the upcoming build, even if you're on a crummy laptop running XP (CPU/GPU limitations are, of course, another story, but I think people will be very pleased with the amount of speedup there as well).

Now the question is largely deciding how to simulate activities outside the local System (probably will be very crude) and deciding whether to try and throw in some sort of mission structure (probably won't happen this build, though).

[Tecrys]

Congrats to that!

Sounds really awesome, can't wait for the whole AI stuff you've been working on. Also that thing about memory is absolutely amazing imho!

Xeno pulls off some real magic here!