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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: [0.96a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 13.2a) - indev campaign mod  (Read 243924 times)

HELMUT

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2020, 01:36:18 PM »

In my recent campaign, i decided to include the SOTF mod. While i already knew of the bits and interesting parts the mod adds, it really require a full campaign to properly appreciate it. So, in this post i'll take about the tactical expansion provided by the new objectives types.

Long story short, i now consider Secrets of the Frontier to be part of my must have mods. The ones with a permanently checked box in the mod manager window.

Now, to understand why i think so, we have to look into vanilla first. The current objectives types in Starsector are the sensor jammer, the nav buoy and the comm relay. Sadly, both sensor jammer and nav buoy can be completely ignored if you have the proper skills and one or two ships with ECM package and Nav Relay. They tend to have no, or almost no impact whatsoever on the battle. Comm relay is more useful, as it increase the command point generation. Alas, asides of some Operation Center shenanigans, CPs aren't that useful either. Basically, a whole part of the base game doesn't even really work, and as a result, it's no fun.

The two new objectives added by the mod are much more interesting, and there are good reasons to interact with those. The defence emplacement adds either a turret, a launch bay or a mine layer that can be captured to fight by your side. Turrets do have targeting supercomputer, so they can assist from pretty far away. Getting a Gauss turret with increased range to back you up can be pretty useful up to mid-game if you can order your fleet around it. Same for the launch bay and mine layer. They unfortunately do not scale very well into late game though. Once i had capital ships, i usually ignored the points and steamrolled over those the enemy captured.

Fun fact, the defensive emplacements are not static like space stations, they can be bumped and moved around! So far i haven't tried tugging around a turret for anything else than fun, but it's possible. Unfortunately, it's also possible to "lose" it by accidentally pushing it too far from its original point.

The second combat objective, and the most useful, is the Hyperwave Transmitter. Once captured, it will call in reinforcement from either derelicts or remnants. Capturing several Hyperwave Transmitter will increase the number of ships coming to your aid.

In my campaign, i played a lot with those, but not too much that it became a "must capture at all cost". In my post in the Legacy of Arkgneisis thread , i wrote about how i took on a pirate fleet much bigger than mine, and managed to sink their flagship by capturing the appropriate objectives.

This didn't happened in just one battle. More often than not, Ludd forgive me, my battles were fought side by side with derelicts and remnants. The Hyperwave Transmitter isn't guarded? Capture it! The enemy fleet is sitting on it? Let's ignore it for now. An allied AI craft is engaging the enemy's flagship, do i help it? Or do i sacrifice it to give me time to kill that isolated carrier over there? That derelict is trying to engage an Onslaught upfront, do i get behind it and advance while using its hull as a cover?

On the other hand, there were some occasions where my fleet was on the receiving end of a constant stream of flying toasters, charging me without regard for their safety, while i'm busy trying to handle the rest of the fleet.

Paradoxically, by "improving" the other combat objectives, the vanilla Comm Relay that increase CP generation became more attractive as well. Gotta need those CPs to capture and re-capture those objectives!

To summarise, it was fun, i enjoyed myself. I think SOTF is very important to Starsector in the same way that Combat Chatter, Nexerelin or Console command adds to the game. Those mods fills a hole in the base game, they bring something that Starsector should, but do not (yet?) have. In this case, interactive and interesting combat objectives. Still, SOTF is a pre-release, work in progress and all that, and it shows. I feel it could be much more. I have said earlier than Defensive emplacements tends to fall off later in the game, Hyperwave Transmitter too, although to a lesser extent. So it might all require some tweaking to make it work from the beginning to the end.

Here's some of the things i would like to see eventually :

- Reworked vanilla objectives. Maybe Alex will do it in the next release, maybe not. In the meantime, they don't really work all that well, and SOTF could change that.
- Skills affecting the new objectives. After all, why not? Plus it could be a way to make them scale better during late game too.
- Objectives that scale depending on the overall fleet point from both fleet? That way, the effects of the objectives can be directly tweaked depending on the number of ships, as to stay relevant for late game, but not too strong for early game.
- More objectives obviously! A large shield generator to cover a wide area, an automated supply depot to slow down the peak performance/CR degradation, pilum spawn from the nearby's planet defensive platforms... There are many possibilities to spice things up.

Yeah, i'm really liking this mod, i'm looking forward for what's next.

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Inventor Raccoon

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2020, 07:32:52 PM »

-snip-
Thanks for your thoughts! An interesting read, I like to hear people's experiences with battle objectives that are a bit more consequential than vanilla's.

I do hope to expand on the Tactical Expansion module before the quest modules launch, though there are aspects that are waiting for 0.10 (or whatever the next update is) or are limited by the resources I have (as can be seen by the current emplacements, which are rather hastily put together placeholders).


... and, uh, because my last intentional post got deleted alongside an unintentional one, a general re-announcement: the latest version of Prerelease 7 is now free from the unending-battle issue people have mentioned before.
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123nick

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #32 on: July 15, 2020, 06:19:32 PM »

Can you add the ability too upgrade habitats into outposts (the markets u can interact with) as a seperate disableable config option from habitats all together? i like them, but with boggleds terraforming now combined with boggled station construction, i dont want two redundant methods of building stations. for now, ill just house rule no market outposts from this mod, but a dedicated option for disabling upgrading the habitats (that only buff hazard rating) would be nice.
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Cyan Leader

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #33 on: July 31, 2020, 06:18:49 PM »

I've been playing with the mod for my latest run. It's great and I agree with a lot of what has been said on this thread, but my biggest issue is with how the Network Hub is the most important capture point and it can be very frustrating in an even battle if the side next to your spawn has none while the enemy has 2 or more next to theirs. I usually restart these battles to reroll the cap points. Either these need to be symmetric or they should be nerfed in general.
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Cyan Leader

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #34 on: August 17, 2020, 03:03:27 AM »

I came across an annoying bug. Dooms and mod ships that use mines will bomb neutral weapon platforms, making them impossible to be captured unless you micro those ships to stay away.
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BigBeans

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #35 on: August 17, 2020, 07:11:01 AM »

Yeah need too echo the post on the Network Hub being such a game changer. They can easily double the strength of a bounty fleet if a couple of them spawn in a battle. And since they spawn redacted they can easily be more powerful than the bounty fleets ships too.
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tantananan

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #36 on: September 06, 2020, 12:36:48 AM »

Hello! I'm having fun with this mod. I was just wondering if there is a way to disable the hyperwave transmitter but not the other capture points? Thank you!
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Histidine

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #37 on: September 09, 2020, 08:50:00 AM »

Set Omicron's relationship with player to 100 (at start or after completing the quest) so the shards join player in battle properly.

EDIT: Wrong Raccoon mod, sorry
« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 06:21:20 PM by Histidine »
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BlackWater821

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #38 on: January 18, 2021, 04:34:27 PM »

Hi, i had a CTD while attempted to rename a new outpost.


388165 [Thread-4] INFO  sound.oo0O  - Cleaning up music with id [Unknown.ogg]
388165 [Thread-4] INFO  sound.oo0O  - Cleaning up music with id [Stellar_Rust.ogg]
388175 [Thread-8] INFO  sound.oo0O  - Cleaning up music with id [faction_generic_market_01_neutral_var01.ogg]
388219 [Thread-10] INFO  sound.oo0O  - Creating streaming player for music with id [faction_generic_market_01_neutral_var01.ogg]
388219 [Thread-10] INFO  sound.null  - Playing music with id [faction_generic_market_01_neutral_var01.ogg]
388963 [Thread-4] ERROR com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatMain  - java.lang.NullPointerException
java.lang.NullPointerException
   at com.fs.starfarer.api.impl.campaign.econ.impl.OrbitalStation.notifyColonyRenamed(OrbitalStation.java:334)
   at com.fs.starfarer.campaign.ui.marketinfo.O00oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.dismiss(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.campaign.ui.marketinfo.O00oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.actionPerformed(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.ui.newnew.buttonPressed(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.ui.I.?00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.ui.I.processInput(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.ui.O0Oo.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.BaseGameState.traverse(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.state.AppDriver.begin(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatMain.main(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.StarfarerLauncher$1.run(Unknown Source)
   at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
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Helldiver

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Re: [0.9.1a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 7) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #39 on: February 28, 2021, 04:16:36 PM »

The new battle objectives make holding certain areas of the battle map actually valuable. It's something that vanilla is cruelly missing, so good job on implementing them.
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Inventor Raccoon

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Re: [0.95a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 8) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #40 on: March 27, 2021, 09:05:26 PM »

Hi, all. I've made a quick update to Secrets of the Frontier's prerelease, adding 0.95a compatibility and minor fixes/tweaks on top of a near-finished update that had already been in the works. I've done a small bit of testing to ensure that nothing is non-functional or crashes in usual circumstances, but I'd still recommend you save often and be careful because I haven't had the chance to do more extensive playtesting on 0.95a, only on 0.9.1a.

Starting with this version, Secrets of the Frontier will require MagicLib.

In summary, this update rework how emplacement objectives function and now the ties between battle objective spawns and where you fight your battle on the campaign map are determined by a .csv file in the data/config/fronsec folder. Mods can provide their own copy which will be merged with SotF's copy.
Also, you can go in there and edit it yourself if you want to change what objectives spawn where. Love hyperwave transmitters? Make them spawn literally everywhere. Don't like emplacements? Out the airlock. Hate Nav Buoys with a burning passion? You can turn off specific vanilla objectives too.

Changelog within:
Spoiler
PRERELEASE EIGHT
- Updated to Starsector 0.95a
- MagicLib is now a required mod to run Secrets of the Frontier

- Battle objective spawning and emplacement turret variants are now based on mergeable .csv files, allowing for mods to add custom objectives and new turret variants
Also, feel free to go change them yourselves for a personalized objective experience

- Both objective types now grant a bonus to deployment points when captured (slightly less than a nav buoy or sensor array)
- Reinforcement objectives now spawn a new wave after 20 seconds, up from 15 seconds
- Emplacement objectives rework: emplacement no longer spawns on battle start. Emplacement creates a new emplacement on initial capture and after 60 seconds if the old one is destroyed. Emplacements regenerate 0.5% max hull / sec and always have a Gamma Core officer
- Outposts now receive an 10-point reduction to growth at size 4, which doubles for each subsequent size level
- Implemented the full release's additions to the ship name pool

- Emplacements will now resist being pushed out of place (top speed, acceleration and deceleration are no longer set to 0)
- Ship types spawned by objectives will become automatically added to Combat Chatter's no-chatter hull list
- Fixed outpost colonies missing an icon in the colonies list
- Fixed potential crash when a reinforcement objective attempts to spawn a ship from a faction without ships of the desired roles (e.g a mod has deleted the Remnant ship list for some reason)
[close]

Regarding the full release of Secrets of the Frontier, well, I intend for it to release during this patch cycle. I need a good while to rip apart 0.95a and use it to build a better Secrets of the Frontier...

Do you hear that song?
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Inventor Raccoon

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Re: [0.95a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 8) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #41 on: March 28, 2021, 12:26:19 PM »

Quick update - issued a hotfix in response to a CTD when no valid objective types are found. Working on a fix for no valid objectives being found in the Core Worlds - my apologies! Will edit this post when I've issued a hotfix for that.

EDIT: Issued a second hotfix that should resolve all battle objective issues
« Last Edit: March 28, 2021, 12:54:21 PM by Inventor Raccoon »
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Flunky

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Re: [0.95a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 8) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #42 on: March 29, 2021, 03:36:40 PM »

Had a relatively minor bug with this -- was fighting a [REDACTED] fleet in a battle with a detached module point, and found that once the battle ended I had to destroy the (currently friendly) module to end the battle.

The enemy fleet captured the module first, then I later took it, if that makes a difference.

And while I'm here, kudos for this mod! Very nice indeed.
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Inventor Raccoon

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Re: [0.95a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 8) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #43 on: March 29, 2021, 04:13:09 PM »

-snip-
And while I'm here, kudos for this mod! Very nice indeed.
Thanks! As for that issue, I've just released another hotfix that should fix this - all emplacements will now self-destruct if there's no more fighting to be done (either you have no ships on the field and are in full retreat, or the enemy fleet has no ships on the field).
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ShpunkY

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Re: [0.95a] Secrets of the Frontier (Prerelease 8) - indev campaign mod
« Reply #44 on: April 09, 2021, 11:27:11 AM »

is the habitat building feature in anyway compatible with the station construction mod ?
like the station specific structures and "cramped headquarters"
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