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Author Topic: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2  (Read 5559 times)

goduranus

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[0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« on: September 23, 2019, 06:35:59 PM »

Stock AI variants are often easy to counter, due to having deficiencies such as having all-kinetic loadout, wasting ordinance points on guns that never get used, or weapons that don't take advantage of the ships' strengths. This mod aims to improve the loadouts of the stock ship variants to round off their weaknesses, hopefully making battles more challenging and interesting.

I've given it a test run, and have noticed myself taking  more hull damage and fighter losses with this mod active.

Download:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-H1vnnCY0uW28b4YuZxwtKejT29FOdqh/view?usp=sharing
-updating with google drive.

Save compatibility:
Works with any saved save with stock factions present, will not corrupt save if removed
Installation:
Extract into mods folder, and enable with game launcher
Uninstallation:
Disable with game launcher and delete the folder

So far I have modified a number of commonly encountered ships with the new loadout, a list is included below. Suggestions for improvements to any of the ships in this list, or loadouts for a ship not in this list are welcome.

Mod changes:

   "data/hulls/ship_data.csv", #<prevent autofit

   "data/variants/conquest/conquest_Standard.variant", #< gauss
   "data/variants/eagle/eagle_Balanced.variant",
   "data/variants/enforcer/enforcer_Assault.variant",  #< railguns
   "data/variants/enforcer/enforcer_Balanced.variant", #< hypervelocity driver/mauler
   "data/variants/enforcer/enforcer_CS.variant", #< flak
   "data/variants/gryphon/gryphon_FS.variant", #< MLRS fire support, removes rarely used back guns
   "data/variants/gryphon/gryphon_Standard.variant", #< reaper torpedo/sabot
   "data/variants/harbinger/harbinger_Strike.variant", #< phase lance/heavy armor/hardened subsystems
   "data/variants/lasher/lasher_Assault.variant", #< railguns
   "data/variants/remnant/brilliant_Standard.variant", #< uses proximity bomb for anti fighter
   "data/variants/remnant/scintilla_Strike.variant",  #< Salamander pods
   "data/variants/remnant/scintilla_Support.variant", #< bomber

   "data/variants/afflictor_d_pirates_Strike.variant", #< AM blaster/hardened subsystems
   "data/variants/afflictor_Strike.variant", #< torpedoes/heavy armor/hardened subsystems
   "data/variants/astral_Attack.variant",  #< unstable injector for kiting
   "data/variants/astral_Elite.variant",
   "data/variants/astral_Strike.variant",
   "data/variants/atlas_Standard.variant", #< militarized subsystems and augmented engines so it doesn't slow down the patrols
   "data/variants/colossus_Standard.variant",  #< militarized subsystems
   "data/variants/doom_Strike.variant", #< hardened subsystems and heavy armor so it stays in the fighter longer
   "data/variants/doom_Support.variant",
   "data/variants/drover_Starting.variant",
   "data/variants/drover_Strike.variant",#<Broadsword/Talon spam with Salamander distraction
   "data/variants/gemini_Standard.variant",#<Xyphos and hypervelocity driver, actually a potent destroyer now
   "data/variants/heron_Attack.variant",#<removed unused guns for expanded deck crew hullmod
   "data/variants/heron_Strike.variant",#<swapped a dagger for longbow for better anti shield
   "data/variants/medusa_Attack.variant",#<railguns
   "data/variants/medusa_CS.variant",#<SO 4x AM Blaster
   "data/variants/medusa_PD.variant",
   "data/variants/odyssey_Balanced.variant",#<a good variant found on the forums
   "data/variants/prometheus_Super.variant",#<militarized subsystems and augmented engines so it doesn't slow down the patrols
   "data/variants/shade_Assault.variant", #< AM Blaster
   "data/variants/shade_d_pirates_Assault.variant", #< AM Blaster
   "data/variants/tempest_Attack.variant", #< one shots frigates with AM Blaster

   "data/weapons/weapon_data.csv",

   "data/world/factions/hegemony.faction",
   "data/world/factions/lions_guard.faction",
   "data/world/factions/persean_league.faction",
   "data/world/factions/remnant.faction",
   "data/world/factions/tritachyon.faction"
« Last Edit: September 27, 2019, 12:19:27 AM by goduranus »
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goduranus

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock AI Loadouts
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2019, 12:00:11 AM »

Updated to 0.2

Changes:
Major Remnant Improvements, vastly more resistant to player fighter spams,
-Remnant Destroyers/Cruiser/Battleship uses proximity charge launcher for anti fighter, estimated player fighter losses increase by 300%
-Rounded off several designs with HE/KE or at least ions to make it harder for player to shield tank or armor tank
-Radiant Squall/HIL variant for taking down player Paragons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZKp2Z15qVs
« Last Edit: September 27, 2019, 01:19:13 AM by goduranus »
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RustyCabbage

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2019, 10:29:22 PM »

I definitely support this initiative. Haven't had the opportunity to try out the changes in campaign yet, but I have looked through and briefly tested some of the loadouts in sim. On the whole they seem to perform quite nicely, though I think there a few minor improvements that can be made:

  • enforcer_Assault: Doesn't seem to have the flux necessary to make use of four railguns. I'd switch the two side ones to vulcans. Additionally, I'd adjust the four alternating reapers to two weapon groups, with the inner two being linked and the outer ones on alternating - it drastically improves the burst potential. With the extra OP, I think dropping some caps for a flux distributor is reasonable.
  • enforcer_Balanced: I really hate seeing small missile slots being left empty - you can basically never go wrong with reapers. With weapon groups as above, I'm not sure if I'd rather have 8 caps or a flux distributor, but given the midrange nature of the ship, I feel dropping the caps is more prudent.
  • medusa_CS: four AM blasters and nothing else seems a bit questionable to me, even on an SO UI medusa. At the very least, I'd take advantage of the universals and throw in some railguns, as well as an ion cannon on one side for some EMP pressure, dropping some caps to make space.
  • falcon_p_Strike: I've never seen the Falcon P as anything but a missile cruiser - and furthermore I'm not convinced the AI can actually use SO builds properly. Sabot Pods, Typhoon Reapers and some Atroposes on the small mounts feels really AI friendly in comparison.
  • drover_Strike: I'd rather see something like Claws or Thunders over the Talons, as well as throw in some linked harpoons for some more damage (I admit without EMR they might not be worthwhile - perhaps four salamanders is more useful). Vents are unnecessary when flux is only used for vulcans and Reserve Deployment.
Also, it seems you added a drover_Support loadout that isn't present in default_ship_roles.json, so I'm not sure if it actually appears in game (correct me if I'm wrong). I attached the variant edits I would make in case you think they make sense.

Anyways, looking forward to trying this out in the future.

[attachment deleted by admin]

goduranus

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2019, 09:56:17 AM »

Cool, thanks for testing this, I'm gonna check out your designs.

Some comments:
falcon_P_strike with HMGs, this one actually works in the campaign because pirate faction is set to aggressive. It's doesn't work in missions because the mission AI all run on steady.
drover_Strike, I think Thunders would work well, I'll change it for the next update.
drover_support indeed doesn't work.

RustyCabbage

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2019, 05:36:23 PM »

Re: Falcon Ps - yeah, I'm not sure why I made that comment. I'm well aware of how SO interacts with faction aggressiveness and that such a ship is still very viable. Guess it's my missile bias speaking.

I also didn't notice until now, but I just saw that you decided to use replace in your mod_info.json for every edited file, which has the unfortunate side effect of breaking mod compatibility with any ship, weapon or faction mod. As far as I'm aware, the changes to ship_data.csv, weapon_data.csv and the .faction files don't need to be replaced.

Editing the .csv files will already overwrite the entries in the base game. For the .faction files, just include the relevant changes. For example in hegemony.faction:
Code
{
"knownFighters":{
"fighters":[
"longbow_wing",
],
},
},
would implement the change you made without killing mod compatability.

goduranus

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2019, 12:30:40 AM »

Ahh, thanks, I knew file replacing was kinda fishy and was looking for how to do that.
Do I do the same if I wanted to overwrite certain values? Such as changing ship size priorities and such?

RustyCabbage

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2019, 11:23:02 PM »

Yup, you can just copy/paste the relevant lines and overwrite whatever numbers you need.

Arcagnello

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2019, 04:26:11 PM »

Alright so I've tried installing this mod by just dropping the uncompressed folder into mods, but when I boot the game and try to enable it it does not show, unlike the 5 other mods. Any idea of what is causing it?

Edit: I'm actually dumb, since I put the damn folder into the main game folder and not into the "mods" one. I'll consider this a bump instead of a dumb as rocks spaghettiman with more meatballs than brains trying to make easy things fuction.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2019, 04:30:33 PM by Arcagnello »
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Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.
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xucthclu

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Re: [0.9.1] Improved Stock enemy Loadouts v0.2
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2019, 10:21:19 PM »

Uhh, I'm quite sure that Core Variants are not supposed to be made with Loadout Design taken into account, that's how you get stuff like this:

Spoiler
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