Questions: Constructor & modding

from Sins Forums

Hi,

I haven't played the game for almost 2 years now ... but recently got back to it. 2 points bug me so I look for some insight here :)

- Modding

I used to do some minor-tweaking modding when I played it in the past, like changing some ship/ability attributes. There used to be some folder under "c:/.../documents/" in which all the game data files were and where I could with a simple editor adjust some values in the files. Or where I could modify which planets shall be used in a certain map type. At least so my memory tells me.

Now there are no files. Instead all the filenames I was looking for seem to be located in the games directory but with no text that can be altered.

What's up there, where are the files I should modify located now - if there still are any.

- Constructors.

In my first 1 or 2 games now I ran into the AI's having those nasty starbases and I thought "wow, that makes it interesting". But once I looked at them and built them for myself I'm not sure whether I would like nobody to use them at all more.

Winning against several unfair AIs is almost cake now. Get a chokepoint, build 3+ starbases there, place 1 or 2 Caps and -et voila- you got an seemingly impregnable defense + massive free leveling for a new Cap. In multistarsystems suns are perfect for that. 3-4 starbases at the sun, optimally where the warplanes come in + a starbase each in the stars from the sun ...and nothing ever got further than that system in my games, with a minimal fleet left at home (basically just 1 or 2 Caps always which ought to get some exp)

Do I miss something or are the starbases once built indeed without any cost ("upkeep", logistic points, ...)? For me it seems I get the 10 logistic points for the Raloz always back when I built the starbase and I also did'nt find any other costs.

if that's the case I think the 10 logistic points shouldn't be refunded (or a starbase should each be at least 10 logistic points at least, but more likely 20-25 as they are real brutes which can single-handed decimate major fleets

24,783 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

You're gonna have to download an unconverter like harpos or dekhranics.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Ah...found in some announcement that you can nly build more than 1 starbase around stars. So incidently I didn't try to build more than 1 on a planet yet and just assued you could build an infinite number ;-)

 

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Winning against several unfair AIs is almost cake now. Get a chokepoint, build 3+ starbases there, place 1 or 2 Caps and -et voila- you got an seemingly impregnable defense + massive free leveling for a new Cap. In multistarsystems suns are perfect for that. 3-4 starbases at the sun, optimally where the warplanes come in + a starbase each in the stars from the sun ...and nothing ever got further than that system in my games, with a minimal fleet left at home (basically just 1 or 2 Caps always which ought to get some exp)

Do I miss something or are the starbases once built indeed without any cost ("upkeep", logistic points, ...)? For me it seems I get the 10 logistic points for the Raloz always back when I built the starbase and I also did'nt find any other costs.

if that's the case I think the 10 logistic points shouldn't be refunded (or a starbase should each be at least 10 logistic points at least, but more likely 20-25 as they are real brutes which can single-handed decimate major fleets

Build as many starbases as you want.  They don't cost you any fleet supply points nor taxes aside from the temporary fleet supply usage of the constructors.

Winning against several unfair AIs is almost cake now.

This is one of the problems with the starbases.  The AI just cannot deal with them properly and will suicide its fleets on them.  The AI also spends its own money and resources plopping down its own starbases willy-nilly at non-strategic locations.  Experienced players can totally demolish them while taking few losses.  Ironically, Entrenchment made the game much easier and worsened the AI's strategic ability.  If you buy Diplomacy you can play against Cruel and Vicious level AI which receive eco-cheat bonuses of 3x and 4x.  (Unfair is 2x.)  Those AIs are kind of scary because they expand and grow very quickly and the Pirates are insanely buffed.

Of course, for a real challenge with real strategy, your best option is to log onto Ironclad Online and play the game against human opponents who know how to place their own starbases and deal with opposing starbases properly.  You won't see people suiciding their fleets mindlessly on opposing starbases nor wasting money placing non-strategic starbases (nor sending undefended siege frigates on suicide missions nor allowing their capital ships to go down to your fleet like butter).  The AI is just completely incompetent by comparison.

 

 

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Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

I tried ICO a few times in the past, but the games there aren't really made for me. I rarely can commit several hours a piece (kids etc) and the extremly fast "rush" games are nothing I enjoy whatsoever, even if I might even be able to compete somewhat there. So I guess I'm stuck with Singleplayer, as I can pause/leave the game whenever I got/want to ...

As you mentioned Diplomacy: I didn't want to buy that, but tougher AIs sound definitely interesting (so far I thought its only some new diplomatic stuff which I rarely use anyway + extremly strong Pirates). Let's see how I do in my current game of me against 3 (locked) teams which each have 2 unfair AIs (2xTec, 2xVas, 2xAdv). If I again win relatively easy, I guess I got to buy Diplomacy for the sake of having even stronger AIs.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I don't think you'd need more than 2 hours to play it online, so playing on the weekends after they go to sleep might be an option (and that's probably the best time to play anyway if you're in North America.)  I'm not sure what to advise people regarding Diplomacy.  It might be more interesting for single player than Entrenchment.  Those Cruel and Vicious AIs are scary and you probably wouldn't want to play against more than 1 at a time, at least you wouldn't want any of them to be allied with one another. The Diplomacy pirates are on steroids so you'd probably end up playing with pirates off.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

thanks for your anwers. I'm living on the old continent. player base at my peak times wasn't great 2 years ago, and I doubt this will have changed by much...

Usually my games take several days/weeks (well~10h effective play time) usually as I never liked small maps. I'm more the MoO/GalCiv-playertype who likes the massive strategic clashes and not so much the "win in a hurry" ;-P

Anyway. gonna see how my current game turns out (so far the AIs are just leveling my Caps yet again) then maybe see if I can get the hang of the new modding system (I liked the old type where I could simply alter the files as they were) and last whether I want to buy Diplomacy for even more cheating AIs ;P

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Oh, in that case, yes, it's going to be hard to find people online.  There used to be a lot of Europeans who would play Sins but it seems like their numbers have dropped some.  Look on the bright side, you have free health care and your nation's not about to become the laughingstock of the world.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

We have free healthcare? what kind of rumour is that? ;-)

Well, actually you might have free healthcare if you are unemployed and poor and whatnot. Then yes, you actually have healthcare.