[MOD] Project Equilibrium

Good to see a collective place for the finished parts of the mod.  Looking forward to the finished product.

(and make sure to add the Sins Optimization Lite Project to the mix)

if you do include the optimization project in it could you also make a regular version without it 

I have nothing against the optimization project...I certainly think it should help, but versions with and without it would be released...

By the way, as time progresses, downloads will be converted to all binary files for efficiency...

There is interest in Entrenchment.. = )

EDIT: this seems to be working in entrenchment actually!  Tested and the Kols shield is passive, Radiance's cleansing brilliance has 90 second cool down, so ill assume other abilities are working too. = D

As far as I know it should work in entrenchment...the only issue is that the entity manifest file and string file will contain things from diplomacy...I don't know if that will cause any problems...

@Seleucia

I've tracked down two of the Dev.exe warnings you are getting.

AbilitySubversion.entity contains an instantActionTriggerType of on OnDelay. This should be AlwaysPerform.

BuffTaunt.entity contains an instantActionTriggerType of OnDelay in the periodicAction. This should be AlwaysPerform. Also, the actionIntervalTime is still way to low. It should probably be moved up to a one second.

Good catches...thanks for seeing those...I'm curious though why I never got an error report for either of those with error reporting on...guess it doesn't show everything...changes have been made...

Version 0.20 of Project Equilibrium has been released...I will warn you that this is a compilation of 4 separate mini-mods...the compilation may not be perfect and has not undergone any polishing or extensive testing...I will admit this compilation was a bit rushed but it was done so that testing with all current changes can be done this weekend...

Well, Seleuceia and I played a couple games on the latest version.

We had two Vasari vs Advent games and one Advent vs TEC game.  The first game was on a random map and really came down to early expansion.  The map was basically a giant ring with a connection at the middle through the sun.  Our first major conflict was over the last colonizable planet.  We'd already starbased one front-line, and we were both struggling to come out one planet ahead on this side.

I found my Kortul was absolutely invaluable here, and I was able to chase down his Progenitor and force it to leave the system.  The newly improved battleship was wickedly powerful, and I'd go so far as to say it's now the strongest Vasari capital ship.  I brought out a second Kortul with jam weapons and managed to break his hold of that planet.  When the dust settled, I controlled 10 planets to his 6 and he wasn't in a position to counter-attack any time soon, which was pretty much game.  However, we both agreed that battleships are definitely working now.

The second game was a long drawn out Advent vs TEC.  In this battle, we discovered that LRF just weren't useful, especially if LF weren't around in large numbers.  The game eventually became one of bombers, fighters, flaks, and heavy cruisers, with a host of capital ships supporting the mix.  Eventually he had novaliths while I had mass transcendance and quite a few high level caps.  I'd anticipated the novas so most of my planets were starbased and I quickly got enduring devotion operational everywhere.  The game ended once I introduced a large bomber force of my own and slaughtered Seleuceia in a fight on open ground.

In this game, we discovered that bombers seemed a bit strong (or perhaps fighters were too weak).  We also found that LRF just weren't very effective anymore.  As well, capital ships had become incredibly difficult to kill, even with swarms of heavies and bombers on the field (I quite liked this).  We bantered a bit, but generally agreed that flaks and bombers are on the strong side, fighters and LRF on the weak side.  Heavies and light frigates seem about right.  Repulsion worked very well, and I'm quite happy with it.  Stilly a potential cap-killer, but unless the guardian is actually blocking their escape route they can easily move around the effect of repulsion now.

The third game was Vasari vs Advent, where I was testing how well he could deal with a Vulkoras rush.  It was actually quite an even battle, and it went back and forth.  We got confirmation that LRF just weren't doing their job, and swarms of LF were dominating in this close-quarters game.  Eventually, Seleuceia charged a starbase he shouldn't have and got his fleet scrapped, but until that point I found his LF were doing a great job of keeping my Vulkoras at bay.

So, here's my thoughts:

1) Capital ship durability seems perfect right now, wouldn't change anything in that regard.  LF are keeping them in check early, while late game bombers and heavies aren't overpowering them. 

2) LRF appear to be underperforming right now.  The problem is that small numbers just get minced by fighters, while large numbers will prompt the enemy to HC or flak-spam which will just roll them.  I don't know what to do about this, but it seems we've marginalized this unit.

3) Bombers were outperforming fighters as far as strike craft went.  More flak resistant, more firepower, and great staying power.  Even matching his bombers 1:1 with fighters and a Halcyon with TK push, I found myself struggling to suppress his massive numbers.  When I swapped in some bombers, I won handily.  It seems more effective to out-bomber the enemy than to try to counter with fighters.

We discussed this a bit, and agreed to think on it.  It seems that the fighter vs bomber balance is too far in favour of the bomber currently.  This is probably a very sensative balancing act, but the fighter does need more presence.  On the other hand, the LRF are getting chewed up, by fighters, flaks, and heavies in particular. 

Darvin has pretty much nailed it...caps are in great shape, but bombers are too strong and LRF too weak...I'm going to detail my suggestions in the other thread about counters and caps...it would appear though that the speed changes to caps were excellent and the bomber vs cap reduction is great...

BTW Seleuceia, do you have a list of all the string changes you made to the capital ship abilities. I'm trying to integrate 1.0 with another mod (though I don't think the rest have string changes) and I don't really want to track down every ability and compare it to the original to see if it has been changed or not. Even if you don't remember them all, just listing the ones you remember will help alot.

The string file reflects capital ship changes as well as the current pact/envoy changes that Zombie suggested...

Capital ship abilities:

• Gauss Rail Gun - changed to reflect the additional debuff that increased target's weapon cooldown
• Animosity - changed to reflect the additional buff regarding damage reduction
• Jarrasul's colonize - reflects the new change that spawns an extra constructor
• Incendiary Shells - includes the additional debuff that reduces target's armor
• Guidance - reflects new buff; AoE that reduces ability cooldown and AM cost
• Clairvoyance - reflect new buff that increases planet's susceptibility to bombing

Pact/Envoy changes:

• Cultural Assistance - mentions that ability actually produces culture on allied planets
• Sacrifice - mentions boost in culture upon destruction
• Culture pact - reflects new boost to max allegiance

I don't have a list anywhere, but IIRC this should be all of the changes...

Lets not forget to add the experience point per kill tweaking into this

Expeariance points per kill. » Forum Post by Pbhead

Oh wow, good call...I didn't even think about that...yes, that will definitely need to be looked at...

edit-today i ran it again and had no issues, so idk

I dont know if this has been brought up, but I tried this mod out and had issues with the empire tree. This is mostly an FYI

1. Capital ships were not in there usual spot at the begining of the fleet in the empire tree. They were usually at the end of it. I just find it convienent, especially early when theres not to many abilities, to hit a key and have an ability at my finger tip
2. usually, ship classes stay grouped together in the tree. I had cases where one would be at the bottom, the rest at the top, then later they grouped back together.
3. an extension of #2, there was alot more 'bouncyness' to the tree. I'm thinking it maybe placing ships on the tree according to damage?

If you were intending to change the way the empire tree groups ships, I apologize as I didnt see that in the list o' features.

We weren't...I've noticed number 1 recently as well...I'm not really sure what could have been changed to do this, but it's nice to know someone else is having the same problem (so I'm no longer crazy )...I haven't a clue what would be causing this, but I will look into it...hopefully some of the real experienced modders will have an idea what could change this...

For those curious...string changes have been made to:

• Communal Labor - now reduces resource cost instead of increasing it
• Novalith - specifically the ability, now indicates that trade will be reduced on targeted planet
• Kostura - specifically the ability, now indicates that ships are no longer affected

And why are ships no longer affected on the Kostra again?!?  

To give the pirates a fighting chance, obviously!

Read the thread (technologies and economics), but I thought it was widely agreed that it was overpowered. A couple of simultaneous shots from it and you fleet is gone. The other super weapons certainly aren't that effective.

v0.30 has been released...I wanted to get something up to test for what's left of this weekend, so there are some changes that haven't been fully vetted yet...unfortunately something has come up and I will not be able to test tomorrow (Sunday)...however I should be able to find time this week, and there is always next weekend...

A suggestion for the Beam Pact; change it to a Laser Pact and have it affect Visari Pulse Weapons.  This would make it just as useful to Advent as it is currently, but be much more useful to TEC and Visari and help those poor LFs scale a bit better into the endgame.

For Advent, beams affect bombers, Illuminators, beam defense platforms, and 3 capital ships...lasers affect disciples, fighters, defense vessels, support ships, starbases, and 5 capital ships...

Previously, with LRFs and bombers so dominant, beams would have been unquestionably better...now, I'd honestly say they're probably equal to lasers (LRF still seem to be much better than LF, and bombers are still very powerful)...so for Advent, I don't think lasers would be any better or worse than beams...

For TEC, beams are on the Kol and the Starbase....lasers are on cobalts, support ships, starbase and I believe all 5 caps...so, while neither weapon is incredibly useful, lasers are more useful than beam for TEC....

For Vasari, pulse beams are on 4 capital ships...pulse guns are on skirmishers, support ships, starbases, and a few caps I believe...so, like TEC, the change would benefit Vasari a bit more...

Your suggested changes would make the pact more useful for 2 factions and about the same for one faction (at least with the current mod)...the question is, do we want to do that?

Missile pact  affects TEC LRMs, ogrovs, bombers, starbases, and 2 capital ships...it also affects Vasari kanraks, sentinels, fighters, bombers, missile platforms, starbases, and several capital ships....but, even with the mod, it only affects advent starbases...

I think it is clear that the missile pact is stronger for TEC and Vasari than either version of the beam/laser pact...beam/laser pact is about the same for Advent regardless of which version is used, yet one version is clearly better for TEC and Vasari...so, while making it a laser pact may make it more useful, it will ultimately make pacts more favorable to TEC/Vasari but not for Advent (which was a problem we had in the original game)...

It is a change worth considering, but I don't know if it is the route we want to go....as things are, I'd still say Advent pacts are the weakest even with the changes this mod implements...a laser pact would make it stronger, but it wouldn't help the Advent really at all...if it was a Vasari pact or TEC pact we were talking about, then yeah I'd say it'd be a nice change...but Advent need pacts that help themselves more than anything else right now....

Mod has been updated to v0.31...the change log is cumulative, so I'll highlight the changes made...

Communal Labor has been changed a bit...the extra resource cost has been reinstated but the bonus construction rate has been increased from 50% to 200%...may still need some work...

The bounty retaliation from Karmic Retribution has been increased substantially, from 100/200 to 500/1000...

Civilian Saftey Act adds more hull points now (250/500 instead of 100/200)...

In general, LFs are more powerful now...they are stronger against heavy armor to (hopefully) make them still useful even when HCs come out...they are also stronger against capital ships (still inferior to LRFs) and structures/starbases...

So I have more info on that wierd bug. I haven't run mods before, so I dont know if its a common problem with mods or not, but if I enable OR disable your mod, then run a game without shutting the game down, I run into that problem where the ships constantly change order in the empire tree. Otherwise, I dont have problems. Hope this helps