General Pants

Join Date 08/2006

+19

Adding in new blueprints

Please tell me there is a lazy way out...

I was thinnin' that it would make sense to program the computer to use some of my favorite designs, like the SWAC Tug (Cargo-hulled sensor scout), the auxiliary carrier (Cargo-drone carrier), the combat auxilliary (Cargo-hulled support), and the Super SWAC (Eye of Sauron, a Huge hull with only sensors).

So I know step one is the blueprints. I think I can figure that out. What I want to know is, do I really have to alter ShipClassDefs.xml and ShipDefs.xml AND FactionShipStyleSetDefs.xml? Then do I have to make a ship model for EACH ship style I have?

Please tell me, is there any shortcut here? I just wanted to test and see if the computer would use them. I was surprised some of them weren't already int he blueprints.

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a0152570

Join Date 06/2014

+49

You can make a new file >> my-shipblueprints, and my-shipclassdefs to house your new designs, If you want the AI to them you must edit FactionShipStyleSetDefs.xml.

Oh and to get all the labels to work you nee to add My_ShipClassText in you mod text directory

Sorry this is short on details, but soo tired. It is what i did to add ship designs that all AIs could use

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Horemvore

Join Date 08/2009

+123

You can use existing models for your shipclasses (unless you have spare ships ofc). As a0 says, you need to add them in to FactionShipStyles for the AI to use them. You can change existing blueprints in ShipClassDefs to point at you new blueprints too, depends if they fit in with current AIShipClasses, Sensor Boats could replace scouts, also your carrier design could also replace a vanilla blueprint. You would have to do it for every single faction though. Third option is to replace the vanilla blueprints with your own, this way you dont need to edit all the faction files but are limited to a set number of blueprints.

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General Pants

Join Date 08/2006

+19

So basically, I will have to do it for every faction, even if I don't design new ships. Ugh! I have put in a request to Stardock that these designs might be added in the future, but I won't hold my breath. Frankly, I think all of the blueprints could use work... I believe several people have done that.

You see, Stardock can 'easily' assign someone to make new ships for all their existing ship sets. Gauntlet could add them too. Those of us with 2-5 unique factions can do it relatively easily. Now if only the AI can handle them. I should test it, but, frankly, I am tired of testing mods, and I'd like to play some before Crusade comes out.

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Space is big. General Pants recently mentioned something something "sensor barges", essentially a cargo ship tricked out with tons of sensors. This is a concept utilized by many for eons - way back in the GCII era - and now into GCIII.

I typically deploy dozens of 20 range sensor "Outposts" with 2 warp engines. Creating a belt of vision on the frontier that eventually crafts an old school "Eyes of the Universe" from GCII - yet better.

They launch from their respective shipyards with names like "Outpost 1" and aren't hard to keep track of.

Luceo Non Uro

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erischild

Join Date 01/2012

+136

I have "SenSurv" ships, basically a survey ship with lots of sensors, some range and engines. I have SenSurv 1.0, SenSurv 2.0, etc, which get redesigned with each game based on current tech levels and capacity ranges. Early versions will have a sensor range of 12-18. Later versions have a sensor range of 25-30, depending again on techs available. I don't surround my empire with them, I send them accompanied by killer fleets to find things and eliminate them. Then one of those killer fleets stations itself by a planet and waits for a couple of my very fast Transport ships to show up. They have insane ship speeds and catch up to the front line very soon. I spend more time making these things just right than I ever do with warships.

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General Pants

Join Date 08/2006

+19

Quoting erischild,

reply 5

I have "SenSurv" ships, basically a survey ship with lots of sensors, some range and engines.

Basically what I call a fleet scout. They can move with the fleet, but I usually end up stationing them in a pattern around my territory as a tripwire system.

Quoting erischild,

reply 5

couple of my very fast Transport ships to show up

Yup... fast transports! Extra engines save lives!

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For my part, I have an entire tree of warships designed to take advantage of the Ship Roles to create fleets that are well-rounded, and have plug-and-play capability to adapt to enemy weapons and defenses. General Pants would probably know what I'm talking about.

I would like an easy way to turn them into blueprints for all factions too, instead of having to design successive iterations each and every game.

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