Phase 1 Details

List of Changes

(as of 8d80d9cb364c557c498206bb520293dc5779706a Fixed expert systems description for ship construction cost)

Stop the Maddness (AKA clearly bugs)

• Fixed some ship preview window positioning (not comprehensive, ongoing changes as found)
• Standardized racial single engine ships speed/range (conform to fission or fusion or antimatter speeds)
• Redesigned keybinds. Common commands are easy, less common commands are harder. No Steam conflicts.
  • (stored in sots.ini.keybinds)
• Hiver:: Fixed flagship command quota outlier (was slightly higher than others)
• Tarka:: Added missing armor upgrades to FireControl CR sections (consistent with other races)
• Tarka:: Standardized some engine hp and construction costs (so they scale logically)
• Liir:: Added missing armor upgrades to FireControl CR sections (consistent with other races)
• Zuul::
  • CR repair & salvage repair points slight reduction (still more than other races)
  • DN support repair points increased
  • Repair Station points increased
  • Buffed flagship command quota (20% higher than other races as intended)
• Morrigi:: Applied sanity to gravboat stats (mass,crew,cost,hitpoints)
• Human:: Fixed outlier cost for police cutters
• All races::
  • Fixed several DE mission sections that had turning stats as if they were command sections (Absorber, Deflector, Disruptor)
  • Toned down turning speed for DE AI command sections (they were at least double the next fastest section)
  • Equalized Tanker/ER/Refinery/Support explosion damage
• Standardized costs for all Xeno Technologies. (Races with more tech options for science sharing is NOT enough reason to justify higher costs).
  • Zuul remains more expensive because there are fewer levels.
  • Morrigi remain more expensive because they grant extra benefits (like disarming traps). However the 15% xnc research bonus does not exist (text references removed)
• Fixed technology benefit hints for several technologies. (Expert Systems, Cybernetic Interfaces, Gravity Control)
• Fixed technology descriptions to use consistent terms: "Industrial Output" and "ship construction cost"
• Added many ship sections and weapons to tech tree hints
• Fixed some ship section hints that were not properly highlighting the relevant ship sections
• Fixed icon for PD research.
• Many tech/section descriptions updated to better match in game behavior.
• Removed mention of "Modular Construction" benefit "Civilian Generated Income" as it doesn't actually exist.
• Changed HCL to guaranteed unlock from x-ray instead of UV (because the opposite makes no sense)
• Added plasma focusing upgrade to several sections that were missing it: Hiver & Liir DNs
• Fixed many inconsistencies in engine attributes within each race. (E.G. earlier drive is faster than later drive, or one random drive section is faster than other similar engines in sequence)
• Adjusted MASS of engine sections to scale more logically as engines upgrade.
• Fixed Police Cutters to have standard range & speed for Fusion level of their race.
• Increased human basic node-drive to range 10. This should greatly reduce the instances where a human player is"stuck" in early game behind long node lines (mostly for 9LY scale maps)
• Standardized range and made them consistent in speed for a given race.
• Fixed freighter HP so that DE < CR < CRQ by reasonable scaling amounts.
• Added several missing ship sections to the AI affinities list: Morrigi War, Support, Slaver ships, Flagships, EW, Devourer, Boarding, Asteroid Monitor (maybe still ignored)

Misc

• Updated player colors 15 instead of 10
  • Shrank text in game setup screen so 15 colors will fit.
• Altered fleet maintenance color
• Added more AI ship/faction name options
• Added a brief summary of racial differences to the game setup screen
• Added more default fleet names
• Base Slave death rate can be 0 if you have 3 levels of language tech + low climate hazard TODO: needs reivision

Starmap

• Changed star-system names so that each word is 11char or less (to help with word wrapping in the UI)
• Increased maximum map stars to 700 (from 350)
  • This has the side effect of allowing the Helix map to be much thicker (more balanced) even at only 350 stars.
• Rift
  • MAXSEP increased to 10 (so that LY scale means more)
  • RIFT_WIDTH increased to 18 (makes it more meaningful to finally cross the divide)
• Clusters
  • Name => Filaments
  • Configured as many small clusters with a tiny cluster separation distance
  • Effect creates several long branching strings of stars (kinda like Helix, but not in a tube shape)
  • 7LY scaling is recommended to prevent node lines from being too long
• Globular Clusters
  • Name => Real Space
  • Configured as many small clusters with a tiny cluster separation distance
  • Effect creates a roughly spherical blob similar to the old "mini-clusters" and "real-space"
  • 7LY scaling is recommended to prevent node lines from being too long
• Mini Clusters
  • Name => Globular Clusters
  • Increased stars in Mini Clusters from 5 -> 22
  • Since this one has map-gen constraints it allows for more balanced starting positions under all LY scaling factors.
  • Effect creates a more balanced version of the old "globular clusters" template
• Collision
  • Collision is now 2 parallel galaxies
  • 7LY Scaling is recommended to prevent node lines from being too long and to maintain galactic shape definition
• Unfortunately no other maps can be reconfigured.

Ships

• Zuul
  • Slight buff to wraith abductors (1cp down from 2)
  • Devourer can now also repair ships (between CR & DN amount)
• All races: DN support repair capacity = 2x Cruiser
• Massively buffed command station's command quota
• Added all armor upgrades to Racial Asteroid Monitors
• Added reasonable armor upgrades to all stations (all races)
• Added basic armor upgrades to Police Cutters
• Modified turret HP to hopefully make it less likely that auto-resolve tanker explosions will disarm the opponent

Weapons

• Shrank icon size for tiny weapon mounts slightly <<< TODO: confirm this worked? Which changelog was this?
• PD re-balancing
• Green/UV beamer damage increased <<< verify this is working the way I want it to
• Tightened up laser family ranges
• Tweaked dumbfire racks to reduce lag (fewer missiles, but higher dmg per missile)
• Adjusted some comparison tooltips to be more accurate (not comprehensive , ongoing as found)

Techtree

• Intangibility removed. The AI cannot handle it properly, and the battles aren't really fun.
• Removed Assimilation plague. Not a fun mechanic.
• Human Node Pathing is now 100% chance
• Morrigi Gravitational Synergy is now 80% chance.
• FTL broadband cheaper (it doesn't do much)
• Added new types tech tree benefit hints
  • TECHBEN_COMMAND, TECHBEN_SELFREPAIR, TECHBEN_RESEARCHSPD, TECHBEN_ECONOMIC, TECHBEN_BOMBARD_DMG
• Added special ship section hints for single section ships

Ship movement and FTL

• Renamed several drive systems to be shorter more clearer in upgrade. EG "improved stutter warp" => "blink"
• In tactical combat DN should be slower than CR which are slower than DE, within each specific race.
• Made Extended Range CR and DE sections consistent in their range boost. (whichever one was greater)
• Adjusted FTL retreat timers
• Re-standardized Tarka engine speed/range
• Node missiles require fusion and speed adjusted to fusion level

Encounters

• Swarm
  • Tightened up spread in swarm (& queen) death credit bonus. The average value remains the same.
  • Diverged swarm emitter weapon. Not the same definition as VN emitters.
  • More swarm drones
  • Swarm weapons cannot target planets (they don't care about planets, only asteroids)
  • Buffed swarm queen head HP
• Slightly later random encounter min-turn (35 from 25)
• Adjusted how early/quickly endgame menaces will appear
• Nerfed The Herald severely
  • Reduces moral damage
  • Checks for new threats less often (might be able to get ahead of his path)
  • Much slower DN speed
  • Much slower DE rider speed
  • Reduce number of point defense sections
  • Herald is lazier about noticing new threats (too busy preaching)
  • Reduced DE rider hit points

Freighters

• 1 freighter per route instead of 5, Increased monetary cost to match.
• Boosted freighter capture bonus to encourage capture.
• Increased construction cost for CR freighters. AI doesn't build them, so this is a nerf to players. DE were not adjusted.
• Trade sector size is now 15 (from 10)

Imported "Grand Campaign" or another mod

• Merged in Starmap names from: Ultimate Starname Compilation by pndrev Version 1.03b for Distant Worlds, 08.10.2009
• Boosted LOD distances from another mod
• Increased locust resource bonus
• Tweaked VN fighters, satellites
• Adjusted VN arrive/flee distances
• VN homeworld can be slightly further away
• Adjusted swarm arrive distance
• Tweaked Asteroid Monitors location to be more consistent whether owned or not. And increased hold-fire timer so that you can still escape.
• Added variance to swarmer spread rate & crow ruins spawns

AI changes

• re categorized all techs for the AI (weapon, empire, engine)
• Adjusted weapon damage estimates in an attempt to get the AI to use more different types of weapons
• Several changes to increase the likelihood that the AI will get Pulsed Fission quickly (and some other economic techs)
• Added tech prerequisite requirements for several techs that the AI always beelines.
  • This is the only way to prevent hardcoded AI scriping, regular aitechpri.csv does not work in these cases.
  • For example, AI would beeline level 2 language techs which is a waste of time in the extreme early game.
  • Its not entirely sensicle, but an enhanced solution will be coming in phase 3