[MOD] Roguey's X3AP Mod (v1.1 out NOW)

[Roguey]

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Roguey's X3AP Mod v1.1 (released)

News posts;

- Second release; X3AP-Mod - Version 1.1
- The first release; Rogueys X3AP Mod v1.0

More information;

- Pictures
- Video
- Help

- Ship database
- Universe / sector maps
- Ware list
- Lasers / Missiles / Shields


A. Introduction
The aim of this mod is to change the universe to how I want it to be, so less instant kills and more balance. However that isnt the only goal of the mod; a new universe to explore. For so many years, the X-Universe has seen very little change; sure - we seen a few new sectors here and there, but nothing major. This meant experienced players had little to explore (because they knew where everything was). If you get stuck, and/or have questions please dont forget to check roguey.co.uk/x3ap/mod/ for updates, news and help, maps etc.

B. Whats new?
Below is a quick run-through this mod does;

- 49 new/returning ships from my X3 Mod (including M0 variants),
- New universe to explore (using new planets, suns and backgrounds), based on a clustered idea (317 sectors large),
- A complete rebalance of all lasers, missiles and shields (linked to the ship class (see excel file)),
- 12 new start positions (including Khaak creature, Xenon stealer etc.),
- Complexes use my X3 HUB that allows capital ships to dock on them,
- Many ships now use animated turret rather than a fixed model,
- Greatly expanded shield types (featuring standard, XL and military variants),
- New stations and factories (such as ones for the new shields),
- Terran's also have their own shield factories,
- Changed model of Lasertowers, SQUASH mines and fighter-drones,
- Added Resource transporters (M3's with TS stats - for loading up TL ships without drones),
- Khaak return (including a start position, so the player can be a Khaak),
- TerraCorp, Goners and Yaki use their own custom ships rather than 'borrowing' other races,
- Rebuilt job file in the hopes to add more life,
- Changed / add engine effects on a few ships,
- Terran's now use Fuel-Cells instead of Energy-Cells to make them more independent,
- Weapon muzzle flashes (which make it easier to see what a ship is firing),
- The return of the Auto-hull repair system, random events and random attack AL scripts,
- Included my smaller mod for better rewards (such as free-ships) when visiting UFJD areas,

C. A few pictures

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for a full range of pictures, see here (including larger images)

D. Download
A number of download locations can be found on the following page;

- http://roguey.co.uk/x3ap/mod/downloads/

[greypanther]

I would be interested in using the mod; I have been thinking of trying a different one for a while. Thank you.

I am however too thick to help out in any real way I fear.

[Roguey]

Thats good to hear, as its something im a bit worried about - how many people are still around to play it.

here's another small video showing my version of the earth system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIWerVe_dLg

[DrBullwinkle]

If you build it they will come. If you assume that you have, say, a year before XR becomes more popular than AP, then would you do it?

What ship is that?

[imperium3]

What ship is that?

It's the Pride of Albion...

[imperium3]

Just a couple of points on your ideas, Roguey:

- The cluster-based universe sounds like a pretty good idea, actually. Since there will be trade between clusters, I would recommend there being relatively safe corridors (un-owned sectors with the occasional pirate incursion, perhaps) connecting at least the major clusters, with the more dangerous zones being outside these areas. This is because you don't want all major trade to just get eaten by pirate swarms. Mind you, I think my perception's been altered by XRM and its extra-busy/deadly pirate sectors.But it could be quite fun to see race military ships having a purpose in trying to keep the trade lanes clear...

- I really, really wouldn't try to reorder the ship classes. I know they're illogical, but most players are used to them and all that changing them around will achieve is to confuse people.

- Be aware that if you want to force bank-switching, the AI has to be able to handle it.

- Agree on the missile boats. While they are an interesting idea in principle, the implementation is very poor. Could be interesting to keep bombers as short-range, rapid-fire rocket (ie dumbfire) platforms, but that's just an idea.

-Lastly, remember that it is your mod, and throw away anything that people like me say if you think we're talking rubbish

[zanzal]

Greetings Roguey,

In regards to your idea to remove M7M, and nerf all missiles. Might an alternative be to make NPCs use missiles to counter missiles more? Sort of a light weight MDM type script that runs on all NPCs and maybe uses a few other missile types as well as just mosquito.

Also with AP turret based missile defense improved a bit so that when combined with an NPC MDM you may find M7Ms not so overpowered. Just an idea, eliminating a playstyle and making it more a shooter game just means making the mod more niche.. Rather than reducing play style options a mod should increase play style options IMO.

Also, I don't know if you played XRM, but Paul's changes to the M7M made it more of a specialized ship for capping certain objectives and taking out large targets rather than just flying around ruling the galaxy from a single ship.. Mostly because he nerfed flails XRM M7Ms are still good for something but they are not general purpose ships. So removing the M7M isn't necessarily a good way to go, a better idea would be to change it to fill a certain role that fits well with the other changes you want to make.

[zanzal]

Imperium3, you ideas are good. I'd like to offer an alternative view point to build on some of your comments so my response isn't necessarily just to you.

- The cluster-based universe sounds like a pretty good idea, actually.

Lack of familiarity can work against a major mod. A balance between improvements and familiarity is better than changing everything. Also, rather than develop a mod that does everything at once, maybe incrementally implement changes with major version releases. This is good for development schedules and it can help ease in the more difficult to accept changes.

- I really, really wouldn't try to reorder the ship classes. I know they're illogical, but most players are used to them and all that changing them around will achieve is to confuse people.

Agreed. It changes the dialect of the game to unintelligible. If we are talking about an M1 are we talking about a vanilla M1 or a Roguey M1.. Do we mean a fighter or a carrier?

- Be aware that if you want to force bank-switching, the AI has to be able to handle it.

Agreed. Also, I don't think this is an improvement in gameplay. If a player finds switching weapons fun they can already do it. Just make the ship have more weapon slots but don't increase the weapon regen or energy cap then you have more incentive to choose to go that route, but are not force them too. You can also rebalance weapons Rebirth style so that ships have less slots but weapons are ment to be used as singles and thus are much more power hungry.

-Lastly, remember that it is your mod, and throw away anything that people like me say if you think we're talking rubbish

Best advice of all.

Also, though on the comment of getting rid of the bad ideas of X3AP. The mistake ES made with X3AP is that the plot content was underwhelming when compared to a fully mature X3TC. The new features weren't that well integrated and the Stock Exchange though nicely done was horribly flawed from a gameplay perspective (sit on SETA for hours on end waiting for prices to change, manipulating the market by moving around your own assets.)

As an example one can compare the Hub plots between the two games and one forces you to invest more time and expand your empire and the other just makes you do a few transport missions.

If you throw away the Universe you have to create all new content, that is in itself a major investment, but if you pull it off and do a good job, then I am sure it would be the best feature of all. The other changes may not be as important.

[Roguey]

hi guys,

Well the idea behind changing the universe is change the gameplay, and give players a new place to explore. We been kind-of stuck with the same place for a long time now - so we know where gate, stations etc. are. In a space-game exploration should be a bit part of it. atm, the new map is showing 493 sectors.

After what you said about ship classes, it makes sense to leave them alone.

as for bank switching, the idea to force would come from the weapon gen. So rather than have a large storage that runs outs within 10 seconds. The ship gen would be enough to power 2 weapons. The bank-switching becomes more useful, as you can switch which 2 you use.

As for the ship classes (like M7M) I am not sure what to do with them atm. But feel something needs to be done about them.

[PDouma39]

Very interesting mod, I have no modding experience, but would like to help testing this mod though.

[UniTrader]

Well the idea behind changing the universe is change the gameplay, and give players a new place to explore. We been kind-of stuck with the same place for a long time now - so we know where gate, stations etc. are. In a space-game exploration should be a bit part of it. atm, the new map is showing 493 sectors.

is this just on the Paper or did you already start working on it? because the upper limit for Sectors was 480 (20x24) in TC, and i doubt EGO changed it for AP (if it changed it would be nice to know - i never played AP)


and for Changing the Class System: go ahead, but change it completely, dont base it on the existent System to avoid confusion (here an example, just written spontaneous for clarification: SF - Small Figter; LF - Large Figher; BO - Bomber; LC - Light Cruiser; HC - Heavy Cruiser etc.)

[Cronos988]

I don't know, I would advise against creating a total conversion right now. There are three major mods, two of which are out: XRM. Xtended and X-Timelines.

The first two stay relatively close to vanilla, but X-Timelines has been worked on for years and looks like a really major overhaul. I don't think there is a market for another total conversion mod, and I doubt a single person could handle the workload.

If you want to change things, by all means go ahead. But I would advise to try to break the project up into modules, and try to first make changes at the most crucial points, and see how much of your vision you can achieve by incremental changes.

[Roguey]

is this just on the Paper or did you already start working on it? because the upper limit for Sectors was 480 (20x24) in TC, and i doubt EGO changed it for AP (if it changed it would be nice to know - i never played AP)

Well Im not sure about that, I created a map 30x20 and it seems to load in fine. A-30 appears okay;

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and for Changing the Class System: go ahead, but change it completely,

Well, as the others said; it might be worth leaving alone for now.

I don't know, I would advise against creating a total conversion right now. There are three major mods, two of which are out: XRM. Xtended and X-Timelines.

Well, that didnt stop them

[DrBullwinkle]

There will always be players interested in a new mod, as long as the mod is fun.

Changing the map is fresh and fun, yes. However, most plots depend on the map, so you will either break the plots or will have to do some work to convert them to your new map.

(BTW, Cycrow has said that the max map is 24x20.)

A major mod is a lot of work. You seem to be asking whether it will be "worthwhile", and only you can answer that. Is it worthwhile to you? If so, then fill your boots.

Regarding weapons, missiles, etc: The greatest "unbalancer" in the game is the player himself. If you let the player use the same weapons as the enemies, then the enemies will always be weak and the player will always be overpowered.

The simple approach to fixing this is to have weapons and/or capabilities that are unique to enemies. This is what most other games do. The Kha'ak in TC are somewhat like that. You cannot board Kha'ak capital ships, and there is nowhere to purchase weapons for them even if you could. That makes Kha'ak capital ships somewhat unique. If you make their ships and weapons more powerful than those that the player can obtain, then you will create a strong enemy without giving the player an unbalanced weapon system.

In MD you can create other ships that cannot be boarded or will not bail, so you could expand that approach.

Personally, I would make the Sirokos the only M7M that a player can obtain (because it does not have Hammers). All other M7M's could be NPC-only (although some players would probably squawk if you did that. ). A more moderate alternative is to give enemy missile boats a modified firing script (which is more aggressive than the player's script).

[jjhawk]

I don't know, I would advise against creating a total conversion right now. There are three major mods, two of which are out: XRM. Xtended and X-Timelines.

The first two stay relatively close to vanilla, but X-Timelines has been worked on for years and looks like a really major overhaul. I don't think there is a market for another total conversion mod, and I doubt a single person could handle the workload.

If you want to change things, by all means go ahead. But I would advise to try to break the project up into modules, and try to first make changes at the most crucial points, and see how much of your vision you can achieve by incremental changes.

I think alot of people want a fresh mod with new ideas and direction, some of us who loved X2 and x3 hated TC and AP and the direction they went and some of us even dislike X-Rebirth

I know if Roguey makes a mod, it will be special like his older ones and will be different enough to sit alongside the other mods you mention and hold a place of it's own. The more competition there is, the better In my book..

[Roguey]

Well atm my focus is building a new universe - which isnt something I can do quickly

Here's a new sector:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qvpf-VqpBk

I hope that my sector design is better than before.

However, most plots depend on the map, so you will either break the plots or will have to do some work to convert them to your new map.

Yea, that is a worry to be honest. Ill do what I can, and see if anyone offers to build anything for the mod. Unlike my X3-mod, I wanted to do what I like rather than follow in the vanilla foot-steps.

Cycrow has said that the max map is 24x20

After a bit of testing, it looks like that is the case. So I have cut-off part of the map. This makes it easier, as I dont have to build so many sectors.

A major mod is a lot of work. You seem to be asking whether it will be "worthwhile", and only you can answer that. Is it worthwhile to you? If so, then fill your boots.

Totally, when looking back on my pass work I noticed that my older x3 mod had a lot views/download. I felt it was a shame to leave it at that.

The greatest "unbalancer" in the game is the player himself.

I feel that somewhat true. I had a Mega (M2+) and what one point was scared of a M8! Adding things into the game without balance effects the whole game-play, which has become spammy and arcade like.

[dillpickle]

However, most plots depend on the map, so you will either break the plots or will have to do some work to convert them to your new map.

Yea, that is a worry to be honest. Ill do what I can, and see if anyone offers to build anything for the mod. Unlike my X3-mod, I wanted to do what I like rather than follow in the vanilla foot-steps.

Most plots are fairly easy to alter for a different map, it's mostly a case of changing X/Y co-ordinates.

The bigger question is whether the vanilla plots make sense in the new universe...
For example, what do you intend to do with the war that AP is largely based around? Without the war, the main AP plot makes little sense, possibly the Terran start counterpart plot. Shady Business deals partly with resolving the war, which if it never happens becomes partly redundant.

[DrBullwinkle]

That is good news.

The active part of the war (the war sectors) are loosely coupled to the story line, at best. For that matter, most of the story lines in TC and AP are mostly just story -- there is very little actual connection to the plots, and the few connections that exist could be easily handled.

Gameplay in AP would be almost entirely unchanged without the in-game war. Well, except that there would be no more war sectors (which never served any gameplay purpose anyway).

So a new universe could wind up as a win-win situation (with minor adjustments to the plots).

[firestorm79]

If you build it they will come

correct.

[Roguey]

Well I had to change the map now, nothing too bad - but the reduce size should help me finish it quicker (now 333 sectors). Atm the new universe is taking all my time.

I have created a small-trailer showing some of new sectors;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qdcwwLRJY

As for plots 'n' that, I was hoping for some help in that regard. However if I dont, its not the end of the world. After-all its a sandbox game.