[Script] JCC: Carrier Production 1.01 [16/11/2008]

[JumperBR]

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JCC: Carrier Production 1.01
by JumperBR
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http://www.4shared.com/file/71708182/2e ... ds101.html

To install, use Cycrow's Plugin Manager.

Description:
This is the script for those who want to be indepedent from other races. Now you can produce your own ships (with all its upgrades) inside your carriers.
You can customize your carrier layout, so you can focus on better missile generation or in better ship production or a mix of those.
I believe its very interesting, adds flavor to the game...


How it works?
- Start the command "JCC:Carrier Production" under additional commands in your carrier ship.
- Your carrier (and in the future, TLs and other capital ships) gained a new piracy command for its configuration, there you have the following options:
* Layout settings: for you to be able to produce a ship you must add it to a library first, you have to choose one of your ships and after that you can add/remove upgrades for your ship (based on the modules installed)
* Module settings: You can create new modules, set the credits/resources ratio (you can go from only using resources to build ships/upgrades to only needing to use credits, player-customizable), from this menu you can add modules and remove.
* Carrier settings: from this you can set your carrier as default and pass orders such as call it or send all (with all ships docking)

Ship Modules:
- Fighter module:
1=M5 ships
2=M4 ships
3=M3 ships
-Laser Module
-Missile Module
-Shield Module
-Ammo Module
-EC Module (not yet implemented)
-Marine Module (not yet implemented)
-Station Module (not yet implemented)

What are modules?
Modules are a way for you to specialize your ship, each capital ship have a fixed number of slots which the player can choose to spend with modules so he can customize his ship to produce what he wants.

For instance, Argon Colossus have 11 slots so a normal loadout Colossus to produce fully equipped M3 fighters would be:
3 fighter modules (to build up to M3 fighter)
3 shield modules (to produce up to 25 mw shield)
3 laser module (to produce up to HEPT laser)
2 missile module

A few notes (its too late in the night now, another time I get this better sorted)
- The carrier will allways replace ships lost in combat using the default layout set on layout settings
- ships will be equipped according to the layout defined by the player with software upgrades
-you can set your carrier as default and then invoke it by using hotkeys (currently: Call ship and Send away)
- Currently all missiles can be built, the more modules the more of them can be built.
- not all lasers are included on this release...
- ammo module is working (choose a type of ammo and a quantity)
- items are built 1 by 1...
- Energy cell module not working currently
- The more modules the faster you build things and more options are available (up to 5 modules for shield/laser/missile)
- Slots are dependent on ship size, as rule, the more freight and the more dock bays the more slots are available for modules. A Colossus currently have 11 slots while the Griffon have 4 slots (remember, the griffon is a m7).

Future plans
- Module cost and time to build (currently its free)
- Station building
- More carrier commands (need more input)
- Corvette production? TS/TP Production?

Steps to produce a single ship for the first time:
- run the command from aditional commands
- go to module and add at least one of fighter, laser and shield module (the more modules of these the best items can be produced)
- select a m5 ship owned by you (m5 because there is only one fighter module)
- go to layout settings and add that ship
- add a laser to that ship (shields are automatically added to layouts)
- go to modules settings and set the ratio to 100% (will only use credits, good for testing)
- after this, your fighters will be automatically produced and equipped...

You can add more fighter modules to build better fighters, to change the default fighter, go to layout settings/Set Default ship to build



Version History
1.00 - Initial Release
1.01 - Bug fix


Original post:

Hi, Im working on a new project, my original idea was to bring the Griffon back from xtm, converting and updating the scripts (and adding my contribution to the set), but that wasnt allowed by the XTM developers. So Im working on a new idea to make carriers more self-suficient.

Im taking a inspiration from the tv-series "Galactica". Where a carrier must be supplied with raw mineral for its production to work instead of building ships from credits.

Now, Im adding production line funcionality to carrier, which works in the same lines as the HQ. So far these are the features:
- You can add any of your ship to a list of layouts so your carrier can replenish his fighter force.
- The ship type is chosen from any player owned fighter, that way you can´t create ships you dont have.
- You can specify loadout for those ships, you can say that a buster need 3 PACs and my script will equip the buster when those PACs are available at the Carrier.
- Dont worry about specifying shields, the better ones will be added to the layout when you add a ship.
- Wares can be produced by the carrier as well (lasers, shields, etc)
- Construction resources are the same as from the HQ: EC, Ore, Teladianium, Silicon Wafers, etc (theres a report for that).
- Upgrades will be installed in docked ships (software, engine/cargo, shields, lasers (according to layout)
- Custom menu for a quick access to ship functions (I love this TC feature, very helpfull).
- Wherever a ship is destroyed a new one is placed in Queue for production as long as the player set a default layout.
- Credits are only used on equipping ships with software, everything else is credits-free...


- Hotkeys to:
a) Call your carrier to your current position and order fighters to attack all enemies
b) Send your carrier away (after all fighters are docked)
c) ???


Questions which I could use some help:
- Resources: Which % from the ones used by the HQ you think its ok for the carrier to use? 75%? 50%? 100%?
- Time: I guess 15min for a "Nova" (Im using this ship as a benchmark, cheaper ships will take less time, expensive ships will take longer) its a good time.
- Which type of ships could use this ware production plugin? TLs could be allowed to produce wares? mini-Carriers (docking<10) too? Note that cargo bay size limits what can be produced.
- Ware production: limit ware to wares the player have in any of his ships or allow any ware to be mass produced? I guess the first option is better.
- Hotkeys: which hotkey you want?


With this script you will require a new logistic to replenish your carriers, I can help with that creating a ware delivery command for TS ships, if you need one.


Future developments:
- More Commands for carriers
- Get fighters into wings
- Carrier behavior (aggressive,defensive, passive, etc)


I guess by this week I have a working release.

[Legionnaire]

This is sounding very interesting. I'll have a think and come back with ideas, but just now, automatically assign built ships into wings? means you would need to set wing sizes and types in the carrrier i suppose, and my preference would be have the carrier or TL build fighters that you have owned, and maybe Reverse engineered somewhere, so that you have a set of blue prints. Dont allow anything bigger than what can be docked to be built, so no having the carrier produce carrier class shields or weapons.

Legionnaire

[JumperBR]

Well, I was already thinking about setting wings size and wing based on ship type (light,medium, heavy fighter, etc), but this wont be in the initial release. The Wing function could depend on that... like: light/mediums fighters focus on other fighters and heavy fighters focus on capital ships...
Or perhaps wing function, like "Scout", "Anti-Capital", What else? "Bombing","Ship defence"?
I dont want the player to keep micromanaging roles... probably wings based on ship type is better with commands like "bomb target" or "kill capital first" or "kill fighters first". And the player order one wing or all wings to do that function. Lets see how this develops when ship production is done.


Only fighters owned by the player can be added to ship layout, I dont want to give unobtainnable ships to the player.
Ship layouts is global... once chosen you can select it in any carrier you own to build.
With wares maybe I will follow the same line, where the player choose a ware inside a ship to add to production queue.

I will not allow TLs to produce ships, only wares (seems logical and is interesting as it requires the player to acquire bigger carrier to produce more better fighters, a TL would spoil that).

Ship repairs I wont be touching. The script Marine Repairs looks good and the marines already repair docked fighters.

[s9ilent]

If you open up all the cat/dat files, in the types folder, there is a file called hq.pck (or no extension/xml if you extracted it)

It has all the base values in there. Although I'm not to knowledgeable how it actually works. I'm guessing the numbers work like Rel Values, the lower the number, the faster (i.e. the greater) they are consumed.

[JumperBR]

I was basing myself on HQProductionCosts and its formula:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 86#1908686

I dont think anything changed drastically since then.

[Draslin]

I think building weapons might be a bit much, something as sophisticated as photon pulse cannons and shielding for example I don't think could be built in the field. It sounds as though what your planning would essentially make the carrier completely self sufficient.

I think it rather more reasonable to believe the carrier is capable of replenishing ammunition like mass driver rounds and missiles.

Another way of approaching the problem would be making each item the carrier can build a tactical choice. I.E. limit what the carry can build by "production modules" of some kind, of which the carrier can carry only a limited number of.

So for example, the carrier is equipped with an M5 production facility, 1MJ, and 5MJ facility, and a light laser production facility, which can build a few of the smaller lasers, and four different missile production facilities. Each facility takes up a slot, the carrier can carry say ten for a Colossus. Different facilities might require more or less space.

Just an idea, since you wanted ideas.

My two cents.

[JumperBR]

Your idea is very good... I really liked it...
Maybe setting slots for fighter production, for instance, 1 slot=m5, 2 slots=m4, 3 slots=m3, 4 slots=m6 (only if m6 can dock at carrier, which I dont think its possible on X3TC), same for missiles and weapons...
Its possible... it could be as upgrades which required time and resources to install in the ship (this remembers me the game Homeworld)

Lasers could be: 1=light lasers (IRE? MD ammo?),2=medium laser (PAC?),3=heavy laser(HEPT?),4=capital ship laser (PPC?), missiles work the same way...

How about Marine Slots? 1 slots=training up to 25% skill, 2 slots=50%,3 slots=75%, 4 slots=100%

EC slots for Energy cell production (each slot adds X EC per cycle).

That way you can specialize your carrier the way you like...

About slots quantity...
I made a formula using a conjuction of those... that way both the Colossus and the Mammoth have 10 slots... (of course that only the Colossus will be able to produce ships so Mammoth can focus on producing wares and vice-versa).

So, Im on right track?
So far the script is almost complete regarding my first post... the ships and wares are being produced and added to the carrier fighter list...
fighters are getting equipped with wares... it was almost "releaseable", but now will take some more time until I implement these changes...

[BlackRain]

I see no problem with making the Carrier completely self sufficient. Some of us don't like the enormous amount of micromanagement involved in the game. I really hate having to buy a ship and then scour around for weapons and shields to equip it with. It may be fine for Larger ships like M1/M2's but when building a hundred fighters in the PHQ and then having to equip each one, ugh. At least when you buy fighters, you can get them with weapons and shields already installed.


How exactly does the slots work Jumper, I am not understanding it. Do you mean when you are constructing something it takes up a slot but when it is done, the slot is free?

[JumperBR]

Its like construction modules so you can specialize your ship...
Imagine with 1 "Fighter slot" you can build light fighters (M5), 2 slots you build M4 and 3 you build M3...
then you have points to spend on missile manufacturing and laser manufacturing, the more points you spend on that module the more and better types of missiles can be produced (and faster, I will use a multiplier, so with 2 "fighter modules" your ships M5 will be produced twice as fast as if just using 1 fighter module.

This requires the player to plan ahead what he want for his carrier...
A normal loadout Colossus to produce fully equipped M3 fighters would be:
3 fighter modules (to build up to M3 fighter)
3 shield modules (to produce up to 25 mw shield?)
3 laser module (to produce up to HEPT laser?)
1 missile module or maybe 1 EC module (for EC generation)

or maybe a Corvetter-production layout:
4 fighter modules (to build up to M6 fighter)
4 shield modules (to produce up to 200 mw shield?)
2 missile module? 2 laser module? EC module?

You cant have it all, the bigger the ship the best it is as more slots are available...

Each ware/item will be produced into his module, with different timers for each one running in parallel.

Modules would cost resources and time to being built and the player has the option to destroy it if he desires, so he can change the layout.

Modules so far:
- Fighter
- Missile
- Laser
- Shield
- EC
- Marine training?

[Gazz]

Maybe setting slots for fighter production, for instance, 1 slot=m5, 2 slots=m4, 3 slots=m3, 4 slots=m6 (only if m6 can dock at carrier, which I dont think its possible on X3TC), same for missiles and weapons...

If you want to use these "modules" just to block the docking bays - put satellites (ships) into the carrier.
They cannot undock and cannot be commanded to. But since "ships" are docked, the docking bays are used up.

[BlackRain]

I don't follow what Gazz is saying exactly. Do you mean that adding these production slots to the carrier will take up space? Meaning it will hold less fighters? That seems rather pointless?

[JumperBR]

I didnt follow too... I dont want the slots to take docking/freighter space at all...

[s9ilent]

I think Gazz means when your building ship(s), to put a satellite place holder in its place.

I'm in the process of writing a huge logistics supply script atm, it might help with this kind of thing, just thought I'd give you the FYI (so you can concentrate more on your script function, as opposed to finding a way to supply your ships)

[JumperBR]

A placeholder would be good... I could also create the ship and set its hull to % of its production...

I like the idea of your script... how are you going to determinate which ships must be supplied?

The ship needs the following wares:
EC,Ore,Teladianium,Silicon,Teladianium,Rastar,Microchips,ClothRimes,Quantum Tubes,Computer Componentes,Crystals, in diferent proportions

I could pass that info to your script via commands. Production would be limited by freight space too, as more cargo is required to build wares... (Imagine a HQ with 8000 cargo space), maybe I could tweak down those numbers...

[s9ilent]

The required supplies will have to be either a) Manually inputted or b) Manually edited by scripts (Probably B for you to automate the resupplying process)

But grrrr... I'm going to have to redesign my script to accommodate all ware types now. But yes, you bring up a good point, a carrier shouldn't really have much cargo space on it soo... It might be necessary to "slow" deliver goods to the carrier (so you'll have to slow consume them)

Eg consume 3% of total wares per.. xxx second. But then you'd have to make your script automatically work out how much of each ware is required to make 3%. Nothing a couple local variables can't hold.
EC, Ore, Teladianium, Silicon, Rastar, Microchips, ClothRimes, Quantum Tubes, Computer Componentes, Crystals


My script has one "warehouse" ship, and *N ships actually transporting, so the warehouse ship would simply follow the carrier and zap over wares as they are required (so in a way, it will function as an extended cargo bay)

[Dreamwind99]

Creating a script to ease a players burdon but instead increasing it isn't a good idea, if you use resourses it requires more macro management, it being a ship not a station just makes it harder, not to mention the ship itse;f doesn't have enough cargo space to do the job, ony ship that has is the mobile repair ship.

Keep it simple, manufacturing or shipping in each ship and all it equipment offers little over what's currently available.

The ability to park a Carrier in a system and have it's fighters patrol nearby sectors escorting player ships might be nice along with similar commands to ACC.

[ThisIsHarsh]

LOL, you are never going to be able to satisfy everyone with this script.

I would *strongly* suggest a massive config menu to enable/disable features. Start with the most basic feature and add new ones as requested but with an enable/disable option in a config menu.

My personal opinion:

- Should *never* have to use credits, only wares, otherwise it requires good relations with at least one race to get the credits in the first place, negating chance for independence from other races.

- Carrier should only be able to build the types that can dock at it. Add an option to add the Repair Ship (or whatever it's called) to shipyards, which can dock larger class ships. Or perhaps the very largest ships can be built at player EDs, taking wares from a docked TL.

- Minimize 'cheating'. I.e. ships should be built totally bare, with only software/upgrades pre-installed. Then use some (3rd party?) equipping script to take existing shields/weapons/etc from cargo hold and install on ship. You can manufacture equipment using factories, no need to script it in.

- Add an option to allow TLs to manufacture station kits. Again, this allows for eventual independence from all other races.


Worth mentioning again: no doubt other people including yourself won't agree with my ideas, but it would be good to have the options available to satisfy everyone...

[Dave lister 2]

one thing you could do with this is a 'construction module' that you buy from weapon fabs, takes up 2-3 docking slots for 5-10 minutes (or longer) and when that time is up it disappears leaving a set amount of the weapon behind in the cargo bay, the simpler the weapon the more received, etc...

just my two credits.

[JumperBR]

LOL, you are never going to be able to satisfy everyone with this script.

True...

I would *strongly* suggest a massive config menu to enable/disable features. Start with the most basic feature and add new ones as requested but with an enable/disable option in a config menu.

Its a idea...

- Should *never* have to use credits, only wares, otherwise it requires good relations with at least one race to get the credits in the first place, negating chance for independence from other races.

I was thinking about setting a percentage for Credits/Resources (with a maximum of maybe 60% for credits), for example: if you set 60%, then instead of needing, 100 Ore, you will need 40 ore and the other 60 will be credited from the player. This would help alliviate as the player requires less resources.

- Carrier should only be able to build the types that can dock at it. Add an option to add the Repair Ship (or whatever it's called) to shipyards, which can dock larger class ships. Or perhaps the very largest ships can be built at player EDs, taking wares from a docked TL.

Still need to test this... not sure how it will work out... too many variables.

- Minimize 'cheating'. I.e. ships should be built totally bare, with only software/upgrades pre-installed. Then use some (3rd party?) equipping script to take existing shields/weapons/etc from cargo hold and install on ship. You can manufacture equipment using factories, no need to script it in.

Thats the idea... it is working like that already, ships are built with no upgrade but one of my scripts checks for docked ships and upgrades them (with nav/fight software, docking computer, engine tuning, etc, taking credits from the player), the best shields will be equipped and laser/missiles will be loaded according to ship layout defined by the player, this part is done at least.
The idea is that the carrier produce its wares, it can produce the shields, laser and missiles.

- Add an option to allow TLs to manufacture station kits. Again, this allows for eventual independence from all other races

Good idea, I will take a look at this... the ware cost will be very high for this one...

[BlackRain]

Yes, personally I want to be able to be completely independent from all races so I can conquer them all