[MOD] [TC/AP] X3 Rebalance Mod (XRM) - Total conversion - v1.30d (02.12.13)

[paulwheeler]

I started off with XRM, going well so far. Company Pride turned out to be a terrible place to train up my traders (contrary to my vanilla memories!) but worked around that ok in the end.

I'm using X3:AP+XRM+MARS.


I did just have something odd happen though. Found a Split parked at a Thuruk's Showroom with an interesting offer - he wanted to sell me his 100% hull Drake for -22,741,306 credits. Yes, minus credits.
I saved and accepted to see what would happen, and received a free Drake, complete with a bunch of guns and marines. My wallet balance is unchanged.

No idea if this is XRM or X3 or simply today is International Split Generosity Day
Not sure if I'm going to use it though, it feels rather cheaty...

Thats an X3 bug - that particular mission cant handle the higher prices in the XRM - they wrap around and become negative.

[Figge04]

Hi, im having trouble getting my docking computers back to small
i've downloaded patch and used it like a fake patch. with a higher number than xrm, but it still seems to be XL docking computers
I gave it patch number 10 and xrm is 09 or something like that
im playing albion prelude with the no steam exe

[Barleyman]

Funny, I don't have issues with my trade empire being threatened by Xenon, Kha'ak, or pirates and I play XRM. Granted I've not started any of the plots, but if I were to do so, I'd wait until I had a decent battle group built up (which I'm close to now).

If someone or something initiates force, respond with overwhelming force if possible, otherwise try and determine your chance of victory and decide whether it's worth staying in the fight.

That's the thing. I just wanted to get X3TC plots over to see what happens and then continue on to X3AP. Yeah, XRM is NOT a good choice for quick walk-through.

I also understand these scripted missions will just scale up the difficulty according to your rank and hardware.

In any case I'm not actually sure those Xenon M7s and M6s were scripted, bad guys routinely overhelm faction defenses.

Having slept on it, I'll crank up the rear guard ship count from 50 to 150 or maybe 200, that should clear the air (space).

[Spectre01]

They function exactly the same as M8s and M7Ms. You need to give the missile turret an order, like attack enemies, or attack target. In AP fill them with mosquitos and give them a protect ship order and they will provide a missile defence screen for that ship.

Ill check the Norns issue - 200MJ shields should be L... Are you seeing correct cargo sizes for other wares? Eg. Jumpdrive - XL, capital class weapons XXL etc.

Right, turret command... I put those m3b in a wing and totally overlooked the turret command...

Im using the jumpdrive ware size fix for CODEA so JD is s size. Beside JD, everything else seems right, military scanner and cap ship weapons are all XXL, etc.

If the 200mj shield suppose to be L size, I will fix it on my end.

[d_ka]

@paul: Well, back then in TC the Sentinels were everywhere, but there are none present in any sectors, aside from the Khaakh as you say, but i´ve never been there, actually. I was just wondering, if you maybe changed something concerning their spawning.

@Sectre01:
I only know of "Docking Computer" ware size for CODEA, not the JD

The 200 shields are L size, there are other M3+ fighters which use them, like Medusa or Eclipse, and they definetly don´t have XL size ( and thus are not JD capable ).

@Figge04;
Have you opened, and then closed the PM after installing the fake patch? ( provided you have the PluginManager installed ).

[Spectre01]

@paul: Well, back then in TC the Sentinels were everywhere, but there are none present in any sectors, aside from the Khaakh as you say, but i´ve never been there, actually. I was just wondering, if you maybe changed something concerning their spawning.

@Sectre01:
I only know of "Docking Computer" ware size for CODEA, not the JD

The 200 shields are L size, there are other M3+ fighters which use them, like Medusa or Eclipse, and they definetly don´t have XL size ( and thus are not JD capable ).

@Figge04;
Have you opened, and then closed the PM after installing the fake patch? ( provided you have the PluginManager installed ).

Right, docking computer... Just woke up so I wasn't thinking straight, lol.

After some investigation in x3 editor, it seems that I somehow renamed tshield by mistake, which resulted in the game using default ware size for all shields.


False alarm...

[Barleyman]

In any case I'm not actually sure those Xenon M7s and M6s were scripted, bad guys routinely overhelm faction defenses.

Having slept on it, I'll crank up the rear guard ship count from 50 to 150 or maybe 200, that should clear the air (space).

That was the thing. Mission sector(s) were overhelmed by xenons and boosting the rearguard allowed Split AI to clear them out. So it was not unreasonable mission, rather easy one without those M7s flying around.

[Sgt Doom]

Xenon in my game are frequently sending massive fleets into bordering sectors, particularly Grand Exchange, so I set up LOWPs at the gates. (would I be right in assuming invasion fleet size is tied to the size of the player's largest ship? Or is it to combat ranking?)
Problem is, the LOWP I have guarding the Grand Exchange/Xenon gate keeps on hitting friendlies, seemingly in OOS combat as well. This basically means it pisses off one Teladi, wipes it out, and starts a conga line of Teladi vengeance, death and rep damage. I was using MARS until some minor mod I installed seemed to break it, leading to only the MARS offence option available and it not actually working.

Is there another mod that makes the AI more forgiving of FF from my non-player controlled vessels? I'm looking at Smart Turrets, but it doesn't seem to have any FF mitigation feature (such as how MARS implements a 10k credit penalty in lieu of angering an NPC)

[Figge04]

No, Should I install it with plugin manager for it to work?

[Trip_Fantastic]

I really felt like I had to share this:

http://i.imgur.com/Ajv9fv8.png

It's my main base of operations -- an equipment dock and a booze/weed plex -- nothing much.

Well, a few days after I settled there (Unknown Sector 9-7), this previously empty sector got a Privateer Trading Post. Nice, I thought, but nothing special.

A few days later -- lo and behold, Strong Arms XL moves into my neighbourhood. One more day passes -- and I now host Holy Dimensions Research Station as well. Also -- where do weapons dealers get their stock? Does it get created out of thin air? If so, why do some items take so long to restock?

First of all -- way cool. But I'm also curious why it's happening. I know Strong Arms XL was in another sector before. Did it get destroyed? Would it stay with me forevah and evah if I protect it?

[Etyneo]

(Unknown Sector 9-7)

Get outta my sector! :shakefist:

I think some of those things move around on their own even if they aren't destroyed. I've got a Strong Arms XL and a Privateer station in my version of 9-7 as well.

[Kadatherion]

A few days later -- lo and behold, Strong Arms XL moves into my neighbourhood. One more day passes -- and I now host Holy Dimensions Research Station as well. Also -- where do weapons dealers get their stock? Does it get created out of thin air? If so, why do some items take so long to restock?

First of all -- way cool. But I'm also curious why it's happening. I know Strong Arms XL was in another sector before. Did it get destroyed? Would it stay with me forevah and evah if I protect it?

It's common behaviour: most "secret" stations (the dealer XL, research stations, privateer outposts etc) relocate from time to time and from one unknown "owned" sector to another (privateer outposts can spawn in border sectors too), even if they are not destroyed. So, nope, it won't stay with you forever, no matter what.

As for the equipment for sale, it's scripted to slowly restock out of thin air, there's no production cycle like factories. And, actually, it's not slow at all at restocking (it only takes a few hours, for instance, to completely restock a full batch of torpedoes), however weapon dealers are such favorable places to buy weapons from in the otherwise weapon starved universe that many AI traders (your UTs/Ok Traders/ESTs especially) will often prefer them as suppliers for trade runs, which can keep their stock of particularly rare weapons somewhat consistently low.

[cellsafemode]

Dear EgoSoft:

X3 with xrm is almost the perfect game you can hope to ever create in this genre.

The only thing you need to do to make X3 better is split sector simulation into self contained objects (which they probably are in code already) then implement an IPC interface with some mutex locking and break out each object into it's own thread. This shouldn't be very difficult and will allow scaling the universe since all cpu's will be utilized as needed. Also, it shouldn't be very difficult to have audio be it's own thread that simply receives requests and then handles the queuing and playing of audio sounds and music tracks so that in-game logic doesn't have cycles wasted on it. So that offloads all audio cpu to it's own thread and possibly off the primary gpu dependent core since all cpu bound graphics stuff runs on only one thread (updates to opengl must occur from only one context) etc.

That much is a minimalist approach to making use of smp while taking advantage of what should be pre-existing programming organization of data structures used in the game. If people can thread what used to be a monolithic engine in open source land for free in the same way, then i would expect a company where people get paid to do this could have come up with that after a decade of the code base being around.


Second thing that can be done to make the game better is multi-player obviously. But this is much more of a rewrite than the above stuff. But really, those are the only two things that need to be done besides vamping up the graphics and models. You dont need to change _ANYTHING_ else. Maybe just hire the xrm guys and let them fix your game so we can forget X rebirth and play something great. Even if it's just single player. I would love to not have < 30fps in sectors because the game is being bogged down by having to process the entire universe in one thread along with the current sector being simulated.

Ok, end of rant. Time to kill off the argon's last sector.

[d_ka]

No, Should I install it with plugin manager for it to work?

No, but if you have PM installed, the open/close PM is needed so the game can ajust the new ware size changes.

[Figge04]

No, but if you have PM installed, the open/close PM is needed so the game can ajust the new ware size changes.

Yeah, tried to open and close the pmanager and start the game from the manager, it overwrite my save games
can't seem to get it to work, do I need to start a new game for this ?

[DrBullwinkle]

Yeah, tried to open and close the pmanager and start the game from the manager

It is more reliable to close the PM, then wait a couple of seconds before starting the game.

it overwrite my save games

Turn off the PM's Saved Game Manager. I think it is enabled by default, which is unfortunate. It is known to be buggy.



What are you trying to install? If you are trying to install the CODEA Docking Computer Ware Size Fix, then it is not packaged for proper installation with the plugin manager. Better to rename the files and manually install as a fake patch.

• If you do want to install the Docking Computer Ware Size Fix with the PM, then you must rename the .cat and .dat to two-digit numbers. I use 20.cat and 20.dat. The exact number does not matter because the PM will correct the numbers when it does the installation.
  
  This is the method that I use in my own game. It has the advantage of allowing me to manage my fake patches from the PM's Advanced menu (start the PM in Advanced Mode, of course).

[Figge04]

What are you trying to install? If you are trying to install the CODEA Docking Computer Ware Size Fix, then it is not packaged for proper installation with the plugin manager. Better to rename the files and manually install as a fake patch.

• If you do want to install the Docking Computer Ware Size Fix with the PM, then you must rename the .cat and .dat to two-digit numbers. I use 20.cat and 20.dat. The exact number does not matter because the PM will correct the numbers when it does the installation.
  
  This is the method that I use in my own game. It has the advantage of allowing me to manage my fake patches from the PM's Advanced menu (start the PM in Advanced Mode, of course).

1
Yes, this is what I want, and yes this is how I did at the start, I made it 10 and the very last cat/dat to run

2
This sounds pretty smart I'll prob try and do this next time

I'll try and start a new game instead of reloading my save game, just dint think it would matter if I flew abit around first

[DrBullwinkle]

Starting a new game is always a good test. You do not have to keep (save) the new game; just test it to make sure that your changes are working.

You should be able to use the ware size fix without starting a new game.

[Black_Sails]

@BlackSails:
Yea, those "Privateers" can be a real PITA. Aside from tips you´ve got for traders, there is nothing you can do to stop them, unless you position your main traiding fleets within an Argon territory; and since Argons don´t really like Paranids, and vice versa, you should be able to defeat them there without major problems for your reputation ( same goes for Split/Boron ).
I don´t know what kind of character you´re playing in your game, but if your avatar matches it, you could simply accept the rep/assets loss, while still making profit through boarding those Privateers, and selling them afterwards ( a Paranid Frigate will nett you a round summ of 30-40 millions, while even a couple of traders won´t cost you more then 10 m. ). And the reputation, well, appologise to the local police, if you must, and do some vh missions, and you´ll be fine again.

Lol, my avatar matches it now. I originally started a yaki start, then built up my reputation with the Teladi, and was giving up on my ways of raiding everyone else. Built up a fairly large spaceweed complex and was going about setting up defenses to keep the Khaak (they always seemed to show up in the sector with my station the moment I go OOS) away from my station. Over time my rep improved with everyone except the paranid, but I don't believe I can build my spaceweed complexes in Argon space. It seems now that building them in Teladi space was a terrible idea because I can't shoot at anyone else. I won't make that mistake again xD. Also the problem was I kind of sucked up all of the e-cells from the surrounding sectors to fuel my massive drug complex, so the traders had to go further out into split space to buy more e-cells, which is where they met a death by missile spam from a M7 privateer. Kind of annoying that the police won't engage the paranid owned ship for firing at the player but if the player engages, the police go crazy. I was IS when this happened, scouting for more SPPs. The M7 was chasing me while I was in a Yaki corvette (can't remember the name of it now, but betty describes it as a blockade running corvette). I fleed the M7 as I had more of an anti-fighter fit, then it disengaged me, turned on the traders, and began launching missile salvos. I had four more idiot traders enter the system and, I ended up having to buzz close to the privateer and then play a game of hiding around behind an asteroid, hoping it would crash into it while my remaining traders turned around and left the system lol.

The frustration with the privateers led me back down the war path. I joined the pirate guild, sold my remaining trade ships and defense fleet I had built, purchased a Galleon and filled it with teladi falcon sentinels, spent my remaining credits on cramming the Galleon with weapons, fuel and missles, and jumped into pirate space. I will rebuild in pirate space instead where I can shoot whatever I damn well please lol. I think I'll get the station boarding script so I can steal someone elses solar power plant.

[Figge04]

Found the error =(
guess it was something about missing zeros, sigh

thanks for all the help guys