NewHorizons,

Should work with 0.422 provided you update the master entity and master string file increment count. Otherwise just change the entity file names and internal links to a SoaSE file that SotYR doesn't call on place the updated files in your build. The way the engine calls files goes in date order, so: enabled mods, diplomacy, entrenchement, then vanilla.

I frequently test using a SoaSE file name when I'm tweaking variables before committing to the complete overhaul. I've not tested the envoy files but the adjustments are minor. That said, there is one issue I posted under the Common Envoy Note ticket but the more I play with it the less I think it will be an issue.

Oh I'm evil!!!!!!! Centauri summoning Shadow raids.....instantActionTriggerType "OnChance" is so under rated.

*** Imagines Darvroth rubbing his hands together and going "mwa-ha-ha-haa" ***

I don't think I'd under-estimate anything that was Shadow related - what is involved with such a raid?

I actually went pretty weak with the raiders, 6 nerfed scouts on a 240 second clock, I tested on a 50% chance but selected a 3% for inclusion. The Centauri player has no control over when raids will happen but when they do "friendly" Shadow ships show up in the same gravity well as the envoy ship under that players control. Given the mechanic I didn't want it overpowered though I suspect TobiWahn will tweak the final form. It was nice to see some Shadow ships in action :')

The mechanic with some tweaking will be an interesting means of calling for reinforcements. I'd like to decypher the Tech Rebellion tech but haven't found a complete human readable copy yet.

Darvoth, could this also be a research similar to insurgency for the centari?

boshimi336 please explain.

I've mostly focused on ship and planet structure abilities and associated entity files and buffs. Is the intent for the Centauri to cause rebellions or to suffer them? Both I think are possible. I've not delved into the new SoaSE: Rebellion abilites or engine changes though there are several known changes that offer obvious improved mechanics for our mod. That conversion might be the next step after 0.43 releases but for now we need content.

I'll freely offer up there are many good mod tools I'm ignorant of (more using rather than actual knowledge of...). I'm more of a stubby finger one key at a time modder which takes longer and makes testing more difficult but it's what I know. Think of me as one evolutionary step above the chimpazee with a typewriter.

The Insurgency research summons units that are hostile to everyone, but they only attack the gravity wells of players hostile to the person who researched it.  It would be a great way to do a Centauri/Shadow alliance since the Shadows would attack everyone the Centauri player doesn't like and if the Centauri player wants to go through a gravity well where the Shadows have staked their claim so to speak they would be hostile to him.  It would have to summon weak Shadow vessels though since they'll have to chance to appear at any gravity well, and stationing fleets and defenses at every well to defeat powerful Shadow vessels would be economically ruinous.

That would work well. Is there a human readable copy of the entity files you could point me to that could be tailored? Also if it a Rebellion file implementation will have to wait till the mod is updated from the current Diplomacy compatibility. That said TobiWahn and other modders have made clear a lot of Rebellion is compatible with the Diplomacy version of the Iron engine. If it will work with Diplomacy and I can get a human readable copy, I'll go ahead and adapt it, otherwise it will be a post 0.43 project.

Could a knowledgeable person open a bitbucket ticket with the idea, assign me the task and upload the appropriate files? I'll take it from there and TobiWahn will have one more thing to add to the build when he gets back. As it stands I'll be keeping him busy for a while.

That's been standard Insurgency behavior since Original Sins.  The two files that concern it are RESEARCHSUBJECT_REBELLION.entity and Gameplay.constants: the .entity file controls the severity using the float researchModifier "RebellionLevel" and Gameplay.constants controls which ships are summoned at what Rebellion level.

EDIT: Both files are going to be in Harpo's reference data dumps for Diplomacy and Rebellion, and you can find his ref data with a quick forum search.

or look in the  modding forum stickies (at the top of the modding forum before the recently updated line was #3 when I posted)

harpo

I believe Ryat might have some insight into modding the Insurgency ability, something about only being 2 or 3 tiers or 'settings' that can be set for it. Not exactly sure. It could also be setup for 'raiding fleets' to simulate the human civil war ... or simply pirates.

Not sure if you can setup different insurgencies for different players or not. Who knows.

Sacrifice of Angels set it up so the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans each had their own rebellion level in Gameplay.constants with different rebellion levels unlocked by each race's unique research.  Feds went straight to level 3, Klinks were 2, IIRC, and Rommies were only level 1, with the feds being the most powerful with Klinks second and Rommies last in terms of insurgent power.

Thanks all. I'll open up a ticket but it is clear from the discussion that progress will have to wait till TobiWahn is back as he has sole control of the .constants files. If I recall the pirate function will be filled by the "raiders" which attacked everyone. Using the same mechanic for random Shadow raids was under review but I don't have the current status.

Looking at the Insurgent mechanic the most prominent civil wars were EA and Minbari. If the mechanic is hard code limited to three factions is there a recommendation on the third? The League and ISA are not part of the current plan though may be expressed in less than faction forms.

Rogue EA ships (sympathetic to President Clark)

Shadow attacks (they sweep in, do some damage, then sweep back out of the system)

Not sure about the third? Maybe use the third one as an upgrade to one of the first two.

With this system, they stay in the system they attack and can't jump out.  That being said, if the Shadows are launching raids on such a large scale, they're clearly going public with their intentions to cause galactic chaos.

There's no way to set a 'destruction timer' via an ability on the spawned shadow vessels that are brought into the system via the insurgency research for the the Centauri?

Look here: https://bitbucket.org/TobiWahn_Kenobi/sotyr/issue/80/centauri-envoy-ship Ability_Centauri_Raiders and the buffs for a mechanism to have summoned temporary raiders.

Very cool Darvroth! You could also have this be weaker Centauri ships as well if needed (remember the 'remote piloted' ships that were raiding the League of Non-Aligned Worlds?) and leave the shadow incursions (with self-destruct timers on board) as a re searchable 'insurgency' style ability. Just some suggestions from the peanut gallery.

Cool stuff!!!

boshimi336,

Agree but I suspect the full Insurgency effect will take some tinkering to get working properly as master, .entity, research, player and likely ship files will all need to be in harmony. It is easy enough to substitute a different ship... I was sorely tempted to have a summoned Shadow ship be the visual implementation of Resource_Extraction1 in the Shadow Envoy ticket but elected to remove all the visual effects and have a more passive look to the ability, sort of background it rather than highlight it.

TobiWahn,

Tickets for EA, Narn, Centauri, and Minbari Envoy are ready for review, adoption and closure.

Tickets for Shadow and Vorlon Envoy are uploaded but are in need of mapping to the desired research prereq tech. Since Shadow and Vorlon tech trees are still in development you can either correct or I can propose the mapping once the tech trees are ready for testing. Proposed Vorlon and Shadow Envoy ship entity files are also uploaded for adoption.

Many of the proposed changes are very minor, usually string file and tech mapping and remain untested, Tested files are specifically noted.

Please read Envoy Common note before delving into the Envoy tickets. I have found SoaSE files with Friendly and AlliedOrEnemy and proposed changes are legal selections, that said the Allied and Friendly combination in the buff *self files is untested.

TobiWahn,

While you were gone I did some cleaning. The following tickets in addition to the Envoy are ready for review and closure:

EA Avenger - correct file uploaded.

EA Hyperion - verify all uploaded files match to entity with corrected string and master list updates.

EA Poseidon

EA logistics balance - I concede your last point

Minbari Stealth Ability - You have a working option I uploaded a different method, pick one, apply change and close ticket.

Minbari Sharlin - It has 10/10 abilities verify, if entity is in need of refresh, update if not close.

Construction Frigates Ability Upgrade - Selected ships now have mine detection capabilities from a different ticket and Construction Frigates already have 5 abilites and there are other open tickets for additional abilities. Recommend close.

Add EarthForce One ticket to the list, only 8/10 abilities but if all suggestions are implemented I consider it complete.

Hi there.

Finally back again. Was a fantastic journey, except for volcano eruptions we had seen almost all Iceland has to offer. I see that you've been very busy while I was away. I will still lay low the next few days, and I have to work again come Monday, but I will read all your posts and take a look at the tickets in the next days. Thanks a lot for all your work and contributions.

Glad you're back and equally glad you enjoyed yourself.  Now if only I could find the scrap of paper I had all my notes on... I suspect it may have found its way into the trash.... Luckily most of the content had already been transferred to bitbucket.

Found my notes, happy days are here again.