The statement is simply a tool limitation in that I didn't code for explicit references in brush files to .tga or .dds. My assumption also was if the dds existed in the mod it would override any tga in the base game. I may have been wrong here and never really confirmed in the debugger. In either case here's an updated version for you that handles .tga or .dds explicitly stated in the brush files.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5790092/Temp/soseplugin_v.1.0.1.zip

Personally I did not agree with converting UI elements from tga to dds mainly due to the loss of quality in the image. However, I also never felt It was fully confirmed on the UI texture side so I opted for the higher quality tga versus the lossy dds.

Basically my understanding: there is a savings IF the DDS texture is sent directly to the graphics card for rendering such as with the meshes or particle effects. In this case the compressed DDS can be sent directly to the graphics card with native support for mipmaps resulting in less memory and better performance.

However, if the graphics file is loaded into memory as may be indicated below then the uncompressed DDS for UI elements will be the same size as the uncompressed TGA resulting in loss of quality and no memory benefit.

This is a quote from Yarlen that seems to indicate this is the case.

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?aid=411638

Which is why I wrote the tool basically. The debugger is a great runtime evaluator of the mod but is not quite as useful when it comes to debugging source file and reference integrity issues as you can see from the resulting output. I am a software developer by trade and value having both of these tools. I also have quite a bit of experience developing custom scripting languages so it seemed natural to come up with a parsing algorithm for the sins file syntax and then extended that with some more Design patterns for the validation rules. Learning to turn it into an eclipse program was the more challenging aspect for myself.

FYI, Sorry to hear about your previous issues with the tool. Feel free to bug me if you want and check out the more maelstrom compatible version of the tool I posted above.

ZombiesRus5,

Thanks!

Can see were your coming from ... also read the TSOP forum comments on this issue. So it's speed vs quality. Also, and more importantly for me, its consistency. I'll stick with all my textures being dds, easier to manage.

Glad you applied your skills to a useful tool.

Can't specifically remember what was the problem (probably just me), but I opted for the simple solution at the time (Sins debugger)

What I want to overcome is that the number of Dreads is limited for the AI. With the AI being careless about them, they lose them after short time. So when the player waits a little, he will be the only one with (multiple) Dreads and only two of them will level most fleets on their own. This neutralises the higher AI levels, as a major bonus for high level AI is the resource boost. But they just build more ships without a chance.

With the change from Antimatter to Resources, the AI will receive relatively quickly replacement for a lost Dread, specificaly on higher levels and late game where they collect lots resources they can't use efficiently otherwise.

Using the 5th ability slot to add a fixed (Level0) ability with -2.5 resources also solves the "problem" of the player collecting Dreads. The resource drain kicks in the moment the Dread spawns. Which seams to work in Diplomacy without problem and also balances the Dread spawning for the AI (see my post in Reply #1046)

Hope that makes is clear. Thank you at all for taking time trying to understand my posts

I'm happy that you like my feedback. So here some more

I recognized a pirate system with ridiculous number of stations and ships. When watching closely what was going on, it seamed new ships and stations where spawned each time the system was hit by the Vasari Cannon, until my PC could not handle it anymore.

Regarding the Dreads
The resource solution scales better, with the higher level AI being much stronger and I really think the solution worth to separate O, just let O version stay with the antimatter system. But this is your decision, it might drive the effort on updates.

About the weapon effects,
I do not agree with your concerns (without your indeep knowledge and without being in position to tell you what you should do ). I do not see the need to create complete new effects as I would expect e.g. the TEC autocannon to look the same as the Alliance one. But currently the alliance one has a bright effect while the TEC one looks dull compared to it. And using the same effect for similar old/new races weapons should even reduce the load on the system?

Have any advice or examples for particle effects?

By example I have one ship or possible planet that surrounds the core of a star. I was thinking about making the core a particle effect with a different shader based on some of the comments in the forum.

Hi Quiet_Man,

Interesting, the spawn time should be 15mins. Was it O, E or D?

I like your idea, it could be adsorbed into another ability and not as a separate ability. Also have you thought about increasing the resource drain further when the dread becomes a super-dread?

I can see that you are quite adamant about your concerns. Are there particular effects or a group of effects that you would recommend improving?

The super-dread upgrade could easily have it's own income penalty added to the buff files. Though, I have to say that adding an income penalty for every level up, that is, with each new ability, seems to be a bit much and essentially is penalizing people for having better ships, the suoer-dread upgrade notwithstanding.

Hi ZombiesRus5,

If you value your sanity stay away from particle effects ... just joking.

Not sure what is trying to be achieved.

Its possible. I made a star a particle effect for a ring world. You make the 'core particle effect' a flair and embed it in another mesh.

Haven't found a good alternative to the GS_Star Pipeline Effect, that is to create the plasma 'jitter' on the core surface.

BTW: Your welcome to use anything you have seen in my mod.

As you know its about balancing a monster ship that the AI does know how to handle. The AI needs some additional negative feedback mechanism to counter-balance a cap/s that can take on a whole fleet.

Having the 'income penalty' for just the super-ability is possibly a way forward. As a dread of level 5 can be taken-out relatively easily, particularity by a human player. Of course a option is to reduce the super-ability to make the dread a little less monstrous.

It was in D

Mostly the weapons effects. When you have a battle "new" versus "old" race there is now a very big difference in effects.

btw. playing a little with the Vasaris, I recognized the new races miss a "rocket" race. Why not make the Norlamins go for intelligent weapons, like long range shield/armor penetrating weapons? Might be a bit too late on how far you are into developing them, but it might fit their appearance as less "brute-force" race.

In O (R5) I've reworked/simplified the pirates so they easier to manage. So will look at this in R6 as I translate the changes into E & D.

I agree to a certain extent ... but it all depends on how much of a extra resource drain the super-ability will be. I was not thinking of doubling the drain (-2.5) but increasing it slightly (let's say -0.5).

You don't get something for nothing ... the chief reason way the effects look better is because they use more particles. Sins has restricted the total number of particles that can be active at one time. Once this 'ceiling' is reached then the particles stop being rendered. I'll look into the situation nonetheless so see what can be done.

How about the TA, they are more similar to the Tec.

Kewl! I noticed your custom planets had sorta the opposite of what I wanted with a particle mesh surrounding the planet. I'll try and look at those effects and see how it lays out.

a slight increase could work, but I'm not sure why to do so? The overall concept in sins is that you need to buy (pretty expensive) support  points to buy ships. Why would you give players a gift for the strongest ship in the game?

I see. I have to say that I don't like the balance of ships in Sins, the difference in firepower is a little too big. I think about making small ships stronger (for more fleet point). This would also reduce the number of effects in battle?

Good point, yes the TA would be perfect. As you mention it I remember me playing TA first time and I was wondering about the lasers being a main weapon on the Dread. It felt a bit miss placed. Rockets would fit much better.

Hello,

My buddy bought me the steam version of sins which is called Trinity. From what I under stand it is just all the exp but into one game with a different name. But dose your mod work on the steam version? I own it under Impulse..er...Gamestop app and works fine on that version.

Thanks 

P.S. Your mod is getting better every time you update it exp. more balance, keep up the good work!

Yes, Trinity is just Sins+Entrenchment+Diplomacy.  There is no difference between the versions if you buy it on steam, impulse, or from Stardock themselves.  It is still the same exact game.

Thanks

hey im having a problem enabling this mod, i cant seem to activate it and everytime i click "Enable mod" it just crashes, even though i have followed your instructions for smooth gaming. I have downloaded SoaSe via Steam. Also i have Trinity and i think thats updated to diplomacy 1.34, could that be the problem?

No, you should only be missing a main button or two. If you have Sins Diplomacy updated to 1.32 then Maelstrom (Standard or Expansion) R5 should work OK.

I have done all your suggestions but i still crash. Do i have to wait a few minutes or what do i have to do?

Hi doctermushroom,

I can only think of three things that would be causing a mini-dump.

1. Going over 2GB of RAM (that is if you have 2GB+ of RAM. How much RAM have you got in your system?). Try lowering the effects setting further. Make sure you have minimal background processes which would be using RAM.

2. You have mixed up O, E or D versions of Maelstrom i.e put them in the wrong directories.

3. corrupt mod download

I dont think RAM is the problem, I have 8GB of RAM so that should be fine. I will try downloading it again and see what happens.Thx btw for the help.

Ok, I didnt know that. Sorry for all these questions im just a complete noob at installing mods in Sins.I will try lowering the graphics settings so that i can finally try and play your mod. EDIT: I finally have your mod working and its awesome!