Can't improve pirate raids.

from Sins Forums
I've been tweaking around with the gameplay.constants file, trying to make a mod with more deadly pirates. I want to add new ship types to later game pirate raids, so that I can place capital ships into the forces. But every time it gets to that point, the game crashes.

This is a sample block of data that I've tweaked:
pirateRaidComposition:2
            requiredShipCount 0
            randomShipCount 6
            randomShip
                type "FrigatePirateScout"
                weight 2
            randomShip
                type "FrigatePirateMedium"
                weight 8
            randomShip
                type "FrigatePirateHeavy"
                weight 5
            randomShip
                type "FrigatePirateAntiFighter"
                weight 3
            randomShip
                type "FrigatePirateSiege"
                weight 3
            randomShip
                type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHCOLONY"
                weight 1
End of quote

I have checked the pirate files, and they do have data for using TECH capital ships. From the looks of it they aren't missing anything that the tech race has.

What am I doing wrong here?
modding
7,467 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Though I havent tested it myself, from what i can remember those who have tried this before decided that adding capitalships to pirate raids isn't possible. My guess as to why would be that the Raid can't handle capitalship entities, it would probably work if you created a frigate entity out of the capitalship, though obviously this would remove levelling.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Though I havent tested it myself, from what i can remember those who have tried this before decided that adding capitalships to pirate raids isn't possible. My guess as to why would be that the Raid can't handle capitalship entities, it would probably work if you created a frigate entity out of the capitalship, though obviously this would remove levelling.
End of quote


It's possible.
I've made a pirate MOD before, adding Captialships, all worked well.
Here is a screenshots with Captialships Pirate Raid.



The reason I didn't publish it was another problem.
After these Captialships & Frigates finished raid, they return to the Pirate Base and stay.... so, here is a screenshot of many returned raid groups...it's horrible!!!

There were near 200 Captialships and over 200 seigeships and near 100 LRM and over 100 squadrons and other support ships.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Sorry, I forget poster's question.
Your edit seems well, But I don't know your MAX randomshipcount number, When I've tested before, The number should <10, Or the game easly to minidump.

BTW, I still not sure about the var "weight". I thought it decide the percent in raid group but not sure about amount.
Ex:
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateScout"
weight 2
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateMedium"
weight 8
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateHeavy"
weight 5
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateAntiFighter"
weight 5
Means 10%PirateScout/40%PirateMedium/25%irateHeavy/25%PirateAntiFighter.
If we double the numbers(2/8/5/5--->4/16/10/10), percent should remain, how about amount? anyone knows how it's caculated?
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
When I've tested before, The number should <10, Or the game easly to minidump.
End of quote

Actually, I noticed the game crash when it got to this piece of code:
pirateRaidComposition:3
requiredShipCount 0
randomShipCount 9
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateMedium"
weight 18
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateHeavy"
weight 21
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateAntiFighter"
weight 9
randomShip
type "FrigatePirateSiege"
weight 9
randomShip
type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP"
weight 1
randomShip
type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHCARRIER"
weight 1
randomShip
type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHSUPPORT"
weight 1
randomShip
type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHCOLONY"
weight 2
randomShip
type "CAPITALSHIP_TECHSIEGE"
weight 1
End of quote

I guess I'll have to reduce those weight numbers to make it work. Is it possible to use decimals for the random chances? I really don't want the pirate capitals popping up as every other ship.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
decimals? I didn't tried before.
BTW, do you enlarge the "maxSupply"?
And how do you think the meaning of "weight" which i've posted.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I did enlarge the max supply, in fact I tripled it. To counteract this I've reduced the factors that increase pirate strength by one third. Pirate strength appears to be a % value of the supply. I'm not sure if it's a % of the values between the min and max, or if it's only from 1-max.

I'm trying out decimals, to see where I can get with them. On the plus side, it hasn't crashed the game... yet!
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Nope. I've been rattling my head on this, and I simply can't make it work! I'm hosting the file to see if anyone can figure out where I went wrong. I don't have any of the randomizing weights over 10, I counted up the randomshipcount properly, and I couldn't find any typos. It SHOULD work, as far as I know, but it keeps crashing at the upper tiers of pirate aggression.

Here's the file link to my gameplay.constants file. It's the only file I changed in the mod. Yes, I do have the rest of the files there, the mod does load and play fine until the endgame pirates.
http://files.filefront.com/Gameplayconstants/;9969106;/fileinfo.html
edit: The pirates seem to make raids against computer raids no problem, although I can't see what's going on. But if they target me it outright crashes. I'm not sure if that's related somehow.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Hi Bobucles, Uzii once told me MaxSupply should be in 300, If bigger than 300 should crash game.
And I'm reworked on my Pirate MOD, Maybe we can work together.

Just as I've said, I've made 5 copies of original PirateShips except Piratescout and a new pirate carrier ship which used TEC-LightCarrier model but retexture.
After I've solved the pirateships ability crash problem, I plan to publish it.
Detail imformation in my string file:
Code: xml
  2. StringInfo
  3. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_B_NAME"
  4. Value "PirateAntiFighter-Basic "
  5. StringInfo
  6. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_I_NAME"
  7. Value "PirateAntiFighter-Improved "
  8. StringInfo
  9. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_A_NAME"
  10. Value "PirateAntiFighter-Advanced "
  11. StringInfo
  12. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_S_NAME"
  13. Value "PirateAntiFighter-Super "
  14. StringInfo
  15. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_U_NAME"
  16. Value "PirateAntiFighter-Ultimate "
  17. StringInfo
  18. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEANTIFIGHTER_NEW_DESCRIPTION"
  19. Value "Pirate AntiFighter, good at attack fighters and bombers. Model development sequence: Basic-> Improved-> Advanced-> Super-> Ultimate "
  20. StringInfo
  21. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_B_NAME"
  22. Value "PirateCarrier-Basic "
  23. StringInfo
  24. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_I_NAME"
  25. Value "PirateCarrier-Improved "
  26. StringInfo
  27. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_A_NAME"
  28. Value "PirateCarrier-Advanced "
  29. StringInfo
  30. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_S_NAME"
  31. Value "PirateCarrier-Super "
  32. StringInfo
  33. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_U_NAME"
  34. Value "PirateCarrier-Ultimate "
  35. StringInfo
  36. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATECARRIER_NEW_DESCRIPTION"
  37. Value "PirateCarrier, From Basic model to Ultimate can take Squad from one to five! Model development sequence: Basic-> Improved-> Advanced-> Super-> Ultimate "
  38. StringInfo
  39. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_B_NAME"
  40. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser-Basic "
  41. StringInfo
  42. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_I_NAME"
  43. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser-Improved "
  44. StringInfo
  45. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_A_NAME"
  46. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser-Advanced "
  47. StringInfo
  48. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_S_NAME"
  49. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser-Super "
  50. StringInfo
  51. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_U_NAME"
  52. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser-Ultimate "
  53. StringInfo
  54. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEHEAVY_NEW_DESCRIPTION"
  55. Value "PirateHeavyCruiser, a heavy cruiser, with ability of PirateDomination and RestoreShield! Model development sequence: Basic-> Improved-> Advanced-> Super-> Ultimate "
  56. StringInfo
  57. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_B_NAME"
  58. Value "PirateMediumCruiser-Basic "
  59. StringInfo
  60. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_I_NAME"
  61. Value "PirateMediumCruiser-Improved "
  62. StringInfo
  63. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_A_NAME"
  64. Value "PirateMediumCruiser-Advanced "
  65. StringInfo
  66. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_S_NAME"
  67. Value "PirateMediumCruiser-Super "
  68. StringInfo
  69. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_U_NAME"
  70. Value "PirateMediumCruiser-Ultimate "
  71. StringInfo
  72. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATEMEDIUM_NEW_DESCRIPTION"
  73. Value "PirateMediumCruiser, a support crusier with ability Repair and StealRescource. Model development sequence: Basic-> Improved-> Advanced-> Super-> Ultimate "
  74. StringInfo
  75. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_B_NAME"
  76. Value "PirateColonySiege-Basic "
  77. StringInfo
  78. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_I_NAME"
  79. Value "PirateColonySiege-Improved "
  80. StringInfo
  81. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_A_NAME"
  82. Value "PirateColonySiege-Advanced "
  83. StringInfo
  84. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_S_NAME"
  85. Value "PirateColonySiege-Super "
  86. StringInfo
  87. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_U_NAME"
  88. Value "PirateColonySiege-Ultimate "
  89. StringInfo
  90. ID "IDS_FRIGATE_PIRATESIEGE_NEW_DESCRIPTION"
  91. Value "PirateColonySiege, Can process planet bomb mission, also can colonize it after wipe out the enemy. Model development sequence: Basic-> Improved-> Advanced-> 超级型-> Ultimate "