Nomination thread: New features/bugfixes for Yitzi's patch

[Yitzi]

I've decided that after the next patch I will start taking requests for some of the things to go into my patch.  I've decided to use the following system:

Each person is allowed to nominate up to two new features and up to two bugfixes.  If a bugfix is really easy and/or I really like the idea, it will automatically make it in, otherwise I will assign to each feature/bugfix a vote multiplier representing how hard it is (the easier it is, the higher the multiplier), and then we'll take a vote via range voting, and whichever feature(s) and bugfix(es) score the highest (vote times multiplier, with number depending on how difficult they are) make it into the next version of the patch.

If you'd rather describe a problem and let me figure out a solution, you can do that instead of both nominated features.

If something requires major internal changes first, I will put those changes up as a voting option instead.

So let's have some nominations...

[ete]

My main nomination is faction specific custom units. I'd love to have a way to play around with crazy units in a way that does not mess with the balance of other factions.

My second nomination is the ability to store faction files in /factions/ rather than having them necessarily mixed in with the misc configuration/graphics/stuff files. When you've got a large collection of custom factions (I have about 160) it's hard to keep things organized, and separating things out would help a lot, hopefully encouraging more people to make use of the factionpack. This could be backwards compatible if it looks in /factions/ first, then in the main folder if it does not find the required file in /factions/. This has some added organizational bonuses when it comes to my plans with github, since a separate repository for factions and text files is.. tricky to implement in a not-super ugly way when they're all in one folder. https://github.com/etesp/Alpha-Centauri-Textfiles exists, though it's not ready just yet, partly because of running into this.

[Yitzi]

My main nomination is faction specific custom units. I'd love to have a way to play around with crazy units in a way that does not mess with the balance of other factions.

Putting in a CANBUILDUNIT ability should not be too difficult; it will be obsolete if I do a major tech tree expansion with virtual techs, but that would be much bigger, and I presume you'd like the ability sooner.

My second nomination is the ability to store faction files in /factions/ rather than having them necessarily mixed in with the misc configuration/graphics/stuff files. When you've got a large collection of custom factions (I have about 160) it's hard to keep things organized, and separating things out would help a lot, hopefully encouraging more people to make use of the factionpack. This could be backwards compatible if it looks in /factions/ first, then in the main folder if it does not find the required file in /factions/.

Unfortunately, that would require learning how it accesses the filesystem.  I'll put down "learn how it accesses the filesystem", but even so that'll be a fairly low multiplier.

[ete]

My main nomination is faction specific custom units. I'd love to have a way to play around with crazy units in a way that does not mess with the balance of other factions.

Putting in a CANBUILDUNIT ability should not be too difficult; it will be obsolete if I do a major tech tree expansion with virtual techs, but that would be much bigger, and I presume you'd like the ability sooner.

That would be cool, it would be fun to play with. I don't want to make you duplicate work though, so if it's on your roadmap to do another way I'm okay with you counting my nomination as one for the virtual techs thing.[/quote]

It's on the list, but fairly late as it'd be a lot of work, and most of the work for this would be useful for other stuff as well, I think I'll put it on anyway.

[TarMinyatur]

How about a rule in alphax.txt to affect the scrambling of needlejets?

1, 25 ; Scrambling {0 = disable, 1 = enable for units with < x% damage}

It is frustrating when a heavily damaged Needlejet scrambles to intercept enemy bombers with no chance to win.

[Yitzi]

How about a rule in alphax.txt to affect the scrambling of needlejets?

1, 25 ; Scrambling {0 = disable, 1 = enable for units with < x% damage}

It is frustrating when a heavily damaged Needlejet scrambles to intercept enemy bombers with no chance to win.

It would probably make more sense to have it be based on the situation; even if it's heavily damaged, it might be better to lose the needlejet than whatever the unit was originally attacking, and depending on the relative weapon strengths it might have the advantage even with damage.

Perhaps have it scramble if either the unit being attacked costs more than it does, or it has a better than 50% chance of winning?

[ete]

I like the idea of only scrambling if better than 50% chance of winning.

Edit: Though not enough for it to replace either of my nominations. It just seems like the best of the proposed solutions to the jets dying uselessly thing, which seems like an issue, but a relatively minor one to me.

[Geo]

The ability to adjust the type -and output of landmarks in the alphax file.

[Yitzi]

The ability to adjust the type -and output of landmarks in the alphax file.

What do you mean by "type"?  (Adjusting outputs would require some sort of rework to resource output information in order to create room for the landmarks' information; this was actually planned anyway but if voted for would move up.)

[Geo]

For instance, changing it so that say the Monsoon landmark gives nutrient+energy instead of just nutrients.
Or even changing the output to zero.

[Yitzi]

For instance, changing it so that say the Monsoon landmark gives nutrient+energy instead of just nutrients.
Or even changing the output to zero.

That sort of information needs to be stored somewhere, though, and that means reworking something to make room.

[Dio]

There are still many bugs and unimplemented features that are present in the original game. This makes the decision for my nominations very difficult. I would definitely need to evalute what features and bugfixes would have the greatest impact with the least amount of work involved.

[Yitzi]

There are still many bugs and unimplemented features that are present in the original game. This makes the decision for my nominations very difficult.

If it were easy to decide, I wouldn't need to take nominations and votes.

I would definitely need to evalute what features and bugfixes would have the greatest impact with the least amount of work involved.

If you list various ideas, I can tell you what the vote multiplier would be.  Or if other people want to give you their nominations for bugfixes, then you can do that too and we'll use the vote to decide what would have the greatest impact for the least work (which is essentially the idea behind said vote).

[Dio]

My list of features and bugfixes in order:
Features:
1. Enableing the various probe team options. This would mean getting the Scripts for #DECIPHER, #NODECIPHER, #ADVDECIPHER1, #ADVENERGY, and #ADVENERGY1 working. Fixing ADVDECIPHER1 and ADVENERGY1 would probably require changing the base level of probe team morale.
2. Adding the various potential bonuses to the CITIZENS section of the alpha file. The bonuses are mentioned in the Help.txt file under the heading #CITIZENHECK.
3. Adding a combat defense/attack bonus for Energy weapons versus projectile armor and Projectile weapons versus Energy armor.
4. Adding Commerce penalities to the negative SOCIAL, ECONOMY effects.
5 Adding variables to control the bonus you get from secret projects like the Neural Amp, Dream Twister, and base facilities like Perimeter Defense, Tachyon Field, and Aerospace Complexes.
6. Making the Telepathic Matrix give +2 PROBE instead of +2 Probe team morale.

Bugfixes:
1. Getting the Faction Bonus COMMFREQ working along with fixing the graphical bug that occurs in the SE faction social bonus/penalty display when using the SOCIAL, TALENT effect. I have attempted to fix the SOCIAL TALENT bug myself but my attempts have made the game unstable.
2. Fixing the road attack combat bonus and seperating the variables that control the bonuses for Mobile vs. Rough and Mobile vs. Base
3. Fixing the FACTENERGYBON display in the Faction Budget/Economic window (I think it is the F3 shortcut display???).

[Geo]

For instance, changing it so that say the Monsoon landmark gives nutrient+energy instead of just nutrients.
Or even changing the output to zero.

That sort of information needs to be stored somewhere, though, and that means reworking something to make room.

I would've thought the landmark yield info is already stored somewhere? Or is its 'storage' space to small to add info?