Mod Description:
================
Proportions makes large changes to the proportions of economy and development
in Space Empires IV. The scale of several aspects of play have been made more
realistic, along with various other changes.
The most important changes are that homeworlds now begin with "Cultural Center"
facilities which represent the developed cultural homelands of an empire.
These would take a very long time to reproduce on an alien world, and they
multiply the production of homeworld facilities, as well as having many other
abilities themselves. As a result, homeworlds begin the game quite powerful,
whereas colonies are less productive and would likely take longer than an
entire game to develop to the same level as a homeworld. Still, colony worlds
can be developed to fairly impressive levels with enough time and population.
More achievable than full cultural centers are city facilities of various sizes,
for example.
Contributing to this effect are the changes to populations, which now grow at
a more realistic rate (about 1/10th the normal SE4 rate) and which also
require a more realistic amount of effort to transport to planet to planet,
since they now weigh a more realistic 1000 kT, and cargo capacities mean a
large ship is required to move even one of these. A colony with a small
population also builds at a much slower rate than a world with billions on it.
All of this means that developing a colony infrastructure is still very
important but is also more challenging, and will not so quickly alter the
balance of power or research.
Another large set of changes involves ship design. The ship designs have
been developed to include pseudo-Newtonian movement. Speed is proportional
to thrust divided by mass. All ship sizes have a to-hit modifier based on
size and maneuverability, and a ship which loses its engines becomes easier
to hit. Larger hulls are more expensive to build and maintain, and smaller
ships require fewer engines and are harder to hit, so bigger is not always
better in every case. Colony ships are huge. A variety of new ship classes
is available.
Planetary capacities have also been increased, both for units and for
resources. This means that planetary defenses can be amassed to great
strength, particularly on a homeworld, and empires also can stockpile large
reserves of resources, so they can potentially operate at a deficit for
extended periods. Blockading can be an important technique.
Proportions includes numerous other adjustments to the game, some of which
are listed below:
Infantry units have been added. These are available from the beginning of the
game. The best ground force is probably a combination of infantry and
vehicles. Ground combat has also been slowed down. It may take many turns to
conquer a well-defended planet on the ground. Militia has been greatly toned
down - planets should be garrisoned if they are to resist a serious invasion.
Because of the cheapness of infantry units, the effect of troops on population
happiness has been removed.
Standard armor works differently than in the un-modded game. It is not all
peeled off before any component damage is done. Instead, it absorbs a lot of
damage and protects components, but components can be destroyed while armor
is still intact. This is more realistic and unpredictable, and makes ship
design more interesting - using only non-armor components makes for a more
powerful but also more fragile and expensive ship than one with some space
devoted to armor.
NOTE: The AI is getting better at playing with this mod, but it could use
some more work. Some of the AI files have been altered to help, but in
general this mod is best played by humans against humans. I would
recommend playing against the AI briefly to learn the mod, and then play
in games with only human players, also because the AI isn't so challenging
even in the native game, and in Proportions, capturing an intact homeworld
will be a major advantage for players who go picking on AI empires.
If you want to play only against the AI, you may want to play Proportions
version 2.5.3.1 (available at http://www.latibulum.com/pvk/proportions/),
or JLS' AI Campaign Mod, which is based on an earlier version of Proportions
Mod.
Research costs have been adjusted to compensate for new research capacity
at game start, and to provide long-term research goals even for very lengthy
games.
High-tech fighters are much harder to hit with capital ship weapons.
Larger weapon mounts are less accurate. Smaller mounts have been added.
Both require research.
Scale mounts have been added, which are used to make certain components
scale in cost and sized based on the ship they cover. Such components are
usually not possible to use without a scale mount, and the description
should mention that a scale mount should be used.
New racial disadvantages have been added, and point costs for traits and
attributes have been altered.
New and altered quadrant types, new warp point types and features have
been added. Some planets appear to have ruins but actually don't give any
technology. The "comet" system type is removed. Unstable stars actually
should be (but may not be in practice, if it still isn't implemented in
the game engine).
New component variants including some adjustments to the default values:
* Shield regenerators are much less expensive, and have their own tech area.
* Non-phased shields have some stronger versions.
* Point defense comes in a self-defense variety, good for protecting only
that ship from missiles.
* Organic manipulators have better organic generation facilities.
* Torpedoes made less ineffective.
* New life support, bridge and auxiliary control variants.
* Crew quarters include some ability to resist boarding attacks.
* Just adding guards to repel boarders is now much less expensive than
boarding equipment.
* Electronic warfare components have been greatly expanded in detail yet
reduced in strength.
* Longer-ranged scanners.
* Engine supply and to-hit adjustments.
* Master computers are not as good at fighting as good human crews.
* Added cheap versions of bridge and master computer that save resources
but don't fight well.
* Reduced range and increased supply use for warp point manipulators.
* Many other changes added in later versions (see version history, below).
New system names, emperor names, empire names, and ruler titles have been
included. Many of the system names are from a list of system names posted
for SE3 on the web, which I condensed and embellished.
Fixed a problem with the Orders Snafu intelligence mission in simultaneous
games. Now this mission does not alert the victim (which in simultaneous
games allowed him to undo it before there was any effect). Note that this
still can be detected sometimes.
Default maximum units and ships in space per empire increased to 20,000.
Some new random events.
Version 3.0 design notes:
=========================
Version 3.0 is a new reworking of the mod and the AI HAS NOT BEEN REVISED
very much, AND WILL BE HANDICAPPED RESEARCH pretty critically. If you
want to play with the AI, I suggest using races with racial technology
such as the Xi'Chung, Cryslonites, and Abbidon. But they too may be
messed up. In a later patch the AI will try to get revenge.
Version 3.0 is NOT backwards-compatible with games created with earlier
versions of Proportions. I have again re-shuffled many components so they
appear in a more logical order. This would completely mix up any games that
attempt to upgrade. Similarly, only games numbered 1.x can upgrade to each
other, and only games numbered 2.x can upgrade to each other.
If you want to play only against the AI, you may want to play Proportions
version 2.5.3.1 (available at http://www.latibulum.com/pvk/proportions/),
or JLS' AI Campaign Mod, which is based on an earlier version of Proportions
Mod.
Common Questions:
=================
?? "It won't let me load existing empires." Yes, empire files created with
other mods won't load, because SE4 doesn't know what to do with the
different racial traits that have been modded. It can still create new
empire files.
?? "The map is blank when I start a game." This sometimes happens when
running a mod for the first time. The solution is to save your game, and
then load that game. (You can do this without exiting the program.) The
map will then appear, and it shouldn't happen on later playings.
Notes for better game setups:
=============================
<> Don't set the game to limited resources!
<> If you choose a new warp-point "rich" quadrant type, try turning off the
option to connect all systems with warp points. The "richness" will
probably accomplish this anyway, and the map will tend to be much more
interesting.
<> Setting starting tech levels to "high" (i.e., all) is not recommended
except for testing. Because some techs can be researched to very high
levels, the highest techs are very specialized and not representative
of the typical balance of equipment in regular play.
<> If you are upgrading from a game that was played against the AI with
a version earlier than 1.5, and you want to continue that game, the
AI will be greatly helped if a human player plays them for one turn,
and cancels all of the cultural center construction projects on all
(or almost all) of their colonies. Otherwise, those colonies will
probably remain stuck trying to build those for a century or two, or
three...
<> As of Proportions version 1.6's release, the effect of the Lucky and
Cursed abilities was in question, but this was reported to Malfador,
who reports it is fixed in SE4 Gold 1.67.
Tips for effective play:
========================
<> In version 3 and later, ten turns of research in colonization
technology is required before a colony ship can be built. This is a
side effect of changes to make colonization technology more difficult
to trade.
<> Consider building several or more population transports to help colony
development progress, ferrying population with auto-repeat orders.
<> Note that there is an "efficient" version of every engine type. It is
slower but much greater ranged. They can be mixed with other engines
to trade off between speed and fuel efficiency. Unlike the standard
game, engine technologies can be mixed on the same ship, as well.
<> Note that security stations and supply storage are much cheaper, and
come in small versions.
<> If you have researched high tech standard armor, pay attention to the
cost of the higher levels - it is strong but quickly gets enormously
expensive.
<> Note that high-tech fighters are extremely difficult to hit in
Proportions, but (as of version 1.6+) they don't do a lot of damage to
ship-sized targets. Main ship weapons will often not be able to hit
fighters except by very lucky shots. If your enemy uses high-tech
fighters, you probably should deploy _something_ that can hit them:
PD mounts, small WP or base mounts, PD weapons, other fighters, or
perhaps very small maneuverable ships with appropriate equipment.
<> Fighters in Proportions version 3 are much different than fighters
in earlier versions. They require more research to reach very effective
levels, and are more expensive to build. They also require power plants
for supplies, and use more supplies per turn in space, so it is much
more difficult to station them in space or strike with them across an
entire system. It's much easier to keep them on a planet, or in a carrier
and then move the loaded carrier into combat. Fighter weapons also fire
half as often, and each fighter tends to have less structure, so bomber
designs with anti-ship weapons are probably more necessary to be very
effective against warships.
<> Consider including armored structure on ship designs, particularly
warships. Low-tech armored structure is very cheap, and greatly increases
the durability of a ship design, while reducing its total cost and build
time. Armored structure requires a scale mount.
<> When trying to develop effective colonies to produce resources or
research, notice that establishing a cultural facility (e.g. settlement,
community, city) provides a large modifier to production of all the
other facilities on the planet, so it will help to build one early
on. Different types multiply different values by different _relative_
amounts - it's not only matter of investing more for greater results.
<> When investing in cultural facilities, note that one can often invest
in a lesser facility and then upgrade it with little or no added cost,
and the benefit of partial income half-way through the construction.
Typical examples are that Settlements upgrade to Communities, and Small
Cities upgrade to several levels of larger cities.
<> When building heavy industry, after extablishing a cultural facility,
it is often most effective to fill up most slots with small facilities,
before trying to build complexes or multiple cultural facilities,
because they yield a much faster return on investment.
<> To build on a colony world with any speed, move population there - the
construction benefit of added population is very steep up to about 10M,
and then drops off steadily so that returns start to diminish about 50M.
<> Solar Sails no longer provide the fastest ships. The "bonus movement"
ability is now held by Gravitic Drives. Solar Sails are useful for ships
designed for long range, low fuel consumption, low cost, and that don't
need to be particularly fast. Experiment with mixing them with regular
engines. They can be useful even on fast designs - try to add a single
sail as the last engine on a design with normal engines - often they will
have enough movement points to give the ship the same final speed that
another regular engine would give them, depending on how the numbers round
out, but sails use no supplies, and actually generate them, so they can
increase the range even of some fast designs that way.
<> Consider building several (or many) base space yards for ship and unit
construction. This can multiply your empire's production capacity, and
allow you to use the large income and reserves you may develop through
trade.
<> If you over-produce ships and space yards so that they get to be too
expensive to maintain, they can be mothballed until needed. However,
notice that the un-mothball cost is higher in Proportions, and warships
will lose their training bonuses when they are mothballed.
<> Mine warfare changed a lot in Proportions version 3. Sweepers and Layers
are different research areas, and mine units represent entire fields of
mines, which are larger and take more ships to lay and to sweep than
before, and they are not invisible unless they include concealment
technology. The limit on mine(field)s per sector is 13, and fighters
do not detonate mines, though drones do.
Changes Log:
============
Version 3.0.5:
------
Fixes:
------
* Corrected tech area prerequisite for Fighter Power Plants. (6)
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Corrected description of Cloaking tech area (still from unmodded game).
((6) Thanks to Håkan Johansson for reporting this!)
Version 3.0.4:
------
Fixes:
------
* Events re-sorted to avoid bug with severity level constraints being
ignored by program if not sorted from Low to Catastrophic.
* Slightly adjusted maintenance reduction of the Corvette class (by +3%)
to place it correctly between Escorts and Frigates.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Single Satellite Launcher ability description corrected to show that
they only launch one satellite per turn. (2)
* Added descriptions to explain the combat effects of Elite, Zealot,
and Holy infantry unit types. (2)
* Corrected display of Roman numeral on mark III Fire Control Centers.
--------------
Documentation:
--------------
* Updated the "Tips for effective play" and "Mod Description" sections
above to better describe version 3. For more accurate descriptions of
an earlier version, see the readme file included in that particular
version.
((2) Thanks to Alneyan for reporting these!)
Version 3.0.3:
--------------
New Additions:
--------------
* Added Anti-Matter Warheads, a powerful branch of Anti-Matter Technology
which after much research can multiply the effect of explosive warheads.
* Re-added Anti-Matter Torpedoes, now as an advanced weapon requiring both
torpedo technology and anti-matter warheads.
* Re-added Quantum Torpedoes, now as a very advanced weapon.
* Added Quantum Beam weapons.
* Added religious zealot and holy infantry types.
* Added three levels of AFV Emissive Armor.
* Added Minefield Scanner Jammers.
* Added Single Satellite Launchers.
* Added laser fighter weapons.
* Added charged particle blaster fighter weapons.
* Added laser AFV weapons.
-----------------
Gameplay Changes:
-----------------
* Renamed Small Anti-Matter Torpedoes to Small Explosive Torpedoes and
changed the tech requirements for levels II and III to make them
available in the 3.x research tree. They now come with various
combinations of research in Small Weapons, Torpedo Weapons, Advanced
Explosive Torpedoes and Explosive Warheads.
* Changed damage and cost of AFV Phased Polaron Beams to counter-balance
lack of support for shield penetration by the game engine.
* Rebalanced troops' High Explosive Missiles, increasing firepower but
decreasing accuracy.
* Added a small to-hit bonus to Surface Electric Discharges for balance.
* Changed non-working Time Distortion Burst quad shield effect into a
to-hit bonus.
* Re-set crew quarter requirement for Scouts back from 0 to 1, since
building Scouts without crew quarters halved their speed in practice,
though not on the design screen.
------
Fixes:
------
* Corrected supply ability of Anti-Matter Reactors IV and V.
* Corrected (added) radioactives cost of Small Arms IV.
* Corrected number of tech areas required for Elite Infantry.
* Removed supply use requirements from ring & sphere world generators,
because a bug was causing them to fail even with enough supplies. (4)(5)
* Corrected supply use of Small Ion Engine II x 2. (4)
* Corrected actual mine laying rate of Mine Layer III. (4)
* Removed scale mount trick for Minefield Signature Suppressors. (2)
* Multiple elite Weapons Platform Command Centers no longer stack. (2)
* Emissive armor effects for AFV's removed and added to structure, because
I believe they did not have any effect. (2)
* Balanced (increased) costs of AFV shields, because they had been balanced
for shield depleters, which were removed from ground units in Proportions
version 3 for strong suspicion of not working right. (2)
* Changed damage from Cargo Maintenance Problems from 1 to 250. (2)
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Added Advanced Explosive Torpedoes to the changes log for version 3.0.2,
where they were added.
* Corrected Sphere World Placement Generator requirement description to
read GT instead of MT. (5)
((2) Thanks to Alneyan for reporting these!)
((4) Thanks to MishimaYukio for reporting these!)
((5) Thanks to Mylon for reporting these!)
Version 3.0.2:
--------------
New Additions:
--------------
* Added Advanced Explosive Torpedoes, available when Torpedo Weapons
level 5 and Explosive Warheads level 2 have been researched. They are
powerful but cannot use size mounts and require parallel research in
Explosive Warheads.
* Added High Explosive Missiles, a new AFV weapon using Missile and
Explosive Warhead tech.
* Added small mounts for satellites.
* Added External Fighter Pads. Thanks to Atrocities (William Christopher)
for the component graphic!
* Added Anti-Matter Reactors (new tech area with 15 component versions).
Thanks to Ed Kolis for the component graphics!
-----------------
Gameplay Changes:
-----------------
* Changed High-Performance Quantum Engines into two models, one more
efficient, and the other, faster than before.
* Replaced AFV Anti - Matter Torpedoes with High Explosive Missiles.
(AFV AMT's might return in a later patch, with some changes.)
* Added increasing supply use to higher-powered Graviton Hellbores.
* Restricted various mount types to specific weapon types, for various
reasons of balance and variety. In general, most weapons that can't
target fighters, can't be PD mounted. Physical torpedoes can't be
given larger mounts. Some special weapons that are very effective in
their standard size cannot be given larger or smaller mounts.
* Changed carrier component requirements so only part of their old
tonnage quota needs to be actual fighter launch components - now
part of the old requirement can be met with other cargo-class
components.
* Revised the abilities, costs, and requirements of starliners, and
increased the maintenance reduction of small transports.
* Changed starliner modules to require mounts available only to
starliner ships. Their size now decreases at higher levels. The
result of this and the above change is that starliners with level
IV modules are now generally the most efficient choice for moving
population, while transports (especially small transports) are
generally the most efficient choice for transporting cargo.
* Added organic and radioactives costs to Medical Bays. Note that this
adds an important time requirement to build these at remote bases!
------
Fixes:
------
* Fixed error-causing typo in Terran AI research file. (1)
* Added an Elite Traditions tech area, to get around a bug in SE4 which
was causing Elite techs to show up as expected results for non-elite
empires.
* Added org and rad costs to Resupply Base, to match Resupply Depot. (3)
* Added "WP" label to Standard Weapon Platform Mount. (3)
* Stopped stacking of high-performance engine defence modifiers with
standard engines. (3)
* Corrected effect display of Energy Transmission Lenses IV through VI. (2)
* Corrected a typo in description of Small Mount II accuracy modifier.
* Corrected the Raise Level of some high technologies from 1 to 0.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Corrected "optain" typos.
* Adjusted tech group of warp manipulation techs. (2)
* Added damage amount to descriptions of anti-planet warheads since SE4
doesn't display damages over 1000 accurately. (2)
* Adjusted Fate Shrine II and III ability descriptions. (2)
* Removed long-range damage stats from AFV weapons. (They were
misleading since the program never uses them.)
* Adjusted images for supply and cargo compartments and niches.
((1) Thanks to TheDeadlyShoe for reporting these!)
((2) Thanks to Alneyan for reporting these!)
((3) Thanks to Ed Kolis for reporting these!)
Version 3.0.1:
-----------------
Gameplay Changes:
-----------------
* Lowered tech requirements and research cost of Charged Particle Blasters,
and extended them to level 10.
* Made small supply components Cargo-class for design purposes.
------
Fixes:
------
* Fixed typos in "Resource Gen Modifier Planet - Minerals" values. (1)
* Updated AI research a bit.
* Corrected Warp Closure tech to be researchable to level 4. (2)
* Corrected the weapon family of Basic Pulse Lasers. (1)
* Now the Upgrade button with upgrade Superior Crew Quarters or higher to
the highest available type of Crew Quarters, and these will no longer
stack (which was unintentional). Note that all Crew Quarters combat mods
have gone down by 2%, and lesser Crew Quarters do NOT upgrade, and
having any Basic Crew Quarters will subtract its effect from the
advantage of any superior or higher crew quarters. (2)
* Added bogus AI tags for the usable colony modules, so the AI would use
them without causing unwanted side effects. (1)
* Fixed display of Charged Particle Blasters' to-hit penalty.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Corrected appearance of Explosive Torpedoes (they were looknig like old
AM Torpedoes).
((1) Thanks to TheDeadlyShoe for reporting these!)
((2) Thanks to Alneyan for reporting these!)
Version 3.0:
--------------
New Additions:
--------------
* Added a 250 kT warship hull, called Frigate. Old Frigate renamed Corvette.
* Added a 350 kT Heavy Destroyer.
* Added a 600 kT Heavy Cruiser.
* Added a 1300 kT Juggernaut.
* Added three sizes of Utility Station (uses Resource Base graphic).
* Added an Express Transport (uses Tiny Transport graphic).
* Added a Bomber (uses Huge Fighter graphic).
* Added a Heavy Bomber (uses Massive Fighter graphic).
* Added a Huge Troop.
* Added a Large Space Station (1000 kT).
* Added a 2500 kT Large Battle Station (uses War Station graphic).
* Added a Large Starbase (3000 kT).
* Added a Massive Starbase (5000 kT).
* Added some random events (mostly minor).
* Imported laser and charged particle weapons from Foundations mod.
* Added a Robotics tech area which is required for robot factories
and drones.
* Added Computer Defense tech area, which provides countermeasures
against Computer Combat.
* Added tech areas for smaller and larger weapon mounts.
* Added five more levels of Planetary Gravitational Shield Facilities
and four more levels of System Gravitational Shield Facilities and a
new tech area for them, making them available much earlier but at a
steep price.
* Split technologies previously under "Shields" into "Shields",
"Phased Shields", and "Shield Regeneration" (and the new
"Gravitational Shields" tech area mentioned above). The various
branches require research in basic "Shields" to level 3.
* Shield generators and regenerators extended to higher levels.
* Split Mines technology into mine and sweeper trees, and made major
changes to minefield statistics.
* Renamed Medical Labs to Organic Medical Labs and added a Medical Lab
facility that is like Organic Medical Lab I, but does not require
the Organic Manipulation racial trait to produce.
* Extended Temporal Vacation Service facilities to level 6.
* Extended Energy Transmission Lens facilities to level 6.
* Extended drone warheads to use higher explosives tech levels.
* Completely reworked tech requirements for Stellar Manipulation,
also changing some others, such as Quantum Engines and Warp
Weapons.
* Branched and extended Organic Armor technology into two types.
-----------------
Gameplay Changes:
-----------------
* Reduced costs of armored plating.
* Added boarding defense strength to bridge components.
* Fleshed out Crew Quarters components with levels and abilities.
* Reduced combat penalties of computer control components.
* Extended Master Computers to tech level 10.
* Increased costs of higher-tech Gestation Vats, Medical Labs,
Climate Control Facilities, Events Predictors, Temporal Vacation
Services, Training Facilities, Crystalline Restructuring Plants,
Energy Transmission Lenses, Resource Storage, Cargo Facilities,
Mineral Scanners, Eco - Farms, Radioactives Colliders, Robotoid
Factories, Computer Complexes, Citizen Databanks, Shrines, Resource
Converters, and Ultra - Recyclers.
* Increased unhappiness from Citizen Databanks.
* Reduced effect and massively increased costs of Replicant Centers.
* Added an unhappiness effect to Replicant Centers.
* Added additional mundane tech requirements to research some unique
ancient technologies.
* Increased research cost of Starliner Modules.
* Increased research cost of Massive Base Ship Construction.
* Added Stealth Armor tech requirement to Stealth Structure.
* Added Reflective Alloys tech requirement to Scattering Structure.
* Added Emissive Armor tech requirement to Emissive Armored Structure.
* Removed Fighter technology from carrier hulls - reworked carrier
tech level requirements.
* Made Replicant, Gravitational Shield, and Psychic Scanner facilities
NOT upgrade to higher tech levels, because higher tech levels only
offer reduced construction costs, so this would be counter-productive
(and the AI would probably not notice and do it anyway).
* Reduced costs of smaller (non-PD) weapon mounts.
* Removed AFV Shield Depleters, due to bug in combat resolution.
* Changed colonization tech so it is ten times harder to trade or
capture, since it will be colony techniques for aliens from an
alien environment. This also makes it a less obvious and easy
strategic decision to share them or rob them from the AI. I would
have made it even harder, but sadly (?) this has the side-effect of
delaying deployment of colonizers for ten turns.
* Adjusted Depleted Uranium Cannons to armor-passing but otherwise
weaker and less accurate, and with higher research levels.
----------------
Fighter Changes:
----------------
* Rate of fire of all fighter weapons halved.
* Added Fighter Propulsion tech area, starting with Chemical Thrusters.
* Removed supply storage from most fighter engines.
* Added Fighter Power Plant (supply) components.
* Increased fighter supply use per turn from 5 to 50.
* Increased fighter engine supply use per sector.
* Due to the above two, fighter range in-system is now severely limited.
* Increased fighter weapons' supply use.
* Stretched some fighter weapon tech requirements, adding some levels.
* Changed fighter propulsion to a one-component-per-fighter system, to
allow combat modifiers to be more firmly based on maneuverability.
--------------------------
Construction Yard Changes:
--------------------------
* Reduced organic construction rate of ship/base spaceyards by 9/10.
* Reduced radioactives construction rate of ship/base spaceyards by half.
* Added base spaceyards (Orbital Space Yard Facilities) with higher
organic construction rates, but these have high organics costs.
* Added Organic Space Yard under Organic Manipulation tech tree, with
higher organic build rate than is available under ordinary tech tree.
* Increased organics costs of colony modules from 2000 to 6000. This
doesn't change their construction rate much except on the new ship-based
spaceyards. This makes it impractical to use space-yard ships to
build colony ships at or near their destinations, instead of having
to send colony ships long distances under their own power.
* Extended Space Yard facilities and components to 15 levels each.
--------------------
Empire Cost Changes:
--------------------
* Lowered value of "Advanced Power Conservation" to 900 points.
* Lowered value of "Supply Guzzlers" to -700 points.
* Lowered value of "Natural Merchants" to 1100 points, as it will no
longer give an extra cultural center.
* Renamed "Propulsion Experts" to "Transcendental Navigation" with a new
description, since it has a bizarre disproportionate effect.
* Added a new "Propulsion Experts" trait, which is a new racial tech
area that provides better propulsion components.
* Renamed "Mechanoids" to "Plague Immune" and dropped cost to 400 points.
* Physical Strength values lowered.
* Intelligence costs tweaked. "Dumb" races get more points back.
* Cunning adjusted per PvK Balance Mod.
* Happiness and Environmental Resistance values slashed, but Happiness
ranges increased, in light of research into lack of effect of racial
Happiness.
* Reproduction maximum increased. Now limited only by cost.
* Aggressiveness and Defensiveness adjusted per PvK Balance Mod.
* Political Savvy adjusted per PvK Balance Mod.
* Resource extraction aptitudes left as in Proportions 2.5.3.1.
* Construction Aptitude adjusted per PvK Balance Mod, except positive
threshold. Also extended allowed minimum range to 25.
* Repair Aptitude adjusted per PvK Balance Mod, with increased min and
max values.
* Maintenance Aptitude left as is, because it uses SJ's base-100 system.
-----------------
Economic Changes:
-----------------
* Raised infantry and crewed unit organics costs from 0-10 to ~25-35.
* Added 1 rad cost per kT tonnage to mechanical ground units.
* Added org costs to crew quarters.
* Added rad costs to bridge components.
* Added rad and increased other costs to Weapon Platform Command Centers.
* Increased capacity of Resource Storage facilities.
* Added org costs to training facilities.
* Increased Base maintenance reduction from 50% to 73%.
* Lowered Maximum Trade Percentage to 10%.
* Changed Cultural Centers to one-per-homeworld facilities
which multiply production of facilities there by many times.
This allows players to develop and customize their homeworlds
to focus and embelish production, etc.
* Gave multipliers to many cultural facilities.
* Adjusted various other facility values in various other ways.
* Added some organics and radioactives costs to some facilities.
* Increased research costs of Industry, complexes and megacomplexes.
* Massively increased costs of Value Improvement Plants and Atmospheric
Modification Plants.
* Less massively increased costs of Nature Shrines, and reduced their
maximum effect to 1%/year.
* Added planet and system happiness effects to Nature Shrines.
* Slowed the effect of Atmospheric Modification Plants.
* Per Dogscoff's suggestion, made Resource Converters require Physics
and Biology as well as Chemistry. Also made it a deeper tree that
starts out less efficiently.
* Also per Dogscoff's suggestion, added Construction as a requirement
for Ultra - Recyclers.
* Adjusted Planetary Mineral Scanners and Hybrid Eco Farms to fit in
and provide a role now that cultural facilities provide more
production modifiers.
* Increased technology requirements of robotoid factories. They now
require robotics and industry, so they are not just a side-effect
of computer research.
* Urban facilities sized city and higher reduced in cost somewhat to
reduce effect of lower organic construction rates.
* Removed ability to upgrade to complexes and megacomplexes.
* Reduced organics costs of lower-tech starliner modules.
---
UI:
---
* Moved efficient scanners and ECM before most powerful models, so that
the design screen's Upgrade function (and the AI) will choose the more
powerful models over the efficient ones.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Added some new system names.
* Removed all the now-unneeded Inaccessible Technology leftovers.
* Corrected MM typo in Planet Utilization description.
* Rearranged positions of various components to group them together in
the design interface.
* Added some images from Dogscoff's Neo-Standard page.
* Stellar Manipulation renamed Universe Manipulation.
* Added new tech categories to organize tech areas.
Version 2.5.3.1:
* Corrected "typo": remote mining components no longer say that they reduce
value, because in 2.5.3, the settings are changed so they don't.
* As in 2.5.2.2, fixed Jraenar weapon selection problem on Attack Light
Cruisers, and fiddled with a few other designs - thanks Oleg!
Version 2.5.3:
--------------------------
Remote Mining Adjustments:
--------------------------
* This version is designed for newly started games, or for games where it
is accepted by players that large bases filled with remote miner
components will no longer be allowed. It is suggested that any pre-
existing bases with more than two remote miner components, should be
retrofitted to designs obeying the new limits. For players who want
to continue games without this disruption to remote mining production,
use of Proportions version 2.5.2 is suggested.
* Added restriction on remote miner components per unit to two, halved
structure, and doubled size of ship/base versions (compared to 2.5.1).
This prevents massively productive mining bases, which were possible
before but were unintentionally overproductive. It also presents
interesting choices between ship, base and satellite miner designs.
Pre-existing bases in upgraded games will retain their former abilities
(except structure, and bases upgraded from 2.5.2, which would be half
as productive).
* Remote mining now does not reduce value in unlimited resources games.
Version 2.5.2.3:
* Has the AI fix from 2.5.2.2, but reduces Solar Collectors as in 2.5.2.
Version 2.5.2.2:
* Reverted Solar Collectors to the collection levels they had in 2.4.2, by
request for certain in-progress games by Imperator Fryon.
* Fixed Jraenar weapon selection problem on Attack Light Cruisers, and
fiddled with a few other designs - thanks Oleg!
Version 2.5.2:
--------------------------
Remote Mining Adjustments:
--------------------------
* This version is designed to upgrade with minimal disturbance to existing
games which may already include signifigant numbers of remote mining
battlestations. It doesn't fully correct the problem with the extreme
production from remote mining bases. It does prohibit filling starbases
with remote miner components, but pre-existing miner-filled starbases
will still operate. It is suggested that such starbases be retrofitted
with the new components, which will limit their production to about that
of a battle station filled with miner components.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Changes for smoother upgrades for existing games using 2.4.2:
-------------------------------------------------------------
* The Fighter Carriers tech added in 2.5 now costs more, is expanded in
both directions to five levels (using the Tiny and Massive carrier images
from the SE4 Image Neo-Standard) and provides improved classes compared
to the standard carriers. Existing carriers have their costs and to-hit
penalties somewhat increased. The five new carrier classes are Escort
Carrier, Advanced Light Carrier, Advanced Carrier, Advanced Heavy Carrier,
and Super-Heavy Carrier.
* Pre-existing special armors downgraded to compensate for their
ability compared to the new armors that require specialized research, and
to compensate for changes to Emissive Armor from Gold patch version 1.78.
Unlike 2.5 & 2.5.1, they can now continue to be deployed, and may be good
choices for large ships (since they don't use Scale mounts and so will be
smaller on large ships).
---------
Gameplay:
---------
* Added six levels to the new Stealth Armor tech area, allowing eventual
(expensive) blocking of all Active and Passive EM scans.
* Added a new "Fast Colony Ships" tech area, for players who wish to develop
somewhat faster colony ships.
* Added a new "Massive Base Ship" class.
* Added nine more population modifier brackets to smooth curve for fully
populated worlds (5% jumps every 500M rather than 10% every 1000M).
------
Fixes:
------
* Fixed crippling Sergetti design bug - thanks to Oleg again!
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Added a new image for the Arcology facility, created for Proportions by
Bill Elliott (aka mlmbd) - thanks Bill!
* Added generic worldship images from SE4 Image Neo-Standard Expansion Pack.
* Fixed minor typo in to-hit description of some ships (said "base").
* It is highly recommended that players install the SE4 Image Neo-Standard
Expansion Pack available from www.sandman43.fsnet.co.uk/neostandexpansion.htm
Version 2.5.1:
* Corrected tech requirements for Smart Missile III.
* Halved size of solar sails.
* Halved effect, increased cost, and spread progression of solar collectors
to five levels, to make them less powerful at overcoming supply issues, and
to not eclipse solar sails.
* Thanks to Oleg, corrected a major oversight in Xiati AI research.
* Also responding to reports from Oleg, adjusted several AI's, particularly
in ship construction and carrier design.
* Made it possible to research the new armor technologies using the old armor
components from games started with earlier versions of Proportions, to
allow players who had deployed these technologies in existing games to more
easily develop the technology they had already been using.
* Made Bull and Stagger Run formations symmetrical.
* Corrected a cosmetic typo.
* Added a few entries to "tips for effective play."
Version 2.5:
-------------------------------------------------
Gameplay - Component Enhancement (i.e. "Mounts"):
-------------------------------------------------
* Added Scale mounts. These make the size, cost and supply use of certain
components directly proportional to the size of the thing they are
built on. Applies to components which naturally require effort and size
based on design size: Stealth Armor, Scattering Armor, Emissive Armor,
Scanner Jammer, Emergency Propulsion, Cloaking Devices.
Note: Upgraded games from earlier Proportions versions will find existing
components of these types unchanged, but unable to be repaired until
retrofit with scale-mounted versions.
-----------------
Gameplay - Armor:
-----------------
* Added a new type of standard armors - armor "plating", which is armor
covering the entire hull. Its size and cost is based on hull size (via the
scale mounts). Its structure is not particularly high, but it is not hit
first - its main feature is that it absorbs damage per non-armor-skipping
hit, at a level between armored structure and emissive armor.
This represents a completely armored hull's ability to reduce the damage
of every incoming hit without generally getting "shot off". It can be
combined with armored structure to prolong this protection.
* Renamed standard armors as "armored structure". These represent armor
reinforcing the hull, and work as before, though they now have a very small
emissive effect.
* Stretched emissive armor to six levels, reduced its structure back near
what it is in the unmodded game, and restored its "hit first" status.
It offers the highest emissive ability, but can be shot apart fairly
quickly. It can be combined with Ablative armor to increase its longevity.
* Added tech areas for specialized armor types (stealth, scattering, emissive).
* Adjusted costs of stealth, scattering, and emissive armor.
* Added three levels of "Scattering Shell" non-armored hull coating.
* Added Niche Reinforcement for obessive designers who must use every space.
-----------------
Gameplay - Other:
-----------------
* Changed Graviton Hellbore damage type to Skips All Shields. They really
needed enhancement, and it seems reasonable that shields would fail to
interact with a gravitational weapon.
* Extended Tachyon Cannons to level V, similar to extensions to other heavy
weapons in Proportions.
* Solved problem with SE4 not offering upgrades to Complexes and Megacomplexes.
This required re-assigning Roman numerals to them, so now Complexes are
IV through VI, and Megacomplexes are VII through IX.
* Re-defined Smart Bombs to new weapons which bypass planetary shields.
There are missile and bomb versions, with different multiple prerequisites.
* Added a new tech area for Tectonic Bombs, and extended them by two levels,
adding cheaper low-tech versions, as well as Small Tectonic Bombs, which
inherit the abandoned damage types from the old smart bombs (because it
was discovered that these would destroy entire cultural centers with
single hits once planetary shields were down). The old tectonic bombs are
now harder to research, and require specific research rather than being
always included in Stellar Manipulation.
* Quartered damage done by Neutron Bombs, for balance reasons.
* Fighter Carriers (ship types) now require their own tech area, as well as
Ship Construction. I did this because it makes sense, offers an interesting
decision (research carriers, or make do with other ways to deploy fighters),
and also because it solves the bug where analyzing a light carrier would
give an empire (which lacked fighter tech) level 2 knowledge of fighter
technology.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Added "B" code to Standard Base Mount, as a visual indication that one
has remembered to use this to get the free +30 to-hit on space station
weapons.
* Removed all trailing spaces from Math.txt design names file.
----------------------------
Design Upgrade Improvements:
----------------------------
* Thanks to Gimboid's Component Editor, it was easy to spot a number of
components which would change type during an automatic design upgrade.
Thanks also to those who pointed out some continuing problems with
certain components. I think I've now done them all.
The changes are as follows:
* Computer Pilots no longer upgrade to Master Computers.
* Shield Generators no longer upgrade to Phased Shield Generators.
* Fighter shield generators no longer upgrade to AFV ones (!).
* PD Beams no longer upgrade to phased polaron beams.
* Allegiance Subverters no longer upgrade to short-ranged versions.
* Massive Shield Depleters no longer upgrade to short-ranged versions.
* Massive Ionic Dispersers no longer upgrade to short-ranged versions.
* Small Electric Discharge no longer upgrades to surface version (!).
* Small Acid Globule no longer upgrades to surface version (!).
---
AI:
---
* Ukra-Tal would never research rock planet colonization (fixed by oleg).
Version 2.4.2:
* Reduced costs of Solar Sail components.
* Removed access to duplicate Resupply Depot.
* Corrected typo in new Jraenar General file that would sometimes cause an
error while creating a new game.
* Changed family of drone launchers (was same as anti-ship drone warheads)
to avoid incorrect upgrades.
* Changed family of Computer Virus components, to remove conflict in
original SE4 data.
* Changed families of some armor types to avoid incorrect upgrades.
* Changed family of Secondary Fire Control to avoid incorrect upgrades, but
that didn't stop the upgrade code, so I shifted Multiplex Tracking to a
new lower position. Nothing should upgrade to Secondary Fire Control now.
Version 2.4:
* Removed defensive modifier from Efficient Engines to allow upgrades
and "show latest only" to work well without stacking modifiers with
high-output engines.
* Cue Cappa and Abbidon AI reworked by John Sullivan.
* Cue Cappa AI was not building space ports even when they had not
acquired Natural Merchants - fixed.
* Corrected position mistakes in formations Cluster Diamonds and Little
Triangles.
Version 2.3:
----------------------
Gameplay - Facilities:
----------------------
* Added new large-scale intensive versions of standard facilities
(mineral miners, radioactives extractors, and research centers).
There are two stages - complexes produce twice as much as a
standard facility, and megaplexes produce three times as much
as standard, but they cost considerably more than that to build,
or even to upgrade to, so there is a major trade-off between
intensive development and rapid development. This allows more
advanced development in a specific type of production, without
necessarily using massive amounts of colony world space. These
require research in Industry (and Computers, for research facs).
* Similarly, added a new tech area and facilities for Agrarian
Colonization. These are cultural facilities that are like the
existing settlement through cultural center, but are much less
industrialized and so mainly produce a lot of organic resources.
These provide a way to specialize in organic production on an
intensive scale, without necessarily having a massive planet.
* Increased ability of Psychic Intelligence Centers somewhat.
* Building Distribution Centers and Resupply Bases (instead of the
smaller Space Ports and Resupply Depots) was slowing down the AI
more than helping it, so I removed the AI hints to build these.
* Changed family of Organic Generation Facilities to separate them from
Organics Farms for upgrade and visibility purposes.
* Added new tech area "Colonial Development" which is extremely cheap
but allows more control of urban colony development for the AI and
players like Oleg who actually use the automatic "Upgrade Facilities"
command.
* 2.2 had accidentally started creating new games' homeworlds with an
extra Cultural Center in place of the Resupply Depot. Added a new
Resupply Base facility, just to add some variety while solving this
problem.
* Extended Massive Planetary Shielding to tech level 5, with nine
varieties of Massive Planetary Shield Generator, available with
different levels of research in M.P.S., Shields, Construction, and
Physics.
* Also added twelve varieties of Planetary Shield Network facilities
to the non-ancient tech tree (they require research in Shields and
Construction).
* Added facilities that combine Space Ports with Resupply Depots,
and with cities.
-----------------
Gameplay - Other:
-----------------
* Changed engine limits of medium and large drones so they can keep up
with small drones.
* Replaced previous drone launchers with new versions that include enough
cargo space to carry one drone of their tech level, but are larger.
* Added new basic Defense Cannon available before Point Defense is
researched.
* Removed the actual storage from Space Yard components, but the
ability remains, so they can still be used on transport hulls, but
space yard bases will not automatically have cargo room.
* Added new Secondary Fire Control component, which allows multiplex
tracking 2 without Combat Support, but costs 50% more. This replaces
the 2.1 ECM IIIc component, which probably no one ever used. The
main purpose of this, however, is to ensure that the electronic
warfare components are separated into maximized and miniaturized
versions for purposes of "show latest" and upgrades - before this,
if an empire had not researched any intervening sensor component
types, then sensors would still upgrade to miniaturized versions.
* Removed possibility of empires starting in trinary systems, and
removed complete planets from trinary systems.
* Added Formations file from TDM mod pack. Thanks very much to Daynarr
Master Belisarius for their work and permission to include it with
this mod.
* Added short-ranged versions of the Allegiance Subverters and Massive
ancient weapons, because their low rate-of-fire meant the tactical
AI would often waste their few shots at long range where they would
often miss.
* Removed optionality of "Starliner Modules" tech area, in order to
have it appear in pre-existing games upgrading to 2.3.
* Increased cost of unmothballing ships from 20% to 80%.
* Added new default system type "Low-Gravity Tri-Polar", like Tri-Polar
but without system types that move ships. In games with AI empires,
they will be helped by this.
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* When upgrading a design, supply niches and compartments were changing
to other minelayers and fighter bays - fixed.
* Corrected abbreviation for Large weapon platform and base mounts.
* Added durability to description of cultural facility abilities.
* Changed weapon family of Self-Defense Cannons to distinguish them
from Point-Defense Cannons.
---
AI:
---
* Got the AI to use PD Cannon instead of using PD Beams (the trick was
to list their tech requirements, so the design minister thinks they
are the most advanced ones, though the actual requirement remains the
same).
* Gave the AI a hint to build racial Organic Generators instead of
farm facilities.
* Added a bogus ability tag "Component Destroyed On Use" to Cultural
facilities smaller that Cultural Centers, for AI hints.
* Added a bogus ability tag "Planet - Change Ground Defense" to some
ECM components so AI can design ships that use efficient ECM and not
load illegal extra engines.
* Added a bogus ability tag "Ancient Ruins" to some combat sensor
components so AI can be told not to use Fire Control Centers on all
bases and weapon platforms.
* Increased threshold values for Mega Evil Empire status.
* Rebuilt Xi'Chung AI.
* Tweaked Terran AI.
* Adjusted Norak AI.
* Overhauled default AI's.
* Added Abbidon AI made for Proportions by John Sullivan.
* Added AI's made for Proportions by Oleg Fedorov for the 3rd party
ship sets Pequeninos, Nostropholo, and Soul Hunters. (These are
available in separate downloads, since the graphics files are large.)
* Adapted John's Abbidon AI for use by Cue Cappa.
* Adapted Oleg's Nostropholo AI for use by Chryslonites.
* Adapted Oleg's Pequeninos AI for use by Drushocka.
* Added hints for AI to use small ECM and Combat Sensors instead
of adding extra engines to try to improve combat modifiers.
* Changed Small Meson Blaster weapon family number to avoid mixing
up the AI (was same as Light Missile System - thanks, Oleg).
* Changed AI back to building small fast space ports and resupply
depots, instead of deluxe versions that take longer to build. This
involved adding a new tech area for large support facilities.
* Re-worked all of the remaining standard and neutral AI's, more or
less. They now work much better.
Version 2.2:
---------
Gameplay:
---------
* Changed drone Anti-Ship Warheads to only be usable against ships and
bases (not fighters/satellites/planets/etc).
* Extended Temporal Shifters three tech levels with diminishing results,
to fall in with null space boost to adapt to Proportions armor. Note
that Temporal Shifters are easier to research and to build but shorter
ranged and somewhat less destructive than null space projectors.
* Control and life support components will no longer upgrade to more
expensive types when a design is upgraded.
* Adjusted speed of Light Missile System IV to originally intended speed.
* Increased research cost of Neural Computer Interface and added several
levels of development to it with different cost/size shifts and new
side-effects.
* Decreased research cost of Massive ancient techs, and increased their
maximums so they could actually be developed.
* Extended Massive Shield Depleting Weapons to tech level 6.
* Increased cargo & supply storage tech branch to level 5, and added
a new cargo component type, Starliner Module, that makes some larger
population transport capacities possible with advanced research, and
makes population transports a little easier to design and also to
maintain. Starliner modules require both Cargo and their own Starliner
tech area to be researched. This was done mainly to make it possible
to adjust the AI to build transport hulls without using Starliner
modules.
* Doubled organics costs of (racial tech) Organic Generation Facilities.
* Rearranged (racial tech) Solar Generator facilities. The more advanced
ones now cost more to build, and they now produce more rads, fewer
organics, and fewer still minerals.
* Added new non-racial-tech Solar Power Plant facilities. These are
inexpensive but produce only rads, not organics or minerals.
* Increased costs of higher-level Monolith facilities.
* Added four new cultural facilities below the previous "City" facility,
and re-named "City" to "Major City". See Major City, City, Minor City,
Colonial Community, and Settlement.
* Cultural facilities are now broken into four families to limit abuses
of the current SE4 facility upgrade mechanic: Settlement/Community,
Cities/Metro/Megalopoli, Arcology, and Cultural Centers. Upgrades are
allowed within but not between these groups.
* Added Psychic Intelligence Centers.
* Increased size and cost of high-tech combat sensors and ECM, to make
smaller versions a more viable alternative on larger ships.
* Added Ionic Shield Generators (provide protection against ionic
engine-destroying weapons).
---------
Cosmetic:
---------
* Expanded descriptions of cultural facilities to better explain what
these represent.
* Corrected cosmetic typo in "Spatial Rupture 2".
* Fixed cosmetic duplicate Rad Storage III.
* Removed some bogus warnings for system-wide ability duplication from
some urban facilities.
* Separated small combat sensors and ECM from large versions when "only
latest" is selected, instead of only offering small ones.
---
AI:
---
* Added ability to have AI use efficient engines.
* Added ability to have AI choose between light and capital missiles.
* Added ability of AI to deploy Mental Flailers after Allegiance
Subverters have been developed.
* Implemented planned method for AI to build intel centers.
* Implemented planned method for AI to build system happiness facilities.
* Stopped AI loading some AFV weapons on fighters.
* Enhanced Amon'krie AI.
* Enhanced Neutral AI's.
* Modified Drushocka AI.
* Enhanced Terran AI.
* Enhanced some default AI files that will improve all AI's.
Version 2.1 readme errata:
* Actually, Oleg's AI_General files were NOT included in 2.1.
* Also in 2.1 was added the ability to upgrade urban facilities to
the current largest type. SE4 currently does not allow upgrading
facilities to less than the largest type, however.
Version 2.1:
* Corrected typos in Heavy Ship Mount.
* Fixed display problem with Psychic Eavesdropping and with
Industrial Sabotage.
* Adjusted costs of Economic Disruption and Resource Procurement,
and added another level called Economic Sabotage.
* Increased cost and reduced the effect of Food Contamination.
* Increased cost of Ground Contamination and Weather Disruptions,
and added other tech level requirements besides Applied Intel.
* Added a couple of advanced ship bombs to intel ops.
* Added Oleg's AI_General files to help the AI choose racial traits
more effectively in Proportions.
* Tweaked Abbidon AI_General file to make them choose racial traits
and characteristics even more effectively. Others will be tweaked
more in later versions.
* Added Tri-Polar, Tri-Polar (Wide), and Strands system types. Tri-
Polar is the new recommended default.
* Added and adjusted values for terrain - storms and warp points
in particular now have more varied effects, especially in damage
amounts. This only affects newly-generated quadrants.
* Added some random events.
* Changed base max number of systems in a quadrant to 130. This can
be changed to players' tastes (up to 255) in settings.txt.
* Changed seeker damage resistance of light missiles, but I don't
think this currently has any effect on any existing PD weapons.
* Corrected cosmetic typo in Weapons Platform Command Centers.
Version 2.0:
* Added PD ship _mounts_. This finally is a change that will mess
up existing games. Games upgraded from earlier versions would
have all of their mounts messed up on existing units that use
mounts.
* Component order re-grouped so newer high level versions appear
in sequence with older ones.
Version 1.6:
* Greatly increased non-domed planet cargo capacities (by x 10).
* Phased polaron beams extended with seven new lower-strength and
intermediate marks, and reduced in research difficulty from 1.5's
high cost.
* Added distribution centers, which are space ports with storage
depots in one facility. This should help compensate the AI for its
investment in redundant space port construction.
* Numerous adjustments to cultural modifiers. They are now almost
all mostly balanced, in theory, including "Neutral" culture.
* Changed self-defense cannon size to 10kT, and set to-hit mod to 0.
* Added point-defense beam turrets, for anti-fighter use.
* Increased cost of Natural Merchants trait to account for the extra
cultural center it generates.
* Adjusted tech requirements cost, and effect of various small weapons.
* Added AFV and fighter shield generator intermediate/extended levels.
* Gave organic infestations, ruptures, and hyper-dense cores some bite.
* Removed the chance that homeworlds would start in planet-poor systems.
* Expanded and adjusted small unit electronic warfare components.
* Adjusted afterburner costs and added defensive bonus.
* Added light missile launchers.
* Increased max shield tech level to 12.
* Spread out shield regenerator tech requirements.
* Added regenerating shield generators and phased versions.
* Adjusted small ship mount to-hit bonus.
* Greatly decreased fighter weapon damages, to get them back in
proportion with their size, and also because their defensive bonuses
meant not only were they extremely hard to hit, but they could smash
ships left, right and center. Some of the higher tech weapons are
still very powerful, but those are the anti-ship versions, so those
fighters are very vulnerable to other fighters.
* Halved fighter shield strengths.
* Adjusted fighter engine and armor structure ratings.
* Added range attenuation to TK projectors.
* Added high-energy magnifier levels IV and V.
* Tweaked incinerator beam damage up a wee tad.
* Added null-space projector marks IV and V, and increased their
research costs and requirements.
Version 1.5.4:
* Added an Empires folder, so empires for Proportions will be stored
separately from empires for normal and other mod types.
* Added a sample empire, the Soluk, so that there would be an empire
that would cause the Empires folder to be created.
* Made rippers and incinerators appear on "show latest".
* Corrected weapon family number of heavy infantry weapons IV.
* Corrected cost of small combat sensors I.
* Added to-hit modifiers to descriptions of all weapons that have them.
* Multiplied neutron bomb damage to compensate for population damage
resistance increase.
* Corrected typo in the names of the Organic Generation Facilities.
* Stopped AI from illegally using satellite armor on non-satellites.
This shouldn't have happened, but was mainly a cosmetic issue.
* Corrected tech requirements of AFV DUC's.
* Reduced shield generation on cultural facilities.
* Corrected typo in to-hit mod description for small arms III and IV.
* Corrected max shield tech level to 11.
* Improved Amon'krie weapon selection.
* Fixed some apparently benign typos in Weapon Platform Computer Cores.
* Cosmetic fix - added troop tech requirements to AFV components.
* Increased number of system names from 243 to 286, to support 250
systems in a quadrant, and to add some more neat names.
* Corrected shield generation on AFV shield generator IV.
Version 1.5.3:
* Corrected size of Advanced Armor II.
* Corrected tech level requirement of Singularity Generator V.
* Changed standard armor availability to Ship/Base/Sat, because all-armor
drones were so hard to stop, due to the "all or nothing" drone damage
allocation.
* Added old armor types as "Ablative Armor", for use on drones or other
units (if people want weaker but always "hit first" protection).
* Also added standard and emissive drone armor.
* Added new armor types for satellites and weapon platforms, to better
balance against shield abilities, since units don't track component
damage.
* Changed efficient engine family so that regular engines won't upgrade
to efficiency models, and so both types are shown when "show latest"
is selected.
* Fixed an apparently harmless typo in Combat Sensors VIIa.
* Fixed the spatial rupture typo bug from Gold.
* Changed the previous default system type name to "Abnormal Sidereal"
and added a new "Sidereal" variant as the default type. This type
does not have so many planetless systems, so it is much better for
the current AI to navigate through.
* Reduced the average number of planets per system, introducing
seven new system types and adding them to all quadrant types.
Version 1.5.2:
* This version mainly fixes things in 1.5, without making major changes
to balance or function.
* Fixed problem with upgrading sensors turning into platform fire control
centers.
* Added small supply generation and storage to solar sails to allow them
to drive ships without other supply components, and because it's
appropriate for them to do some of this.
* Fixed lower-tech quantum generators.
* Adjusted cultural maintenance modifiers to compensate for shift to the
new relative scale it uses. Also tweaked a couple of other cultural
modifiers.
* Adjusted ground combat damage multiplier to extend ground combat times.
* Added small supply and tiny to-hit modifiers to gravitic drives.
* Changed graphics, names, and descriptions for Armors IV through VII.
* Added cargo ability to shipyards, repair bays, remote miners, cobalt
warheads, and mine sweepers, to allow them to use non-military hull
types (e.g. transport hulls).
* Reduced damage resistance of cobalt warheads.
* Made supply compartment and niche appear even with "show latest."
* Added a -10 bad event chance to homeworld cultural centers, to decrease
the chance of game-upsetting catastrophic events.
* Made minor adjustments to system type abilities. Organic infestations
and forming stars now do something, and nebulae effects are more varied.
* Reduced size of self-defense cannon slightly.
Version 1.5:
* Note: Saved games from Proportions versions before 1.5 can be upgraded
to 1.5 without completely bizarre changes, but many values will change!
* AI improved in various ways, especially in development of planets and
infrastructure. Amon'krie is the most improved.
* Construction ability removed from Cultural Centers.
* Reduced damage capacity of colony modules from 200 to 60.
* Some large ship engine capacities reduced.
* Some small ship engine capacities increased.
* Added an entire set of efficient engine variants. These use much
less fuel, but also produce much less thrust. This creates choices
between faster shorter-ranged ships, and slower longer-ranged ships.
* Increased costs of ship and weapon platform (but not base) larger
weapon mounts.
* Added maintenance reduction to smaller ships.
* Increased maintenance reduction of transports.
* Increased maintenance cost of larger ships and colony ships.
* Added Large Starliner class ships.
* Newer quadrant types moved to top of list for visibility, and changed
default type.
* Adjusted to-hit bonus for larger fighters and smaller ships.
* Corrected Military Science maximum tech level.
* Corrected Scanners maximum tech level.
* Changed home system with no spaceport value.
* Changed created storm maximum obscuration value.
* Raised massive shield generator output to five times previous output.
* Decreased defensive to-hit bonuses from Stealth and Scattering armor.
* Increased Emissive armor ability slightly.
* Decreased combat bonus from War Shrine.
* Decreased combat bonus from Event Predictors.
* Reduced cultural effects on ship combat ability.
* Reduced effect of ship and fleet training facilities further.
* Added military science requirement to psychic training facilities.
* Divided output of replicant centers by ten.
* Reduced supply cost of Gravitational Quantum Resonator II.
* Added tech requirement of Explosive Warheads for drone warheads.
* Added strong phased shield ability to urban and cultural facilities,
to give them much higher damage resistance.
* Changed militia values.
* Changed ground combat damage multiplier to 1000%.
* Adjusted infantry to-hit modifiers.
* Adjusted some racial trait costs.
* Reduced damage to kill one population somewhat.
* Adopted Suicide Junkie's relative scale for maintenance aptitude.
This means the advantage works like a factor of the base 26% rate.
For example, +50 maint aptitude means most ships will have a 13%
maintenance cost, and bases will have a 6.5% maintenance cost, of
their purchase price.
* Adjusted many costs of many aptitude adjustments.
* Added to-hit modifier to DUC's, shard cannon, and other "slow"
(relative to lightspeed weapons) direct-fire weapons in space.
* Split ground and fighter versions of small weapons, armor, and shields.
Ground troop versions are about 40 times as damage resistant. This puts
them in line with the ground combat adjustments, and makes troops harder
to shoot off planets from space. Ground weapon abilities adjusted quite
a bit in various ways.
* Adjusted events mix and levels a bit.
* Defined small arms as "engines" so troop vehicles couldn't use them.
* Changed solar sails to standard movement system.
* Added gravitational technology requirement to gravitic weapons.
* Added new high-tech drive type: Gravitic drives.
* Reduced the TL4 religious talisman but extended tech up to level 10.
* Reduced the TL5 quantum reactor and introduced several progressive levels
before the (large and more expensive) infinite version.
* Made colony ships, infantry, and heavy base ships compatible with the SE4
Image Neo-Standard (see http://www.sandman43.fsnet.co.uk/neostand.htm).
* Improved shard cannon damage to compensate for this mod's standard armor.
* Adjusted stats on some of the really inefficient weapons - e.g.
incinerator beams, graviton hellbore, and wave motion gun.
* Several fighter weapon stats adjusted.
Version 1.4.2:
* Further tweaking to infantry units to make the higher infantry techs more
meaningful after the fix in 1.4. That is, some features in their design
weren't supported by Gold 1.60, so this version gives them different kinds
of advantages to compensate.
Version 1.4:
* Remedied a problem with infantry units in 1.3 running Gold version 1.60.
That is, the defensive modifiers for infantry in 1.3 were not being used
correctly by Gold 1.60, causing stalemates. The defensive mods were removed,
because there seemed to be no way to get them to work properly in Gold 1.60.
Version 1.3:
* Version 1.3 is the original release version that comes with SE4 Gold.
- PvK (P v K @ wargamer . com)