[MoO] Master of Orion 2 unofficial patch

[Rocco.40]

[...]I started out just looking for the mod that reduced cyber to 2 picks, but forgot which one it was.

If I wanted to add "mapgen /minstart = 1;" to my games, do I add it to the 1.50 launcher line on the icon?

- There was the mod 'Vanilla+' that reduced Cyber from 4 to 3 picks. However a few patch versions back this mod was dropped from the pack. I am preparing a new mod atm that will feature this Cyber=3 again and it will be released whenever 1.50.12 comes out.

- yes you can add minstart to the 1.50 Launcher line, it will need to look like this then: /skipintro /minstart
when you use that same switch in a cfg file, then it looks like you wrote "mapgen /minstart = 1;" (with the same result for the map)

 

[plasmacannon]

- There was the mod 'Vanilla+' that reduced Cyber from 4 to 3 picks. However a few patch versions back this mod was dropped from the pack. I am preparing a new mod atm that will feature this Cyber=3 again and it will be released whenever 1.50.12 comes out.

- yes you can add minstart to the 1.50 Launcher line, it will need to look like this then: /skipintro /minstart
when you use that same switch in a cfg file, then it looks like you wrote "mapgen /minstart = 1;" (with the same result for the map)

So, launcher line OR cfg. Not both. Got it.
If it is put in the config file, does it have to be in EVERY one, such as 150c,150i,150m,aunt,ants-m,ants-x,ice-m,icemod,ice-x all the mapgens, square and tweak?


Yea, Cyber has to be low because it is so dependent on having a production bonus as well and those got increased. If it wasn't compensated, they'd rarely be any variety in cyber races. Just production oriented.

 

[Rocco.40]

[...] If it is put in the config file, does it have to be in EVERY one, such as 150c,150i,150m,aunt,ants-m,ants-x,ice-m,icemod,ice-x all the mapgens, square and tweak? [...]

Dpends on what you wanna achieve:
- If /minstart is all you use but all the time for all mods, then it should be fine in Launcher switches line.
- Alternatively you could place mapgen /minstart = 1; in 150/user.cfg, since all that is written there will apply to all mods too (mostly this config file was intended for interface settings).

In general, each parameter in config is needed only once per mod, so there is no need to put it in 150i and in tweaks.cfg, nor in ice-m and ants-m, since those files are part of the same mod (1.50 improved and ice-m resp.).
When opening file 150/mods/150/150i.CFG for example, you can see that this is the core of the mod '1.50 improved' and basically it loads the needed lbx-es, makes a connection for Launcher to the right mapmod (enable MAP1_150;) and calls other configs. Thus this is not the best place to start writing single game-rule parameters. Game rule changes are made in the other cfgs that are included there: tweaks, picks, aiships and ants. Ants for Antaran ship designs and fleet optimizations, aiships for AI ship designs, picks for AI race designs, and tweaks for miscellaneous game rule changes. Maps are loaded separately, and as written above Launcher will use the map '1.50 improved' via enable MAP1_150;. So say that you want to specifically make the change to 1.50 improved, but not to the other mods, then you can add the line mapgen /minstart = 1; in tweaks.cfg (or in the map if you'd prefer 150/mods/maps/MAP_150.CFG, that works too). If your making more elaborate changes, then consider making your own mod or mapmod entirely (copy by example).

 

[plasmacannon]

Yea. I figured the command line in the launcher would get long with too many additions.
That's good to know about the 150/user.cfg I like the 1.50 mod. Though I am currently trying out the ICE-M mod with Orange map. I've introduced my 12 year old nephew to this game I've been playing for over 20 years now. It's great to see a new generation take an interest in MOO2.
Create my own mod? Perhaps. Though, the last I heard, the things I wanted to change were not modable, such as adding new Race Picks.
If the Race Picks Screen could be changed to allow the room for new Picks to be added, then anyone could add more variety to the game.
I was thinking of adding Racial Picks like
Tiny - (negative) Your race is very small. As such they could never conceive of constructing a ship as large as a Doom Star. This Ship Class is not available to your race.
Giant - (negative) You come from a Race of Giants and can not fit in to tiny vessels. As such, Fighters/Bombers/Heavy Fighters and Frigates are not available to your race. Though if Frigates are added, it would create an issue as that race's scouts would have to be Destroyer size and preferably locked so they could not be refitted early and gain too much of an advantage over others. Or one could make their ships 1 size lower for available space purposes. So Giant Race's Destroyer would only have the weapon & equipment space of a Frigate because of the extra room needed to house the crew of Giants.
Subsurface - (positive) Your Race lives under the planet's surface. This maze of tunnels grants you +5 Ground combat while defending your planets and 25% more pop per planet. (like a weaker version of Subterranean or Tolerant, so fewer Race Picks, like around 3). Pop modifiers are expensive picks. It would be nice to have a cheaper option available also.
Subspace Corridors - (positive) Your race knows where all of the wormholes are on the map. (Like a weaker Omniscient)
Speed - (positive) Your Race's ships move +1 faster. (Like a weaker Transdimensional)

I like how the ICE mod nerfed Telepathic to Titans and Doom Stars and reduced the cost. Tele was so abused. It makes a great Evolutionary Mutation Pick now. Ice changed Stealthy Ships too. With more room, one could add the more permanent version back as a more expensive Pick.

Just have to figure out how to be able to add them to the Race Pick Screen. I don't know of reducing the font size is possible, thus creating an extra row below the other Picks.

 

[Rocco.40]

[...] last I heard, the things I wanted to change were not modable, such as adding new Race Picks.
[...]With more room, one could add the more permanent version back as a more expensive Pick.
Just have to figure out how to be able to add them to the Race Pick Screen. I don't know of reducing the font size is possible, thus creating an extra row below the other Picks.

Interface of Race Screen is probably least problematic here, most difficult is integrating any new abilities into the games logic.
With scripting some existing abilities can be changed however. Small step was taken in ICE where taking Heavy-G now grants you a Huge planet (instead of Medium) and the AI Gnolam race starts of on a Low-g world that is Small instead of Medium but Gaia instead of Terran. Those Lucky bastards!

 

[Rocco.40]

[...]I've introduced my 12 year old nephew to this game I've been playing for over 20 years now. It's great to see a new generation take an interest in MOO2.[...]

Awesome, how does he like it so far? He could watch a few youtube vids to get the hang of it, there's plenty of them...

 

[plasmacannon]

"scripting ", I've dabbled in programming years ago. ASCII, PASCAL, VB, HTML. Haven't scripted anything new. Editted a few txt files occasionally in Notepad. The cgf files appear just as similar. Always job hunting. ;( Not much time to focus on a full mod, but that would be cool.

One game he did better than I did. He came up with a Telepathic Warlord Feudal blitz race. He met the Bulrathi first, built a few Cruisers and mind controlled them. He had more systems, pop and buildings than I did with a Aqua Prod+2 builder race.
It's embarrassing, yet proud, that he did so well.

 

[plasmacannon]

What language is MOO2 written in?

 

[Rocco.40]

What language is MOO2 written in?

Simtex team used some version of Watcom C/C++.

 

[ConjurerDragon]

While browsing the changelog (I installed 1.50 a few days ago from the 1.40 patch I was using the last years) I noticed:
" - Fighters now benefit from helmsman."

Does that not devalue the "Fighter Pilot" ability that some leaders have (e.g. Captain Cyr who has only that)?
Helmsman sounds like a man at the helm of a real spaceship, not single fighters. And why would one ability include the others benefit but not vice versa?

Edit: In my current 1.50 classic game I was just offered Rear Admiral Dantos (and later Caine) who is both "Fighter Pilot*" and "Helmsman" - is it really intended that he improves Fighters twice from both abilities?

 

[Rocco.40]

In 1.31/1.40 the Weaponry skill applies to fighters, but Helmsman does not. We fixed this inconsistency by having Helmsman apply to fighters too instead of Weaponry not applying to fighters.
In your example, Rear Admiral Dantos has Fighter Pilot, Helmsman and Weaponry skills and fighters under his command would get extra BA from Fighter Pilot and Weaponry in 1.31/1.40 but extra BD only from Fighter Pilot.

Helmsman sounds like a man at the helm of a real spaceship, not single fighters.

A leader extends his skills to the entire fleet, not just the ship that he is on. For example, the Commando skill increases the bonus of ships that attempt capture of an immobile target and of assault shuttles that attempt capture of a ship or base.

Does that not devalue the "Fighter Pilot" ability that some leaders have (e.g. Captain Cyr who has only that)?

I consider Fighter Pilot to be a weak skill, thus in the mod '1.50 improved' the base hiring cost of this skill has been lowered from 30 to 20.

.

 

[plasmacannon]

So, now all three: Fighter Pilot, Helmsman and Weaponry; all apply to fighters in the amounts that are shown to us?

 

[Rocco.40]

So, now all three: Fighter Pilot, Helmsman and Weaponry; all apply to fighters in the amounts that are shown to us?

Indeed they do!

 

[ConjurerDragon]

After a game of "classic" using the Launcher, I have now started a game of "1.50 improved" and noticed a typo in the description (when I right-click the Structural Analyzer in the Config screen) of the Structural Analyzer
("Powerful computer..." lacking the r)
Is that a leftover from my old installation of 1.31 + 1.40 and so not of interest here, or is that still part of 1.50.11?

 

[Rocco.40]

After a game of "classic" using the Launcher, I have now started a game of "1.50 improved" and noticed a typo in the description (when I right-click the Structural Analyzer in the Config screen) of the Structural Analyzer
("Powerful computer..." lacking the r)
Is that a leftover from my old installation of 1.31 + 1.40 and so not of interest here, or is that still part of 1.50.11?

hah, good catch. I have somehow gone completely blind for this typo.
will correct it for a next release.
tx!

 

[ConjurerDragon]

In my current "1.50.11 improved" game the Gnolams (brown) are my allies in a war against the Sakkra (light blue) and have last turn sent a good part of their fleet towards the most distant planet of our common enemy (topright corner of the map) - that I have just mindcontrolled. As the Klackon have decided to declare war on me too (together with the Darlocks and Humans who I already reduced to 1 of their former planets, but who both stil refuse to accept peace) this turn I could use their fleet elsewhere.

In that game there are 7 wormholes of which 3 could have made their way shorter (Knyan-Galileo, Bootes-Leng, Grumium-Acamar). Does the AI not consider those at all or does it ignore them for some other reason?

 

[Rocco.40]

[...]In that game there are 7 wormholes of which 3 could have made their way shorter (Knyan-Galileo, Bootes-Leng, Grumium-Acamar). Does the AI not consider those at all or does it ignore them for some other reason?View attachment 498482

Nice map.
Sadly the AI doesn't travel wormholes, it would be cool if they did.

 

[plasmacannon]

Nice map.
Sadly the AI doesn't travel wormholes, it would be cool if they did.

Yea. Otherwise, it makes for an easy exploit for spying purposes.
We can steal techs and sabotage anyone we have met solely thru a wormhole connection without reprisal.

 

[neilkaz]

Hi please tell me exactly where I need to go to find how to set AI surrender to 999. Win 10 (I HATE it to DEATH) and GOG DOSBox. thx .. neilkaz ..

PS perhaps a box to click to turn off AI surrender would be nice!

 

[Rocco.40]

Hi please tell me exactly where I need to go to find how to set AI surrender to 999. Win 10 (I HATE it to DEATH) and GOG DOSBox. thx .. neilkaz ..

PS perhaps a box to click to turn off AI surrender would be nice!

Hey! Follow this:
1. Open MOO2 Launcher.
2. Click in the Menu on top: Edit\USER.CFG, which opens the file with user settings.
3. Add to it the line "ai_surrender_delay = 999;" without the quotes.
4. Save the file.
5. The setting now applies to ALL mods (including Classic mode)