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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi Quiet_Man,

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

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

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

Hi ZombiesRus5,

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

Not sure what is trying to be achieved.

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

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

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

It was in D

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

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

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

Hello,

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

Thanks 

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

Thanks

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

Hi doctermushroom,

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

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

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

3. corrupt mod download