Posted: Thu, 20. Aug 09, 03:02
A little progress report, just to let you know I'm still alive...
I've been busy pulling my hair out (what's left of it) trying to make several of these new scripts play nice together. I'm currently working a few kinks out of the new patrol script. It's been completely re-written and giving me problems since Day One, but mostly small stuff, like a variable out of place or a typo somewhere. Ugh. I'm getting closer, though. I'm toying with the script on my FBC since it tends to send ships out more frequently than TF's, though I'm going to allow my trainees a 10-20 min break on occasion (life's hard enough as it is).
I'm fairly confident the new move pilot script works...that is to say it isn't crashing or causing any "obvious" disorders. I'm also seeing favorable returns from the new Return to Base script.
On a side note, I'd like some opinions... I'm going to try giving my cpilots the ability to auto-upgrade their ships, probably based on rank, with higher weapons and missiles, if such upgrades are possible on their ships (and not "inherited" from the previous occupant of the same ship).
Case in point... Let's say you put a new cadet into a new M5. I want the FBC to have a config option to select which wares should come standard on all ships (you need the Fight Mk2, but I'm also thinking of a user menu to select from other wares, like Nav software, other fight software, Special Cmd, docking computer, jumpdrive, etc.). A cpilot will do the checking when it docks for it's rest period to alleviate the extra processing from the FBC or TF list of duties.
Then, a cpilot will auto-equip guns, and maybe missiles, based on rank... A cadet might only be allowed IREs and maybe an APAC. Higher ranks might allow PACs, HEPTs, PBEs and such. Ultimately, you might get, as an example, a Cpt. in a M3 decked out with the best the ship can handle. If you move him out to another ship, I would prefer to have the old ship stay that way for the next guy (let him re-equip again, so you don't have to, according to the specific needs of the new ship).
So, what I need to do is rate the laser weapons according to power in an ascending scale for both fighter and big ship levels. IREs would go first, of course, then PACs and HEPTs, but you also have mass drivers, PBEs, PSGs (never trust an NPC with an area effect gun ), etc. I have a tentative list I'm playing with, and I spent last night running around in a Terran Thor with AEMP, and later BPBE guns, to see how it works (I like those PBEs, they shoot fast and strip shields quickly, scaring the bejesus out of the pilots).
Any ideas?
Of course, all this depends on the FBC and/or TF having access to a "store" of guns and such, meaning either (in the case of an FBC) either a station able to stockpile equipment, or a tender to do the work. And in the case of a TF, it might either need to hold it internally, or else make use of a merchant ship to make deliveries (kinda like the pizza delivery guy, you order out and he delivers in 30 mins or less, assuming he doesn't fly through Xenon territory ).
I've been busy pulling my hair out (what's left of it) trying to make several of these new scripts play nice together. I'm currently working a few kinks out of the new patrol script. It's been completely re-written and giving me problems since Day One, but mostly small stuff, like a variable out of place or a typo somewhere. Ugh. I'm getting closer, though. I'm toying with the script on my FBC since it tends to send ships out more frequently than TF's, though I'm going to allow my trainees a 10-20 min break on occasion (life's hard enough as it is).
I'm fairly confident the new move pilot script works...that is to say it isn't crashing or causing any "obvious" disorders. I'm also seeing favorable returns from the new Return to Base script.
On a side note, I'd like some opinions... I'm going to try giving my cpilots the ability to auto-upgrade their ships, probably based on rank, with higher weapons and missiles, if such upgrades are possible on their ships (and not "inherited" from the previous occupant of the same ship).
Case in point... Let's say you put a new cadet into a new M5. I want the FBC to have a config option to select which wares should come standard on all ships (you need the Fight Mk2, but I'm also thinking of a user menu to select from other wares, like Nav software, other fight software, Special Cmd, docking computer, jumpdrive, etc.). A cpilot will do the checking when it docks for it's rest period to alleviate the extra processing from the FBC or TF list of duties.
Then, a cpilot will auto-equip guns, and maybe missiles, based on rank... A cadet might only be allowed IREs and maybe an APAC. Higher ranks might allow PACs, HEPTs, PBEs and such. Ultimately, you might get, as an example, a Cpt. in a M3 decked out with the best the ship can handle. If you move him out to another ship, I would prefer to have the old ship stay that way for the next guy (let him re-equip again, so you don't have to, according to the specific needs of the new ship).
So, what I need to do is rate the laser weapons according to power in an ascending scale for both fighter and big ship levels. IREs would go first, of course, then PACs and HEPTs, but you also have mass drivers, PBEs, PSGs (never trust an NPC with an area effect gun ), etc. I have a tentative list I'm playing with, and I spent last night running around in a Terran Thor with AEMP, and later BPBE guns, to see how it works (I like those PBEs, they shoot fast and strip shields quickly, scaring the bejesus out of the pilots).
Any ideas?
Of course, all this depends on the FBC and/or TF having access to a "store" of guns and such, meaning either (in the case of an FBC) either a station able to stockpile equipment, or a tender to do the work. And in the case of a TF, it might either need to hold it internally, or else make use of a merchant ship to make deliveries (kinda like the pizza delivery guy, you order out and he delivers in 30 mins or less, assuming he doesn't fly through Xenon territory ).