Ideas to explore

[matthewhively]

• Make separate versions of armor upgrades for destroyers (and light platforms) that boost their HP more than for cruisers. Names can be the same though.
• ~ER could get refinery bonus but with 0 extra fuel tanks. When they reach a planet, they can just keep going.~
• Make alternative platforms that grant a small IO and repair bonus instead of weapon systems. (construction platforms)
• Reduce biome colonizer population & infrastructure but more terraform (thats the point right?)
• Change tech tree so that morrigi don't have to have "advanced robotics" and "cybernetic interface" automatically. If they get stealth armor without prereqs... why not this as well? (may not be possible, it doesn't seem like it was done through the tech tree, and they may be balanced around this assumption)
• Look for map name/description strings. Maybe that would tell me what to set for customization parameters? Could also put in a label on the map designating "use at your own risk"
• Add DE boarding pod ships for zuul (1 CP cost, for swarming)

[matthewhively]

• Maybe give zuul 100% on disruptor whip, or add an additional connection from EMP to it.

[matthewhively]

• Make colonizers much more expensive maintenance wise, but cheaper to construct (expensive to keep people aboard ship). This will help the AI build them faster, while encouraging the human players to not stockpile them, build as needed.
  • This should be the "BEST" way to slow players early on.
• Might also split the "Suspended animation" from an option, to a clone of the regular section. So I can make it EVEN more maintenance cost.
• Give everyone (especially zuul) a Cruiser size colonizer that isn't biome. That way they get a slightly faster way to establish new colonies. (especially if biome isn't unlocked)

[matthewhively]

• ~Boost the HP for heavy planet missiles quite a bit. They should NOT be easy to kill with PD.~ Its already at 150.
• Nerf ALL PD range (not just phaser) (partially implemented)

[matthewhively]

Copy music from SotS2 into sots1 (can just append to the existing music files if necessary)

[matthewhively]

Investigate turret type freebeam, it looks like its a built in type for HCL turrets. All the dreadnaughts should definitely have their side facing HCLs converted to this type so they are actually fucking useful. Set them with a very slow turn speed though.

[matthewhively]

~Stormers should REQUIRE VRF tech (if they don't already)~ Yup, already required

[matthewhively]

• If and when I add battle riders for other species, Make "advanced DN engineering" synergize with "drone squadrons".
  • Look at the herald for how that is done. Maybe copy police cutters? (or some other single engine ship section?)
• HCL should branch from mining technology (since the description says modification of mining lasers)
  • Maybe make a special mount on mining ships and a weaker version of HCL for those ships specifically? (thematically)
  • maybe that could help when defending from asteroid traps? (make it rapid recharge, short range, with just enough burst to kill the incoming asteroids)
  • also make mining ships cheaper CP wise so more of them could be in combat for an asteroid trap.

[matthewhively]

Rename the single section DE/CR ships, They aren't destroyers or cruisers, they are something else. Instead of "hunter" Friggates Corvette Battlecruiser

[matthewhively]

• Is there any way to provide a "micro antimatter" plant, that provides a similar benefit to the fusion equivalents? (buff to drones and missile speeds)

[matthewhively]

• Change propaganda ships to DE. (they can remain the same size)

[matthewhively]

• Does the AI ever research AdvCnC, or is it just a straight up time waster for human players?
• Does the AI ever research DatCor, does it help them counter other factions?

[matthewhively]

What do these actually mean?

*ADDICTION_SPREAD_ODDS              0.20
ADDICTION_TRADE_MOD             2.00
*ADDICTION_INCOME_MOD               0.90
*ADDICTION_OUTPUT_MOD               0.90
*ADDICTION_PHASE2_START             10
*ADDICTION_PHASE3_START             15

According to strings, spread and phase 2/3 may no longer exist.

#EVENTSUM_ADDICTION_SPREAD,Addiction Spreads to %s
#EVENTMSG_ADDICTION_SPREAD,%s has introduced alien contraband to %s. %s of the population is now happy!
#EVENTSUM_ADDICTION_CONTINUES,Plague Continues on %s
#EVENTMSG_ADDICTION_CONTINUES,Plague outbreaks on %s have caused %s deaths and %s loss of infrastructure.

[matthewhively]

Does it make sense to add spinal versions of:

• graviton beam
• pulsed graviton beam

[matthewhively]

These configurations. If they don't apply to zuul, then don't scale them, but if they do... maybe I can use those to allow homeworlds to be repaired overtime?

SYSTEMBONUS_MINTURNS        20
SYSTEMBONUS_POPBONUS        0.20
SYSTEMBONUS_INFRABONUS      0.20
SYSTEMBONUS_POPBONUS_HOME   1.00
SYSTEMBONUS_INFRABONUS_HOME 1.00
SYSTEMBONUS_POPBONUS_INC    0.005
SYSTEMBONUS_INFRABONUS_INC  0.005

[matthewhively]

Maybe Gravity Control should require antimatter? Its quite powerful.

Should I boost Weapons\bal_thumper.weapon dmg_est?

• Maybe remove tractor beams (or somehow prevent them from defense platforms, thats just silly)

  • Make it a special mount type?

• Modify planetary collision damage from ships going down (this is always SUPER high for some reason) data/combat/ship.txt

[matthewhively]

Try to reduce the collision box for the VN moon base. Too many weapons are too short range to hit it.

Can asteroid traps be blocked by deflector shields?

[matthewhively]

Maybe it makes sense to give Zuul and Humans 100% chance for recombinate fissionables. So that they can increase their node distance to maximum of 19 without unlocking fusion. (max distance on some maps is 17.9) Maybe add a 100% connection from pulsed fission, but make it more expensive (7k?)

[matthewhively]

Should Morrigi colony traps and mining traps require more advanced technology? Seems like they should require tractorbeams and gravity controls of some sort.

[matthewhively]

Maybe boost command quota for DNCnC. its currently 58, and its 1.8x between DE & CR, but only 1.6x here. (This would require corresponding boosts to Flagship and Stations)

[matthewhively]

Add a destroyer class repair ship (and allow repair & salavage to be learned without cruisers) see #10

spytender true - could in theory move this to another ship type, would this help at all?

[matthewhively]

If I rename cybernetic interface & advanced robotics, will that remove them from Morrigi auto-grants?

[matthewhively]

Maybe increase the number of swarm drones & and how fast they are launched?

Re-determine blasteroids numbers. They may be too strong now.