Rebel Flagship Design

[meklozz]

Should be pretty simple. Just add these to the events_boss.xml.append file:

For 1, this:

Code: Select all

<mod:findName type="event" name="BOSS_TEXT_3">
   <mod:findLike type="status">
      <mod:selector target="enemy" system="oxygen"/>
      <mod:removeTag/>
   </mod:findLike>
   <mod-append:status type="limit" target="enemy" system="oxygen" amount="0"/>
</mod:findName>


Should do. It just makes sure there is the limit tag or adds it, shouldn't interfere with augments in any way.

For 2, this:

Code: Select all

<mod:findName type="event" name="BOSS_TEXT_3">
   <mod:findLike type="text">
      <mod:setValue>new text</mod:setValue>
   </mod:findLike>
   <mod:findLike type="status">
      <mod:selector target="enemy" system="oxygen"/>
      <mod:removeTag/>
   </mod:findLike>
</mod:findName>


It's pretty much the same in many ways, you can either remove the three lines around the setValue line if you don't want your own text, or (CE mentions failing life support), you can just change 'new text' to the another (just generic one. I guess) text. If you wanted to replace text only if the user has CE, that could be done, too, though a little differently.

The last one is the same as the first, just change the event name from boss text 3 to 2. If you want both of them, you need to copy it over twice and then only change the event name in one of them (so there is one for each phase).

@edit
Corrected a typo in the second one.

@@edit
Not sure if you know CE flagship also disables drones (or has a chance to? not sure) in phase 3, you can get rid of it like this:

Code: Select all

<mod:findName type="eventList" name="BOSS_3_LIST">
   <mod:findLike>
      <mod:findLike type="status">
         <mod:selector type="limit" target="enemy" system="drones"/>
         <mod:removeTag/>
      </mod:findLike>
   </mod:findLike>
</mod:findName>

[Gidoza]

Hm - I've played CE plenty of times and never encountered Drone jamming. Is that a feature of a recent version?

Also, since you mentioned it - I realize now that there may be some sense to replacing text generally, as the systems showing up at each stage of the Flagship aren't going to reflect default texts at all. I might not deal with this right away, but it's something to think about nonetheless.

EDIT: Also the second code you offered for retaining full Oxygen power doesn't set it to 3. Is this intended? (I'm assuming that it's just disabling CE's implementation of the Oxygen depletion.)

[meklozz]

I don't think it's recent, and to be clear I mean the flagship on-board drones in the last stage. They're actually off until the crew is killed, and only then are cleared.

@edit
And, yeah, the second code just removes CE's removal of oxygen. No need to specify the level or anything.

[Gidoza]

I don't think it's recent, and to be clear I mean the flagship on-board drones in the last stage. They're actually off until the crew is killed, and only then are cleared.

@edit
And, yeah, the second code just removes CE's removal of oxygen. No need to specify the level or anything.

Ohhhhhhhh. I see what you mean. In that case yes, this would be very important to disable...

Out of curiosity, what would happen in Stage 3 if that Flagship doesn't even have an Oxygen system and CE tries to access it to turn off the Oxygen? Crash? Or just nothing whatever?

[meklozz]

Not 100% sure, but most likely nothing. There are even events in vanilla that disable systems you might not have, including med/clonebays (no ship has both, and there are events that just go for disabling them anyway, then there's slug B), doors (rock B), sensors (many ships).

@edit
Does not giving the flagship an oxygen system make it completely airless from the start of the fight?

[Gidoza]

Yes having no Oxygen would make it initially airless. This is why I'm thinking that it's worth having a custom text for each Flagship type, so the intro makes some kind of meaningful sense. I'll deal with that later, though (as well as the CE Missiles graphic thingie).

Anyways I've slotted in all the necessary texts in the appropriate places, and I have an Oxygen Disabler text for when all the crew die, regardless of what stage the Flagship is in (one more thing to test). Going to start putting this together now so we can run a drill of all the Flagship types for functionality and especially balance. (a trial of 26 Flagships with 3 runs through each isn't exactly a time-swift exercise)

Do you think it would be better to make such a testing thread in Mod Development or Working Mods? I would aim for saving the current thread for technical stuff like we're dealing with now.

And of course, I appreciate your help and Sleeper's help immensely. The stuff I'm not great at is easily resolved. =D Hoping this will be fun and rewarding for everyone.

[meklozz]

No problem.

I don't know where you should make a thread, but after playing through and making that first save I had no problems launching the previous flagships without doing a whole run. You could modify a bomb to do a bunch of real damage (or crew damage and fast cooldown) and pierce shields (zoltan shield bypass, I mean), it should go fast, killing it the moment you want. I'm just gonna play them through normally and enjoy them, though.

[Gidoza]

You could modify a bomb to do a bunch of real damage (or crew damage and fast cooldown) and pierce shields (zoltan shield bypass, I mean), it should go fast, killing it the moment you want.

What? I've no idea what this is referring to.

but after playing through and making that first save I had no problems launching the previous flagships without doing a whole run

This is good to hear. For whatever reason, my FTL regularly crashes when the Flagship jumps away the first time. I re-load the game to find myself after the end of the battle, I hit "jump" and it jumps away like before, but it doesn't crash. It all works in the end - it's just weird.

I'm just gonna play them through normally and enjoy them, though.

Indeed - this! I'll probably make a thread here in the Mod Development while doing balancing stuff, then.

[meklozz]

You could modify a bomb to do a bunch of real damage (or crew damage and fast cooldown) and pierce shields (zoltan shield bypass, I mean), it should go fast, killing it the moment you want.

What? I've no idea what this is referring to.

I just meant making an overpowered ship for faster testing, sorry.

Weird about the crashes, maybe try reinstalling/verifying FTL and deleting slipstream backups? Other than that, just see if anyone else gets them, I guess.

[Gidoza]

I just meant making an overpowered ship for faster testing, sorry.

I think we may be talking past one another, here. Making sure about crashes, that the ship is centred, and all that, only needs one pass though. But determining balance and strength needs a bit more.

Weird about the crashes, maybe try reinstalling/verifying FTL and deleting slipstream backups? Other than that, just see if anyone else gets them, I guess.

Yeah I'll re-install.