Questions here: an inquiry thread! [Updated Sep 15th, 2014]

[elijahdb]

Chain effects are only known to alter damage or cooldown. Shield piercing is likely impossible.

Darn it. Thanks.

[Gencool]

Refresh my memory; if you've hit the system cap, I swear I remember the being a way to install additional systems through event code (9th, 10th systems, etc)

I'm totally wrong though, right?

[sul]

Refresh my memory; if you've hit the system cap, I swear I remember the being a way to install additional systems through event code (9th, 10th systems, etc)

I'm totally wrong though, right?

You can install systems during events with using <system name="shields"/> in an event. Now you can "force" installation which avoids the game to skip the step when system is already installed. The trick is to call the event in a chain where no skip is possible:

<event name="INSTALL_SHIELDS">
<text>Confirm installation shields ? System may not be available on your ship.</text>
<choice ><text>Confirm installation.</text><event load="INSTALL_SHIELDS_FORCE"/></choice>
</event>

<event name="INSTALL_SHIELDS_FORCE">
<text>System shields installed.</text>
<system name="shields"/>
<choice ><text>Finish.</text><event/></choice>
</event>

I didnt test if it allows to install more systems than allowed, but i did allow to "reinstall a system" several times which is the same principle of bypassing game checkups. For example reinstalling shields 5-6 times makes its recharge rate super fast.

[Gencool]

It works! You're a star! Thankyou!

[sul]

It works! You're a star! Thankyou!

You can quickly test this with the scramble mod at first beacon, all systems are listed:
viewtopic.php?t=29104
There is some safeguards (req,lvl) so you dont reinstall systems or install systems not in the blueprint (artillery is usually omitted), but you should be able to install more systems then allowed I guess.

[FearTheBlaziken]

1 - Does the Phase Three Flagship's Power Surge Laser (Death Blossom according to stylesrj) have its own blueprint (Similar to Crystal Vengeance's "Crystal" Drone Blueprint) or is the laser's specs hardcoded?
2 - Can a event detect how many systems a ship has for a blue option?

Edit: How in the world did Dryeagle disable the enemy's cloak in his Scarab Ship Mod?

*Special effect: enemy cloaking devices are destroyed at the start of any encounter. There is no hiding from the Scarab! (well, not until they repair them)

I checked the mod and it didn't have events that disable it when the Scarab is selected. Video Proof by Bren that the cloak is destroyed before battle.

[meklozz]

I haven't tested the 3rd phase surge, but phase 2 can be declawed by changing the drone blueprints everywhere and replacing the originals with empty ones that do nothing. It might be the same. The only candidate would be ARTILLERY_BOSS_1 but I can't really check now.

Events can technically only detect a single system of a set level, but you can also create lists (blueprintList in auto_blueprints iirc) of systems to detect. So you can do something like (in choice reqs with the same max_group, in this order, same levels)(can only detect whether something from the list is available or not so can't do something like "if all of the items on the list" condition as far as I know):

if neither cloak or drones found, do this
if cloak not found, do this
if drones not found, do this
else, do that

this:
"Continue" and end

that:
your particular event

I'm not sure if this is what you wanted, but you can make it as huge as you want.

@edit About the Scarab
viewtopic.php?t=10942#p35847
Do note this was before AE.

[Braxbro]

Add this code to the blueprint of the beam (for best results, put it under cooldown. That's where I found it on the bio beam.)

Code: Select all

   <color>
      <r>0</r>
      <g>0</g>
      <b>0</b>
   </color>

Oooh... well then... I may just add some fun weapons for my mod... Rainbow Unicorn Death Artillery Beam, anyone? JK, i was thinking more making a breach beam be black or gray or something like that...

As for my questions...

How do you balance a ship so it isn't OP?
Where can I effectively and quickly get help coming up with fresh strategies for modded cruisers?
Where is the line between challenging a player and being mean enough to drive them insane?
Are GIMP and Notepad++ suitable tools for modding?
How should I unpack the data files to use?

[sleepz8]

How do you balance a ship so it isn't OP?

Test it! Look at other ships, decide which ones provide a challenge you like and use that as your base.
Generally speaking:
I make my ships have 7 power
2 shield bubbles at the start is too OP
OP weapons obviously make your ship OP
Cloaking at start can be OP
A large crew can be OP
Lots of augments is OP

This really helps for testing: http://www.ftlgame.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=22613

Where can I effectively and quickly get help coming up with fresh strategies for modded cruisers?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean?

Where is the line between challenging a player and being mean enough to drive them insane?

Don't worry! Build it to your preferences and it'll be fine. You can always edit it later and make an easy and a hard version if you feel like it!

Are GIMP and Notepad++ suitable tools for modding?

Yep! You'll also need 7-Zip or something similar.
If you want to share your ships, I would recommend dropbox for file hosting and imgur for image hosting.

How should I unpack the data files to use?

I unpacked them so long ago I can't remember :S Shouldn't take you to long to find on these forums though......

[stylesrj]

How do you balance a ship so it isn't OP?

Look at the Shrike. Then back to your ship. Then back to the Shrike. Then back at your ship and then back to the Shrike. If your ship is more powerful than the Shrike, then it's probably OP

Where can I effectively and quickly get help coming up with fresh strategies for modded cruisers?

Look at other mods and video runs of them? Find out how they worked with the ship and see if you can implement certain ideas into it?

Where is the line between challenging a player and being mean enough to drive them insane?

Rock A, Stealth C.

Are GIMP and Notepad++ suitable tools for modding?

Those are my bread and butter tools. Used to be Wordpad but Notepad++ is easier to find what you're looking at

How should I unpack the data files to use?

I think there's an unpacker somewhere.