[Script] Fighter Base Commander V1.10 (04 Feb 2006)

[dwgh]

A very small defect is that it sometimes warns you that a new tour has started and sometimes it doesn't...

Assuming it's the problem I think it is, it's due to the way that Myros' script handles promotions. I could hack that bit as well, but I'd rather leave his script as pristine as possible.

but I was wondering if the yaki ships I have won't work with it

The reason why I was originally worried about them was because I hadn't added them to the look up table as I didn't know which classes the two ships were. When I did the freighter update on 1.09, I also finally got around to finding out and adding them. So assuming you're using 1.09 there should be no problem.

I'm now reasonably sure the infinite loop thing is just the game getting busy. I'll give it 'til tomorrow before officially going for it, but using 1.09b should sort you out for now.

Also, does the trader equip itself with a jump drive to facilitate faster retrevial of nessicary goods?

It should do that right at the beginning if there's enough cash. I'll take another look to make sure it keeps checking after that until one is fitted.

[Blinki1984]

here is some Idea to enhace the Pilots without haveing them fighting.

Something like a Officers academy would be great

[dwgh]

Something like a Officers academy would be great

This script is only really an add-on for Myros' work of art. Adding extra pilot stuff is something I'll leave for him to do. I suspect he wont go for this idea though, I seem to recall people asking for something similar previously.

That said, I haven't actually seen him around recently. Hopefully just a brief attack of real life and he'll be back soon...

[djssuk]

I think this might be new, but sorry if not...

I have my Fight Comanbder base as an Equipment Dock and Argon Prime Shipyard as the ship provider. However, I now have 4 ships assigned but not doing anything. After several hours I looked into it.

It seems the Equipment tender ship has stocked 5 mossy misiles to each ship and ful shields, leavin gno room for weapons. This seems to be stopping the ships getting a new pilot? They all are waiting for a pilot. Is this part of the issue or a separate issue?

Anyway, I think the Tender should have a priority of Max Shields.. Max Lasers... Max Misiles, in that order so as not to prevent them starting a tour.

Glad to see this is still coming along nicely

[dwgh]

seems the Equipment tender ship has stocked 5 mossy misiles to each ship and ful shields, leavin gno room for weapons.

If you're using the latest version, it will take out the missiles before trying to put the guns in if there is no space.

This seems to be stopping the ships getting a new pilot?

That's done in an entirely different part of the script, so should be unconnected. Which ships are they?

Anyway, I think the Tender should have a priority of Max Shields.. Max Lasers... Max Misiles

That is actually the order in which they are checked. As I said earlier, if there is no space for lasers/shields then missiles will be removed to make some.

I do vaguely recall reading about an M5 variant that couldn't actually fit the maximum lasers/shields - no idea which one that was. In any case, M5s will be sent out on patrol even if not maxed out - only the M4s are held back.

[djssuk]

Thanks dwgh, glad to see you are on the ball

Anyway, they are discos. I will try the latest version, I am on 1.09 so will try the beta and start again, probaably something else.

Mind you, at the moment Ihave a problem with my ships all attacking Boron ships for no reason, so I am glad they didn't move to be honest, would have made it worse for me .

Back to important things like housework.. no sod it, back to the game:)

[dwgh]

Anyway, they are discos.

That's v. odd. There's one last thing I'd like you to try. Very occasionally something odd seems to happen and the cpilots script will choke when trying to put a pilot in. There's a manually operated script I included called "a.reset.pilot". Try running this on one of the non-cooperative ships (you do this via the script editor, find the script and press r). If that ship still doesnt get a a pilot after 5 minutes then something else wierd is happening (might also be worth checking the log file at some stage to see if there's any sign of an attempt to hire a pilot).

[dwgh]

V1.10 is now out.

The inifinite loops are now officially gone. I've also added the first advanced option - change patrol sector.

It's a bit awkward, but you can only prompt the player for a sector when they start a script going (if anyone knows different, please let me know). So you run the "Advanced Options" command and are immediately prompted for a sector. Once that's done, you'll get an incoming message asking if you want to change the patrol sector. If you confirm the change, then all future patrols will be in the new sector. Just to be safe, I'll point out that you should use a different command console slot to the one already running the FBC

Now, rather than use a command slot for each option as I add them, I'm going to try to combine them all in the same one. That means that even if you're changing an option that does not need a sector input, you'll be prompted for one. Which is annoying, but hopefully is only minor.

There was also a small error in the pilot hire function which may have caused problems, it's difficult to tell - hopefully this was the source of dj's strangeness (if it's not that, then I can only think his base has no spare money).[/i]

[NZ-Wanderer]

Gee, and here was me coming on to say that my problem had been fixed with the beta release...

Ohwell, goes and downloads the new version

Great work....

V1.10 is now out.

[dwgh]

Gee, and here was me coming on to say that my problem had been fixed with the beta release...

I reckoned that if there were a problem people would have shouted by now - silence means they are still playing

[djssuk]

Hi, me again.

Did some testing and playing last night and found all my probelsm were resolved by ending the script and starting it again.

It seems I killed it by changing a name from Academy 1 to Academy 10.

I think this has been coverrd before, but renaming ships does seem to cause an end or pause to something in the script.

I am not sure what you want to do, but it seems that an option to rename ships would be handy by either allowing renaming or having a way of doing it that does not cause problems.

Any thoughts?

[dwgh]

Did some testing and playing last night and found all my probelsm were resolved by ending the script and starting it again.

Hmm, sounds like a potential problem with the auto-update. Did you upgrade between starting the first and last times?

It seems I killed it by changing a name from Academy 1 to Academy 10.

Um, thought you said you fixed it by restarting?

**EDIT Ah, see what you mean (sorry, I'm a bit slow ) Though I really have no idea how this could break it. Are you 100% sure this was what caused it or might it have been broken anyway?

it seems that an option to rename ships would be handy by either allowing renaming or having a way of doing it that does not cause problems.

I'm obviously mis-understanding something key about this...

The re-name part of the code is a small seperate section. The main script itself doesnt actually use the ship name... it just checks for the homebase, the pilot rank, the ship's current activity and the ship class. Everything, you might say, except ship name

[dwgh]

OK, I'm now thinking about how I'm going to add larger ships.

Currently the upgrader buys IRE/PAC/HEPT. Makes sense to me to start buying PPCs at M2 level and above.

TLs can be added as mini-carriers.

PBEs could be included at a certain level of ship.

As could flak guns.

Not keen on adding MDs or PSGs. The former because of ammo complications and the latter cos of friendly fire.

All ships should get the best scanner they can fit.

Comments on the above statements would be handy Bear in mind that this has to be (relatively) easy to implement and work for everyone. So saying "an Osprey should have X and a dragon Y except on Tuesdays" is not going to be helpful!

[NZ-Wanderer]

Well my Nemmie carries BPAC and BHEPT's in her, - my TL carries BPAC, AHEPT and BHEPT in her, and I find they are good enuff to take on everything I've come across to date (not tried them on other Cap ships tho)
I find with those loadouts I can capture and/or kill quite easily, so in my mind there no reason to goto bigger weapons

Thje triplex scanner would be great in all ships too

[SpaceMonkey1119]

I'm curious how you are going to handle promotions past m3 rank.

I was thinking, maybe if the first person promoted to TL rank grabs the rest in the station and uses them as their task force fleet. Perhaps you could also have it order another tender to keep that TL stocked with energy cells and things so the training could continue. From the TL perhaps you could promote some of the pilots to m6s while back at the station it's buisness as usual. Perhaps you could assign limits to how many M6s they command.

Of course the problem occurs with anything above commander. I know when I am forming task force fleets I like to have a few destoryers with a carrier. My biggest fleet is three destoryers with a carrier, about 10 M6s and a million smaller ships (atleast 70). Filling those from the fighter base is... difficult. Perhaps you can make an option to train a pilot up to m1 level to transfer him into an m1. Then work on training a fleet of other warships for him, perhaps user defined.

Another problem I keep running into is the slowness of dispatching new upgraded fighters. I have my bases (three of them, eq docks) located in The Wall. However, the freighters don't seem to like picking up power from the power stations there so I am forced to run back and forth keeping the eq dock full of power for the tenders. Perhaps you could have it use multiple transports, keeping one as an energy transporter and then a few to go get the supplies to outfit your new fighters. You could further it by limiting the fighter base to equipment docks and have them turn off trading with other races by default. Then have the tenders constantly stock BIREs and BPACs, as well as energy cells and shields, that way, when your people get promoted, they are ready to go out on another combat patrol.

Just a couple ideas that might be a little big.

Spacey

[dwgh]

I'm curious how you are going to handle promotions past m3 rank.

Well, "past M3" ranks will be given TLs or M6s initially depending on what's available. M3 rank (flying M3 ships) will then be assigned to them as part of the enemy sector attack wing. Obviously as they gain rank, if the cash is available, then M2s and M1s will come into play. Note, you wont be forced to choose an enemy sector. If that's the case, then the FBC will simply provide more cannon fodder for your use rather than attempt to take over the galaxy

As for limits on command, I plan to use Myros' Task Force scripts a lot, so expect to have the limits set by him there. The attack wing is commanded by the pilots, not the FBC (he just trains em up and makes sure they have equipment).

Filling those from the fighter base is... difficult.

Well, coming soon™, set your own limits on the numbers of ship classes - which should help. Myros intentionally made it hard to get high rank pilots (well, apart from the 1st two you get from his "cheat" script). I'm not planning on going against that. Top quality pilots should be hard to get.

I'm not going to set particular targets, the base will train every pilot it has. You can indirectly choose those targets by changing the ship class limits though I guess. Remember, as soon as a pilot is promoted, the FBC will see about getting them a new ship (cash and limits allowing). I'm pretty sure it also prioritises the higher rank pilots, so it will save for an M3 if short of cash rather than buying M5s even if it can afford them and has space.

Large suggestion

Sound like a great way to customise your game, but difficult to make it stick for the general role I have in mind. FWIW, I may as well allow you to change the number of tenders as well as the other types - although that will require a fairly major re-write and so wont be a priority.

As for an explicit energy transporter, Im pretty sure there are already scripts out that that will cause a TS/TP to constantly restock a station with a particular ware.

Lastly, I'm not going to restrict the bases to EQ docks. I like my small base running out of a factory, thank you Different people like their bases working in different ways. Personally, I dont really like the idea of huge bases, but I know plenty disagree and it's not that hard to make the script do both - so I will.

By all means, feel free to adapt the script yourself - I'm sure the final options list wont cover everything and there's plenty of scope to add more. I will. at some stage, get around to commenting the code; I write so inefficiently Im sure even the best scripters will need help in deciphering what I've done

**EDIT I also mean to say that if someone wants to take over writing the script, I am more than happy to pass it over. I've never been more than a competent coder so I'm sure one of you lot could do a better job. That said, I will carry on if no one fancies it... I don't really mind as long as it gets done.

[SpaceMonkey1119]

I don't know if I've done something wrong with this script... but my FBC refuses to launch upgraded fighters on combat patrol. I loaded up a station with bpacs for my tenders so they wouldn't have to go far and wide for them... then I waited, and waited and waited, and then took a nap... and I come back, the FBC has used three of them to put into one m4. The tender has run back with a lot more and a few of them are all full, but they still sit there. Is there something I'm missing?

[dwgh]

Is there something I'm missing?

Most likely is that I've messed up But the other possibility is that they dont have full shields... are they maxed shield-wise as well?

[SpaceMonkey1119]

I was trying to check that when my computer froze. I just delievered a load of 5mj shields to the bases and I will keep you updated.

[kamikazepenguin]

Quick question - you said that you're going to make the fighter limits player-adjustable. If I were to, in the current version, manually adjust the fighter-per-base limit using the script editor from, say, 9 M5's to 12 M5's, would it go Skynet and make my poor computer cry?