battle/hq module update

[LarkinVB]

Oki.

[Ghstbear]

ORIGINAL: LarkinVB
To be honest I don't like the demanding tone of your post. "The game should do this ..."

I may sound a bit harsh but I do not like people demanding stuff from freeware. What did you contribute ? Already finished a decent campaign ? Good titan designs for download ? Be aware that your campaign must be really good, otherwise I may start to demand stuff to be changed. [;)]

Dear LarkinVB,
I for one want to thank you for keeping this game alive. I don't know who all the "Ancient Ones" who came before are, but you seem to be the only programmer left. Thank you for the time and effort you have put into keeping the game going. I will be more conscious of contributing what I have too. I am working on a campaign myself and hope to post it one day.

There are some things I don't care for in the new version (speed adjustments and MG targeting). I could argue them, but it would only second Thorgrim. I do love the new scanner link, and the punch/kick modifier is much more realistic, although I hate to admit it! These overcome my reservations.

In the end you can please some of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, and even all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. Stick to your vision, and know we appreciate it.

[jureidinim]

Agreed - these updates are very much appreciated.
 
I am just happy that a developer - so long after the game's release - still loves his game enough to:
a) still play it
b) throw out updates for everyone to enjoy - for free!  [:D]
c) still discuss game mechanics/code/updates with the community
 
I have seen very little of this in gaming circles.
 
A request to Larkin - can you make changes to the map editor code or is that code owned/handled by someone else? I had a thought for a small update (well i hope it's small.. heh heh) but if you don't have the editor code i guess it won't matter.

[LarkinVB]

Thanks for the kind words. I don't have the editor code so it has to stay 'as is'.

[Thorgrim]

Maybe you should add 1 to the BMT of heavies, and 2 to the assaults. Right now, the new assaults are as fast as the old heavies, and the new heavies as the old mediums. Just a thought.

[LarkinVB]

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim

Maybe you should add 1 to the BMT of heavies, and 2 to the assaults. Right now, the new assaults are as fast as the old heavies, and the new heavies as the old mediums. Just a thought.

This is what I wanted to achieve. Faster movement for the meatier titans.

[Ghstbear]

Dear LarkinVB,
I do have an idea that would help programming campaigns a little.  If there was a way to just change the order of a squad's titans that would help tremendously.  Then you could tell the player in the beginning text things like "Pilot 1 should be good at Close Combat" or "Please make sure your leader is Pilot 1", then you might have a friendly titan follow him somewhere.  Just a thought.

[LarkinVB]

Good thought but too much work at this stage of the game. I'm lazy. [;)]

[Thorgrim]

I was thinking, napalm based weapons (NMs and FTs) can be devastating in smaller scale battles with a positive heat modifier. So maybe they should be made more dangerous to use the higher the mod. My thoughts:
- when a bodypart with such a weapon is hit (with concussion damage level, >4 pts), there's a chance some rounds will be lost (in addition to possible crits) and the respective heat spike is applied; same thing when the titan falls to the ground, applied to all bodyparts.
- NM range is reduced with ambient heat mod (like GME range with various factors), maybe by 1 / +0.2C; not sure there should be a minimum like 3 or 4.
- ammo explodes at heat level red instead of critical.

Anyways, just thoughts.

[xoid]

Wow, I get distracted for a mere three years, and you lot decide to release the game for free?

Two things I want to raise regarding the patch:[ol][*]A fresh install of 1.00 can't jump to 1.22whatever without first being updated to 1.21. You might want to put that in the sticky.
[*]The CD check--I figure that's no longer necessary and is thus not present in the free version? If so, was the patch at Matrix Games ever updated to "1.21 free"? If not, a retail->1.21->1.22 installation might still have CD check problems.[/ol]

[LarkinVB]

Ok, added this information to the sticky. Thanks.

[xoid]

Would you'd know which files I'd need from the free version to rid myself of the CD check? Just the executables and DLLs, or are the two versions mutually exclusive?

[LarkinVB]

Never tried and Matrixgames applied the protection. I guess if you use the tos_ws.exe from the freeware and start this you should be fine.

[xoid]

Is it possible to add more options to the terrain? Like maybe adding the chance to randomly generating a small base or city on each map? Might be interesting to see how matches would go if you could reload, refit, and repair in the field... doubt it will amount to too much unless the enemy is slow, all close-combat, etc., but it would add to the ambience nonetheless.

[LarkinVB]

Would be possible but up to now I prefer minor code tweaks. I will have a look.

[Thorgrim]

IIRC, this was actually something you had planned to do after release.  [;)]  Some form of "missions" in regular play.

[LarkinVB]

Yea but liefe was bigger than all my plans. [:'(]

[Aensland]

In the editor you simply plunk down an armor/repair bay on a hex, right? So I was just wondering how much effort it would take to adapt this to the random map generator - perhaps in tandem with throwing in a couple of no-function buildings just to liven things up. (It's been a really long time since last I played around with the editor.)

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim
5. Notice that disabled enemy titans after a battle are converted into salvage (money, or parts if you will). Getting to salvage a titan from the battlefield is just a kind of bonus, it introduces a "surprise" factor which is nice.

Yeah, I found that in this little passage in the manual:

Special:
The winning Squad has a chance of getting opponent's most valuable Titan that was not destroyed as reward after battle in random maps. That chance is equal to the Damage Control skill of the best Mechanic of the winning side.

There is a +/- 50% deviation of the Titans' base value for Titan or money salvage choice calculations. The Titan can be sold later in the HQ for money. Mission and campaign maps can award a specific opposing Titan as special reward.

So the higher your mechanic's DC skill, the better chance of snagging an opposing titan. I don't quite understand the second paragraph though. I think it's saying how much money you get from salvage is calculated differently from the base value of a titan you can salvage? Another question, does monetary salvage include destroyed titans?

-
Other than for cash, the concept of salvage is (unfortunately) unimportant in ToS:WS. When you win a battle you already get a cash reward, on top of which you get bounties for enemy jocks killed. Who pays that cash reward? It might make life more interesting to do away with it altogether and simply reward you via salvage.

There is no "Titan Parts" module where you can cannibalize a titan for parts to use in other titans. It'd be a great (but admittedly complicated) addition. Fact is, we have pretty much complete access to the total factory lineup right from the word go. I can't imagine why you'd want a random titan you didn't pick yourself from the factory. Afaik I've either always sold the random titan I won, or my squad titan limit was full anyway.

@xoid:
I figure your question's been answered by the sticky already but anyway, the upgrade to v1.2.1 does removes the CD check from the retail installation.

[Thorgrim]

I was just wondering how much effort it would take to adapt this to the random map generator - perhaps in tandem with throwing in a couple of no-function buildings just to liven things up

IIRC Larkin tried to do just that once. I think it didn't go as well as expected.

I don't quite understand the second paragraph though. I think it's saying how much money you get from salvage is calculated differently from the base value of a titan you can salvage?

The code takes the base value of the titan and applies a +-50% mod to it. Then it calculates the salvage value based on that figure.

 Another question, does monetary salvage include destroyed titans?

It shouldn't. IIRC it used to, but it was fixed quite some time ago.

Who pays that cash reward?

You have to consider the story. You're in a military unit, so it's your boss - be that your government, or your employer in case you want to roleplay some kind of merc unit.
In campaigns, you can make that clear through the stories/briefings.

Fact is, we have pretty much complete access to the total factory lineup right from the word go.

You're limited by rank though. Plus, you have access to your empire's stockpiles and/or factories. Why shouldn't you have full access to the total factory lineup? As long as you have the "power" (read, cash) to requisition the titans, you're good to go. As you gain "prestige" through winning battles, you get more "power" to requisition more titans for your unit. As your rank (experience) goes up, you get to play with the more advanced toys.

I can't imagine why you'd want a random titan you didn't pick yourself from the factory.

For roleplay purposes? It's a random titan that was in the battle. In fact, in campaigns the map designer can choose the titan - it might make sense considering the story (it should).

Afaik I've either always sold the random titan I won, or my squad titan limit was full anyway.

If you got a close win, and/or are strapped for cash and want to expand your squad, it might come in handy.

[Rays1]

I noticed something that I'm not sure is a bug or by design. But you can't unlink a titan without turning off the scanner. Not a big deal. Just fyi if its a bug.

Thanks again Larkin.[8D]