Mods for build 14?

[BelThorne]

Hi All,

I've uploaded a couple of little mods that I made that people might want to play around with. (Found under /JAMods/ on the FTP site)

The first just adds dailog options to your officers so you can change their positions. (eg. assign them to be Navigator, Gunner, etc.) This is purely cosmetic at the moment, and has no effect on gameplay. (except where you find them wandering around on your ship.)

The second adds a brief description of the current trade mission to the cargo screen. So if you have a trade mission, it tells you what is to be deilvered where. (useful if you accidentally trade away your mission cargo)

Both of these need the Russian translation done, and both of these have not been tested much, so be warned if you decide to have a play with them and please get back to me with any bugs. (Though maybe wait till we've all finished testing build 13 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> )

And feel free to make any changes/improvements you feel like!


Also, we might want to lower the XP for trade missions sometime. I've had a few long distance trade missions that gave me 90k gold, and 45,000 xp to each officer plus double that for my main character for some reason. This was carrying about 3000 cwt of goods from IslaMuelle to Conceicao on Swashbuckler difficulty

 

[Black Bart]

<!--quoteo(post=171799:date=Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM:name=Jonathan Aldridge)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonathan Aldridge @ Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM) [snapback]171799[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
...............

Also, we might want to lower the XP for trade missions sometime. I've had a few long distance trade missions that gave me 90k gold, and 45,000 xp to each officer plus double that for my main character for some reason. This was carrying about 3000 cwt of goods from IslaMuelle to Conceicao on Swashbuckler difficulty
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> those missions are way too generous - this is a job for the 'HM customs&excise mod' i suspect(or other nations equivilents).

 

[Petros]

<!--quoteo(post=171811:date=Nov 16 2006, 04:04 AM:name=Black Bart)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Black Bart @ Nov 16 2006, 04:04 AM) [snapback]171811[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<!--quoteo(post=171799:date=Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM:name=Jonathan Aldridge)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonathan Aldridge @ Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM) [snapback]171799[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
...............

Also, we might want to lower the XP for trade missions sometime. I've had a few long distance trade missions that gave me 90k gold, and 45,000 xp to each officer plus double that for my main character for some reason. This was carrying about 3000 cwt of goods from IslaMuelle to Conceicao on Swashbuckler difficulty
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> those missions are way too generous - this is a job for the 'HM customs&excise mod' i suspect(or other nations equivilents).
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Problem here is that 3000 is a lot of goods. More goods means more points.
Players with smaller ships make much less $ and XP on trade missions.

Also, players on the 3 easier levels will make considerably less still!

 

[BelThorne]

<!--quoteo(post=171956:date=Nov 17 2006, 08:17 AM:name=Petros)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Petros @ Nov 17 2006, 08:17 AM) [snapback]171956[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<!--quoteo(post=171811:date=Nov 16 2006, 04:04 AM:name=Black Bart)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Black Bart @ Nov 16 2006, 04:04 AM) [snapback]171811[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<!--quoteo(post=171799:date=Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM:name=Jonathan Aldridge)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonathan Aldridge @ Nov 16 2006, 05:55 AM) [snapback]171799[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
...............

Also, we might want to lower the XP for trade missions sometime. I've had a few long distance trade missions that gave me 90k gold, and 45,000 xp to each officer plus double that for my main character for some reason. This was carrying about 3000 cwt of goods from IslaMuelle to Conceicao on Swashbuckler difficulty
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> those missions are way too generous - this is a job for the 'HM customs&excise mod' i suspect(or other nations equivilents).
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Problem here is that 3000 is a lot of goods. More goods means more points.
Players with smaller ships make much less $ and XP on trade missions.

Also, players on the 3 easier levels will make considerably less still!
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Okay, I've updated the trade missions to give modified XP. Now small cargo mission give more experience then they used to, and large ones less.

Cargo from Conceicao store to Oxbay Store (distance 548)
100cwt of cargo:
- old XP: 542
- new XP: 1096
3000cwt of cargo
- old xp: 16303
- new xp: 6004

Cargo from Conceicao store to Santiago Store (distance 1518)
100cwt of cargo:
- old XP: 1529
- new XP: 3037
3000cwt of cargo
- old xp: 45118
- new xp: 16636

The money paid is still the same.

Mod is on the FTP server, but again, only had minimal testing so far. I'll be seeing how it goes as I play.


Also, I noticed that when "Party Experience" is given for quests like these, your character definately gets the xp <b>twice</b>. Do we want this? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />

 

[Black Bart]

<!--quoteo(post=171985:date=Nov 17 2006, 02:01 AM:name=Jonathan Aldridge)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonathan Aldridge @ Nov 17 2006, 02:01 AM) [snapback]171985[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

Okay, I've updated the trade missions to give modified XP. Now small cargo mission give more experience then they used to, and large ones less.

Cargo from Conceicao store to Oxbay Store (distance 548)
100cwt of cargo:
- old XP: 542
- new XP: 1096
3000cwt of cargo
- old xp: 16303
- new xp: 6004

Cargo from Conceicao store to Santiago Store (distance 1518)
100cwt of cargo:
- old XP: 1529
- new XP: 3037
3000cwt of cargo
- old xp: 45118
- new xp: 16636

The money paid is still the same.

Mod is on the FTP server, but again, only had minimal testing so far. I'll be seeing how it goes as I play.


Also, I noticed that when "Party Experience" is given for quests like these, your character definately gets the xp <b>twice</b>. Do we want this? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

nice - that looks a better balance. Ref the player XP given twice - i'm not sure, does it make a huge difference that you can tell(in theory it sounds overbalanced) i havent done these mission enough to see if actualy in game it behaves in an imbalancing manner. If so then i'd say we probably dont want this?

I agree with Petros it is tricky to sort things like this, but that looks like a good attempt imho. How to 'Stop the rich getting richer' syndrome - an interesting subject in game design imho(and something i'm getting better at).

Once build13 is out i'll load in the code Jonathon and give some feedback <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

A long term developement i'd had in mind(the 'HM customs&excise' mod) would see all legal trade have to go through a customs tarif of some kind - i kind of liked the idea of setting up the two opposing 'factions' of the customs officials(backed by the establishments) and the smuggler gangs(pirates affiliated).

This can be developed in many ways(new buildings/functions in towns - customs ships(and checks) at sea etc) but would aim to help contain the 'run-away' effect that owning a large vessel currently has. The example jonathon has come up with here could be extended into this kind of approach.

So all trade will either be 'legal' or 'illegal' as is, but actualy have very real world concerns for the player depending on the approach they decide to take.

Anyway something for one of my large 'New mods etc' posts in the not to distant future <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />