Drayman & turrents... :(

[Stomp357]

I thought the Drayman is supposed to have turrents? I finally get it to show up on the list at New Detroit, but I found that it can only have 2 weapon points, and no turrents. It can't even mount upgraded armor. I was able to capture a Kilrathi fighter, but was killed by 2 Gothri ships which seem to be unable to be captured.
What's the point of this ship?

[Spaceman Spiff]

I thought the Drayman is supposed to have turrents?

The Drayman never had turrets in Privateer, just in WCI or WCII, IIRC.

What's the point of this ship?

The point is, that there is no real point yet. It is kind of integratet in the game , but, IIRC, so far it is just designed as AI ship and not really balanced as ship for the player.

I was able to capture a Kilrathi fighter, but was killed by 2 Gothri ships which seem to be unable to be captured.

The thing is, that the Drayman just holds enough space for either some Talons, two Dralthi or one Gorthi. Best thing to do is to capture one enemy vessel and release ist again. It will then work as cargo wingman for you. You can do this as often as you like. It doesn't work of course, when you are transporting cargo. If youu get attckt in such a situation, your ass is toast...

EDIT: Try and search the board for this topic. IIRC, there were several threads concerned with it. You will also find threads that tell you how to add turrets to ships yourself...

[Gosshawk]

Stomp, I've got coordinated for 4 turrets for the drayman. they're not really tested much, but do work somewhat. still a big fat target tho.

[z30]

Stomp, I've got coordinated for 4 turrets for the drayman. they're not really tested much, but do work somewhat. still a big fat target tho.

It's just like an aircraft carrier. You need to carry some fighters with good pilots then send them ahead to or through the jump point before the Drayman gets there.

Guns on the Drayman are just like a last ditch attempt at survival. I think if we were able to outfit our escort ships then choose the pilots this would work out better.

[Gosshawk]

What about increasing the cargo space for an actual carrier varriant? Give it some default fighters aswell. make it expensive as hell and rare.

[z30]

What about increasing the cargo space for an actual carrier varriant? Give it some default fighters aswell. make it expensive as hell and rare.

This sounds like a great idea. This setup actually has a historical parallel - the World War I era zepellins of Germany sometimes had fighters attached to them. A Drayman with the capability of holding 3 Demons should have a better chance of surviving trade runs.

[z30]

What about increasing the cargo space for an actual carrier varriant? Give it some default fighters aswell. make it expensive as hell and rare.

Gosshawk, I was taking a look at the Drayman pic in this link :

http://www.classicgaming.cc/pc/privateer/ships.php

And then it hit me - notice those 4 small bumps on the topside of the Drayman ? That's where the top turrets should approximately be, 4 of them.

Then two turrets on the bottomside - somewhere near the tail where they can cover the very vulnerable rear (fav attack angle of Demons).

A good Drayman captain will roll his ship so that the topside always faces the side where the most threat is.

Top speed of the Mk2 should be about 200-250 kph - merchant convoys would move at this cruising speed with Galaxies keeping pace.

[Gosshawk]

I'll start on the turrets tommorow. To bad this games not multiplayer, make it alot easyer to test turrets. If you want to list stats for this ship, I'll put it together.

Cheers

[z30]

I'll start on the turrets tommorow. To bad this games not multiplayer, make it alot easyer to test turrets. If you want to list stats for this ship, I'll put it together.

Cheers

Thanks a lot, this project is going to be fascinating

I've been playing around with the idea of strapping some small FF missile mounts on that empty forward underside. The missile-fighter escort-turret triangle seems to be working for the Broadsword....hope it translates to the Drayman.

[Gosshawk]

four top turrets for Drayman CV.

I was thinking of adding one front bottom. one aft top on the tower, two aft bottom and two waist on the bumps along the edge.

I think four large turrets where these are, four medium, and the waists as small turrets.

I was also thinking of making this a militia ship, to help counter the rising threat from the retros. they could carry a squad of talons and gladius on long range patrol and strike missions.

Cheers

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

I think this is a good thing to add turruts to the Drayman. it is needed.

[z30]

four top turrets for Drayman CV.

I was thinking of adding one front bottom. one aft top on the tower, two aft bottom and two waist on the bumps along the edge.

I think four large turrets where these are, four medium, and the waists as small turrets.

I was also thinking of making this a militia ship, to help counter the rising threat from the retros. they could carry a squad of talons and gladius on long range patrol and strike missions.

Cheers

That placement will also work, the idea of making it a militia ship is a very good one. I'll experiment on making the Kukhri a militia fighter and chec if I can purchase one as cargo.

The Talon is proving to be too fragile as a dogfighter, I watched a single Dralthi shred two of my Talon escorts in about 3 minutes or less. Got an idea of how to strengthen it while keeping in character with the original design.

While the Tarsus Mk2 is proving to be a very good escort gunship, I run into problems when enemy Talons & Dralthi's turn tail and run. Will see if the planned Talon 2 will serve as light interceptor - I like the fact that your revised cargo volumes pegged it at 250 units.

[z30]

I think this is a good thing to add turruts to the Drayman. it is needed.

Yeah, people have been asking for it for a long time. Even 10 Tarsus Mk2's aren't enough to protect the Drayman, it really needs something of it's own to defend itself.

[Gosshawk]

Turrets done!!!!!

I took some screen shots.

I added four modified large turrets: Four Tacs and slightly more energy to use them! The rest are medium turrets. I'm going to increase energy reserves on all turrets, might make them a little more usefull. Also increase armor slightly, and might add AB. speed 250, 300ab. see how it goes. Killls talons nicly, 1 dead no damage, 2 dead some shield damage, 3 dead with some armor damage. all head on grouped, so concentrated fire on both ends. Spread out is not as bad. going to add missiles later. This is going to be one hell of an asset.

[Gosshawk]

More pics

[z30]

Turrets done!!!!!

I took some screen shots.

I added four modified large turrets: Four Tacs and slightly more energy to use them! The rest are medium turrets. I'm going to increase energy reserves on all turrets, might make them a little more usefull. Also increase armor slightly, and might add AB. speed 250, 300ab. see how it goes. Killls talons nicly, 1 dead no damage, 2 dead some shield damage, 3 dead with some armor damage. all head on grouped, so concentrated fire on both ends. Spread out is not as bad. going to add missiles later. This is going to be one hell of an asset.

Great job! How many turrets in total?

250-300 seems ok, suggest cruising speed of 200.

Looking at the pics I am sooo tempted to replace the stock Drayman completely in the game. Then watch those Demons try to pick on it again in the Ox3 mission

[Spaceman Spiff]

I keep wondering what you two guys could do, if you joined serious development... Just a hint...

[z30]

I keep wondering what you two guys could do, if you joined serious development... Just a hint...

I used to program for a living many years ago and rather miss it. Python isn't a language I know but a programming language is a programming language...and I have Python book moldering in my closet.

I can't think of a better project, it's open source , a game ,fascinating as hell and the forum is great

So yah, I'm interested - and so is Gosshawk (i think).

[Spaceman Spiff]

Then you ought to contact MamiyaOtaru, klauss, or chuck...

[z30]

Then you ought to contact MamiyaOtaru, klauss, or chuck...

Good idea - I want to see that turreted Drayman flying first though & tested with the new ship variants.

One step at a time, the last week of July is going to be more hectic than Oxford - retro capital number one

[Gosshawk]

I don't know programing, or texturing, but i love fiddling with files and numbers. Now that i've got the turrets down, I'm fiddleing with other settings.

By the way, I've found where the ai generates ships. It's the factions ships files in the modules folder. I modified one of them, but when I tried it, I got the no room error, my ship on a black backround and a different comp interface. I've still got a copy of that file. I Did notice somthing tho. I've got a clean unplayed install aswell, incase i mess up, and the module file is smaller in that one. only one factions ships file aswell as many missing files. I think that if I put the modified file in the clean install, aswell as an updated units and partslist, it may generate the other factions ships file from that. It's all PY and PYC files. all have duplicates in thae one i've played. z30, if you could look at it with a python editor or something, the PYC files might make more sence.

Cheers

[z30]

I don't know programing, or texturing, but i love fiddling with files and numbers. Now that i've got the turrets down, I'm fiddleing with other settings.

By the way, I've found where the ai generates ships. It's the factions ships files in the modules folder. I modified one of them, but when I tried it, I got the no room error, my ship on a black backround and a different comp interface. I've still got a copy of that file. I Did notice somthing tho. I've got a clean unplayed install aswell, incase i mess up, and the module file is smaller in that one. only one factions ships file aswell as many missing files. I think that if I put the modified file in the clean install, aswell as an updated units and partslist, it may generate the other factions ships file from that. It's all PY and PYC files. all have duplicates in thae one i've played. z30, if you could look at it with a python editor or something, the PYC files might make more sence.

Cheers

Will gladly take a look at the file. If I can figure it out how to include ships in it , which variant's would you want me to include ?

Btw, I'm thinking of placing the Talon-S & Kukhri under Militia -- have to check out if faction limitations on equipment will cripple the expandibility though.

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

How may make ships apear more? Could someone explain to me how i can do it. All i have done in the .cvs files is fiddle here and there and hope i don't do some thing that will destroy the game. Though still have not worked out how to change reactor recharge. A Paradigm should have more charge than that. Also how may i make the sheilds tougher?[/quote]

[z30]

Got it , the ff. piece of code in modules/faction_ships.py determines what type of ships you get when you hire wingmen :

---------------------

fighters = (("stiletto","stiletto","stiletto","stiletto","broadsword","broadsword",), #confed
("dralthi","dralthi","gothri",), #kilrathi
("steltek_fighter",), #nephilim
("tarsus","tarsus","tarsusMk2","tarsusMk2","galaxy","galaxy","galaxy","orion",), #merchant
("talon",), #retro
("talon","talon","talon","talon","talon",), #pirates
("demon","demon","demon","orion","orion","centurion",), #hunter
("talon","gladius",), #militia
("salthi","salthi.particle"), #unknown
("tarsus","gladius","talon","talon","talon","drayman",),#landreich
("tarsus","gladius","talon","talon","talon","drayman",),#border_worlds
("stiletto",), #firekkan
("stiletto",), #AWACS
)
--------------------------------

Check out the merchant line, there were four occurences of the stock Tarsus there, changed two of them to tarsusMk2. Sure enough, the modified Tarsus appeared one time.

I'm guessing that the more times a ship is repeated, the greater the chances of you getting it.

Not quite sure if this code section controls the random generation of ships in a system, I'll try making all the Tarsus entries Mk2 and see..

The files appear to be fomatted text, I used WordPad to edit it.

[Gosshawk]

Maybe thats why it didn't work for me, as I just added lines, rather than replace current ones.

I think we should try to include as many varients as possible.

Aswell, I'm switching the main guns on the DCV to fire missiles, and am going to add a special hp where the bulge is under the hull at the front. I'll test it tonite after work. I'll go kilrathi hunting and see how long I last. I figure if it can knock a couple out by itself, than adding fighters should put it where we want it.

Cheers