How do I increase the level cap for capital ships?

Edit # 2 - Lol, did you mean the level cap on the ship or the build cap? *facepalm on myself!*  The Build cap is below.

Each race has a 'RESEARCHSUBJECT_MAXCAPITALSHIPS' file.  There are 8 of them per race, each being a level of research.  The 0 file is the one that you automatically get when you start a game, hence why you have 1 cap slot.  The 1-7 files add to this.  You'd have to change the 'perLevelValue' under 'modifierType "CapitalShipMaxSlots"' to any number you want. 

Example;

File 'RESEARCHSUBJECT_MAXCAPITALSHIPSPSI1' has a 'perLevelValue' of 1 (Line # 37).  Meaning it adds one cap ship slot.  Change it to 2, it adds 2, so on and so forth.

Edit; it might help if I added the following

Vasari file - 'RESEARCHSUBJECT_MAXCAPITALSHIPSPHASE0'  It goes to 7

Advent file - 'RESEARCHSUBJECT_MAXCAPITALSHIPSPSI0'  It goes to 7

TEC file - 'RESEARCHSUBJECT_MAXCAPITALSHIPSTECH0'  It goes to 7

I assume you have the entity files in text format?  If not download them here, they are in the vanilla folder.

http://www.filefront.com/14455933/Vanilla+Entrenchment%20Ref%20Files.rar

Ignore, the below is Not Possible.

For increasing the max level a cap can attain, I'm not so sure.  In 'Gameplay.constants' you have the level up stats, like so;

        ExperienceLevelData:9
            ExperienceNeededForNextLevel 0.0
            ExperienceGainedForDestroying 580.0
            UpgradePriceForNextLevel 0.0

That is a max level cap.  Theoretically you could add a number to the UpgradePrice and Expneededfornexlevel above and add the following

        ExperienceLevelData:10
            ExperienceNeededForNextLevel 0.0
            ExperienceGainedForDestroying 700.0
            UpgradePriceForNextLevel 0.0

This could raise the max to level 11.  Will this work?  I have no idea.

Interesting... lol

Yep, I posted all of that on the build limit and then it hit me!  Maybe the OP was talking about the Level Cap on his cap ships!  D'oh!  I really ought not post at 3A.M.   Still, I edited my post to put forward an "untested max level for caps" theory.

varekraith, from the engine limits thread by blair fraser there is a caps level HARDCODE  at 10 levels

harpo

anteachtair, if you want stronger cap ships, you could simply edit their leveling data (hull, shield, etc. increase).

MaxHullPoints
    StartValue 3000.000000
    ValueIncreasePerLevel 120.000000

Yep, I'd figured as much.  Editing post.

Thanks, btw.

LEVEL not the # of ships. I'm tired of level 10's I want 20's!

Shame to hear that, I was hoping it wasn't hardcoded. I had just seen the leveled frigates that teal(???) made and so I got to thinking... oh well.

How do we know the other option isn't possible, has it been tried? Or is that just common knowledge that it can't be done? Cause common knowledge, when untested, is bunk.

Direct copy and past from Blair's post; Note the bolded line

enum { MaxNumWeaponBanks = 4 };
enum { MAX_NUM_MESHES = 400 };
enum { MAX_NUM_FILE_TEXTURES = 1000 };
enum { MAX_NUM_FILE_CUBE_TEXTURES = 10 };

enum { MAX_SOUNDDATA = 2000 };
enum { MAX_SOUNDIDS_PER_TYPE = 6 };

static const int MAXNUMALTERNATES = 4; //sound alternates

enum { MAX_NUM_ICONS = 2000 };

enum { MaxNumSegments = 20 };  //exhaust trails
enum { MaxNumTrails = 4 }; //exhaust trails

struct MaxNumLinearPathEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumBeamEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumAttachedWeaponFireEffects{enum {Value = 2000};};
struct MaxNumAttachedWeaponHitEffects{enum {Value = 2000};};
struct MaxNumAttachedWeaponCriticalEffects{enum {Value = 200};};
struct MaxNumAttachedPersistentDamageEffects{enum {Value = 200};};
struct MaxNumAttachedBuffEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumAttachedExhaustEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumAttachedExplosionEffects{enum {Value = 200};};
struct MaxNumShieldEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumMissileEffects{enum {Value = 1000};};
struct MaxNumTrailEffects{enum {Value = 250};};

enum { MAX_NUM_PARTICLES = 6000 };
enum { MAX_NUM_PARTICLE_SIMULATIONS = 2000 };
enum { MAX_NUM_EMITTERS_PER_SIMULATION = 10 };
enum { MAX_NUM_AFFECTORS_PER_SIMULATION = 15 };

enum { MAX_NUM_RESEARCH_TIERS = 8 };
enum { MAX_NUM_RESEARCH_TRACK_SIZE = 8 };
enum { MAX_NUM_BUFF_LEVELS = 3 };
enum { MAX_NUM_EXPERIENCE_LEVELS = 10 };

enum { CapitalShipMaxFlairEffectCount = 10 };
enum { FrigateMaxFlairEffectCount = 10 };
enum { PlanetModuleOrbitMaxFlairEffectCount = 10 };
enum { StarBaseMaxFlairEffectCount = 25 };
enum { CannonShellMaxFlairEffectCount = 1 };
enum { StarMaxFlairEffectCount = 1 };
enum { PlanetMaxFlairEffectCount = 10 };
enum { SpaceMineMaxFlairEffectCount = 1 };

enum {MaxNumWeapons = 3};
enum {MaxWeaponPointCount = 20}; //per weapon per bank (so 3 * 4 * 20 = 240 total)

enum {MaxNumPersistentDamageEffectDefinitions = 6};

enum {MaxBuffEffectMeshPointsPerAttachPoint = 25};

enum {MaxStageCount = 10}; (Starbase Upgrades)
enum {MaxStageCount = 10}; (Planet Upgrades)

enum{MaxNumAbilities = 5};
enum{MaxBombEffectPointCount = 10};
enum{MaxNumBuffInstantActions = 5};
enum{MaxNumBuffPeriodicActions = 2};
enum{MaxMeshNames = 12};
enum{MaxNumSpecificDebris = 2};
enum{MaxNumPersistentDamageEffectsPerDef = 10};
enum{MaxNumSquadTypes = 4};
enum{MaxNumHangarPoints = 10};
enum{MaxSkyboxMeshNames = 10};
enum{MaxNumUpgrades = 9}; //starbase upgrades
enum{MaxSpawnShipsRandomEntityCount = 5};
enum{MaxNormalPlayerCount = 10};
enum{MaxAvailablePlayerColorCount = MaxNormalPlayerCount};
enum{MaxFleetSubjectLevels = 9};
enum{MaxPlanetAsteroidCount = 500};
enum{MaxTextures = 4}; //dust clouds
enum{MaxParticlesPerTexture = 200}; //dust clouds
enum{MaxNumFarStarPointGroups = 3};
enum{MaxNumFarStarPoints = 40};
enum{MaxNumHalos = 10};
enum{MaxNumPlanetElevatorConnections = 5};
enum{MaxNumClusters = 50}; //planet elevators
enum{MaxNumElevators = MaxNumClusters * NumElevatorsPerCluster};
enum{MaxNumStars = 50}; //background stars
enum{MaxNumStarTextures = 10}; //background stars
enum{MaxNumExhaustPoints = 10}; //exhaust trails
enum{MaxNumEffects = 200}; //exhaust trails
enum{MaxNumUniqueTextures = 2}; //exhaust trails
enum{MaxSubExplosionCount = 12};

thanks a bunch! I'll try to mess around with it some more; but I think all I'm gonna get is minidumps.

So I get that the Max lvl for the Caps is 10 but can the individual upgrades go above 3, for instance can i design a colonize 4 & 5 to go with the standard 1,2,3. I think it can make for more of a strategic play. Have to choose upgrades carefully because you can never acquire all of them on one ship...

No the abilities are set at 3. The devs say they are going to rework the caps abilities to get that strategic decision concept by adding a fifth ability.

yeah... I know. There was some discourse. This post was made awhile ago tho. Like, 2009.... luls, ZOMBIEeE! And, making abilities more strategic was so simple I'm surprised that none of the mods have done that. /: 

Oh well, back to the crypt.