have fun

Wheeeeeee!

Something like Grey Goo?  You and I could make this into a working strategy against The Darkness.  A Wall would be probably the best defense...

One strategy would be: The walls, while quite useless to the Darkness, would give the darkness something to absorb while you're getting your fleet to the planet that's being assaulted.

Another: So I could see the use of a Wall ship.  Maybe making the wall -  ship resistant to the Darknesse's infection might hold the Darkness back until The Darkness destroys the Wall with it's Titan's weapons, which will probably involve generating something resally powerful, such as a black hole, or a portal to hell.

The titan is the only ship with weapons independent of abilities.

I like the wall concept but I am gonna have fun modeling some with it first--because Draakjacht told me to.

And we don't really know what exactly Titans will do yet. 

I command all before me!

keep us posted on the fun results.

Yes, my master.  I will.

I have this dream of making a fourth "living ship" race with very minimal ship types.  Literally just three or four total.

hmmm

I dunno. I like the idea of a power that goes for quality over quantity, but I feel that it should be few ships in the field rather than few types. I dunno. Depends on how well rounded you can make them. Reality is that battleships upgraded after WWII became well rounded killing machines.

I started thinking about this "single unit" species long ago as a replacement for pirates and after thinking about the "Doomsday Weapon" in the old Star Trek (I loved that episode).  Now that they are so entwined with diplomacy, I don't know if that's possible but I still like the concept of "one against the galaxy".

I won't go into all the background and full descriptions of abilities--but they will be starbase sized capital ships and I think I'll make a growth ability that lets them create a mobile  starbase class Hiver.  Basically, Hiver's will have no real homeworlds, won't colonize but will capture asteroids in belts and drain planets and destroyed vessels for resources and repair materials. They also would be able to sometimes capture enemy ships and facilities with abilities. Some of the things I will try for is to have a "spore cloud" ability that lets them create Advent-style homing mines and strike craft.

I have a very detailed list of things for them with the idea being that you can win with a single ship.  lot so things needed and I'm sure Rebellion will throw in all sorts of changes.  But the model and "wall ability" are a good place to start.  I'll call it "dimensional bloom" and it will multiply the size of forward face as a particle effect when the ability is used.

Here's a concept model pic:

Did I mention I'm having fun?

Yay!

Simperium,

What you are thinking of doing with the hiver I'm doing with the Darkness.  If you want to, you can send me the mesh and it will become the Titan.  You will be cited for your model.

Cool--It's intentionally a very simple model.  I wanted something organic but not animal--so a virus is the template for it.  I also wanted the poly count down.

Let me wrap it up and send it to you.

It's like a combination of the alien species in the TV show  Threshhold combined with the alien consciousness in Event Horizon.

I'll make sure to include your model, simperium. 

The Darkness Mod I think is about done.  I don't really know, because this is my first mod.

So, yeah, I'll keep you posted.

Official forum:

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/411321

But that model does look very organicy.

You're ahead of me if you can convert models.  Never got around to the XSI thing and PF.

How are you doing with the abilities and conversions and all?  Is it working?

I just need help with the galaxy scenario def file and making the Darkness a playable race.  If you can do the Galaxy Scenario Def file for me and fix it for me, then that would be appreciated.

I'll PM you the file contents.

If you could correct the file and send it with your hiver mesh, that would work.  Thanks in advance!!!!!!

In Forge Tools Three, there is an exe that will convert .xsi to .mesh.

Oh, does the hiver model use any special textures?

I would also appreciate it if you sent me the mesh as a .rar or .7z file

I'll talk to someone about setting the model up (I think I can pull that off).  Give me a day or so here to look at the file and go through it.  I just got back from my post the other day (work).

Ok.  I think I just need the mesh and I can associate it myself.  I don't know, really.  But I can wait a few days.

I'll see tomorrow if someone will concert the model for me and then I'll also work over your file.  I have revised the model somewhat and here is the "fractal bloom" that can be done as a particle effect model call:

That is cool.  Don't know what you would use it for, though.  Maybe as a growth stage thing?  I don't know.  Are each of the little hexes ships?  Or are they part of the Hiver?

I wouldn't know what to do with the fractal bloom thing, though.

The Hiver (Virii) is at the center. 

The objects around it are simple poly shapes in a fractal pattern.

The three stages are for each level of the (ultimate) capitalship ability "Fractal (dimensional)  Bloom"--which generates a gravitic field that draws ships and strikecraft towards it and causes damage when they are in close proximity.  The larger the pattern, the greater the effect.  It also multiplies armor and shields for the Virii as well and serves as "the wall" to block ship movement.

You don't have to use such an ability and the bloom is a seperate set of models--so they don't have to be included either.

My concept is sort of the equivalent of a lizard flaring it's collar to scare away predators.  If you see the bloom, it means "danger--ability active--run!".

But you can simply use the core model.

I don't know if I like the way you're going with this, because it doesn't coincide with the way the Darkness is.  The Darkness is basically biomechanical, and currently this ship only has the bio part.  So, I don't know what will happen with your mesh.

In summary, I think it needs to have some mechanical-looking parts.

No worries--as it turns out, I am adding some "mechy" looking features to it already.  I wanted more of that mech look too.  I think I can have some pics up tomorrow for you with the changes.

Good.  I'm happy now.

Simperium,

Do you have any preferences for a campaign for the Darkness?  Anything you would like to see in-game, playing the map?  Any objectives, types of planets, number of systems on the map, anything?  I'm asking this mainly because I need help deciding how the map will look.

ImperatorPavel

It needs a black hole. 

I am slowly working on two campaign maps but its a bear because of AI limitations, every update changing AI behavior and the need to have past actions affect the future course.

Lot of work.  I have a "story in my head" where the Vasari in times past were able to build "Vault" systems (which other races refer to as "Tombs").

Basically a concentric spiral with the dead asteroids and lesser things at the start and the Vasari prime worlds at the center.  One way wormholes lead in but a phase gate is the only way out.

In my scenario, the Vasari always populate  barren worlds along the way isolated from wormhole exits with slaves to act as attrition units for any advancing armada--they give them all the weapons they want--but not the tech needed to wormhole out.  So when you jump in, you basically enter an overpopulated system with few resources and a tortured and enslaved population armed to the teeth by the Vasari.

I don't get what you mean.