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[Il Palazzo]

sk128234, let's start? As Li Halan it should be you will create the game.

You raise a good point that we are almost ready to start, we just need to figure out the changes to the unit.dat file.

I can probably hash it out by...friday? If that is acceptable to most folks. I'll post the changes I made before sending it to sk128234 so we can agree/disagree/violently riot on the contents.

Here's what I've done so far.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1eZPxTx0Z_4X3hydGNna0NUczA/view?usp=sharing
It's mostly a cleaning job, making the file neatly laid out and readable.
The only changes so far are the cargo space reductions, space bomber movement type change, and spaceports given combat ability.
All changes are documented in the file on top of the category (using the // tags). Some more obvious suggestions for further changes are also included.

The file version is from before the latest changes by Vertab, so all the costs and income generation of casino liners etc. are as they were, and probably need adjusting.

[Margrave]

Sweet. Okay then in order to get this show on the road, would it be possible to start the game and then add the unit.dat to update it a little later? Will that cause issues with crashing/bugs?

Not to let me procrastinate or anything. No sir.

[Il Palazzo]

Considering how the last time we changed it mid-game, some ships ended up with fucked-up movement type, I'd say it's better to err on the side of caution. Or, suffer the consequences of procrastination, in this particular case.

[Gollor]

Cannot be sure, but it may be that Vetrab has edited the script in the very specific way with intend to harm only my ships. I am not sure how true is it, as I understand this file doesn't have any house-specific notes.
About the bug itself - all my "planetary system landers" got changed into "interstellar landers", so hoppers got the capability of jumping into other systems on their own, but space bombers appeared to be unable to perform immediate attack.

[Margrave]

At least for the hoppers mine were always jump capable from the start. Was this not the case for everybody else?

I can make them system only if that's the case. I think.

[Gollor]

Not totally sure but I remember I had problems with their transpositioning. For the bombers - I can say for sure that by the start they were not able to jump but could be easily loaded into transports. After the patch they obtained the ability to jump but lost their ability to easily leave the transports, so it was required to land them on planet and only then they could get to orbit and move as usually.

[Il Palazzo]

Hoppers should be confined to a system (it's a planetary shuttle), and I'm sure they were for me, but later on I saw League jumping around with them, and now looking at the unit.dat file I linked to, I see they're 'lander' not 'space'. It's all confusing as fuck.

@Margrave, I've got an hour or two to waste, so I can continue working on the file. Have you made any additional changes already?

[Margrave]

Nothing substantial enough to merit another download. A lot of yesterday was just figuring out what I wanted to change and where it was.

[Il Palazzo]

Assuming nothing was done, here's the updated file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1eZPxTx0Z_4UDNPNTdVa1RIcWs/view?usp=sharing

Changes (also documented in the file above each unit category):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

SPACE:

-Combat ships no cargo, except Church Hearth frigates, Imperial Lekaf scouts and house unique dreadnoughts (i.e. decados, hawkwood)
should prevent AI from landing them for capture

-obun vessel lander to jump, no cargo, 1 move, -1 spot, no attack (can't be attacked) price down to 5 gems, upkeep 500 from -500, turns to build 3 from 1
a shitty scouting vessel you can send into enemy territory, protected by diplomatic immunity. Won't see much, but can't be attacked.

-all fighters +1 agility, +2 close sp. accuracy
-bombers move type changed to space, removed ground attack, movement down to 3 from 6, lower armour (25->20), higher direct sp. damage (+20), lower accuracy (-1)
fighters now better at soaking up low-acc shots and padding the rest of the fleet, also better at hitting other fighters; bombers easier to destroy, higher damage output - need fighter padding;

-Muster Lander upkeep up to 2000fb/trn from 1200
It was cheaper than muster bulk hauler
 
-Hopper back to space movement type

-Charioteer freighter upkeep down to 1000 from 1200

-Smuggler now high-stealth, low cargo, non-gold generating
can be used to actually smuggle some units

-Casino liner no cargo, price up to 50 gems from 20, time to build up to 5 from 2, income generation up to -2000 from -1500
Less incentive to amass over land-based income-generating units

-tradeports given 2 20 close space; Sraver trade port stronger
Should be destroyable now

-Stealth frigates now rank 9 instead of rank 0
should be targeted last rather than first, IMO.

LAND:

-Ven Lohji price in gems up to 5 from 0, turns to build 3 from 1
Was way too cheap for how good it was

-spy +1 spot; slayers guild -2 spot, -5 armour, +800 upkeep; Gen ass. movement to foot from hover, spot -2, armour -10, no air, no direct attack, +1 accuracy, price: bio+20, turns: 4 from 2
Spies now remain useful due to higher spot; Genetic assassins now basically a slightly better, cheaper in maintenance, slayers guild units.

-scout tank +2 movement
Trying to give it some niche

-cyber warrior price: wetware -60
Was absurdly costly

-House Shelit spot +1, agi+2, close attack +1 +10
Did not feel like a cyber unit

-rangers and dancers increased rank to 5 from 2 (
used to be targeted even before tanks; IMO stealth units should be hard to target

-Mutasih secret police spot +1
was crap at their job

-Trusnikrons direct attack -2 -20, income to 0 from -150
Less of a mary sue. Now more reasons to choose other palace-built units.

-Muster Mercs and Sentries, Space Marines, Imperial Eye Security, Marauders, Kossacks, Imp. Marines, Aragon Martyrs, Vitra's Warriors, Grimsons,  Gene Warriors, the Nung, Vuldroks, Stigmata Garisson Marines all given air attack of various strengths
-ukari mercs and elites given air attack (they've got psych, so they're not vulnerable to planes as is, but it fits with the theme of giving most line infantry-type units air attack)
For obvious reasons.

-Vorox guard +10 close damage
Wasn't too formidable for a Vorox, imo.

-Legion of St.Ognor +20 armour, +3 +40 air from 0 0, income down to 0 from -150
Now useful heavy line unit, justifying high metal price.

-Cyber vorox now requires Vorox Guard as input, spot -2, camo -1, +1 direct accuracy, +10 close damage, upkeep the same as Vorox Guard (1000), price: 0 food, 5 biochems, 15 wetware, 3 turns to build
If somebody wants to go through all the trouble, they do get a killing machine, but not so great so as to force everybody to build them; I did not give them any air attack = ?.

-ashtati bounty hunters air down to 0, direct damage -10, close combat +1 -10
For two gems they were the go-to mercenary unit.

Haven't had the chance to run it, to see if it all works as intended, and does not e.g. crash the game over some typo or something.

If it's not clear, the general reasoning regarding the foot units is for line units to have around 2 20 air attack, and those more resembling personal guards remain without it.

I've noticed tradeports have noCombat tag. I'm not sure what it does for space units. Somebody check if they can be destroyed now (easiest would be to try and destroy the scraver mobile port at Criticorum).

I don't know what to do with Oro'ym - if somebody has an idea. They're moslty good for disbanding for gems.

Some tank units are a bit meh (wolfen vs tank destroyer vs stealth tank - all almost the same), but still serviceable, so I'm inclined not to touch them.

[Il Palazzo]

Right, I remembered I had an idea of changing how the assassinations work.

Maybe rather than giving spy/assassin-type of units close combat, we'd give them indirect instead - it'd simulate actual surprise attack, that could happen before the rest of the combat phases, and actually allow them to hit and kill something even in a large stack.

Maybe leave some close combat for slayers and gen assassins on top of their main, indirect capability.

A problem I see with how they are now, when they were stripped of air capability, is how putting a plane in your stack means that assassins are now 100% suicidal if they attack.

I liked how the assassination system worked in Nova, with the whole immunity to direct attack, and targeting nobles first, but I don't know how to do that, or if it's worth the hassle.
Assassins in Nova did remain scary and useful throughout the game, though.

[sk128234]

Without further ado...let's ado this!!

Priming the game now.  Il Palazzo, please send me your email so I know where to send the turn.  Everyone else, please venerate Zebulon

[Il Palazzo]

Wait.

As was said, the unit.dat file must be finished before proceeding with the game.

Also, there's no rush, since I can't really find the time to play in the nearest few days.

[sk128234]

Wait.

As was said, the unit.dat file must be finished before proceeding with the game.

Also, there's no rush, since I can't really find the time to play in the nearest few days.

oh alright, i missed that.  i'm not in a rush either, let me know when we're ready.

[Il Palazzo]

In the meantime, look over the changes list, and think of what else to change/improve/what changes you disagree with, etc.

And somebody test it if all is working as intended so far.

[Kebooo]

The only change I would suggest is maxing out the stats of the Decados flagship.

Edit:

Although in seriousness, I'm not a big fan of this:

a shitty scouting vessel you can send into enemy territory, protected by diplomatic immunity. Won't see much, but can't be attacked.

So it would be permanently immune to attack but can travel around the galaxy? I've always liked the idea that the Emperor Wars were a time where even the most depraved actions could occur and nothing/no one one was immune to death. Little ships flying around in my space, invincible, diminishes that a bit.