Fleet Arrangement

[Jahled]

Right, just a little something I am almost certain can't be achieved without the game's source code, and am going to post regardless in the hope it is actually far easier to achieve, especially by our talented program hacks.

 

Being an Imperial, order is obviously paramount in the game for me, and one thing that is a course of continued iritation is the way the game engine arranges fleets, ie: in the order inwhich each ship was built. This creates a right visual mess, especially as the game develops. What would be far more orderly would be if the game arranged them in maintenance cost order; so for example your fleet command ship, like an SSD would be at the top, followed by your ISDII s, remaining ISD Is, Victorys, etc.

 

As I said, long shot, but perhaps it might be a doddle for certain magicians in Hungary or Germany.

[Defender_16]

MUAHAHAHAAHA!!!! I has actually thinking about something like this last month but said "screw it" to myself because I was dealing with enough things.

 

(To Self: You don't need to start another thread. You can't even keep up with your NJO project let alone that Star Destroyer names listing you keep thinking about. )

 

I was thinking though not just about formations, but how best to create balanced fleets for each side. It's hard to do for the Rebels because thier ships are so mixed about.

 

http://web.ripnet.com/~jdprosper/Formation%20-%20Piramid.GIF

This was my idea for an ideal Imperial mixed formation. The core of the fleet made up of the heavier ships and a variety of smaller ships close by to fill any needs. I've used most of the short forms of ships from XWA though I shortened some.

 

http://web.ripnet.com/~jdprosper/Formation%20-%20Piramid%20Imp.GIF

This would be used more for balancing fleet ship numbers, with a pyramid showing ships of descending size, power and importance.

[Jahled]

 

Err... that's not exactly what I was on about, perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough.

 

My question was concerning the ships arranged in the fleet windows during the game, not during the tactical battle.

[Defender_16]

Er... Right sorry.

 

That would be helpfull too. Or even better have the option to switch the ship display order by differeent means.

 

Display by:

-Ship value

-Day built

-Carrying capacity

-etc

[DarthTex]

I must admit, I was thinking the same as Defender_16 originally. But, Jahled you definitely have a point. That would be a great improvement!

[vakundok]

That #### security code!

 

To my knowledge, the answer is no, it is not possible. When you give an order to build something, the game assigns an unique identifier to it, and the things are ordered regarding to this. (For example that is why your damaged Ties will be launched (and decimated) first.) Well, THEORETICALLY it would be possible to change that identifier (and the order as a result) in a saved game.

[Jahled]

That #### security code!

 

To my knowledge, the answer is no, it is not possible. When you give an order to build something, the game assigns an unique identifier to it, and the things are ordered regarding to this. (For example that is why your damaged Ties will be launched (and decimated) first.) Well, THEORETICALLY it would be possible to change that identifier (and the order as a result) in a saved game.

 

Yay! Why, you're just the person I wanted to 'pass by' and cast their eyes on this dude! Do you reckon you can figure anything out?

[bofkentucky]

Automating this would be (nearly) imposible in game

 

Are we sure that it orders based on a ship identifier variable, it could be the order that the ships appear in the save file, if thats the case you should be able to open the save game in a hex editor find the block for your SSD's, move them to the top of that area of the save, then your ISD-II's, on down the line.

[vakundok]

Well, I would put my two cents on the identifier based order.

But it is not that hard to test:

- Get an ISD with the first Tie squadron(s) damaged (and at least one full), orbiting a friendly planet.

- Move the damaged Ties to the planet.

- Save the game. (The Tie blocks move from the fleet to the planet in the savegame file.)

- Load the savegame.

- Move the damaged fighters back to the fleet.

- If the order of the Ties will be the same as at start (damaged one(s) first), it must be the identifier used to order the things. (Otherwise the damaged Ties would appear at the end of the fighter list of the fleet.)

 

Jahled: I provide the theory, but if you want to see some results, you are better to ask Mask. (As usual. )

[Jahled]

Well, I would put my two cents on the identifier based order.

But it is not that hard to test:

- Get an ISD with the first Tie squadron(s) damaged (and at least one full), orbiting a friendly planet.

- Move the damaged Ties to the planet.

- Save the game. (The Tie blocks move from the fleet to the planet in the savegame file.)

- Load the savegame.

- Move the damaged fighters back to the fleet.

- If the order of the Ties will be the same as at start (damaged one(s) first), it must be the identifier used to order the things. (Otherwise the damaged Ties would appear at the end of the fighter list of the fleet.)

 

Jahled: I provide the theory, but if you want to see some results, you are better to ask Mask. (As usual. )

 

Cool, thanks for the imput, but Mask has a few things on his plate with RL at the moment so i'm not going to bug him... hex dumps...