Making NPC Shields regen
This is a great little mod, adds spice to the game
Okay - from now on i assume people know what tools to use, and how to save etc! if not read some of the posts linked above -especially the beginning ones! This also assumes you have some knowledge of what the parts mean! If not, suggest you read some older things as well!! lol
Difficulty = Easy
Okay - open your ST_equip.ini file in the equipment folder
Here will be entries for the thrustes (first 4 or so entries) Closely followed by the NPC shields (player shields are below the NPC shields)
We are concerned with the NPC shields obviuosly though!
Here is an exert of the start of an entry:
Example:
[ShieldGenerator]
nickname = npc_shield01_mark01
ids_name = 263759
ids_info = 264759
This is just the first few lines, specifying the name of the shield and so on. The bit that makes it regen? Well - its nice and simple:
Look further down and you find the following (in the main body of text for EACH of the shield entries)
Example
volume = 0.000000
mass = 10
regeneration_rate = 1
max_capacity = 600
toughness = 6.000000
Now - the obvious part we are interested in is right there infront of us! A clue - its the rate at which it regens........lol
So - what to do? Well - personally i change the regen rates to match the ones further down the ini file (player shields), but to make things easy, here is a little guide for you instead. Just put these numbers in!
Class.......~......Regen Rate
1...........~...........15
2...........~...........20
3...........~...........25
4...........~...........34
5...........~...........46
6...........~...........66
7...........~...........85
8...........~...........110
9...........~...........160
10...........~...........220
Now obviously you can change that to whatever you wish, but those are some realistic values there. Don't miss it though - there are three different types of shields for the NPC's! - Shield01, Shield02, Sheild03 - so that is 30 rates to amend.
There we go - regenning shields for the NPC's!
Okay - now for nano bots/ shield bats usage!
Making NPC's Use shield and nano regens!
This one is bigger, and more difficult! Make sure you back these files up first!
Difficulty = Moderate
- i only say moderate cause if you go off and cockup the loadouts.ini , and loadouts_utility.ini files you will crash!
Okay - first up, you need to open up the Pilots_population.ini file in the missions folder.
Now then, scroll down through the folder:
You will eventually come to something that looks like this (there are several)
Example:
[RepairBlock]
nickname = repair_fighter_never
use_shield_repair_pre_delay = 0
use_shield_repair_post_delay = 0
use_shield_repair_at_damage_percent = 0
use_hull_repair_pre_delay = 0
use_hull_repair_post_delay = 0
use_hull_repair_at_damage_percent = 0
Okay - the title of the parts says it all - what they are. The repair block. Firstly - what you need to do is:
Find this part instead of that one!!!:
Example:
[RepairBlock]
nickname = repair_fighter_both
use_shield_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000
use_shield_repair_post_delay = 5
use_shield_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.500000
use_hull_repair_pre_delay = 0.200000
use_hull_repair_post_delay = 1.500000
use_hull_repair_at_damage_percent = 0.500000
You notice that it already has some values there - smashing....less work for us! Now remember the nickname there then! Okay - now scroll down further through the document (to near the bottom really!)
You will find parts like this:
Example:
[Pilot]
nickname = test
gun_id = gun_fighter_test
Okay - there are quite alot of these. These entries tell what the pilot will do in attack, defense, how they shoot etc.....
Okay - here is one section you can have a look at really quick:
Example:
[Pilot]
nickname = pilot_military_easy
gun_id = gun_military_easy_style_a
This is the easy pilot part, and near the bottom of the entry you see the line:
Example:
formation_id = formation_stay
repair_id = repair_fighter_never
job_id = basic_job_formation
These are the bottom three lines for the entry - easy to see!
Notice the repair_id ? If you look back - repair_id = never had no repair settings for it, they were all 0........so guess what.......yep - put in the nickname there for the 'both' part - then it will read this:
Example:
formation_id = formation_stay
nickname = repair_fighter_both ;notice this here?
job_id = basic_job_formation
Good stuff - but that is alot of entries to do this for isn't it? - look at the next one down, which is this:
Example:
[Pilot]
nickname = pilot_military_med
inherit = pilot_military_easy
gun_id = gun_military_med_style_a
evade_dodge_id = evade_dodge_fighter_horiz_med
Notice the line inherit that i made bold? It means just what it says, inherit all the parts from pilot_military_easy, but add these parts i have too........
So that means the pilot_military_med now also mends hulls and shields with regens!!........as does the hard and ace! Oh - easy stuff! 4 for the price of 1
Okay - bad news - go through and do it for all of them! Including the transports. Basically - on every spot you see the repair_id = repair_fighter_never change it to your nickname = repair_fighter_both instead okay?
We done? Not yet! Nearly - they now know to use the regens, but they don't acutally possess any in the game..........yet!
Next - its the loadouts.ini and loadouts_special.ini in the ships folder!
Okay - open the file up - this tells the comp what each NPC is carrying. The Loadouts.ini is the fighters loads, the special is the capship ones, and the utility one is for the transports.
Inside there are many entries - we will STAY away from ones like these:
Example:
[Loadout]
nickname = MSN04_Trents_Friend_Escort
The reason - they are mission loadouts - we don't want SP becoming too difficult for you......lol
Basically you want to add nanobots and shiel gens to each fighter ship in there! and there are alot
Here is a quick demo of what to add:
Example:
[Loadout]
nickname = fc_gc_ge_fighter_loadout01
archetype = ge_fighter
equip = ge_gf1_engine_01
equip = npc_shield01_mark02, HpShield01
This is a gains entry for their fighter....there is more below this, i cut the size off. The bottom of this entry looks like this below:
equip = contrail01, HpContrail01
equip = contrail01, HpContrail02
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight01
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight02
To add some nanobots and shield gens to this fellow we add these lines:
cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3
cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3
That is three of each to the fighter - sot he bottom now looks like this:
Example:
equip = contrail01, HpContrail01
equip = contrail01, HpContrail02
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight01
equip = DockingLightRedSmall, HpDockLight02
cargo = ge_s_battery_01, 3
cargo = ge_s_repair_01, 3
Easy stuff eh? You can add more nanos, but they really live forever if you do!
Now here is the dull bit - copy and paste that to every entry so theyall have some, then go to the loadouts_special.ini file and do the same there as well!! Once done though, you NPC's shields will regen AND they can also use nano bots and bats!
