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Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:29 am
by xriz
modding: Destroyer graphics
I made up some graphics for a destroyer unit, photo shopping one of the games cruiser units, plus I'm adding some code for it with my idea that destroyers do shock damage more then hit point damage and is cheep with just 1 line of sight.
The unit graphics, 4 files:
The icon units, just re-named cruiser unit icons, 10 files
unit.lua
Code: Select all
{
id = 23,
name = "destroyer",
type = "naval",
chassis = "water",
class = "naval",
icon = "destroyer",
levels =
{
{
hp = 100,
mp = 8,
ap = 1,
LOS = 1,
range = 1,
shock = 2,
attack = 2,
defense = 8,
airattack = 2,
airdefense = 2,
bombard = 0,
assault = 0,
ammunition = 0,
}
},
retreat = 0,
costPP = 25,
costMP = 3,
turns = 5,
upkeepPP = 1,
upkeepMP = 0,
weapon = "heavy",
factions = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10 },
strengthValue = 15,
stats =
{
airattack = 2,
navalattack = 2,
subattack = 1,
basedefense = 8,
highdefense = 5,
shock = 6,
},
},
english.txt
Code: Select all
destroyer = DESTROYERS
destroyer_info = Destroyer flotilla, during World War I, the only function of destroyers was to protect their own battle fleet from enemy torpedo attacks and to make such attacks on the battleships of the enemy. The task of escorting merchant convoys was still in the future.
- destroyer.jpg (34.19 KiB) Viewed 3515 times
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:29 am
by FOARP
Good work, but unless it's possible to add them to the build queue . . .
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:44 am
by kirk23
At last count there is one space available in the production screen,I don't know if the designers are planning on adding more space via patches,I certainly hope so as they will be needed,So at the present time its pretty ease to add the destroyers so that they can be built throught out the war.I have added Pre-Dreadnoughts to the game,but these do not require any build space,as they are old ships,already in the navy lists,so they start the game with none more being built.Anyway back to the destroyers, they will come in handy cheers!
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:28 am
by FOARP
Yup. Personally I'd include destroyers as anti-submarine ships and greatly reduce the anti-submarine ability of cruisers/battleships - the player then would have to use destroyers to escort their battle fleets. Cruisers could be given increased LOS and a small bombarding ability (say, the equivalent of mid/late-war bombers but with a 1-hex range) to compensate. Pre-dreadnoughts are also a great addition as an unbuildable unit, especially as a starting unit for Greece/Spain/Turkey/other countries with significant fleets but no dreadnoughts. Since only one naval unit can be added to the build queue (OK, I guess you could put one in the same row as the aircraft as well, but that would look weird), I'd go with destroyers over battlecruisers since BCs are similar to battleships.
As for the spread in 1914 -
UK - 3 flotillas (2 in North Sea, 1 in Med)
Germany - 2 flotillas
A-H - 1 flotilla
France - 1 flotilla
Italy - 1 flotilla
US - 2 flotillas (as well as a battleship and a cruiser in the starting OOB - come on guys, the US had a powerful fleet!)
Russia - 1 flotilla (in the Baltic sea - replace the Black sea cruiser with a pre-dreadnought)
Stats-wise, destroyers should have a reasonable scouting range, low naval attack/defence, no bombardment ability, 1 or 2 PP maintenance (increase PP in the above countries to compensate for additional expenditure)
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:05 am
by stockwellpete
I am not so convinced about this idea. What I am wondering is whether it would be better just to represent the capital ships and subs as separate units because otherwise the map will start to get too cluttered. The way I thought destroyers might be represented was to have them introduced as attachments to the capital ships (in the same way that leaders can be attached to the various units now).
xriz, there is a spelling mistake on your graphic - an extra "R" has found its way into the word destroyer.
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:38 pm
by JJ_Pihtari
stockwellpete wrote:I am not so convinced about this idea. What I am wondering is whether it would be better just to represent the capital ships and subs as separate units because otherwise the map will start to get too cluttered.
I agree.
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:57 pm
by FOARP
I'm going to try it as an experiment - if it gets to the point where it's too much of a chore to move all the units, we'll know it's not worth doing. However, the total number of extra units we're talking about is between 5-8 for the Entente and 3 for the Central Powers, which is not a huge number compared to those already on the board (~40 land units, ~6 air units, and ~4-5 sea units by mid game) especially considering the wide area of the sea on the map.
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:27 pm
by xriz
Destroyers can be "added" as a commander type but they can't be damaged, I added "elite units" for ground units that are commanders that effect just one unit if you take a look a my mod. The problems I saw as a flaw was the units can't be damaged pertinently and you can detach and move them pretty quickly between units.
I am probably more on the side of tinkering with cruisers while blinding Battleships and keeping destroyers also limited in LOS. This to add to the strategy aspect; using the cruisers to find the enemy and being able to avoid being seen to get into position. Further I made Destroyers navel attack 2, while giving them 6 shock, this way attacks on Battleships don't do a lot of damage but weaken the unit for follow up attacks by your own heavier units that turn.
Destroyers of the era were not used as escorts, they didn't have the endurance or the sea worthiness of cruisers of the time. They were used to protect their battlefleet from enemy torpedo boats/destroyers, so I clipped the range on them even though they were probably individually faster then bigger ships and cut their LOS. Apparently the Admirals of the time were terrified of torpedoes being used against their capital ships so I gave the destroyer a high shock value to simulate "panic".
Re: Modding, destroyer unit
Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 11:07 am
by stockwellpete
xriz wrote:Destroyers can be "added" as a commander type but they can't be damaged, I added "elite units" for ground units that are commanders that effect just one unit if you take a look a my mod. The problems I saw as a flaw was the units can't be damaged pertinently and you can detach and move them pretty quickly between units.
I am probably more on the side of tinkering with cruisers while blinding Battleships and keeping destroyers also limited in LOS. This to add to the strategy aspect; using the cruisers to find the enemy and being able to avoid being seen to get into position. Further I made Destroyers navel attack 2, while giving them 6 shock, this way attacks on Battleships don't do a lot of damage but weaken the unit for follow up attacks by your own heavier units that turn.
Destroyers of the era were not used as escorts, they didn't have the endurance or the sea worthiness of cruisers of the time. They were used to protect their battlefleet from enemy torpedo boats/destroyers, so I clipped the range on them even though they were probably individually faster then bigger ships and cut their LOS. Apparently the Admirals of the time were terrified of torpedoes being used against their capital ships so I gave the destroyer a high shock value to simulate "panic".
OK, the other idea in my head is this - I still think only capital ships (i.e. dreadnoughts, pre-dreadnoughts, battle-cruisers) and submarines should be represented as naval units on the map (to avoid cluttering); so "battleship" units would still represent a "battlefleet" as they do now (i.e. the capital ships, the destroyer screen and maybe some light cruisers), but by
including the modernisation of destroyers in the naval tech tree it would be possible to improve the screening capabilities that they could provide (so battleship defence values could be increased just in the same way as other units are upgraded now). In terms of the British navy there were significant improvements in the design of destroyers after 1900 culminating in the V and W class destroyers . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_and_W_cl ... ss_leaders
These were used as convoy escorts from 1917 onwards so once they have been researched on the tech tree then the defensive capabilities of convoys would need to go up (assuming the u-boats were attacking the convoys in a particular game, of course). It is worth noting too that destroyers took about a year to build from laying down the keel to being ready for active duty.
Any good?
destroyer_unit.zip