Whiskey144 Whiskey144

"The Legions" mod for SoaSE&Entrenchment

"The Legions" mod for SoaSE&Entrenchment

for v1.17&v1.03 respectively

I'm Whiskey144 (in-game name 'Lord Vraxedes' or 'Vraxedes Empire'), and this is a post about a mod I'm currently planning (July 4, 2009). It will feature at least 2 new races, new ships for all races, and some new structures as well. They will be constructed of both modified vanilla/Entrenchment models and new ones of my design.

!!IMPORTANT!! AT THIS TIME THIS MOD IS STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGE. MODELS AND SCRIPTING WILL (HOPEFULLY) START SOON. For some really great things, you have to wait a little while.

Currently planned races- the Legion of Vraxedes

                                   the Empire of Taun'Shas

The fluff (currently, may be subject to change):

When the Legion of Vraxedes Exile Fleet arrived on the edges of Trader space, they met a fearsome battle. With previous experience likely dictating that for the TEC, a 'shoot 1st and ask questions later' philosophy would be better, the fleet was severaly damage. However, no ships were lost, and numerous Trader vessel hulks lingered the battlefield. From these hulks, and from espionage in major Trader shipyards, the designs were copied, improved, and received updated Vraxeden armaments. With their newly reinforced Exile Fleet in place, they began to make their way through the fringes of Trader space. A second fleet, scheduled for rendezvous with the 1st, entered Vasari space. The Vasari instantly engaged the ships, thinking them to be new Trader designs. When they learned of the powerful weapons of the Legion, they sent emissaries to make peace. Unfortunately for the Vasari Exodus Fleet, the Legion would not engage in parley. The emissaries were sent away, and then their ships were destroyed. The attack was blamed on the convenient excuse of space pirates, and the Vasari, disbelieving the reports, declared war on the Legion. On the other side of Trader territory, a splinter fleet of the 9th Explorator Fleet, thought to be lost since before the Halcyon Era (~7,000 yrs ago), arrived
in newly conquered sectors now under the control of the Unity (Advent). The Advent viciously attacked the splinter fleet, believing themselves to be 'cleansing the galaxy of heretics'.

This was their worst mistake. When they too learned of the powerful weapons and technologies of the Vraxeden people, the sent emissaries to negotiate technology sharing. The emissaries were returned as stone-cold corpses. The Legion was purposely infuriating the Advent, as negotiations with several Trader factions had revealed the error of the TEC. This allowed for the TEC to begin reconciling themselves with the Legion, while the Advent swore that they would 'cleanse the galaxy of this new heresy-the Vraxeden people'. Meanwhile, the Vasari were rapidly developing new weapons, and beginning to mobilize the Destroyer Fleet, a new fleet created for the purpose of destroying the Legion. While the Vasari tried admirably, they fail spectacularly. When the vanguard of the fleet arrived, they were promptly destroyed, but communications sensor hacking ensured that an 'all-clear' signal was broadcasted for the rest of the fleet, allowing the Vasari to be led unknowingly into the sights of the Legion's best gunners.

WITH VALOR!!!!- battlecry of the Legion's warriors, it symbolizes the ideals of their warrior culture


The newly arisen Empire of Taun'Shas is intent on expanding their borders to include the known galaxy. With this difficult-to-reach ambition in place, the Empire began to expand its borders. As they expanded, they have advanced rapidly, to deal with local resistance, outside attack, and the remote possibility of internal rebellion and disorder. With their expansion came a price- much like the Vasari Empire they created their own downfall. Discontent people on the core worlds and initially-conquered clusters rebelled in force and numbers to significant for the leaders of Taun'Shas to do anything except escape. Even then, many of them barely succeeded, and several did not.

With this blow to their pride and their empire, the Taun'Shas people are hoping for an easy conquest of the newly discovered Trade Order. What they found was multiple systems entrenched in essentially a stalemate war, trying to hold off each other for as long as possible. The technologies of these races were captured, stolen and studied extensively to determine their properties. With this knowledge in place, the remnants of the Empire of Taun'Shas are ready to assume their perceived rightful place in the galaxy. They believe utterly in their purpose, completely in their power, and solidly
that they will eventually prevail. They do not believe it will be easily won, but they believe that won it will be.

ONWARD TO GLORY!!!!- battlecry of the Taun'Shas people, it symbolizes their desire to regain their former status in all of its glory and more.

 

Any new ideas on additional races will be welcome.

Pronunciation guide- Vraxedes= VRAX-AY-DEES

                              Taun'Shas= TOWN-SHAS (pretty much like it looks)

More info to follow soon.

Copyright 2009 Will Lynch

35,152 views 87 replies
Reply #26 Top

I see that I didn't mention this in my initial post, so I'll have to fix that. This mod is still in the design stage, at present only the descriptions are done. I don't have models (yet), nor files that are ready. But persevere, my comrades, this mod WILL NOT DIE, I WILL SEE TO THAT. With Valor, and Onward to Glory, my brothers (cheesy I know, but still, it sounds pretty cool).

Reply #27 Top

cool if you were holding a sword and leading charging soldiers into battle, but seeing as how you aren't...

Anyways... continue.  The problem is that many mods die at the end of the summer as school and college begin again...

Reply #28 Top

I will try my best to not let this one die. Even if it must slow down for school (I'm 16), then it will slow down. BUT IT WILL NOT DIE! This I swear to you! IT WILL NOT DIE!

Also, Volt_Cruelerz, I looked at the GameInfo files in that mod you and I have both replied on, the 'TEC Supremacy Mod', and the TEC fighter files, the 2 new ones being 'FighterTechHeavy' and 'FighterTechIntercept'. They both have multiple weapons put in. Funnily enough, I thought that these 2 files were actually 'Frigate', instead of 'Fighter' lol.

haven't tested it yet, getting ready to do so.

Also, do you know if Sins (vanilla or Entrenchment) can be run smoothly (no mini-freezes (freeze for a few seconds) or choppy/slow gameplay) with an app like Windows Media Player running in the background? Just to help you, I have a Vista Home Premium OS, Toshiba Satellite A215 laptop w/ 1.8 GHz dual-core, 4 GB RAM, and a 184 GB hard drive (currently 84.1 GB free); occassionally I experience choppy performance with zooming in close on particle-effect-heavy battles and at the beginning, but otherwise no problems.

Reply #29 Top

hey... someone the same age... then why is your name Whiskey?

 

and you could try posting some sort of content...  don't release it in giant bursts... but rather a slow trickle... keeps people more interested...

Reply #30 Top

Quoting Volt_Cruelerz, reply 4
hey... someone the same age... then why is your name Whiskey?

and you could try posting some sort of content...  don't release it in giant bursts... but rather a slow trickle... keeps people more interested...
End of Volt_Cruelerz's quote

Whiskey is the word for 'W' in the military phonetic alphabet.

I'll have to do that with the Ancients of Zol, as I've pretty much decided to do them as a race as well. Another race, likely a robotic one based on a combination of different things, including 40k Necrons (they are virtually indestructible, it's freakin' awesome).

Also, my Q about the Sins performance w/ Media Player in background is because I just burned Chris Daughtry's album 'Daughtry' to my comp, and it is AWESOME!, so a great many songs make for great battling music.

Reply #31 Top

hmm... well, you will have to email that to me or something...  at any rate, you can generally assume that I am not going to let this thread die...  So... you could return the favor *hint hint*

 

Anyways, I was wondering, are the new races human?  Not the ancients and the necron things, but the other two.  You kept basing their ships off latin, hebrew, etc words, so I am assuming they broke with the advent... or, I guess they could be the ones who decided to stay back at the sol system while everyone else left...

Reply #32 Top

Quoting Whiskey144, reply 3

Also, do you know if Sins (vanilla or Entrenchment) can be run smoothly (no mini-freezes (freeze for a few seconds) or choppy/slow gameplay) with an app like Windows Media Player running in the background? Just to help you, I have a Vista Home Premium OS, Toshiba Satellite A215 laptop w/ 1.8 GHz dual-core, 4 GB RAM, and a 184 GB hard drive (currently 84.1 GB free); occassionally I experience choppy performance with zooming in close on particle-effect-heavy battles and at the beginning, but otherwise no problems.
End of Whiskey144's quote

 

Forgot about this part...  Uh.. yeah.. it can run in the background... it take a few seconds to bring the graphics back up, but sins can... also, it might help if you had the graphics on lower settings... that would help with the lag...  My comp is really fast so I have all the settings set to highest and get zero lag (its awesome!).

Reply #33 Top

LUCKY! (Napolean Dynamite Moment, brought to you by Whiskey144)

Okay, I'll start with the phonetic alphabet. While I won't post the alphabet, I can PM it to you. I'll do it tomorrow.

The races- the Legion is definitely human, while the Taun'Shas I haven't decided yet. They will probably be alien though. Also, THERE WERE NO LATIN WORDS, but there were Russian, a little German, some Hebrew, and a bit of Japanese, as well as English. The Taun'Shas ships have a predominantly predatory-fish type theme. I'll have to also drum up some backstory. Also, judging by the advancement in technology, and the initial time periods in Sins, I'd have to say that it's some 40-50 THOUSAND years in the future. Fluff will be tailored accordingly.

Reply #34 Top

I know what the phonetic alphabet is... Its used by the military to spell out words when the com link is fuzzy...  I don't know all of them, but I know a couple...

Hm...  Perhaps you could have the Taun as what I like to call: Homo hydras.  In my book, a subspecies of humans is created by genetic manipulation and is referred to technically as homo Hydras due to their ability to live underwater.  There are others, such as Homo aero and Homo extuli.  Aeros are a race that live only in space and in zero grav ships, but have engineered themselves to have wings which allow them to fly around their open ships.  Extuli [latin for exalted ones] are an advanced race created by the Solar Empire to act as an elite force of soldiers.  Hydras and Aeros are exterminated during what is called the holocaust as are the majority of the Extuli, but one family line remains.  That is the Cruelerz family line.  Ultimately it falls to the last Extuli [Volt] to save the United Human Republic from a growing threat.  (Sorry for so much random stuff, but I wanted to explain it...)  Anyways, that would explain why they name their ships after fish...

 

You do realize that by the time we hit that point, we would have completely dominated this and the next few galaxies?

Reply #35 Top

Nice random story, I think it's kinda funny how it ties into your forum name. Most of the idea for the Taun'Shas is actually that their ships have a predatory fish type feel, plus with the agility and speed with which their ships can strike, and the smoothness with which they transition from assault to defense to bombardment (not necesarily in that order).

Probably. I think you'll very much like the Legion's history timeline. Considering that it starts about present day (alien kidnappings are a fair get-out-of-jail-free card), and then advances along to the current date in Sins.

Also, last night I played a little bit of the TEC Supremacy mod (the one with the 2 new TEC SCs, that have 2-3 weapons). The new TEC bomber SC has forward missiles, and when it passes a target it fires the autocannons on the rear of its wings. It's pretty cool.

Reply #36 Top

I wouldn't call it funny... I created the general plot of the book before I joined the forums...

I'm sure I will...

I'll have to try that [once I get entrenchment... >_>  ]

Reply #37 Top

If the 7DS team hasn't got all 10 testers yet, than you may still be able to join the 7DS forum and get a FREE copy of Entrenchment from them by PMing Thoumsin (Fileosoft on the 7DS forums). I don't know IF the tester slots are all loaded yet, but that is actually how I got my copy of Entrenchment =D.

Reply #38 Top

Hey all,

I know that double-posting is probably frowned upon in general, but this update to The Legions Mod deserves it's own reply.

NEW SHIP FOR THE LEGION OF VRAXEDES- the Solaris Strike Cruiser

a question you might have if you've read the earlier page 1 posts- "But Whiskey, I thought the Solaris was the Legion's starbase?" It was in fact. However, the Legion's starbase is now the Excelsior.

The special and also really cool abilities of the Solaris Strike Cruiser-

Ability 1- Fire CIDS (Close-In Defensive Systems): targets enemy SCs and mines. Cooldown time- 5, Range- 2000, Damage- 300; this fires the ship's close in turrets, destroying enemy SCs and mines that have been revealed.

Ability 2- Fire Prow Cannon: targets enemy capitals, frigates, and starbases. Cooldown time- 15, Range- 50,000, Damage- 500; the powerful prow cannon of the Solaris is fired, causing massive damage to enemy ships.

Ability 3- Fire Demolisher Cannon: targets enemy ships, starbases, structures.  Cooldown time- 2, Damage increase- 200%; the Solaris' Vindicator Gunships fire their Demolisher Cannons, inflicting heavy damage to enemy ships and structures.

Ability 4- Assault Vessel Bridge: targets enemy capitals. Cooldown time- 20, Damage increase- 900%; the Solaris' Vindicators link with and disembark boarding teams, which then proceed to the enemy ships bridge, causing massive damage along the way.

Ability 5- Infallible Jump Drive: exactly the same as the Scouts.

COPYRIGHT 2009 Will Lynch

Reply #39 Top

1.  nvm...

2.  I could just as easily buy it myself...

3.  You can only have four abilities on a ship... Any more and the game crashes...

Reply #40 Top

i believe you have a very good idea. i was thinking of making a mod myself, i was going to include Dyson Spheres and Mass Drivers among other things. unfortunately i wont have time going through rotc. i would like to see a mod with this much potential have Dyson Spheres and the like, taking galaxy conquering to a whole new level. You could include an insectoid race, sort of like Aliens,Zerg, or Tyranids. having the race be silicon based instead of carbon based would explain the spacefaring bugs. 

 

Hive Fleets and Insectoid planet eating Dyson spheres. sounds fun. 

Tyranids are from Warhammer 40K if you need an idea. 

Reply #41 Top

This mod sounds like an over the top lazer explosion of over the top explosiveness, with over the top lazerz that have over the top explosions with over the top explosiveness of lazerness. With explosions.

Lets see this mod get done

Reply #42 Top

Quoting Podpolknovik8890, reply 15
i believe you have a very good idea. i was thinking of making a mod myself, i was going to include Dyson Spheres and Mass Drivers among other things. unfortunately i wont have time going through rotc. i would like to see a mod with this much potential have Dyson Spheres and the like, taking galaxy conquering to a whole new level. You could include an insectoid race, sort of like Aliens,Zerg, or Tyranids. having the race be silicon based instead of carbon based would explain the spacefaring bugs. 

 

Hive Fleets and Insectoid planet eating Dyson spheres. sounds fun. 

Tyranids are from Warhammer 40K if you need an idea. 
End of Podpolknovik8890's quote

 

There have been many suggestions in other mods for Dyson spere's, and it has been worked out how to make them work properly.

Reply #43 Top

Volt_Cruelerz,

scout ships in ENTRENCHMENT have a FIFTH ability, which is 'Uncloack Mines'. The only 4 rule would only be in vanilla.

Podpol, the spacebugs would make an excellent FIFTH race (yes I said FIFTH). There's the 2 that have already been down quite well, plus a planned patch will add the Ancients of Zol. Another robot-style race (Necrons anyone?) will also be planned. This would certainly round everything out quite well, though spacebugs would be somewhat difficult to do as a ranged-weapon race.

Also, I edited my reply with the Legion's Solaris Strike Cruiser. The Prow Cannon ability no longer does 800 damage, but instead 500.

Reply #44 Top

Wait, so does this apply to all ships?  Or just to scouts...  If it applies to caps, then is there a way to make it so it can only be researched, rather than upgraded?  If so, this may answer my question to DM...

 

That sounds better... I was thinking that 800 is too strong anyways...  I need to go through and balance those things, but seeing as how you want them to nuke the vanilla races, I don't really know what standard to use...

Reply #45 Top

A lot of it has to do with my personal vendetta against the Advent, especially now that I've lost 2 (2!!) caps to them just SP in Entrenchment. It's really brought a habit out in me- whenever I build the replacement for the destroyed ships, in this case TDN Solonis and TDN Vigilis, I rename the successor as 'II'. TDN Solonis II wouldn't fit all the way, so it's JUST Solonis II. Same will go for Vigilis II.

Anyways, enough about my HATING the Advent, more about the Solaris Strike Cruiser. The main reason the Prow Cannon was going to be so strong is because they would work best as a relatively unnoticable team of around 4 or 5, supported by 3 or 4 scouts. The scouts would be to spot mines, mostly at the initial infilitration of enemy lines, while the cruisers then essentially go to your home planet. They also DO NOT SHOW UP on the phase-space monitering researches. So- that means that there is NO WARNING for an attack by strike cruisers. Just the way it should be. Moving on, they operate in kinda small groups, not big fleets, so they need powerful, ship-crippling abilities, just to survive. That, and they'll have around 2500 hull&1500-2000 shield points, plus 400 AM (that's for SCs).

Most of the reason the Legion and the Taun'Shas will be able to cause horrendous losses to the other races is because the entire existence of the Vraxeden people as a cohesive body of government has revolved around war- its prevention and execution. As such, they have proportionately powerful weapons. The Taun'Shas have had many centuries to perfect their weapons technology, which they did.

As for the other race, the Ancients of Zol (probably going to be released as a patch), they have been around in civilization/empire form for so long that they just have THE BEST weapons. Period.

The other 2 race ideas, one of which I found&liked, the other of which was suggested; these being- robots&spacebugs, will likely get their deadliness from other sources, such as the robot race has perfect cohesion/cooperation, while the spacebugs are so..., hm. I can't think of a reason the spacebugs would have really powerful weapons. Lol.

Also, Podpol, I don't really know what Dyson Spheres are. What I do know is that they're really big, spheres (obviously, lol), and I think either contain or emit energy of high magnitudes. I may have to Google it or check Wikipedia.

Though I don't know the science behind Dyson Spheres, I CAN tell you that it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a weapon that is a 'Gauss Railgun'. This is because Gauss guns, more commonly called COILGUNS, and RAILGUNS work on TWO DIFFERENT, BUT SLIGHTLY SIMILAR, PRINCIPLES. And no, just because Sins is REALLY advanced, that doesn't mean you can have a Gauss Railgun. That statement is founded on the SCIENCE behind the 2 DIFFERENT weapons.

Because of that, I'll probably change the syntax of the Kol's 'Gauss Railgun' ability to be other 'Gauss Gun' or 'Railgun'. Or maybe something that ends in 'Blast'.

Reply #46 Top

Then go against nine of them on easy... Go comp stomping...  It'll make you feel better.

Well, I just thought of something...  Perhaps... You could make one race INSANELY Mega-Uber good BUT have their ships have a passive that is like a de-synergization.  Think of the ability of the Beam Turrets.  The more you have, the better they are.  This would work in reverse.  That way, you could only use small fleets or you would risk big problems.  That could balance out.  For the sake of lore, everyone of that race wants power and hates listening to orders...


A dyson sphere is a sphere that surrounds a star (or self-sustaining fusion reaction) that absorbs >90% of the solar energy emitted.  Simply put, they are the ultimate power plant...

 

Gauss Cannons (aka Coil Guns) are created by fixing electromagnets around the barrel.  By firing each in sequence, you can fire an iron, nickel, cobalt, samarium, or neodymium slug.

Railguns are two massive coils that have currents flowing in opposite directions which causes the slug to move down them at insane velocities... 

Comparison: Ultimately, GC's could be automatic, while RG's are destined to be sniper rifles.  They heat themselves up to thousands of degrees, so they need a few minutes to cool down...

Reply #47 Top

Actually, railguns don't use coils to accelerate the projectile.  They use rails, which is why they are called railguns.

Reply #48 Top

The rails are electromagnets... And electromagnets are coils...  So I'm still right...

Reply #49 Top

No, the rails in a railgun do not act as magnets.  What happens in a railgun is a projectile is placed contacting two rails.  Current is fed into one rail, which then flows through the projectile into the other rail.  The flow of current induces a Lorentz force in the projectile, propelling it forwards.  While a railgun may act on magnetic principles, at no time is any part of it acting as a magnet.

Reply #50 Top

hmm... okay.. didn't know that...