I have downloaded .zip.

I have played Systems of War.

I have v1.191.

Sorry for my bad English.

Oh,Sorry for the few posts

Looseer, please note this extract from the "Star Trek: Sacrifice of Angels" forum ...

"The mod has been tested only on the US English version of sins. Other languages may, or may not work. If you are using a language other than English rename the "English.str" file in the mods strings folder to whatever language you are using. Example: "German.str" if you are using the German language version."

Like the Star Trek mod Maelstrom has only been tested on the US English version of SoaSE.

Just a note about your website...if you go to the home page (at least for me, using the latest version of Firefox)...you can't click on most of the links on the left side of the page...I was only able to click on the picture links for the fleets of the 3 new races as well as the orbital structures pic page. I had to put in what i guessed was the "Credits" page's URL based on the other ones...and then once i got to that (http://www.soase-maelstrom.com/maelstrom_002.htm for reference) I was able to click on all the links from that page.

The problem is also evident on the Replicator Fleet page, where the only other link that can be clicked takes me to the Orbital Structures picture page. Once you get to that page, though...none of the "links" on the left side are clickable and you can't go anywhere without clicking the "back" button. The Trade Alliance page is also the same as the Replicator Fleet page.

Aside from that, the models look amazing imo. I haven't played it yet as it's still downloading so I can't comment on the gameplay.

I do have a few questions, though...

1. Are any of the "original" SoaSE game files changed or is it possible to take the files from the Sins Optimization Project and directly combine them with the files from this mod into one "mod"?

2. Is it just me or does the ancient world look like a cube surrounded by "defensive rings"?

3. Do the ships use high poly/vertex counts like the original models for the original races did before the optimization project vastly lowered them? As in...will the game slow down late in it on big maps when you have a lot of trade ships, refinery ships, etc running about?

4. Are there plans to add more planets/research tree options/star types to this after you get the mod released for all the expansions and whatnot?

Overall, though...it looks like a mod well worth playing. Thanks for all the hard work!

I have the German version of the game

harpo

True enough, and I was just curious about that.

The whole "dark star" thing at the center of the ancient world is an awesome concept.

It'd be pretty awesome if there were a way to make it so a race could "colonize actual stars" at the center of systems.

One thing I never got about the way the system is set up is it seems the "stars" are actually galaxies when you zoom out in the standard view, lol...why wouldn't they just be called "galaxies", then?

Anyway, awesome work and I agree on the ships stuff!

Yeah, I can agree...it was more an observation of the "misuse" of the terms when the "star" looks like a galaxy when you zoom way out, lol. Not saying it bothers me, just something I found a little quirky. It "fits better" than throwing a black hole at the center of every "system", lol.

I just know I noticed the whole "star as a galaxy" thing when I made a map with multiple stars and they each ended up with the "galaxy" graphic when I zoomed out...although they did end up making a pretty cool looking map from a distance, lol.

Oh, and for the record...I do have a custom map I set up (using the in-game thing, so I can automatically get the "mod planets" and whatnot in on it) that has on average over 600 "planets" in each "star system/galaxy/thinger" that I play around with, lol. It's a reeeeeeeeeally long game.

Hi Syneptus,

Thanks for the feedback. Firstly, to answer your questions ...

"Are the Replicator's ships supposed to have no textures? "
What you see is what you get ... they are textured but with a simple conformal texture effect.

"How long have you been working on this?"
For 1 year.  To be frank I am the only developer.  ICEman helped with ideas and some testing but he is a game player i.e Alpha Centuri, Space Empire V, Galactic Civilzations II, etc. All models, textures, audio and so on are my first attempts. So there is a certainly room for added polish to the mod ... help is welcome.

"Do you want help with particle effects?"
Now your talking! Specifically, and first of all, the Replicators ... one reason for keeping the textures simple was that I was considering a nanite flow effect over their hulls'. If you can image billions of nanites on the hull moving around, building repairing, replicating. Like a wave effect on the Hull. Not sure if it can be done?
Any suggestions for particle effects you would like to see in the mod?

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Now with regards to your feeback, "SPOT ON" the 3 new races are not completely balanced.

Verion 1.181 of Maelstrom is frankly not balanced. I setup the website for test purposes only and noticed hits so I thought I'll get the ball rolling and announce it more broadly on the SoaSE mod forum.  I wanted to finish Entrenchment (got there almost) before releasing regular Maelstrom. Currently, I'm working on 3 veriants of the mod ...

1. For regular SoaSE: Maelstrom v1.191. Rebalancing of v1.182 with work on a couple of abilities (in particular gravity attraction)
2. For regular SoaSE: Maelstrom the Expansion v1.191. With a Dreanought capitalship for each of the six races and related abilities research.
3. For entrenchment SoaSE: Maelstrom Entrenchment v1.051.

All the mods are at an advanced stage (i.e all could be pre-released or beta released) ... models, textures, abilities, research and so on done. All tested and working with no major bugs detected ... however more thorough testing is required, also I don't want to release mods with semi-complete models/textures/abilities/.... but ...

I've already backed off antimatter restore rates (1/2) on the Replicator scouts in v1.191.  Well spotted.
Though the Replicators can "replicate" quickly and cheaply they are still locked in by their fleet logistics. A fleet of scouts can be quickly destroyed by a fleet with carriers.  But Replicators in large numbers are tough to beat! All thier frigates are mobile frigate factories and the harder you hit them the more likely they'll replicate!!

I've already backed off antimatter restore rates (1/2) on the Mallidax Cruiser in v1.191. Well spotted.
Norlaminians: Mallidax Cruiser - requires 8 combat centers and 2 technologies platforms, for Frigate capture ability to be active. The solution to the Mallidax Cruiser is to take out Norlaminian combat research structures or just run! Of course, as they capture more of the enimies craft their fleet logistics go into the red i.e target their Mallidax Cruisers with fighter squadrons and they can't build more Mallidax cruisers.

Also, I've back down the scout's Hull's and Shields for the 3 new races. In the past they were used for testing and debugging i.e spam them for rapid game start. Capitalships are rebalanced, and so on.

Hi Malanthor,

For Maelstrom Entrenchment the current abilities stackup for the 3 factions are as follows ...

Norlamins Upgradeable Defense Abilities

Disruptor Force - disrupts repair and regeneration of enemy craft within range of this structure.

Shield Extension - shields to nearby friendly structures

Norlamins Starbase Abilities Stasis Field - reduces planetary bombardment, denying enemy colonization

Commerce Hub - trade

Populace Education - cultural influence

Technological Awe - allegiance

Augmented Support - repair nearby friendly forces

Augmented Repairs - increase its own repair rates

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Replicators Upgradeable Defense Abilities

Coordinated Attack - beam defenses jointly reinforce each other

Deadly Trackor's - destruction zone for the Tractor is substantially increased

Deadly Thumper's - destruction zone for the Thumper is substantially increased

Replicators Starbase Abilities

Collective Control - reduces planetary bombardment, denying enemy colonization

Zero-G Populations - starbase population

Collective Override - allegiance

Hord Manufacture - constant stream of Hord frigates produced

Solorus Cloak - in and out of phase space

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Trade Alliance Upgradeable Defense Abilities

Expert Strike teams - number of strike craft in each Hangar Defense squadron

Augmented Defense - firing range of the Beam Defense Platform is substantially increased

Trade Alliance Starbase Abilities

Mercenary Protection - reduces planetary bombardment, denying enemy colonization

Extended Trade - trade

Stun Field - temporarily stop the local movement of nearby hostile ships

Training & Propaganda - allegiance

Empire Tribute - collect tribute from enemy craft and enemy empires

Debris Bombardment - bombard the planet

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I've included a Picture Set of the Entrenchment models on the SoaSE-Maelstrom website, check the News page.

If you have any suggestions let me know ...

Also, any crashes of the mod?

I haven't played it yet but it looks wonderful! Thank you in advance!

So how are things going with the upcoming releases? They still on track for release late  this month?