What's wrong with that? it's nice to see someone polite for once

    Found it. 

    I love ManShooter's Volumetric Damage mod. But there is something in the particle and pipelineeffect folders that is causing the crash out. I replaced them with originals from Vanilla, and now its up and running. 

Thanks for the thought though.

Take care,

-Teal

p.s.  I thought i would stick out my tongue, just to be not quite so nice. 

just kidding,

Awesome!

I need to get back to working on my little vanilla DS project.  Kinda got busy with other things.

Quick question, is there a way to change the stock maps (Huge-Random star) maps to have more of the additional planet types in it? I've tried several games and it generally loads the stock planet types with maybe 1 or 2 of the new types per sector, but I'm wanting more then 1 or 2. Thanks.

map designer

The short answer is yes, but not with the map designer.  (Actually, you can, you just have to move it to the right folder)  The not so short one is the map designer let's you create new maps, modify existing ones, and it has it's limits, but it may be a bit easier if you're trying to keep things random.  Ideally using the forge would be the best choice, but there's a lot of things you have to do to get planets, and phase lanes to show up randomly like in the 'random' maps.  If you just want to modify the current random maps, the easiest method is to get in your default sins directory (not the mod directory) in your galaxy folder you will find the maps called huge multi-system random, huge single-system random, large multi-system random, large single-system random, etc etc etc....

If you open it with wordpad, you'll see stuff like this:

    star
        type "RandomStar"
        radius 110
        connectionStarRadiusRange .65
        connectionChance .75        
        maxPlayerCount 5
        ringCount 4
        ring
            starRadiusRange
                minPercentage 0.2
                maxPercentage 0.3
            militiaColonizationPerc 0
            planetGroupCount 1
            planetGroup
                minCount 1
                maxCount 1
                planetTypeCount 1
                planetType "PirateBase"            
        ring
            starRadiusRange
                minPercentage 0.3
                maxPercentage 0.7
            militiaColonizationPerc 0
            planetGroupCount 1
            planetGroup
                minCount 9
                maxCount 9
                planetTypeCount 1
                planetType "WeightedRandom"
        ring
            starRadiusRange
                minPercentage 0.7
                maxPercentage 1.0
            militiaColonizationPerc 0
            planetGroupCount 1
            planetGroup
                minCount 15
                maxCount 15
                planetTypeCount 1
                planetType "WeightedRandom"        
        ring
            starRadiusRange
                minPercentage 0.3
                maxPercentage 1.0
            militiaColonizationPerc 0
            planetGroupCount 1
            planetGroup
                minCount 2
                maxCount 2
                planetTypeCount 1
                planetType "Wormhole"       

You can change the ring count (highlighted in red for you) and add more, change the planet counts (one example highlighted in yellow), change the planet type count (highlighted in blue) and add more planet types (highlighted in green).  You can also change the planet group count (orange) and add in more groups to each ring (Pink).  Weighted random already has 128 options attached to it in the galaxyscenariodef file (DS diplomacy 0.7 version does), so it's quite likely that you're just unlucky.  If you're playing the entrenchment version or the vanilla version the available choices in the "weightedrandom" group of planets could be different, in which case you would have to go into the mod folder, get into the game info folder, access the galaxysceneriodef file find the entry for "weightedrandom" and start adding in all of the planets you want, keeping in mind that the more you add, you'll have to adjust the planet count by that number as well.

Actually, one other thing I forgot to mention for future considerations (this one's Ironclad's fault, not a mod issue):

The races' diplomacy research trees are mostly identical, except for one glaring issue:  TEC mysteriously gained the Labour Negotiations tech (and is completely unncessary, as TEC already HAS techs for building and ship build time reductions) while Advent and Visari appear to get NOTHING comparible.  I think it would be a good idea to come up with a new tech for Advent and Visari here to even things out research-wise, not to mention it's a fine opportunity to fill in some holes for Advent and Visari.  Advent could definitely use a late-game production boost, and with Visari this could be an opportunity to boost some of their neglected units (bonus for skirmishers and enforcers?).  You could even do something crazy here like make a Starbase Pact (+1-2 slots and/or an upgrade cost reduction?).

Just a thought for future versions.

The pact might be harder based on the fact that they already have an even number of pacts and you also have to work the diplo end of stuff. Advent could always have a production boost based on "Assimilated Technologies" where they have taken ideas from their TEC counterparts and incorporated them for efficiency. For Vasari, it would have to be something Diplomacy based, like "Civil Compromise", where new rules protect the well-being of slaves and improve their output or viability, thus increasing populations or reducing planet improvement costs. These are suggestions for new researches and their respective descriptions.

Great mod! Are starbases have maximum upgrade (17 level for TEC, 19 for Advent and 20 for Vesari)?

no the starbases have the standard 8 max upgrade choices

I believe there may be a slight misunderstanding here.  The starbases are still only upgradeable 8 times per starbase, just as Ryat pointed out, and yes, the TEC has 17 choices of upgrades, the Vasari has 19 choices, and the Advent has 20 choices (you had the Advent and Vasari switched FarenReman), just like their unmodded couterparts.  Basically, this mod hasn't done anything to the starbases yet aside from adding strikecraft variants to their buildable options.  They end up being pretty powerful as they are when you do the other research so changing things may end up making them too powerful.  It's hard enough just dropping one that's got a lot of research behind it.

Well, I have right now 17 upgrades for tec starbases (and others 19, 20 for  vasari and advent), their are not too powerfull, expecially when we playing with Powerfull Piratec minimod (their are like armageddon )

If you dont wanna die quickly, its better to upgrade starbases to max level   to not cheat, give max upgrade also pirates and other races. Now, if U want to take sobe planet, you must prepare well upgrade and exprierenced fleet.

Without this, one well upgraded flagship may destroy standard starbase, where is the pleasure of victory?

they were meant to be

muhahahahahahahaha

Lord Ryat of the DS Pirates Demands IT!

Well, with diplomacy right now their are usefull as diversion   pay them 50 000 credisc and say goodbye to enemy planet   when enemies will be finished, I will payed pirates to attack me -> HUGE EPIC BATTLE...

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!   Great pirate battlecruiser, but it look familiar... ? In the future may be another models?