StarMade 0.09378: Fixes, shield balance & new admin tools

[schema]

Hello and welcome to StarMade,



this update contains some critical fixes for the servers, a pretty big change to shield balance, some new handy admin tools, and some general fixes.



Server Fixes

Some servers had problems since apparently closing a socket does not imply flush() on some machines. That basically means the connection drops without sending the last packet. This is causing clients to get EOF exceptions. Please note that you will get EOF exceptions with this version if you try to connect to a server that is not yet update to this version!



Shield Balance

I don't know yet if this works, but I have changed the balance of shields to be more powerful in smaller numbers and less overpowered in large numbers. The biggest change is an introduction of "shield recovery" on hit. This value is shown in build mode and determines the time in seconds the shields will start to recharge after a hit. This value depends on the amount of shild blocks placed on a structure.

Here is the technical data:

- shield balance:
-- capacity: (shieldBlocks*3.5)^0.66666)*350
-- recharge: (shieldBlocks*4)^0.48)*50
-- introduced recovery when hit (by shield blocks used)



Admin Tools

I developed a system using abstraction of the original system to enable admin commands from anywhere.

Console Commands

console commands are now possible. Everything not starting with a forward slash is considered a broadcast message and will be posted in chat.

StarNet: remote lightweight admin tool

With this tool (with or without GUI) it's possible to send starmade admin commands or chat (like the console commands) to any starmade server from anywhere. This system uses the Server super password (in server.cfg). You also have to switch the system on to be able to use the remote tool. (default is off, option in server.cfg)

Here are the version (to be added to the download section)

StarNet with GUI (windows only)

StarNet with GUI (Linux, Mac, Windows)

StarNet without GUI (Linux, Mac, Windows)



General fixes

- fixed shield shader
- build in server check to check for spamming blueprint buy actions (10 sec)
- fixed modified blueprint detector to only fire once and not on every block
- fixed blueprint detector consequence system
- fixed type setting method for block types over 256
- fixed crash for ships with custom blocks with blocks over 256.
- fixed crash for ships with blocks that exceed the max block type value of 2048





Thanks for playing StarMade,

- schema

 

[spoonikle]

New research into the current sheild mechanics is needed. Time to make a few charts.

 

[spoonikle]

here is a thrown together chart of how sheilds expand now from 1 to 1000 blocks. we can see that low numbers of sheilds have relitivly high capacity and regen at least 4 times what they used to have. A good butter zone for a fighter on the cheap is 7.

I have a chart

Still, I never though large ships sheilds where \"over powered\" as when you got to the large scale ships they had weapon capacity that completly melted sheilds in less than 3 seconds. Normally I make my 100k plus mass ships with 10% weapons and 40% sheilds, they always can melt themselves in seconds.

 

[NanoFreak]

The Problem is that shields are either overpowered or useless. You either have massive firepower and burn through a shield in a couple of seconds or you dont at all because of the recharge. Space battles are suposed to be more like a test of endurance and clever tactics rather than who has bigger guns or who has fatter shields. Now with this update im not sure if the recharge means after the shield has collapsed or while its still up.

 

[Frosth]

This may have been an over nerf. We\'ll need to see how it plays out, we\'ll test it as much as possible on our server.

I personaly was more of a proponent of having shields not be 100% effective but let trough some damage to buff hull and hardened hulls at the same time than smaller ships that can go without being hit but couldn\'t, and still can\'t, do damage to larger ships.

As a previous poster said, the shields still have a binary value: op or useless. Having some damage going trough would give shields a more linear progression.

 

[ThiagoTGM]

What is the exact calculation for the shield recover?

 

[MrMinecraftmoney]

i don\'t really like the new sheild stystem

 

[TheFireRodan]

i realize that after the update i am unable to launch a server without using the .bat file

 

[izzy808]

thanks!

updated vanilla server running @ starmade.aloha.pk:4242

 

[Mastaxx]

I feel like with the addition of the regen mechanic, there needs to be a gain in the amount of shields a ship gets per shield block. With less regen on larger ships, there should be a higher shield capacity. Otherwise larger ships could get taken down much easier and arent worth the effort to make. I think small ships with few shield blocks should have their fast regen, but large ships with more shield blocks should have a slightly higher capacity per shield block to balance it out a little bit. It\'s not hard to make a flying cannon that can destroy a large ship\'s shields incredibly quickly as it is.

 

[Jeff The Pilot]

Time to start scouring the galaxy for sheild generators, because if I get enough capacity recharging won\'t matter unless fighting against dreadnaughts.

 

[PurpleDizzy]

So far is working perfectly for my server but you need to work on server stability alot more so us server admins can keep them running

 

[Mastaxx]

large ships with minimal regeneration should get a capacity boost, otherwise smaller ships can just circle around and rip apart the shields. after playing around with the shield mechanics for a while, there\'s an obvious increase in capacity in shields, but it should be a bit larger in my opinion.

 

[Shangaran]

i personally like this new sheild system but i would like to see hull get something similar to this , like for large ships hull has increase armour per block or something cos atm its just a matter of who has teh most sheilds and hull means very little.

 

[Fum]

Here is your chart/table. Only better because it\'s an image and works for everyone.
http://i.imgur.com/yXqHTJs.jpg

 

[Wyvern67]

 

[Therocyn]

There I was, alone in my hangar at Station 579 in the aeomeba quadrant. I\'d been working on my ship for the past 3 days after the last pirate raid, but we\'d pulled in a haul that would sell for millions when we got back to the Mobile Merchant capitol ship, but to do that we\'d have to get off this one first, and this station won\'t take scrap as payment.

I took a break and wandered around the station only to find that seemingly all the staff had gone home, and it was eerily quiet. Then a soft voice came over the com system, \"Please remain calm, patching in progress.... backing up!\". \"Backing up?\" I accidentally said aloud. I wonder what that would mean.

About 3 hours later, I was done with most of the repairs and decided to take a nap on the cot in the corner of the hangar, instead of lugging it all the way across the base to my cubicle of a visitor\'s quarters. Long wafts of oil and plasma fumes lingered as I drifted off to sleep, and troubled dreams were interrupted by the sounds of anti-matter cannons activating the bases shields and cannon defenses. I drifted off to sleep with the memory of the last few nights having the same thing happen, but to no avail. This station was top notch, people had come from more than 20 sectors away just to collectively assist in the redecoration of this station commemorating it\'s 500 year anniversary.

I woke up the next morning to find left leg hanging in the artificial gravity that was left of the station. I went to the panel closest to me to find out why there were holes like swiss cheese throughout the base, but not a scratch on my tiny fighter. I saw the screen flashing over and over again the same message, and I knew that I would never make it back to my home base now...



The screen read... 0.09378

 

[Photek]

Sorry but this new shield system makes large ships a waste of time to build. They cost FAR more time, money, and resources to make, only to now be rewarded with a shield equal to that of a ship 1/4 of the size. I suggest you revert back to the previous system (that worked).



Logically: large ship VS small ship = large ship will win

This update: large ship VS small ship = small ship will win

 

[Biscuit390]

I suppose this update means that if someone makes an enormous ship and starts camping spawn, it won\'t mean that another person has to spend two hours to build a ship to get rid of it.

 

[spoonikle]

this one is great, should probobly add it to the wiki.