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BC Forums => BC Scripting => Topic started by: King Class Scout on May 09, 2010, 10:03:38 AM

Title: Power Balancing
Post by: King Class Scout on May 09, 2010, 10:03:38 AM
yet another fresh download of mine has a bad power balance.  :banghead:

I have an idea, now, that we should put together a sticky to help people repair out of balance ships.

the ship I'm having trouble with has the following

Core Output: 2000 PPS

Draws
impulse 720
shields 720
torps 250
tractors 700
pulse system 250
beam weapons 250

@ green alert, impulse and tractors
@ yellow add sheilds (torps?)
@ red  add all other weapons

total draw at red alert: 3590, thus 50% drain on main battery.  since a cloak draws from the reserve, it doesn't count, here

am I missing any draw points?
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: teleguy on May 09, 2010, 12:16:33 PM
AFAIK the tractors only draw power when active so I wouldn't count them in. How did you arrive at 3590? I only get 2190 at red alert (2890 with tractors).

Quote
am I missing any draw points?

Sometimes the enginneering/repair system also consumes power.

Edit: The sensor array is missing in your list.

Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: King Class Scout on May 09, 2010, 01:32:30 PM
i DID forget the sensor draw.  the repair and sensor systems are set to draw one point.

I just got 2890 without the cloak (plus 2 points for the sensor and repair draw), I must have accidentally included the cloak draw the first time.  either way, that's at least double the power output from the core.

I cut the heavy draw-ers in half ingame.

does anyone know if teleguy is right, and the tractors draw only when used?
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: Morgan on May 09, 2010, 02:05:45 PM
Correct. Tractors and cloak only draw power when in use.
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: ACES_HIGH on May 09, 2010, 10:52:31 PM
and as I recall, tractors draw directly from the batteries.
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: King Class Scout on May 10, 2010, 07:40:14 AM
another royal mess is the Nova class pirate conversion USS Gabriella

the core production is 5000
however

Impulse 1000
Shields 2000
torpedoes 500
Pulse system 100
Phasers 3000!
sensors 700

the cloak pulls only 200, the tractors pull (ha, ha) 600.
most repair systems pull 1 point.

I'm coming up with a red alert draw of over 7000 on a core production of 5000.
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: vonfrank on May 10, 2010, 10:32:42 AM
This is what i normally use to balance power

Shield power usage = average shield value / 20
Sensor power usage = sensor range / 20
Impulse power usage = top speed / 20
Phaser power usage = # of phasers x 20
Disruptor power usage = # of disruptors x 20
Torpedo power usage = # of torpedoes x 20

Warp core output = sum of above values
Main battery output = sum of above values x 0.125
Aux. battery output = sum of above values x 0.125


This means that all of your systems use the exact power that the core delivers and all systems at 125% use the exact power that your 2 batteries can give
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: King Class Scout on May 10, 2010, 11:34:16 AM
you just earned yourself a cookie.  I've got to copy this down for later use.

Edit: not the torpedo COUNT, but the tube count?
Edit 2: Battery limit, or conduit cap?  also, you don't know the top speed of the ship unless it's allready IN game, so get that first?
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: vonfrank on May 10, 2010, 01:18:06 PM
the tube count

the top speed of a ship is 360 times the value of the top speed number in the impulse engine hardpoint

Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: Digital_Clarity on May 12, 2010, 01:35:32 AM
I just use the old power output formula.

Power Output = Power Output
Main Battery Limit = PowerOutput*100
Backup Battery Limit = PowerOutput*300
Main Conduit Capacity = PowerOutput*1.3
Backup Conduit Capacity = PowerOutput*0.3

So, for example, my Constitution Class Refit has a power output of 1000
WarpCore.SetMainBatteryLimit(130000.000000)
WarpCore.SetBackupBatteryLimit(300000.000000)
WarpCore.SetMainConduitCapacity(1300.000000)
WarpCore.SetBackupConduitCapacity(300.000000)
WarpCore.SetPowerOutput(1000.000000)

My phasers, photons, and impulse use 200 units of energy. Sensors use 100 and tractors use 200 when active. As you can see I have enough power to boost
engines, weapons, and shields to 125% with plenty of reserve power w/o making it a god ship with seemingly endless energy reserves.
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: tiqhud on May 12, 2010, 11:53:25 AM
some times, as an HPer I purposely leave the Power unbalanced, to give a little bit of realism
Title: Re: Power Balancing
Post by: King Class Scout on May 12, 2010, 12:34:57 PM
I'm refering to ships that are so underpowered and overdrawn that their batteries are sucked dry in the first battle.