PATCHFILE Comet Strike (pop killed)

[Tethys]

Ever been annoyed that your newly colonized system gets wiped out by a massive comet strike? Even more so, the annoyance that all your colonists decided to inhabit the impacted planet, and not any of the other planets you've terraformed?

You're in luck!

And it seems to be a pretty simple fix

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NAME: Comet Strike Pop Killed (fix)
DESC: Adjust events for comet strikes wiping out low pop systems
DESC: Lowers the comet strike impact strength (pop killed nerf)
DESC: Table of adjustable values allows user selected preference (use UE for finer tuning)
AUTHOR: Tethys
URL: 

# >>  = current value

# <<  = new value


##   asm 44C666
# >> Mov ecx, 0A (#10)
# << Mov ecx, 1E (#30)

>> 0x04ba66 B9 0A 00 00 00
<< 0x04ba66 B9 1E 00 00 00




# Values greater than 100 may cause population loss of 1 or less in small systems ?
# Recommended table of adjustment values between 20 and 50: (higher value = weaker comet strike)
#15  # B9 0F 00 00 00
#20  # B9 14 00 00 00     |
#25  # B9 19 00 00 00     |
#30  # B9 1E 00 00 00     |
#35  # B9 23 00 00 00     | RECOMMENDED
#40  # B9 28 00 00 00     |
#45  # B9 2D 00 00 00     |
#50  # B9 32 00 00 00     |
#55  # B9 37 00 00 00
#60  # B9 3C 00 00 00
#65  # B9 41 00 00 00
#70  # B9 32 00 00 00
#75  # B9 4B 00 00 00
#80  # B9 50 00 00 00
#85  # B9 55 00 00 00
#90  # B9 5A 00 00 00
#100 # B9 64 00 00 00

Comet_Strike_Pop_Killed_Fix.patch

(1023 Bytes) Downloaded 64 times

^ Patch file download link at the bottom of spoiler ^

Comet strike takes a value of 10, (not sure exactly what math it performs, some idiv after adding more info into ecx) but I was able to produce a desired result by adjusting the value 0A (10) to value 64 (100) and the comet strike on a 66 population system killed only 6 pop rather than 60. So there is definitely some division happening here by the value 0A which can be adjusted for better gameplay. Value 1E killed 20 of 66 pop so I am happy with this number.

I have included in the patch a range of potential values which could potentially be used. User preference. (yay, my first game fix!)

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=369&p=4992&hilit=c ... rike#p4992

botf20.jpg (234.76 KiB) Viewed 2108 times

botf23.jpg (61.42 KiB) Viewed 2108 times

[Tethys]

More screenshots

20 pop killed

botf21.jpg (269.51 KiB) Viewed 2107 times

Now that's one big comet!

botf22.jpg (239.34 KiB) Viewed 2107 times

[Flocke]

Great job! Although, I really can't celebrate that comet strike. My sorrow is with you.

[Spocks-cuddly-tribble]

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0044C666                 mov     ecx, 0Ah

In BotF system/planet current/max pop is sometimes stored times 10 (i.e. pop 60 -> 600, see system limits by Gowron).

The divisor 10 just calculates the right numbers (in this case it should be max pop of first terraformed planet, no random).

To get it right, you need to read the system's current pop related to max pop of all terraformed planets and estimate current pop of the hit planet depending on the planet/system pop ratio.

Also you should add at least one asm adr referrence in your patch codes (otherwise one must calculate hex/asm or search other modding posts to get the asm code location).

[Tethys]

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0044C666                 mov     ecx, 0Ah

In BotF system/planet current/max pop is sometimes stored times 10 (i.e. pop 60 -> 600, see system limits by Gowron).

The divisor 10 just calculates the right numbers (in this case it should be max pop of first terraformed planet, no random).

To get it right, you need to read the system's current pop related to max pop of all terraformed planets and estimate current pop of the hit planet depending on the planet/system pop ratio.

Also you should add at least one asm adr referrence in your patch codes (otherwise one must calculate hex/asm or search other modding posts to get the asm code location).

Will do, thanks for the tips

But I'm not sure I want to wipe the total population of that planet out, common sense expects there to be at least some surviving population on the far side. But I will look into it for a proper fix. This workaround seems to work for the meantime.

Edit:

(in this case it should be max pop of first terraformed planet, no random).

So you're telling me that if planet 1 is not terraformed, but planet 2 is, the comet will always hit planet 2? Or are you saying that if you first terraform planet 2, then later on terraform planet 1, and then a comet strikes, it will hit planet 2 since it was the first one terraformed? (if you knew the amount of research I do on things before asking for help you'd wonder where I even get the time to do any modding...)

[Spocks-cuddly-tribble]

So you're telling me that if planet 1 is not terraformed, but planet 2 is, the comet will always hit planet 2?

I'm not certain, the code appears like this (I was expecting random selection).

Just try to edit the code to trigger the event more often for testing:

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0044C079                 jz      loc_44C18A diffi_switch_systems -> jmp loc_44C2C5 Comet_Strike

[Tethys]

Just try to edit the code to trigger the event more often for testing:

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0044C079                 jz      loc_44C18A diffi_switch_systems -> jmp loc_44C2C5 Comet_Strike

Yes that works, but I get a comet @ Mercury every turn.. placing the trigger at

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0044C20E                 ja      loc_44C5EE invalid_eplus -> ja loc_44C2C5 Comet_Strike

seems to be more efficient, I got 2 comet strikes per turn on different systems. Very good, this should help out a bit, thank you.

Already I have gathered that the closest terraformed planet to the star is the planet that will get hit. So if you get a hit on planet 2, and then you terraform planet 1 after, planet 1 becomes the new target. If you do not terraform it, planet 2 remains the target for any future comet strike. I feel this should be randomized for planet selection, not always the first planet, but only the "inner" planets should experience comet strikes imo. Take total nr planets divide by 2 and double the remainder (0.5 > 1.0) so 9 planet system = first 5 planets potential (random) target.

(the above would be an intricate code change involving math and some new info into the registers)

As for labeling things (you can disregard comet impact strength label as I know now this is just added to esi+40), I hope at least some of what I have here is correct. From what I can tell 0A is added to the current pop and compared against the planet type being impacted, and if the current pop+0A is less than the impacted planet, KILL ENTIRE POPULATION. It seems to disregard whether other planets are terraformed even though it calls for it earlier in the sub...

labeling.jpg (444.35 KiB) Viewed 1966 times

Which means the initial patch file will actually prevent total annihilation of single planet systems as well (unintended). I think in the pop killed section is enough bytes to relocate and cmp some more values ... for (next post)

Still not sure what edx is... but I suspect its just a systInfo clone ???

[Tethys]

Maybe something like cmp edi+6Ah, 1 (# of planets = 1)

if 1 -> pop killed section

else go to 44c679 (or a new section for a reasonable comet impact value for low pop system)

This could ensure single planet systems are depopulated while preserving multi planet (terraformed) systems, and divisor 0A can remain unchanged.

cmp byte [esi+6a], 1
jz to pop killed
jmp to calculate pop loss

cmp 01 seems to massively screw things up, I had -100 billion credits and killed system kept repopulating.. onward

or

cmp byte [esi+6a], 1
jne to calculate pop
jmp to pop killed

this arrangement of code fails during second comet strike on same system

I wouldn't waste any more time on this. I can be satisfied with my original code change, even if it's not proper, it performs the desired function of NOT killing the entire population. I am interested in your gas giant/OB mod for comet strike. Perhaps I will adapt that in some way

nonworking code (which I may come back to at later date)

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44c6b7:  0x04bab7:  E9 44 05 24 00 90 90 90 90
68cc00:  0x01a2000:  80 7E 6A 01 0F 85 6F FA DB FF 89 F8 E8 6F 3B DB FF E9 6A FA DB FF

Notes:
planet pop idiv # of planets incl gas (esi+6a)
store result (register)
cmp current pop+10 to result
jnb (kill pop)
else remove some population