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Version 1.1 (07-20-2016)
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UPDATE:

It appears the coding for 00_country_types.txt is not very flexible. This is probably the number one reason for incompatibilities between ship mods and I don't think there is a way around it. If other mods modify this file, then it is inherently incompatible with each other. Can't say whose country file will override all others but I think the game loads files in an alphabetical manner so modders using filenames like zz_00_country... will probably emerge on top. This file defines AI build actions so if you are OK with AIs not being able to build these classes, then good for you.

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Version 1.1 (07-20-2016)
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Added modified 00_country_types.txt to allow AIs to build custom ships (feedback on spawn ratios welcome). Unfortunately, doing so negatively impacts compatibility for other mods that modify/use it. I am testing a new implementation and I will upload/update as soon as I am done.

Partial fix for death sync animations for 4-section ships. Added explosion particles for ship sections, randomized chances so explosions won't all look the same. Unfortunately, the death animation (movement down, sections breaking up) are tied to the frame mesh. This mod forces the sections to a specific position to make it possible to have 4-sections but it also overrides position information from the animation. This is the best I can do short of modifying/creating meshes. I will still try, but no promises.

Corrected typo error with localization folder which was causing naming issues.

AI/autobuild still stubbornly refuses to fill in the special utility slots. If anyone knows how to do this, I would appreciate some feedback. :)

just wanted to upload for the heck of it

minor updates

minor updates

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Version 1.0 (initial release)
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This is my first attempt at modding.

There are a lot of mods out there that add new ships. Some I find quite good, others I find excessive (too many turrents, too much shield/armor/power). My goal was to do the same while maintaining a more realistic aesthetic and gameplay that is hopefully in line with current section/ship game design goals.

This mod adds 3 new ship classes, two of those are 4-section ships:

- Support Cruiser
- Battlecruiser (new 4-section ship class using cruiser hull as base)
- Dreadnought (new 4-section ship class using battleship hull as base)



NEW SHIP CLASSES:

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Support Cruiser:
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The objective is make the special utility slots (nanobot, shield dampener, etc) more useful. This ship class is a standard 3-section cruiser hull with beefed-up power capacity so it can fit 2 special utility slots. The idea is to have a support/logistics ship that will support/repair damaged fleet ships and/or conduct e-war against enemy ships.

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Battlecruiser:
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There is a big jump between a cruiser and a battleship in almost every aspect, including availability from early/mid to mid/late game. This ship class attempts to bridge the gap. This ship class is based on a cruiser hull but with 4 sections. The result is a ship that packs more punch than a cruiser but not as heavy as a battleship.

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Dreadnought:
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Accomplishes a similar jump in capabilities much like a cruiser > battlecruiser. This ship class is based on a battleship hull but with 4 sections. Certain avian and mammalian section combinations are sexy as hell. :) 5-bay carriers? No problem. Long-range artillery (8 large guns), got you covered. Lastly, you can now use that special utility slot without sacrificing a lot (unlike the battleship), thanks to the extra power capacity provided by the 4th section. Or, you can entirely use support cruisers for that instead so you can focus on offensive/defensive modules.



BALANCE:

I tried to minimize changes as much as possible, but there are some changes to accommodate the features I had in mind. For 4-section ships, I tried to remain faithful to the section designs. So aside from adding a section and a little tweak here and there, I believe everything should be relatively balanced.

A special note for support cruisers. I intentionally designed support cruisers to have only one look for each race so that it will be easier to spot. The idea is so one can make an informed decision before engaging an enemy fleet who may have support cruisers mixed in. The buffs/debuffs support cruisers provide may provide that decisive edge in winning a battle. At the moment, I am not sure if the effects stack up. Any feedback would be welcome. :)



KNOWN ISSUES:

Since I am utilizing existing meshes/models and the way these sections mesh with one another, the intersections between some meshes/models (avian and molluscoid for example), are not very seemless. Wherever possible, I tried to minimize this by positioning the meshes certain ways, including flipping some sections over so that turrets don't get covered by the overlapping geometry. I am particularly not very happy with how the molluscoid battlecruiser turned out but I guess it is better than removing certain section combinations for the sake of visual fidelity. Anyway, the turrets still work even if located in the bottom while the rest looks ok to me.

I used custom names for all the files so I do not see any incompatibilities unless other modders use the same filenames/ship class names I use. My testing so far does not reveal any issues. Take note that if you disable this mod, those ships will be replaced with a placeholder that may or may not function properly. Since AIs can autobuild these designs, keep that in mind when disabling/uninstalling this mod.

Still trying to figure out how to sync death animations for 4-section ships.



IMPORTANT NOTE:

I neither plan to do extensive bug testing, nor do I plan to maintain this mod on a regular basis. As such, my other goal for this mod is to demonstrate to the community that 4-section ships are quite possible. Also, in a few of the screenshots, I have shown a command dreadnought design I am working on that shows that it is not only possible to do 4-section ships, more sections/turrets can be added that one can position and rotate in any way a modder desires. This allows for a more "realistic" aesthetic for ship designs with a lot of guns instead of merely piling those turrets one on top of the other. Maybe it is just me, but it breaks the realism for me.



INDIVIDUAL SHIP CLASSES:

Realistic Ships - Support Cruiser: http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=725654318
Realistic Ships - Battlecruiser: http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=725596263
Realistic Ships - Dreadnought: http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=725596340


Command Dreadnought (WIP):

http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=725715374


Screenshots above were taken with EDFX enabled for Stellaris:

http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=728314078


Feel free to use the files in any of my mods for any of your projects, a little note in your mod for me would be nice. :)

Thank you for looking.