The Maelstrom mod is now available in two series, Standard Series and the Expansion Series
The Expansion Mod includes a new Capitalship known as a Dreadnought. A Dreadnought is a very large and powerful Capitalship that once at level six or beyond can be upgraded into a Super-Dreadnought. All six races have Dreadnought Capitalships. Dreadnought's are automatically and repeatedly built by a special Dreadnought factory ... only one unique factory is made available for each player at the start of the game.
Also included are more aggressive Pirates with Capitalships, capable of colonizing, and a pirate carrier cruiser. Finally beware of dangerous asteroids which fill the gravity well of various planets, they can severely damage fleets through collisions.
The new release also sees further optimization in both memory footprint and speed. Attention was also given to re-balancing, though this process is not complete. Also you will find new content and rework of some old assets.
For contributions in testing and concepts I would like to thank ...
ICEman, Quiet_Man, Chemical_Art, Volgun, doomser1 and many others
For mod optimization special thanks to ...
The Sins Optimization Project (TSOP)
The major changes in Release 3 are as follows ...
Graphics
- TradeAlliance: fixed missing UI crusier button for TA - Diplomacy
- All: updated build UI icons (capital, cruisers, frigates) for new races
Gameplay
- TradeAlliance: bomber/fighter can all fire
- TradeAlliance: capital carrier firing corrected
- Norlamins: cosmic ray collector now has planetary shield ability
- General: 'Dangerous Asteroids' collide with one another, mitlia and pirates
- General: Original Sins Maelstrom mod no longer crashes on exit - number of unique texture files reduced
Balance
- TradeAlliance: light frigate slot count increased from 5 to 6
- TradeAlliance: reduced number of strike craft for ability "Strike Force" for Carriers and Capitals
- Norlamins: backed off shield mitigation in culture and shield mitigation research.
- Replicators: back off research. maximum level for any research area is 2.
- All: reduced scouts firepower for all new races
- General: reduced number of mines for E & D, Stars have max of 100 mines, Planets 50, Home Planets 150.
- General: reduced trade bonus for "Planet of Legend"
Research
- Replicators: added research for Cybernetics Factory
- Replicators: added research for Nanite Plant
- Replicators: added research for Orbital Cannon
- Replicators: added research for Antimatter Recharger
Bugfix
- General: 'Dangerous Asteroids' do damage on collisions
- General: some particle impact effects fixed
- TradeAlliance: Diplomacy ... Starbases no longer move
- Norlamins: Diplomacy ... Starbases no longer move
Models
- All: 42 new orbital structures with new hud, mainview, info, picture icons.
- All: Dreadnoughts included for 6 races, new models for the original races
- All: Dreadnought Factory included for 6 races, new models for all races
- Replicators: added Antimodule cruisers for Replicators
- Replicators: added Orbital Cannon Structure for Replicators
- Replicators: added Orbital Antimatter Recharger Structure for Replicators
- Replicators: added Orbital Cybernetics Factory Structure for Replicators
- Replicators: added Orbital Nanite Plant Structure for Replicators
- Replicators: deleted Orbital Production Factory for Replicators
- Replicators: Added Trade ship for Replicators
- Replicators: Added Refinery ship for Replicators
- Norlamins: Deleted Orbital Planetary Shield for Norlamins
- Norlamins: added Antimodule cruisers for Norlamins
- TradeAlliance: bomber/fighter tangents fixed
- General: Reworked Planet Ancients
- General: Reworked Planet Fortified
Optimization
- General: textures for planet modules optimized
- General: sound files sizes further optimized
I love this mod! One of the best, if not THE best mods for sins. I hope that as I look forward to future developments of Maelstrom, perhaps a doubling of the fleet and supply capacities and a few of the new alien ships don't have a high level of detail as well as the others...but no matter, the best mod and playing it now!
Glad you are enjoying the mod.
"perhaps a doubling of the fleet and supply capacities"
The fleet capacity was halves in R2. The reason for this is to help with mid to late game slowdown. You just can't have everything i.e 6 races and huge fleets. Have a look at R1 if you wish large fleet sizes.
"a few of the new alien ships don't have a high level of detail"
The fleet models will all be reworked in a future release.
but with the next update of sins it could be possible to have larger fleet sizes on higher end machines :)
Yes, but for Diplomacy only.
I saw a planet made up out of electric cubes on the menu, what is it, what does it do and how do I get it :D also you seem to have added allot of BSG stuff, nice but why do they have robot voices? and these "Ancients" are they the Stargate Ancients? if not you could rename them to "The Creators" or "The Elders" and if possible add them as a faction.
Hi Ori`verda,
"I saw a planet made up out of electric cubes on the menu, what is it, what does it do and how do I get it"
That is a Dyson swarm planet, every version of the mod has it. It has huge pop, logistic and health.
"also you seem to have added allot of BSG stuff, nice but why do they have robot voices?"
The Trade Alliance has BSG ship models. The Replicators have 'robot voices'
"and these "Ancients" are they the Stargate Ancients?"
No, all planet relics (which you find by exploring a planet) are made by the Ancients.
The Maelstrom mod as it is is pushing the hardcoded limits of Sins, so I can't add much more i.e a new race, that is without taking things out.
Ah I see, thanks for the reply.