I always include this mod when I play. Just curious if your planning any improvements or updating?

http://imgur.com/a/rhfto

Screenshots of a test run I've been doing with Galactic Ambitions tech unlocked (My empire is the light blue down the bottom right. This is with 8 systems owned. http://imgur.com/a/pj7nO

To alter the Dyson Sphere placement rules go to the file 01_dyson_sphere.txt in common>megastructures and look for this section:

placement_rules = {
planet_possible = {
custom_tooltip = {
fail_text = "must_build_around_star"
is_star = yes
}
custom_tooltip = {
fail_text = "requires_no_anomaly"
NOT = { has_anomaly = yes }
}
custom_tooltip = {
fail_text = "requires_no_existing_megastructure"
NOT = { solar_system = { has_any_megastructure = yes } }
}
custom_tooltip = {
fail_text = "requires_no_orbital_station"
has_orbital_station = no
}
}
}

Delete the following from above

custom_tooltip = {
fail_text = "requires_no_orbital_station"
has_orbital_station = no
}

My current test settings are as follows:
BORDER_BASE_RADIUS = 1.75 in my defines file.
In the 00_utilities.txt I've altered the border_extrusion_range.

utility_component_template = {
key = "BORDER_EXTRUDER_1"
size = medium
icon = "GFX_ship_part_border_extruder_1"
icon_frame = 1
power = 0
cost = 2
border_extrusion_range = 3
class_restriction = { shipclass_outpost_station }

component_set = "border_extruders"

ai_weight = {
weight = 1
}

upgrades_to = "BORDER_EXTRUDER_2"
}

I am also testing with sensor ranges as well, (current defines setting is COLONY_SENSOR_RANGE = 20.0). I have not looked into AI distance checking on borders or frontier outposts yet.

My current settings that I am testing with are designed for maps that are 1k+ stars. The only real issue I've encountered with my new settings, is that megastructures like Dyson Sphere's can only be built around stars within your border, and they cannot be built around stars that have frontier outposts already on them. I was sort of hoping that they would act like a frontier outpost tbh. The only solution I've come up so far is to allow Dyson Sphere's to be built around stars that have frontier outposts around them.

@Norwood06

I am not certain what radius I used originally in this mod; don't have it on my pc anymore and I have recently been using a new range for myself and am testing out different sizes on playthroughs to try and find something that is comfortable.

But I can help you there. Firstly, I never altered the AI's distance choices, at least I'm pretty sure that I didn't lol.

Frontier outpost border ranges are not affected by the range that is in the defines file.

It's range is affected by the stats in 00_utilities.txt, in common>component_templates. Just open up that file and do a search for BORDER_EXTRUDER_1 and then under this, look for a line that says border_extrusion_range =

I did finally find the outpost lines (OPTIMAL_OUTPOST_DISTANCE = 3000 # Range from borders ED will build outpost (square distance); OUTPOST_STATION_RANGE = 400 # AI consider outpost station to be able to extrude border about this far; OUTPOST_STATION_DISTANCE_MAX = 2500 # AI consideres station in neighboring system if square distance is higher than this value from a colony). hoping these and the AI diplomacy distance checks didn't require modification!

Hey Skud- thanks for making this mod. I haven't had a chance to try it yet (only found it after 1.5). I've been looking in the defines file to replicate it. I get that you're doing other things, but would you be willing to share what you reduced BORDER_BASE_RADIUS to? (it's showing the default as 15). Also, did you find that BORDERING_DISTANCE and RELEVANT_DISTANCE needed to be changed to keep the AI from viewing the player as too far away to be relevant? Also I didn't see a line for frontier station border range, I guess that's rolled into the base radius...

Any news on an update of this awesome mod?

I'll wait, I've been on a modding binge, haven't really played much of 1.5/1.51 yet. This mod is particularly crucial when playing 5000+ star galaxies so every starting civ doesn't have a hundred stars within its territory...

And I completely agree. I don't think I can go back to the vanilla border scale anymore lol.

I'll take a look at the new format for 1.5 (only just updated about an hour ago) and get onto it. In the mean time, if you want to make the changes yourself to your own game until then, all that was changed was the border scale in the defines file, as well as the border addition that frontier outposts add.

Any chance you'll update this for the 1.51 beta patch? Really not a fan of vanilla borders anymore ;)

They are certainly arrogant but I like to see the galaxy map in the same way that the map in Elite Dangerous is presented; very, very big. I view the few stars available in the map are just the significant locations in the galaxy rather than all of the stars in said galaxy. As such I consider the border size that the Fallen Empires have to still be quite large.

Also I view their arrogance as a product of their technological power, not their border size, but that's just me. I might make another version at some point that will boost their border reach in the future though.

Maybe have it so Fallen Empires start out with the same amount of territory as before? It looks kinda weird to have their borders so small, considering how arrogant and powerful they are. I really like this mod by the way!

I did not. I'll think about adding it in if it turns out to be too bad.

Did you reduce or eliminate the upkeep cost for frontier stations? Otherwise, all empires would seem to be limited in terms of resources to the luck of the draw in systems they inhabit unless you want to commit influence suicide and not expand anymore.