I really enjoy how in-depth the Earth and space economy elements of the game are. It's been a bit of a learning curve, but I think I'm getting the hang of it, bit by bit.

However I'm just completely lost when it comes to space combat. I can comfortably beat human fleets, but I have no chance against the aliens. I've imported my ship designs from my save, and tried a few matches in Skirmish, but I can't even destroy one ayy ship.

Working on advice here, I tried a line of coilgun battlecruisers moving slowly with a screen of PD/coil monitors moving fast in front of them, and some escorts, but the aliens just seem to outflank me, outrange my and PD down my coilgun shots. I've modelled their fleet after one of the surveillance fleets in-game.

Worse, I cannot do any advanced maneuvers to counter flankers beyond 'intercept course', because I find the combat interface utterly unusable, and my ships don't have enough combat acceleration anyway.

It just feels hopeless. I want to progress the story and earth, but the space combat is a big blocker.

If the Earth game is viewed as pointless after you get to space and your nations are only 'MC farms', then what's the point of having all the complex mechanics for earth at all? Is it just a trap to lure in map painter sandbox builders like me and then cruelly pull the rug away by locking progression behind this overwhelming space combat mechanic?

Context:

• It's the late 2030s and aliens are fielding surveillance fleets with 500+ fleet strength
• I have up to lancers and battleships as ship types
• I have ion PDs and coilguns, as well as Zeus missiles and am working on green lasers
• I am on the cusp of fusion, but it's so slow. So I only have diana superheavies and grid drives

Looking for help with using (many many) gradient maps and a multiply layer to render!

I currently render with the folllowing set up:

1. Linework
2. Gradient Maps (dozens, cut out to individual elements)
3. Opaque Multiply Layer (for rendering, other render layers are here too)
4. Base Values (greyscale, the lightest value each element can be)
5. Background

This takes a lot of time cutting out the gradient maps to the shapes of the individual elements of a piece, which I already do for the base values basically.

I was wondering if I could cut out time by instead using this:

1. Linework
2. Opaque Multiply Layer
3. Element Groups (e.g. skin, metal, wood, cloth colour 1, etc.)
   1. Gradient Map
   2. Base Value
4. Backer (one value, to ensure there aren't holes)
5. Background

https://preview.redd.it/7mcsqxrqii7h1.png?width=774&format=png&auto=webp&s=327a4c272ac55beae14e386328bd612d580a124c

However, I'm not sure how to set up the layers so that the shading / Multiply layer adopts the colours of the individual gradient maps.

Am I barking completely up the wrong tree? Is there a better way to do this?

I'd be grateful for any advice people can offer!

I am trying to install Pandora Behaviour Engine, but am getting an 'Preload failed' error.

Background

I have followed several guides, and thought I had installed it properly. I am using MO2.

I have manually set the game location to the Steam path in the Edit Executable area. This is not in Program Files, it is on a separate SSD in D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition.

I am not using, and have never installed Nemesis or FNIS.

As suggested by guides, I have clicked 'Create files in mod instead of overwrite' and made an empty mod called 'Pandora Output' for any outputs.

Details

When I run the executable and click the play button, I get this error:

Engine launched with configuration: Skyrim SE/AE. Do not exit before the launch is finished.
Waiting for preload to finish...
Error: Preload failed. See logs for details.

The error log returns this:

INFO : Detected launcher: ModOrganizer
DEBUG : No Skyrim path in command line args.
INFO : Found valid Skyrim 'Data' directory at: D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data
WARN : Settings file missing or invalid. Assigning priorities alphanumerically.
INFO : Mod settings applied successfully.
INFO : Successfully split TemplateAnimSetData into individual entries.
FATAL : Unexpected error while loading tracked projects from vanilla_projectpaths.txt
ERROR : Preload failed: System.ArgumentException: An item with the same key has already been added. Key: 
   at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.TryInsert(TKey key, TValue value, InsertionBehavior behavior)
   at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.Add(TKey key, TValue value)
   at Pandora.Models.Patch.Skyrim64.ProjectManager.LoadProject(String projectFilePath)
   at Pandora.Models.Patch.Skyrim64.ProjectManager.LoadProjects(List`1 projectPaths)
   at Pandora.Models.Patch.Skyrim64.ProjectManager.LoadTrackedProjects()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunFromThreadPoolDispatchLoop(Thread threadPoolThread, ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunFromThreadPoolDispatchLoop(Thread threadPoolThread, ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.ExecuteWithThreadLocal(Task& currentTaskSlot, Thread threadPoolThread)
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at Pandora.Models.Patch.Skyrim64.Format.Nemesis.NemesisAssembler.LoadResourcesAsync()
   at Pandora.Models.Patch.Skyrim64.SkyrimPatcher.PreloadAsync()
   at Pandora.Models.BehaviourEngine.PreloadAsync()
   at Pandora.ViewModels.EngineViewModel.PreloadEngineAsync()
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.
ERROR : Error while waiting for preload.

Has anyone dealt with this before and know a fix?
Any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

I don't think my modlist is relevant for this query, but I can provide it if needed.

Thank you for your time.