Our adventures on Aldebaran

[Darsnan]

This thread is dedicated to discussions on Smacksim's SMAX mod "Aldebaran", and is meant to serve as a feedback forum for ideas, questions, and general knowledge base for the Aldebaran mod.
Enjoy!

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[Darsnan]

This post reserved for future hyperlinks such as the backstory, tech trees, help manuals, etc.


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[Darsnan]

This post reserved to create a FAQ list and their answers from the "experts".....


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[Darsnan]

I am playing as Gaians on a huge planet with lots of native life and approximately 50% land. Research is blind.
Upon PlanetFall I found myself on the slopes of Mt Apolyton. MY is currently 2357 and I have explored every corner of my landmass which measures approximately 9 x 11 squares, and is almost completely square ( ).
I am getting a tech every 6 years and am currently trying to get the level 2 tech "Illicit Controls" so that I can build probes. I then plan on beelining for the level 4 tech "Quasi Autonomy" so that I can build crawlers. Probably gonna be hit and miss for a while tech-wise, considering its blind research.
SP-wise the Lovers have built the Dozer Factory, and are building the Net hack Terminus. The Nauticons are building the Field Institute.
I've also gotten contract with the Drones who have given me the Nauticons map. This shows their explored land masses to be also rather square in nature. Observation: is the square seeming landmasses just an anomoly for this game, or is this by design?
More updates later this evening - gotta give up the computer for a while....

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[smacksim]

Could you post the factions you are playing? Are they super AI or just regular AI? And no, the landmasses shouldn't be square. A fluke perhaps? You are brave to go with blind research.

(Edit: Note to self: Update the readme to include the beta testers: Darsnan, #endgame, Chaunk, GeoModder, khslinky, and the original crew from Aldebaran-1)

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim
Could you post the factions you are playing? Are they super AI or just regular AI?

Consciousness
Gaians (me)
Drones
Nauticons
Lovers
Caretakers
Usurpers



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[Darsnan]

In my 2nd game of Aldebaran I was attacked by Locusts in MY 2372 (which is 72 years into the game!). Can anyone beat that in regular SMAC(X)?

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[smacksim]

Originally posted by Darsnan
In my 2nd game of Aldebaran I was attacked by Locusts in MY 2372 (which is 72 years into the game!). Can anyone beat that in regular SMAC(X)?
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Wanna know how that happend? It's a bit of a spoiler for this thread, which is more geared to players than designers.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim

Wanna know how that happend?

No - don't spoil it for me!

In my 2nd game of Aldebaran it is now MY2431 and I am slowly losing. I had gone for a Builder/ Explorer mode, but being right in the middle of the map why I was in the crosshairs of several agressor nations, including the Nauticons and the Caretakers. While the Nauticons distracted me with reams of Missile Frigates why the Caretakers launched an amphibious landing which I couldn't repel! I am now thinking about surrendering to the Caretakers just so I can take care of the Nauticons!

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[Darsnan]

I'm still in my 2nd game, having stuck it out, with the MY currently being 2489. I've repelled the Caretaker invasion of my home island by first giving in to their demands for techs, then waiting until Global Warming submerged one of their captured cities and then I counterattacked, taking back my two remaining captured cities!
I also probe raped and tech traded away until I go air power, but now my research rate is 16 turns!
The Nauticons (Smacksim's aquatic Faction) are running away with this one. I think I assumed that they would act like the Pirates and simply clog up the waterways. Instead they have consistentl expanded their empire, first at my expense, and now at the expense of the Caretakers and Lovers. The Usurpers went down fighting to the Lovers as well. I haven't done any social engineering changes because I don't like the options given for the Gaians in how I am trying to play them.
Right now I am trying to regain my infrastructure that was devastated by the Caretaker and Nauticon invasions. I am churning out lots of crawlers and trying to make my cities bigger, however the Nauticons already have 33 nutrient satelites! I am never going to rest back control of the Governorship if this keeps up!


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[o-o]

where can I get the graphics zip/files for aldebaran?

the download and email here doesnt work:
http://www.geocities.com/alde_baron/

thanks

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by o-o
where can I get the graphics zip/files for aldebaran?

Hi o-o,

you can get them here . Just follow the directions.


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[o-o]

Can you show me the specific link for Aldebaran (not Aldebaran 2) graphic files (or complete mod)

I dont see it there , just Aldebaran 2 and the link that had the 'not-found' download

thanks

[Chaunk]

Try this file from this post.

[smacksim]

Aldebaran 2 works for Smac and Smax, btw. There is really no need to track down Aldebaran 1. The Smac side of things is nearly unchanged from Aldebaran 1. It could use updating, which will happen when we're happy with the Smax version. Thanks for the link-backs Chaunk, D.

[o-o]

Is Aldebaran 2 as complete/bug-free as Aldebaran 1 (and useable with SMAC without SMAX) at this point?

thanks

[smacksim]

Yes. It's much further along than Aldebaran-1 ever was. The caveat is that I've only tested it with Smac for a few hours. But most of the Smac stuff is the same as Aldebaran-1. At this point, the Smac version and Smax version are actually quite different to play. The tech trees and other alpha-text stuff has diverged widely. My plan is to bring the Smac version closer to the Smax version, but it should be quite playable as it is.

-=Smack=-