Removed by hubris of new ACS administration.
Last edited by Illuminatus; May 1, 2009 at 05:23.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
56) Q: What is the maximum base population?
A: 127
If you add a pod to a 127 population base, the base will show 128 for that turn only. On the next turn, it will show -127. On the following turn, -126.
For all other methods of growth, the game acts as if the base grew to 128 and then was reset to 127.
(57)
Q: How can I search the SMAC archives?
A: It is currently not possible to search the archives. However, Minute Mirage collected lots of interesting threads from the archives. His post may be found here.
EDIT: Effective 1/18/2009, it is possible to search the SMAC archives. However, Minute Mirage's index is still very useful.
Last edited by Petek; January 18, 2009 at 18:02.
"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."
-- Kosh
58)
Q: Will SMAC(X) work with Windows Vista?
A:
From the EA Helpsite :Note: I personally do not have Vista yet and so cannot vouch for this. If anyone does have experience with Vista please let us know if this works or not.This game was created before Windows Vista was released. Unfortunately Electronic Arts cannot guarantee compatibility with Windows Vista for all games.
If you are having problems running a game, and you think it is related to compatibility with Windows Vista, you can try to get the game to work by running it in Compatibility Mode.
Right Click on the games desktop shortcut icon and choose Properties.
In the Properties Panel, click the CompatibilityTab.
Place a check in the Compatibility Mode checkbox.
Choose Windows XP (Service Pack 2) In the mode box.
Click Apply to save your changes.
Please note that this will only make the game run in Compatibility Mode if you click on the shortcut that you set compatibility mode for. All other shortcut icons (such as in your start menu) will have to have this changes made as well.
D
And if Dale DOES choose self exile, then 'poly just lost another one of their star gaming contributors, and that's a pity, since this is still a gaming site.
-=Vel=-
59)
Q: I cannot install SMAC on my Windows XP system. What should I do to fix this problem?
A: See questions #40 and #45 in this FAQ. Also, the following threads describe other techniques that fixed installation problems:
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=110406
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=127344
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=133326
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=134157
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=151008
"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."
-- Kosh
60)
Q: Can I run SMAC(X) in windowed mode?
A: Yes, you can using a third party Japanese program D3DWindower.
Download link: http://www.geocities.jp/menopem/D3DWindower.lzh
English version: http://www.dungeondelve.net/_files/f...werenglish.rar
Usage:
On the main window press "+" to add executable or it's shortcut.
Go into settings and enter the window height and width - should be the same as the game resolution.
Then select the last tab (Direct Input) and check two bottom boxes - Cursor Clip and GetCursorPos.
Return to main window and press ">" to activate windowed mode.
Launch the game.
Last edited by xalien; October 2, 2007 at 05:03.
(61)
Q: Can I run SMAC/X in higher resolutions (EG: Widescreen formats)?
A: Yes, by switching the alpha centauri.ini option 'directdraw' to 0.
NOTE: This is only really workable in Alien Crossfire; using terran.exe with this solution will result in borked game menus and is rather unpleasant!
Look in the .ini file to see if the line 'directdraw=' exists. If it doesn't, insert it under the [Alpha Centauri] header (not [Preferences]). Set the flag to '0': 'directdraw=0'. Save the file, and open Terranx.exe . The game will run at your desktop's resolution, including widescreen.
I read in the OP above that this will render ALT+TAB useless as nothing will be visible: I'm pleased to report that this isn't the case at least on my setup, although I'm running Windows Vista with Nvidia drivers and that problem may be peculiar to previous versions/other video drivers...
Source: Widescreen Gaming Forums
62) Q: How can I add armor or abilities to alien colony pods without crashing the game?
A: (Tested for both XP and Mac) Replace ACOLPOD.cvr (for PC, located in the main SMAC folder, and for Mac, located in the Caviar folder in the Add-On Data folder) with a copy of drop.cvr (for PC, located in the main SMAC folder, and for Mac, located in the Caviar folder in the Data folder) that has been renamed ACOLPOD.cvr.
Source: Gremnon, http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=176138
Last edited by vyeh; May 29, 2008 at 17:53.
63) Will Alien Crossfire work with Windows Vista 32-bit?
A: Yes it will, when doing the following:
1. Install Alpha Centauri from the CD as normal (but right-click the setup and select "Run as Administrator").
2. Install the SMACP4E.EXE patch from the Firaxis site (but right-click the setup and select "Run as Administrator"). NOTE: I don't know if this is needed, but that's what I did.
3. Install Alien Crossfire from the CD as normal (but right-click the setup and select "Run as Administrator").
4. Install the SMACXPV2.EXE patch (but right-click the setup and select "Run as Administrator").
5. Drag an icon onto the desktop to launch Alien Crossfire from the Start button list.
6. Right-click to change the properties. Enable Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode (compatibility tab) and make sure you run it as administrator (Shortcut tab under the Advanced button).
7. Double-click the icon and AC starts up.
NOTE: Screen resolution can be set if so wished by changing the Alpha Centauri ini file as stipulated elsewhere (Set DirectDraw to 0) and this will work, even for a wide screen (like mine).
McLaine
64)
Q: Can modified terran.exe and terranx.exe files be posted?
A: Yes, as long as do not incorporate hacks that bypass copy protection laws (i.e. no-cd cracks).
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
65)
Q. When I try to run SMAX I receive the error message "Terranx.exe is not a valid win32 application". How can I fix this problem?
A. The copy of terranx.exe on your hard drive may be corrupt. Copy the file terranx.exe from the CD to the appropriate location on your hard drive. If that doesn't work, start a new thread in the AC General forum.
66)
Q. I successfully installed SMAX, but the program won't run. I don't receive a specific error message. How can I fix this problem?
A. Look through this FAQ for possible solutions. In particular, you might want to try the fix mentioned in the previous FAQ item.
Right. There will be an overhaul of the FAQ thread (and others if I find will and time) as forum software upgrade got rid of expanded character limit for Plus users and thus it is impossible for me to edit previous posts (they exceed 20 000 character limit). Comments are welcome.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
Removed by hubris of new ACS administration.
Last edited by Illuminatus; May 1, 2009 at 05:26.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
Removed by hubris of new ACS administration.
Last edited by Illuminatus; May 1, 2009 at 05:26.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
Removed by hubris of new ACS administration.
Last edited by Illuminatus; May 1, 2009 at 05:25.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
I'll leave this compilation up for comments and suggestion until middle of next week. This thread will remain for FAQ and forum comments. Considering we have 65 items, perhaps we should rearrange questions per topics (trouble installing, modding, game mechanics) for easier use?
Last edited by Illuminatus; March 13, 2009 at 12:10.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
I'll post more detailed comments later. For now, I agree with the idea to breakdown the FAQ into separate topics. Here's a proposed outline:
Introduction
Terms, Abbreviations and Acronyms
Troubleshooting
- Installation Issues
- Post-installation Issues
Patches
Modding
Game Mechanics
- Ecodamage
Miscellaneous
However, one disadvantage to this idea is that future additions to the FAQ will have to be manually incorporated into the body. Probably wouldn't have to be done more than once a year, or so.
Petek
"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."
-- Kosh
It seems that this thread has lost it's stickyness - that is probably a bad thing.
Originally Posted by xalien
Thank you xalien!
What do we need to enter in the command line box and dll box? Or is nothing necessary there?
Do we have to launch the game from that device, or can we continue as before, from our favourite short cut?
Also, do we need to add any lines in the alphacentauri.ini file?
This is my "fault", I destickied it to bring it towards attention of regulars.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
Comments on revised FAQ:
1) Q: Where are some general sites of SMAC/X interest?
Since CGN no longer has much traffic, I suggest replacing the reference to it with:
"The SMAC Acadamy at CGN (Civ Gaming Network) contains many interesting articles. It may be found here:
http://www.civgaming.net/smac/academy.shtml"
I also suggest adding:
"Civ Fanatics hosts another active forum for discussion of Alpha Centauri:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27"
Items 2), 26), 27), 28), 29), 35), and 41) all refer to patches. I suggest that they be consolidated into a single subsection as follows:
PATCHES
*) Q. Where can I find all the patches for SMAC and SMAX?
A.The following Firaxis page contains all the patches, plus other files of interest:
http://www.firaxis.com/games/downloads.php
*) Q. What is the latest patch for SMAC?
A. The SMAC Win 2000/XP Update, which will update SMAC to version 5.0.
*) Q. What is the latest patch for SMAX?
A. Alien Crossfire v2.0 update.
*) Q. For both SMAC and SMAX, do I need to install patches that came out earlier than the above?
A. No, you only need to install the latest patch.
*) Q. I'm running a pre-Windows 2000 version of Windows. Do I need to install the SMAC Win 2000/XP Update?
A. Technically no. However, you should install the patch to take advange of several undocumented fixes (see elsewhere in the FAQ for a description), or if you play multiplayer games in which the other players have patched to version 5.0
*) Q. What were the most important fixes in the SMAX 2.0 patch?
A. In prior versions of Alien Crossfire, base facility upkeep was incorrectly computed at Thinker and Transcend Difficulty. At Thinker, base upkeep was reduced to 2/3 it's correct value, so a Hologram Theater (for example) would only require 2 ECs in upkeep. At Transcend, base upkeep was reduced to 1/3, so the same Hologram Theatre would only cost 1 EC each turn. Once the SMAX 2.0 patch is applied, all upkeep costs are identical at all difficulty levels, and match those in the online documentation.
Also, the patch fixed a problem in which certain factions couldn't pop boom during a Golden Age.
*) Q. What was changed in SMAC by the SMAC Win 2000/XP Update?
A. The patch fixed problems running SMAC on certain systems running Windows 2000 or XP. The patch also corrected problems with maintenance costs and pop booms, the same as mentioned in the previous item. Finally, the patch removed the requirement to have the SMAC CD in the drive when starting the game.
See the file named SMAC_XP2000_readme.txt in your game folder for more information.
The following comments are not intended to be included in the FAQ:
NOTE: This corrects the information in current item 29) by removing the reference to SMAX. The SMAC Win 2000/XP Update has no effect on SMAX.
NOTE: I've used *) as placeholders for the item numbers.
More comments to follow.
Petek
"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."
-- Kosh
The first paragraph of item 10) is outdated. It comes from a time in which the standard screen resolution was 640x480 and users wanted to run the game in higher resolutions. I suggest eliminating the first paragraph of the answer and editing the second paragraph to read:
A. You may add the line DirectDraw=0 (or change DirectDraw=1 to DirectDraw=0) to Alpha Centauri.ini (and remove any Video Mode= lines). This setting will force the game to run at your native Windows resolution, including widescreen monitors. However, this technique works best with SMAX.
Item 36):
Does the line "As of right now, I have no idea how to change the reactor setting for 'predesigned units'." belong here?
Item 37): The reference to item 12) needs to be updated to item 1) (or whatever it eventually ends up as).
Item 44): In line 2 of the answer, "following" is misspelled, and the next line "quote:" should be removed.
Item 45): Change the answer to
A: Search for the file autoexec.nt on your hard drive (it might be found in C:\WINDOWS\REPAIR) and copy to C:\WINDOWS\System32.
Remove the reference to XP SP2.
Item 55): For consistency, the last line in the answer should be preceded by "B: ".
Item 57): Change to:
Q: Are the SMAC archives indexed?
A: Although the SMAC archives may be searched the same as any other forum, minute mirage prepared this useful partial index to the archives:
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...37#post3991837
Item 61): This may be deleted, since the information is available in other items.
That's all for now. Let me know if you want any comments on dividing the FAQ into topics.
Petek
"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."
-- Kosh
Looks excellent as always Petek.
I'll add it to my to-do list for this weekend.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
I've put up stickied version of the new thread. There were various other changes as well. If you feel I have omitted something or failed to notice someone's comments point it out.
Comments would be more than welcome, and it would be great if you could test hyperlinks.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
Removed by hubris of new ACS administration.
Last edited by Illuminatus; May 1, 2009 at 05:25.
SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw
You are correct about Fuel Nanocells and Algorithmic Enhancement being omitted as well (and sorry about being unclear in my PM - I misinterpreted what you were asking). The following would be the correct format:
10000000000000000000000000000 Algorithmic Enhancement
01000000000000000000000000000 Fuel Nanocells
00100000000000000000000000000 Marine Detachment
These lines would be added above Disassociative Wave in item 30 of the FAQ.
D
And if Dale DOES choose self exile, then 'poly just lost another one of their star gaming contributors, and that's a pity, since this is still a gaming site.
-=Vel=-
# 57) Q: The program doesn't act as described in the manual.
A: Most programs doesn't do such, though, if you look here, you'll find a number of bugs, quirks, and undocumented features. Note that it isn't a full list and that you are welcome to add not mentioned issues.
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=181950
Addition to question 44) Q: How can you starve a base to death? How do you reduce a base pop size to 1?
"If you are playing at citizen or specialist level, building a colony pod will not eliminate the base. You can starve the base by homing one or more supply crawlers to the base and conveying nutrients to another base. For more information, go here."
Last edited by vyeh; June 22, 2009 at 19:00.
need to change a link in the first post
http://www.firaxis.com/smac/ is 403 forbidden
http://www.firaxis.com/games/game_detail.php?gameid=7 works
Gaius Mucius Scaevola Sinistra
Japher: "crap, did I just post in this thread?"
"Bloody hell, Lefty.....number one in my list of persons I have no intention of annoying, ever." Bugs ****ing Bunny
From a 6th grader who readily adpated to internet culture: "Pay attention now, because your opinions suck"
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