Would Need CNM

[Eldramatico]

That seems great

[bdanv]

That seems great

ok. we have the final setup now.

i have Monty's password, but nothing from Elian, so he will set his password when he will be playing the first turn.

also, you should know that factions from the same team will be pacted from the start of the game and will have the comm freqs to be able to contact each other. you won't contact the opposite team till you actually meet in-game though.

                                | Elian| Elian| Elian| Monty| Monty|
Factions                        |Angels|Morgan|  Hive| Univ.|Drones|
Starting positions       |      | 82,82| 18,82| 69,51| 82,18| 18,18|
Colony pods              |      |    2 |    2 |    2 |    2 |    2 |
Scout patrol             |      |    1 |    1 |    1 |    1 |    1 |
Probe team               |      |    1 |    - |    - |    - |    - |
Former droid             |      |    1 |    1 |    1 |    1 |    1 |
ECs                      |      |   90 |  100 |   10 |   90 |   90 |
                         |      |      |      |      |      |      |
Transcend                |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Conquest                 |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Diplomatic               |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Economic                 |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Cooperative              |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Do or Die                |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Flex.start               |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Tech stag                |  Off |      |      |      |      |      |
Spoils of war            |  Off |      |      |      |      |      |
Blind resrch             |  Off |      |      |      |      |      |
Intense rivalry          |no AIs|      |      |      |      |      |
Map not visible          |  Off |      |      |      |  Off |  Off |
No scatter               |custom|(no pods at all)    |      |      |
No rnd events            |   On |      |      |      |      |      |
Acc.start/Time warp     *|custom|(see above)  |      |      |      |

[Eldramatico]

I would like to say that I am interested in starting other SMACX game(s), with at least 3 players.

Most of the games don't get passed 2200... It would be great to finish the games we've started, but I don't want to put any pressure on other players to stay in the game. So anyone can surrender at any moment of the game. Just tell the other players your password so we can set your faction controlled by a computer and others can continue, or maybe someone else can take your place.

I might be available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday for TCP-IP, I would just need to confirm the exact hours. TCP-IP can be continued by PBEM.

I am also available and willing to start a PBEM game from the beginning.

Anyone might happen to know the program to set human factions as computer's?

[bdanv]

game started here

[Eldramatico]

Hi Bdanv,

Thanks a lot for your time setting up the game.

I was trying to set up a random map with the same factions to keep the original base's icons, but the last faction in the scenario game(7th faction) doesn't seem to be related to an available faction of SMAC or SMACX, and I can't select it... it shows "l l" on the faction power graphics...

Maybe you could tell me what was this empty faction, or how to use the Iniswap file?

[Eldramatico]

Ok, I found how to keep the base's original icons. No need to explain how to use the iniswap file, ...unless uf you think it is more simple or permanent than loading a random map with the same factions, if you don't mind explaining.

Thanks a lot!
Élian

[bdanv]

You can find here the thread were it was originally posted by Mart.

Description
This small utility can store a 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file for each of your SMAX PBEMs in a separate folder "Iniswap" in the root game directory. Each file is supposed to have the correct faction order declared for a specific game.
The utility can swap the correct 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file just before you load your PBEM to ensure correct graphics in game. It is designed to fix this SMAX bug (you don't need it for SMAC PBEMs) as effortlessly as possible.

Should work under Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000 and XP, although not all of these operating systems have been tested.


Step 1: Download
You can download the version 2 of the Iniswap tool here.

Step 2: 'Installation'
Unzip the archived file and place iniswap.exe into the SMAX root game folder
(that's usually the 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri' folder).



Step 3: 'First execution'
During its first execution, the utility will ask you for permission to create "Iniswap" folder. Do that.



If you refuse it will quit. It's designed to work only in the main game root folder. The utility will not work otherwise.

Now you should have an empty 'Iniswap' directory like this:



Step 4: 'Saving an 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file with the correct faction order'

4.1 Find out the correct faction order in you game:
- if you have a CMN (and he didn't post it in the setup or in the TTT thread), you should ask him.
- if you don't have a CMN you'll have to figure it out all by yourself.

4.2 Modifying the .ini file:
4.2.1 use SMAX to modify the 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file
Start a regular game with the seven factions in the correct order (size of map, diff level etc don’t matter) then exit just after the colony pod has landed. This way your .ini file now records the seven factions that you want in your game. Now, you have to start the iniswap tool and use the 'Add existing file' button of the application.



This will open a new window where you can enter a name for the .ini file.
In this case I will call it 'WePlaySMAC' so I can remember to use it for the WePlaySMAC PBEM.



4.2.2 use a text editor like Notepad, Wordpad,.. to modify it by yourself.

[coming up later]

Repeat Step 4 for all your SMAX games.
This way you will have a ini file for every SMAX game that you are playing.

Step 5: Using the stored ini files
All you have to do is forget the way you were starting SMAX before and instead open the iniswap tool and double click on the name of the ini file with the correct faction order for the game you want to play. In my case this will be: 'Alpha Centauri_WePlaySMAC.ini'



This will start SMAX and when you load the game you'll have all the faction with their correct graphic set.

[bdanv]

The correct order in your game is:
Caretakers
Angels
Morgan
Hive
University
Drones
Usurpers

Don't hesitate to contact me if you still have troubles with the iniswap toll.