Battle for Alpha Quadrant version 3 Released

kobayashi · July 26, 2003, 05:56

When I was replaying it recently I realized that STBAQ had a rather dated feel and I finally got round to updating it to MGE as Version 3. Its got a full set of sounds now and many improved graphics but the main focus of the upgrade was on the AI. There are species specific event files now and the AI (especially Borg) is much improved now. Anyone who played version 2 will definitely feel the improvement.

download from here -

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/BAQ.zip

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/BAQsnd.zip

plus the patch to version 3.1

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/BAQ31bPatch.zip

kobayashi · July 29, 2003, 06:27

Someone reported that the batch-file cannot work under their Windows XP? Is this true?

In anycase, manually renaming the events file requires this knowledge.

FEvents.txt = Playing as Federation
KEvents.txt = Playing as Klingons
REvents.txt = Playing as Romulans
MEvents = Multiplayer game
EEvents.txt = Playing as Neutrals /Orions if you ever want to.

Stormbringer · July 29, 2003, 12:58

yes its true, you need some other program for it to run, but i can't remember what it is...

Panda · July 29, 2003, 14:15

choice.com

yaroslav · July 29, 2003, 16:32

Simply add choice.com (it's a small file) to the zip and then all will work nice

kobayashi · July 30, 2003, 00:23

Where does one obtain this 'choice.com'?

Arthedain · July 30, 2003, 06:24

Originally posted by kobayashi
Where does one obtain this 'choice.com'?

probably on http://www.choice.com

kobayashi · July 31, 2003, 04:50

Originally posted by Arthedain

probably on http://www.choice.com

that link goes to some shopping website

Anyway I managed to come across the program but it doesn't seem to work as advertised (I was told by someone who tried it). The original screen disappears quickly and a second screen with just the options (like 1,2,3,4,x) and not the text replaces it.

Would it work better if you dragged the batchfile onto the choice.com icon?

And that aside, did anyone try BAQ3?

Boco · July 31, 2003, 07:15

I think techumseh once had a thread on choice.com. It does work in XP, but the number of arguments is critical. In W98, etc. you can get away with omitting an argument (the text argument?). Not so in XP. Can't find that thread, and I lost my emails on the subject. Tech, do you still have any info on that?

Someone (Mercator?) did note that you can drag a file onto a batch file containing a %1, and it will process that filename as the %1 argument.

Someone else (Angelo?) once posted a Windows script that would accomplish the same thing. Seemed a much better solution

If the choice problem persists, post the Bat file, and we'll try to debug it.

kobayashi · July 31, 2003, 07:19

Nothing fancy here, I think it was ripped off from Red Front originally.

@echo off
cls
echo.
echo ST-BAQ version 3.0
echo.
echo Please choose from the options below:
echo.
echo 1. Federation
echo 2. Klingons
echo 3. Romulans
echo 4. Multi-Player
echo 5. Easy Game
echo X. Exit without Loading
echo.
choice /c:12345X Enter your selection

if errorlevel 6 goto done
if errorlevel 5 goto five
if errorlevel 4 goto four
if errorlevel 3 goto three
if errorlevel 2 goto two
if errorlevel 1 goto one

ne
echo.
echo Play as Federation
@echo off
copy FEVENTS.txt EVENTS.txt
goto done

:two
echo.
echo Play as Klingons
@echo off
copy KEVENTS.txt EVENTS.txt
goto done

:three
echo.
echo Play as Romulans
@echo off
copy REVENTS.txt EVENTS.txt
goto done

:four
echo.
echo Three Human Players
@echo off
copy MEVENTS.txt EVENTS.txt
goto done

:five
echo.
echo Easy Game
@echo off
copy EEVENTS.txt EVENTS.txt
goto done

:done
echo.
exit
quit

techumseh · July 31, 2003, 11:47

Here's the thread: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=76483 I haven't yet rewriten the Red October Bat. files, though I'll get around to it eventually.

The scenario looks great Koby. I'll post more once I've played it. (If you want much discussion of your scenario around here, you need to add some German tanks!

)

curtsibling · July 31, 2003, 13:53

Or some F15s!

PS
I am a major fan of your Sci-Fi scens, kobayashi!

Keep them coming!

kobayashi · July 31, 2003, 21:39

Originally posted by techumseh

The scenario looks great Koby. I'll post more once I've played it....

The date to beat is Sept 2307.

Boco · July 31, 2003, 22:19

The original screen disappears quickly and a second screen with just the options (like 1,2,3,4,x) and not the text replaces it.

Couldn't duplicate that.

Here's the batch file I tested (edited to eliminate copy error messages during testing):

@echo off
:start
cls
echo.
echo ST-BAQ version 3.0
echo.
echo Please choose from the options below:
echo.
echo 1. Federation
echo 2. Klingons
echo 3. Romulans
echo 4. Multi-Player
echo 5. Easy Game
echo X. Exit without Loading
echo.
choice /c:12345X Enter your selection
if errorlevel 6 goto done
if errorlevel 5 goto five
if errorlevel 4 goto four
if errorlevel 3 goto three
if errorlevel 2 goto two
if errorlevel 1 goto one

ne
echo.
echo Play as Federation
pause
goto start
:two
echo.
echo Play as Klingons
pause
goto start
:three
echo.
echo Play as Romulans
pause
goto start
:four
echo.
echo Three Human Players
pause
goto start
:five
echo.
echo Easy Game
pause
goto start
:done
echo.
exit
quit

The screen:

jasev · August 5, 2003, 18:02

Permission to upload the new version to the spanish Site, Kobayashi (I think we didn't even upload version 2)?

kobayashi · August 5, 2003, 23:52

no problemo....upload away.

but I think there will be a version 3.1 patch to solve the problem of building other races ships. It is being tested now.

I cut this from the civfan forum

I have two free slots left plus 'start' that makes three. Then if I use the advances for the three scout class ships as well by changing their prerequisite to the third generation starships I will have six free advance slots.

I can make all six no-no techs leading to nothing but causing the obsolecence of ships and give them to the 'wrong' races at the beginning and give them to the 'right' race via events at the appropriate time. Of course I don't have enough event space right now and I'll have to strip out some of the events to make room.

eg.

FEarlyExp will make Constitution and Excelsior obsolete. All races will have this at the beginning except for the federation who will get it automatically when they discover Ambassador Class.

FLateExp will make Ambassador obsolete and the Fed will get it when they discover Sovereign Class

kobayashi · August 12, 2003, 07:19

OK here we are - a BAQ where you

1. can continuously research new ship designs and build them
2. can't build other races ships even when you get the right tech
3. Still have staggered starship obsolescence
4. have disjointed starship lineage so the AI doesn't waste its time researching ships it can't build.

....plus a few enhancements here and there

Link to the patch amended to the first post of this thread.

NOTE - even though it is still called version 3.x, saved games under 3.0 are not compatible and you will need to start again.

kobayashi · August 16, 2003, 23:23

Some of you would have no doubt missed the fact that there is a LCARS style city screen that comes with the scenario. Even if you're not too interested in BAQ maybe you could make use of the city.gif.