IMPACX MOD Descussions

[Impaler[WrG]]

Heres the latest version.

Make a copy of your whole SMAC directory and place both the Alpha and the 7 updated factions in it to overwrite the originals. Then create a second (or third or forth) desktop shortcut to load up the Mod.

Graphics have not been included yet as I am still working on them. Their is also a Description file that explians nearly all the changes made (I might have missed some). Please give my your feedback on how the games core strategies are changed and if you can find a way to break the game.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Here is the Zip

[Chaos Theory]

I found a variety of errors and unintended consequences in Impaler's factions files. I edited them to conform to the limitations of the game, and his stated intent.

[GeoModder]

What sort of inconcistencies are you referring to?

[Chaos Theory]

Factions with special abilities automatically given to units usually gave the wrong special ability
Some factions had more than 8 "faction" modifications - the excess were ignored. I deleted the least significant.
Miriam did not have free rec commons, as stated in the intended changes
And anything else I noticed that seemed to conflict with the text and intent of Impaler's stated changes.

[GeoModder]

It's better NOT to give more then one free ability to factions, otherwise no two new ones can be given in the course of a game. And AFAIK the alg. enhancement and marine detachment ability are mixed up in the game.

[Chaos Theory]

No faction has more than one free ability, however I never noticed free abilities interfering with normal unit design. For example, as the Pirates, I believe I could design a ship with deep radar and AAA, even though it also has the free ability Marine Detachment.

How are alg enhancement and marine detachment mixed up?

[GeoModder]

It's only when a unit has two free abilities that only one extra one will be recognized by the game. The second extra will show in the workshop, but won't be implemented. The Marine and Algorithmic mixup is that those two take eachothers slots in the abilitity 'queu'. It's no big deal, if ie. Algorithmic should logically be placed on number 26 in the ability queu, in reality it has ie. 14.
(Don't know the slots out of my head, just an example here).
It's only important when you customize your faction in notepad instead of the faction editor.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Interesting I had never head that your couldnt use more then one FreeAbility per faction.

I guess that kills the idea I was toying with of giving the Spartans free High Morale in addition to the "Shock Tactic" (Shock Tactics is just Sporosific Gass renamed and moved to Adaptive Doctorine). The idea with the Spartans to is give them series of esentialy free Upgrades to their units as the game progresses. They initialy get Free Comand Centers which help to offset their Industry hit, their base Morale is droped 1 level to balance. Later in the game the Shock Tactics get added to all their future designs and they cause a -25% morale in anyone they attack (Sporosific Gass works only on offence right?). By giving an initial and then a later bost to Spartan combat they should remain a viable attacker even when a bit behind in the Mid game.

[GeoModder]

Impaler, you can use more then one FreeAbility per faction, but ingame then less abilities can be implemented, that's the catch.

But one need to be carefull with this. Suppose a faction acquires the CBA later in a game, then some ability won't be usable anymore, and no way to say which one will be disregarded...

[Impaler[WrG]]

How would the CBA effect Unit Special Abilites, it dosent grant any (no Secret Project gives a Special Ability as far as I know).

So far plans are for just one Free Special Ability per faction.

[GeoModder]

CBA gives NanoCells to aircraft.
The +2 movement doesn't come out of the blue, you know. Otherwise it would be possible to put Nanocells a second time on your aircraft.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by GeoModder
CBA gives NanoCells to aircraft.

Are you sure about that? Fuel nanocells become available after discovery of Matter Compression, 3 tech levels later.

And the Datalinks say only that the CBA gives an aersopace in each base - nothing about increased range.

G,

[GeoModder]

Um, Googlie, check the current DG. Hive aircraft have a range of 12, Cycon and Drone aircraft only 10. Hive has the CBA.

Besides, if it is possible to give a free ability upon discovery of a certain tech, why wouldn't it be possible to give a free ability upon a certain project/facility? It's a matter of programming.

I know for sure that when I tried out a faction with two free abilities and gave the CBA to that same faction that suddenly one of the abilities wouldn't work anymore. This is a clear indication that the +2 aircraft range from the CBA is not something on itself, but rather a free ability given sooner then techwise possible.

[Googlie]

You're right. I opened up a scenario and disabled the CBA, and the movement points for aircraft listed in that base immediately dropped by 2.

I think now that I did read some old posts when smax first came out. It's undocumented both in the guide and the datalinks (nor is it in the readme.txt file)

All the more reason for disabling the CBA or dropping it significantly in the tech tree to a level 9 or 10 tech equivalent

G.