Modifications to the next ACDG game

[Snowflake]

We have decided through a poll that the next ACDG game is not going to be modified greatly. Now we are having several separate polls to decide each individual modifications and the initial responses seem to indicate quite some modifications to the original game.

I would appreciate if people could list all the suggested modifications in this thread as a summary for the common guys who has not been frequently playing with modifications of game mechanisms. I would especially appreciate an explanation about what each modification means regarding what everybody needs to do. For example, my understanding is that some modifications will be included in the scenario file that the CMN created and do not require any changes from the players. Others may require an change on the alpha.txt for anybody who wants to play which may be conflict with the person's other pbems.

While I applause the enthusiasms and initiatives of our players to make the next game fairer and more interesting, I would like to make sure that the proposed modifications are practical so we don't end up with very few people can actually play the game.

[GeoModder]

The propositions I've seen so far are reducing chopper movements, Cloudbase Academy changes from tech and remove/replace the Empath Guild.

For the chopper movement reduce and the Cloudbase Academy tech position change a new alphax.txt is necessary.

For disabling the Empath Guild, that can be done in the scenario editor, thus no alphax.txt change necessary. However, replacing the Secret Project or changing it's production cost needs and adapted Alphax.txt.

How I work to avoid conflict in alphax.txt files is that I made a separate folder for every ACDG/PBEM I participate in if changes are made in the Alphax.txt file. When playing one of those, I simply paste the alphax.txt file in the root folder of SMAC(X).

[Snowflake]

So that is one thing that you need to do for each and every turn for every game you play?

[Impaler[WrG]]

No you do it once not every time you play.

You create a duplicate SMACX directory, give it a differnt name such as "ACDG" and make a duplicate Exe shortcut. Then you just put saves in the apropriate directory and play them like normal. Its no more work then a normal PBEM and would not need to be done each time you play.

Realy HongHu this is a very obvious solution have you never tried anything like this before when you made your own Alpha changes?

[Nubclear]

We won't modify SMACX greatly.
Let's just change chopper movement points.
And the cloudbase prereq.
And the Empath Guild prereq.
And the number of rows for empath guild.
And....

[Snowflake]

Originally posted by Impaler[WrG]
No you do it once not every time you play.

You create a duplicate SMACX directory, give it a differnt name such as "ACDG" and make a duplicate Exe shortcut. Then you just put saves in the apropriate directory and play them like normal. Its no more work then a normal PBEM and would not need to be done each time you play.

Realy HongHu this is a very obvious solution have you never tried anything like this before when you made your own Alpha changes?

Well I haven't really had much time to play with my own Alpha changes so I didn't really have a need for doing that. But I am not against learning if it does not mean tearing my pcs apart.

However, I'm thinking for the regular people here, not the few advanced ones. I think the majority people here have not done anything similar to what you guys are proposing. If we want to do that, we need to give a fairly detailed instruction. Also I think another poll is needed to approve such modifications if we want to invalidate the first poll that approves no big modifications.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by HongHu
So that is one thing that you need to do for each and every turn for every game you play?

I didn't installed a double copy of SMAC in my computer, so yes, I need to paste the correct alphax.txt file for every ACDG/PBEM I participate in which has changes in the file.

Haven't tried out Impaler's system though.

As I understand it, Rubin is using the same system as I mentioned.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Boy you guys are doing it the Hard way, trust me this is much easier, only downside is it uses up about 300 MB of Hard Drive space which is nothing realy. Ofocorse if you were partispating in say 10 different PBEM games with differnt Alpha's then it would start to eat up a lot of room and Geo's way would save that space.

Also keep in mind its realy only the turn player who needs to worry about this stuff, other people shouldn't even be moving the Choppers at all. And it will be common knowlage that the Secret Projects were moved.

[Snowflake]

Well for this current game the Hive has had to change turn players quite frequently. So it still can be a problem if we do not do it right.

[Jamski]

/me supports HongHu's position *

If I have to arse around with my SMAC install, I won't bother to play this ACDG.

Or I'll play it with the old alpha.txt out of sheer bloodymindedness and see what happens.

We agreed - changes in the scenario editor were ok, alpha.txt changes were not ok.

-Jam

[Nubclear]

/me supports Jamskis position

[Chaunk]

I also agree with Jamski. The problem seems to be with the voiceless majority, who seem to want to change the alpha.txt yet take no part in discusions and the ilk (Hence the current massive sway towards change, yet probably 50:50 discussion). I refer the Morganites to my recent thread on polling in our private forum...

[Mart]

As far as I know, if the game is started as a scenario then a separate folder in folder scenarios in root directory should be ok - inside it the modifiy alphax.txt would be used each time when game save is loaded. Without swapping files around. I play one such game in SMAC, there is heavily modified alphax.txt. Game save should have path to the scenario folder in it - that's why it works. Am I missing some bugs here which make it impossible in SMAX?

[MrWhereItsAt]

Let me voice that "voiceless majority" then. It is clear that Projects like the CBA and the Empath Guild are powerful enough to affect the game to the point where everyone who hasn't got them is struggling to keep up and is essentially doomed. Would you rather this happen earlier, or later with the few requirements changes being decided upon now? Given more time, more factions will have more of a chance to be able to survive not getting the Empath Guild and the CBA.

Now if people are really serious about playing a Team game, why would you want to purposefully shorten it? The CBA and EG come so early that none of the later tech tree stuff is relevant - we may as well just decide to play until we get to N-space Compression, and as soon as we reach there stop to judge scores.

My point is that if we want a game that will last a while for most factions, and will hopefully not end in a bit of a clusterf***, we should change what is overpowering in the game. What's all this whining about having to change text files? Does that take up too much time?

I guess it comes down to whether you want to redress the balance of Choppers and these 2 SPs, or whether you believe that they're not significantly better than doing without them. I am, to most intents and purposes, a SMAC newbie and I am clear on the power of these advances. Am I being misled into believing they are that good, or are others blinding themselves into thinking that is not the case?

[Jamski]

You're being misled. They're good, but not game breaking. And to get these super SPs, you have to put in the hard work for 60-70 turns first. That's the hard bit.

-Jam