Modifications to the next ACDG game

[GeoModder]

Group PBEM's, beware! Here she comes!!

[johndmuller]

GeoModder:
If the scenario creator does their job properly new units (such as Googlie's Sea Probes) will be bound into the game and noone will have to do any funny stuff with their Alphax.txt files. Are you sure that you are not GeoMuddier impersonating GeoModder ?

Maniac:
I could be wrong, but IIRC, the #Units list is not the only part of Alphax.txt that can be bound into the game file. I'll have to see if I have any memory aids to refresh my memory about what else might bind. OTOH, I am pretty sure that the #Chassis section does not bind, so I regret that the chopper movement thing could not be done by the Scenario Editor - I would personally rather not change it if it took screwing aroung with everyone's Alphax.txt files (Yes, I know that additional installations of SMAC/X can be used to harbor aberrant versions of .txt files, but I really don't like the idea of having AC directories multiplying like rabbits on my disks - I have enough trouble finding and keeping track of things as it is).

I am pretty sure that much of the factionname.txt files will also bind into the game - so that a custom or cloned faction can be added into a scenario and it will function correctly even if the players do not download/copy anything into their main AC directory or their Scenario directory area (things like the faction definition parameters will apply in the game even if they do not display correctly in the datalinks/faction-profiles.

For Kody, Maniac &/or whomever else cares:
I wrote a batch file a few years ago to juggle the alpha.txt and other files for the Aldebaron Mod so that it would be relatively easy and reasonably safe to switch a half dozen or so files between SMAC and Aldeb modes. Here is a link to it. It is run from the AC directory with a parameter (SMAC or ALDEB - CHECK is assumed if it doesn't recognize your parameter) to tell it what to do, and the command lines with parameters can easily be associated with desktop icon shortcuts to make the thing pretty painless to run. No doubt it could be adapted to our current needs and/or made more complicated to do additional or different stuff. The program is basically pretty simple, it just renames the inactive files to things like SMAC-Alpha.txt or ALDEB-Alpha.txt and renames the active ones to the usual names; it does, however go through a reasonable amount of trouble to keep things straight and keep one from making any stupid mistakes leading to the files getting accidentally misnamed or deleted, the kind of thing that is all too easy to do manually. You still have to remember to run it, however, for it to work.

[Kody]

Because I don't know how to do that. Are you volunteering though?

Sure it's fairly simple, although jm seems to have it all covered.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Damn. That's a bit weirder than the DOS based .bat files I used to make. Does that actually work without some kind of other program that can understand commands like 'goto'?

[FlameFlash]

If particular SPs are proven to be so overpowering and unbalancing... why not just scenario edit them out in the opening so we don't even have to worry about editing anything?

[GeoModder]

Yes, that works perfectly for the SP's. So I take it you prefer to keep the choppers as they are and just remove CBA and EG from the game?

[Net Warrior]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Yes, that works perfectly for the SP's. So I take it you prefer to keep the choppers as they are and just remove CBA and EG from the game?

That's my choice too.

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Net Warrior


That's my choice too.

Ditto...

I mean, it's bad enough that I have to remember to switch my alaphax.txt (personal preferences) back to original when playing PBEM, it'd something else if I had to not only switch when I play my SP but also when I look at the turn for the DG plus also switch for PBEM...

[Chaunk]

Yep. Changing the alphax.txt is one step too far IMHO. We know that an interesting and balanced game can be produced without changing the alphax.txt so why not do that?

[Illuminatus]

I simply do not understand what is the all fuss about. It is hard to you to make a duplicate directory. Fine. You do not wish to swap files each time then. Fine. Now people have volunteered to make a bat program so that you do not have to do anything with alpha.txt and you still compain? Will you next complain that you are actually forced to run the game to participate in it?

[FlameFlash]

Er...

<--- Mac user!

Let's see that .bat file of yours work here!

[Chaunk]

It's got nothing to do with the hassle involved for me. There is essentially very little to it. From my point of view, I do not want to play with a modified alpha.txt, excepting the units section perhaps. I signed up for an AC demogame, not BC or whatever.

I want to play SMAX, not a mod.

[GeoModder]

Actually, now that I think of it. It perhaps is possible to have choppers with less movement points without tinkering in another section then the #UNITS section. Simply place a chopper there with the 'slow movement' abilityflag enabled. Don't know if this is possible on air units though, have to test this out.

That way the AI has an air advantage as long as the teams don't construct 'regular' choppers.
The drawback is that the most common weapon/ability chopper combinations must be put in the #UNITS list then, from missile to string choppers, with empath and without, with tactical ability and without...

[MrWhereItsAt]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Actually, now that I think of it. It perhaps is possible to have choppers with less movement points without tinkering in another section then the #UNITS section. Simply place a chopper there with the 'slow movement' abilityflag enabled. Don't know if this is possible on air units though, have to test this out.

Do you mean to effectively add a new Chassis to MMI (or wherever it is that choppers turn up)? That way the option to build it would be in all PBEMs etc (for the amazingly lazy who can't seem to handle a simple copy-paste operation every couple of days or even a dual install ) without changing the PBEMs etc where Choppers are as they are.
There is a slight risk there that someone would accidentally build one of these lesser Choppers than the original in a PBEM or somesuch, but if it will finally satisfy those I alluded to above then we should do it.

I don't know what all the fuss is about though. The votes for changed rules are clear. Some changes can be made in the scenario, some have to be edited in. The polls are recent. Yet for some reason we are bogged down for what seems like weeks where a few people are suddenly complaining about what it in all honesty a triviality. Why is it so difficult?

/me really is getting exasperated here

[GeoModder]

Well, since appearantly units in the #UNITS list are brought in a scenario this wouldn't happen, MWIA. At least as long as no-one uses the ACDG alphax.txt file for his PBEM's. The only problem is that for the ACDG the #UNITS list becomes very long.