custom faction discussion and comparison thread

[Patriqvium]

Helium Pond, I've checked the system. All factions are balanced w/ the system, even in SMAX, except the Cybernetic Consciousness (that -1 growth is something that needs to be
altered)

[korn469]

Tig,

how does this sound to you

+3 commerce (COMMERCE, 3)
+3 interest (INTEREST, 3)
+25% votes (VOTES, 1.25)
90% cost to hurry (hurry, 90,)
-2 probe
-1 morale
-1 planet
no fundamentalism

how close is that?

korn469

[TigToad]

Korn.. i had a revelation. Why are you giving them a rush bonus? these are merchants, not engineers.. instead of a rush bonus (or penalty or whatever) you should give them a bonus to stockpile energy (I think you can do that)..maybe 25% just like the Energy Bank secret project.

I'm not sure if its a balanced faction or not, but its in character. I've been thinking about a faction along the same lines for a while.. if you want I'll help test them out a few games.

Tig

[Jasonian]

Korn, I see you are giving out 3 coms with that faction. In my experiance, this ability simply does NOT work. Have you ever actually seen this function correctly?

I'll throw one of my factions into the mix:

The Jedi Council
Starting Tech: Jedi Ethics (lets you build strong but costly PSI units at begining of game.)
-1 Economy
-1 Research
One extra talent for every five citizens
Max population at 4 before Hab Complexes
All units and bases immune to mind control (same effect as +3 PROBE, but can never go away!)
20 PSI in offence and defence
Start with two Jedi Knights (those PSI units from the ethics tech)

Can anyone suggest ways to improve this, or is it fine as is. Remember, these guys are supposed to be peaceful but skilled researchers.

[korn469]

Tig,

Jasonian is right...you cannot give out comm frequencies that is why i droped it...also i only have SMAC and you cannot give a bonus to stockpiling energy in SMAC, interest is about the closest thing to it...i was giving them a hurry bonus because i was thinking of something like "90% cost to hurry because of cheap supply of parts and material" they are traders so they get the best deal on parts or whatever

but what did you think about the above stats

Jasonian

hmmm it sounds pretty good but the economy and and research penalties hurt them from being a good research faction...what SE choice can't they use? and how powerful are Jedi Knights? give me the stats on Jedi Knights, and the SE aversion and i'll see how good they are, but i don't think that they are too powerful

korn469

[heardie]

quote: Originally posted by Googlie on 02-18-2000 02:22 AM heardie: did you get a copy of Vel's seven splinter factions?

No but it sounds good...



------------------
-Chiron Creators-
"http://members.xoom.com/acchiron"

[Jasonian]

More Jedi Knight stuff:

Agression: Passive
Interest in Growth? Yes
Interest in Tech? Yes
Interest in Infastructure? No
Interest in Power? No

Prefer Planned Economics
May not use Wealth Values


Feel free to suggest/delete abilities and interests to balance as you see fit, but try not to destroy the purpose of the faction (peaceful but disiplined researchers)

Jedi Knights are PSI attack/PSI defence infantry with 'force abilities' (such as Deep Radar and Cloaking Device) They get +20 attack/defence from the factions PSI bonus.
[This message has been edited by Jasonian (edited February 18, 2000).]

[DinoDoc]

Jasonian, I would get rid of the immunity to mind control because the Jedi were curruptible and did sometimes turn against the order. Possibly replace it with +2 probe instead.

[TigToad]

Jasonian..that -1 energy, -1 research will keep people from ever playing them as a peaceful faction. Also with no interest in infrastructure and no interest in wars, they will suck as a computer faction with those penalties. However, with large bonus's to psi offense/defense they may very well get used as a momentum faction with green economics.

You might consider then removing the energy penalty at least, and probably the research one in favor of somethign else. Possibilities include -1 growth and -1 industry (few people can be jedi, etc).

I'd also change them to a discover/pacifist faction.

Without seeing the info on that tech, or where it falls in the tech tree its hard to judge its balance on your faction.

Tig

[Stefu]

I'm also interested in Vel's seven splinet factions. Wher are they?

[korn469]

Jasonian

i agree with dinodoc and tig on this one

Starting Tech: Jedi Ethics
+2 probe
-1 growth
-1 industry
+20% PSI combat
One extra talent for every five citizens
Max population at 4 before Hab Complexes
Start with two Jedi Knights

korn469

[korn469]

ok jasonian created some more factions all of them based on starwars, however they just didn't feel right to me...so i am going to present his factions

The Galactic Empire

starting tech: empire ethics
+1 industry
+2 police
-1 support
-2 planet
+25 psi combat
110% hurry
free command centers when discovered
starting units: stormtroopers, AT-AT walker, Sith Lord
agenda: planned economics
aversion: democracy

The Rebel Alliance

starting tech: rebel ethics
Unit flags invisible
-1 industry
-1 research
85% cost to hurry
Gain techs possessed by three other factions they have inflitrated
snowspeeder, Rebel troopers
agenda: power
aversion: wealth

The Bountyhunters Guild

starting tech: freelance ethics
+2 morale
+20% offense
-2 police
-1 support
commerce 1
staring units: bounty hunter, infltrater
agenda: simple economics
aversion: planned

The Trade Federation

starting tech: federation ethics
+1 support
+1 economy
-2 morale
-1 growth
50 starting energy
All units gain Polymorphic Encryption when the tech is discovered
starting units: 2 droid armies, MTT
agenda: wealth
aversion: green

The Democracy of Naboo

starting tech: naboo ethics
+1 efficency
+1 planet
-1 industry
-1 police
Terraform up/down costs 1/2
starting units: gungan scouts, security volunteers
agenda: green
aversion: free market

The Galatic Republic

starting tech: republic ethics
+1 probe
-2 efficency
-2 support
2.5 times the votes
Free CHILDREN'S CRECHE with discovery of Ethical Calculus
1 commerce
starting units: standard transport, Republic guard
agenda: democratic
aversion: Fundamentalist

korn469
[This message has been edited by korn469 (edited February 19, 2000).]

[Jasonian]

Oh, here are descriptions of the units they get:

AT-AT: 4-4-1 with Air superiority and deep radar
Stormtroopers: 4-3-1
Sith Lord: PSI-PSI-1 with deep radar and cloaking device
Rebel troopers: 4-2-1
Snowspeeder: 2-2-10 needlejet with deep radar
Bounty hunter: 6*-3-1
* = res attack
Infltrater: 0-2-2 probe team
Droid army: 2-0-1
MTT: 0-2-3 drop transport with 3 cargo
Gungan scounts: 1-1-1 scout patrol
Security Volunteers: 1-2-1 with high morale
Standard transport 0-3-3 medical trasport with 3 cargo
Republic guard: 1-3-1

Also avaiable, not no one starts with it:
Death Star: 99-8-6 Planetbuster gravship with carrier deck and 4 cargo (able to hold 4 other Planet Busters!)

[korn469]

ok here are my proposed changes based on my how i feel about each faction (yeah i have all the star wars movies a million times too)

The Galactic Empire

starting tech: empire ethics
+1 industry
+1 police
-1 morale
-1 planet
+20% offense
drone for every three citizens
robust efficiency
free ability: non-lethal methods
starting units: stormtroopers, AT-AT walker, Sith Lord
agenda: police state
aversion: democracy


The Rebel Alliance

starting tech: rebel ethics
Unit flags invisible
+1 morale
-2 support
techsteal
Gain techs possessed by four other factions they have infiltrated
*50% chance revolting bases will join them
free Flechette Defense System when tech is discovered (base defenses like on hoth)
snowspeeder, Rebel troopers
agenda: democratic
aversion: police state

*note: i'm unsure how revolt works since i don't have SMACX but the rebels should have this ability

The Bountyhunters Guild

get rid of this faction and replace it with Jabba the Hut's faction, whatever the name of his gangster organization was called

Jabba the Hut

starting tech: freelance ethics
-2 research
-20% cost to probe team actions (excel at bribing corrupt officials)
+2 commerce (smugglers)
All units get POLYMORPHIC ENCRYPTION when the tech is discovered (huts are immune to jedi mind tricks)
units are immune to negative morale modifiers (morale, 0 in faction.txt)
+1 energy per base (Interest, 0 in faction.txt) (income from illegal activities)
staring units: bounty hunter, infiltrator
agenda: wealth
aversion: planned

The Trade Federation

starting tech: federation ethics
+1 economy
-1 growth
-2 morale
*-2 industry (buy most of their goods)
*75% cost to hurry (competition amongst trading partners keep costs low)
1 commerce
50 starting energy
Max population at 5 before Hab Complexes
All units gain CLEAN REACTORS when the tech is discovered (droid armies)
starting units: 2 droid armies, MTT
agenda: free market?
aversion: green

*note: this is about the same as +1 bonus to industry

The Democracy of Naboo

starting tech: naboo ethics
+1 planet
+1 efficiency
-3 police
-20% on offense
1 talent per every six citizens (benefits of a free society)
+1 nutrients from fungus squares
+1 minerals from fungus squares
+1 energy from fungus squares
starting units: gungan scouts, security volunteers
agenda: green
aversion: power

The Galactic Republic

starting tech: republic ethics
+2 growth
-2 efficiency
3 drones made content per base (NODRONE, 3 in the faction.txt)
impunity democratic
Hurry cost 150% (bureaucratic inertia plagues the Republic)
-3% interest per turn (corruption exists on every level)
2 times the amount of votes
starting units: standard transport, Republic guard
agenda: democratic
aversion: Fundamentalist

The Jedi Council

Starting Tech: Jedi Ethics
+2 probe
-1 growth
-1 industry
+20% PSI combat
One extra talent for every five citizens
Max population at 4 before Hab Complexes
starting units: two Jedi Knights
agenda: knowledge
aversion: wealth

korn469
[This message has been edited by korn469 (edited February 20, 2000).]

[Chowlett]

My only current custom faction I call the Family of Chiron, as follows:

+1 GROWTH
+1 MORALE
-2 PROBE
-1 RESEARCH

Starting tech Social Psych
Free Children's Creche on discovery of Ethical Calc

Extra Talent for Every 4 Citizens

Agenda - Democracy, GROWTH
Aversion - Thought Control


By my counting that's a point's score of 8. Thoughts? And Playtesters anyone?