Terraforming Faction

[YT]

Yes, Chowlett, something does seem to stop you from editing the faction file and adding too many abilities. Try it some time. Just add +2 to all SE choice, and leave the original abilities in place. If you start a game, you'll notice that not all of the SE choices got read into the game.

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Yours Truly

[Bblue]

WOW, come back for a visit and looks like Omega had almost the exact same idea I had as far as factions are concerned

I made one that is almost idealogically identical to what he discribes, If you are interested it can be dled at http://members.xoom.com/acchiron (it's a zoom site so you will have to type the link in manually) It is in the dl section under terraforming faction.

Some notes about it:
It's a SMACX faction
All Customs graphics and blurbs (am sorta proud of it, lord knows I spend enough hours fine tuning it :P) It even seems to have that little 'gothic, dark' feel of most the pre-packaged factions

basically it gets
-2 Planet
+1 Industry

a free former
a free mining laser
Free Super former and fugisidal tanks when you develop the appropiete techs
reduced terriforming cost
Free Geosynchronous Survey Pods in every city
20% hurry bonus (this is removed in my most recent version, wasa bit too much, although the dl still contains it, you can edit it out)
Can't run Green
No preferred SE setting

Some design notes:
The AI can play this faction fairly well (a big plus)
This faction can both pop boom and run free market (a huge bonus I underestimated in the beta versions of this faction!)
-2 planet is a real penelty
early game hard to attack natives, you can lose fight with them!
Seems to be harder to sucessfully move through fungus
Pollution in mid- and late-game can be a MAJOR problem (especially since no Green)
Psi combat not a great option, as you never get a good planet rating
Goodies from fungus squares? yeah right :P

Free recycling tanks in ealry Beta versions leads me to believe that a faction must have A HUGE amount of negitives to offset this!!

With no preferred SE setting.. the AI tend to play this faction as a builder (which it was ment to be) and tends to help keep it from SOME Vendettas. As a result it builds lots of infrastructure, of the 'standard' factions (the only faction I have seen surpass it in infrastructure is the Drones)
Can really put out some tech if left alone
Over all this is a fun faction to play (yeah like I'm not biased :P)
It may still be a little on the strong side, but if so.. not but by a hair (It don't overwhelm other AI controled factions)



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"Power does not corrupt; it merely attracts the corruptable"

[Bblue]

ACK!! DP sorry
[This message has been edited by Bblue (edited March 17, 2000).]

[Omega]

Bblue, based on what you've said here, I think our conceptions may not be ideologically similar. But I checked out your link and look forward to downloading your faction this weekend to see your artwork and text.

I also got the basic idea of a "terraforming" faction from Firaxis (I think it was in the Tim Train interview re SMAC-X factions not implemented) but I didn't see them as an exploitative, industrial bunch. That ideology is already championed by Morgan, the Drones, and perhaps Yang. My idea was more of a vain "mad scientist" who wants to play God with the landscape as an artistic enterprise. He'd plant a forest or raise a mountain because it looks nice, not only because it increases production of this or that resource. If anything, this faction is closest to the Gaians, but the huge difference is, these guys have no interest in preserving the planet "as is" or in living in harmony with the native intelligence.

[Bblue]

Hi Omega,

Was just reading your reply, I think your Terraformers are more on the 'artisitic' side then mine were invisioned to be, but close non-the-less (btw.. I really like the more artistic view you have taken)
When making mine I tried to convey the 'two-edged-sword' feel into the faction giving some of the dark feel of the standard factions. Thier 'bright-side' and stated goals are to terraform Planet into a 'second-Earth' to make it a new Garden of Eden in earth's likeness. Thier 'dark-side' crops up in two forms 1) They have very little complulsion to perserve Planet 'as-is'. Instead it is thier 'blanket-canvas' onto which to work (and who whats the canvas to show :P) 2) The faction can lose sight of it 'stated' goal and lead to one not of 'beautifing' but of 'explotiation' (see signature :P) While they don't get Economic bonuses they can run Free-Market and with the +1 Industry They can become pretty 'explotative'
Granted it is hard to convey all of this in the limited blurbs, and I am not real sure how it came across, but is what I had pictured in my mind when I made them. Once you dl it and take a look maybe you can give me some feedback on how you thought thier 'mentality' came across. Any criticizime would be greatly appreciated.

As far as where I got the idea... I'm a geologist.. was only natural but am sure Firaxis thought about it way before I did

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"Power does not corrupt; it merely attracts the corruptable"


[This message has been edited by Bblue (edited March 18, 2000).]