How do I limit base scrawl?

[Locus]

Hey everybody,

I love playing SMAC/X but I hate base scrawl. I mean, the number of bases in a game can be ridiculous. Does anyone know how I might edit my games to limit the maximum number of bases any faction can have at any given time. I mean, if I set a max base limit of 20 and I take over some of my enemies bases...that would free him/her to build more bases unitl he/she hits 20 again. Thanks for your help.

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Brother Locus of the Peacekeepers

[Locus]

Thanks for your input guys.

What I am trying to do is make the game easier and more fun for me. I usually play on a small map...I like the intense diplomacy required on a small map. What I hate is that, even on a small map, Miriam nad Santiago feel the need to build 50 bases each so that all the bases are right on top of eachother. Also, it is so annoying to defeat the factions on my continent just to find out that while I was fighting for continental dominance Miriam put 40 bases on her continent and founded 25 sea bases. It is ridiculous and detracts from enjoyment of the game for me. I mean, instead of having a reasonable number of strong bases...the AI builds lots of wimpy bases. What's the challenge in taking over bases when they are small and weak and your enemie still has 50 more? In Civ II, after a certain point, even if there is still a lot of available land, factions stop building new bases. I guess if someone could tell me how to edit the "alpha.txt" file mentioned above to limit the number of bases, that would be helpful.

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Brother Locus of the Peacekeepers

[Googlie]

Locus:

One of the things you could do (and it does have drawbacks) is to start a scenario, set all the parameters, and check the AI strategy to build things other than bases (eg lotsa arty or missiles, or to concentrate on air, sea or land power), then set the "you control" preference to the faction you want to play, and save it. Now open "play scenario" and proceed as normal, but save it early as a regular .sav game.

Drawback is, of course, you see the map and the starting positions of the other factions (after all, you put them there)

As a test, if you let me know which faction you like to play, and which against, I'll set it up for you and e-mail it you and then let me know if, after you've played, the AI was more intelligent as to its strategy.

Another thing you can do is to disable the sea colony pod in the alpha.txt file. Drawback is tho that no-one can build them then except you (thru the workshop, much like a trawler). Or you can edit the txt to make colony pods ten timews (or any multiple) more expensive - again, you are hit as well as your expansion would be ten times as expensive.

Don't know of any wat to limit the actual number in the txt files, tho.

Let me know if you want me to build a scenario start for you

Googlie

[Locus]

Googlie,

Thanks for your help. I guess in a round about way you solved my problem. Upon further reflection, I realized that I don't really mind there being a lot of land bases ( I can control that by playing on a tiny map). I didn't know that you could turn sea bases off. Can you tell me how to do that exactly? I have neve edited any of the SMAC files. Thanks!

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Brother Locus of the Peacekeepers

[The Commodore]

Heh...I love bases. The more, the merrier. I plane at atleast 30 bases.

[Sindai]

quote: Originally posted by Locus on 04-09-2001 04:55 PMI didn't know that you could turn sea bases off. Can you tell me how to do that exactly? I have neve edited any of the SMAC files. Thanks!

Just find the appropriate text file in the main folder (probably alpha.txt in this case, though it will be alphax.txt if you are playing with the expansion) and skim it for a while. One of the really nice things about AC is that instructions are included right in most of the txt files themselves about what controls what, making editing a snap.

[Googlie]

Locus:

Specifically, if smacx, use a word program to open aplhax.txt. About half way thru thru file is a set headed #UNITS, where all the prreset units are (I think there are 23 - I have 24 in my list 'cos I made a preset sea crawler)

This is how that list starts (in my version):

#UNITS
24
Colony Pod, Infantry, Colony Pod, Scout, 8, 0, 0, None, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Formers, Infantry, Formers, Scout, 9, 0, 0, Ecology, -1, 00000000000000000000000000

Towards the end is a unit called:

Sea Escape Pod, Foil, Colony Pod, Scout, 8, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00000000000000000000000000

(right before the Unity Gunship)

delete those 2 lines, and set the # of the title to 1 less than is there (e.g. if 23, then set to 22 - this aligns the unit with its graphics)

The AI won't be able to build any sea colonies, and you will only be able to do so thru the workshop (but it'll look like a land pod on floats, not like the usual sea colony pod)

Good luck

G.


[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited April 09, 2001).]

[Ned]

Locus, I don't know how you would limit the number of bases in the Alphax.txt, however you can do two things to limit the number of bases in the game. First, don't build more than the number you think right. (Depending on the size of the map, building beyond a certain number results in an additional drone(s) per new base. As well, building far from your home base (more than 20 tiles) simply is a waist due to inefficiency.) If you take a base from an enemy, either give that base to a submissive or wait until the faction from whom you took the base surrenders and then give it back to him or her. What this does is both strenghten your submissive and increases commerce income between the base you just gave away and one of your "home" bases. Since commerce income is related to the sum of the energy produced by "both" matched bases, even a size 1 base, far across the map, can generate 30-40 commerce income in a matched base! Ned

[RedFred]

Locus, the best way to eliminate base scrawl is to never let your psych-producing doctors write out anything longhand.

If you are referring to base sprawl, please clarify if you were referring to your own, which Ned has already answered, or the AI factions.