Two Questions re Probes

[Petek]

To give probe teams the SAM ability, you have to edit alpha.txt (or alphax.txt). Look for the line

Air Superiority, 1, DocAir, SAM, 000000001111, Attacks air units

in the #ABILITIES section, and change it to

Air Superiority, 1, DocAir, SAM, 000000101111, Attacks air units

With the appropriate tech (DAP), you can then create what someone else calls a "James Bond" unit.

Petek

[Darius]

Originally posted by johndmuller
It's been my impression that both land and sea probes return to the nearest base (and sea probes to sea bases or ports) when finished with missions... I would have guessed that deported probes behaved properly, but given the track record, I have no trouble believing that they don't.

As the victim of Googlie's misadventure, trust me - my probe foils were returned to my HQ, which is neither the closest base nor a sea base or port.

[Method]

when you "capture and interrogate" do you actually get information from them? its been a long time since i've seen a probe in my territory that belonged to someone i was at peace with.

[RedFred]

My experience with both land and sea probes is that sometimes it will return to the nearest base after a successful action, sometimes it will go to the base that built it, and sometimes to the HQ.

I haven't carefully observed where my probes go when they get booted out; my hypothesis is that any of the above three options could happen.

Air probes aren't designable under the standard alpha text; drop probes are.

The problem of not being able to boot out multiple stacked probes has led to more than one needless war with the AI for me. If possible I'll try to block them or have a countering stack of defensive probes in the nearest base. If not, war is often the safest option. I regard this particular 'feature' as another bug.

[Chowlett]

Originally posted by Petek
To give probe teams the SAM ability, you have to edit alpha.txt (or alphax.txt). Look for the line

Air Superiority, 1, DocAir, SAM, 000000001111, Attacks air units

in the #ABILITIES section, and change it to

Air Superiority, 1, DocAir, SAM, 000000101111, Attacks air units

With the appropriate tech (DAP), you can then create what someone else calls a "James Bond" unit.

Petek

Ah, so the sixth bit from the right means "can be applied to a probe team". Does anyone know if the same is true on the Chassis declarations (ie - can you adjust it so that a Needlejet probe works)? Does anyone know what the other bits do?

And wouldn't Amphibious be more of a James Bond unit? He did the whole "enter a party by river in a DJ under a wetsuit" stunt in one film.

[Phil_de_geezer]

I think it would be easier to take control of a needlejet than a land unit - I mean i can easily imagine some kind of device that could control enemy aircraft and land them in a base of your own. But i'm not too sure about mind-controlling an enemy infantry unit. How does that work?

[MariOne]

Originally posted by Chowlett

Does anyone know what the other bits do?

R T F M !!!

Jokes apart, I think to recall that information is fully detailed inside the alpha.txt itself in a block of comments at the beginning of the related section.