Realistic Balanced Custom Factions....

[livid imp]

Does anyone know where I can find any? And don't say Network Node. I have been there, and most are neither balanced, nor would they mix well with the original SMAC/X factions. So as to put my money where my mouth is, I made a faction I'd like to get folks opinions on over in the Creation forum

[Commy]

I was searching the Web one night, and actually found a set of 7 factions that were pretty balanced. They were based off of the seven most powerful regions of the world:

United States
European Union
Russia
China
African Republic

I don't remember the other two, I think one might have been the U.N. or something, but unfortunately we had to run spyware and had to delete all of the temporary internet files, so I can't find the site that I found this. Personally, I find that the factions are already pretty good and pretty well balanced, with the exception of the aliens. If the Cyborgs had -2 growth, and spartans -2 industry, I would say all the factions are balanced.

I guess you could always resort to creating your own factions, and just get the pictures from the network node, although I don't know how good the pictures are. If anybody knows how to create those things, I'd appreciate it.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Commy
I If the Cyborgs had -2 growth, and spartans -2 industry, I would say all the factions are balanced.

Just shows the difference of opinion. I already find the spartans to be one of the weaker factions and I consider the cyborgs to already be a little weaker than the university.
Its all opinion but MINUS 2 industry ??? Ouch ouch ouch

[Dis]

-2 industry!

the spartans suck in most games. Though I have seem them clean up on the hive if they start next to them. But then they stagnate.

[Natalinasmpf]

Spartans should get a a free children's creche at every base, for their emphasis on morale, and proper upbringing.

Here's mine to evaluate, basically I tried to reform the Drone faction:

************************

New Commune of Planet

+2 growth - Cooperative Commune structure conducive for raising families

+1 Industry - Greater worker morale increases productivity

-3 Police - Severe dislike of force to suppress dissent in new agenda; dislike of offensive war.

Minus two drones per base (Commune structure tends to pacify a lot of unrest)

PENALTY: Police State (Adoption of police state would ultimately upset the foundations and ideals which the Commune is based on)

May not use Free Market Economics (Nemesis of the ideals of communism)

IMPUNITY: Planned Economics (Internal cooperation neutralises the inefficiency of planned economics)

IMPUNITY: Green Economics (A carefully regulated economy under a commune structure does not stifle growth)

SOCIAL, ++GROWTH, SOCIAL, +INDUSTRY, SOCIAL, ---POLICE, IMPUNITY, Green, IMPUNITY, Planned, PENALTY, Police State, NODRONE, 2, SOCIAL, REVOLT, 50

[Ouro_827]

No..

I think that faction is horribly unbalanced.... just me, of course, but first of all, they only have one penalty! and that is nullified by their bonus! A negative police usually only affects me in one way... and that is plus one drone from no police. The other penalties (no nerve stapling, drones from military units) are easily ignored. The police state essentially saying you don't get two run two styles.. the biggest problem I could see anyone having would be no Free Market...

[livid imp]

Originally posted by Commy
If the Cyborgs had -2 growth, and spartans -2 industry, I would say all the factions are balanced.

Yikes! You want to give one of the weakest factions in the game a -1 to their industry? The Spartans are plenty weak. If anything they need a minor boost.

And as far as the borgs go, -1 growth is nearly the same as -2 growth. Both stop the pop-boom and going green SE would yield the same result.

Originally posted by Commy
I guess you could always resort to creating your own factions

I did. That is what the link at the top of the page takes you to.

[Flubber]

The new commune looks a bit like an easily boomable Hive-- The ability to pop boom using any 2 of demo/planned/ creches will be very powerful especially when combined with the impunities. Penaltyless planned heh?? wow

To me they are a much more powerful version of the Hive-- The abilty to go democracy more than cancells out the inability to go PS and the additional content citizen compensates for 0 police.

Drone control will be a little bit of an issue but only because this faction will boom so fast-- heck as soon as you can go demo/planned you are there-- and with a +2 efficiency rating.

My opinion--- overpowered-- Only the inability to get to +2 econ is there as a major downside . .. I don't think that is enough to compensate-- you see IMHO a +2 on growth is just HUGE particularly with a second content citizen and the industry boon-- This fcation will grow so fast your head will spin

[livid imp]

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf
+2 growth - Cooperative Commune structure conducive for raising families

Now you can pop boom without creches. Were you trying to make the Drones stronger??

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf
+1 Industry - Greater worker morale increases
productivity

I just don't see +1 Industry equating to a +2 Growth, but I'll let that one go.

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf
-3 Police - Severe dislike of force to suppress dissent in new agenda; dislike of offensive war.

Interesting. And without police state you are saddled with a -3 police the til Thought Control. This would make war very difficult to manage.

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf
IMPUNITY: Green Economics (A carefully regulated economy under a commune structure does not stifle growth)

Sorry but this one doesn't jibe. "A carefully regulated economy" just isn't related to growth (which is what is damaging to an ecology). The "A carefully regulated economy" does apply to Planned, but not Green.

Overall it looks like 'Super Yang' to me.

[redazncommieDXP]

I have never seen Santiago clean up against Yang. Usually, she gets in a good start, but then once Yang gets his engine running, Santiago is helpless to fight. She's simply overrun.

[Dis]

Originally posted by redazncommieDXP
I have never seen Santiago clean up against Yang. Usually, she gets in a good start, but then once Yang gets his engine running, Santiago is helpless to fight. She's simply overrun.

happened the last game I started on a normal map of Planet. I was playing the Pirates. They were #1 on the power bar graph for nearly half the game.

But by the end of the game they were lagging and the aliens took the lead. Sadly I was stuck in second place

[Natalinasmpf]

Sorry but this one doesn't jibe. "A carefully regulated economy" just isn't related to growth (which is what is damaging to an ecology). The "A carefully regulated economy" does apply to Planned, but not Green.

Er, Deidre cites, "a carefully regulated economy" as a Green economy, basically, a strive for efficiency. Planned in SMAC is really the humanitarian side of planned, while Green, the environmental....

Just different priorities in a regulated economy.

nteresting. And without police state you are saddled with a -3 police the til Thought Control. This would make war very difficult to manage.

-3 Police is sort of crippling, but isn't that bad. Thats the whole point, else, they would be powerful. It does sort of make sense, the idealist population doesn't want to be saddled with war. Pacifism! However, they tolerate a minimalist war, so sending elite, upgraded units per base, or an extra two (because only one drone if MORE than one unit away, and you already have -2 drone benefits)....so yeah.

I just don't see +1 Industry equating to a +2 Growth, but I'll let that one go.

They don't have to equate: they're just different properties of the commune structure.

Overall it looks like 'Super Yang' to me.

Its actually almost the opposite, save for the radical economics, because of severe intolerance of police, however, growth and industry happen to be the common factors.

Generally, communists don't like a police state. They don't like force, generally, semi-anarchic. Unless they're brainwashed by a ideological hijacker.

My opinion--- overpowered-- Only the inability to get to +2 econ is there as a major downside . .. I don't think that is enough to compensate-- you see IMHO a +2 on growth is just HUGE particularly with a second content citizen and the industry boon-- This fcation will grow so fast your head will spin

Should I pop in a negative research, (because budget to improve living conditions detracts from research funding?) rating?

-3 Police, I think is quite crippling enough. I can increase this to -4, or even -5, if you think its enough.

Now you can pop boom without creches. Were you trying to make the Drones stronger??

Sort of, and I didn't get why Domai could run free market but not green. Didn't make sense.

[Lazerus]

Every game i've played the Hive overruns every AI they start close to without a problem, even if they're alone they always seem to be the first AI to get air power due to the tech route they prefer. Good fun sitting back and giftin miriam some high power techs and watching them smash hundreds of units against each other while all other AI are crushed by one or the other (Just make sure they don't pact against you or you'll need a heck load of choppers handy)

I don't really rate -ve police aswell, most people cope easily with the -5 from FM

Generally, communists don't like a police state. They don't like force, generally, semi-anarchic. Unless they're brainwashed by a ideological hijacker.

a non police state orientated communism ? people just don't have the capacity for it, if one person within the group wants power then its a ripple within a pond.

looks fun to play, but it is a faction that can be easily tinkered into a super power everytime by human players.

[Lazerus]

Sort of, and I didn't get why Domai could run free market but not green. Didn't make sense.

He's an industrial labourer at heart, FM = boreholes (everybody loves building boreholes).

[Natalinasmpf]

But couldn't you build boreholes without FM?

a non police state orientated communism ? people just don't have the capacity for it,

Do I have to go into detail what true communism really is?