Could I get some help to modify the game to suit me better?

[Grosshaus]

So I started a game with SMACK after hearing Civ4 is about to be released, found myself playing once again until 3am just like in good 'ol days

But I found lots of stuff that annoyed me back then that still do that. I´d like to play some more but I´d first like to know if these things could be modded to ensure a more enjoyable game (I tried to meddle some myself but with varying success):

1)I´m no warmonger and I hate it when the other factions just can´t live at peace with me even if I´m clearly militarily superior. I noticed there is a line

ai-fight = -1,0,1 (willingness to use force to achieve goals)

in the faction files, I turned them all to -1 but Miriam didn´t really seem to care about it. Does that even work or is there a better way to ensure some privacy in my colony-building?

2)Planet busters are Evïl beyond belief. Nothing bugs me more than loosing a city filled with wonders due to a single hit of a unit but loosing another city like that. I tried to change the appearance of the missile chassis to require Transcendent Thought and it seemed to work. I still fear the AI will smack them at me at the city I´m building Ascent to Transcendence the next time. Is there a way to remove missiles, or actually planet busters, from the game altogether.

3)The AI keeps on building loads of marine colonies to the stupidest places, too often at my coast. I couldn´t figure out a way to disable marine colonies though as apparently one can only disable special abilities and not weapons (colony pod is classified as a weapon) from a certain chassis type. Is there a way to achieve that otherwise? I was thinking of perhaps making colony pods special abilities but that resulted in instant crashes.

I´d appreciate any help and apoligize if I have posted in the wrong place or anything.

[Senethro]

Oh, don't be a "artist builder". If other factions get in your way then use the scenario editor to create a game where you're on your own.

Otherwise, get your hands dirty.

Anti-planet buster preparations: Leave a city empty with no garrison. It can't be targetted by enemy.
Surround your coast with supply crawlers/unused formers to make a barrier the PB can't get through.
Strike first with a planet buster. you should be infiltrating the CPU to see what they're up to. If they bring a PB in range of you you should be able to destroy it.

All it takes is a little preparation.

[Solver]

Someone builds Ascent to Transcendence ? The Transcendence victory should take 2 turns. Turn 1, start building Voice of Planet, cash in a few crawlers, rushbuy the rest. Turn 2, complete Voice, start building Ascent, cash in the remaining crawlers, rushbuy the rest. End turn, win.

[Commy]

But of course, that intelligent AI will surely make sure to PB the base after Voice of Planet is built so that no one can transcend...

[Dis]

once it's built, anyone can still build it right? Or if the voice of planet is lost it can't be built? I never had that happen. I guess I could try a game and let the AI build the voice, and then nuke it.

[Dis]

as for planetbusters use orbital defense pods. Though they will often have PB's built before you have them up. I use flechette defense systems as well (SMAX only). Before then just don't piss of the AI with planetbusters. . That's what I do. I just give them what they want.

As for Miriam. You could always play with her not in the game (again this is expansion only). I'm not sure why she's still so aggressive. There may be a way to edit the faction likes and dislikes for goverments. that way they won't automatically hate you if you run a goverment that opposes their philosophy.

[BlackCat]

Try add

#WORLDSIZE
...
Extra huge, 256, 320

in alphax.txt and play with 70-90 % sea. The chance that any opponent will get a base in shooting range of your most valuable cities is really low.

[paramir]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Try add

#WORLDSIZE
...
Extra huge, 256, 320

in alphax.txt and play with 70-90 % sea. The chance that any opponent will get a base in shooting range of your most valuable cities is really low.

Tho if you like AI diplomacy, you won't get much of that either

[Commy]

If you can find it, download Smacksims world builder...much better than the original...

[reznod]

To stop planet busters change this line in the alpha(x).txt file:

Planet Buster, Planet Buster, 99, 0,32, -1, Orbital,

To:

Planet Buster, Planet Buster, 99, 0,32, -1, Disable,

To make it so that sea colony pods can't be made do this:

Change this line:

Colony Module, Colony Pod, 0, 8,10, -1, None,

To:

Colony Module, Colony Pod, 0, 8,10, -1, Disable,

Although with this method it will not allow you to make any colony pods other than the default type, to make different types you will have to add them to the '#UNITS' sections.

[Straybow]

Instead of disabling Colony Module just jack up the price. The default unit will still be there but the AI should decide that sea colonies are too expensive. My limited experiments have shown some success.

[Dis]

Originally posted by paramir

Tho if you like AI diplomacy, you won't get much of that either

build the empath guild.

wars won't be a problem until orbital insertion (which the ai doesn't seem to do)

[Commy]

Originally posted by Dissident
wars won't be a problem until orbital insertion (which the ai doesn't seem to do)

Then, the wars become advantageous...and possibly lacking the need for defense....

[Solver]

Never had AIs nuke my base with the Voice. At that point, I am too far ahead of them, and that's what infiltration is for. If I see any base starting to build a planet buster, I gas it with choppers.

[Dis]

ultra large maps do tend to be lonely games. But I might try one. What's the largest map you can edit in the alpha.txt file?