Help please...(2Probs)

[frostking]

1. Spent a bit (lots) of time working on a map with great care paid to the area around the starting locations for each faction. When completed, I discover that the game has changed all of my starting locations...Which totally screws my map.
Is there any way under the sun to change the start-locations?

2. Sometimes, when desigining new units, (Only happens when playing alien factions), I will see squiggles instead of words in the unit's ability boxes. After this, when I exit the design window the game crashes.
Not such a major problem, but damned annoying. Anyone know of a way to avoid this short of allowing the game to auto-design units?

[Senethro]

1: I'm not sure theres a way to specify a starting location on a map file. However, whatever criteria that the worldbuilder uses to decide starting locations can be used by the map maker. I've a habit of marking starting locations with monoliths and this can often induce SMAC to place as many as 5 of the factions in the place where I want them.

Better still, place them with the scenario editer.

[Commy]

I have set up the map with, say, a base already built for each faction, not only do you get the starting spots you want, but the faction can't go around moving its colony pod...

[Maniac]

Re: Help please...(2Probs)

2. Sometimes, when desigining new units, (Only happens when playing alien factions), I will see squiggles instead of words in the unit's ability boxes. After this, when I exit the design window the game crashes.
Not such a major problem, but damned annoying. Anyone know of a way to avoid this short of allowing the game to auto-design units?

"ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ" or something right?
I've encountered this as well.
Are you perhaps playing with some modified files?

[frostking]

Yup, that's it

On mine it's XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
(Makes me wonder what it's calling me)
It's done this with, and without modified files. I DO know what triggers it, (at least on my game). Trying to improve the alien colony pod. I can tinker with anything else with no problems, but as soon as I touch that colony pod, it's all over.

Thanks all.

[Petek]

A similar problem involving Alien colony pods was reported a couple of years ago in this thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83912

but it's unclear whether or not the problem was fixed.

Why don't you try disabling the Advanced Text service? The option should be available by right-clicking the SMAX shortcut, selecting the Properties option and then going to the Compatibility tab (assuming you have a recent version of Windows). If this doesn't help, you can always go back to the original setting.