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Nexus experiment - an attempt to create challenging scenarios without need for a person playing it to alter any of the game files, like alphax.txt or faction files. This can be achieved by using the ability of the game to save in a game file some of the information pertaining to factions.
Below is an example of such scenario, where human player is Peacekeeper.
The following original SMAC factions are modified:
===========
AI factions:
===========
Gaians
-----------
1) Free Tree Farm, with appropriate tech
2) Free Hybrid Forest, with appropriate tech
3) +2 Efficiency
4) +2 Planet
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus nutrient +1
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Hive
-----------
1) Free Genejack Factory, with appropriate tech
2) Free Perimeter Defense
3) +2 Growth
4) +2 Industry
5) +2 Support
6) Immunity to Efficiency
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
University
-----------
1) Free Research Hospital, with appropriate tech
2) Free Fusion Lab, with appropriate tech
3) Free Network Node
4) +2 Efficiency
5) +2 Research
6) +2 Support
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Morgan
-----------
1) Free Energy Bank, with appropriate tech
2) Free Fusion Lab, with appropriate tech
3) Increased Commerce rate by 2
4) +2 Efficiency
5) +1 Economy
6) +2 Support
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Spartans
-----------
1) Free Command Center, with appropriate tech
2) Free Prototypes
3) +2 Morale
4) +2 Police
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus energy +4
7) Defense 200%
8) Offense 150%
Believers
-----------
1) Free Recreation Commons
2) +2 Efficiency
3) +1 Probe
4) +2 Police
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus energy +4
7) Defense 200%
8) Offense 150%
===========
Human faction:
===========
Peacekeeper
-----------
1) -1 Efficiency
2) -5% Interest
3) Population limit lowered by 2 [5,10]
4) Technology cost doubled
=====================
New units:
===========
Probe Cruiser - available with Doctrine Initiative
XX Missile - chemical weapon
Marine Probe - Speeder chassis and amphibious, Doctrine Initiative
Police Guard - Police, high morale but forced cost 1, with Intelectual Integrity.
Clean Formers - with BioEngineering.
Trawler - sea supply foil, with Doctrine Initiative.
Attack Copter - Missile weapons, air superiority, with Mind/Machine Interface.
Support Copter - Missile for ground strikes, with Mind/Machine Interface.
=====================
Describing in more detail the Nexus experiment:
1) Human faction is made weaker by removing beneficial abilities and giving more negative ones. This somewhat makes the Peacekeeper faction in this example outside the philosophy, however, you can counterbalance it by the playstyle. Anyway the play is going to be difficult and this is the objective.
2) The factions are made stronger by rewriting their abilities. All negative ones are taken away and new ones are added that some are believed to be in agreement with faction's philosophy.
All or most AI factions get:
Free facility with a tech. In some cases two facilities. This is a good way to boost an AI faction in the middle or late game, depending on the facility type.
+2 Support. This makes easier maintaining bigger military
+2 Efficiency in many cases. Just give AI more energy
+4 fungus energy. I experimented with fungus benefits, and this seems to be the bonus AI can use on ocasion without that much fungus planting. More fungus benefits makes all AI cover the planet tightly in fungus.
200% Defense. This is visible as Alien Defense. It is suppose to increase defensive capabilities of AI, so it is no longer that easily taken over. It may also promote builder style games. AI though, as in my initial tests, enters quite heavy wars. With better support and improved minerals they fight more eagerly.
All satellites types. 10 nut, 20 min, 30 energy. They work ok till the event destroying them. This scenario modification provides increasing bonus, as a base cannot go above its size when receiving nuts, minerals or energy this way.
Other bonuses:
150% Offense. Believers and Spartans. Watch out for these factions! This is supposed to make them really threatening. In combination with 200% defense, you may more often prefer diplomatic solutions or probe team actions.
Specific bonusses according to factions' philosophy
Fungnutrients and Planet for Gaians, Research, Economy, etc.
3) New units is some new set I thought about. For example, since standard alphax.txt does not have marine ability for probe teams, I just added that unit type to in-game list.
AI also can make police units now, with higher morale and forced cost of 1 row.
In this experimental game it would be good to see, if this helps AI to get separate cheap police units, so it does not build expensive armor police units. So far I noticed Gaians were making them.
Clean formers, trying to see if AI would switch to them after getting bio-engineering.
Trawler, so it harvests sea more if that would work at all...
Attack copter is the most controversial, but let us see
4) I tried also before some other faction bonusses. Sharetech ability with setup to 1 faction. The result is that when a single AI faction gets a tech, all other have it too. This was found both extremely challenging for a human player not having it, but also very effectively destroying faction specific research habits and diplomacy by it. AI just was getting too many techs too quickly. There was no fun in play, as all AI factions had the same techs.
5) this specific scenario has:
- build more probe teams for AI
- tech stagnation
- random events are "on"
- No forced diplomacy for AI, so no fixed pacts.
- AI is not made any more hostile for a human player. It can be very nice and sweet for a human, what I found the most interesting in singleplayer. This makes the game not completely "war game", but makes diplomacy very important. Of course, at some point most of AI faction will probably declare vendetta, if you grow in power, but there is a lot of room for using friendships from AI.
============================
The save file. Just stand alone.
Below is an example of such scenario, where human player is Peacekeeper.
The following original SMAC factions are modified:
===========
AI factions:
===========
Gaians
-----------
1) Free Tree Farm, with appropriate tech
2) Free Hybrid Forest, with appropriate tech
3) +2 Efficiency
4) +2 Planet
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus nutrient +1
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Hive
-----------
1) Free Genejack Factory, with appropriate tech
2) Free Perimeter Defense
3) +2 Growth
4) +2 Industry
5) +2 Support
6) Immunity to Efficiency
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
University
-----------
1) Free Research Hospital, with appropriate tech
2) Free Fusion Lab, with appropriate tech
3) Free Network Node
4) +2 Efficiency
5) +2 Research
6) +2 Support
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Morgan
-----------
1) Free Energy Bank, with appropriate tech
2) Free Fusion Lab, with appropriate tech
3) Increased Commerce rate by 2
4) +2 Efficiency
5) +1 Economy
6) +2 Support
7) Fungus energy +4
8) Defense 200%
Spartans
-----------
1) Free Command Center, with appropriate tech
2) Free Prototypes
3) +2 Morale
4) +2 Police
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus energy +4
7) Defense 200%
8) Offense 150%
Believers
-----------
1) Free Recreation Commons
2) +2 Efficiency
3) +1 Probe
4) +2 Police
5) +2 Support
6) Fungus energy +4
7) Defense 200%
8) Offense 150%
===========
Human faction:
===========
Peacekeeper
-----------
1) -1 Efficiency
2) -5% Interest
3) Population limit lowered by 2 [5,10]
4) Technology cost doubled
=====================
New units:
===========
Probe Cruiser - available with Doctrine Initiative
XX Missile - chemical weapon
Marine Probe - Speeder chassis and amphibious, Doctrine Initiative
Police Guard - Police, high morale but forced cost 1, with Intelectual Integrity.
Clean Formers - with BioEngineering.
Trawler - sea supply foil, with Doctrine Initiative.
Attack Copter - Missile weapons, air superiority, with Mind/Machine Interface.
Support Copter - Missile for ground strikes, with Mind/Machine Interface.
=====================
Describing in more detail the Nexus experiment:
1) Human faction is made weaker by removing beneficial abilities and giving more negative ones. This somewhat makes the Peacekeeper faction in this example outside the philosophy, however, you can counterbalance it by the playstyle. Anyway the play is going to be difficult and this is the objective.
2) The factions are made stronger by rewriting their abilities. All negative ones are taken away and new ones are added that some are believed to be in agreement with faction's philosophy.
All or most AI factions get:
Free facility with a tech. In some cases two facilities. This is a good way to boost an AI faction in the middle or late game, depending on the facility type.
+2 Support. This makes easier maintaining bigger military
+2 Efficiency in many cases. Just give AI more energy
+4 fungus energy. I experimented with fungus benefits, and this seems to be the bonus AI can use on ocasion without that much fungus planting. More fungus benefits makes all AI cover the planet tightly in fungus.
200% Defense. This is visible as Alien Defense. It is suppose to increase defensive capabilities of AI, so it is no longer that easily taken over. It may also promote builder style games. AI though, as in my initial tests, enters quite heavy wars. With better support and improved minerals they fight more eagerly.
All satellites types. 10 nut, 20 min, 30 energy. They work ok till the event destroying them. This scenario modification provides increasing bonus, as a base cannot go above its size when receiving nuts, minerals or energy this way.
Other bonuses:
150% Offense. Believers and Spartans. Watch out for these factions! This is supposed to make them really threatening. In combination with 200% defense, you may more often prefer diplomatic solutions or probe team actions.
Specific bonusses according to factions' philosophy
Fungnutrients and Planet for Gaians, Research, Economy, etc.
3) New units is some new set I thought about. For example, since standard alphax.txt does not have marine ability for probe teams, I just added that unit type to in-game list.
AI also can make police units now, with higher morale and forced cost of 1 row.
In this experimental game it would be good to see, if this helps AI to get separate cheap police units, so it does not build expensive armor police units. So far I noticed Gaians were making them.
Clean formers, trying to see if AI would switch to them after getting bio-engineering.
Trawler, so it harvests sea more if that would work at all...
Attack copter is the most controversial, but let us see
4) I tried also before some other faction bonusses. Sharetech ability with setup to 1 faction. The result is that when a single AI faction gets a tech, all other have it too. This was found both extremely challenging for a human player not having it, but also very effectively destroying faction specific research habits and diplomacy by it. AI just was getting too many techs too quickly. There was no fun in play, as all AI factions had the same techs.
5) this specific scenario has:
- build more probe teams for AI
- tech stagnation
- random events are "on"
- No forced diplomacy for AI, so no fixed pacts.
- AI is not made any more hostile for a human player. It can be very nice and sweet for a human, what I found the most interesting in singleplayer. This makes the game not completely "war game", but makes diplomacy very important. Of course, at some point most of AI faction will probably declare vendetta, if you grow in power, but there is a lot of room for using friendships from AI.
============================
The save file. Just stand alone.
i have a challanging AI playing with just a 2\10\50 sats and preferences changed. you have to much work there 
edit
though id need to give 100 for that purpose
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