No population decrease after attack

[BortaS]

Thanks to the "force old voxelalgorithm" tweak, I was finally able to get SMAX to work with my current computer, so I decided to start a SP game for auld lang syne ^^

Now one thing is really bugging me: I've imposed myself the restriction that I may not capture enemy bases except if they're size 1 (and thus getting destroyed after capture). But then I attacked a size 4 Drones base with my rovers and after the 4 defenders were levelled, the base was still at size 4. The base had no defense improvements. All of the defenders were ground units (and I'm not referring to sea bases, of course).
I tried infantry instead of rovers, then tried attacking another base, quit and restarted SMAX, but the result is always the same: the pop stays constant.

Have I overlooked some option in the alphax.txt? Or is this a known bug? I haven't found anything on the net o_O

I hope I don't have to cancel the UN chart and start some serious "alternative" population reduction

Thanx in advance for your help

[Petek]

Are you certain that the base didn't have a Perimeter Defence? That prevents decrease in base size. If that's not the answer, please post a save file from the appropriate situation.

[BortaS]

Like I said, the base didn't have any def improvements.
The bug (if it is one) also seems to apply to every other base, and it's not limited to this one game. I loaded some saves from old games, and the same thing happened, with the exception that in those games the base pop would be reduced by one after the last defender had been killed while in the current game the pop just stays the same.

Nevertheless I'll attach a recent save file from that very game.

[Petek]

I downloaded the save and loaded the game. Attacked the size-4 Drone base Hammer und Zange. Its size correctly went to 3 when the last defender was defeated and to size 2 when captured.

It appears the you have the German version. I seem to recall that this version had bugs that weren't present in other versions. Make sure that you are fully patched (Help, Version number from the Menu should show Release 2.0).

You might want to check out this German language SMAC/SMAX site for additional information.

[BortaS]

Yep, I have the German version, Alien Crossfire Release 2.0.

Just to make it sure, the correct behaviour should be a -1 decrease after the last defender has been defeated and no decrease before that (unlike Civ2), right?

That means that the other saves work normally and it's just that one game.

Any ideas what could have gone wrong?

[Petek]

Originally posted by BortaS

Just to make it sure, the correct behaviour should be a -1 decrease after the last defender has been defeated and no decrease before that (unlike Civ2), right?

Right.

That means that the other saves work normally and it's just that one game.

Any ideas what could have gone wrong?

No idea, since the feature works as expected for me in the game that you posted.

BTW, your version exhibits the known bug with the German version. I opened your game in the scenario editor, switched sides to the Drones and created a Locust of Chiron (Heuschr. v. Chiron in German). The Locust had only one movement point. I don't know whether that has anything to do with the other problem, however.

[BortaS]

Hm, well, looks like I gotta obliterate the bases.

Another question, if you capture a base and burn it to the ground with the UN chart still active, does it cause ecodamage (like gassing)?

EDIT:
I've tested it myself now, and obliterating bases will cause ecodamage under the UN chart.