Aldebaran 2: Smax

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim


Could you try to work out the Units and Special Abilities texts that got bungled up?

I can do that.

Originally posted by smacksim
Don't worry about the Xeti units that appear later on in the story. I'll fix them when I get around to re-releasing the Scenarios.

OK. I look forward to this.

D

[smacksim]

Got a lot on my plate here, but I'm hungry. There are some big storms here in NC right now, if I dissapear for 24 hours. Thanks to Darsnan and Chaunk for help with the in-game text, I'll be posting an update tomorrow night that should be nice and clean, with help text actually referring to appropriate items, etc.. Endgame has been prodding me to finish the installer, which I'll work on next.

Smack

[#endgame]

I got bored today and rewrote your installer for you Smacksim. Turns out that my living in the DOS days of old was useful for something. . It's now called ModMan (For ModManager) and is done with the intention of being generic and able to handle many mods. When it runs a mod, it swaps it in, runs SMAC, swaps it back out.

To install Aldebaran 2.0.5 to ModMan:

Download ModMan (attached)
Get Aldebaran 2.0.5

Extract ModMan to \ModMan
Extract Aldebaran to \Aldeb205
Move all of the Aldebaran files in modswaps and modinstalls to Aldeb205

Fire up ModMan by running ModMan.bat

Choose Add a mod:

Title: Aldebaran
Author: Smacksim
Version: 2.0.5
Mod Directory: Aldeb205
Filename: Aldeb205
Expansion Mod: Yes
Nothing else is replaced... yet.
The description is optional, and is displayed before the mod is run.

Save it.

Then choose run mod->Aldebaran->launch.

[smacksim]

Glad I didn't try to rewrite it tonight! And endgame, could you attach it? It's not above.

What can I say? You're the man with the endgame. I'm looking forward to incorporating it into the inno-installer. You can go ahead and attach it to the fileswatter thread as well, if you like. Move over bacon...

-Smack

Edit: So there is a menu system? What do you think about automating that for a particular mod download? Having worked with end-users for a number of years, I know that if they have to do anything besides double click, they'll muck it up (no offense to anyone). Maybe ModMan can have a sidekick subroutine for this, so that it's full utility is preserved if someone wants to use it with other mods, but it's also idiot-proof for any particular customized mod download.

No pressure or anything

Oh, I see you double posted and there's the download. Slow server due to archiving. No matter.

[#endgame]

I got bored today and rewrote your installer for you Smacksim. Turns out that my living in the DOS days of old was useful for something. . It's now called ModMan (For ModManager) and is done with the intention of being generic and able to handle many mods. When it runs a mod, it swaps it in, runs SMAC, swaps it back out.

To install Aldebaran 2.0.5 to ModMan:

Download ModMan (attached)
Get Aldebaran 2.0.5

Extract ModMan to (Smac dir)\ModMan
Extract Aldebaran to (Smac dir)\Aldeb205
Move all of the Aldebaran files in modswaps and modinstalls to Aldeb205

Fire up ModMan by running ModMan.bat

Choose Add a mod:

Title: Aldebaran
Author: Smacksim
Version: 2.0.5
Mod Directory: Aldeb205
Filename: Aldeb205
Expansion Mod: Yes
Nothing else is replaced... yet.
The description is optional, and is displayed before the mod is run.

Save it.

Then choose run mod->Aldebaran->launch.

PM Bugreports to me!

Fingers crossed.

Smacksim, I went overboard on the comments so you can try and find method in my madness...

[smacksim]

I downloaded it and will play with it tomorrow morning. It's my bedtime. What do you think about my suggested idiot-proofing for the installer-download version? G'night. -S

[#endgame]

Smacksim, bundle ModMan and an Aldeb205.SM file with the download. Run.bat can already take one argument, the name of a mod to launch.

example:

Run Aldeb205

or

Run Aldeb205 -S

Will disable the splashscreen.

Just for making it compatible with shortcuts.

Also note the 8.3 limit on mod directory names and the 8 char limit on .SM file names.

As always, back up the smac dir before testing.

[#endgame]

Okay, 3 major bugs with run.bat:
These will only apply if running it in the method outlined in the previous post:

1. It will spam like crazy, since ModMan.bat turns echo off, and run.bat would be run independently from ModMan.bat.

2. I am 99.9% sure that it will run out of environment space in its current state on machines < WinNT.

3. ModMan.bat modifies the path environment variable and run.bat does not. This will cause major problems if run in the above method.

I therefore put forward that you DO NOT try the above method of using run.bat until ModMan 1.01 is released (a day or so). The ModMan.bat method should still work.

[smacksim]

O.k.. Considering that ModMan is under development and might just idiot-proof the install process and make it all a one-click affair, I think I'll hold off on releasing 2.1 until we've run it successfully on Win XP and Win ME machines (the two flavors we have access to).

2.0.6 on the other hand .... here are the changes for the upcoming text-files-only update:

• help files improved significantly (thanks to Darsnan especially)
• Peacekeepers were too powerful starting with Human Ecology, thats been changed to Tacit Controls
• Pushed Tree Farms a little earlier
• Tied Hybrid forests to Bioadaptive Resonance instead of Chiron's Legacy
• All the changes from 2.0.5 still apply

Let me know what you think about the above changes. Also, I have a couple questions for the beta testers:

• Do you ever get stuck with no facilities to build because techs not yet discovered?
• Are you satisfied with having 7 super AI and 3 regular Aldebaran factions in the menu? Or should I reverse this so that all 7 'normal' Aldebaran factions are playable out of the box?
• Have you tried playing the included Smac version?
• Is anyone interested in making new graphics?
• Is anyone interested in further extending the help menus to include beelines and important terraforming technologies?
• Anyone ready for an Aldebaran pbem?

-Smack

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim

I have a couple questions for the beta testers:[list]
[*]Do you ever get stuck with no facilities to build because techs not yet discovered?

Not yet (2 games so far).

[*]Are you satisfied with having 7 super AI and 3 regular Aldebaran factions in the menu? Or should I reverse this so that all 7 'normal' Aldebaran factions are playable out of the box?

Play-wise, I like the current setup as it leads me to exploer the Aldebaran Factions more slowly. However, if theres a backstory behind Aldebaran, then it might make more sense to have the Aldebaran Factions show up first.

[*]Have you tried playing the included Smac version?

No. I'm pretty much a SMAX player only.

[*]Is anyone interested in making new graphics?

I don't have the capability.

[*]Is anyone interested in further extending the help menus to include beelines and important terraforming technologies?

I haven't really looked into this yet, but once it makes sense to me why I can help.

[*]Anyone ready for an Aldebaran pbem?

After how badly I just got beat by the Nauticon SAI's, no!

D

[Chaunk]

Originally posted by smacksim
O.k.. Considering that ModMan is under development and might just idiot-proof the install process and make it all a one-click affair, I think I'll hold off on releasing 2.1 until we've run it successfully on Win XP and Win ME machines (the two flavors we have access to).

If you need me to, I have spare machine here and a large selection of windows OS's (Actually every version from 3.1 onwards ) so I could test a few. Don't expect me to be too patient with it though as it does take a while to install a new OS

Also, I have a couple questions for the beta testers:

• Do you ever get stuck with no facilities to build because techs not yet discovered?
• Are you satisfied with having 7 super AI and 3 regular Aldebaran factions in the menu? Or should I reverse this so that all 7 'normal' Aldebaran factions are playable out of the box?
• Have you tried playing the included Smac version?
• Is anyone interested in making new graphics?
• Is anyone interested in further extending the help menus to include beelines and important terraforming technologies?
• Anyone ready for an Aldebaran pbem?

-Smack

Err... in order:

• Yep definatly. Sounds like a huge map problem though. In my current game it's 2394 (I was sure the game started in 3000?) and I have nothing to build. I want to build an army, but I lack any good offensive techs. I also only got ASU's last turn so that's a pain in the butt...
• Again, yep. They seem to get creamed early on though (Only tested the uni and the hive, both were killed inside 50 years by the SAI).
• I lack the skills I'm afriad. Kudos on the existing graphics though
• I'm not sure beelines should be in the help menu. I think existing best beelines are probably not the best in Aldebran too. Sats seem more accessable than crawlers for instance?
• I'd have a go at a PBEM, but I'd like a bit longer to get into the game. I think this game is a labour of love for me, as I micromanage everything and against the ai it's just not worth it. Aldebran is keeping me interested by it's freshness though, but as soon as that changes, it's time for a PBEM IMHO.

Edit: Removed some unnecessary quotage.

[Chaunk]

Originally posted by smacksim
Without being a spoiler, I can say that the Galactics appear to be human, but are some advanced form of human subspecies. It's impossible for the Chironians to communicate with them without close study of their language (which was Progenitor Psyche).

I guess this is a scriptx.txt thing, but currently when I try and contact the Galactics (Who are withholding some juicy techs from me in my current game ) the game says "You cannot contact teh Galactics until you learn Progenator Psych or they learn Social Psych." (If any of you are grammer nazi's please tell me if the full stop should be inside or outside the quote! Thanks!)

Is Social Pysch still in the game as the tech for the "human" language? Does the tech in the position of social pysch have that effect?

Here are my original PM'ed comments too (Some of this might be obsoleted by the latest patch by the way):

Several of the quotes in the data links seem to be messed up? For example, the Planet buster has the description for the troop transport. The small blurbs for each tech when choosing the next tech is wrong too. Or at least it was in my last game when I was actually making notes on the game play rather than just trying to get to grips with the system.

Does the L.Faire Economics choice have a -1 or -2 police penalty? Having not gotten the requisite tech in game yet to change, I couldn't say, but both are stated in the datalinks.

All the quotes for the techs in the datalinks are the quotes from the SMAX clan. I guess this will need some work to fix as they're not easy to come up with I imagine...

The production SE section isn't writen yet rod:

You've increased the worth of the alien artefact in the datalinks, but not in the game. Why?

The peaceniks seem over powerful. +4 growth as an inherint bonus is HUGE. The only strategy of any worth is ICS, as otherwise your bases get too big to have easy drone control. Plus being able to build a third base in 8 turns is too fast IMHO. Perhaps the free chironian habitat should be one that is free when the requisit tech is discovered not from the get go? I was pwning the super ai by 2125

Also, can you do an eigth faction for people like me who loath sea factions? With the improved sea forming too, it seems too large an advantage IMO to start in the water.

Regardless, I'm currently really enjoying the game It's a totally different experience from plain smax, and I really like some little things (Like Robotics... it's a completely redundant tech is it not?) and the terraforming rocks. I was a little annoyed at not be able to do certain things at first, but really enjoying it.

I stand by the peacenik comment though. +2 growth as a base faction advantage and then an additional +2 from the chironian habitat gives +4 growth. A base with +2 nuts grows in 7 turns! Thats faster than a +0 growth base with 3 nuts! Massive advantage. Added to their +1 industry and they're a real monster faction. Beeline to the chironator for State Economics and you're away. The difference between -3 and -5 morale, is for the most part, an extra (+) because of the free CC's (sic). Most of my units defend their bases as very green (++++) +25%! Insane!

I would suggest making the free habitat available only with the requisit tech as I say above, not from the very start. Then the +2 growth is still a big bonus, but not as big: the -3 morale is then also a big penalty in the early game, not a bonus as it currently acts.

Just my 2 e.c.s.

[smacksim]

Chaunk,

Thanks for the extensive comments! I won't quote the whole thing, but I think you raise some excellent points.

When I got your PM I thought that you must be playing the Super-AI version of the Peaceniks. But I went and checked, and yep, they both have the +2 growth bonus. I havn't actually played them as a player since Aldebaran-1, so your comments are very enlightening.

I now completely agree that they are overpowered b/c of the growth thing. Especially considering how hard booming is for the other factions pre-Citizens SE choice (mid game). But what to do? I think I should just scrap the free Chironian Habitats altogether (children's creches for those from Chiron). Even getting them upon discovering the appropriate tech is fairly early in the game. Hmm. How to give them a growth advantage then? How about a free extra CP? Or perhaps another free tech leading to creches. Let me know if you have further suggestions.

About the 'Can't talk to Galactics until Progenitor Psych', yeah, those texts need to be....will be changed to correspond to the real techs ..... Sapiens Galacticus in this case. I'll try to get that in before assembling 2.0.6 tonight.

Will fix Lassaiz Faire help text.

Hopefully tree farms earlier will help 'unstick' the situation where you have little to build if you are beelining to crawlers.

Crawlers and Satellites (Matter Transmitters ) are about the same research to beeline to. Keep in mind that most of the changes are geared towards keeping the AI competetive. Crawlers are too effective a human strategy to be earlier. I didn't want to completely eliminate them though. They do help a player catch up to the AI in the midgame.

------------------

Darsnan, thanks for the feedback. I PM'd you r/e the help text.

------------------

So it looks like another week before we get a pbem up? I can't wait!


-------------------

One more thing. I am looking at changing some of the SE choice values a little bit. Nothing drastic, but just focusing them a little more. I'll update you one what gets changed, if that makes it into 2.0.6

-Smack, who goes to further fix the help text and Peaceniks.

[#endgame]

So no-one has tried ModMan 1.00? Oh well. I can confirm that 1.01 works on Win2k and therefore probably WinXP. Smacksim, what's the state of workingness on WinME? ModMan 1.01 will go up this evening, once I get home from Uni. The run.bat bugs have now been fixed, as well as a couple of other stupids.

I'd personally like to see all standard factions for Aldebaran displayed and 3 SAI ones, rather than the current version.

If making smac and smax versions for Aldeb2, make 2 SM files for ModMan: Aldeb2.SM and Aldeb2x.SM and make Aldeb2x.SM have the SMAX mod flag set.

I'd really like to see infantry transports be able to get carrier deck. Imagine the potential for noodles and copters post magtube.

Also, what about flying transports with carrier deck? Double the range of a noodle, but kamikaze it since it can't get home without a transport to catch it.

Or, can you put missiles in transports? PB launching subs, Flying PB launchers...

I'd like to see how badly ModMan breaks on Win9x/ME

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by #endgame


I'd really like to see infantry transports be able to get carrier deck. Imagine the potential for noodles and copters post magtube.

Or, can you put missiles in transports? PB launching subs, Flying PB launchers...

The Scud Launcher. Its a unit I use in some of the games I CMN:

Scud Launcher, Speeder, Transport, 8-Res, 3,10, 4, Disable, -1, 00100000000000000010000000

I usually put a few missiles, or Scud Missiles (nerve agent tipped) on it and put the units in sleeper mode. Usually once a human player finds a couple of these, why they become less "ambitious" about exploration....

D