Aldebaran 2: Smax

[smacksim]

Originally posted by #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?

Ok, ok! I'll go crash ModMan in a minute. But you are releasing 1.01 soon anyways, so why bother? I'm curious though to see if I can break the new toy.

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

Done. I did also confirm that 10 factions is max in the custom factions space of alphax.txt. Darn. At least 3 tempting morsels of SAI will beckon....

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.

Someone's getting excited... I don't know if the AI would use this. I expect not, so it would be a mod for pbems with all humans. Everything Aldebaran has to pass the 'Will the AI use it?' test, almost no matter how much fun for the player. As Darsnan said, it's a nice Multiplayer tool. Let's toss it into our pbem perhaps....

Originally posted by #endgame
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.

See above. Flying PB launchers would rock though. Hey, let's see how much fun the carriers and subs are before putting nukes on noodles.

I've got quite far with the help text stuff. I'll take a little break to play with ModMan, then finish the updates for 2.0.6 and publish. Later, if I have time, I want to finish the graphics for the main menu, using the nice graphics I got permission to use (see top of thread). I've already changed a few menu items to make it clear that it's Aldebaran. A splash/menu will be really definitive.

-Smack

[smacksim]

Made a great menu screen, then realized I had to use the indexed colors of the original xopeninga.pcx. Oops . I'd better finish off the help text stuff. Chaunk, you'll be glad to know that the aliens no longer request techs that don't exist in order to speak. . Peacenik rampant rabbit populations under control. 95 percent of weapons packages report the correct text. And a few more things.

Have you ever been so involved in a project that your coffee maker cooks your last cup down to a sludge? Just happened to me, and not for the first time. Photoshop has that effect.

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Tried ModMan by #endgame. It is superb! I'm really looking forward to getting it all smoothed out for the installer (ie, no human interaction and chance for error).

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Chaunk, I forgot to say thanks for the offer to try installs on various systems. It looks like #endgame is such a DOS pro that he can predict what OS's which commands and routines will work with. So apparently we won't need to test on other OS's, unless khslinky wants a *nix version, or a mac user wants an applescript version.

I was wondering if you have/use Ghost for your multiple Windows installs? I can't reccomend it highly enough. I re-install my OS almost monthly to clear out that partition completely and start fresh. Takes one click and 15 minutes with Ghost. I'll never do another full Windows install ever (I hope). It takes days!

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Back to finishing up the most visible help text stuff. There are mountains of text that could be changed of course. Maybe someday.

-Smack

[#endgame]

And to top it all off, ModMan 1.01 is up.

Rather than spamming it to all available and partially relevant threads, check this link:

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118976

[#endgame]

Have a look at the SMAC research assistant, if you want to get an easy list of techs to beeline to something.

http://members.tripod.com/ACHeaven/captcomal.htm

[smacksim]

Release of 2.0.6, with 2.1 to follow in a few days if ModMan is as close as I think...then it's a one-click affair from here on out.




2.0.6 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

I tried to add everyone to the credits.txt, but changes crash the credits. Is this by design Sid? I bet it is.

Aldebaran 2.0.6 Textfiles only (get the graphics from 2.0.5 if you are just joining us)

[#endgame]

Anyone break ModMan yet?

[smacksim]

I did

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim

I don't know if the AI would use this (i.e. Land Transports). I expect not, so it would be a mod for pbems with all humans.

I built land transports into one of my SP Challenges, and all the AI did was push them around from city to city. Same thing with Cloud Bases.

Everything Aldebaran has to pass the 'Will the AI use it?' test, almost no matter how much fun for the player.
-Smack

The AI doesn't use carriers, either. Only once have I seen an AI land an A/C onto a carrier. FYI. However, the AI does build and can use submarines, and they are also very adept at building Probe Cruisers .

btw is there any thought about changing the opening blurb for the game, or the inte4rludes that pop up at certain times throughout? If so, I can help out with this.


D

[Chaunk]

Well I've now played through all the new Aldebran factions except the nauticon as I loathe sea factions... A few notes I've made:

Syndicate have no -1 industry penalty. They actually seem quite well balanced without it, as their hurry penalty is huge... I guess you put it there because of the ease they have to get to +2 econ?

Outlaws are hard work! -2 police means no police units... I'm used to that as Morgan, but there I'm raking in cash. As the outlaws I seem to be getting squat!

Universality and Lovers are too similar methinks. They both seem to have this "go green!" aproach. Urgh! Not my cup of tea, probably more for you eco warrior types who like to play Gaians and drink nettle tea

The Galactics are great fun Enjoying playing them, especially with Marr and H'minee telling me to fare poorly

Nauticons not played so can't comment (Note, probably won't play either...)

It would be nice to have a good research faction too, but I think most of the factions seem to be "powered down" rather than up. (Fair assesment or not?).

The Caretakers & Usurpers are more than holding their own against the super ai. Seem to have a good balance there. Of the super ai though, how the Outlaws don't win every game is beyond me... +4 effic and +2 econ? Yes please!

I'm starting to get used to the game. I've compiled a text file with a few beeline techs in it (All builder stuff so far, but then I'm a die hard builder so that's not really surprising!) Currently trying to figure out which techs are really helpful in the early game.

Perhaps when we start our PBEM, a team game would be a good choice. Say 2v2 or some such? Then we can compare notes with someone else and pick up the other persons strats etc.

[smacksim]

We could play a succession game, or an open game, both of which would allow discussion and strategizing and screenshots.

How about a succession game as one of the more builderly factions vs. the other 6 Aldebaran factions? Play 5 years then post the turn to the thread with commentary. We had great fun with that back in 2000. I'll start the game if anyone's interested. I don't mind 're-rolling' the terrain for something that looks interesting.

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Chaunk, what would you suggest for making the PlanetLovers and Universality more distinct? Perhaps one should be more efficcient or industrious? Also, I'll consider making the 8th faction a little more research oriented and ship it off to you later today. They are related to the Galactics, and hence are alien.

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Darsnan, the AI doesn't use carriers much, but they do use them when they have lots of them. Adding another submarine unit isn't a bad idea. Submarine-probe? O.k..

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by smacksim
We could play a succession game, or an open game, both of which would allow discussion and strategizing and screenshots.

How about a succession game as one of the more builderly factions vs. the other 6 Aldebaran factions? Play 5 years then post the turn to the thread with commentary. I'll start the game if anyone's interested.

I like that idea, as it allows us to strategize together.

Also, for the upcoming PBEM I would like a green faction, or second choice would be the Nauticons, since Chaunk is disinclined to play them. However, to ensure a fair start you'd need a CMN, which I can do if there are already enough players. FYI.


D

[smacksim]

I accidentally left extra Custom Factions in the alphax.txt. (for a total of 14 when the max is 10) This only seems to cause a problem if you choose 'random factions'. You can just trim off the last 4 SAI from that section. I'll make a 2.0.7 update shortly that includes that fix.

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Darsnan, I'll get a succession SP game going if we can get a third player. Chaunk? Khslinky? endgame? GeoModder?

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I played with the custom units a little more, getting ready to re-make the scenarios. I now have the SAI start with Mega-Formers (1-4-2 Clean Buffered Fungi....), which can't be retro-engineered, even by them.
Added a submarine probe team upon discovery of Subplanet Structures (and subs).
Added a cute little Planet Buster with some extra kick, but it's fairly late game.
Am thinking of modifying the Units.pcx to make some custom units with their own graphics. This is fairly back-burner though.

Am working on the Galactic counterpart, nominally called the 'Colonists' who arrive a bit late on the scene from Galactic Home Planets HQ thinking they were coming to a planet prepared for them by the Galactics. Instead, the Galactics want the planet for themselves, so the Colonists are actually more sympathetic to those from Chiron...well, sympathetic is stretching it. It's their planet by law, or so they say.....

-Smack

[Chaunk]

Yep I'll definatly play a succession game. Sounds like a great idea

I guess one of my problems with the universality is that they're not internally consistant. At least not to my mind. Techshare 3 doesn't seem to sit with tech cost 200% for me. One implies a good research faction, the other denys it.

Also the Univ & lovers have many similar bonuses (+1 planet, funugs bonuses for both, robust planet or impunity green, psi bonus to attack etc.). The lovers seem fine as they are to be honest, but the universality seem to be the planetality. Perhaps getting rid of their psi bonus, robust planet and thier tech cost increase, and replacing that with say an aditional +1 planet and -1 support perhaps.

Darsnan will probably be better able to comment than I, eco-weenie that he is

I'd like to call the Peaceniks for the PBEM too if that's ok. If someone else is dying to be them, then I'll go galactic (Unless the new faction gets my juices flowing so to speak!)

[smacksim]

Hey Chaunk, read the backstory! I'm just kidding. But here's what happened to Zak...

The great Chiron Wars were commencing, planetbusters were being launched. The factions had found a new planet in Taurus, orbiting the Star Aldebaran (40 light years from Sol, btw). Anyways, Zak had the great idea that he could 'enter the algorithm' and create a horrific weapon out of the Hunter-Seeker program. An energy vortex of a computer virus, it would grow and grow, taking down MorganNet, PlanetNet, and perhaps even FungusNet .

As the PlanetBusters were in the air, he rushed the project and it backfired, taking down UniversityNet and unleashing a surge of electric and psychic energy. Zak was in a coma for several years on the emergency journey to Aldebaran (Chiron was nuked). Upon awakening he revealed personality change, but more importantly, psychic ability and connection with planetmind. Many experiments followed. The 'net' result of which is that while Zak, as a leader, abhores research now, he and many University people are tied into Planetmind, whether they like it or not. Thus, the Universality disdains research, they learn most everything through the fungal networks anyways.

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It would be nice to have a couple more builder factions....how to do this? The Syndicate is definately a builder or sorts. Perhaps another splinter group of the University? One that hates the transformation of their countrymen into Planet-loving ascetics? Throw out some ideas.

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Succession game is a go. What faction should we play? Peaceniks, Outlaws, Planetlovers, Syndicate? I'll get one started and link it back here later tonight. Right now I'd better bundle up 2.0.7.

Aldebaran 2.0.7 update will have graphics for the Colonists so Chaunk can get rid of the Nauticon . They'll have to be loaded 'by hand' though, as I want to keep 3 SAI in the main menu. If anyone needs a hand with how to do that, give me a PM.

Aldebaran 2.0.7:

• Colonists Faction added: 6 .pcx graphics files and 2 .txt files
• Custom Units updated: Submarine Probe, Better Graphics for a few units, Mega-Former given to all SAI factions.
• Note the changes here will make this backwards-incompatible. IE, if you load the new SAI factions, you must have the new alphax.txt which contains their new units
• ETM: 23:00

-Smack

[smacksim]

I'm getting excited. Photoshop is so much **** fun! I just made a few new factions and am slowly working my way back through the original 7 Aldebarans to improve their look. Let me introduce the Colonists and a little updated look for good old Colonel Awen Llavella of the Outlaws.

The Colonists were originally more like the Galactics, but I agree with Chaunk that another more builderly faction would be fun. Now you can play 7 with no aquatic faction Chaunk!