Aldebaran 2: Smax

[GeoModder]

Nah, the sealurk became a landworm-with-progenitor-head (dune-style) in that scenario with some speed-and-invisibility adjustments. I sended that lurk to Smacksim already.

The problem in my scenario is that I tried to make two planets on the same map, and adjusted ocean trenches to be labeled as deep space, so the invasion of another planet/moon becomes a must at some part of the game. But the AI would never use the converted 'space transport' (Unity graph) I created for that.

Made for a weird game screen though. The map is at size 24x128 (nearly normal size), but the small planet map on the right bottom is nearly unusable by the extorded view.

My Planetoids (mindbusters) took the place of sealurks since those occur less offen randomly.

The factional -and game setup is still sound, just need to rethink the map -and starting positions. And then implement it off course. ATM I'm more inclined to give the Spartans (ACDG-ones ) a little field-exercise on our very own Luna , rework my Mars-scenario and then move on to this. A little trilogy in essence.

[smacksim]

No Hurry Geo. I'm holding back on 2.1.0 for a little while while I do some playtesting. If you want to send me those bases as a .pcx, I could put it as is into the 2.1 release. It looks pretty good to me!

Darsnan, I've actually had to do a lot of tinkering with the Universality. They are really too powerful, but a bit frustrating to play from the research point of view, until the mid-game.

+ 50% research from Ascetic's Retreat, but 200% research penalty = ~150% to general time to research something. One key is to research something not likely to be recieved via the datalinks. Getting the first tech completed is critical to ending the 'recalculate labs every turn' feature of the first tech.

+1 support = 3 units free of mineral support
+1 planet = free army

and the big one:
-1 drone from the Ascetic's retreat, +50% to psyche allocation.

That means you don't need garrisons at size 2 on Transcend. Size 3 without rec commons. It also permits rampant ICS to the second b-drone limit.

The hardest thing from the research end is that you keep getting free techs via the fungus. This slows down your own research and makes other factions hate you for being so smart

But in the mid-game, when you start researching things the AI doesn't care about, and at a faster pace via ICS, the human tendency to create lots of lab points starts to pay off, and you actually get to do some targetted research.

What I like most about the faction is their natural momentum-rush nature. While you accrue Mindworms, Spore Launchers and IoDs on your way to the enemy, you'll be gaining free military techs to upgrade your regular military via the datalinks/fungus net. You can focus all your energy production into ECs for rushbuilding, and still keep up with the other players. Then, when you take an enemy base, your free Ascetic's Retreat quells the Captured Base drone. Quite vicious.

Before 2.0.9, they were nigh unstoppable because of the further extra talent. Even the AI would ICS with that. I think they are closer to balanced now. I've also changed the Planetlovers (not sure if it's in 2.0.9 or not) to have a -1 industry penalty rather than the -1 Growth that the Uni has. The Planetlovers are more traditional Hybrids.

I think I will try to post a 2.1.0 before I head off for vacation this weekend. I'll be gone ~10-14 days, but may have net access some of the time.

-Smack

[smacksim]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Nah, the sealurk became a landworm-with-progenitor-head (dune-style) in that scenario with some speed-and-invisibility adjustments. I sended that lurk to Smacksim already.

The problem in my scenario is that I tried to make two planets on the same map, and adjusted ocean trenches to be labeled as deep space, so the invasion of another planet/moon becomes a must at some part of the game.

I'm definately going to use the 'old school' sealurk. I'd forgotten that unit after having seen it and wondered what it was in the first Aldebaran production.

Your deep-space analogy for the ocean reminds me: Have you ever tried to edit the terrain graphics for the ocean? Ugh! It's so frustrating because the game re-shades the ocean squares. If you never have tried, I reccomend not to try. It's painful. There is even some reshading of the regular terrain. The only things I've been sucessful with are changing the fungus, the jungle, the desert, and farms (I always dislike the regular Smac(x) farms).

[#endgame]

It also might be worthwhile writing in the world of Aldebaran as a planetary Manifold, which would explain the presence of bright pink semisentient fungus and mindworms. Or make the colonists have trapped fungal spores in their clothing or something.

[GeoModder]

I recently tried to change the farm graphics as farming domes on an inhospatible/airless world with the solar collectors (and changed those too off course with the little mirror from the Echelon Mirrors). It works pretty well, but I also spread those 'domes' to the outer edges of the tile, and they deform quite extensively when the terrain is 'dented'.
But keeping them centred is no option since the 'heavy' terraforming stuff makes them invisible later on...

What's so bad about the regular SMAC(X) farms?

No, I didn't try to alter the deep trenches color, was black enough IMO.

Tell me, to be sure, on Aldebaran the Fungal Towers still have the same graphics as the vanilla version? Otherwise I prefer to make some habitation around that. If you use the seamonster graph of the pic I posted for sealife, I use that one for the waterbases and adapt the habitation in it. Are the Planetlovers alien or human (for the perimeter)?

O yes, and by working slow, I mean weeks, not days. So don't expect it to be ready before your vacation.

[smacksim]

Originally posted by #endgame
It also might be worthwhile writing in the world of Aldebaran as a planetary Manifold, which would explain the presence of bright pink semisentient fungus and mindworms. Or make the colonists have trapped fungal spores in their clothing or something.

That part of the backstory is written. Actually, I should say, it is waiting to be written I wrote the plot outline before learning much of anything about Smax, but it still works, though it's strange how I came up with some real similarities to part of the Progenitor fiction. In short, the Progenitors are not the true masters of the fungus, nor of the manifolds. They are a means to a greater end. The Galactics are part of a consortium of aliens known as the Alliance. The galactics were human, until thousands of years of space exploration and genetic engineering have made them a distinct subspecies. Some true aliens are coming in the various scenarios and are a big part of the plot. The Chironians are pretty surprised to find Fungus on Aldebaran, though some of them had fore-knowledge of this that they kept to themselves. The Outlaws are from the Galactic empire, so they are quite a shock for the Chironians, yet they all pretty much hate the Galactic Empire.

[GeoModder]

And the Planetlovers are... ? Need to know that for their (future) base graphics. See my above post.

[smacksim]

Originally posted by GeoModder
What's so bad about the regular SMAC(X) farms?

Tell me, to be sure, on Aldebaran the Fungal Towers still have the same graphics as the vanilla version? Otherwise I prefer to make some habitation around that. If you use the seamonster graph of the pic I posted for sealife, I use that one for the waterbases and adapt the habitation in it. Are the Planetlovers alien or human (for the perimeter)?

I just think the farms look too big and sterotypical. They contrast too sharply with the background as well. But it's a small opinion.

Yeah, all the graphics are currently the same I believe. I havn't uploaded a Units.txt or Texture.txt yet with the packages. I just keep playing with variations and hoping to one day be able to edit the cvr files for the basic units. I do plan on using the seamonster for the sealurks and 'Great Worms'

[GeoModder]

The Planetlovers, smacksim...

[smacksim]

The Planetlovers are Human.

The three 'aliens' are 'Galactics, Colonists, Outlaws', in terms of being homo sapiens galacticus

All the rest are human. The Planetlovers are lead by Lady Deirdre's lover, Sir Lindley.

[GeoModder]

Ok, thanks. I know enough now. Perhaps I incorporate a bit of the Gaian base graphs in it, not sure yet. I see how much can be cramped in the base tile.

Thus Fungal Towers for the land bases, the green monster graph for the seabases. And additional human habitation -and perimeter around it.

[smacksim]

Like I said. No rush. Adding graphics is easy anytime. I'll release 2.1 soonish and the finished graphics can come later. That way I can do a bit of work on them during vacation too. I have to teach photoshop to someone anyways.

[stuntman19]

I downloaded this mod a week ago and finally got around to playing a game with it. The AI was doing very well in the first 100 years or so, but now seems to be having some problems. The map is huge and is a lil over half water and I have know noticed the AI has no sea bases. I'm talking between all 6 AI's they have zero sea bases. This really has hurt their progress.

This really does seem to be a nicely developed mod and congratz on that, but possibly the AI could be looked at to utilize the sea since it is such a big part of the game.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Boy I see a lot of work has been underway on Aldabaran, I will have to play around with it.

I am hopeing to restart work on my own Mod the IMPACX mod which focuses on Alphax text editing and keeping the original storyline intact. I am hopeing to get permision to use (with credit given) some of the work you have done here in my own moding. I am hopeing some cross-polination can get started, I can see already that I have taken radicaly differnt directions on many issues. Good luck with the rest of your project, I will try to drop in here often, oh and your all invited to drop by my thread as well (once I get it up).

[smacksim]

Stuntman, that's weird that they havn't yet gone to sea... I'll see if I can replicate that behavior in my own games. When they do go to sea(which is so far, always, in my own games), they do great.

Impaler, looking forward to hearing about your mod and comparing notes. Permission granted to use things from Aldebaran! It's not proprietary in any sense, other than thanks given to those who contributed....

As noted elsewhere, I'm on vacation currently, so no big updates to Aldebaran till mid August, I would expect...