Aldebaran 2: Smax

[Lord Nword]

So how about you tell us what your group's goals and general idea is :-p

[binTravkin]

General idea:

To continue modifying Aldebaran project, so it becomes available for SMAX also.

Goals:
1.see above
2.to draw the best CMN's and modder's attention to this project. (we would like get Googlie, Darsnan, Kody and maybe other veterans involved. At least as idea generators)
3.to dedicate the work to our dear SmackSim who was the author of the idea and seemingly got lost in the Ivan..

You can contact me on ICQ #339-500-616 for extended talks..

[Lord Nword]

Sounds good.

It already works with SMAX though. (including all of the techs and stuff)

[Lord Nword]

I double checked my statement above. The version listed in the game is certainly SMAX.

A couple of other things that need to be done:
-Put together a complete list and source of the current set of files for the mod. Essentially just the release on pg. 11 and the newer Planetlover graphics also on that page.
-As mentioned at the beginning of page 11 by smacksim, we could attempt to replace the interludes with a new story for Aldebaran. I'm not volunteering.

I also doubt I'll have much time in the next couple months to do anything worth mentioning in terms of the usual link name/typos stuff.

~LN

[binTravkin]

Sorry seems I found it - I have not gone through all the thread yet..

[#endgame]

#endgame here, reporting in from Thailand on holiday (fortunately not anywhere near the tsunami-hit areas):

I recall Darsnan being interested and his area of expertiese being the alpha(x).txt file.

We need more CMNs in and I'd like to see an Aldebaran DG. That'd be cool and increase interest.

I can't do much until ~20th Jan, when I return to Australia. My main focus with the project was fileswatter/ModMan, but I'd like to give updating facility/tech gfx a shot (ModMan can handle swapping those, too )

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by #endgame
#endgame here, reporting in from Thailand on holiday (fortunately not anywhere near the tsunami-hit areas)

Well thats good to hear!

Originally posted by #endgame
I recall Darsnan being interested and his area of expertiese being the alpha(x).txt file.

I have, can, and will assist in this area (as well as Factional and script.txt files). I guess my only concern here is that Smacksim had a specific plan (or direction) for everything, of which I am afraid I may only "muddy the picture" so to speak.

Originally posted by #endgame
We need more CMNs in and I'd like to see an Aldebaran DG. That'd be cool and increase interest.

A DG would be good, and I can CMN that as well as any PBEM's.

Originally posted by #endgame
I can't do much until ~20th Jan, when I return to Australia. My main focus with the project was fileswatter/ModMan, but I'd like to give updating facility/tech gfx a shot (ModMan can handle swapping those, too )

I've got 2 PBEM's to set up, an SP Scenario to finish and post, plus I'm working intermittently on my own mod "Beta Lyrae", so probably wouldn't be available till near the end of the month anyways to assist with Aldebaran. Regardless, you can count me in (as of then ) to continue helping with this project. FYI.


D

[binTravkin]

I'd like to see an Aldebaran DG. That'd be cool and increase interest.

Good idea!

I have, can, and will assist in this area (as well as Factional and script.txt files). I guess my only concern here is that Smacksim had a specific plan (or direction) for everything, of which I am afraid I may only "muddy the picture" so to speak.

Well, I think the main concepts of this project we have understood, if there's something we won't make as SmackSim wanted it, it will be much worse than to make nothing at all.

And you're the best at this anyway - at least you had contact with SmackSim during this project, so you might know much more than any other CMN if we ask for his help.

I've got 2 PBEM's to set up, an SP Scenario to finish and post, plus I'm working intermittently on my own mod "Beta Lyrae", so probably wouldn't be available till near the end of the month anyways to assist with Aldebaran. Regardless, you can count me in (as of then ) to continue helping with this project. FYI.

No haste - endgame and me are busy till Feb also, we should make a review of what is done at the end of Jan.

We are still waiting for GeoModder to sign in if he still wants to participate.

[Lord Nword]

One of the things that I think would be interesting to do is turn the Datalinks into a compedium of SMAC knowledge...

I THINK we can rename the sections of the datalinks using the labels.txt file. We can just combine the "BASIC CONCEPTS" and "ADVANCED CONCEPTS" and then put in a new section of "DERIVED CONCEPTS" or something like that...

*astounds himself with pure brilliance*

I think someone should simply go through the labels.txt file and change it around a bit. I.E., it still refers to orbital defense pods when they're now called projection defense pods or something...

It should also be noted that I am also busy with stuff in life till at least feb, and probably a few months longer (read till summer)... But it's SMAC, can't quit

Edit:
OK, I'm doing it right now, hehe...
A list of a few changes:
Airdrop is now Horizon Transmit
Orbital Insertion is now Global Transmit
(from Transmitter Unit... Unsure if it should be Transmit or Transmission)
Soil Enricher to Xenophagi
Alpha Centauri to Aldebaran

I haven't really figured a good alternative for what to call the renamed satellites as a group... They're not all satellites now

I've also attached the current labels.txt file.
Note that there is already a labels.txt file in the mod pack, and this is based off the minimal changes in that file.... So just replace it

~LN

[Lord Nword]

And the file....

Its so small i didn't zip it...

[#endgame]

Well, res sats are now Core Facilities, IIRC and are ODPs still ODPs?

Everyone still keen, check Page 1. SmackSim was kind enough to list some of his goals in enormous posts. Also, will we go for SMAC, SMAX or both?

Keep the dream alive people,
#endgame.

[binTravkin]

I will read through all the posts when I have time to do, but if you sometimes notice that Im proposing something "wrong" in SmackSims opinion, just lemme know!

[Lord Nword]

I finally tested last night's changes and found they didn't do quite what i was looking for... I did find what I was looking for in the scriptx.txt file.

So I changed orbital insertion/air drop references, and also changed orbital defense pod to projection defense pod. Those things are done (although of course there is other stuff to be fixed... like air defense against transmits doesn't make too much sense)...

The regular script.txt file was edited too, but I didn't edit the orbital defense pods which are actually called transmitter defense pods in reg SMAC (news to me)...

Attaching the zip of course.

Edit:
I'm not sure what's wrong, I still haven't managed to get the messages I'm looking at changed.. specifically I'm looking at the message you get when you press 'i' for any unit that can't make airdrops... scriptx.txt contains the exact warning message, but changing it hasn't had any effect...

I'll have to test this some more... and of course, I dont' have that much time on my hands

[binTravkin]

like air defense against transmits doesn't make too much sense

Has anyone heard where the "airdefense range=2" parameter stands or is it hardcoded?
If it's hardcoded we can't do nothing..

I think from these:
transmitter defense pods
projection defense pod

The second one sounds better (a bit mystical.. )

Edit:
I'm not sure what's wrong, I still haven't managed to get the messages I'm looking at changed.. specifically I'm looking at the message you get when you press 'i' for any unit that can't make airdrops... scriptx.txt contains the exact warning message, but changing it hasn't had any effect...

We should ask Darsnan to help us here..

[#endgame]

One other thing, we currently have more than 7 Aldebaran factions, do we want to trim it down?