SMAX Tech Tree

[Sanjuro]

I posted a topic over at AC Help complaining about the fact that Planetary Economics does no longer have Environmental Economics as a prerequisite, thus making the Hybrid forest gained useless (since you can't built it without a Tree Farm).
I also find that the theory behind N-Space Compression comes far too early (read the blurbs ... it is just like matter transmission) so I think it should be relabelled to something like Adaptive Spaceflight.

PS Has anyone tried reworking the Tech Tree on a more 'physical' basis. If anyone is interested I got some suggestions.

[AlexanderIII]

If you have some suggestions regarding the remapping of the SMAC-X tech tree, why don't you just go ahead and do it, then share it with the rest of us? Then people will give you feedback. Talk is cheap. Come out with a mod, then generate disussion based on that; just a suggestion.

[Sanjuro]

What I had in mind was:

1. Totally (or at least to a great extend) remap the tech tree.

2. Since the whole game is hinged on the concepts of Conquer, Build, Explore and Discover, make sure that all the advances logically fit into a category. I.e. you would have e.g. every Build advance based on at least one previous (and highest order) Build advance and the second required advance would be further down the tree.
e.g. Build 8 requires a Build 7 and a say Discover 5 or so. That way, focussing on one of the 4 areas would yield much more predictable results. I know that Firaxis have done a great job with the tech tree but I find it very confusing that in order to get for example Probability Mechanics (Build) you need Photon Mechanics (Conquer) and PresSentient Algorithms (Discover).
Also, you could have certain lines running through the tree (like the Bioenineering line in the AC Tree (from Biogenetics,Gene Splicing...to Homo Superior,Will To Power)) which IMHO gives the player an easier grasp of what requires and follows what.

3. Fan the tree out in the mid/late game. In the early game you are overwhelmed with option, but in the late game you usually one have one or two choices, as everything depends on everything else.

4. Have some dead-end techs. (Why do I need a tech that gives me new weapons if all I want is to improve my cities and get a high score?)

5. Make it slightly more physical.

Sanjuro

[Sanjuro]

Alexander, this might be a silly question, but how do you make a mod? I am relatively new to the Internet/Forum/Exchange business, and so far all I ever did was rewrite the alpha.txt files and change pictures/blurbs for my own use. Do you just sent all your modified files off or how does that work?

Sanjuro

[AlexanderIII]

How do you make a mod? Well that depends on what you want it to do.

In a mod there are three types of files you can alter to create desired effects/changes:
1) .txt files
2) .pcx (graphics) files
3) .mp3 (sound) files

The .pcx and .mp3 files have a non-standard format and so require a little finaggling to change -- the .pcx needs its own palette and the .mp3 has a non-standard bit rate (speed). More info on that can be had from previous threads; look them up.

What can you do with a mod?
1)Change the rules of the game #RULES in alpha.txt;
2) Remapping the tech tree: (done in alpha.txt) a) changing the relationship between techs and the order in which they appear; b) change what techs activate what armor/weapons/chassis/units/terraforming/bonuses/etc;
3) create non-standard units (#units), or even new units, and even give them their own graphics if you want (units.pcx file);
4)alter terrain/terraforming features looks: ter1.pcx;
5)alter menu listings;
6)translate the entire game into another language;
7)change how the factions interact and their features and characteristics (including new factions), even how 'smart' they are;
8)creating new techs, which requires new .pcx icon files, sound to accompany it and descriptions;
9)adding to game help screens and unit descriptions

There are many many others and finer points, but those are the main ones I can think of now. The trick, you see, of creating a mod, is altering ALL of these things in a game so that the experience of playing the game, in the end, is one that is more enjoyable to you; that is the ultimate goal. It can be something as simple as creating new rules to adding a few new techs to remapping the entire game tree, rules and units (like my mod SNAX 1.0 soon-to-be released).

There are lots of possibilities, but also as many things you cannot change in the game. Occasionally I hear in these threads someone who hits upon a limitation of creating a mod to do something (which isn't hard) -- and almost always immediately after talk of reprogramming the core code of the game. Guys, gimme a break, huh? If you're a programmer, you know the compiliing code of the game and you have over 20 hours a week to do programming for free (which, if you were such a good programmer you'd probably be working for a living at your craft, maybe even a gamming company), be my guest. To me it's too much bother for just a game. Have fun changing what can be changed, and leave the rest to Firaxis. That's my unsolicited advice on that issue, take it for what it's worth.

And for goodness sake don't be afraid to change things, even the graphics, do see if you can create something cool. That's the great thing about SNAC(-X), you get to customize Your Game. Just remember to back everything up! And have fun creating your new mod!

[Sanjuro]

Another question: If I want to design a scenario with a modified set of files where exactly do I need to put the files for it to work. I got the alpha.txt file in the right place i.e. in the 'myscenario' directory but none of the modified facs pics etc. seem to work.

[AlexanderIII]

Ah bien, c'est la vie mon ami. I guess that's just the way it works. You can chaange the rules for your scenario through alpha.txt in the scenarios directory, but beyond that I don't think the game will accept anything else apart from the scenario.txt, scenario.sc, and alternate faction files, unless I'm mistaken.

[AlexanderIII]

If you want to change any of the files not for a scenario, that's what is considered a mod pack, in my view. In that case you will have to replace the original files (keeping a backup of the originals in another folder), and run the game like that.