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  • SMACX mod at halfway point...

    Still experimenting with new units, don't have new art for the factions or facilities yet, no new sounds ready, but, here's what I've got right now:



    New Techs

    Rational Econometrics: B6. Requires Planetary Economics and Environmental Economics, replaces Planetary Economics as prerequisite for Sentient Econometrics. Allows construction of the Energy Futures Computer (stats in flux). Increases income from trade.

    Theory: The final stage of human economics, Rational Econometrics combines previous economic theories into a mathematically complete whole. Unfortunately, it is too complex to fully apply to the real world until sentient computers are designed for the task (Sentient Econometrics).

    Inertial Dampening: C8. Requires Unified Field Theory and Probability Mechanics, replaces Unified Field Theory as prerequisite for Secrets of Creation. It replaces the N-Space Compression as the tech to build a Flechette Defense System.

    Theory: The combination of understanding fields of force and subatomic probability allows the transmission of energetic particles to manipulate momentum. The results of these experiments both can perform the mundane task of blocking incoming missiles and expand undersatnding of the nature of creation.

    Virtual Particle Physics: B13. Requires Singularity Mechanics and Sentient Resonance, replaces Singularity Mechanics as prerequisite for Controlled Singularity. Allows constuction of the Zero Point Energy Extractor (ground facility with the same cost as Orbital Power Transmitter, has upkeep of -5).

    Theory: The 20th Century Theory of Quantum Electrodynamics postulated the existence of "virtual" particles, which pop into existence in pairs (one with positive and one with negative mass), exist for a while, and then combine into nothingness. These particles cause black holes to "evaporate" (the Hawking effect), so controlling "tame" singularities is contingent on controlling these particles.

  • #2
    New Factions
    (details coming later)

    Brotherhood of Seekers: A mystic cult that believes the only way to gain enlightenment is by experiencing as much as possible. They find many new experiences on Planet, not all pleasant...

    Cortez Society: A society that seeks riches through power. Its members seek to conquer the other factions and live lives of ease off tributes.

    Eugenics Institute: The Eugenics Institue seeks to perfect mankind through genetic manipulation.

    Heirs of Terra: The Heirs seek to use the resources of Chiron to return to and reclaim Earth.

    Knights of Chiron: A faction of medievalist romanitcs, they try to live their lives according to the ideals of chivalry.

    Mercantile League: Bluntly, Sea Morganites. Vehemently opposed to the Nautilus Pirates, whom they view as thieves and murderers.

    Objectivist Symposium: Ever read anything by Ayn Rand? This faction is dedicated to her ideas and seeks to create a society based on them.

    Overman Center: Nitzecheans. Willing to enhance their bodies with bionics, but reject the reason and logic of the Cybernetic Consciouness.

    Posthuman Collective: 1984. A society dedicated to making sure everything is done by consensus -- by brainwashing and tortuing dissenters into changing their minds.

    Stoic Warriors: Emotionally repressed, luxury-haters who expect the other factions to collapse under the pressures of Planet.

    Symbiotic Union: A society dedicated to mental and physical union with mindworms and psychic union with each other, groping towards Transcendence.

    Terraforming Laboratories: the obligatory :-) 'former faction.

    True Path of Wisdom: Religious cult that believes the monoliths and Manifold Nexus were left by gods, and that the Progenitors are incarnations of those deities.

    Utopian Alliance: Seekers of peace, friendly co-existence, and technical cooperation who hope to make Chiron a paradise.

    Comment


    • #3
      Hmm. Very interesting, very interesting indeed... May I suggest few extra factions?

      1. Industrial Union. They believe to ideals of Communism, and are bound to build the perfect communist society upon the planet.

      2. Hierarchy. . If Collective reminded you of 1984, this has some of aspects of Brave New World - namely, the chaste system. There are chastes, each having its own set of rules, jobs, and each trained to their role from childhood. While lower chastes are practically enslaved, upper chastes are largely decadent.

      3. Servants of Machine. . This faction is built around intelligent computer, test model that one group of miscasts managed to dig out of Unity Wreck and to what they have been obeying ever since. Quite simply, they obey everything Computer tells them.

      4. Thieves' Circle. Large criminal faction that is dedicated to fill their coffers - by any means necessary. Also known from lack of any kind of law.
      "Spirit merges with matter to sanctify the universe. Matter transcends to return to spirit. The interchangeability of matter and spirit means the starlit magic of the outermost life of our universe becomes the soul-light magic of the innermost life of our self." - Dennis Kucinich, candidate for the U. S. presidency
      "That’s the future of the Democratic Party: providing Republicans with a number of cute (but not that bright) comfort women." - Adam Yoshida, Canada's gift to the world

      Comment


      • #4
        Interesting ideas. I especially liked your Virtual Particle Physics tech. Tell me, are some of the facilities indicated new creations, and if they are I'd be interested in seeing the specs, cause creating new faqs for SMACX is still an unknown to me.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Stefu on 12-23-1999 09:46 AM
          Hmm. Very interesting, very interesting indeed... May I suggest few extra factions?
          Of course you may suggest

          1. Industrial Union.

          Honestly, I find this ground to be covered pretty well by the Free Drones, which is why I didn't create one.

          2. Hierarchy.

          My Eugenics Institute. Remember that the different social levels in Brave New World were based on engineered biological differences.

          3. Servants of Machine. .

          If it weren't for the Cybernetic Consciousness, I would have one. The trouble is, I couldn't get the actual play of the factions to differ sufficently.

          4. Thieves' Circle.

          Cortez Society, roughly, but if someone wants to make their own...

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by AlexanderIII on 12-30-1999 12:04 AM
            Interesting ideas. I especially liked your Virtual Particle Physics tech. Tell me, are some of the facilities indicated new creations, and if they are I'd be interested in seeing the specs, cause creating new faqs for SMACX is still an unknown to me.
            Sure. The Zero Point Energy Extractor is simply a facility with a negative upkeep cost, replacing an "Empty Facility ##". My writeup is as follows:

            Zero Point Energy Extractor, 12, -5, Virtual, Disable, +5 Energy this base

            I can't get a new facility to do anything but cost/give minerals to build and cost/produce upkeep energy. And since I can't get the AI to build any of them, I have to be careful about how powerful they are. The ZPEE, for example, is generally a worse deal than a power sat -- except it isn't subject to the dangers that a satellite is.

            Another one I'm considering is an "Emergency Recycling". Not a generally great idea, but if you absolutely need 10 minerals to carry over to your next project, you can do it -- at an upkeep cost until you pay to scrap and recycle it.

            Emergency Recycling, -3, 1, None, Disable, 10 Minerals for Next Item in Queue

            Comment


            • #7
              I love your two ideas about base facilities, really creative. And you can have AIs build them, but only if they come bundled into faction.txt files as automatic bonuses, like UofP's Networks Nodes.

              Comment


              • #8
                Umm... SEE? Are you planning to make custom leader pics, symbols, and base graphics for all 14 of those new factions?

                Y'know, that's quite a lot of work there in itself. I'm only about 2/3 done with my 7 graphics, and I've been working for a while now.
                Banned on Black Saturday in the name of those who went before him.

                Realizes that no one probably remembers that event.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jasonian on 12-31-1999 06:57 PM
                  Umm... SEE? Are you planning to make custom leader pics, symbols, and base graphics for all 14 of those new factions?
                  Well, I was. But I then discovered how blasted much work it was, and how little appropriate clipart I could find, and how bad an artist I am...

                  Now, I'm not going to do faction art -- I'm going to just provide the text files; new art for my new units, facilities, and techs; and maybe record a few mp3's. It won't be as nice, but it'll still play the same.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You know what we really need here in these forums is a few suggestions of sites that are great for fetching faction graphics, porting them with minimum manipulation -- alien/human faces, icons/symbols, scenes(for the rectangle in the bottom right corner of faction.pcx), maybe even good .mp3 or .wav files for quotes -- you know, from Star Wars, or Babylon 5, or Star Trek/STNG, from movies, etc. It would be really cool if someone could make up a web site with links to all sorts of faction garphics resources.

                    To start with, I have one of my own. It is a library of SKURK files for the old SimCity 2000 -- just copy the sample .jpgs right off the web site, no need to download anything. There are lots of great ideas there for base graphics if you want to spend the time fiddling with them to paste them into a faction.pcx file. The address is: http://scurk.com/scurklibrary.html

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      BTW SEE, what's the UBB code for underlining text?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        If you want leader heads, might I suggest the site fallout.gamestats.com - from there, check the "Talking Heads" for Fallout 1 and 2. I think you'll find multitude of good pictures there, and they are almost fitting as well - I tied to paste President into faction yesterday, and alI needed was little cutting in sides, otherwise he was as fine as anybody.
                        "Spirit merges with matter to sanctify the universe. Matter transcends to return to spirit. The interchangeability of matter and spirit means the starlit magic of the outermost life of our universe becomes the soul-light magic of the innermost life of our self." - Dennis Kucinich, candidate for the U. S. presidency
                        "That’s the future of the Democratic Party: providing Republicans with a number of cute (but not that bright) comfort women." - Adam Yoshida, Canada's gift to the world

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by AlexanderIII on 01-07-2000 12:55 AM
                          BTW SEE, what's the UBB code for underlining text?
                          I used HTML's < u > and < /u > tags (minus the spaces).

                          Comment

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