SMAniaC

[Hydro]

Howdy Darrell01,

Here is a little set of spreadsheets I've put together to get a handle on SMAniac. Some of this is straight from datalinks, but others (such as some of the faction info) I ferreted out of .txt files.

Please note that I have NOT proofed this, so use at your own risk. I am pretty anal by nature so it should be pretty close. If it is of interest and you find errors kindly let me know!

Hydro

EDIT - I updated the SMAniac Mod summary. I found a number of typos and errors. The updated version is file-stamped Dec 10th, 2006. I tried updated the attachment but couldn't. See post 183, below.

[Maniac]

Wow that's great! I've put a link to it in the first post. Unfortunately you can't update files in the Apolyton directory - otherwise I would include it in the download.

PS: The original name of the Solar Power Transceiver is the Bulk Matter Transmitter.

[Hydro]

Here is the revised SMAniac Mod Summary, version 10Dec06.

[Darrell01]

Ok, this is going to be my continueing comments on SMAniaC. First, the fungus is a bigger obstacle if you are against it. You start the game with -1 Planet for having the beginning SE choice "Future Society" that Maniac changed to "Society". Until you can go Green or Cybernetic, or you get Empath in the Values section, which Smaniac changed to "Ruling Elite". Fungus will pose a problem for lone units. The only faction that does not have to worry so much about it is Planet Cult. Even Empath Song and Hypnotic Trance have been taken down to %40. Also, Cybernetic has a -15% to Psi Combat. I found this a good way to slow down the Cyber expansion, as they really research quickly. Also, Maniac moved fungus production closer to front of the tech tree, so going fungus and working with it is a viable strategy. So Fungus => more powerful. Very good.

Mind Worms - Maniac has made mind worms cheaper to build! Fantastic! Personally I hardly ever made mind worms (Even Locusts) before SMAniaC. Now with a cheaper cost, they are worth the cost and wait for them. Yes, I know worms have a clean reactor if they are in fungus. Still, mind worms are useful now. Maniac also moved some of the buildings around. The building that upgrade mindworm experience are moved closer to the begining, so mindworms are a viable strategy. 2 rows of minerals with a Brood Pit. That is powerful.

Foil speed and cargo has been increased +1. This makes moving around in the beginning of the game a lot easier. It also makes early attack rushing easier. Personally, I do not do this as I am a builder, but attack rushing can be done and needs to be with the Federal and Unitary Police State. These SE choices (Politics ==> Government) are made for this type of playing and it has been implemented nicely.

The values of weapons and armor has been changed. A lot. New technology for armor and weapons has been moved around. This is good, because armament has been moved around so if you choose to be an attack rusher, you get some high powered weaponry and little armor. If you are a builder, you'll get next to no armor or weapons if you don't look for them. I've been at 2 attack and 2r defense with some 6r-1-2 rovers and artillery breathing down my neck. Granted, they had little else to attack me with, but it gets hairy.

Secret Projects have been moved around a bit. What I have noticed is they tend to appear in multiples for each tech line. Conquer will get something, Build will get something, Explore will get something, and Discovery will get something. I can no longer horde all the wonders. One or 2 will get built by the computer.

AI Units - Maniac has given the computer AI units which are sooped up units for just the AI to use. Now having probe teams in your sea bases is a must. They will be taken by the computer if you don't have them protected. The land isn't safe either. AI probe teams can come out of nowhere. The only thing he could have done to make them even more scary would be to put drop pods on them or algorithmic enhancement if he didn't already do that. O_o The computer has AI formers which are one row fungicide super formers, while the human player has normal formers, if he doesn't build them. ;-) This all gives the computer an edge that makes it threatening.

As technology has been moved around, some of the game winning strategies that were useful in normal SMACX are only available later. Trained Clean scouts coming out of bioenhanced command centers next to a children's creche ready to be upgraded at a moments notice is a little harder to do. Clean reactors (Nanorepair modules) are a little farther off. Choppers do not have nearly as long a range and definitely need +1 air movement for fission and Fusion reactors. Needle jets are a lot more useful with the needed nerf of choppers. The Unity chopper, however has 9 movement if you find one. Its great for taking out those damned AI probe foils. The Unity Mining Laser has 4 attack instead of 2. That makes it a lot more useful than it was. Mag Tubes appear way late. And they should as the AI doesn't use them to attack like a human opponent can. Some secret projects have been changed. There is no longer free aerospace complex. It has been more balanced. Also, some of the names of the Secret Projects have been changed. For instance the Human Genome Projects has been changed to the Rejuvenation Tanks. I believe this is what the faction leaders use to prolong their lives. However the secret projects makes them available to the masses, allowing a portion of the really productive and wealthy Workers to use them and become a Talent. I can't really say much more. You'll see if you play the mod. Also, some of the beginning terraforming improvements, like solar panels and sensor arrays need to be researched! This is very nice, IMHO, allowing Maniac to pull from the game and mix up the tech tree a little more.

The names of the buildings have also been changed. For instance the Children's Creche has been changed to a Hatchery. This gives the picture of the baby in a dome a whole new meaning! And what I think is the crowning achievement of the game is the Fungal Gin Brewery. There is a Harp inside a dome. Now the Harp is also a symbol for guiness and Ireland. Combine this with the voiceover when you build the Fungal Gin Brewery and you find some workers who have "drunk the milk of paradise." Now I, in another post before I've even played this mod referred to the Pirates having fungal brew. This change for the paradise garden is genius. Pure Genius. Plain and simple.

Well, those are my musing about Maniac's SMAniaC, a mod for SMACX. Scroll up, Download, Install and Enjoy.

[Maniac]

Fungal gin has been a running joke of sorts for years in the AC fora. AFAIK the creator of it is Googlie, mentioning it often in the Spartan Chronicles. I couldn't resist including it in SMAniaC as a

[Hydro]

Sage Maniac,

Is there a backstory to the factions? I seem to recall seeing something like this but I just can't find it.

I'm asking for two reasons. First, the issue came up on another thread in the main SMAC forum. Second, I'm hoping to do a little fiction about some of the factions.

Any guidance?

Hydro

[GeoModder]

Edited

[Maniac]

Shhhht.

[Kataphraktoi]

Personally the Hatchery makes me think of zerglings
*SPROOIIINGG!*

For instance the Children's Creche has been changed to a Hatchery.

[Maniac]

IIRC children were produced in "hatcheries" in Brave New World, hence the name. Children being produced in exowombs (name from Night's Dawn trilogy) is the best explanation for popbooms I guess.

[Darrell01]

Maniac - Having +Drone on Protectionist and ++Drone on Free Trade combined with the -Industry makes Free Market something I rarely choose Typically I will just Planned/Plutocrat and golden age a city. The only time I have went with Free Trade is a game I played with the Spartan Federation. I think I had -5 industry with Private Free Trade, Junta, Cybernetic and Federal Police State. I was at war with the whole map, I do believe, so the +++Econ didn't really do me that much good. I did this because Industry maxes out at -3. Have you had any thoughts about Private and Protectionist being too negative? I have further thoughts on it, but I'd was wondering what your thoughts were on it.

PS - Not sure I have the latest release. I don't have the Centauri Confederation and a couple others.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Darrell01
PS - Not sure I have the latest release. I don't have the Centauri Confederation and a couple others.

If you're not sure, you could download the "all in one" file in my signature.

Anyway, it's been ages since I've played SMAniaC, working on a Civ4 SMAC mod and all that. However if I recall correctly, yes indeed, (though I used Private property economies more than you) I too was wondering if Planned wasn't too powerful now compared to the Private property economies. However problem is I couldn't find a satisfying solution to the issue.

I figure it may be useful to give my reasons for giving the current exact values, in case you want to try out some different values.

Basically I want (assuming no situation- or faction-specific advantages to make one choice better than another) Planned economy to be just as viable a choice as Private property economics, both in the early expansion game (ICS...) and the rest of the game.

The issue here is that Planned its advantages, Growth and Industry, are advantages that provide a general bonus in all eras, and not especially to an ICS style. To the contrary, +Economy does, besides a general economy boost, also provide a specific bonus to ICS due to its +1 or +2 (can't even remember ) energy on the base tile. So to make sure Planned and Private are equally viable choices both in the early and later parts of the game, Private should have both a general penalty and a specific ICS penalty.

The -Industry is a penalty that has an effect throughout the entire game.
+Drone and -Support however, are penalties which are heavy in the early game, but reduce in importance as your average base populations grow (meaning the relative influence of a +2 energy, -1 mineral and +Drone per base on your economy decreases).

So the issue here I think is that the combination of all these penalties may make Private a little too weak, while removing any of these penalties might make it too powerful.

[Mjolnir2000]

Hey, I just took Alpha Centauri off the shelf again for the first time in a year or so, and have been looking for some mods. I was hoping someone could clarify whether or not SMAniaC requires Alien Crossfire, or if it also works with regular SMAC. I thought I noticed some references to alien crossfire factions while skimming the thread, but wasn't sure.

[Hydro]

Maniac can clarify, but I think it does.

I spent a bit of time summarizing the features of SMAnica in Excel format. I think Maniac has it here. If you're interested I can post a link or send it to you.

Hydro

[Mjolnir2000]

A link would be great, thanks.

-Mjolnir-