SMAniaC

[Maniac]

The overall goal of this modification pack is to widen the strategic choices available to the player. Over the years a number of ‘best strategies’ have been developed of which deviating can be lethal in a multiplayer game. Most of us here all know them: race to crawlers, tree farms and air power. Use chop&drop in combat as soon as available. Forest & Forget, or go advanced all the way, with no overall third terraforming strategy available… This leads to whole aspects of the game being unused as unprofitable, for example a fungal strategy to name just one. With six years of experience behind us, we can identify these forgotten aspects and try to rebalance them so they become a viable strategy next to the already familiar ones. This can only increase the fun of our beloved game! In this short description I’d like to sum up a few of the changes you can expect: A social engineering system and a tech tree with a wider variety of attractive choices. Strengthened naval and native life combat & terraforming. Weakened air power. And so on. Download SMAniaC and see for yourself!


The full version of SMAniaC consists of three parts:
1. the core SMAniaC download (~2.5 MB)
2. a set of seven new custom factions (~2.5 MB)
3. Boosted AI faction files (1 MB)

Or just download it all in one.

You can also find these links in my signature.

SMAniaC requires Alien Crossfire.

Extract SMAniaC into your main SMAC directory. Personally I have a special duplicate SMAC directory for SMAniaC besides the unmodified SMAC one. Others who don't have harddisk space to waste use ModMan.

Hydro has posted an excellent Excel file giving an overview of all the techs, SE, weapons, etc... Download it here!



I'll post the contents of the different readmefirst files here:

readmefirst.txt

Some similar questions or confusion about social engineering often returns, so I thought I'd provide some info about SE in this readmefirst.txt

1) The standard SE choices with which you start the game already have some effects. So when you first start up a SMAniaC game, check out the SE screen. For the full info you could also have a look in the in-game Datalinks or the modSE.txt in the documentation folder of this download.

2) The Talent SE factor is used in SMAniaC. This factor provides extra talents or drones. While the factor is still functional despite not being used in standard SMAC, the problem is no symbol shows up for the Talent factor in the SE screen. So the unsuspectin user might suddenly be faced with a whole bunch of drones and not know where they suddenly come from. Therefore: please read the Datalinks about social engineering. or modSE.txt!

In short Unitary Democracy (the SE choice you start with!) and Federal Democracy provide one extra talent. Private/Free Trade and Private/Protectionist economics give one extra drone. An Empath ruling elite gives two talents per base.


Another thing worth mentioning just in case: four AI units (AI Probe, AI Probe Foil, AI Formers, AI Sea Formers) have been added to the basic units list. These units are meant to improve AI performance and are not supposed to be built by you, the human player. I’d suggest to just make the designs obsolete, so they don’t clutter up your build option list. Of course don’t forget to design your own former now.


customfac readmefirst.txt

A new set of seven factions for SMAniaC!

I don't play single player that often anymore, so I haven't actually testplayed any of these factions. 8-) They were just put together based on my long experience with SMAC on what would in theory be balanced factions. Theory can always be wrong of course, and soon some of you will have much more experience with these factions than I, so I certainly appreciate your feedback about these factions. Perhaps they can be improved somewhere.

To get them to work:

Copy the contents of the seven folders into your main SMAC directory. Except for atlantis.mp3 and templar.mp3. Those should be put into the 'voices' directory.

Oh don't forget: you need to copy the alphax.txt included in this download over the standard SMAniaC one to be able to play these factions.


SAI readmefirst.txt

This file contains a set of faction files to create a more powerful AI.

Aldebaran also made some super AIs. That was done by creating seperate faction files, for example 'planetloverai' for the AI instead of 'planetlover' for the human player. You then had to dig into alphax.txt to add those AI factions to the custom faction list. This method seems rather annoying and time-consuming to me. Also it may form a barrier to people who aren't familiar with SMAC text file editing. Therefore I've taken a different approach...

Included in this download you find 23 zip archives.

'Original faction files' is a zip with all the unedited faction files.
'Super AI Files' is a zip containing all the boosted AIs.
Then there are the 21 others. Those contain 20 super AIs and one unedited normal faction file, indicated by the name of the zip file. Now if you want to play as the Gaians for instance and want some tougher opponents, you just need to extract the contents of the 'SAI Gaia player' archive into your main SMAC directory. You can then just start up a game as the Gaians, and select your AI opponents without restrictions. If you want to start a new game as eg the Conclave, just extract a different zip file. No need to ever dig into alphax.txt.


Regarding the boosted AIs themselves... They should perform better than the unedited factions, but as always there's a lot of variance in AI success. Some games they have only 10 pops by MY 2150. Other times three times as many. I was also restricted by the limit of eight boni or penalties for certain stuff. So I wasn't fully able to do what I wanted, and I'm not entirely satisfied by the result. So I definitely appreciate feedback about your experience with these AIs. Perhaps something can be done to improve them.

That's more or less what I wanted to say.
Have fun! :-)

Maniac

[Maniac]

For history's sake (and for anyone wanting to read the guidelines of the new tech tree) my original post:

***

To prevent of hostile takeover of this forum by Senethro I'll post the beginnings of a mod I've been working on (very) casually. While I'm pretty happy with the way the biotech & Planettech side of the tech tree is shaping up (though of course nothing is yet set in stone), I'm kinda stuck on the other side of the tree due to my limited knowledge. I could use lots of help for the computer, physics and materials technologies!

The overall goal of this modification pack would be to widen the strategic choices available to the player. Over the years a number of ‘best strategies’ have been developed of which deviating can be lethal in a multiplayer game. Most of us here all know them: race to crawlers, tree farms and air power. Use chop&drop in combat as soon as available. Forest & Forget, or go advanced all the way, with no overall third terraforming strategy available… This leads to whole aspects of the game being unused as unprofitable, for example a fungal strategy to name just one. With six years of experience behind us, we can identify these forgotten aspects and try to rebalance them so they become a viable strategy next to the already familiar ones. This can only increase the fun of our beloved game! For example I intend to make native life cheaper to breed, and Centauri techs will make fungus more productive earlier. Air power less attractive, naval power more attractive etc...

Regarding the tech tree in general, I'd like it to make more sense, ie as much as possible more logical connections between the techs, the various benefits (abilities, base facilities...) being related to techs making more sense. (In standard SMAC one can very often wonder why the hell a tech would give a certain benefit.)

Regarding the names of the technologies, personally I'd like to minimize the following categories as much as possible:

• 'Doctrine' techs. Rename them all! Even if it is just by changing 'Doctrine' into 'Know-how', to indicate that the inhabitants of Chiron aren't reinventing the hot water strategy-wise, but that it were the technical skills that were lacking.
• Ideological techs. Cyberethics, Intellectual Integrity, The Will To Power... There is Social Engineering for a reason. Personally I don't want to be forced to 'research' a certain ideology to complete the tech tree.
• 'Advanced' techs. If one has to use the word 'Advanced' in a tech name, I'd say it's a sign of lack of inspiration.
• Meaningless tech names. Super Tensile Solids. That can be anything. Pre-Sentient Algorithms: that tech simply says something has NOT yet been developed.
• Generally weird stuff. For example Synthetic Fossil Fuels. Perhaps it's just me, but I consider it a rather absurd idea to create fossil fuels, especially since there are other energy sources available. Also eg Planetary Networks. When that is discovered, usually one hasn't yet met any other faction, so it's a little early to speak of 'Planetary' Networks.

Anyway, I've attached some of the tech stuff I've already written down. I've also included the social engineering system I'd like to use. Of course most factions would have to be redesigned to work with this system.

I hope you'll find it interesting, and perhaps post some ideas.

[binTravkin]

Don't Maniac, it's just the times for creators are harsh.
Creative people are needed everywhere, in RL too, while those who're not worth teaching to, go around the forums criticising everything..

To give some feedback:

I like the idea of cheaper NL. actually I don't see how a bunch of worms are more expensive than a good impact rover unit or a missile chopper.

In one game, namely Cult Of Worms And Fungus, we have worms costing 20 minerals.
You should see the early wormfights going on and worms used as cheap police (by Cult).
They are worse than a 1e-1-2 still, but they're nice and very fun to use!

[binTravkin]

Downloaded your proposal archive and took a look at the modified SE.

Will provide a review shortly, but meanwhile my proposal on NL.

Original manufacturable NL values:

#UNITS
25
...
Mind Worms,             Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        1, 5, 0, CentEmp,  3, 00000000000000000000000000
Isle of the Deep,       Foil,     Psi,          Psi,        7, 8, 4, CentMed, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Locusts of Chiron,      Gravship, Psi,          Psi,        4,10, 0, CentGen, -1, 00000000000000000000100000
...
Sealurk,                Foil,     Psi,          Psi,        6, 6, 0, CentPsi,  4, 00000000000000000001000000
Spore Launcher,         Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        0, 5, 0, Bioadap,  5, 00000000001000000000000000
...

Modified values:

#UNITS
25
...
Mind Worms,             Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        1, [b]2[/b], 0, CentEmp,  3, 00000000000000000000000000
Isle of the Deep,       Foil,     Psi,          Psi,        7, [b]5[/b], 4, CentMed, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Locusts of Chiron,      Gravship, Psi,          Psi,        4, [b]8[/b], 0, CentGen, -1, 00000000000000000000100000
...
Sealurk,                Foil,     Psi,          Psi,        6, [b]4[/b], 0, CentPsi,  4, 00000000000000000001000000
Spore Launcher,         Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        0, [b]2[/b], 0, Bioadap,  5, 00000000001000000000000000
...

[Maniac]

Originally posted by binTravkin
Will provide a review shortly, but meanwhile my proposal on NL.

I like it.
I was also thinking of increasing the psi combat bonus to +/-15% per Planet SE level, and perhaps even reduce the empath bonus to 40%, as is done in the Aldebaran mod IIRC. Do you think that would be good, or would it make native life too powerful?

[binTravkin]

would it make native life too powerful

You see, the planet bonus only exists for factions, thus it could only hinder faction balance.
Actually it could make faction like Cult more balanced, because it'd recieve more for it's +2 planet and grave penalties.

Also +40% empath might be a good idea for the sole reason SmackSims ideas are good and well tested all by themselves.

It wouldn't seriously change the PSI combat, though.

Talking about Planet-bound factions:

1.Why not add +1 FUNGMINERALS bonus to CentEmp (it has no Planet bonus atm, although manual says it should - "all Centauri techs heighten the resource output of funugs")?

2.Why not add +1 to all fungus production to Cult or even Gaians. At least for Cult it'd make it a real fungus-living faction and would offset the -1(actually -2 due Wealth inability)INDUSTRY and -1(actually -3 due to Wealth inability plus FM uselessness)ECONOMY and make a good alternative faction compared to FM running ones. A real fungus-eating nemesis to be feared!

[#endgame]

I think that suits the cult. Eat fungus, process it into building materials, burn it to keep warm.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by binTravkin
It wouldn't seriously change the PSI combat, though.

Though it would certainly be annoying for factions running an Anthropocentric society.

Talking about Planet-bound factions:

1.Why not add +1 FUNGMINERALS bonus to CentEmp (it has no Planet bonus atm, although manual says it should - "all Centauri techs heighten the resource output of funugs")?

I agree. I was thinking perhaps something like this in a new tech tree:

E1: Centauri Ecology: +1 fungus nutrient
E2: Centauri Empathy: +1 fungus mineral
E3: Xenobiology: +1 fungus energy
B4: Environmental Economics: +1 fungus mineral
E5: Centauri Genetics: +1 fungus nutrient or energy

This would keep fungus more or less on par with forest.

2.Why not add +1 to all fungus production to Cult or even Gaians. At least for Cult it'd make it a real fungus-living faction and would offset the -1(actually -2 due Wealth inability)INDUSTRY and -1(actually -3 due to Wealth inability plus FM uselessness)ECONOMY and make a good alternative faction compared to FM running ones. A real fungus-eating nemesis to be feared!

I agree here as well about the Cult.
I've been thinking about differentiating the playstyle between the Cult and Gaians. Making the Cult a 'red' faction and the Gaians a 'green' one.

So as you say, Cult would get +1 fungus nutrient, to make them love fungus.

For the Gaians I was thinking about a complete makeover. Personally my impression is popbooming to large bases (what they currently do best) doesn't really fit the Gaian ideology. So I was thinking:

• Make them able to run free market - renamed 'private economy' in my SE suggestion. Think 'small is beautiful" cooperatives or little enterprises here, of course not Morganic capitalism.
• Give them free tree farms on discovery of Environmental Economics. Unlike the Cult going pure-fungus, the Gaians would be more about mixing the Terran and Chiron ecology to live in harmony.
• Scrap their +1 fungus nutrient.
• Give them -1 SE Growth and aversion to Anthropocentic society. Inability to popboom.
• Give them a hab complex limit of four. Same as the Morganites currently have, to discourage large bases.

This would make the Gaians a small-base ICSer instead of a large-base popboomer. Fits more with their ideology I think.

Just a wild idea of course. I have no idea whether this faction would turn out to be balanced, especially with something as heavy as a free tree farm.

[Kataphraktoi]

E1: Centauri Ecology: +1 fungus nutrient
E2: Centauri Empathy: +1 fungus mineral
E3: Xenobiology: +1 fungus energy
B4: Environmental Economics: +1 fungus mineral
E5: Centauri Genetics: +1 fungus nutrient or energy

would that be in addition to or instead of the +1's with techs like cenaturi psi?

Give them free tree farms on discovery of Environmental Economics. Unlike the Cult going pure-fungus, the Gaians would be more about mixing the Terran and Chiron ecology to live in harmony.

free tree farms

Make them able to run free market - renamed 'private economy' in my SE suggestion. Think 'small is beautiful" cooperatives or little enterprises here, of course not Morganic capitalism.

why not a 1+ energy in fungus instead of FM?by the time they get a few planet techs fungus should be worth using... and wouldnt changing FM change all the other civs?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Cataphract887
would that be in addition to or instead of the +1's with techs like cenaturi psi?

Instead of. See the modtech document in the attached zip file. The ambition is to make a completely revised tech tree.

free tree farms

Yeah I know. Though of course if you can't popboom, the advantages of a tree farm won't be that big. Playtesting after there's a working tech tree is the answer to the question whether they're balanced I guess.

why not a 1+ energy in fungus instead of FM?by the time they get a few planet techs fungus should be worth using...

The idea of the Gaians suggested above would be to make them forest-lovers (or at least 'hybrid forest'-lovers) instead of Cultist fungus-lovers, to offer an alternative game experience and strategy. So +1 fungus energy would then be rather useless for them. Making them good in both Terran forests and Chiron fungus (by eg +1 fungus energy as you suggest) would best fit their ideology I assume, but if they get extra advantages both for a forest and fungus terraforming strategy, they'd become really overpowered I think.

and wouldnt changing FM change all the other civs?

Do you mean "change all the other SE choices"?
if you do mean that, well yeah, that's the idea. Check out the modSE document.

[Kataphraktoi]

nice document

1) LIBERTIES
Democracy: +1 TALENT, +1 RESEARCH, -2 POLICE, -1 SUPPORT
<->
Police State: +1 SUPPORT, +2 POLICE, -2 RESEARCH

2) STATE STRUCTURE
Unitary: +2 PROBE, +1 SUPPORT
<->
Federal: +2 EFFIC, -1 SUPPORT

=>
Unitary Democracy: +1 TALENT, +1 RESEARCH, +2 PROBE, -2 POLICE
Federal Democracy: +1 TALENT, +1 RESEARCH, +2 EFFIC, -2 POLICE, -2 SUPPORT
Unitary Police State: +2 SUPPORT, +2 POLICE, +2 PROBE, -2 RESEARCH
Federal Police State: +2 POLICE, +2 EFFIC, -2 RESEARCH

i think your making a mistake very common with custom faction files,and one i avoid at all cost when making my own factions; so many bonus and negatives its a big jumbled mess 3 effects for each SE choice imho

Private / Free Trade: +3 ECONOMY, +1 RESEARCH, -2 TALENT, -2 INDUSTRY
Planned: +2 GROWTH, +1 INDUSTRY, -2 EFFIC
Private / Protectionist: +2 ECONOMY, -2 TALENT, -1 INDUSTRY

i think you have this reveresed.a economy protected by tarrifs is stronger than one more indentifable as water(flowing downhill)

case in point: our US economy. our econ is based on slave labour like never used before the civil war,our industrial capacity is droping,morality is fast disapearing\disapeared and the government spends more than it earns.even more,people are using credit and not saving,,and our wealth has reached such staggering heights that the realization that the real wealth is slipping away-the ability to self sustain and produce more than you consume-has gone unnoticed except for out-spoken people like myself

Angels
add mind control immunity
Politics, Federal Democracy, RESEARCH
Ruling Elite, Junta, POLICE

no mind control is good RP-wise,people in an anarchist society have more willpower to resist authority then in not

think ill take a few minutes to read your techtree

[Kataphraktoi]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pmm1/games/smac_ref_mtl_101_2.gif

when i edited my alpha.txt techs and switched things,i marked my changes on a print out of this.easier to visualize

[Kataphraktoi]

oh nm i see u made one

[Mart]

The TALENT social effect works a bit weird. I made +++Talent in Frontier, just to see how it works, and Gaians seem to have only +2, also PK get 3, which is +1 standard and +2. Hive, Morgan have though like +3.

Tech Tree
How about making separate lines of technologies/doctrines/knowledges?
- Separate for sociological advances, which would unlock SE settings.
- Separate ecological/centauri advances which would pertain to the planet
- Psi advances
- Medicine advances
- technical ones

This would make possible "specialization" of factions. E.g. Spartans would develop technologies in order to get applications of weapons neglecting maybe planetary or medicine lines. Might be interested in psi or economy, but rather stealing them. Morgan would push for social oer economic line, neglect ecology, Gaians would go for ecology and from techs would get only those for terraforming, buying or stealing the best military from others if needed. etc.

I also would make many "dead end" technologies, which would simulate applications, which not necessarily faction would need to develop, especially ones giving weapons or armors or SP techs. So some "dead end" techs might be completely neglected in the game. That would make it really diverse, much less boring. some builder games might at all neglect early military techs, only getting advanced weapons in the end-game. Some might never go for psi techs, just feeling ok if scouts or scout rovers would take care of mindworms.

[GeoModder]

On the tree farm for Gaians proposal. I feel that Gaians are more environment protectors, not 'users/abusers' of their surroundings. Therefore I suggest to give them free Centauri Preserves instead to simulate their one-with-nature tendencies.

A tree farm is a sort of 'harvested' forest, not a natural growing forest.