spACe

[Maniac]

Why has no one ever made a Space Mod for Alpha Centauri? You know, a map full of one-tile islands representing planets or star systems, and you have to colonize the galaxy by sending out your (star)ships?

[GeoModder]

I guess people used CIVII for that.

[ForesterSOF]

If you want that play Galactic Civilization.

[Kataphraktoi]

Thats used in some RTS games also. simple reason: the game isnt cool enough so they make a space mod. but smac is so cool already no one cares about space mods

[wgabrie]

That would be cool. Espcally with the round island thing in smac. It would just need a differant texture file for terrain.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by ForesterSOF
If you want that play Galactic Civilization.

I've heard people find GalCiv boring. Also GalCiv2 will have 3D apparently, so I won't be able to run it probably due to lack of Transform & Lighting.

Originally posted by wgabrie
That would be cool. Espcally with the round island thing in smac. It would just need a differant texture file for terrain.

I was hoping you'd reply to this thread.
Personally I'm quite good at text file editing (hence SMAniaC is easily made) but suck at graphics creation/modding, which is a must for a space mod.

Since land terraforming improvements would be mostly unused with one tile planets, those could eg be used for some different sun/gas giant graphics.

[Kataphraktoi]

So basicly the map is a series of size1 islands in a large ocean\galaxy and various units exist for shuttling back and fourth?im not getting the numbers part of this and why it would work

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi
So basicly the map is a series of size1 islands in a large ocean\galaxy

It would probably be more interesting if star systems were represented a little more elaborate with a sun in the center with some planets, gas giants, asteroid belts around it. A dust cloud (fungus) here and there...

and various units exist for shuttling back and fourth?

And combat units based on the sea and air chassis.

im not getting the numbers part of this

The numbers part?

[Kataphraktoi]

im not getting the numbers part of this

Why it is better than normal smac-it seems much simpler, unless i am missing something. the existing naval system is very poor in smac,also. While i would be interested in civ-in-space, i dont know if smac would be my first pick to use as a model

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Maniac
It would probably be more interesting if star systems were represented a little more elaborate with a sun in the center with some planets, gas giants, asteroid belts around it. A dust cloud (fungus) here and there...

Have you looked at all into what Galactic Civilizations 2 is about?


D

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi
the existing naval system is very poor in smac,also.

It has potential - it just isn't used properly in standard SMAC. The neat naval special abilities come way too late in the tech tree. But the main problem why naval combat sucks is because the weapon values are way too high compared to armour values. Since most combat would be "naval" in a space mod, a tech tree could be made where weapon values are always more or less the same as armour values, instead of double or more. The land combat can also still be kept the same by simply giving infantry a 100% bonus when attacking bases. More than one chassis for land combat wouldn't be necessary I assume.

Originally posted by Darsnan
Have you looked at all into what Galactic Civilizations 2 is about?


D

I've looked at the site, but unless I'm looking at the wrong place, there hardly is any info on it.

But it's 3D, so it probably can't run on my laptop without T&L anyways.

[Kataphraktoi]

ut the main problem why naval combat sucks is because the weapon values are way too high compared to armour values

I thought the problem was the 'turn' system and how units move and interact with each other. Naval simulator games i have played do not use turns. also, naval conflicts rarely result in the total destruction of the enemy, afaik(not having studied naval history i admit). exchange some volleys, someone sinks some ships, someone backs off, cat and mouse with subs...

[Maniac]

Ah yes true of course. The turn system and unit interaction sucks. I thought you were saying naval combat sucked as opposed to land combat.

[Sperber]

Why make a great game worse?

You turn SMAC into a space game, you take out terraforming, you take out raising and lowering terrain, you take out manipulating the ocean level, you take out ground vs. naval vs. air combat.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Sperber
you take out terraforming

No you replace a focus on land terraforming by a focus on "naval" terraforming (solar shields, cloudscoops, sky hydroponics labs...) which is hardly used in standard SMAC.

you take out raising and lowering terrain, you take out manipulating the ocean level

Are those options that frequently used?

you take out ground vs. naval vs. air combat.

No you replace a focus on land and air combat by a focus on air and naval combat.