SAM missile

[lurtz]

Hi folks,

Please help this noob.

I successfully created a new basic unit - a SAM missile (conventional missile with Air superiority ability). But I can't upgrade it, so it has a basic reactor which costs a ton.

Any ideas what I might have missed? I'm playing plain old SMAC if that makes any difference.

Thanks.

just realized this is the wrong forum tried to delete the post but was not able, apologies

[Darsnan]

Re: SAM missile

Originally posted by lurtz
just realized this is the wrong forum tried to delete the post but was not able, apologies

This is the right forum for your question.

Originally posted by lurtz
I successfully created a new basic unit - a SAM missile (conventional missile with Air superiority ability). But I can't upgrade it, so it has a basic reactor which costs a ton.

Several things here, as follows:

1) for SMAC, all units in the #UNITS section of the alpha.txt file have a default reactor of 1. This cannot be changed.

2) In the #ABILITIES section of the alpha.txt file (I believe - been a while since I looked at this) you can pick and choose what can and cannot be done with various abilities. The default for missiles is that you cannot add special abilities to them, so when you try to upgrade your SAM Missile unit it will not allow you to do so. If you change this value for the missile to being able to be added, then the game will allow you to do so. btw Scud Missiles (i.e. missiles with nerve gas) are much more fun IMO.

3) You can edit the "cost" of the unit in the #UNITS section of the alpha.txt file to make it cheaper, if that is what you desire.

[lurtz]

Thank you Emperor Darsnan.

I checked #Abilities, and it doesn't look like there's a flag to specify Allowed for Missile units. I'm guessing that the Air Units flag doesn't apply to missiles since Needlejets can be set for Air Superiority.

Never occurred to me to just cut the cost - I'll go with that unless someone comes along with another suggestion.

Thanks again!

[Chaos Theory]

Since the pop-up "missiles cannot be given special abilities" appears when you try to make a SAM missile in the design workshop, I would expect this is a hardcoded restriction.

[lurtz]

No doubt you're right. I guess it's a function of the chassis.

I had hoped that since I had a new basic unit anything was possible...oh well, play and learn.

thx