TALENT SE factor

[Maniac]

I've just tried out if that unused TALENT SE factor works in the game. And yes, though it doesn't appear in the SE screen, I notice an effect on the number of drones/talents. However, I haven't run enough tests to know the exact effect of every value of the factor. The alphax.txt just says there are extra talents or drones created. But how does it work exactly? Is it just TALENT +/-1 = one extra talent/drone at each base; +/-2 = two extra talents/drones at each base? Or is it rather one extra talent/drone per x (a certain parameter eg 4) workers? And I'm wondering: is there a limit to the effect? What I mean is, -2 TALENT didn't seem to show any difference compared to -1 TALENT. On the other side, there did seem to be a difference between +1 TALENT and +2 TALENT. Does somebody know more about this?

M@ni@c

[Avenoct]

M@ : Cybergod has some experience with this, if you can pin him down...I've found it works int he positive, but havn't tried the negative. Also, probably redundant, but make sure when you list these in the Alphatext or factiontext that you put '+++TALENT' not '+3TALENT' or the compiler will only recognize the first '+'

-Smack

[EtheMind]

I don't think you can have negative setting for talents. But you might want to try + DRONE setting. Adding up some drones it has the same effect as - TALENTS would have if it worked. It just feels out of place, negative talent modifier...

[Maniac]

Thanks for the info, Smack. I'll take a look how this Apolyton private messaging works and send CyberGod one.

+DRONE? Hmm, that would surprise me if it works, since it isn't listed in the list of SE factors in the alphax.txt. I'll check it out though.

[EtheMind]

+ DRONE adds drones and - DRONE decreases them. Free Drones have the - DRONE setting, and doesn't Zak have + DRONE....right?

[Avenoct]

Ah yes, Zak has 'Drone, 4' at least in the original Smac.

Talent works the same way, don't know what I was thinking it's 'Talent, 4'

These confer one drone for every 4 citizens, rounded (up?) and one talent for every 4 rounded (down?)

-Smack

[Maniac]

The Free Drones have in their text file: NODRONE, 1
The University has: DRONE, 4
The Peacekeepers have: TALENT, 4

However, that are options you can give to those factions in their text file. They are not SE factors such as Police and Efficiency. Those are in the faction text file led in by: 'SOCIAL,'. Then the abbrevation of a SE factor, as listed in the alphax.txt, with a number of pluses or minuses before them. So I'm talking abou the TALENT SE factor, not the Talent faction file option.

I really need to contact Cybergod soon.

[EtheMind]

These confer one drone for every 4 citizens, rounded (up?) and one talent for every 4 rounded (down?)

Doesn't work (again) after first four citizens, so it can confer only one drone/talent. That's what they told me...

[Avenoct]

M@:

Yep, we are talking about two different things. It's in my interest to find out, so I will today. Should be easy to test. That 'Nodrone' thing is interesting...wish regular smac had that, that's what I need rather than talents.

Ethemind, yeah, I know Ned said that, but I'm not sure about it. I've been using Talent, 4 for my AI superfactions to help them along, and they at least appear to get an extra Talent right away, then again at about 5 or 6 citizens, for 2 talents.

-Smack

[Cybergod]

Hi Peeps!

M@ni@c, received your PM and here's ma reply...

TALENT, #, is a completely different factor from say SOCIAL, ++TALENT or DRONE, 4. The SOCIAL modifier is only changable through SE and setting it to +3 in a faction will give them an equal of extra three talents at every base in their faction. Now, when the drones kick in, for example on transcend when you can't use police drones come after the first citizen, instead of a drone or a talent, a worker will appear - think about it a balancing scale:

TALENT = +2 Psych
WORKER = 0 Psych
DRONE = -2 Psych

Now I did some test by giving a faction 7 colony pods and giving them SOCIAL, ++++++++TALENT (+8 ). I started a game with them on the second easiest level to get rid of the excess drones. On my first turn, I kept on pressing "B" with the colony pods on my first base - this gave me a size 8 base. I looked at the citizens and the psych location - the graphics showed 6 TALENTS and 2 WORKERS but the Psych screen showed:

Unmodifies= 6 TALENTs, 1 WORKER, 1 DRONE
Police (Scout Patrol)= 6 TALENTs, 2 WORKERs

This concludes that the maximum positive modifier that you can put for TALENT SE section is +6 (police units do not affect talent directly - only by reducing drones). I do not know what the maximum negative is but I'd reckon that it would be -6.

Happy with the explanation?

[Avenoct]

There you go.

My experiments last evening concur with Cybergod's statement. I really really wish there was a '---Drone' equivalent. Seeing a bunch of extra talents looks suspicious in my cheating superfactions, but alas, they are AI, so they need help, even if it's visible!

-Smack

P.S. maybe the Citizens choice for the SE could be made into a Talents choice? Oh, wrong thread...I'll just follow red spermheads directions over -> Ah, thanks smilyface.

[Maniac]

Indeed. I'm happy. Thanks!

You will certainly be mentioned in my credits when my scenario gets completed somewhere during this century...

[Maniac]

Or something else. The last few days I've got a good idea for another scenario, though my other one is far from finished... Probably a sentient computer will star in it. May I call it Cybergod?

[EtheMind]

Why not SkyNet? That's cool But, so is Cybergod, of course

[Cybergod]

**picks his jaw off the floor**

But of course !

PS. It's not as if there is a trademark next to my name