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Author Topic:   psi bug and suggestions/complaints

nelsonhf posted 03-29-99 01:32 PM ET
1) I built a psi chopter and a psi plane with the *2 reactor. When the *4 became available, I designed the same unity with the new reactor, built a prototype and tried to upgrade the old ones. Surprise: I didn't have an option to upgrade them to psi, only to "regular" units...
2) I disabled the governor because it kept implementing things I don't want (like the genejack factory -- I can live without it, thanks...). Is there any way of "disabling" facilities you don't want built in your cities? Or to have something like there is in Masters of Orion 2: a list of facilities in the order you want implemented in your cities?
3) Why my veteran psi unity *4 atacking a (well armored, non-psi) veteran unity *1 is destroyed without even scratching the painting of the enemy? (it is not only by chance, I saved the game before and replayed it 3 times, with the same results).
4) My former is given the order "auto improve" (there is a lot to be done, even if only roads...). Result? HOLD!!!
5) When I approach an enemy unity, they usually contact me, bark some demands (even if I am 10 times stronger than they are), and won't even listen to mine. After I answered them, they simply "slam the phone". I would love to be able to do something similar. By the way, I think they should be more polite when dealing with someone that has been kicking their asses for 30 straight years, something like "please, get this city (or money, or whatever) and give a break..." instead of "if you don't pay me I'll insist that you keep kicking me until your foot bleeds..." :-)
Evk posted 03-29-99 02:29 PM ET
My thoughts on the subject. Please bear in mind I have no idea what I'm talking about when you read these.
1. So - just save them as something else. Yes, I know it's annoying and fills up the box where you select what to build, but what else can you do?
2. I think you're stuck with queing up what you want in every city, at least untill the next patch.
3. Because... ....uh. I don't know. That's pretty freaky, now that I think about it.
4. Always remeber: Auto Formers are the stupidest form (heh heh) of life on Planet. Mine always build Mag-Tubes, and then zip around the same two mag-tubed squares doing nothing untill I scream.
5. Yes. It would be nice to be able to taunt them the way they taunt you. Better yet you could pick a list of insults. So if, say, the Gaians contacts you and writes something like "Ah, Provost Evk. Give me 150 credits or I will deystroy your puny faction" your options would be pay it, pay less, or one of the following:
"Somehow I doubt someone who spends all her time running naked thru the trees can crush my mighty faction."
"Don't you have some mind worms to meld with?"
"Get a haircut, you freaking hippie."

aaaaahhh... I love this game!!
weregamer posted 03-29-99 05:49 PM ET
1) I've never gotten around to building a non-biological psi unit, so I don't know about this one.
2) The governor's aren't very bright, though the advanced screen gives you some control. Note that you can save a build queue template, and load it into each city you want to build the listed things. Right-click on the queue area of the city screen.
3) Reactor strength, like weapons and armor, is IRRELEVANT to psi combat.
4) I was quite surprised that patch 3.0 doesn't seem to have improved the auto-former intelligence much at all. I've never seen a former go on "hold", though (perhaps because I tend to use "autoimprove home city" instead of "fully automate", and in that mode if there's nothing to do the unit clears its orders). The real annoying bug is the one Evk mentioned, the "Your Tax Dollars At Work" problem.
5) The computer players do seem to have a hard time understanding that they are *losing* a war. I don't find this anywhere near as annoying as some of the other things, though, because I don't really mind conquering them. Evk, the response insults are already customized in the other direction. The phrasing of each faction's demand for money and your responses is in the faction's file.
ViVicdi posted 03-29-99 08:33 PM ET
A marginal drawback to the Psi weapon is its high cost, around level 10; a SEVERE penalty is the Psi weapon's incompatibility with "Empath".
Second, Locusts are IMMUNE to "Empath"!
Finally, "Air Superiority" is not required to attack locusts.
Thus, two conclusions:
1. The only time to use the Psi weapon is to get an even chance against a superior conventional unit; a Psi-armed unit is also as good as any against Locusts, so maybe such a unit would be the optimal defense against a "Chopduster" attack (see SMAC Dictionary).
2. The only special that works against locusts is "High Morale". A Psi-weapon unit, lacking "Empath", should always(?) have "High Morale".
If anyone has any reason to dispute these findings, please do so. It seems pretty idiosyncratic to me, so maybe there's some concept I'm missing.
Drunken Master posted 03-30-99 12:50 AM ET
About the AI coming to terms with the fact its losing the war.. I find it so pathetic when I contact a new civ, and they say "beware! I am now producing prototypes with 1-2-1." Meanwhile Im strutting around with 8-4-2. You think theyd want to keep it a secret that their so lame. But again, the AI isnt smart enough to realise how crap its units are it seems.
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Author	Topic: psi bug and suggestions/complaints
nelsonhf	posted 03-29-99 01:32 PM ET 1) I built a psi chopter and a psi plane with the 2 reactor. When the 4 became available, I designed the same unity with the new reactor, built a prototype and tried to upgrade the old ones. Surprise: I didn't have an option to upgrade them to psi, only to "regular" units... 2) I disabled the governor because it kept implementing things I don't want (like the genejack factory -- I can live without it, thanks...). Is there any way of "disabling" facilities you don't want built in your cities? Or to have something like there is in Masters of Orion 2: a list of facilities in the order you want implemented in your cities? 3) Why my veteran psi unity 4 atacking a (well armored, non-psi) veteran unity 1 is destroyed without even scratching the painting of the enemy? (it is not only by chance, I saved the game before and replayed it 3 times, with the same results). 4) My former is given the order "auto improve" (there is a lot to be done, even if only roads...). Result? HOLD!!! 5) When I approach an enemy unity, they usually contact me, bark some demands (even if I am 10 times stronger than they are), and won't even listen to mine. After I answered them, they simply "slam the phone". I would love to be able to do something similar. By the way, I think they should be more polite when dealing with someone that has been kicking their asses for 30 straight years, something like "please, get this city (or money, or whatever) and give a break..." instead of "if you don't pay me I'll insist that you keep kicking me until your foot bleeds..." :-)
Evk	posted 03-29-99 02:29 PM ET My thoughts on the subject. Please bear in mind I have no idea what I'm talking about when you read these. 1. So - just save them as something else. Yes, I know it's annoying and fills up the box where you select what to build, but what else can you do? 2. I think you're stuck with queing up what you want in every city, at least untill the next patch. 3. Because... ....uh. I don't know. That's pretty freaky, now that I think about it. 4. Always remeber: Auto Formers are the stupidest form (heh heh) of life on Planet. Mine always build Mag-Tubes, and then zip around the same two mag-tubed squares doing nothing untill I scream. 5. Yes. It would be nice to be able to taunt them the way they taunt you. Better yet you could pick a list of insults. So if, say, the Gaians contacts you and writes something like "Ah, Provost Evk. Give me 150 credits or I will deystroy your puny faction" your options would be pay it, pay less, or one of the following: "Somehow I doubt someone who spends all her time running naked thru the trees can crush my mighty faction." "Don't you have some mind worms to meld with?" "Get a haircut, you freaking hippie." aaaaahhh... I love this game!!
weregamer	posted 03-29-99 05:49 PM ET 1) I've never gotten around to building a non-biological psi unit, so I don't know about this one. 2) The governor's aren't very bright, though the advanced screen gives you some control. Note that you can save a build queue template, and load it into each city you want to build the listed things. Right-click on the queue area of the city screen. 3) Reactor strength, like weapons and armor, is IRRELEVANT to psi combat. 4) I was quite surprised that patch 3.0 doesn't seem to have improved the auto-former intelligence much at all. I've never seen a former go on "hold", though (perhaps because I tend to use "autoimprove home city" instead of "fully automate", and in that mode if there's nothing to do the unit clears its orders). The real annoying bug is the one Evk mentioned, the "Your Tax Dollars At Work" problem. 5) The computer players do seem to have a hard time understanding that they are losing a war. I don't find this anywhere near as annoying as some of the other things, though, because I don't really mind conquering them. Evk, the response insults are already customized in the other direction. The phrasing of each faction's demand for money and your responses is in the faction's file.
ViVicdi	posted 03-29-99 08:33 PM ET A marginal drawback to the Psi weapon is its high cost, around level 10; a SEVERE penalty is the Psi weapon's incompatibility with "Empath". Second, Locusts are IMMUNE to "Empath"! Finally, "Air Superiority" is not required to attack locusts. Thus, two conclusions: 1. The only time to use the Psi weapon is to get an even chance against a superior conventional unit; a Psi-armed unit is also as good as any against Locusts, so maybe such a unit would be the optimal defense against a "Chopduster" attack (see SMAC Dictionary). 2. The only special that works against locusts is "High Morale". A Psi-weapon unit, lacking "Empath", should always(?) have "High Morale". If anyone has any reason to dispute these findings, please do so. It seems pretty idiosyncratic to me, so maybe there's some concept I'm missing.
Drunken Master	posted 03-30-99 12:50 AM ET About the AI coming to terms with the fact its losing the war.. I find it so pathetic when I contact a new civ, and they say "beware! I am now producing prototypes with 1-2-1." Meanwhile Im strutting around with 8-4-2. You think theyd want to keep it a secret that their so lame. But again, the AI isnt smart enough to realise how crap its units are it seems.