Customizing and stuff.. next patch maybe? :)

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Author Topic:   Customizing and stuff.. next patch maybe? :)

jaghar posted 04-04-99 11:33 AM ET
Sorry but like most people I have no desire to spend hours sifting through messages to see if these things have been ask/suggested or not. But don't worry I guarentee this isn't that common.
What I would REALLY love to be able to do.. is a much greater detailed customization of factions. What's in there is great but it's terribly limited in some respects.
1> If we can edit some of the speech for a faction.. why can't we edit all of it? If I were to say copy a section of speech out of the script and paste it into a faction file would that overide that one bit for your faction? Or cause a bug in the game?
I'm loving customized factions but I can't give them the complete personality I want them to have if they're all forced for example to use the same set of texts when offering a pact.
2> Prototypes and unit names for individual factions! This would add a great deal more flexibility to customizing faction tactics and personality. I play my own faction which is someone based on Peacekeepers.. I NEVER if I can help it use any of the default units. I always customize them for most effective use of tactics and I always rename them to fit the personality I want my faction to have. It would be really cool to define a set of unit designs with their own names that a faction will automatically use if the technology is available to create it.
3> It might be interesting if you could assign priorities to the AIs. Specifically for units. I realize everyone's griping about stupid formers and military units. Personally I think aircraft should place a higher priority on nearby enemy units than flying off somewhere to la la land just to take out a transport with no units that's already about to be destroyed by your battleship.
Which brings me to the point that multiple units shouldn't all target the same enemy (unless it's a city) when 1 would do. It would be nice then to be able to set priorities for the AI.. ie attack nearby first or cities first.. or a specific unit type based on chasis or weaponry (but not specific unit design)
Speaking of AI.. if we can automate roads and sensors.. why can't we automate everything else formers do? (Or haven't I just not figured that part out in the scripts yet?) Or set priorities for formers such as build roads between cities first..
I'm sure there are many quite content with the current limits of customizing factions and the like.. but I'm not. I'm just too much into changing everything. I'd like for example to do a Borg faction (yes I know one's been done already but IMHO it's not that great/accurate).... change text ok.. that all you can do? Course not! I've already got pics to choose from and mp3 ready to go for the voice when you choose that faction at the beginning. If I have my way I'll even be changing the city graphics and logos!
Incidently.. I had the crazy thought of putting my factions on a web site plus others anyone can find a way to get to me.. BUT.. I would ONLY put up ones I feel are high quality. Anything from Borg to Loony Toons. but must be good. But only if I get a really good response (hint hint!)
Tin Cow posted 04-04-99 02:44 PM ET
1) Would be cool, definitely... probably some way to do it by changing the names of the wave files. You can change SOME of the text in the faction file, but I agree we should be able to change more.
2) I agree fully.
3) You CAN automate formers to do pretty much anything (including building roads between cities). Just use the right-click terraform menu. You can also change the graphics for the leader and cities by editing the .pcx file manually. I've already partially done this for a faction I'm making and I'm planning on doing the cities as well.
If you're wondering, I'm making a custom Pot Faction. Haven't come up with a name yet, but they're well play balanced and relatively peaceful. (Always stoned.) Kind of a combo between University, Morgan, and Gaian.
jaghar posted 04-04-99 03:01 PM ET
Oh I've already started to change the graphics for mine.. I was just stating that to give an idea as to how far I want to customize it all.
Maybe I should clarify on the automated formers.. as far as building roads between cities for example I want it to build from one city to another.. and then another and another without having to give it more than one command. so I tell it to once and it does all the cities. Would be nice to if it'd just do a straight line like I want it to. Also the things which can't be automated right now. I want ALL the options. Everything a former can should you should be able to automate just that one thing. As it is you can do some but not others.
I'd be interested in seeing a website dedicated to the details surrounding customing SMAC. With information such as the proper coding and audio format for the mp3s.
The first one I did for my Borg faction played but at half the speed intended. LOL I eventually figured out how it needed to be and I'm curious as to where I can get a program to encode the proper movie format as well. Also making sure the graphics are in the proper pallet would give a lot of people grief as it's sometimes a trick if you don't know what you're doing.
I'd kind of like to do a site like this if nobody else will but I'm not committed yet. I'd like to find out what kind of demand there is for it first.
Peace posted 04-04-99 05:36 PM ET
Since i found the texture file ive been doing some work on landscape.. although i havent found a picture of the units yet (did i miss it or are they uneditable) factions are easy to edit.. and ACEdit is available to make it easier... Personally i really like how customizable it is and am looking forward to spending a few hours straight tinkering with AC

jaghar posted 04-04-99 05:50 PM ET
No you didn't miss it. Units would be much harder to edit because of the animation and many different angle views involved. Not to mention the complexities of unique unit designs.
Where might one find ACEdit?
Koshko posted 04-04-99 07:54 PM ET
The Auto Terraform Is incomplete. I'd like the have an Auto Forester. Its needed after Hybrid Forest. An Auto Mag Tube is needed as well.
Its not quite the same time, but I'd like a Auto Roadmaker with a preset path. when you click on Auto Road, you can give it an destination. It will build roads from where it is to the destination, using the quickest available route. I guess if you have multiple cities in a row, it would connect them up in the Auto process.
Nell_Smith posted 04-04-99 11:17 PM ET
You can d/load ACEdit from:
http://www.sidgames.com/acedit/
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Author	Topic: Customizing and stuff.. next patch maybe? :)
jaghar	posted 04-04-99 11:33 AM ET Sorry but like most people I have no desire to spend hours sifting through messages to see if these things have been ask/suggested or not. But don't worry I guarentee this isn't that common. What I would REALLY love to be able to do.. is a much greater detailed customization of factions. What's in there is great but it's terribly limited in some respects. 1> If we can edit some of the speech for a faction.. why can't we edit all of it? If I were to say copy a section of speech out of the script and paste it into a faction file would that overide that one bit for your faction? Or cause a bug in the game? I'm loving customized factions but I can't give them the complete personality I want them to have if they're all forced for example to use the same set of texts when offering a pact. 2> Prototypes and unit names for individual factions! This would add a great deal more flexibility to customizing faction tactics and personality. I play my own faction which is someone based on Peacekeepers.. I NEVER if I can help it use any of the default units. I always customize them for most effective use of tactics and I always rename them to fit the personality I want my faction to have. It would be really cool to define a set of unit designs with their own names that a faction will automatically use if the technology is available to create it. 3> It might be interesting if you could assign priorities to the AIs. Specifically for units. I realize everyone's griping about stupid formers and military units. Personally I think aircraft should place a higher priority on nearby enemy units than flying off somewhere to la la land just to take out a transport with no units that's already about to be destroyed by your battleship. Which brings me to the point that multiple units shouldn't all target the same enemy (unless it's a city) when 1 would do. It would be nice then to be able to set priorities for the AI.. ie attack nearby first or cities first.. or a specific unit type based on chasis or weaponry (but not specific unit design) Speaking of AI.. if we can automate roads and sensors.. why can't we automate everything else formers do? (Or haven't I just not figured that part out in the scripts yet?) Or set priorities for formers such as build roads between cities first.. I'm sure there are many quite content with the current limits of customizing factions and the like.. but I'm not. I'm just too much into changing everything. I'd like for example to do a Borg faction (yes I know one's been done already but IMHO it's not that great/accurate).... change text ok.. that all you can do? Course not! I've already got pics to choose from and mp3 ready to go for the voice when you choose that faction at the beginning. If I have my way I'll even be changing the city graphics and logos! Incidently.. I had the crazy thought of putting my factions on a web site plus others anyone can find a way to get to me.. BUT.. I would ONLY put up ones I feel are high quality. Anything from Borg to Loony Toons. but must be good. But only if I get a really good response (hint hint!)
Tin Cow	posted 04-04-99 02:44 PM ET 1) Would be cool, definitely... probably some way to do it by changing the names of the wave files. You can change SOME of the text in the faction file, but I agree we should be able to change more. 2) I agree fully. 3) You CAN automate formers to do pretty much anything (including building roads between cities). Just use the right-click terraform menu. You can also change the graphics for the leader and cities by editing the .pcx file manually. I've already partially done this for a faction I'm making and I'm planning on doing the cities as well. If you're wondering, I'm making a custom Pot Faction. Haven't come up with a name yet, but they're well play balanced and relatively peaceful. (Always stoned.) Kind of a combo between University, Morgan, and Gaian.
jaghar	posted 04-04-99 03:01 PM ET Oh I've already started to change the graphics for mine.. I was just stating that to give an idea as to how far I want to customize it all. Maybe I should clarify on the automated formers.. as far as building roads between cities for example I want it to build from one city to another.. and then another and another without having to give it more than one command. so I tell it to once and it does all the cities. Would be nice to if it'd just do a straight line like I want it to. Also the things which can't be automated right now. I want ALL the options. Everything a former can should you should be able to automate just that one thing. As it is you can do some but not others. I'd be interested in seeing a website dedicated to the details surrounding customing SMAC. With information such as the proper coding and audio format for the mp3s. The first one I did for my Borg faction played but at half the speed intended. LOL I eventually figured out how it needed to be and I'm curious as to where I can get a program to encode the proper movie format as well. Also making sure the graphics are in the proper pallet would give a lot of people grief as it's sometimes a trick if you don't know what you're doing. I'd kind of like to do a site like this if nobody else will but I'm not committed yet. I'd like to find out what kind of demand there is for it first.
Peace	posted 04-04-99 05:36 PM ET Since i found the texture file ive been doing some work on landscape.. although i havent found a picture of the units yet (did i miss it or are they uneditable) factions are easy to edit.. and ACEdit is available to make it easier... Personally i really like how customizable it is and am looking forward to spending a few hours straight tinkering with AC
jaghar	posted 04-04-99 05:50 PM ET No you didn't miss it. Units would be much harder to edit because of the animation and many different angle views involved. Not to mention the complexities of unique unit designs. Where might one find ACEdit?
Koshko	posted 04-04-99 07:54 PM ET The Auto Terraform Is incomplete. I'd like the have an Auto Forester. Its needed after Hybrid Forest. An Auto Mag Tube is needed as well. Its not quite the same time, but I'd like a Auto Roadmaker with a preset path. when you click on Auto Road, you can give it an destination. It will build roads from where it is to the destination, using the quickest available route. I guess if you have multiple cities in a row, it would connect them up in the Auto process.
Nell_Smith	posted 04-04-99 11:17 PM ET You can d/load ACEdit from: http://www.sidgames.com/acedit/