posted 07-18-99 06:07 AM ET        

SNAC
version 1.2
ShiNing1's Alpha Centauri

DISCLAIMER: This is a mod package, and is in no way, shape or form supported or directly
authorised or endorsed by Firaxis Games or Electronic Arts. The author takes NO
responsibilty for its use or misuse by anyone, and warns that different system setups
MAY experience levels of stability - in short, install this at your own discretion.

This mod pack is designed for use with Version 3.0 of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (though
it may also work for version 4.0).

Updated 18.7.99

Goal:
* Restore some balance between 'builder' tactics and 'conqueror' tactics.
* Eliminate effective early game 'rushes', i.e any major attacks that occur within the first 40
turns of play.
* Lessen the effects of ICS (Infinite city sprawl)
* Rebalance factions in light of current tactical knowledge.
* Tune up midgame interest

In Brief:
* Base defense systems are greatly improved (defense factors increased, more free systems for
defenders)
* Added five new technologies (Doctrine: Intelligence, Doctrine: Destruction, Applied Systems
Planetary Engineering and Secrets of Genetics), rebalancing some of the tech tree
* Delayed the arrival of some key attacking systems and weapons
* Made terraforming slightly more effective, but also more dependent upon technology
* Rebalanced costs of base facilities, esp early game facilities (now a LOT cheaper), and SPs,
most of which are increased in cost, reflecting the geometric decrease in time needed to
build them and, in some case, their extreme power
* Adjusted the seven original factions to add game balance, especially wrt the Hive, Morgan,
Spartans and UoP
* Updated the help files

Instructions for installation
* Install all of the .txt files (those that can be viewed with a text editor) into the main
directory for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. They will overwrite the current files.
* Install each of the five new tech icon files into the TECH directory. These will also
overwrite the current files there, which are the placeholders for the user-defined techs.
* Install the new sound files into the VOICES directory. Tech?? and Tech?? will overwrite the
originals, as will Fac??
* Install the 'Rich Map of Planet' into the map directory.

It is STRONGLY recommended you back up the original text and voice files before doing this, to
save the hassle of doing a complete reinstall, in the unlikely event that things not work
correctly (or, infinitely more likely, you need the original for multiplayer purposes).

Alpha.txt changes

FUNDAMENTAL RULES
* Starting energy reserves for each faction increased to 50
(allows factions with early social engineering - Morgan, Hive, Believers - to use this ability)
* Intrinsic base defense increased to 50% from 25% (matches bunker value, counters Psi attack)
* Hab Complex lifted to 8, Hab dome lifted to 15 (significant increase, esp for Morgan)
* Bonus vs. ship in port reduced to +50%
* Defend with Sensor array bonus increased to +50%
* Psi Combat bonus for +Planet increased to 20% (significant factor, esp for freemarket)
* Tech for improved Sea Mines changed to DocInit
(same tech for Cruisers, makes sea bases properly viable when discovered, occurs earlier)
* Min turns between council reduced to 8 (and still often too long!)
* Retool strictness loosened - now first 20 minerals are exempt (A.I Boost, adds to early game).
* Minerals from harvesting forest increased to 10
* Artillery damage versus unit in open limited to 90%
* Tech for 3+ nutrients from terrain changed from Gene splicing to Biogenetics (occurs earlier)
* Tech for 3+ minerals changed to IndAuto

TERRAFORMING
* Terraforming: Condensor and Farm now require Centauri Ecology, Condensor cost now 8
(allows 'builder' factions to reap the rewards of early terraforming)
* Terraforming: Sensor array prereq changed to Doctrine: Intelligence (new tech), cost now 5
* Terraforming: Bunker prereq changed to Applied Systems (new tech)
* Terraforming: Mines now require Industrial base to build
* Terraforming: Aquifier cost now 10, Forest cost now 2, remove fungus cost 4.
(Can now remove Fungus VERY quickly during early/midgame)
* Terraforming: Solar Array now requires Applied Physics to build
(further penalises the 'non builder' factions, gives logical prereqs)
* Terraforming: Borehole changed to 0,5,5 and 20 turns, requires Industrial Automation
(occurs later, more balanced vs. rocky terrain + mineral patch or high altitude echelon mirror)
* Terraforming: Terraform up and down commands now require Planetary Engineering (new tech)
* Base square now 3,0,2 (city square produces NO minerals - partial ICS counter)
* Recycling tanks now gives 2,0,2 (for standard base value of 5 0 4!)
* Forest now gives 1,2,0

TECHNOLOGY
* New Tech: Doctrine: Intelligence (C2) - allows probe teams, sensors, Planetary Networks
(prereqs Information Networks and Doctrine: Mobility)
* New Tech: Doctrine: Destruction (C9) - allows planet buster, repeal U.N charter (dead end tech)
(prereqs Unified Field Theory, Orbital Spaceflight)
* New Tech: Applied Systems (B5) - allows arty, bunkers, Doc: Initiative and Doc: Air Power
(prereqs Synthetic fossil fuels and Doc: Flexibility)
* New Tech: Planetary Engineering (B7) - allows raise/lower terrain, melt polar ice, Adv.
Environmental Engineering (prereqs Doc: Initiative and Environmental Economics)
* New Tech: Secrets of Genetics (D4) - allows Empath, Human Genome Project, Bio-Engineering
(prereqs Genesplicing and Centauri Empathy)
* Planetary Networks prereqs changed to Doc: Intelligence (new) and Polymorphic Software
* Advanced Military Algorithms prereqs changed to Doc: Intelligence and Optical Computers
* Doc:Air Power prereqs changed to Applied Systems (new) and Advanced Military Algorithms
* Doc:Initiative prereqs changed to Applied Systems and Industrial Automation
* Adv. Ecologicial Engineering prereqs changed to Planetary Engineering and Environment Econ
* Bio-Engineering prereqs changed to Secrets of Genetics and Neutral Grafting
* Silksteel alloys prereqs changed to Advanced Subatomic and Industrial Economics
(occurs slightly earlier to combat chaos gun)
* Superstring theory requires applied relativity instead of nonlinear mathematics
(forcing chaos gun back in place in technology tree)
* Unified Field Theory Prereqs changed to Monopole Magnets and Probability Mechanics
(occurs later, balancing tachyon bolt tech level against rail gun (new level 10 weapon))
* Centauri Ecology no longer increases nutrients production in fungus - replaced by genesplicing
* Secrets of Alpha Centauri no longer increases energy production - replaced by Adv. Eco Eng
(no food for early fungus...)

UNITS, WEAPONS, AND ABILITES
* Prereq for hovertanks changed to Monopole Magnets, carrying capacity increased to foil*1
level (available earlier in game, allows mass movement of ground units)
* Needle jets now cost 12, and are renamed as Fighters
* Prereq for Copters changed to Homo-Superior, Copters now move 4 and cost 14
(occurs later, reduces multiple attack ability - and still the ultimate unit)
* Missiles now move 24 , and cost 14 (infinite range for everyone!)
* Laser Prereq changed to Non linear Mathematics, unit name now Light
* Particle Impactor prereq changed to Superconductor
* Gatling laser renamed UV beams and prereq changed to Applied Relativity, unit name now Ultra
(delaying early weapons makes rush tactics more difficult, though not impossible)
* Plasma Shard prereq changed to frictionless surfaces
(occurs later in game, no longer so close to Fusion lasers)
* Planet Buster prereq changed to Doctrine: Destruction (new tech), cost now 250
(usually occurs later since both sides of the tech tree are required, cost reduced to
balance the earlier occurance of orbital defense pods)
* Probe team cost increased from 4 to 8, inital probes now cost 60 minerals (30 for infantry)
* High Morale and AAA tracking costs changed to -1, now costs zero for defender units
(base defenders now have Trance, AAA tracking, Com Jammer, and High Morale options for free!)
* Polymorphic encryption cost reduced to zero (free for all units)
* Heavy Artillery prereq changed to Applied Systems (new tech)
* Clean reactor now requires Superconductor
(occurs earlier, balances new mineral rules, but at cost of special abilities)
* Nerve Gas pods cost changed to -2, now increases directly with weapon value
* Terraforming package/Former unit now has no prereq technology (see above changes)
* Probe team/Probe team unit prereq now Doctrine: Intelligence
* Colony pod cost reduced to former equivilent
(a very significant change, making early expansion very easy. Beware the A.I...)

BASE FACILITES, PROJECTS
* Facilities: Perimeter defense, Biology lab each reduced to 40 minerals, Childrens Creche and
Rec Commons now 30 minerals each
* Facility: Tachyon field reduced to 50 minerals (less than 1/2 price), upkeep boosted to 8!
(turning energy into defense, penalises poor economy/infrastructure)
* Facilities: Energy bank reduced to 40 (half price), Network Node to 50, support 1 each
(making early investment in infrastructure worthwhile compared to military)
* Facility: Hologram theatre reduced to cost 40, upkeep 2
* Facilities: Fusion lab reduced to 10, 2, Quantum lab to 20, 4
* Facilities: Naval yard now costs 50, Aerospace complex now costs 60, support cost now 4 each
(balances lower cost and defensive abilities, further penalises poor economy)
* Facility: Robotic Assembly Plant prereq changed to Nanominiturization
* Facilities: Orbital defense pod prereq reduced to Advanced Spaceflight
(hopefully countering PB's much more effectively)
* Projects: Universal Translator requires Polymorphic software to build, cost now 200 minerals
(occurs much earlier, artifacts ability now relevant on most maps)
* Projects: Human Genome Project requires Secrets of Genetics (new tech) to build
* Command Nexus cost increased to 300 minerals
* XenoEmpathy Dome, Maritime Control Centre, Hunter Seeker cost increased to 400 minerals
* Cyborg Factory, Dream Twister cost increased to 500 minerals
* Theory of Everything, Nano Factory, Clinical Immortality cost increased to 600 minerals
* Cloning vats, Self Aware colony, Singularity inductor cost increased to 800 minerals
* Bulk Matter Transmitter, Telepathic Matrix, Voice of Planet cost increased to 1000 minerals
* Ascent to Transcendance cost increased to 4000 minerals
(New costs balance the immense power of the higher S.P's, as well as the geometric increase in
mineral output of late game bases, use of supply crawlers, and use of energy to hurry S.Ps)

CITIZENS
* Doctor now provides 3 psych (bases require fewer doctors, OR golden age more likely)
* Empath prereq changed to Secrets of Genetics (new tech), now provides 2 4 0
* Engineer now provides 4 0 2, expires with Secrets of Alpha Centauri
* Thinker now provides 0 1 4
* Transcendi now provides 4 4 4 !
(Psych bonuses are now very significant and worth pursuing, and engineer citizens are now
of significant benefit when used - virtually required for new high energy drain Tachyon
field/Aerospace complex/Naval Yard combinations)

SOCIAL ENGINEERING
* Social: Fundamentalist politics prereq changed to Social Psych
* Social: Freemarket penalty reduced to -3 Planet, -3 Police
(balanced by new Psi bonus/penalty for Planet - a very significant blow to freemarket)
* Social: Power values penalty changed to -Industry, -Economy
* Social: Knowledge values changed to +2 Effic, +2 Research, -2 Police, -2 Probe
* Social: Wealth values penalty changed to -Morale, -Support
* Social: Industry and Planet bonuses swapped between Cybernetic and Eudaimonic Future Society
* Planet mindworm capture rates numbers removed (since not true...)

ADDENDUMS
* Librarian level renamed Engineer
* Prereq for 'Repeal UN Charter' changed to Doctrine: Destruction
* Prereq for 'Reinstate UN Charter' changed to Cyberethics
* Prereq for 'Melt Polar Icecaps' changed to Planetary Engineering

** 'Free' terraforming options are aquifier, forest, road, level terrain, clear fungus

Labels.txt
* 'Gaian Psi' changed to 'Faction Psi' for new University and Spartan mind power adjustments.
(This is less than 2/5th of the way down the list)

Help.txt

* Changed 'formers can execute...' line to 'formers can use...'
* Recycling description changed to following:
Increases $LINK<NUTRIENT=41> and $LINK<ENERGY=43>
output of base square by 2.
* Tachyon field description includes energy drain warning, for above changes
* Bulk matter transmitter description updated, since now gives double minerals per base
* Social Engineering settings info changed to match new alpha.txt values
* Description of effects of Planet rating changed to following:
{PLANET} represents your society's sensitivity to the $LINK<ecology of
Planet=26>.
Planet rating also has a major effect on Psi Combat, as used by
$LINK<Mind Worms=30008> and other native life on Planet. As well, a
low score indicates that ecological damage will occur more quickly.
* Forest entry corrected for new rules, since now no energy is received from forests
* Sea Mine prereq info changed to Doctrine: Inititive (change number to 140062 to 140035)
* Sensor array combat bonus changed to new value (+50%) given in Alpha.txt
* Borehole info changed to 5m, 5e, as above
* Hab Complex and Hab Dome limits changed to new values
* Infantry chassis info updated, bonus value increased to +50%, as above
* Needle Jet Chassis renamed as Fighter, as above
* Copter information updated to include multiple attack power
* Following lines added to AAA tracking, High Morale, Hypnotic Trance and Com Jammer info
^
This ability is free to Defenders, i.e those units with an armour
value greater than their weapon strength.
* Following text added to Polymorphic Encryption info:
"Once discovered, this ability can be used on any unit for no cost."

BLURBS.txt
* Given comments for each of the new techs (see above).
* Changed Nanohospital blurb to match new MP3 file.

TECHLONGS.txt
* Added long descriptions for each of the new techs (not reprinted here)

TECHSHORTS.txt
* Added short descriptions for each of the new techs (not reprinted here)

FACTION CHANGES:

ALL FACTIONS
* Gain an extra former from the beginning (added Unit, 1) to each file
* Gain an extra random tech at the start (added Tech, 1) to each file (Note: Univ gets Tech, 2)
* Now start with 50 energy (from alpha.txt changes)

BELIEVE.txt

Vision:
The Believers, much maligned for their ugly leader and poor research, never the less
were a faction favoured by skilled players for their rush tactics and supremely effective
probe teams.

Little has been altered, save to bring them a little more back into the public domain (free
morale and probe for fundamentalist), and to scale back slightly their ability to create huge
legions within the first 50 turns.

The Believers are also affected slightly by the increased cost of probe teams.

Favourite Techs:
* Non-linear Mathematics (lasers)
* Doctrine: Intelligence (probe teams)
* Cyberethics (Planetary Datalinks)

Changes:
* Added 'Impunity, Fundamentalist' (no research penalty from this government choice)
* Benefit from change of fundamentalist prereq to Social psych (alpha.txt change)
* Changed 'social, ++support 'social, +support'
* Changed social focus from Probe to Morale (fight fight fight)
* Changed wealth interest to 1 and growth interest to 0
(now 1, 1, 0, 1, 0)

Datalinks Info:
^+25% bonus when attacking, from strength of belief
^+1 PROBE: {Devout followers difficult to brainwash}
^+1 SUPPORT: {Citizens eager to defend faith}
^-2 RESEARCH: {Suspicious of secular science}
^-1 PLANET: {Believe Planet is their promised land}
^Suffers no negative effects from Fundamentalist politics
^Accumulates NO research points until MY 2110
^{May not use Knowledge value in Social Engineering}

GAIANS.txt

Vision: As before

Favourite Techs:
* Centauri Empathy (Mind Worms, BioLab, Empath, GREEN)
* Doctrine: Loyalty (Perimeter defenses, POLICE STATE)
* Centauri Meditation (Isle, Xenoempathy dome)

Changes:
* Added 'Unit, 7' (free alien artifact at beginning)
* Gaians now benefit from increased bonus to Psi-Combat
* Increased Tech interest to 1
(now -1, 0, 1, 0, 1)

No datalinks changes

HIVE.txt

Vision:
The faction most in need of rebalancing, the Hive was easily the most powerful of the original
factions, especially after the first patch.

The Hive has been changed to favour a more population based approach to domination of planet,
with the hugely advantagous +1 INDUSTRY removed entirely. The original 'Enhanced Communist
China' vision has been restored - a huge, hardworking, but somewhat unhappy population in a
brutal but philosophical ditatorship.

Favourite Techs:
* Ethical Calculus (Children's Creche)
* Planetary Networks (Hologram Theatre, PLANNED)
* Orbital Spaceflight (Missiles)

Changes:
* Added 'Drone, 4' (reflecting Yang's unwilling workforce) - taken from Uni
* Reduced 'Immunity, Effic', to 'Robust, Effic' (no free soc settings, more usable options)
* Removed +1 Industry (massively unbalancing factor)
* Increased Growth to +2 (allows population boom w. Planned and creche)
* Added 'Pop, -2' (hab restrictions lifted to 10 per base) - taken from Peace.
* Changed social focus from Police to Growth
* Changed Wealth interest to 0, and Growth interest to 1.
(Now 0, 1, 0, 0, 1)

Datalinks info:
^+2 GROWTH: {Rapid population increase}
^-2 ECONOMY: {Little political freedom}
^Disciplined followers: {Efficiency penalties halved}
^Underground bunkers: {Free PERIMETER DEFENSE at each base}
^Close habitation: {may exceed hab restrictions by 2}
^Hardship: {Extra DRONE for every 4 citizens}
^{May not use Democratic politics.}

MORGAN.txt

Vision: Definitely the weakest of the original factions, morgan has been upgraded to a
more reasonable level of unbridled capitalist power. Now able to maintain a normal army,
and with no real dependance on outside trade for energy production, Morgan's only worry is
a crippling lack of growth.

Favourite Techs:
* Doctrine: Loyalty (POLICE STATE)
* Industrial Automation (Hab Complex, WEALTH)
* BioMachinery (Cloning Vats)

Changes:
* Changed starting tech to Industrial economics (allows Free market immediately)
* Added 'Facility, 7' (free energy bank at each base)
* Increased starting energy to 200 (balance against change in alpha.txt to initial energy)
* Added 'Penalty, Democractic, Penalty, Wealth, Robust, Morale'
(equivilent of Support penalty doubling for revised social engineering table)
* Changed 'Social, -Support' to 'Social, -Growth'
* Changed Freedom level to 0, Power interest to 1 and Growth interest to 1.
(now 0, 1, 0, 1, 0)

Datalinks info:
^TECH: {Industrial Economics}

^+1 ECONOMY: {Industrial conglomerate}
^-1 GROWTH: {Hedonistic lifestyle}
^+1 COMMERCE: {Increases value of treaties & pacts}
^Free ENERGY BANK at each base
^Begins with 200 extra energy credits.
^Lavish Housing: {Need HAB COMPLEX for bases to exceed size 5}
^Individualistic Followers: {SUPPORT penalties doubled}
^{May not use Planned Economics.}

PEACE.txt

Vision: While not actually weak in the original, the PeaceKeepers weren't much more successful
than the present day U.N when it came to actual conflict. They gain 2 new abilities, a
sharetech upgrade (reflecting their global influence and the original vision for the 'Keepers
of Wisdom'), and an immunity to negative support, making democracy a painless option for its
self-proclaimed guardians on planet.

Note that early sharetech can hinder as well as help, since A.C determines tech cost according
to the number of techs already owned. Hence the PK's knowledge base, while broad, is rarely
the most advanced.

Favourite Techs:
* Ethcial Calculus (Democracy, Children's Creche)
* Centauri Empathy (Empath Guild)
* The Will to Power (Thought Control)

Changes:
* Added 'Sharetech, 3' (gains any tech owned by three other factions)
* Added 'Immunity, Support' (support penalties eliminated)
* Removed 'Pop, -2' (no extra population) - given to Hive
* Increased Effic penalty to -2 (balancing factor - paradigm economy difficult to achieve)
* Changed social focus from Growth to Effic
* Changed Freedom level to -1 and Power interest to 1
(now -1, 1, 1, 0, 1)

Datalinks info
^-2 EFFICIENCY: {U.N. style bureaucracy}
^Intellectual Elite: {Extra TALENT for every four citizens}
^Military readiness: {Support value never less than zero}
^Unity Archivists: {Gains any TECHNOLOGY known by three other factions}
^Receives DOUBLE votes in elections for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader.
^{May not use Police State Politics.}

SPARTANS.txt

Vision: Somewhat altered, the spartans lose their crippling industry penalty in exchange
for slightly lowered morale and a new Psi combat penalty. A powerful military machine,
especially when faced with human rivals, but prone to panic when confronted with the
alien terrors of Planet.

Favourite Techs:
* Doctrine: Intelligence (Sensor Array)
* Synthetic fossil fuels (Missile Launcher, Fungicide)
* Neural Grafting (Neural Amplifier)

Changes:
* Changed 'Social, ++Morale', to 'Social, +Morale' (slightly weaker on defense)
* Added 'Psi, -25' (Psi combat penalty - equivilent to -2 Morale vs. aliens)
* Removed 'Social, -Industry' (no industry penalty)
* Changed social focus from Morale to Police
* No changes to A.I priorites
(now 0, 1, 1, 0, 0)

Datalinks info:
^+1 MORALE: {Well-armed survivalist movement}
^+1 POLICE: {Highly disciplined followers}
^Prototype units do not cost extra minerals.
^Fear of Planet: {-25% penalty to Psi combat}
^{May not use Wealth value in Social Engineering.}

UNIV.txt

Vision: Not quite as dark and hostile as the original university, this version offers a
more academic vision of the UoP - good research, poor security, a reluctance to support
military endeavors, and a new resistance to psychic attack. This new benefit adds a
new dimension to the UoP, and allows a green university to better combat its religious
and military rivals.

The delay in arrival of some of the early weapon systems aids the university to a small
extent, since they have a significant chance of obtaining Missiles or UV Beams before the
other factions.

Favourite Techs:
* Doctrine: Loyalty (POLICE STATE)
* Superconductor (Clean Reactor, Particle Impactor)
* Pre-Sentinent Algorithms (Hunter Seeker SP)

Changes:
* Added 'Social, -Support' to list of abilities (disadvantage to having large army)
* Removed Drone, 4 (incompatible with new support penalty, bad anyway) - given to Hive
* Added 'Psi, 20' (+20 bonus to Psi combat - equivilent to +1 Planet)
* Univ Freedom level increased to 1(!), growth interest increased to 1
(now 1, 0, 1, 0, 1)

Datalinks info:
^+20% bonus to Psi Combat, from intellectual discipline
^+2 RESEARCH: {Brilliant scientists}
^-1 SUPPORT: {Researchers skeptical of military worth}
^-2 PROBE: {Academic networks vulnerable to infiltration}
^Free NETWORK NODE at every base
^Additional free TECH at beginning of game
^{May not use Fundamentalist Politics.}

NEW FILES:

TECH SYMBOLS
*Tech078 (copy of Tech008)
*Tech079 (copy of Tech022)
*Tech080 (copy of Tech015)
*Tech081 (copy of Tech005)
*Tech082 (copy of Tech074)

VOICE FILES
* Tech50 renamed as Tech82 (Yang Genetics speech)
* Fac18 copied and renamed as Tech50 (Zak Gene speech, occurs for tech50)
* Tech78 through to Tech81, and new Fac18 speech produced by Nell Smith

and the new weapon info, since I find them amusing:

#WEAPONDESC0
Small, easily portable, and with an extremely high rate of fire, {Auto
Cannons} were a substantial upgrade over the standard issue rifles and
flames gun that most colonists are equipped with. Their lack of
penetration against modern armour, however, sees them more commonly
used for drone control than fullscale warfare.
^
A Weapon's {firepower} determines the strength of that weapon. The
higher the number, the better the weapon.

#WEAPONDESC1
Survival on planet requires a complex array of sensors and hi-tech life support
equipment to be worn by even the lowliest grunts and the most casual explorers,
and the need to power all this equipment quickly made the use of personal reactor
packs commonplace. Taking advantage of the surplus power generated by this
system, and lacking fuels to produce more convention high impact weapons,
Terran scientists designed portable, high energy {Laser} systems to provide front
line troops with the power to tackle armoured targets.

#WEAPONDESC2
The ultimate design in terms of high energy physics, a {Particle Impactor},
or Impact weapon, mimics the operation of a crude particle accelerator.
Though operating at billions of times the intensity of its scientific
counterpart, the basic principle - using an electromagnet to accelerate
isolated subatomic particles to extremely high speeds - remains largely
unmodified. Impact weapons have two key advantages: they destroy soft
organic targets efficiently, and penetrate basic armour types with ease.

#WEAPONDESC3
With a clean, zero loss energy system, and an almost complex understanding of the
workings of radiation and light, Terran scientists were able to develop
lasers that operate at higher energy wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum.
While difficult to focus at long range, the sheer destructive power of this
weapon at close quarters, coupled with its inherently unseeable nature, made
{UV Beams} the most widely feared weaponry of its time on planet.

#WEAPONDESC4
Due to the scarce resources available on Planet, early developement of weapons
tended to focus heavily on close range, high powered energy devices that took
advantage of the hi-tech systems and knowledge the colonists brought with them.
With the ability to once again generate large amounts of stable, liquid fuel,
the economic and tactical advantages of {Missiles} once again assert themselves.

#WEAPONDESC5
Taking the physics of the $LINK<Particle Impactor=60002> to a new level, the
aptly named {Chaos Gun} generates a stream of ionised particles between itself
and the target, acting as a channel for a prolonged EMP pulse - in effect, a
directed lightning bolt - to strike the target. The resulting blast effectively
incapacitates both organic and electronic enemies in one go. Fearsomely powerful,
the {Chaos Gun} is however limited by its range, and firing this weapon at a
distant target is indeed an unpredictable matter.

#WEAPONDESC6
{Rail Guns} fire short, rapid bursts of ultra high velocity (0.2 c) iron
rounds using an electromagnetic field instead of a conventional combustion
chamber. The development of lubricants which allow near frictionless surfaces,
along with new, high energy portable power sources, makes the common deployment
of this long dreamed of weapon a reality.

#WEAPONDESC7
The ability to master probability field generation marks a turning point in
the history of warfare on Planet: no longer dependant upon close range, high
energy weaponry, mankind developes systems to disrupt the very fabric of reality.
A probability device, the {Field Disruptor} generates a stream of particles to
upset the underlying substructure of the target's matter - creating a Here Now/There
Now? uncertainty that literally shakes apart anything in its path.

#WEAPONDESC8
Plasma, the theoretical fourth state of matter ordinarily found only in the
heart of a star, had been generated on Planet ever since the rediscovery of
fusion power. {Plasma Shards}, glowing bolts of superheated matter (1 000 000K)
only a few microns thick which are fired at a high proportion of the speed
of light, were however the first real attempt to deploy this most destructive
natural force as a weapon on Planet.

#WEAPONDESC9
Developments in the field of quantum research leads to new and practical
means to generate high energy photons, and more importantly, to generate
them in the form of a coherent beam. Labelled {Quantum Lasers}, these
new weapons take ordinarily lethal forms of X ray radiation and scales them
up to an unbearable intensity. The effects against armored, not to mention
organic, targets, heralds this as the prototype for mankind's final generation
of weapons.

#WEAPONDESC10
Mankinds ability to control gravity, while mostly benign, also leads to more
destructive spinoffs in the form of the {Graviton Gun}. Creating a intense
gravitational field at the source, the Gun generates a state of gravitational
collapse around its ammunition, creating a fusion effect, and, finally, a
shard of white hot compressed plasma. Repeated at around 20 times a second
with the help of special nanobots, a single gun spells devastation to anything
within sight.

#WEAPONDESC11
The ultimate weapon, at least against the matter based targets it was
envisaged to destroy, the {Singularity Laser} takes the most powerful of
all types of radiation - Gamma Rays - and uses the gravity of a controlled singularity to produce a tightly focused coherent beam. Thusly, the beam
operates with the effectiveness of an ultra high energy laser focused to
incredible precision. The effect is inevitable, utter annihilation.

posted 07-19-99 04:29 AM ET            

Alexnm/Krushala: Thanks very much. I will definitely post when this gets up on the net. And I can send anyone who wants it a copy of the Alpha.txt file, which covers the main changes (factions can be easily edited from the list, but Alpha has loads of dependancies to fix as well. It's not fun trying to do it from scratch).

posted 07-20-99 03:50 AM ET            

And if those transports carry two land transports, doesn't that make four units being carried, and so on, ad infinitum?

Except at the level where we get tired of the tower of transports, can we fill the transports with troops, so carrying a huge army in one transport?

posted 07-24-99 04:56 PM ET            

The techs meanings?
Applied Systems. A crappy name. System is a VERY wide term.

24-infinite range???
Hey, you didn't ever played huge map? But this is not about features.

I hate forest decrease. But this all is just my opinion.

By the way, how about to completely remove clean reactor feature? I always thought of it as about cheat, thus never used it.

Also, I agree about Morgan's free EB, and used it in my games.

I don't think that cheap colony pod is realistic enough. Didn't you thought about INCREASING it's cost?

Having read the rest, I think that you made too many changes. Are you SURE you understand the impact of every of these changes? Especially facilities cost.

posted 07-24-99 11:03 PM ET            

Forest Decrease: This is important to the mod. Remember, the base squares gets no minerals to start with.

Clean Reactor: At cost 2, this makes a unit a lot more expensive to build, and costs a fair whack of energy to upgrade to. I find it a very useful feature, personally, and one that favours a builder, who produces few units, all of which tend to live a long time. Not a cheat in the least.

Cheap colony pods: These work very well. The realism issue is pretty well satisifed, as you also lose a point of population when the pod is finished, and it has the effect of being able to move a misplaced city on the first turn (20 free minerals, 20 minerals per pod - useful). More to the point, losing an early pod to mindworms, etc, is no longer a game losing event, and a player trapped on an island can found cheaper sea bases. This is a gameplay motivated change, and a good one. It's also more honest from an ICS viewpoint - you can expand to your heart's content (and the mod does take other steps to mess up an ICS strategy).

And the thought of INCREASING the pod cost never crossed my mind. Given everything I've said, I think you can see why.

Infrastructure: Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. Most of this stuff is of only incremental value and STILL takes a long time to build, even under the mod. Faced with the choice of building a single network node or two impact rovers, I'll take the rovers. A network node or one impact rover? 50/50. Remember, this is a builder friendly mod, and it's FIRST priority is to make investment in the masses of available infrastructure a more worthwhile exercise.

posted 07-26-99 11:10 PM ET            

If putting the files somewhere is too difficult, perhaps you could e-mail me? I'm on a DSL line and don't care how long it takes to pull down e-mail ... let me know at [email protected] and I'll help you to beta-test and refine the changes.

posted 07-26-99 11:15 PM ET         

1) First of all, as for the +2 Minerals bonus of the Bulk Matter or whatever SP that was, it should say "+50% Minerals in every city". You may want to change this in alpha.txt. Note for korn469: this would be the mathematical equivalent of anywhere from +2 to +3.33 Industry rating, depending on what mineral-increasing improvements are currently in the base. Basically, this SP increases the BASELINE mineral production by 50%.

2) Shining1, you've probably spent lots of hours to come up with all your changed values, but I'll give you my input anyway:

a) Needlejets, Copters, and Gravships should cost even more, so that the faction that gets them first doesn't automatically get to make cheap killing machines. An increase to 10 or 12 doesn't do much. I use 24/30/36. This way, you or the AI probably won't want to make chaos air units until after Fusion Power due to the high cost. Also, I limited my Copter movement, but only down to 6, not 4.

b) Coincidentally, you chose a very similar name for the tech needed to make PB's. I call it "Doctrine: Mass Destruction".

c) If you don't like the concept of the Transcendi (specialist), call them "Cyborgs". For the icon, I'm using a mugshot of C-3PO from Episode I. (I know, he's really not a Cyborg, but I like the pic better than seeing a bunch of glow-in-the-dark figurines depicted by the Transcendi icon.) Oh yeah, and Librarians can be Biophysicists.

d) I don't know if you changed this, but did you consider penalty/bonus for elevation? I mean for regular units, not just artillery? I use 15% for both in alpha.txt.

e) I disagree with your decision to decrease the penalty of Police in the Free Market SC from -5 to -3. I don't think the extra Psi penalty makes up for it. Having an extra energy in EVERY square is almost an unbalancing advantage. Nothing in CivII had this much of an effect. Democracy came close, and so it had the double unhappiness unit penalty. So I feel you should keep that unit penalty (by keeping police -5).

posted 07-27-99 06:40 PM ET            

Finally, compare it to the alternatives. +2 growth and +1 industry is usually preferable at the early peaceful stages of the game, where you are BOOMING your bases up to the hab limit to get the max mineral production.
And +2 Planet +2 Effic is also great (Paradigm economy and increased psi attack).

As for the rest, I'm happy we agree on so much. Doctrine: Mass Destruction made me laugh out loud. Coincidence? Wow.

I'll consider the vehicle mods, but think I've taken a slightly different approach to Copters than you have. Firstly, they appear quite a bit later (under Homo-Superior), which means their power is somewhat balanced for the attack and also that most players left by this time should have at least some form of air defense. Secondly, those air defenses are quite a bit cheaper.

I'll change the bulk info.

I like the current bonus for elevation. Controlling the high ground has always been a priority for gunners.

Finally, and for EVERYONE: Please feel free to comment or flame any part of this - unless you are particularly off beam, I'm happy to discuss any part of this mod.

posted 07-27-99 07:03 PM ET            

i didn't know that the BMT increased baseline mineral production that much. however...when mineral production increases so does eco damage. all i was thinking was that if things cost less then you'd need less minerals to build them. so having smaller mineral output is not bad because of the benefit of decrease eco damage.

now that i think about in the datalinks doesn't the bulk matter transmission say +2 minerals? maybe +2 minerals=+2 industry...just a thought

posted 07-27-99 07:04 PM ET            

i didn't know that the BMT increased baseline mineral production that much. however...when mineral production increases so does eco damage. all i was thinking was that if things cost less then you'd need less minerals to build them. so having smaller mineral output is not bad because of the benefit of decrease eco damage.

now that i think about in the datalinks doesn't the bulk matter transmission say +2 minerals? maybe +2 minerals=+2 industry...just a thought

posted 07-27-99 08:43 PM ET         

You say you like the current bonus for elevation, which leads me to believe there may be a misunderstanding on both of our parts. First, in my post I didn't mean to say 15% for "both", meaning for regular units and artillery units (I kept the default 25% for artillery per level of altitude). I meant the change should be applied as a bonus for the attacker at higher altitude, as well as a penalty to an attacker of lower altitude.

However, I believe the game's default bonus/penalty for regular non-artillery units is 0 for both of these parameters.

So we both agree that elevation should be advantageous, but that means you would have to CHANGE the value in alpha.txt from 0 to whatever (be it 15 or 25 or whatever) for non-artillery units.