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Author Topic:   Skunkworks

jptrias posted 05-20-99 11:45 AM ET
Originally, the Temple of Planet would not show up in my available facilities (to build. When I upgraded to SMAC 3.0 it fixed that. Unfortunately, the skunkworks also does not show up. I did not notice before because I played the Spartans exclusively. Now I am trying the Gaians and the lack cramps my style considerably. What can I do besides trying to con the governor into building it for me?
Rackam posted 05-20-99 12:24 PM ET
I've never seen the Skunkworks as an available facility, either with the Gaians or the Hive :/
~Rackam
jptrias posted 05-20-99 01:43 PM ET
Maybe, those two factions cannot build skunkworks. However, I have seen no indication of this in the doco
Darkstar posted 05-20-99 02:30 PM ET
Skunkworks won't show up at the bottommost two difficulty levels. You have to play #3 in difficulty and greater before skunkworks are available.
-Darkstar
Rackam posted 05-20-99 02:41 PM ET
Ahh, that's why
~Rackam
jptrias posted 05-21-99 12:22 AM ET
Thank you. That is an undocumented rule as far as I can tell
smod posted 05-23-99 12:14 PM ET
presumably no Skunkworks in 2 lowest difficulty levels because at those levels you don't pay extra for prototypes
Purple posted 05-23-99 03:54 PM ET
I thought one faction didn't need Skunkworks, 'cause they didn't have to prototype. Spartans? Or am I confusing that with one of the SPs?
Darkstar posted 05-24-99 01:28 PM ET
Purple, you are ALSO correct. Spartans don't pay prototyping costs, so they don't have Skunkworks AVAILABLE as base improvements after the appropriate Tech discovery on any difficulty level.
What makes so much confusion about prototyping is that if you disable Auto-Design, you get notified that you built a prototype for the first turn on the lowest two levels. Makes for a high confusion factor...
-Darkstar
Urban Ranger posted 05-25-99 12:55 AM ET
Darkstar,
In my experience, if you disable auto-design at these two levels, you can't build any new units, since you don't need to build prototypes, but you can't build any new units without the prototypes! Perhaps the Spartans are immune to this bug, but I haven't tried them at Citizen/Specialist levels.
jptrias posted 05-25-99 08:12 AM ET
I always play with autodesign enabled and when not playing the Spartans, it looks as if the initial cost for the first unit is doubled. Until I complete the first unit of a new type, the prototype cost still shows up and I get messages when I try to upgrade that say that this is going to cost a ridiculous sum because you have not prototyped this. I will experiment a little more and get you exact info.
Eris posted 05-25-99 10:09 AM ET
Building a prototype still matters on the 2nd lowest level (Citizen? Whatever it's called.) When you try to upgrade, if you haven't build the prototype yet, it whaps you for cost. But it seems to only matter for upgrades; Prototype cost=Unit cost.
And, um, I have auto-design off, mostly cuz I can't stand the way the game handles it, yet I don't have any problems with new designs.... as both the Gaians and the Believers, so far.
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Author	Topic: Skunkworks
jptrias	posted 05-20-99 11:45 AM ET Originally, the Temple of Planet would not show up in my available facilities (to build. When I upgraded to SMAC 3.0 it fixed that. Unfortunately, the skunkworks also does not show up. I did not notice before because I played the Spartans exclusively. Now I am trying the Gaians and the lack cramps my style considerably. What can I do besides trying to con the governor into building it for me?
Rackam	posted 05-20-99 12:24 PM ET I've never seen the Skunkworks as an available facility, either with the Gaians or the Hive :/ ~Rackam
jptrias	posted 05-20-99 01:43 PM ET Maybe, those two factions cannot build skunkworks. However, I have seen no indication of this in the doco
Darkstar	posted 05-20-99 02:30 PM ET Skunkworks won't show up at the bottommost two difficulty levels. You have to play #3 in difficulty and greater before skunkworks are available. -Darkstar
Rackam	posted 05-20-99 02:41 PM ET Ahh, that's why ~Rackam
jptrias	posted 05-21-99 12:22 AM ET Thank you. That is an undocumented rule as far as I can tell
smod	posted 05-23-99 12:14 PM ET presumably no Skunkworks in 2 lowest difficulty levels because at those levels you don't pay extra for prototypes
Purple	posted 05-23-99 03:54 PM ET I thought one faction didn't need Skunkworks, 'cause they didn't have to prototype. Spartans? Or am I confusing that with one of the SPs?
Darkstar	posted 05-24-99 01:28 PM ET Purple, you are ALSO correct. Spartans don't pay prototyping costs, so they don't have Skunkworks AVAILABLE as base improvements after the appropriate Tech discovery on any difficulty level. What makes so much confusion about prototyping is that if you disable Auto-Design, you get notified that you built a prototype for the first turn on the lowest two levels. Makes for a high confusion factor... -Darkstar
Urban Ranger	posted 05-25-99 12:55 AM ET Darkstar, In my experience, if you disable auto-design at these two levels, you can't build any new units, since you don't need to build prototypes, but you can't build any new units without the prototypes! Perhaps the Spartans are immune to this bug, but I haven't tried them at Citizen/Specialist levels.
jptrias	posted 05-25-99 08:12 AM ET I always play with autodesign enabled and when not playing the Spartans, it looks as if the initial cost for the first unit is doubled. Until I complete the first unit of a new type, the prototype cost still shows up and I get messages when I try to upgrade that say that this is going to cost a ridiculous sum because you have not prototyped this. I will experiment a little more and get you exact info.
Eris	posted 05-25-99 10:09 AM ET Building a prototype still matters on the 2nd lowest level (Citizen? Whatever it's called.) When you try to upgrade, if you haven't build the prototype yet, it whaps you for cost. But it seems to only matter for upgrades; Prototype cost=Unit cost. And, um, I have auto-design off, mostly cuz I can't stand the way the game handles it, yet I don't have any problems with new designs.... as both the Gaians and the Believers, so far.