posted 06-18-99 09:21 PM ET        

SNAC
version 1.1
ShiNing1's Alpha Centauri

Updated 18.6.99

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 three new technologies (Doctrine: Intelligence, Doctrine:
Destruction and Applied
Systems), rebalancing some of the tech tree
* Delayed the arrival of some key attacking systems
* Made terraforming slightly more effective, but also more dependent
upon technology

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 three tech icon files into the tech directory.
These will also overwrite
the current files there.
* Install 'Rich Map of Planet' into the map directory.

It is STRONGLY recommended you back up the original files before doing
this, to save the hassle
of doing a complete reinstall, should things not work correctly.

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%
* Infantry versus base increased to +50%
* Defend with Sensor array bonus increased to +50%!
* Psi Combat bonus for +Planet increased to 20% (very significant
factor, esp for freemarket)
* Tech for improved Sea Mines changed to DocInit
(same tech as for Cruisers, makes sea bases properly viable when
discovered)
* Min turns between council reduced to 8
* 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 10
(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.
* 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)
* 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 - allows probe teams, sensors,
Planetary Networks
(prereqs Information Networks and Doctrine: Mobility)
* New Tech: Doctrine: Destruction - allows planet buster, repeal U.N
charter (dead end tech)
(prereqs Unified Field Theory, Orbital Spaceflight
* New Tech: Applied Systems - allows arty, bunkers, Doc: Initiative and
Doc: Air Power
(prereqs Synthetic fossil fuels and Doc: Flexibility)
* Planetary Networks prereqs changed to Doc: Intelligence (new) and
Polymorphic Software
* Doc:Air Power prereqs changed to Applied Systems (new) and Advanced
Military Algorithms
* Doc:Initiative prereqs changed to Applied Systems and Industrial
Automation
* Centauri Ecology no longer increases nutrients production in fungus
(replaced by genesplicing)

UNITS, WEAPONS, AND ABILITES
* Prereq for hovertanks changed to Monopole Magnets, carrying capacity
increased to foil
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 MUCH later, balancing that multiple attack ability)
* Missiles now move 12
* 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)
* Super former ability made more expensive
* 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

BASE FACILITES, PROJECTS
* Facilities: Perimeter defense, Biology lab each reduced to 40
minerals, Childrens Creche and
Rec Commons now 30 minerals each
* Projects: Universal Translator requires Polymorphic software to
build, cost now 300 minerals
(occurs much earlier, artifacts ability now relevant on standard
maps)

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

** '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 adjustment.
(This is less than 2/5th of the way down the list)

Help.txt
* Recycling description changed to following:
Increases $LINK<NUTRIENT=41> and $LINK<ENERGY=43>
output of base square by 2.
* Social Engineering description values 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 forest
* 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). NOTE: these
are unrecorded,
so A.C plays the last used discover/facility/faction speel. Could
cause bugs??

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

FACTION CHANGES:

ALL FACTIONS
* Gain an extra former from the beginning (added Unit, 1) to each file
* 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.

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'

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
* Added 'Unit, 7' (free alien artifact at beginning)
* Gaians now benefit from increased bonus to Psi-Combat

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.

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.

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.

* 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)
* Changed 'Social, -Support' to 'Social, -Growth'

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}
^{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.

* 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)

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.

* 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)

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.

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)

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
^One BONUS TECH at beginning of game
^{May not use Fundamentalist Politics.}

NEW FILES:

TECH SYMBOLS
*Tech078 (copy of Tech008)
*Tech079 (copy of Tech022)
*Tech015 (copy of Tech015)

UPGRADED MAP OF PLANET
*Rich Map of Planet
(Includes new landscape features Borehole cluster, Deep Sea Vents and Planet Peak)

OTHER NOTES:
* Anyone who can help with making MP3 soundfiles, even placeholders, and wanted to do so, please contact me.
* Thanks are due to Korn469 for the recycling tanks ideas and the new social engineering values.
* Feedback, even just on the comments in this file, is greatly appreciated.