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New Faction: "The Damned"
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Alpha Centauri Forums
The Game
New Faction: "The Damned"
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| Author | Topic: New Faction: "The Damned" |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 08-30-99 05:37 PM ET  
I've just finished a faction (my first!) entitled "The Damned". I uploaded it to Apolyton yesterday, and a coupla other places today. I'm pretty proud of it, and a lot of work went into it, so please check it out. Incidentally, I'll probably be releasing an update pretty soon. While the graphics look pretty good, if I do say so myself, and on small maps the faction is great, the AI simply hasn't a clue how to play this faction on large or huge maps, with lots of water. I'll put some more playtesting (oh, this awful hard work ;-) ) into it and try out a few tweaks. Suggestions are, of course, welcome. If the major Alpha Centauri sites are taking a while to post the file, e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll mail you a copy (about 500+K though). Here's the contents of README.TXT, contained in DAMNED10.ZIP: Faction info: Once in the game, at the faction selection screen, choose the faction you wish to remove and click on "Load". Type in "DAMNED" and hit enter. You should now see "The Damned" in place of whatever faction you selected. Note: An error in SMAC (not this faction alone) sometimes causes the Spartan's numbers to disappear while using a loaded faction file. It's not dangerous, merely a pain in the a$$. However, as the last screams of the dying masses echoed down Hell's dank corridors, demonic satellite probes detected the launch of one last attempt at escape. The sinister powers that be know that if mankind manages to take hold outside of their territory, it is only a matter of time before their incredible ability to multiply and conquer will lead to Hell's eventual demise. As such, they have sent forth their greatest general, the vile Archdemon Ezrek of the Ninth Circle, to intercept the humans at Alpha Centauri. Under his command they have placed a collection of imps, seccubi, familiars, and their ilk to form a mindless horde with which to combat the humans. Failure will mean a fate far worth than death... victory will insure power beyond belief. However, Hell's power-centered society is not without drawbacks. Technological advancement is practically impossible, as the combined intellect of the entire horde is roughly that of a particularly dim-witted squirrel. Conquest, as opposed to research, is their preferred method of advancement. Another result of Ezrek's minions' lack of competence is their extreme susceptibility to psychic attacks, enough even to offset their morale-bestowed vigor. Add that to their increased cost to hurry production, their virtual disregard for any and every living thing on the planet, and their poor efficiency due to internal squabbles, and you have a fair set of potentially damaging drawbacks. Spawn comic book - I pulled the faction icon from the cover, and Ezrek himself is merely a picture of Spawn. The author of ACEdit 2.0 - Man, this utility made things easier. If you want to do any editing, check out http://www.sidgames.com/acedit. It's a little cryptic at times, but still extremely useful. I'd love to receive feedback on any aspect of this faction. If I receive enough complaints/suggestions, I'll release further versions, incorporating the comments. If you use any part of this faction in a modpack/faction/etc., please notify me first. I spent roughly four days, and about seven hours, building this thing. And that doesn't count playtesting. If anyone's interested in designing their own faction, I've been considering drawing up a quick tips sheet to get you started ('cause boy, could I have used one!) If you'd like to get a copy, just e-mail me. Enjoy! |
| Trinity |
posted 08-31-99 08:19 AM ET
That's a great one! but it seems you didnt mention about the specific modifiers, or is the morale+4 and planet-4 the only ones?? |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 08-31-99 12:08 PM ET
Hmmm... I didn't put 'em in, did I. Whoops. And the one place I mentioned a number, in the "tips" section, was the one place I forgot to update after I made a few last-minute tweaks. Here's the exact stats, interpreted from the DAMNED.TXT file: After playing a huge map to the transcendence stage, with the computer player controlling Ezrek, I've discovered that the game handles this faction strangely. In game year of around 2300+, all of his cities were "stockpiling energy" with not a single structure built, and only about two military untis per city. He was winning in credits, of course, but not much else. I checked on him with the empath guild, to see what he was researching, and it said: Researching Doctrine: Mobility; Discoveries every 2 turns, 1 turn remaining. It remained with this status report for about twenty game years. Very odd. |
| Krushala |
posted 08-31-99 05:59 PM ET
Morale +4 is pretty high. Combined with SE choices the ai might exceed the highest morale setting which is +4. If they were able to build an army like the hive and not stockpile energy It would be very challenging. They would have no drone riots and a large high morale army. |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 08-31-99 11:10 PM ET
Actually, given the signifigant penalties, the Morale+4 isn't as good as one might think. After playing a few rounds on tiny/small maps, my strategy for dealing with mind worms became: 1) mind worm sighted Between a Planet-3 (-30% psi attack/defense) and a 50% outright penalty added to that, even veteran units get eaten alive by worms. Plus, given their near lack of research ability (Punsihment spheres!) and their lack of starting tech, their weapons becomes seriously outdated very fast. |
| laurens |
posted 09-01-99 10:32 AM ET
This faction's rather weak. You find difficulty on big game maps/prolonged plays. Planet -3 and the research penalty (from the punishment sphere) might be too much. My thoughts |
| SailorUranus |
posted 09-01-99 03:48 PM ET
I've also made my own faction. But, since I suck at making graphics, I haven't uploaded it anywhere yet. (Actually, all I need is graphics for the cities and an image for the Diplomacy/Cityscape.) White Moon faction: Behavior: Erratic + Morale Her principle rivals would more than likely be the Peacekeepers, the University, and the Spartans. Her most likely allies would be the Morganites and either the Hive or the Believers. I've already had the computer play as this faction and it either gets contained to a small part of the map, or thoroughly kicks everyone's ass (except my own... usually). However, this faction already has two strikes against it in the tech race because of the -1 Research and having to either choose Police State and taking a hit on Efficiency or Fundamentalist and take a hit directly to Research. |
| White_Cat |
posted 09-01-99 05:17 PM ET
I think that you should drop the psi penalties, and maybe the Planet ones too. These are supernatural beings, so I doubt they would have a problem with psychic attacks. |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 09-01-99 05:26 PM ET
The idea behind the psychic and fungus penalties is that this is a whole new ball of wax for the demons. They've dealt with humans and their crap for millenia, and pretty much know what to expect. But this fungus junk is completely out of the blue, as is this psychic attack stuff that the humans have never been able to accomplish before. After thousands of years of simple "tear out their guts" combat, the demons are met with something new. Old dog - new trick. Plus, it adds game balance. It makes the all-mighty military faction have to turn tail and run when they bump into a hatchling. Although, as a gentleman named Thomas Steen pointed out in an e-mail, the fungal movement penalty is a real pain. So perhaps i'll increase the psychic penalty and decrease the planet penalty. But I really like the idea of Planet itself eventually being the force to wipe the demons off it's own face - I dunno, I need more of that back-breaking playtesting ;-) . In the meantime, I'm considering a new faction, based entirely on air power. I should have some preliminary ideas in a day or two. |
| TNSe |
posted 09-01-99 05:58 PM ET
Sign me up... You have my email.. (TNSe = Thomas Steen |
| Trinity |
posted 09-01-99 11:02 PM ET
I have come to believe that the best players around are over at the ACOL site. I'm not sure how to transfer this thread but perhaps any of you could bring this over there to get genuine, and possibly ther best, comments? |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 09-01-99 11:37 PM ET
Allright! I've finished v1.1 of this faction. I made severe adjustments to the faction itself, and I made several signifigant additions to the README.TXT, so with my apologies for further clogging up this thread, I'll post it again. The new version can be downloaded from here: You'll get their stupid welcome screen first; just click on the filename to begin download. I'll upload this file update to all the major sites again if there aren't any major problems with this version. I have yet to see v1.0 appear on any of these sites, though :-( As for ACOL, I have yet to see a URL. If I can find one, I'll post this message over there, as well. - /\/\ \/\/ *** Faction info: Once in the game, at the faction selection screen, choose the faction you wish to remove and click on "Load". Type in "DAMNED" and hit enter. You should now see "The Damned" in place of whatever faction you selected. Note: An error in SMAC (not this faction alone) sometimes causes the Spartan's numbers to disappear while using a loaded faction file. It's not dangerous, merely a pain in the a$$. However, as the last screams of the dying masses echoed down Hell's dank corridors, demonic satellite probes detected the launch of one last attempt at escape. The sinister powers that be know that if mankind manages to take hold outside of their territory, it is only a matter of time before their incredible ability to multiply and conquer will lead to Hell's eventual demise. As such, they have sent forth their greatest general, the vile Archdemon Ezrek of the Ninth Circle, to intercept the humans at Alpha Centauri. Under his command they have placed a collection of imps, seccubi, familiars, and their ilk to form a mindless horde with which to combat the humans. Failure will mean a fate far worth than death... victory will insure power beyond belief. +++ Morale: Bravery is not a word one would use to describe a demon; However, insane rage does make them rather unlikely to flee from the battlefield. Beware the demonic elite! Immunity to morale-reducing factors: Nothing can slow down the dedicated demonic regiment. UNABLE to use Democratic: Archdemon Ezrek rules, as do all demons, by power alone. He cares little for the cares of his wretched followers. PENALTY (1/2 bonii) to Eudaimonic: A demon, long accustomed to Hell's slavery, backstabbing, and just plain Evil, would neither enjoy nor even be able to comprehend Plato's vision of the ideal society. PENALTY (1/2 bonii) to Green: Even if, for some off reason, Ezrek decided to attempt to respect the wishes of this "fungus-ridden ball of rock", ecologically-sensitive demons are a definite rarity. Such attempts would be useless and futile. -60% to psychic attack/defense: Hell is not a place for shades of gray. You attack, you either release your opponents' entrails from their confinement or face similarly final results yourself. The intricacies and intangibility of psychic power both confounds and, secretly, frightens your average demon. Another reason for them to despise the planet. +25% bonus to attack: Demons are far happier on the offensive than on the defensive, and will demonstrate as such on the battlefield. A horde of demons howling with berserk rage is not a sight many humans can face without some level of panic. Increase in population limits of hab facilities by 3: Demons require little "creature comforts", and can therefore be packed in fairly tightly. Extra drone for every two citizens: Demons don't tend to take lightly to control, despite their being used to it. Given the chance, large groups of demonic citizens will burn their own city to the ground. No talents without facilities/secret projects/psych: Left to their own devices, the demon which rises above it's unremarkable brethren is rare. Punishment Sphere at every base: Well-versed in the ways of your average demonic, Ezrek orders methods of crowd control built before anything else. Rowdy demons are of little concern to a leader in possesion of one of these nightmarish facilities. The dangers inherent in this strategy, however, are twofold: 1) Research is squashed as the more intelligent demons take to torchure as a hobby, and 2) Lose the structure, and you can expect riots the like of which you've never experienced to erupt soon after. Guard these well, as they are a favorite target of rampaging mindworms. Spawn comic book - I pulled the faction icon from the cover, and Ezrek himself is merely a picture of Spawn. The author of ACEdit 2.0 - Man, this utility made things easier. If you want to do any editing, check out http://www.sidgames.com/acedit. It's a little cryptic at times, but still extremely useful. Thomas Steen and other various members of alpha.owo.com (I think that's the URL...) - They have provided, in a very short time frame, invaluable suggestions and playtesting experience. I'd love to receive feedback on any aspect of this faction. Suggestions tend to make it into further versions if they are effectively argued by the proposer. If you use any part of this faction in a modpack/faction/etc., please notify me first. I spent roughly four days, and about seven hours, building this thing. And that doesn't count playtesting. If anyone's interested in designing their own faction, I've been considering drawing up a quick tips sheet to get you started ('cause boy, could I have used one!) If you'd like to get a copy, just e-mail me. Enjoy! |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 09-01-99 11:42 PM ET
Argh, no, waitaminute... Something's wrong... Don't download that file just yet, it seems DAMNED.TXT is damaged, and that README I just posted is the wrong one (the version before I proofread it - ugh!). Sorry, folks, give me a few minutes... |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 09-01-99 11:48 PM ET
Here we go. The better file is now available for download. Here's the new README: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri --- Once in the game, at the faction selection screen, choose the faction you wish to remove and click on "Load". Type in "DAMNED" and hit enter. You should now see "The Damned" in place of whatever faction you selected. Note: An error in SMAC (not this faction alone) sometimes causes the Spartan's numbers to disappear while using a loaded faction file. It's not dangerous, merely a pain in the a$$. However, as the last screams of the dying masses echoed down Hell's dank corridors, demonic satellite probes detected the launch of one last attempt at escape. The sinister powers that be know that if mankind manages to take hold outside of their territory, it is only a matter of time before their incredible ability to multiply and conquer will lead to Hell's eventual demise. As such, they have sent forth their greatest general, the vile Archdemon Ezrek of the Ninth Circle, to intercept the humans at Alpha Centauri. Under his command they have placed a collection of imps, seccubi, familiars, and their ilk to form a mindless horde with which to combat the humans. Failure will mean a fate far worth than death... victory will insure power beyond belief. +++ Morale: Bravery is not a word one would use to describe a demon; However, insane rage does make them rather unlikely to flee from the battlefield. Beware the demonic elite! Immunity to morale-reducing factors: Nothing can slow down the dedicated demonic regiment. UNABLE to use Democratic: Archdemon Ezrek rules, as do all archdemons, by power alone. He cares little for the opinions of his wretched followers. PENALTY (1/2 bonii) to Eudaimonic: A demon, long accustomed to Hell's slavery, backstabbing, and just plain Evil, would neither enjoy nor even be able to comprehend Plato's vision of the ideal society. PENALTY (1/2 bonii) to Green: Even if, for some off reason, Ezrek decided to attempt to respect the wishes of this "fungus-ridden ball of rock", ecologically-sensitive demons are a definite rarity. Such attempts would be useless and futile. -60% to psychic attack/defense: Hell is not a place for shades of gray. If you attack, you either release your opponents' entrails from their confinement, or face similarly final results yourself. The intricacy and intangibility of psychic power both confounds and, secretly, frightens your average demon. Another reason for them to despise the planet. +25% bonus to attack: Demons are far happier on the offensive than on the defensive, and will demonstrate as such on the battlefield. A horde of demons howling with berserk rage is not a sight many humans can face without some level of panic. Increase in population limits of hab facilities by 3: Demons require little "creature comforts", and can therefore be packed in fairly tightly. Eventually, however, the smell of imp dung will become noxious, and you will have to build larger dwellings. Extra drone for every two citizens: Demons don't tend to take lightly to control, despite thousands of years of slavery. They respect Power alone, and will bow to no other leader. Given the chance, large groups of demonic citizens will burn their own city to the ground. No talents without facilities/secret projects/psych: Left to their own devices, the demon which rises above it's unremarkable brethren is rare. Punishment Sphere at every base: Well-versed in the ways of your average demonic, Ezrek orders methods of crowd control built before anything else. Rowdy demons are of little concern to a leader in possession of one of these nightmarish facilities. The dangers inherent in this strategy, however, are twofold: 1) Research is squashed as the more intelligent demons take to torture as a hobby, and 2) Lose the structure, and you can expect riots the like of which you've never experienced to erupt soon after. Guard these well, as they are a favorite target of rampaging mindworms. Spawn comic book - I pulled the faction icon from the cover, and Ezrek himself is merely a picture of Spawn. The author of ACEdit 2.0 - Man, this utility made things easier. If you want to do any editing, check out http://www.sidgames.com/acedit. It's a little cryptic at times, but still extremely useful. Thomas Steen and other various members of alpha.owo.com (I think that's the URL...) - They have provided, in a very short time frame, invaluable suggestions and playtesting experience. I'd love to receive feedback on any aspect of this faction. Suggestions tend to make it into further versions if they are effectively argued by the proposer. If you use any part of this faction in a modpack/faction/etc., please notify me first. I spent roughly four days, and about seven hours, building this thing. And that doesn't count playtesting. If anyone's interested in designing their own faction, I've been considering drawing up a quick tips sheet to get you started ('cause boy, could I have used one!) If you'd like to get a copy, just e-mail me. Enjoy! |
| White_Cat |
posted 09-03-99 06:36 AM ET
These guys are *extremely* underpowered. -80% combined penalty to psi combat!! They'll be wiped out by worms before they even get a chance to mount an attack on another faction. Get rid of the psi combat penalty (but put the Planet one back at -3). |
| Martin Woodard |
posted 09-03-99 05:23 PM ET
Try playing them (making sure you've got v1.1). In small maps, they crush any and everything that moves. On large maps, they multiply and destroy everything they get their hands on. In the maps I've playtested, they are second only to myself, and I'm playing the almighty hive. Yes, the planet+psi drawbacks are considerable, but it's a balancing feature. And don't forget that they're already getting a HUGE bonus to psi combat through Morale, anyways. And if I decrease Planet, the movemement penalty for fungus becomes unbearable. |
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