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Author Topic:   Empire Size

Smeagol posted 04-12-99 07:07 PM ET
Is there any way to find out how many squares I have in my empire without counting them all? I need to know this so I can calculate how many bases I can make before extra drones show up.
dbrodale posted 04-12-99 09:26 PM ET
I had always thought the "extra drones" were produced from the *number* of bases, not the amount of territory held [else, sea bases would be more "efficient" than land bases for purposes of calculating an over-sized faction] ... am I wrong?
d.brodale
Smeagol posted 04-12-99 10:07 PM ET
Yes, empire size does matter. As per Gamespot's strategy guide, the formula for max number of bases (before extra drones) is:
(8 - difficulty) * (4 + efficiency) * (Maproot/2)
Maproot= square root of (total number of sq in your empire / 3200)
I just don't have the energy to count out all of those squares in my empire! Is there any way to figure it out without doing so?
dbrodale posted 04-12-99 10:26 PM ET
Aah, yes .. that formula is also under the SMAC datalinks - I guess I have simply ignored it altogehter, as the penalty has never been much a problem to deal with (it's pretty trivial, in my experience).
There is no easy access to the tile count for your empire - sorry. Might I take this opportunity to ask why you need to know in advance the max. # of bases w/o drone addition? The pop-up warning that received for the base that goes beyond the threshhold works for me ... are you looking to accomplish something more devious?
It is far easier to solve the equation for how many tiles you can "control" than for the number of bases - find that number and start counting off as your territory expands? Perhaps you are right to ask for a data readout for "# of bases to go without trouble" ... or, would that take the mystery out of the game?
One last thing, I think the formula will vary dependent upon the size of game map used ... I'd have to check the datalinks again, but I believe that this additional variable replaces the 3200 in the formula you have provided.
d.brodale
Smeagol posted 04-12-99 10:47 PM ET
I was terrible at Civilization II, because I never really understood how the game worked. The result is that I've become obsessive with understanding every little detail in SMAC-- I think I spend more time analyzing the effects of various things in the game than I do playing it.
HolyWarrior posted 04-12-99 11:04 PM ET
Hmmm...I thought that maproot referred to the size of the world you were playing, not the size of your particular empire. If I'm wrong, I apologize.
dbrodale posted 04-12-99 11:53 PM ET
HolyWarrior -
That's that I thought, too [see above] ... guess I really need to return to SMAC and decipher the datalinks entry again.
Terribly confused by now,
d.brodale
quizara tafwid posted 04-13-99 08:00 AM ET
I'll third that. It's my understanding that it is the size of the map, not the size of your empire that that formula is looking for.
Smeagol posted 04-13-99 03:37 PM ET
Yeah, that's what it is. I was just misinterpreting it. Thanks!
By the way, how many squares are in each map size?
dbrodale posted 04-13-99 06:04 PM ET
Look in alpha.txt for the map sizes in tiles.
d.brodale
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Author	Topic: Empire Size
Smeagol	posted 04-12-99 07:07 PM ET Is there any way to find out how many squares I have in my empire without counting them all? I need to know this so I can calculate how many bases I can make before extra drones show up.
dbrodale	posted 04-12-99 09:26 PM ET I had always thought the "extra drones" were produced from the number of bases, not the amount of territory held [else, sea bases would be more "efficient" than land bases for purposes of calculating an over-sized faction] ... am I wrong? d.brodale
Smeagol	posted 04-12-99 10:07 PM ET Yes, empire size does matter. As per Gamespot's strategy guide, the formula for max number of bases (before extra drones) is: (8 - difficulty) * (4 + efficiency) * (Maproot/2) Maproot= square root of (total number of sq in your empire / 3200) I just don't have the energy to count out all of those squares in my empire! Is there any way to figure it out without doing so?
dbrodale	posted 04-12-99 10:26 PM ET Aah, yes .. that formula is also under the SMAC datalinks - I guess I have simply ignored it altogehter, as the penalty has never been much a problem to deal with (it's pretty trivial, in my experience). There is no easy access to the tile count for your empire - sorry. Might I take this opportunity to ask why you need to know in advance the max. # of bases w/o drone addition? The pop-up warning that received for the base that goes beyond the threshhold works for me ... are you looking to accomplish something more devious? It is far easier to solve the equation for how many tiles you can "control" than for the number of bases - find that number and start counting off as your territory expands? Perhaps you are right to ask for a data readout for "# of bases to go without trouble" ... or, would that take the mystery out of the game? One last thing, I think the formula will vary dependent upon the size of game map used ... I'd have to check the datalinks again, but I believe that this additional variable replaces the 3200 in the formula you have provided. d.brodale
Smeagol	posted 04-12-99 10:47 PM ET I was terrible at Civilization II, because I never really understood how the game worked. The result is that I've become obsessive with understanding every little detail in SMAC-- I think I spend more time analyzing the effects of various things in the game than I do playing it.
HolyWarrior	posted 04-12-99 11:04 PM ET Hmmm...I thought that maproot referred to the size of the world you were playing, not the size of your particular empire. If I'm wrong, I apologize.
dbrodale	posted 04-12-99 11:53 PM ET HolyWarrior - That's that I thought, too [see above] ... guess I really need to return to SMAC and decipher the datalinks entry again. Terribly confused by now, d.brodale
quizara tafwid	posted 04-13-99 08:00 AM ET I'll third that. It's my understanding that it is the size of the map, not the size of your empire that that formula is looking for.
Smeagol	posted 04-13-99 03:37 PM ET Yeah, that's what it is. I was just misinterpreting it. Thanks! By the way, how many squares are in each map size?
dbrodale	posted 04-13-99 06:04 PM ET Look in alpha.txt for the map sizes in tiles. d.brodale