SMAC Formulas and Level of Difficulty Differences

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Author Topic:   SMAC Formulas and Level of Difficulty Differences

Series II posted 06-02-99 11:09 AM ET
This Forum is for info on SMAC formulas and how difficulty levels are different. It is probably for newer players mostly, but the formulas will be of interest to most players.
I will add more as time permits.
INEFFICIENCY:
ENERGY = amount of energy a base produces
DISTANCE = distance from HQ (16 if no HQ)
EFFICIENCY = Social Engineering Efficience rate (+2 if Childrens Cache)
Inefficiency - (ENERGY * DISTANCE) / [64 - ((4 - EFFICIENCY) * 8)]
The futher a base is from HQ the more inefficiency.
The more energy a base produces the more inefficiency.
When you have more energy being produced by bases beyond 16 squares than you do inside 16 squares you will usually (depends on SP and a few other things)make more money without a HQ! That seems stupid. SMAC should fix.
Series II posted 06-02-99 11:24 AM ET
COMMERCE:
Order all bases for each faction from most to least energy output.
Bases are paired off on each factions list highest to lowest.
Total the energy from each pair and divide by 8.
This equals the PAIRED BASE VALUE.
Multiply by 2 of Global Trade Pact is in effect.
BASE COMMERCE = total of all economic factors: each XXXXXX Economics tech +1, Morgan +1, Wealth +1 Hive -2, Free Marker +2, Eudaimonic +2 (plus any base economic mods)
TOTAL COMMERCE = total of all XXXXXX Economics that have been discovered so far
Base Commerce Bonus = (PAIRED BASE VALUE) * (BASE COMMERCE + 1) / (TOTAL COMMERCE + 1)
Divide Base Commerce Bonus by 2 if you have only a pact. Add 1 if you are planatary governor.
So assumming that is is early game and the UOP and Morgan have a pact and their top 2 bases are producing 8 energy.
PAIRED BASE VALUE is (8 + 8) / 8 = 2
Morgan gets +1 to BASE COMMERCE
TOTAL COMMERECE is 0 because no XXXXXX economics have been discovered yet.
Morgan gets 2* (1+1) / (0+1) = 4
UOP gets 2* (0+1) / (0+1) = 2
Someone check me on this, but since the XXXXXX economics are part of both the numerator and the denominator won't they cancel each other out?
Series II posted 06-02-99 11:30 AM ET
CHANGED IN DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Lower levels Diplomacy is easier
Lower levels the computer factions wait longer to gang up on you if you are in the lead.
At citizem, specialist and talent the computer will not use mind control.
At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do
At Specialist and below:
1) building a colony pod does not disband a pop 1 base
2) research for the first 5 turns are ignored
3) no power overloads
4) no prototype costs
5) no penalty for switching production
As difficulty goes up the maintenance cost of a command center goes up and change society costs goes up.
Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked.
Series II posted 06-02-99 11:47 AM ET
Changes in Diffulty level
At Citizen the computer pays 13 food and minerals to the humans 10.
At Specialist 12, talent 11, Librarian 10, Thinker 8 and Transcend 7.
Series II posted 06-02-99 12:04 PM ET
UNIT COST
COST = [Weapon * (armor +speed) * 10] /reactor base
Reactor base = 4, 8, 16, 32 (larger base for bigger reactor)
Weapon value is never less taht 1/2 armor value. So if armor is 8 weapon can be 2, 3 or 4 for the same cost.
Non-combat special equipment is used instead of weapon cost.
Cost is 1/2 for a unit with a speed of 1.
Armor is discounted 1/2 for sea units and than the total cost is 1/2.
Cost is 1/4 for combat air units.
Armor cost if doubled for air units.
+25% for each special ability
+10 if armor and weapon is greater than 1
+10 is land unit has weapon, speed and armor > 1
VictorK posted 06-02-99 02:47 PM ET
MAINTENANCE COST
At Transcend the maintenance cost of all your facilities is reduced by 66.7%.
At Thinker, it's reduced by 33.3%.
(Yes, reduced, not a typo.)
---
Series II: I think TOTAL COMMERCE is the total number of economics discoveries for all factions, while BASE COMMERCE only involves the specific faction in question. I haven't verified this in the game, though.
Series II posted 06-02-99 03:33 PM ET
Victor,
That looks right. Commerce income is lower if a faction has not researched all the XXXXXXXX economics that are currently have been discovered.
So a faction could have a +3 BASE COMMERCE for the XXXXXX economics they have researched and a +4 to TOTAL COMMERCE becasue another faction has discovered the other XXXXXXX economics.
arleth posted 06-03-99 04:50 AM ET

"At citizem, specialist and talent the computer will not use mind control."
Possibly not agains you but they will against each other.
"At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do"
Yes they will - in one of my first games the AI started several SP's before I started my first (Beated them to most of them any way )
"At Specialist and below:
3) no power overloads"
Is a power overload the same as an enrgymarket chrash (I have had that happen to me on citicen level)
"Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked."
Oh yes you do - I lost an undefended size one base due to a mindworm attack on citizen. level
Series II posted 06-03-99 08:56 AM ET
Areleth, what version are you playing with. It has been awhile since I played the lower levels, but I remember those things working the way indicated. However, I am not sure what version I was playing at the lower levels.
These formulas may be out of date.
Series II posted 06-03-99 10:11 AM ET
It just came to me about how Firaxis should fix the bug where you get more money without a HQ than with a HQ. Sometime mid to late game another base facility should become available. Something like 'Virtual Headquarters'. This facility reduces inefficiency in a city.
Anyone know if you can change the building functions in ALPHA.TXT. Would it possible to change something like the Centuari Preserve to operate like a remote HQ. Instead of the +3 Planet it could give +2 or +3 Eco at a city.
Series II posted 06-03-99 02:18 PM ET
Eco Damage:
DIFF = 2(Citizem), 3(Specialist-Librarian), or 5 (thinker, Transend)
PLANET = your planet rating
LIFE - 1-3 depending on the amount of native live (1 = rare life)
MINERALS = number of minerals produced on the planet
TECH = number of techs discovered
PREVIOUS = number of times your faction has been hit with eco damage
GOODFACTS = 1 + number of Centauri Perserves, Tempels of planet and Nanareplicators you have
ENHANCEMENTS = each mine, collector, farm, enricher, road, mag tube, condensor and borehole - if the square is being worked count the enhancement again - add 8 for each borehole and 4 for each condensor - subrtract the number of forests in the city area - multiply by .5 if base has a tree farm and by 0 if base has a hybrid farm
MODIFICATIONS = (ENHANCEMENTS/8) + MINERALS/GOODFACS) + (Major Atrocities*5) - 16 - PREVIOUS
PErcent chance for eco damage = MODIFICATIONS * DIFF * TECH * (3 - PLANET) * LIFE / 300
Double the number if Alpha Prime is at perihelion.
Got it??????
Enoch posted 06-04-99 01:35 AM ET
Two questions-
What is the formula for determining the chances of global warming and if I have a planet rating of at least 3 is it impossible to cause eco-damage? Thanks.
arleth posted 06-04-99 04:16 AM ET
"Arleth, what version are you playing with."
I play version 3 (the latest)
danib posted 06-04-99 08:12 AM ET

"Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked."
Oh yes you do - I lost an undefended size one base due to a mindworm attack on
citizen. level
on no you don't
you lose population when mindworn eat them
"At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do"
Yes they will - in one of my first games the AI started several SP's before I started
my first (Beated them to most of them any way )
in may mauel it write
"At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you descover the thec"
Series II posted 06-04-99 08:24 AM ET
Yes, the computer can not start a SP on the lower levels unitl you DISCOVER the tech. They do not wait for you to start the project. My mistake.
Mindworms always eat 1 population, convential battle with other factions will not cause a base pop 1 to disappear.
Yes, if your planer rating is 3 or more there is no chance for eco damage.
Don't know about oceans raising. I will see what I can find.
bigcanuk posted 06-04-99 01:49 PM ET
SerisII:
Re: Eco-damage
It seems eco-damage has two components: The level at which ecodamage happens, and the amount of eco-damage that occurs with each mineral above that level. I believe your formula is the latter. What determines the former.
Oleg Leschoff posted 06-05-99 10:22 AM ET
Series II: Yeah, it's ecodamage formula from Datalinks. Did you check it?
How about case of Planet rating = 3? Apparently there must not be any ecodamage at all. That's not correct. So this is wrong formula.
VictorK posted 06-05-99 03:29 PM ET
The formula is probably correct, just that a planet rating of +3 or higher is treated as +2 in the formula. This has been mentioned in these forums quite a number of times before.
Many don't like this, but it is intended, since if +3 was allowed in the formula it would have been too easy to eliminate ecodamage. My suggestion, though, would be to treat +3 as 2.5 in the formula, +4 as 2.67, and +5 as 3 (so only a +5 rating eliminates ecodamage).
bigcanuk posted 06-07-99 09:52 PM ET
In answer to my own question:
The -16-previous looks after the level. If the answer is 0 or negative, 0 ecodamage occurs.
Another thing I noticed (I think) is that if you harvest only fungus late in the game eco-damage does not occur. I'll have to try it again and plug in the numbers.
Enhancements = 0 with hybrid forest
Maj atrocities = 0
That leaves minerals/goodfacts
Should be constant across bases.
My base with only fungus was producing 90+ minerals with no ecodamage while my others had ecodamage at 72 I think.
Plato90s posted 06-07-99 10:24 PM ET
You can be a fungus-only city and still generate eco-damage. Mineral production is mineral production. When your city is pumping out 250+ minerals, you have eco-damage.
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Author	Topic: SMAC Formulas and Level of Difficulty Differences
Series II	posted 06-02-99 11:09 AM ET This Forum is for info on SMAC formulas and how difficulty levels are different. It is probably for newer players mostly, but the formulas will be of interest to most players. I will add more as time permits. INEFFICIENCY: ENERGY = amount of energy a base produces DISTANCE = distance from HQ (16 if no HQ) EFFICIENCY = Social Engineering Efficience rate (+2 if Childrens Cache) Inefficiency - (ENERGY * DISTANCE) / [64 - ((4 - EFFICIENCY) * 8)] The futher a base is from HQ the more inefficiency. The more energy a base produces the more inefficiency. When you have more energy being produced by bases beyond 16 squares than you do inside 16 squares you will usually (depends on SP and a few other things)make more money without a HQ! That seems stupid. SMAC should fix.
Series II	posted 06-02-99 11:24 AM ET COMMERCE: Order all bases for each faction from most to least energy output. Bases are paired off on each factions list highest to lowest. Total the energy from each pair and divide by 8. This equals the PAIRED BASE VALUE. Multiply by 2 of Global Trade Pact is in effect. BASE COMMERCE = total of all economic factors: each XXXXXX Economics tech +1, Morgan +1, Wealth +1 Hive -2, Free Marker +2, Eudaimonic +2 (plus any base economic mods) TOTAL COMMERCE = total of all XXXXXX Economics that have been discovered so far Base Commerce Bonus = (PAIRED BASE VALUE) * (BASE COMMERCE + 1) / (TOTAL COMMERCE + 1) Divide Base Commerce Bonus by 2 if you have only a pact. Add 1 if you are planatary governor. So assumming that is is early game and the UOP and Morgan have a pact and their top 2 bases are producing 8 energy. PAIRED BASE VALUE is (8 + 8) / 8 = 2 Morgan gets +1 to BASE COMMERCE TOTAL COMMERECE is 0 because no XXXXXX economics have been discovered yet. Morgan gets 2* (1+1) / (0+1) = 4 UOP gets 2* (0+1) / (0+1) = 2 Someone check me on this, but since the XXXXXX economics are part of both the numerator and the denominator won't they cancel each other out?
Series II	posted 06-02-99 11:30 AM ET CHANGED IN DIFFICULTY LEVEL Lower levels Diplomacy is easier Lower levels the computer factions wait longer to gang up on you if you are in the lead. At citizem, specialist and talent the computer will not use mind control. At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do At Specialist and below: 1) building a colony pod does not disband a pop 1 base 2) research for the first 5 turns are ignored 3) no power overloads 4) no prototype costs 5) no penalty for switching production As difficulty goes up the maintenance cost of a command center goes up and change society costs goes up. Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked.
Series II	posted 06-02-99 11:47 AM ET Changes in Diffulty level At Citizen the computer pays 13 food and minerals to the humans 10. At Specialist 12, talent 11, Librarian 10, Thinker 8 and Transcend 7.
Series II	posted 06-02-99 12:04 PM ET UNIT COST COST = [Weapon * (armor +speed) * 10] /reactor base Reactor base = 4, 8, 16, 32 (larger base for bigger reactor) Weapon value is never less taht 1/2 armor value. So if armor is 8 weapon can be 2, 3 or 4 for the same cost. Non-combat special equipment is used instead of weapon cost. Cost is 1/2 for a unit with a speed of 1. Armor is discounted 1/2 for sea units and than the total cost is 1/2. Cost is 1/4 for combat air units. Armor cost if doubled for air units. +25% for each special ability +10 if armor and weapon is greater than 1 +10 is land unit has weapon, speed and armor > 1
VictorK	posted 06-02-99 02:47 PM ET MAINTENANCE COST At Transcend the maintenance cost of all your facilities is reduced by 66.7%. At Thinker, it's reduced by 33.3%. (Yes, reduced, not a typo.) --- Series II: I think TOTAL COMMERCE is the total number of economics discoveries for all factions, while BASE COMMERCE only involves the specific faction in question. I haven't verified this in the game, though.
Series II	posted 06-02-99 03:33 PM ET Victor, That looks right. Commerce income is lower if a faction has not researched all the XXXXXXXX economics that are currently have been discovered. So a faction could have a +3 BASE COMMERCE for the XXXXXX economics they have researched and a +4 to TOTAL COMMERCE becasue another faction has discovered the other XXXXXXX economics.
arleth	posted 06-03-99 04:50 AM ET "At citizem, specialist and talent the computer will not use mind control." Possibly not agains you but they will against each other. "At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do" Yes they will - in one of my first games the AI started several SP's before I started my first (Beated them to most of them any way ) "At Specialist and below: 3) no power overloads" Is a power overload the same as an enrgymarket chrash (I have had that happen to me on citicen level) "Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked." Oh yes you do - I lost an undefended size one base due to a mindworm attack on citizen. level
Series II	posted 06-03-99 08:56 AM ET Areleth, what version are you playing with. It has been awhile since I played the lower levels, but I remember those things working the way indicated. However, I am not sure what version I was playing at the lower levels. These formulas may be out of date.
Series II	posted 06-03-99 10:11 AM ET It just came to me about how Firaxis should fix the bug where you get more money without a HQ than with a HQ. Sometime mid to late game another base facility should become available. Something like 'Virtual Headquarters'. This facility reduces inefficiency in a city. Anyone know if you can change the building functions in ALPHA.TXT. Would it possible to change something like the Centuari Preserve to operate like a remote HQ. Instead of the +3 Planet it could give +2 or +3 Eco at a city.
Series II	posted 06-03-99 02:18 PM ET Eco Damage: DIFF = 2(Citizem), 3(Specialist-Librarian), or 5 (thinker, Transend) PLANET = your planet rating LIFE - 1-3 depending on the amount of native live (1 = rare life) MINERALS = number of minerals produced on the planet TECH = number of techs discovered PREVIOUS = number of times your faction has been hit with eco damage GOODFACTS = 1 + number of Centauri Perserves, Tempels of planet and Nanareplicators you have ENHANCEMENTS = each mine, collector, farm, enricher, road, mag tube, condensor and borehole - if the square is being worked count the enhancement again - add 8 for each borehole and 4 for each condensor - subrtract the number of forests in the city area - multiply by .5 if base has a tree farm and by 0 if base has a hybrid farm MODIFICATIONS = (ENHANCEMENTS/8) + MINERALS/GOODFACS) + (Major Atrocities5) - 16 - PREVIOUS PErcent chance for eco damage = MODIFICATIONS DIFF * TECH * (3 - PLANET) * LIFE / 300 Double the number if Alpha Prime is at perihelion. Got it??????
Enoch	posted 06-04-99 01:35 AM ET Two questions- What is the formula for determining the chances of global warming and if I have a planet rating of at least 3 is it impossible to cause eco-damage? Thanks.
arleth	posted 06-04-99 04:16 AM ET "Arleth, what version are you playing with." I play version 3 (the latest)
danib	posted 06-04-99 08:12 AM ET "Lastly at Citizen you do not loose population when your base is attacked." Oh yes you do - I lost an undefended size one base due to a mindworm attack on citizen. level on no you don't you lose population when mindworn eat them "At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you do" Yes they will - in one of my first games the AI started several SP's before I started my first (Beated them to most of them any way ) in may mauel it write "At talent and below the computer will not start a Secret Projec tuntil you descover the thec"
Series II	posted 06-04-99 08:24 AM ET Yes, the computer can not start a SP on the lower levels unitl you DISCOVER the tech. They do not wait for you to start the project. My mistake. Mindworms always eat 1 population, convential battle with other factions will not cause a base pop 1 to disappear. Yes, if your planer rating is 3 or more there is no chance for eco damage. Don't know about oceans raising. I will see what I can find.
bigcanuk	posted 06-04-99 01:49 PM ET SerisII: Re: Eco-damage It seems eco-damage has two components: The level at which ecodamage happens, and the amount of eco-damage that occurs with each mineral above that level. I believe your formula is the latter. What determines the former.
Oleg Leschoff	posted 06-05-99 10:22 AM ET Series II: Yeah, it's ecodamage formula from Datalinks. Did you check it? How about case of Planet rating = 3? Apparently there must not be any ecodamage at all. That's not correct. So this is wrong formula.
VictorK	posted 06-05-99 03:29 PM ET The formula is probably correct, just that a planet rating of +3 or higher is treated as +2 in the formula. This has been mentioned in these forums quite a number of times before. Many don't like this, but it is intended, since if +3 was allowed in the formula it would have been too easy to eliminate ecodamage. My suggestion, though, would be to treat +3 as 2.5 in the formula, +4 as 2.67, and +5 as 3 (so only a +5 rating eliminates ecodamage).
bigcanuk	posted 06-07-99 09:52 PM ET In answer to my own question: The -16-previous looks after the level. If the answer is 0 or negative, 0 ecodamage occurs. Another thing I noticed (I think) is that if you harvest only fungus late in the game eco-damage does not occur. I'll have to try it again and plug in the numbers. Enhancements = 0 with hybrid forest Maj atrocities = 0 That leaves minerals/goodfacts Should be constant across bases. My base with only fungus was producing 90+ minerals with no ecodamage while my others had ecodamage at 72 I think.
Plato90s	posted 06-07-99 10:24 PM ET You can be a fungus-only city and still generate eco-damage. Mineral production is mineral production. When your city is pumping out 250+ minerals, you have eco-damage.