Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: ete on January 24, 2013, 01:31:43 AM

Title: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on January 24, 2013, 01:31:43 AM

It'd be nice to collect up as many sources of custom factions as we can find. I'll try to keep this post updated with all that're found. Long term goal is to provide an easy all-in-one download of all factions as well as individual downloads, plus the wiki database which will be used for searching/checking things. Italic=I have them on my computer. Strikeout=On wiki.

Vanilla
Factions which should work fine in standard SMAC/X

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3751.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3751.0) - JarlWolf's
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1257.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1257.0) - ariete's
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3819.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3819.0) - Sigma's
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4006.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=4006.0) - Reefa's
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2480.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2480.0) some from here
http://apolyton.net/local_links/links/c-faction-175 (http://apolyton.net/local_links/links/c-faction-175)
http://web.archive.org/web/20060222192258/http://www.networknode.org/indexflash.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20060222192258/http://www.networknode.org/indexflash.html) (no actual downloads, but some faction set names)
http://web.archive.org/web/20060430055236/http://googlie2.tripod.com/rynnsgallery/index.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20060430055236/http://googlie2.tripod.com/rynnsgallery/index.html)
http://web.archive.org/web/20090122222725/http://ac.strategy-gaming.com/factionfiles.shtml (http://web.archive.org/web/20090122222725/http://ac.strategy-gaming.com/factionfiles.shtml)
http://web.archive.org/web/20000310013624/http://members.xoom.com/pythagras/ModBin.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20000310013624/http://members.xoom.com/pythagras/ModBin.html)
http://www.civgaming.net/smac/googliecustom.shtml (http://www.civgaming.net/smac/googliecustom.shtml)
http://kilkakon.com/projects.php?category=1&base=Alpha+Centauri (http://kilkakon.com/projects.php?category=1&base=Alpha+Centauri)
http://www.civ.org.pl/downloads.php?lang=Eng&type=SMAC&section=Factions (http://www.civ.org.pl/downloads.php?lang=Eng&type=SMAC&section=Factions)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1e1eo73www1n6wo (http://www.mediafire.com/?1e1eo73www1n6wo) (ariete's custom factions)
http://www.civgaming.net/smac/custom1.shtml (http://www.civgaming.net/smac/custom1.shtml)
http://alphacentauri2.info/My%20Custom%20Factions/Custom%20Factions.htm (http://alphacentauri2.info/My%20Custom%20Factions/Custom%20Factions.htm) (got BU's full collection which should include this)
Official factions (note: need updated SMAX texts)
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=102

Total conversion/major change mod factions
http://kilkakon.com/projects/losteden.php (http://kilkakon.com/projects/losteden.php)

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Kilkakon on January 24, 2013, 03:19:16 PM

Add mine to the list of course! http://kilkakon.com/projects/losteden.php (http://kilkakon.com/projects/losteden.php)

And of course  http://kilkakon.com/projects.php?category=1&base=Alpha+Centauri (http://kilkakon.com/projects.php?category=1&base=Alpha+Centauri)  for my individual things.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on January 24, 2013, 03:52:26 PM

Certainly! Sorry about not getting them to start with, was just adding links from google.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on February 06, 2013, 10:49:59 PM

I went trawling the archives and dug up a few more faction sources.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Kilkakon on February 07, 2013, 04:33:58 AM

And what were they?

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on February 07, 2013, 10:49:39 AM

http://www.civ.org.pl/downloads.php?lang=Eng&type=SMAC&section=Factions (http://www.civ.org.pl/downloads.php?lang=Eng&type=SMAC&section=Factions)
http://web.archive.org/web/20060430055236/http://googlie2.tripod.com/rynnsgallery/index.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20060430055236/http://googlie2.tripod.com/rynnsgallery/index.html)
http://web.archive.org/web/20090122222725/http://ac.strategy-gaming.com/factionfiles.shtml (http://web.archive.org/web/20090122222725/http://ac.strategy-gaming.com/factionfiles.shtml)
http://web.archive.org/web/20000310013624/http://members.xoom.com/pythagras/ModBin.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20000310013624/http://members.xoom.com/pythagras/ModBin.html)

I added them to the OP. Plenty of scenarios and maps too, maybe for another project.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on February 12, 2013, 06:20:43 PM

Downloading everything now that the NN factions are up.

gonna be a lot of duplicates/forks to sort out, weeee

Edit: Especially Borg. So many Borg factions, all called borg.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on August 05, 2013, 03:08:45 PM

Organized and uploading. More sources of factions welcome from anyone who wants to trawl the internet archive or google.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: JarlWolf on August 05, 2013, 03:13:47 PM

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3751.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=3751.0)

My own factions page of course.

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1257.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1257.0)
And ariete's.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on August 05, 2013, 03:49:50 PM

Not listed in the OP, but I have both (plus Sigma's and Reefa's). Adding to the OP.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Buster's Uncle on August 05, 2013, 04:21:26 PM

Quote from: ete on February 12, 2013, 06:20:43 PM

So many Borg factions, all called borg.

You ain't kiddin'.  IIRC, my second Borg faction, the one with the busty bald alien lady, was a Frankenstein, patched together out of several of the artless Borg varieties out there.  -And really, only done because I'd made the leaderhead for the art challenge, and had a very different version of Borg bases left over from fixing up the previous one...

Funny because I'm no fan of TNG and after.  The Borg suck.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Kilkakon on August 08, 2013, 02:03:22 AM

Have you processed everything you'd found so far?

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Green1 on August 08, 2013, 04:11:42 AM

Quote from: ete on February 12, 2013, 06:20:43 PM

Downloading everything now that the NN factions are up.

gonna be a lot of duplicates/forks to sort out, weeee

Edit: Especially Borg. So many Borg factions, all called borg.

And you know what, Ete? NO ONE has gotten the Borg right yet.

They were thinking wrong. They were thinking balance, thinking maybe it would be used MP. Very wrong. The reason the Borg was such a popular villain back in the day was because they were over powered. The Borg, if it is to ever be cool needs to be treated like your Annihilators or the Exterminatus. BUT - much different philosophy than those guys.   

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Buster's Uncle on August 08, 2013, 04:12:52 AM

[mildly] Somebody got the ART right...

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Green1 on August 08, 2013, 04:42:09 AM

Quote from: BUncle on August 08, 2013, 04:12:52 AM

[mildly] Somebody got the ART right...

Yeah, that is the ONLY thing right about that faction. And, supposedly, your version is or was considered the best Borg faction in the day. My only complaint in the art department is the bases. A planet-locked borg would not have "cube" bases. It would look Borg, but not "parody"-like as it is currently.

As far as the design, not what I would go with at ALL. When I am feeling more industrious, I will re-work this good idea but wrong implementation.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Buster's Uncle on August 08, 2013, 04:45:14 AM

I gave the faction with the brunette leading the half-buried Borg sphere bases, didn't I?  Those are, indeed, much nicer.  Never got the perspective quite right on the cubes w/Yang pedestals, either...

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Green1 on August 08, 2013, 05:03:26 AM

Quote from: BUncle on August 08, 2013, 04:45:14 AM

I gave the faction with the brunette leading the half-buried Borg sphere bases, didn't I?  Those are, indeed, much nicer.  Never got the perspective quite right on the cubes w/Yang pedestals, either...

Buried cubes would not be okay, either. Problem is, while there are a couple of instances in TNG and VOY where you can see Borg planets, we really do not have examples of Borg architecture up close. I would assume it would be like Sparta almost, but with wires and glowing things. In other words, it would be a building.

But, that can be tweaked on and I am sure we have folks up to the challenge. The .txt has my most disdain. Since I do not care about "balance", I think folks like Ete or myself get a hold of it, it can be made cool.

I do like Q's blurb about the Borg, though. That fits.

Here's where I would concentrate changes:

Tech. Borg need more starting tech. The thing that made them fearsome was they out teched folks from the start. This is different than research.
One of the techs needs to be a mid game armor tech. The Borg were never fearsome combatants but they had shielding that gave more primitive weapons issues.

Of course, plus probe. I would combine this with Roze's discount on probe team actions. Also Aki's steal tech.

Caretaker's defensive bonus.

For stats, I am up in the air.

-2 PLANET (I liked the planet penalty of previous versions, but I do not believe it should be that steep)
+2 POLICE
+3 PROBE
-3 ECON

Start with free Probe Team.

Cannot use Democracy.
Aversion: Democracy.

Goal : Thought Control.

This is just off the top of my head.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on August 08, 2013, 01:02:43 PM

Quote from: Kilkakon on August 08, 2013, 02:03:22 AM

Have you processed everything you'd found so far?

Partially. I've downloaded I think everything from the links above, other than some factions which are still in development. Progress:
Total factions downloaded: 146
Factions on wiki (have had basic checks for obvious issues, some minor balance/sanity fixes): 119
Factions tested for crashes and installed in my game: 112
Factions confirmed as non-crashing: 101
Factions with thorough checks and balancing: 0

And for borg.. if you're going to make another version, please at least use slightly different faction and text file names.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Green1 on August 08, 2013, 07:49:18 PM

Quote from: ete on August 08, 2013, 01:02:43 PM

Quote from: Kilkakon on August 08, 2013, 02:03:22 AM

Have you processed everything you'd found so far?

And for borg.. if you're going to make another version, please at least use slightly different faction and text file names.

If I was, I would have to go through and do different .txt. For example, OtherBorg uses "assimilating" adjective in wrong places. ie: "assimilating" territory, "assimilating" followers. Just makes no sense.

Then again, that is a lot of effort for a faction no one would use. I mean, how many Borg factions in varying states do we now have that collect dust?

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: Sigma on August 08, 2013, 09:17:59 PM

FYI I've uploaded my human factions to the wiki, along with the completed txt files for the Leviathan Body and the Apollonians. I'll add the Procyon as well as the rest of the finished .txts for the other factions later today.

Title: Re: Collecting custom factions
Post by: ete on August 08, 2013, 10:27:28 PM

Cool, good to have someone else helping on the faction archive :). I made a few minor fixes (adding {{factiontext}} to text files, fixing the selectable starting tech bonus, adding % to 2% energy interest).

Edit: Also adding them to the http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Faction_index (http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Faction_index) would be nice.