Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: Ford_Prefect on April 24, 2014, 01:04:57 AM

Title: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Ford_Prefect on April 24, 2014, 01:04:57 AM
What can you currently not mod, that you would like to mod?

I already know we would like to mod units and the music, but what else?
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on April 24, 2014, 01:17:12 AM
We've discussed the movies, haven't we?  Not very much doable there.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on April 24, 2014, 04:39:28 PM
I've got a fairly sizeable list...this is, not coincidentally, the list of things planned for the next few stages of .exe modding.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Mart on April 25, 2014, 01:31:05 PM
Is your list publishable? I mean in a form, that you could post it, or attach as txt file.

I do not remember, if extending limit of number of techs was already discussed? We have 89 techs, can we have more slots?
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on April 25, 2014, 05:10:34 PM
Is your list publishable? I mean in a form, that you could post it, or attach as txt file.

Ok, here are my notes:

Quote
Reorganize RULES variables.
----
Add "nearest base ecodamage to prevent worm capture" variable.  Rather than flat cap, have as roll out of set
  variable.
Spore launchers/artillery fighting.
Retool changed to 10 categories.
Sixth drone rules flag (Lal's talents multiplied by psych multipliers.)
Options re. creche effect on homed-unit morale penalties.  (Halve round down, halve round up, no effect.)
Make "attack along road" work properly.
----
More crawler stuff: Base-to-base crawler amount
Base-to-base comes off the top (confirm bug)
Base-to-base checked at beginning of turn before actual base effects (confirm bug)
Max crawlers benefitting a base by population (numerator/denominator are bytes; denominator 0 means no maximum)
Base-to-base convoy efficiency factor (flag). With positive EFFIC, first EFFIC/(4+EFFIC) of base's production is
  exempt, and beyond that applies penalty equal to ((EFFIC+4)/8)*{portion over exemption spent}^2;
  penalty counts as part of amount spent, and portion is taken out of total (including exemption.)
  Equivalently, portion is taken out of not-exempt amount, and penalty is equal to
  2/(EFFIC+4)*{portion of over-exemption spent}^2.  (Express this way.)
  If EFFIC is negative, total output is multiplied by (EFFIC+4)/4, and then same penalty as before (first form,
  no exemption).
  Equivalently, first subtract penalty of {portion spent}^2/2, and then multiply by (EFFIC+4)/4.
  So end up expressing as:
    -Penalty of {portion spent^2}/2.
    -If positive EFFIC, get exemption of EFFIC/(4+EFFIC); calculate portion spent out of remainder.  Also
      divides penalty by (EFFIC+4)/4.
    -If negative EFFIC, after subtracting penalty multiply by (EFFIC+4)/4.
Convoys can't help build projects (flag)
(Also add room for alternate convoy system, before max crawlers benefitting base)
----
SE changing cost proportional to total population.
Pop cost to convoys, pop cost to pods (1 nibble each)
GROWTH to pop boom, GROWTH granted by cloning vats (nibble/nibble)
Alternate resonance rules (if cost below psi, use value or psi, whichever is worse; if above, use whichever
  is better.  Res vs. res of same category always resolves as psi.)
----
New resource flags: mine bonus (but not base increase with rocky) doubled w/ maglev, condenser does not replace
  mine/solar/mirror/etc, monolith counts as fungus if better.
Improved resource control:landmarks,Aqua/Therm/Subsea,Tree Farm,Hybrid Forest,CentPres(w/ Voice built),
   Temple(w/ Voice built),CentPres(w/ Voice owned),Temple(w/ Voice owned),Manifold Harmonics (5 entries, for
   +0/+1/+2/+3/+4), base solar.
VoP effect on ecodamage:
  Multiplier/divisor to base chance, by status with owner of VoP (self/pact/treaty/truce/vendetta/destroyed).
    2 bytes each (add new function for BYTE/BYTE), so 3 dwords total.
  Prob threshold for actual pop: Constant, plus numerator/denominator times ecodamage chance plus constant
    times PLANET.  (Uses same roll; can give higher chance of pop than ecodamage.) 
    Does not affect global warming.  4 bytes=1 dword.
  Prob threshold for worms.  Can have worms without ecodamage; cannot have worms without pop. 
    As before; 1 dword.
  Base number of blooms per turn.  Modified by MAPROOT.  Bloom does not affect warming or produce worms, occurs
    in random spot (if base or fungus, cancel.  Same notification rules as forest spreading.)  1 byte.
----
Probe team flags (infiltration costs energy, techsteal costs energy, can subvert multiple units, subverting
  units in bases like subverting units); cost for infiltration/techsteal is target_energy*distance_to_HQ/32.
Infiltration duration; if not infinite (-1), Empath Guild doubles duration as well as creating infiltration on
  completion.
Spaceport.
Base population cap.
Difficulty effects (splitting and aggressiveness cap).
{1.5 not before here}
----
Alternate convoy system (actually carries); alphax value is max cargo at reactor 1; 0 means standard system.
  Also uses max unload speed as word in same place as max crawlers benefitting base.
----
Scenario graphics bug
New rules for aliens and VoP and ascension/ecodamage.

1.5 refers to my plan for a big balance mod.  SMAC compatibility would probably come right before the alternate convoy system.

Quote
I do not remember, if extending limit of number of techs was already discussed? We have 89 techs, can we have more slots?

It'd take quite a bit of work, but it would probably be doable.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Dio on April 25, 2014, 05:23:37 PM
What about adding rules that apply a bonus to weapons or armor with regards to their offensemodes and defensemodes? You can see what I am talking about by searching in the alpha or alphax file for OFFENSEMODES or DEFENSEMODES.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on April 25, 2014, 06:04:24 PM
What about adding rules that apply a bonus to weapons or armor with regards to their offensemodes and defensemodes? You can see what I am talking about by searching in the alpha or alphax file for OFFENSEMODES or DEFENSEMODES.

Not on the current list because I don't think it would add very much to the game...it's a possibility for the future, though.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: ete on April 29, 2014, 12:14:44 PM
Something I'd really like to see for modding would be the ability to create faction-specific default units (either a field in alphax default units which says only factions with this text name can use it, or a way to add it directly to the faction text). That opens up all sorts of very cool ideas for faction customization, like giving modules/abilities to chassis that could otherwise not use them for a faction. Probe planes come to mind as a fun idea. Also moving things like the cult's late start to a variable would be nice. A lot of Yitzi's ideas sound like they'd be very fun to play around with too :).
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Mart on April 29, 2014, 02:57:42 PM
As I noticed, infantry bonus against bases is "attached" to number of unit move points not its chassis. In a mod I changed infantry move points and the bonus was lost.
So an additional change may be this:
- make infantry vs. base bonus dependent on chassis type
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on April 29, 2014, 04:28:44 PM
As I noticed, infantry bonus against bases is "attached" to number of unit move points not its chassis. In a mod I changed infantry move points and the bonus was lost.
So an additional change may be this:
- make infantry vs. base bonus dependent on chassis type

You mean the number?  Probably a poor idea; while it would allow it to be given to a different number of moves, it would also mean you couldn't have two infantry chassis that both get the bonus.

What might make sense for a future option, though, would be to have it go by whichever chassis has the fewest movement points, even if that's more than 1.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Mart on April 29, 2014, 05:00:26 PM
You mean the number?  Probably a poor idea; while it would allow it to be given to a different number of moves, it would also mean you couldn't have two infantry chassis that both get the bonus.

What might make sense for a future option, though, would be to have it go by whichever chassis has the fewest movement points, even if that's more than 1.
Yes, that's true. How about a parameter of move points, that give that bonus?
Some time ago I was thinking of chassis having 0 move points. They would be platforms without their own engines.
In this case you would avoid a case when only such 0-move point platform would get it.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on April 29, 2014, 05:03:17 PM
Yes, that's true. How about a parameter of move points, that give that bonus?
Some time ago I was thinking of chassis having 0 move points. They would be platforms without their own engines.
In this case you would avoid a case when only such 0-move point platform would get it.

Seems a good approach; it would be the maximum move points to be considered infantry (meaning bonus attacking base, no ECM effect, can't withdraw, etc.)
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Impaler on April 30, 2014, 10:46:25 PM
I've always wanted to see the exponent of Tech cost progression changed.

Currently Tech costs scale at Number-of-Techs-Known to the power of 2.  Allowing a fractional exponent in a similar manor to the numerator/denominator in several other factors would be excellent in allowing us to control the general pace of tech progress through the game.  (I find it too slow early game and too fast late game).

Alpha.txt example

Technology Exponent Numerator:  200
Technology Exponent Denominator: 100

This would give the original behavior of ^2, but I could do a cubic function by going 300/100, or a flatter curve could be generated with a numerator <200.  Of all the possible ways to bend the arch of the whole late-game this is by far the most powerful one and should be a fairly simple one to implement as it just needs to replace one line of code in which Cost = TechCount * TechCount is replaced with Cost = math.pow(TechCount, (TechNumerator / TechDenominator))
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on May 01, 2014, 12:02:38 AM
Impaler: Check out this thread, tech curve was/is being discussed here.

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8430.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8430.0)

The formula is more complex than that as Yitzi pointed out, but it's generally linear right now. 

Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on May 01, 2014, 01:34:21 AM
This would give the original behavior of ^2, but I could do a cubic function by going 300/100, or a flatter curve could be generated with a numerator <200.  Of all the possible ways to bend the arch of the whole late-game this is by far the most powerful one and should be a fairly simple one to implement as it just needs to replace one line of code in which Cost = TechCount * TechCount is replaced with Cost = math.pow(TechCount, (TechNumerator / TechDenominator))

In assembly modding, there is no math library.  I'd have to either find it in the program and call that, or if (as I suspect is the case) it isn't called in the program I'd have to copy it from some other program and then call it.  And in any case the cost formula is more complicated than TechCount*TechCount.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: kyrub on May 02, 2014, 10:16:57 AM
[bug/exploit] I'd like to have removed sensor array when a city is built. See this discussion:  http://www.civgaming.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7619 (http://www.civgaming.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7619)
[useless] Cloaked ability has no real meaning.
[useless] Could Repair bay have some extra meaning? Some defense meaning perhaps, like an intrinsic +50% AAA, making it really worthwile on carriers? Or counting them like a sensor array?
[useless] [toHelpAI] Could bunkers act as minefields? I saw a guy on 'poly suggesting that. a) They should be invisible b) Upon entering the field, your stack stops c) Stack receives heavy arti damage, with capacity to kill units (unlike normal arti). d) minefield flag is removed from the square. e) should probably work only on normal enemy units, not worms. --- this is quite complex, I know.
[useless] Submarines could have bigger roles in combat, either äcting as spotters (sensor array), or being immune to air attacks on the whole.

[toHelpAI] Heavy transport optionnally +100%.
[toHelpAI] Encryption on defenders to halve chance of probe success.

[flavourAI] Escaped leaders in pod to restart on water (gives them some extra lore and space to redevelop).
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on May 02, 2014, 12:37:32 PM
[bug/exploit] I'd like to have removed sensor array when a city is built. See this discussion:  http://www.civgaming.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7619 (http://www.civgaming.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7619)


Not a top priority, but seems a good idea for sometime (either automatic if it's a bug, or else an option).

Quote
[useless] Cloaked ability has no real meaning.


I believe it does in MP games.  To make AI not cheat and ignore it is your department.

Quote
[useless] Could Repair bay have some extra meaning? Some defense meaning perhaps, like an intrinsic +50% AAA, making it really worthwile on carriers? Or counting them like a sensor array?


It could be done as an option, but is likely to be very low priority.  Simply boosting AAA so that air units actually take damage when attacking may be a better way to buff it on carriers.

Quote
[useless] [toHelpAI] Could bunkers act as minefields? I saw a guy on 'poly suggesting that. a) They should be invisible b) Upon entering the field, your stack stops c) Stack receives heavy arti damage, with capacity to kill units (unlike normal arti). d) minefield flag is removed from the square. e) should probably work only on normal enemy units, not worms. --- this is quite complex, I know.


Could be done, but also fairly low priority.  Also, I'm not so sure bunkers are that useless; modify the tech tree to make defensive tech more appealing, and they should be useful for holding choke points.

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[useless] Submarines could have bigger roles in combat, either äcting as spotters (sensor array), or being immune to air attacks on the whole.


This is the same as cloaking.

Quote
[toHelpAI] Heavy transport optionnally +100%.


Not a bad idea, but not high priority.

Quote
[toHelpAI] Encryption on defenders to halve chance of probe success.


Could be done, but I don't really think it should.  Simply lowering probe team morale should help with making probing AI harder; any more should probably be done by teaching the AI the value of infantry probes, and that's your department.

Quote
[flavourAI] Escaped leaders in pod to restart on water (gives them some extra lore and space to redevelop).


It'd also give them horrible resources; I don't think it's a good idea.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: ete on May 02, 2014, 03:18:53 PM
Sensor city is a weird one. It's very likely a bug, but also one which MP guys use a lot. imo it should be at least disabled by default if not removed entirely, but it'd be good to have some MP feedback first. And I'd suggest it be at least a bit of a priority since it has a moderate impact on MP games.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Sigma on May 02, 2014, 03:21:49 PM
[useless] Submarines could have bigger roles in combat, either äcting as spotters (sensor array), or being immune to air attacks on the whole.
This one would actually be really interesting, albeit potentially game breaking, which means it would fit better into a revamped Warfare mod rather than a general purpose mod. But it would be a good balance to the ubiquity of air combat.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: ete on May 02, 2014, 03:39:06 PM
Having it as an available modding option is a pre-requisite for a revamped warfare mod. And yea, would be an interesting way to nerf air.. though you don't want cloaked units being able to shield stacks.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on May 02, 2014, 03:42:08 PM
Why would submarines be immune to air?  If anything, air is the counter to submarines.  It's probably more the standard foils/cruisers that need more anti air - to be able to protect transports and such.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Sigma on May 02, 2014, 03:47:33 PM
Why would submarines be immune to air?  If anything, air is the counter to submarines.  It's probably more the standard foils/cruisers that need more anti air - to be able to protect transports and such.
At a far enough depth, assuming the aircraft could spot the submarine (which would happen regardless thanks to the fact that non-Pact units can't move into the same square), there'd be no way for the jet to actually attack the sub unless it had specialized weaponry.

The way to counter balance this would be for subs to only have this effect in Ocean squares, not Shelf squares.

Perhaps a compromise would be for Subs to have a combat boost in Ocean squares, similar to Infantry in Rocks or Rovers in Open. Which would probably be easier to implement anyway.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: kyrub on May 02, 2014, 09:12:16 PM
Thematically: I am not into military, but aircrafts without proper weapons cannot attack submarines, right?

The fonctional idea was to make water important even during the air wars. I know that water can be made more important by delaying air force in the tech tree, which still does not do the trick, since you compete either in water, or in the air, but not on both fronts, which would make war more interesting.
Anyway, this is not a key request, just an idea. Bonus in deep sea squares is less cool, I'd pass on it.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on May 02, 2014, 09:21:37 PM
Thematically: I am not into military, but aircrafts without proper weapons cannot attack submarines, right?

The fonctional idea was to make water important even during the air wars.

Once you have submarines, it's already important, as then you can base interceptors on submarines (assuming they also have carrier deck)...and we all know that the most effective interceptor is the one your opponent doesn't know the location of.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on May 02, 2014, 10:15:06 PM
Militarily aircraft are a counter to submarines - usually spotting them & destroying with depth charges or torpedoes.  Hard to say if most weapons beyond Missile would be able to do this, but I'll say yes since they're all more powerful.  Submarines should function more like air - good for picking off solo transports or capital ships.  But on the downside more weak defensively.  Similar to how air is good at picking off units without AAA.  Would say that perhaps air and water sensors should be able to see subs.  I haven't tested them much though to be honest, since subs come fairly late in the tech tree.

I tend to mod armor to be cheaper, which helps balance sea a bit as there is no terrain to hide in for sea units.  Another way to make sea more relevant is to allow artillery to bombard 99% of HP of units in city/bunker.  Also I give foil chassis a 2x cost multiplier, and cruiser 1.5x cost, compared to 2x cost for all air.  This makes it so air has a window where it beats sea, but later on sea can more cost effectively counter.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: gwillybj on June 13, 2014, 10:55:30 AM
I was looking yesterday for a line that would let me make the cost to enter fungus 4mp, but there isn't one :(
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on June 13, 2014, 11:01:17 AM
Militarily aircraft are a counter to submarines - usually spotting them & destroying with depth charges or torpedoes.  Hard to say if most weapons beyond Missile would be able to do this, but I'll say yes since they're all more powerful.  Submarines should function more like air - good for picking off solo transports or capital ships.  But on the downside more weak defensively.

Best way to do that is probably to key the cost of deep-pressure hull to armor cost, though that would make it free on armor-1 ships...

Quote
Would say that perhaps air and water sensors should be able to see subs.

Can land sensors see them?  And that probably would be doable, though not such a high priority.

I was looking yesterday for a line that would let me make the cost to enter fungus 4mp, but there isn't one :(

Land fungus or sea fungus?  Because there's a good reason that land fungus is a chance to fail straight-out rather than just taking a number of mp; for sea it could be done at some point.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: gwillybj on June 13, 2014, 02:10:14 PM
I was looking yesterday for a line that would let me make the cost to enter fungus 4mp, but there isn't one :(
Land fungus or sea fungus?  Because there's a good reason that land fungus is a chance to fail straight-out rather than just taking a number of mp; for sea it could be done at some point.
I was looking for land fungus, but if it's more complicated than a simple mp cost, it's of course fine the way it is. Sea fungus I'm not really that concerned about.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on June 13, 2014, 03:13:15 PM
I was looking for land fungus, but if it's more complicated than a simple mp cost, it's of course fine the way it is.

If it were a simple mp cost, non-elite infantry would be unaffected (since if there isn't enough mp left, but is at least 1 and isn't into fungus, the move will succeed), which we don't really want.  So instead, it (except when it counts as roads or there's a road on the square) costs all remaining mp, and additionally has a failure chance.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Linamints on July 23, 2014, 09:56:36 PM
I'd like to see customizeable reactors.
I was so excited when I saw tachyon particles mentioned in the game but later found no technology or reactors every really used it.

I've loved the idea of making a tachyon reactor for new units.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on July 23, 2014, 10:31:14 PM
I'd like to see customizeable reactors.
I was so excited when I saw tachyon particles mentioned in the game but later found no technology or reactors every really used it.

I've loved the idea of making a tachyon reactor for new units.

You can already mod the names and prerequisites, and I'm not sure if you can mod the strengths but I think you can.

Allowing more than 4 types total would probably be unfeasible, unless an I/O specialist could help with enabling more than 4 options in the workshop, and even then it could be somewhat tricky.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Linamints on July 23, 2014, 10:43:51 PM
@Yitzi I know the re-names can be done, but it's the actual values I'd like to change.
I've been working off and on on a modpack for my brother in the theme of his favorite series, and I just love the idea of creating insane enemies to find for an extra something special.

And out of curiosity, say there can't be more than four period, how likely is it that the values can be changed for all of them for a "in the future" mod (This is another side project I have some interest in)?
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on July 23, 2014, 11:06:48 PM
@Yitzi I know the re-names can be done, but it's the actual values I'd like to change.

What happens if you change the numbers next to the names?  Does that not have an effect, or does it have the wrong effect, or do you want more than 4 options?

Quote
And out of curiosity, say there can't be more than four period, how likely is it that the values can be changed for all of them for a "in the future" mod (This is another side project I have some interest in)?

Fairly likely.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on August 05, 2014, 08:29:26 AM
A flag for where raising terrain is not a declaration of war.  Almost always higher terrain is a good thing.  Oddly, terraforming over other improvements isn't.  Related - more flat raising costs, land bridges are very inexpensive by default.  To the point where sea units are often ignored, even with cost rebalancing.

A flag to set increase sea territory border distance.  I think it's a bit too easy to encroach. 

A flag to have borders assumed to be max distance until contacting the faction (i.e. vendetta by default, rather than truce).  It's a bit nonsensical to 'know' an enemy is near by the border in early game.

A flag for being able to put sensors and raise/lower terrain on a base square.

A flag for sea sensor arrays to actually give a combat bonus.

A way to have pressure dome give differing resources from recycle tanks.  Generally as a way to balance sea vs land colony pod costs.  Less important if sea terraforming can be split out from land.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on August 06, 2014, 03:41:18 AM
A flag for where raising terrain is not a declaration of war.  Almost always higher terrain is a good thing.  Oddly, terraforming over other improvements isn't.

Should be doable, though if you want more complex rules about when it is a declaration of war that might be trickier.

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Related - more flat raising costs, land bridges are very inexpensive by default.  To the point where sea units are often ignored, even with cost rebalancing.

If you describe the formula you want, I can probably do it.

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A flag to set increase sea territory border distance.  I think it's a bit too easy to encroach. 

Should definitely be doable.

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A flag to have borders assumed to be max distance until contacting the faction (i.e. vendetta by default, rather than truce).  It's a bit nonsensical to 'know' an enemy is near by the border in early game.

Could be tricky, but probably doable.

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A flag for being able to put sensors and raise/lower terrain on a base square.

Probably doable.

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A flag for sea sensor arrays to actually give a combat bonus.

Definitely doable, though it'd need to be determined whether sea sensor gives a bonus only to sea or to land too, and whether land sensors give a bonus to sea.

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A way to have pressure dome give differing resources from recycle tanks.  Generally as a way to balance sea vs land colony pod costs.  Less important if sea terraforming can be split out from land.

Pressure dome differing resources should be doable; sea terraforming split out from land is questionable.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on August 06, 2014, 09:09:25 PM
Nice.  I don't think the actual land raising formula is known?  I was thinking something simple like just being able to put it to a fixed cost (i.e. X EC/raise, no matter the height).  I suppose a more complex/better alternative would be to consider surrounding squares that go from sea to land, and add a cost based on the number of sea tiles that get converted.  Say Y/EC per sea tile where Y would be set to around 100.  Land bridges should be more difficult.  It's rather silly when you think that raising an entire continent would be easier than making some transports.  Partly a sea unit cost issue also which can be modded, I realize.

Just a simple rule of raising not being a declaration of war would be preferable.  At least I consider this an inconsistency between other terraforming types.  I can overwrite a borehole with a forest but raising up land is somehow more aggressive.  Perhaps if sea borders could go out farther from land it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But even so, it's a bit strange that two pact brothers/sisters can't raise up the land between their territory together.

Yea the sensor on base, I don't think it's really needed now that I think on it.  Building a base on a sensor is probably more an exploit than something legitimate.   Sea sensors giving bonus to all combat would probably make more sense (as land ones help for land air and sea attack like sealurks). 

One other thing would be a flag to have default faction status at vendetta from the start of game.  Whether you talk to a faction or not upon contact, it puts you in truce status.  If you really just want to war your neighbour then your reputation takes a hit even though you haven't agreed to a truce.  Maybe this one's debatable too, depending on how you interpret the game's story introduction.

Yea I'm not sure how unknown borders really 'should' work.  There's similar issues with mousing over terrain to know where fungus is by the movement cost.  Another related example is putting on the base radius to know where unseen bases generally lie. 
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Flux on October 05, 2014, 05:24:46 AM
I would love to make a city - view like in civ l and lll. To see your base improvements as eye candy.
Certainly not important, but I would still like to see it one day.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Yitzi on October 05, 2014, 12:58:07 PM
Nice.  I don't think the actual land raising formula is known?

I think it's a certain cost per distance to the nearest base, with the cost depending on height.

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I was thinking something simple like just being able to put it to a fixed cost (i.e. X EC/raise, no matter the height).  I suppose a more complex/better alternative would be to consider surrounding squares that go from sea to land, and add a cost based on the number of sea tiles that get converted.  Say Y/EC per sea tile where Y would be set to around 100.  Land bridges should be more difficult.  It's rather silly when you think that raising an entire continent would be easier than making some transports.  Partly a sea unit cost issue also which can be modded, I realize.

An even more complex alternative with some serious advantages would be to make it so that when you raise or lower land, the total change in height (among all squares) is 1000, instead of just changing the current square and spilling over to nearby squares for free.

Of course, that would have impacts on terraforming, which would likely need to be rebalanced.

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Just a simple rule of raising not being a declaration of war would be preferable.

It's only a declaration of war when it causes raininess in someone else's territory to change.  (Of course, there are times when it can cause such a change due to a bug that AFAIK can be fixed only by reworking the "adjacent tiles drag each other" system to be based on strict difference in height and not on category.)

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At least I consider this an inconsistency between other terraforming types.  I can overwrite a borehole with a forest but raising up land is somehow more aggressive.  Perhaps if sea borders could go out farther from land it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But even so, it's a bit strange that two pact brothers/sisters can't raise up the land between their territory together.

Barring that bug I mentioned, it should always be possible for at least one of them.  Though it should probably be a choice for pact brothers to declare war or not, anyway.

As for replacing an improvement in someone else's territory, it probably should be the same as raising land and thereby changing climate.

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Yea the sensor on base, I don't think it's really needed now that I think on it.  Building a base on a sensor is probably more an exploit than something legitimate.   Sea sensors giving bonus to all combat would probably make more sense (as land ones help for land air and sea attack like sealurks).

Makes sense.

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One other thing would be a flag to have default faction status at vendetta from the start of game.  Whether you talk to a faction or not upon contact, it puts you in truce status.  If you really just want to war your neighbour then your reputation takes a hit even though you haven't agreed to a truce.  Maybe this one's debatable too, depending on how you interpret the game's story introduction.

Would be possible, not high priority.
Title: Re: Questions to modders, what would you like?
Post by: Nexii on October 05, 2014, 01:51:49 PM
Yea.  I feel lately that the game is just better with raising/lowering disabled - at least until the very late game.  And Weather Paradigm gives raise/lower so I'd rather just disable it.  It's a fun idea but inherently it just breaks the map.  Terraforming aside, it's better if sea units and island colonization are more encouraged.
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