SMACX Thinker Mod

[Induktio]

Anyways, you can file issues on Github if you find anything problematic. They can be discussion topics for balance issues too, not merely bugs.

Also remember that ALT+T activates Thinker's config menu and it works on the main screen too.

> So far, on standard random map got 0-1 GW event with 3/1 ratio, and Noah's experience with 10/1 ratio.

Which one is numerator/denominator here? Are they in the right order?

[PvtHudson]

> So far, on standard random map got 0-1 GW event with 3/1 ratio, and Noah's experience with 10/1 ratio.

Which one is numerator/denominator here? Are they in the right order?

Yes, you read right, numerator is 3 or 10, and denominator 1.

[Induktio]

Here's a fun idea: should this mod be added an option for randomly expiring infiltration for other factions? How many would use it?

It's clearly somewhat of a game balance problem that infiltration is permanent and shows very detailed information. This might be changed. It seems PTW has a similar feature but I very much doubt Thinker would be using the same implementation.

[PvtHudson]

Here's a fun idea: should this mod be added an option for randomly expiring infiltration for other factions? How many would use it?

It's clearly somewhat of a game balance problem that infiltration is permanent and shows very detailed information. This might be changed. It seems PTW has a similar feature but I very much doubt Thinker would be using the same implementation.

On one hand, I find detailed infiltration info very handy at increasing situational awareness and decreasing WtF moments by allowing to see what's going on in the game at large. Comparing to other games, it's a good feature, heightens player's QoL by enforcing his perception as being in control. On the other hand, player becomes lazy.
I think, more challenge could be created by: 1) infiltration indeed does expire, but not randomly, rather according to Probe ratings of infiltrator/infiltrated; 2) techs could be stolen by probes only from bases with Network Nodes. For each option 3 choices - vanilla behavior, yes only for human player, fair yes for all players. I personally would be very eager to test and use this feature.

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

1) infiltration indeed does expire, but not randomly, rather according to Probe ratings of infiltrator/infiltrated;

https://github.com/tnevolin/thinker-doer#infiltration-expiration

[Induktio]

> I find detailed infiltration info very handy at increasing situational awareness and decreasing WtF moments by allowing to see what's going on in the game at large.

Btw, one of the reasons I included render_probe_labels because it lessens the chance of overlooking some AI probe team that would mind control your base on the next turn. So that's essentially QoL feature.

Infiltration feature has now config option counter_espionage. The implementation is somewhat different from WTP. It expires "randomly" but the result is always same when reloading the same save file. See details.md. Maybe there will be some more tweaks before release. Network Node feature sounds like it requires a bunch of GUI patching which is one reason I'm not going to attempt it for now.

[PvtHudson]

Network Node feature sounds like it requires a bunch of GUI patching which is one reason I'm not going to attempt it for now.

Not necessarily, just silently turn an attempt to steal tech into steal energy. But I agree, not the most urgent feature. By the way, will AI try to mind control enemy units as it used to do sometime ago?

[Induktio]

> By the way, will AI try to mind control enemy units as it used to do sometime ago?

Not currently. The required patching method is not implemented to integrate it with the new AI. Maybe if someone investigates the method. Also I won't switch off new AI for probe teams because that would just mess up all the garrisoning priorities, naval invasion planning etc. Would not be good.

[Induktio]

Apparently there's a separate function for executing probe team tasks, including capturing other units.

Didn't check if this will deduct the energy credits also or what is that last parameter actually.

Code: [Select]

typedef int(__cdecl *Fprobe)(int veh_id1, int base_id, int veh_id2, int flag);
Fprobe probe = (Fprobe)0x59F120;

probe(veh_id1, -1, veh_id2, ?); // Capture some unit


[Induktio]

It appears the game has an undocumented(?) feature with AI's nutrient and mineral cost factor. It seems if the player faction is ranked number one, AIs will get extra +1 bonus for industry and growth. So that's why you sometimes see AIs getting more production than Thinker's cost_factor option seem to suggest. This seems like somewhat of an unnecessary catch up mechanism set up for the AI, and it could be adjusted in a new Thinker version. Should this mechanic be removed and/or provide a separate config option for it?

[PvtHudson]

Frankly, I see no pressing need to repair what isn't broken. Let the mechanic be, under the .ini option if not too much trouble.

[Alpha Centauri Bear]

Extra +1 bonus after PC overtook everybody is not going to change anything. There is no player stopping at this point. Just makes it slightly longer to kill AI factions.

[Induktio]

Actually the bonus is broken into two parts, I described it in the docs somewhat incompletely.

The first bonus +1 is added if the player faction is ranked number one on power graph.
Then the second +1 bonus happens if the player faction is considered a threat as returned by great_satan function.

So it's not necessarily broken but it's a game design question of how much we need to keep these catch-up mechanisms there. At some point these might just make the game drag on unnecessarily long if we pile up too many bonuses. It's already implemented as a config option, need just try to decide what should be the default.

[Induktio]

Recently played a long, very long game on Huge Map of Planet using Tayta's custom faction, The Edenist Republics. Here are the stats:

^+2 ECONOMY: {Free flow of capital}
^+2 SUPPORT: {Just-in-time supply chains}
^-1 MORALE: {Privatized military}
^-2 INDUSTRY: {Excessive contractor bloat}
^Immunity to negative POLICE: {Morally righteous}
^Extra DRONE for every four citizens: {Deregulation and austerity}
^50% hurry costs: {Angel investors}
^{May not use Power values.}

It's an amusing faction to play which also uses Morgan's graphics set. But the overall impression is that it's definitely overpowered.

Started north east of the Jungle which was first colonized by the Drones. They built up excellent infrastructure there during about the first 90 turns. However I first rushed to research the economic techs and then air power. This wasn't particularly difficult as this faction produces boat loads of extra energy.

At the first opportunity I ran demo + free market + wealth which produces a staggering bonus for commerce and extra +4 energy for each base. Using air power is not a problem at all in this case as this faction is immune to negative police. Early I found it useful not to max out the labs using demo+green but instead use the extra credits from free market to rush build nearly everything at super cheap prices.

It was relatively difficult to obtain Governor as the Peacekeepers were also in the game and booming like crazy but I was able to win it by narrow 4 vote margin on turn 101. Afterwards this faction just kept snowballing as I decided to forego infrastructure building on captured bases almost entirely and just built Punishment Sphere+Hab Complex there.

It also feels like Sphere is an overpowered facility. The -50% tech penalty is almost meaningless for captured bases because now you can spend almost zero on psych allocation and have everybody working with no problems.

During this game I actually stopped multiple times to develop features that would cut up the time spent on micromanagement. Drone management is one of the worst ones but Spheres will solve that quite nicely. For the others you can see the ideas from Details.md.

For some time I planned to win by transcending but then decided just to rush the rest of the non-allied bases and win by conquest victory. Revised tech cost scales as intended for the higher brackets where you can't just achieve that usual multiple techs per turn speed at the end. However due to the high base count and having a super science city I was able to keep almost 1 tech/turn speed.

The game ended at victory on turn 129 and the final stats (from Thinker's menu) were 212 bases, 2162 pop, 4516 mineral production and 7414 energy production. After multipliers this translated to around 16510 labs/turn. I didn't have the time to keep building much hab domes so the population would have grown to nearly 3000 if I kept researching the techs for transcending, but the game took already long enough.

[Induktio]

Thinker v2.8 is now available from the project website.

This version adds a rewritten map generator to replace the old game version. It was my long-standing goal to rewrite it and finally it seems to be doing what the game needs. Read the rest from details.