test SMAC AI patch, version l

[Green1]

Kyrub, I am going to hold out on yours and Yitzi's tinkerings till the SMAX version is out

My tinkerings are all SMAX.

Awesome. Let me get my head out of Eve Online, figure out how in the heck I ended up messing up sound files when I pasted into Maniac's Planetfall (may have to reinstall), and get cranking with a tiny SMAX 7 map.

Oh yeah... and do not think the Green 1 has forgotten about 14 factions. I still have the handcuffs and New Orleans hookers in the locked room filled with Monster energy drinks and a computer. Do not make me come get yall...lol.

[Yitzi]

Oh yeah... and do not think the Green 1 has forgotten about 14 factions. I still have the handcuffs and New Orleans hookers in the locked room filled with Monster energy drinks and a computer. Do not make me come get yall...lol.

Your best bet of getting 14 factions is talking GOG into incorporating all the unofficial patches and a 14-factions patch into their version, as it's simply not feasible to do via Assembly.

[Green1]

Oh yeah... and do not think the Green 1 has forgotten about 14 factions. I still have the handcuffs and New Orleans hookers in the locked room filled with Monster energy drinks and a computer. Do not make me come get yall...lol.

Your best bet of getting 14 factions is talking GOG into incorporating all the unofficial patches and a 14-factions patch into their version, as it's simply not feasible to do via Assembly.

A move like that would not be unheard of. Triumph Studios who make Age of Wonders recommend and push Upatch 1.4 (fan made) for Age of Wonders : Shadow Magic. Those guys even have an email wrapper program that the community developed and the company became highly interested in.

[kyrub]

Re: Boreholes

1. That's great!  I'll look at this patch as soon as I have a chance.

I looked into the code and noticed that I actually did not improve boreholes nor condensors. I had some test builds but decided to keep them away from the game.
The good news is that I got some better understanding now. The AI has an unhealthy combination of conditions:
a) either the Super formers are ready
b) or it's very late in the game
c) no ecodamage from terraforming
... you get the idea.

This can be changed easily. Hopefully we'll see encouraging results after the next patch version.
BTW, is it true that AI tends to raise land like crazy?

[Buster's Uncle]

Sometimes, definitely.

[Green1]

Not under this beta patch, but on your effort for SMAX... Yes.. the AI does raise land to come stomp you. Particularly agressive factions like Miriam and Yang.

The first AAR I did, Miriam raised terrain to get me.

I would like to think that it was your work on SMAX patch Plus that got me my behind handed to me because the terraforming AI was modded. I do not recall under vanilla that happening a lot. It is not every game, and not every AI.

That is a feature... not a bug.  Thanks.

[TarMinyatur]

Playing with Patch L tonight, I noticed something odd. I selected Frontier/Free Market/Wealth/None as Morgan. Each city's base tile was producing 5 extra energy.

My Social Engineering summary showed a "+4 Economy": +1 for Morgan Faction, +2 for Free Market, and +1 for Wealth.

That should give +2 energy per base and +1 per tile. But I was awarded +4 energy per base and +1 per tile, as if I had a "+5 Economy".

I have vanilla faction.txt files. I'm playing Librarian Level.

[kyrub]

Plese, post the save with the game and the bug!
Thanks.

[Yitzi]

Playing with Patch L tonight, I noticed something odd. I selected Frontier/Free Market/Wealth/None as Morgan. Each city's base tile was producing 5 extra energy.

My Social Engineering summary showed a "+4 Economy": +1 for Morgan Faction, +2 for Free Market, and +1 for Wealth.

That should give +2 energy per base and +1 per tile. But I was awarded +4 energy per base and +1 per tile, as if I had a "+5 Economy".

I have vanilla faction.txt files. I'm playing Librarian Level.

This is known and has nothing to do with Kyrub's patch: Link.  It is most likely a mistake in the datalinks, as the commerce bonus works properly: It should note that you get +2 energy per base at +3 ECONOMY and +4 at +4 ECONOMY.

[kyrub]

Many thanks, Yitzi, you spared me hours.
Interesting observation, by the way, and one that actually benefits the game, IMO.

[Seleuceia]

I first want to say I am very grateful for all the work done by scient, kyrub, and Yitzi...were it not for your fixes, I would not have come back to this game as the bugs and AI were just too much for me to bear...

For what it is worth, kyrub, I too enjoy SMAC much more than SMAX....while expanding your AI tweaks to SMAX would be great, just know you aren't alone in your feelings...

I fear it is safe to assume that none of Yitzi's work will be made available for SMAC, but that is of course a decision that makes sense (since most people now play SMAX, yes?)

Anyway, keep up all the good work!  The game is old but your work is much appreciated and has brought a player back to the fold!

[Yitzi]

I first want to say I am very grateful for all the work done by scient, kyrub, and Yitzi...were it not for your fixes, I would not have come back to this game as the bugs and AI were just too much for me to bear...

For what it is worth, kyrub, I too enjoy SMAC much more than SMAX....while expanding your AI tweaks to SMAX would be great, just know you aren't alone in your feelings...

Keep in mind that you can use alphax.txt to switch the tech tree (including facilities/projects) back to the SMAC version and change spore launchers into mind worms and sealurks into isles of the deep, and then what you get is just SMAC plus fungal towers and a different AI.

I fear it is safe to assume that none of Yitzi's work will be made available for SMAC, but that is of course a decision that makes sense (since most people now play SMAX, yes?)

Probably correct; eventually, when I finish what I have planned, I'll start taking requests, and porting changes over to SMAC is an option there, but if not many people want it, it's likely not to get as many votes as other requests.

[Green1]

I thought we were going to prod -er- ask  Mr. Kyrub to port over to the SMAX side I think most of us are SMAXers.

Still... cannot fault the guy for liking the original 7. All those leaders are made in awesome. Even Miriam......

[Yitzi]

I thought we were going to prod -er- ask  Mr. Kyrub to port over to the SMAX side I think most of us are SMAXers.

Still... cannot fault the guy for liking the original 7. All those leaders are made in awesome. Even Miriam......

No question that the original seven are awesome.  Though I'd say "even Yang" rather than "even Miriam":  Miriam has her flaws, but the most favorable interpretation of living under her rule is a lot nicer than the most favorable interpretation of living under Yang.  (The least favorable interpretation of each is about comparable, though still somewhat nicer for Miriam.)

[Seleuceia]

Keep in mind that you can use alphax.txt to switch the tech tree (including facilities/projects) back to the SMAC version and change spore launchers into mind worms and sealurks into isles of the deep, and then what you get is just SMAC plus fungal towers and a different AI.

I actually thought about that...especially since I'd get the gameplay additions like land bases getting 1 sea tile and the ability to free faction leaders etc...plus you get unique fx for each weapon....