SMAC within SMAX

[Kilkakon]

Guys

I removed Spore Launchers in LE by just copy/pasting the unit definition for Mind Worms over the top. You could do the same thing for the Ogres as well (say make them a rover). They couldn't be repaired but it would be a lot closer.

[Ford_Prefect]

Guys

I removed Spore Launchers in LE by just copy/pasting the unit definition for Mind Worms over the top. You could do the same thing for the Ogres as well (say make them a rover). They couldn't be repaired but it would be a lot closer.

How about making them alien artifacts?

[ete]

About where to run the project (partly replying to diessa's PM):

I'm thinking collecting the list up may be best done purely in forum thread, using a sticky which both kyrub and yitzi can edit (maybe me too?). Probably easiest to do this in bugs&reports, with the thread posted by me if kyrub also gets editing power, or by kyrub if he declines editing power. This reduces fragmentation which is helpful for everyone. Second step could be wiki or the same forum thread, with the main advantage of wiki being version control. Both of these steps could be done on google docs or etherpad or something if the .exe guys prefer. Third is probably best done in two discussion threads, one by kyrub (what ai changes there are, how to make sure they can be set to not weaken mod AI) one by yitzi (how to split up the reversions by alphax changes).

I don't think this needs a new forum is needed when it'll probably only ever have a handful of threads, may as well put it in an existing active forum and encourage people to jump in.

[kyrub]

I don't need any editing power and I will keep my job in one thread, as ete suggests. My focus, if possible, is "AI only" and technical stuff with Yitzi of "how AI connects with customization". I am afraid we cannot promise miracles here, since customization is not very friendly with good AI; let's say an improvement is possible.
Staying on these forums is quite preferable, we want this community and this place to grow.


(A small warning, I am not very good at keeping long time responsibilities in "hobbies", such as disassembling. I work in short intensive spells, interspersed by months of inactivity (e.g. activity in real life)... but then again, the work is usually done at the end)

[Geo]

How about making them alien artifacts?

You then have AA's that need to be engaged before becoming yours.

Best thing (if the target is to come as close to SMAC as possible) is to adjust the 3 ogre lines to native life, preferably locusts ot perhaps mind worms. No IoD's, since the ogres likely get spawned only on land pods.
Sealurks could be switched to IoD's, they're both sea units so the game will spawn them on suitable tiles. And Spore Launchers to Mind Worms as well.
Perhaps a solution for the Fungal Towers is to change them to a missile unit of sorts. They'll 'detonate' themself then the turn they're spawned because of their hardcoded immobility.

[ete]

I don't need any editing power and I will keep my job in one thread, as ete suggests. My focus, if possible, is "AI only" and technical stuff with Yitzi of "how AI connects with customization". I am afraid we cannot promise miracles here, since customization is not very friendly with good AI; let's say an improvement is possible.
Staying on these forums is quite preferable, we want this community and this place to grow.


(A small warning, I am not very good at keeping long time responsibilities in "hobbies", such as disassembling. I work in short intensive spells, interspersed by months of inactivity (e.g. activity in real life)... but then again, the work is usually done at the end)

Okay, in that case I'll start a thread in bugs&patches where yitzi can edit to collect up all the changes later today. And fair about bursts of activity, I tend to do exactly the same thing (BU, do you remember my warning about this when you first got me on here?). So long as it ends up being something you come back to every once and a while and the bursts are intense enough the result is good

[Yitzi]

Guys

I removed Spore Launchers in LE by just copy/pasting the unit definition for Mind Worms over the top.

And a great idea that was too.

How about making them alien artifacts?

Good idea; it'd still increase the prevalence of alien artifacts (though not by very much, as ogres are rare), but would be a minimal change.

You then have AA's that need to be engaged before becoming yours.

  Ogres from pods need to be attacked before becoming yours?  I thought that you get them directly from the pod, just like artifacts.

Perhaps a solution for the Fungal Towers is to change them to a missile unit of sorts. They'll 'detonate' themself then the turn they're spawned because of their hardcoded immobility.

Doesn't even have to be missile, needlejets would work too.

[thorn]

A very interesting topic that has made me think. I started playing SMAX when it came out (but only with the original 7) and never went back to SMAC. I've always thought that SMAX was an odd, out of place expansion. The aliens and new factions didn't make any sense to me in the established AC story. It was like Firaxis just wanted to make an expansion to add more factions and shoe horned them in without much thought to plot (are you listening Jar Jar Abrams?).
I've always thought that if I went back to SMAC after playing SMAX I would be missing too much (for some reason I love the borehole cluster). Now I'm not so sure after reading this thread and  the Alpha Centauri wikia entry on Alien Crossfire. I must go back and try a game of SMAC!

Great post diessa!

[Geo]

  Ogres from pods need to be attacked before becoming yours?  I thought that you get them directly from the pod, just like artifacts.

Ah, my mistake. Must have mixed up with the Fungal Tower slot or Mind Worm slot.

Doesn't even have to be missile, needlejets would work too.

Yeah, but more chance a player sees 'something weird' since needles are around 2 turns instead of one.

[Yitzi]

Yeah, but more chance a player sees 'something weird' since needles are around 2 turns instead of one.

Point.  So missile is the best choice, then.

[ete]

Okay, changelist thread is up: http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8428.new#new

Please post anything that's been missed there.

[diessa]

Edit: nevermind, post incorrect. Thanks, ete, for putting the changelist together.
Edit: Thanks, Thorn, for your post. I'm glad that you were encouraged to (ex)explore the original!

Some early roles have been established in the project, so let me know if you need anything from me. Until then, I'll ask questions, respond to posts, and be available to assist where asked.

[ete]

Any help collecting up differences and testing things would be good (like: what exactly happens when you make fungal towers into missiles? use omniscient view.).

I'm in india currently, so my internet is.. sometimes spectacularly unstable or just not there for a week, depending on location. It's possible someone else will need to take over editing the changelist, and if I'm not responding to suggestions for more than a few days feel free to step up.

[diessa]

SMAX added sea terraforming options. Are some of these unbalanced? Could some of these have kyrub's AI patches applied to them? Should they be kept in some form?

[DrazharLn]

I think this is a good idea. It would be nice to consolidate the community and bugfixing efforts on one game. It would also help other modding efforts if we had one standard game.

@Ford_Prefect:
That sounds like the standard way to do mod managers (which isn't a bad thing), but you may be able to save some effort by using someone else's implementation. e.g. http://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/Miscellaneous/Generic-Mod-Enabler.shtml