Mind Control Cost
From Alpha Centauri Wiki
Attempt to disassemble Mind Control cost. I could not find adequate description of it on the net. Any test verification will be greatly appreciated.
Algorithm
- Calculate distance to HQ.
- Set distance to 12 if there is no HQ.
- Set distance to 1 if base itself a HQ. For market cornering calculation only. Probe cannot actually MC HQ.
- Double distance to HQ if there is Genejack factory.
- Halve distance to HQ if there is Children's creche.
- Halve distance to HQ if there is Punishment sphere.
- Halve distance to HQ if base is nerve stapled.
- Multiply number of Offensive/Combat units at base by (1 + number of polymorphic encryption units at base). Unit ownership doesn't matter. Could be actually your units if you are MC pact base!
- Calculate number of times probe faction MC bases before + 1/4 of how many times it subverted units before. Add to above number.
- Add base population to above number. That concludes cost modifier as I call it.
- Calculate 1200 + base faction EC + base faction corner market cost(?).
- Add 4 to adjusted distance to HQ calculated above.
- Divide above EC value to adjusted-shifted distance to HQ above.
- Multiply above value by the <cost modifier> value that was previously computed.
- If computer probe targets human base and human difficulty is > 3 then the value above is multiplied by 3 and divided by difficulty. I.e. difficulty 4 modifies the above value by 3/4, etc.
- There are also some corner market specific computations that I skipped.
- Double cost if factions are in pact.
- Halve cost if base previous owner is probe faction.
- Halve cost if base is rioting.
- Double cost if base is in golden age.
- Double cost if base faction is an atrocity victim of probe faction.
- Increase cost by 50% if base faction is NOT an atrocity victim of the probe faction but wants revenge against them.
Formula
Trying to gather the above into concise formula.
distance to HQ = regular distance to HQ 12 ; if there is no HQ 1 ; if base is HQ (for corner market cost computation only) distance to HQ adjusted for facilities = distance to HQ * 2 ; if GF / 2 ; if CC / 2 ; if PS / 2 ; if stapled
cost modifier = base population + number of previous MCs + number of previous subversions / 4 + (# of combat and offense units at base) * (1 + # of PE units at base)
MC cost = (1200 + base faction EC + base faction corner market cost) / (4 + adjusted distance to HQ) * cost modifier * 3 / difficulty ; for computer MC-ing human base at difficulty above 3 * 2 ; if factions are in pact / 2 ; if base previous owner is probe faction (base is retaken) / 2 ; if base is rioting * 2 ; if base is in golden age * 2 ; if base faction is an atrocity victim of probe faction * 1.5 ; if base faction is NOT an atrocity victim of the probe faction but wants revenge against them
