Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 01:53:32 AM

Title: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 01:53:32 AM
I was invited here by Buster's Uncle, whose graphics I have hijacked for my purposes :D

Anyways, I'm in the midst of balancing a custom faction and creating a scenario- how does one rename landmarks?

I have some issues with changing base graphics, despite using standard colors or even just cut/pasting other faction graphics in GIMP I'm getting blue/purple/pink backgrounds- incredibly annoying.

I'm guessing I should post up the image- how do I attach it?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 04:33:27 AM
Right under the composition box for replies, it should say "Attachments and other options" click on that.

See if I've addressed what you want to know about the faction art in the Graphics thread.  I'll see if I can answer more specific questions, should you still need help afterwards.  Hopefully sisko or Kilkakon can help you with the landmarks, though ISTR that it's an easy trick.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 05:50:26 AM
Yeah, the map editor is pretty unwieldy compared to the ones for RTSes I normally play. I JUST realized it wasn't part of the map editor- changing names of landmakrs doesn't require the map editor, its part of the Map tool....

Yep. Noticed the attachments. Loading now.

Ever read Revalation Space? I'm going to make Ultras and Demarchists as well. Maybe the Grubs as an alien race.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 17, 2012, 09:16:34 AM
Quote from: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 05:50:26 AM
Ever read Revalation Space? I'm going to make Ultras and Demarchists as well. Maybe the Grubs as an alien race.

My Mom has read Revelation Space!!! I'm just saving the ebook series on my tablet for rainy day purposes.

Nice Gimp image too (I MUST practice Gimping more) -- let me know when you have the rest of the faction done and I'll take it for a test toast.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 06:49:34 PM
Not familiar with Revelation Space, no.

I'd say that's a strong faction graphic yopu've got there - all the elements look good.  If you're having the problem I think you are with the background color, you need to paste all the elements into a copy of blank.pcx.pcx, which you can find in Downloads, and only takes a minute once you know how.  Let me check to see if I've posted the relevant instructions in Graphics...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 07:09:03 PM
I see that I have not.  I'll try to get something posted in the next day or so, but the short version is 1) Download the blank background .pcx, 2) Select the pink background in your facti0on graphic, 3)Layer>Transparency>Add Alpha Channel, 3) Delete the pink background, leaving the faction graphic elements against a transparency, 4)Select the whole page and copy, 5)Paste into the blank .pcx, 6)Save with a different filename as your faction graphic.

If you meant to say you were getting your bases displaying against a monchrome background box, this will fix it.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 07:26:10 PM
I must sound retarded, and I could probably figure this out given an hour of banging my head on the wall, but how do I select the pink background?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 07:31:12 PM
Nevermind. I think I've got it.

EDIT: IT WORKS! HOLY DAMSAH, IT WORKS SO WELL!~
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 07:35:42 PM
Hardly retarded.  GIMP/Photoshop and their ilk are tough-to-learn interfaces.

It's the fifth tool in the toolbox, a little hand pointing at a vertical strip of three colors.  That's the Select by Color Tool.  It'll select every pixel in the image of the color you click it on.

Edit: Great news!  :danc:
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 08:06:06 PM
Alright. Back to work for me. I'll be back in a few hours, the Conjoiners are set before they gain the incredibly advanced techs in Revelation Space/Redemption Ark/Absolution Gap but post-Exordium Project

(click to show/hide)

Overall, I find on Transcend difficulty, it is somewhat less powerful early/mid game than ICS Zak, due to the near-0 population growth (even with golden age and absurdly lucky NUT finds...) and pure ICS is impossible to pull off without the Planetary Transit System.

However, once you have Democracy and Planned running, you'll be able to catch up (against AIs, at least), then have FM/Wealth build up your cash reserves. Plus, starting with Crawlers and 5 techs, taking into account that nutty industry/research bonus means your SSCs are going to be outrageously well fueled and absurdly efficient.

Recommend me a graphics set for the following faction:

(click to show/hide)

Playtesting indicates that the Demarchists are outrageously good.... that growth and Economy... if you can deal with drones, make some nice trade alliances, and avoid early wars, you'll probably win the game.

That being said, its pretty difficult to win an early war and deal with drones at the same time.

Question: How to disable a faction from building a facility? I know Spartans can't make Skunkworks...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 08:16:26 PM
Ah, a group mind faction.  Playing vs them would no doubt resemble my life. ;)

If you poke around, you'll find collections posted of each of the elements of a faction graphic - it shouldn't prove tough for you to pick one of each and slap something together.

As far as disabling, I don't know a lot about that end of things...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 17, 2012, 11:40:29 PM
LOL!

The Conjoiners aren't quite a hive mind - they've learned the hard way hive minds are too predictable.

Anyways, what does the scenario Custom Rules: No Native life do? Because I just created a base with over 200 pollution despite having all the cleanliness facilities... Outrageous. I'm trying to avoid worm-rape, otherwise I'll have to give the faction a huge pile of empath speeders just to compensate.

Yeah, I see you've uploaded quite a bit of stuff here... going to take while to browse through them all.

I liked your ads; "Buster's Uncle Can Help!" on the Hickory Chess club site :D
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2012, 11:52:44 PM
I assume the scenario Custom Rules: No Native life results in no wild worms...

Yeah, that custom faction page has a million jokes, most of them hidden in hovertext.  I'll be joking in my grave.  It seems like a lot of people turn out to have seen the page when I meet them -- I need to add a link back to here.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 18, 2012, 02:33:42 AM
Is there a way to give a faction all techs up to a certain point? This is pretty annoying, giving 6 factions all the techs up to  level 4 tech...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 18, 2012, 02:42:10 AM
I'm kinda useless beyond the art/story aspects.  Hopefully somerone more knowlegable will speak up...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 18, 2012, 02:44:43 AM
*crickets chirp*
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 18, 2012, 03:02:51 AM
The weekend's usually not a real busy time.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 18, 2012, 05:44:37 AM
For me, weekend is the only time I have to SMAC/X....

Usually.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Kilkakon on June 19, 2012, 06:02:39 AM
Hello New Age of Power!

I tend to do fly-bys every few days depending on how full my inbox is. Sorry for the delay, I was obviously expected!

As far as I can tell your remaining questions are:
1. Recommend a graphics set for the Democratic/Anarachy faction
2. How to give a huge stack of techs
3. How to disable improvements for individual factions

1. Well apparently these opposite forces are able to make this work by the power of nanotechnology! It's like magical glue! One possiblity would be two quite separate types of buildings, but with like "nanotech" bridges between them or something?

2. Why not just give the last bunch of techs in that area? It sounds pretty messed up broken though, to give like a good 20% of the tech tree. ;nuke;

3. That Spartan chick can't build Skunkworks as she has free prototypes. I assume that's a hardcoded exception. I'm not aware of any other ways to do this as there isn't an obsolete function like in Civilisation.

And my question is: What on Chiron is an xcf?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 19, 2012, 07:04:14 AM
Quote from: Kilkakon on June 19, 2012, 06:02:39 AM
And my question is: What on Chiron is an xcf?


I'll field the easy one before BUncle does. It's a GIMP save format http://www.gimp.org/ (http://www.gimp.org/) I think it's platform specific much like some Photoshop formats. Obviously, NewAgeOfPower would export a .pcx once he's finished it. You would most likely need a Linux distro to run it although if you dig around you can find a Windows version.

Quote from: NewAgeOfPower on June 18, 2012, 02:33:42 AM
Is there a way to give a faction all techs up to a certain point? This is pretty annoying, giving 6 factions all the techs up to  level 4 tech...


Don't hold me to this but if you load up the old Gaian v Morganite scenario under SMAC, I seem to recall that many techs are already 'researched' with the notable result that Morgan is running around with empath scout tanks as "Mindworm Eradicators".
My guess is that if you load up a copy of it into the Scenario Editor you would find out how Firaxis did it.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Kilkakon on June 19, 2012, 07:12:32 AM
Ah of course, in a scenario it's easy as to give multiple technologies. I was thinking under the context of a faction text file.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 19, 2012, 07:42:35 AM
Quote from: Kilkakon on June 19, 2012, 07:12:32 AM
Ah of course, in a scenario it's easy as to give multiple technologies. I was thinking under the context of a faction text file.

I can't see how you can do what NAOP would like to do then. There just ain't enough slots available, even if you specified ALIEN for the xtra tech boost that would just open up another can of worms. Maybe the best option is to just keep it simple and let the early game develop according to the faction weightings. One thing is certain, no matter how you weight it there will still be a sheaf of possible outcomes.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 05:14:25 AM
I am building a Scenario- everyone starts mid-late game, except for Protagonist Faction, which will have a 2 tier tech advantage.

But manually giving each faction all the techs up to tier 4 is exhausting. First, I crawl through the wiki to find all techs that are C6 or-

Actually, I have an idea- I'll just manually list all the techs that I need to enemy factions in a readme on another rig, and have it alphabetized.

I still have an unanswered question: Does Custom Rules: No Native life stop fungal pops/etc? What about global sea level over 9000? (For the record, my personal record was sea level rising 2300 meters over 20 years before winning the game)
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 20, 2012, 06:22:41 AM
Quote from: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 05:14:25 AM
I still have an unanswered question: Does Custom Rules: No Native life stop fungal pops/etc? What about global sea level over 9000? (For the record, my personal record was sea level rising 2300 meters over 20 years before winning the game)
Uhh Nooooooo... NNLforms just means there's no indigenes wandering around to catch/squish. As far as I recall (it's a looong time since I selected it in a game) it won't stop pops. Best test -- suck it and see.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 06:47:18 AM
So is theres is no way to create a base that cranks out absurd amounts of minerals in a scenario without causing pops... Great.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 20, 2012, 07:19:59 AM
Well....
Since it's a scenario, you could emplace a silly number of goodyminerals on the base tiles on rocky formations.
and..
Place it on or on top of Mount Planet (can't ordinarily build a base in the caldera, I know -- but will the ScenEdit let you? Might need to tweak the textfiles to allow that)

That would get things really moving from quite an early point, like as soon as the first mine/road is built.
But such a base will need food via crawlers. (A nasty Achilles heel)

It would also have a big flashing neon sign over it for the other factions.
Only remaining unknown would be whether the worms kill it before your new found "friends" carpet nuke it  ;D

Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 12:57:04 PM
Lol Davy, that was NOT my question.

Quote
So is theres is no way to create a base that cranks out absurd amounts of minerals in a scenario without causing pops... Great.

I know how to increase production. had a base make over 1000 mins/turn when making orbital improvements, through mass crawlers.

(click to show/hide)

I'll try to figure something out.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 20, 2012, 02:04:44 PM
Quote from: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 12:57:04 PM
Lol Davy, that was NOT my question.

Quote
So is theres is no way to create a base that cranks out absurd amounts of minerals in a scenario without causing pops... Great.


I know how to increase production. had a base make over 1000 mins/turn when making orbital improvements, through mass crawlers.

(click to show/hide)

I'll try to figure something out.

Your question was/is misleading:-

Quote from: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 06:47:18 AM
So is theres is no way to create a base that cranks out absurd amounts of minerals in a scenario without causing pops... Great.

I'm glad you found my reply entertaining!!
There are ways to mitigate eco-damage and to my recollection it can be done up to the 400-450 min level w/o eco-d while building satellite stuff.
Since It's a mid/late game - say 100 turns to run - once VoP is built you'll still get pops, but no NNL.

But, I've got to ask, what do you need 1000 mins/turn for? Nothing sensible costs more than 350, and you can't build 3/turn so it's incredibly inefficient.

Is the object of the hypothetical scenario just to frack things up?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 20, 2012, 02:27:43 PM
I wouldn't be surprized to hear that a good deal of the point is just testing the limits.

Of course, for those playing along at home who don't already know, there are two factor that raise your mineral limit: it eases by one faction-wide with each fungal pop, and goes up one facti0on-wide for each Tree Farm, Hybrid Forest, Centauri Preserve and Temple of Planet built after the first fungal pop - those facilities can be scrapped without losing the faction-wide limit improvement and rebuilt endlessly.  I'm pretty sure there's no way to fake that in the scenario editor...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 20, 2012, 02:51:30 PM
Quote from: BUncle on June 20, 2012, 02:27:43 PM
I wouldn't be surprized to hear that a good deal of the point is just testing the limits.

Of course, for those playing along at home who don't already know, there are two factor that raise your mineral limit: it eases by one faction-wide with each fungal pop, and goes up one facti0on-wide for each Tree Farm, Hybrid Forest, Centauri Preserve and Temple of Planet built after the first fungal pop - those facilities can be scrapped without losing the faction-wide limit improvement and rebuilt endlessly.  I'm pretty sure there's no way to fake that in the scenario editor...

I remember reading that last month (Civfanatics? Apolyton? (too much fungus obviously)) While it was interesting anecdotaly, I'd just been getting on with playing the game the whole time. Still do. Am now.
 
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 20, 2012, 10:53:38 PM
Yep. I knew about the pops and rebuilding facilities, but I'm trying to create a scenario where you (or your enemy) starts with a monster base- one that can crank out almost anything in a turn. Besides, I can't seem to keep up raising clean mineral limit fast enough, by my 4th borehole there is nothing I can do to keep minerals clean while raising production... maybe if I ICSd 50 bases and had them continuously rebuild/salvage Preserves and Temples...

I have multiple scenario ideals, one of which I'm almost done with.

Yes. #1 was to see how fast I could jack up the sea level- if it could ever outpace a few stacks of super formers; i.e. an practical limit on mineral production. The second was because, screw reasonable, I want my max armor + weapon fleet of gravships... which I got, by producing 1/1 gravships en masse and using upgrade (nanofactory makes the cost 670ish)

But no. Even at 350 mins a turn it takes 4-5 turns to crank out one of these deadly gravships. In SMAX, unofficial patch, at least.

Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Kilkakon on June 21, 2012, 04:00:55 PM
What about a high planet rating?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2012, 04:12:37 PM
Could you play through 100 turns or so to raise the min limit and let the user start the scenario there?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 22, 2012, 04:17:10 PM
Quote from: BUncle on June 17, 2012, 11:52:44 PM
It seems like a lot of people turn out to have seen the page when I meet them -- I need to add a link back to here.
Done.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 23, 2012, 06:55:38 AM
Quick question- I won't have time to test this for about a week, but does Voice of Planet or Ascent to Transcendence stop spawns? Pops? I do recall once the game ended I stopped having eco-damage...

I can just disable Ascent victories and then manually edit the secret project into a base.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 23, 2012, 07:46:28 AM
Quote from: Davyboy on June 20, 2012, 02:04:44 PM

Since It's a mid/late game - say 100 turns to run - once VoP is built you'll still get pops, but no NNL.


Ascent determines the game scores - no further additions to scores are entered.
VoP just suppresses 'Blooms'. Hurry costs are doubled too.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 23, 2012, 12:38:19 PM
You still get the blooms, but without the worms.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 23, 2012, 01:17:15 PM
My bad.
That's what I meant but it just came out wrong.
Fungus grows -- no more lifeforms, check...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 24, 2012, 10:09:05 PM
I see. Does the Ascent to Transcendence have any side effects?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 25, 2012, 05:24:39 AM
Everybody attacks you.  Also, you might sorta accidentally win.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Davyboy on June 25, 2012, 07:38:15 AM
Quote from: BUncle on June 25, 2012, 05:24:39 AM
Everybody attacks you.  Also, you might sorta accidentally win.

LOL

A few bases might default to stockpiling energy since you've built everything - the base that built ATT might try to build it again (just to make sure) but it's GO man, like G O ...
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 26, 2012, 06:49:24 AM
I mean, I can disable Ascent Victory in scenario, and then edit a base to have the monument.

Also, I distinctly remember the first time I played SMAC (half a decade ago), I Ascended as the Evil Professor Zak, and clicked the One More Turn option (Lemme play a few more turns) and there was absolutely no eco-destruction or anything going on... and I think in SMAC, unpatched, doubling your minerals through space elevator also doubled eco-damage...

I'll be free this weekend, I think. If none of you get around to testing this, I'll have to do it.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Kilkakon on July 06, 2012, 05:30:42 PM
Any findings?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on July 09, 2012, 10:06:03 PM
Ah. I made many changes a week ago, and tested them out...

What I did:

Change sea level rising in the alphatxt to 1/10th (along with other changes)
No Native Life
VOP, but Ascent disabled.

I then stationed a unit on every square in base radius, and jacked its production to 470++ a turn (without using space elevator)

Results? Fungal pops still happen. No native life, and no Warning Message though. No sea level rise.

Fungal pops no longer occur at the base where every square has a unit sitting on it, thank god... The first time I had a fungal tower appear UNDER my unit was incredibly annoying. The land and improvements stay intact, and fungus free.

EDIT: I'm mostly working on the Demarchists right now. Can't think of a good Faction Leader picture, and I'm having merry hell trying to squeeze in 9 faction specialties with them.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 10, 2012, 02:06:06 AM
I've got a file of about 80 leaderhead candidates posted in Downloads.  None are quite ready to drop in as-is, but some are close.  Might be worth a look.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Kilkakon on July 13, 2012, 04:29:45 PM
If it helps, perhaps try and think of only one or two bonuses and one or two penalties? Less is more sometimes when it comes to factions.... e.g. with mine I only hit the limit once.
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 14, 2012, 03:35:57 AM
In the OP - what graphics of mine have you hijacked?  Am I forgetting something?
Title: Re: Some stuff.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 14, 2012, 03:43:24 AM
NM - I had another look at the xcf you posted. Sierra Lightfoot of the alt.Gaian Harmonists.  I think I actually ripped that off from skreeblios, at Darsnan's behest.  I size/croped and scanlined a pic he posted, ISTR, but it looked pretty much like that.  Not sure - it's been too long.
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