Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => The Theory of Everything => Topic started by: glorsh66 on March 13, 2021, 10:36:00 AM

Title: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: glorsh66 on March 13, 2021, 10:36:00 AM

What are the best unofficial patches and mods?
Something like widescreen support, and some balance and bug fixes?

Also, I will ask a question in advance - do these mods/patches work for the original game and crossfire? Do I need to install separate versions?
Because I have heard that the original game is better than crossfire.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: bvanevery on March 14, 2021, 12:31:45 AM

Quote from: glorsh66 on March 13, 2021, 10:36:00 AM

What are the best unofficial patches and mods?

My SMACX AI Growth mod (https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=20959.0) counts.  It only changes *.txt files, there are no new binaries, .exe's, or .dll's.  Install an official SMACX binary, such as GOG, and install my files over that.

Quote

Something like widescreen support,

Put DirectDraw=0 in your Alpha Centauri.ini to get full resolution support on modern displays.  You don't need any patches to do this, it's a thing for the official game binary.

Also you do not need Alt-Tab support.  CTRL-ALT-TAB works just fine on Windows 10 and also some earlier Windows versions.

Quote

and some balance

That's my mod, according to my personal vision of what balance is.  I do think I have the most mature, best balanced, most game design centered mod out there.

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and bug fixes?

Scient's patch has the best bugfixes.  That said, my personal experience is the official game binary is perfectly stable the vast majority of the time.  It was not some buggy piece of crap that needed a lot of fixing.

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Also, I will ask a question in advance - do these mods/patches work for the original game and crossfire?

Mine requires SMACX.  Several others do as well.  If it's modding alphax.txt then SMACX is a requirement.

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Do I need to install separate versions?

Yep, which is trivial for the $6 or $1.50 one can spend at GOG for an official copy of the game.

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Because I have heard that the original game is better than crossfire.

In most respects it is, but, if you are seeking gameplay and balance mods like mine, that is irrelevant.  My version of SMACX is better than anyone's SMAC or SMACX.  Because I put an extra person year of full time development into it, that the original game authors didn't.  Nobody else has put that kind of time in, and made regular public releases that other people benefit from, except perhaps Thinker Mod.  I think I've got the best game balance.  WTP is close in level of effort, but has a different vision and plays rather differently.

Thinker Mod is mostly known for its beefed up AI performance, but it's debatable how one really gets there.  Like at last count, it wasn't any better at combat than anything else, and there are lots of ways to tweak resources that don't require binary modding.  I haven't played Thinker Mod recently, so I can't make a direct comparison.  Maybe I will for argument's sake.  I call my own mod "AI Growth mod" for a reason, it's not a lie.  It's just lower key and less invasive / overhauling than Induktio's approach.  There were a few hooks the original devs left in the .txt files to condition AI behavior, and I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to squeeze blood out of a stone.

I don't consider my AI tweaking to be any miracle.  There's gonna come a point, where you know how to beat the AI.  Having said that, my own mod was kinda beating me up in some of the last few games I played.  I wonder if that means I did a good job or a bad job at something.

I've decided my version of the University needs a bigger RESEARCH bonus, so I'll be making another release "soon".  I've changed a few other minor things compared to my previous version, so I could stand to playtest it for a bit.  April will be the 3 year anniversary of me starting the project, so I'll probably release then.  Nothing wrong with playing what I've already released.  My project is mature and stable now, I'm pretty much in maintenance mode only.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: glorsh66 on March 14, 2021, 08:17:07 AM

Where can I download it? )))
And how to install it? Just copy all the files to the game's folder?

Btw - what is the mod that allows you to zoom in and out?

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: Protok St on March 14, 2021, 04:09:08 PM

Quote from: glorsh66 on March 14, 2021, 08:17:07 AM

Btw - what is the mod that allows you to zoom in and out?

You can zoom in and out in a normal regular usual vanilla default common game by pressing Z and X.

I can recommend the PRACX mod. (https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=14308.0)

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: Rocky on March 14, 2021, 05:33:46 PM

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=20959.0

SMACX AI Growth Mod made by bvanevery:

One of my favorites. Lots of work, dedication and thought have gone into this by the author bvanevery. Lots of streamlining and balance improvements to the game. The tech tree has been reworked and your choices in which tech path and strategy you want to pursue are much more important. There are noticeable improvements to AI behavior (not to be underestimated), and map generation (especially the bigger maps) is vastly improved and more enjoyable.

The list of changes and improvements for AI Growth mod is huge, so it's best to read bvanery's excellent mod description and design philosophy for your self.

===

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=21013.0

Thinker AI made by Induktio:

Also one of my favorites: Again a lot of effort and dedication went into this mod by the author Induktio. Thinker AI encompasses AI bug fixes, balance fixes, and a vastly improved AI that is relentless in trying to win. (Peacefully or through warfare─or switching between both) It comes with a thinker.ini file which will allow you to customize the AI (behavior and difficulty) It also comes with a mod to play vanilla SMAC with the up-to-date SMACX engine.

It also has options to put together your own preferences in which landmarks you want to appear on the map, the resources the AI starts with, the distance between AI's, etc.

Thinker AI can be combined with other mods. It works with the SMACX AI Growth mod above and with The Will to Power mod below.

===

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=21359.0

SMAX - The Will to Power by Alpha Centauri Bear

I haven't had the chance to play this mod myself yet but I've heard many positive things about it. The author also has put a huge amount of work and dedication into it and it's definitely on my "I must play this soon" list.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: vygov on July 22, 2021, 05:14:24 PM

Quote from: bvanevery on March 14, 2021, 12:31:45 AM

Thinker Mod is mostly known for its beefed up AI performance, but it's debatable how one really gets there.  Like at last count, it wasn't any better at combat than anything else, and there are lots of ways to tweak resources that don't require binary modding.  I haven't played Thinker Mod recently, so I can't make a direct comparison. 

Unlike Indhutio, you have greatly changed the balance of fractions at your discretion. He still has more patch than mod.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: bvanevery on July 23, 2021, 02:25:43 AM

But nobody faces real global warming and factions can ignore their political ideologies, in the name of AI performance.  So you get Planned Deirdre lecturing you about being Green and declaring war on you if you're not.  That's not patching.  That's modding for the facilitation of AI.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: Induktio on July 23, 2021, 12:48:46 PM

"Behold my only proven way to mod the game, doing it any other way is obviously just amateurish tinkering." Sure.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: bvanevery on July 23, 2021, 09:38:59 PM

I did my best to state the gameplay issues as neutrally as possible.

The previous poster talked about "mod vs. patch".  You did not patch the game by changing those 2 things mentioned.  You modded it, quite substantially.  That was my point.

Lest anyone think it's "Thinker Patch" as opposed to Thinker Mod.  Something you yourself don't even claim.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: glorsh66 on January 05, 2022, 05:01:28 PM

Quote from: bvanevery on March 14, 2021, 12:31:45 AM

Quote from: glorsh66 on March 13, 2021, 10:36:00 AM

What are the best unofficial patches and mods?

My SMACX AI Growth mod (https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=20959.0) counts.  It only changes *.txt files, there are no new binaries, .exe's, or .dll's.  Install an official SMACX binary, such as GOG, and install my files over that.

Quote

Something like widescreen support,

Put DirectDraw=0 in your Alpha Centauri.ini to get full resolution support on modern displays.  You don't need any patches to do this, it's a thing for the official game binary.

Also you do not need Alt-Tab support.  CTRL-ALT-TAB works just fine on Windows 10 and also some earlier Windows versions.

Quote

and some balance

That's my mod, according to my personal vision of what balance is.  I do think I have the most mature, best balanced, most game design centered mod out there.

Quote

and bug fixes?

Scient's patch has the best bugfixes.  That said, my personal experience is the official game binary is perfectly stable the vast majority of the time.  It was not some buggy piece of crap that needed a lot of fixing.

Quote

Also, I will ask a question in advance - do these mods/patches work for the original game and crossfire?

Mine requires SMACX.  Several others do as well.  If it's modding alphax.txt then SMACX is a requirement.

Quote

Do I need to install separate versions?

Yep, which is trivial for the $6 or $1.50 one can spend at GOG for an official copy of the game.

Quote

Because I have heard that the original game is better than crossfire.

In most respects it is, but, if you are seeking gameplay and balance mods like mine, that is irrelevant.  My version of SMACX is better than anyone's SMAC or SMACX.  Because I put an extra person year of full time development into it, that the original game authors didn't.  Nobody else has put that kind of time in, and made regular public releases that other people benefit from, except perhaps Thinker Mod.  I think I've got the best game balance.  WTP is close in level of effort, but has a different vision and plays rather differently.

Thinker Mod is mostly known for its beefed up AI performance, but it's debatable how one really gets there.  Like at last count, it wasn't any better at combat than anything else, and there are lots of ways to tweak resources that don't require binary modding.  I haven't played Thinker Mod recently, so I can't make a direct comparison.  Maybe I will for argument's sake.  I call my own mod "AI Growth mod" for a reason, it's not a lie.  It's just lower key and less invasive / overhauling than Induktio's approach.  There were a few hooks the original devs left in the .txt files to condition AI behavior, and I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to squeeze blood out of a stone.

I don't consider my AI tweaking to be any miracle.  There's gonna come a point, where you know how to beat the AI.  Having said that, my own mod was kinda beating me up in some of the last few games I played.  I wonder if that means I did a good job or a bad job at something.

I've decided my version of the University needs a bigger RESEARCH bonus, so I'll be making another release "soon".  I've changed a few other minor things compared to my previous version, so I could stand to playtest it for a bit.  April will be the 3 year anniversary of me starting the project, so I'll probably release then.  Nothing wrong with playing what I've already released.  My project is mature and stable now, I'm pretty much in maintenance mode only.

Btw is there a way to use your mod for SMAC not SMACX?











And additionally - what is the best mod that changes (or disables) supply crawlers.
Also is there a mod that changes the limit of minerals per tile?

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: bvanevery on January 06, 2022, 04:18:16 AM

Quote from: glorsh66 on January 05, 2022, 05:01:28 PM

Btw is there a way to use your mod for SMAC not SMACX?

It could probably be done by someone.  The tech tree would have to be modified, because there are a few techs, weapons, armors, and Secret Projects in SMACX that are not in SMAC.  I personally am not motivated to do it.  I don't see that it would improve the game any, and it would increase the amount of testing work I'd have to do.  I did license my work under a CC-BY-NC license, so if someone wanted to do this, they could.

The path of least resistance, is to simply play with the 7 original factions, by hand selecting them from the main menu.

Quote

And additionally - what is the best mod that changes (or disables) supply crawlers.

Neither Tim nor myself likes supply crawlers.  I dealt with them by delaying them until late game and making them more expensive.  This penalizes players who want to cough out a whole bunch of them to harvest minerals and energy and so forth.  I think Tim completely disabled them in The Will To Power mod.

If you don't like the effect of supply crawlers on the game, then the mod you definitely don't want, is Thinker mod.  That's built around exploiting them to the hilt, as advanced human players tend to do in the original game.  Thinker mod is basically built to maximize the use of supply crawlers, boreholes, and condensers.

Quote

Also is there a mod that changes the limit of minerals per tile?

Meaning a more severe limit, or more permissive?  I think The Will To Power gets rid of all of those limits early, or maybe even starts the game with no limit nowadays.  I use the limits of the original game, and you overcome those limits in roughly the early midgame.  Overcoming them, is dependent on what you're researching.  I don't recall what Thinker mod does about minerals and limits.  Probably follows what the original game did, as I don't think Thinker mod messes with the tech tree much at all.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: glorsh66 on January 07, 2022, 01:14:16 PM

Quote from: Rocky on March 14, 2021, 05:33:46 PM

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=20959.0

SMACX AI Growth Mod made by bvanevery:

One of my favorites. Lots of work, dedication and thought have gone into this by the author bvanevery. Lots of streamlining and balance improvements to the game. The tech tree has been reworked and your choices in which tech path and strategy you want to pursue are much more important. There are noticeable improvements to AI behavior (not to be underestimated), and map generation (especially the bigger maps) is vastly improved and more enjoyable.

The list of changes and improvements for AI Growth mod is huge, so it's best to read bvanery's excellent mod description and design philosophy for your self.

===

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=21013.0

Thinker AI made by Induktio:

Also one of my favorites: Again a lot of effort and dedication went into this mod by the author Induktio. Thinker AI encompasses AI bug fixes, balance fixes, and a vastly improved AI that is relentless in trying to win. (Peacefully or through warfare─or switching between both) It comes with a thinker.ini file which will allow you to customize the AI (behavior and difficulty) It also comes with a mod to play vanilla SMAC with the up-to-date SMACX engine.

It also has options to put together your own preferences in which landmarks you want to appear on the map, the resources the AI starts with, the distance between AI's, etc.

Thinker AI can be combined with other mods. It works with the SMACX AI Growth mod above and with The Will to Power mod below.

===

https://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=21359.0

SMAX - The Will to Power by Alpha Centauri Bear

I haven't had the chance to play this mod myself yet but I've heard many positive things about it. The author also has put a huge amount of work and dedication into it and it's definitely on my "I must play this soon" list.

But now I want to try out some mods for vanilla, and then SMACX AI Growth Mod made by bvanevery with crossfire. (So I can see the difference between vanilla and crossfire).

Thinker AI made by Induktio "it also comes with a mod to play vanilla SMAC with the up-to-date SMACX engine." Does it work alongside pracx?
Is there an easy way to disable supply crawlers in this mod? (I suppose it buffed them quite a bit).


What is the best mod/QoL/AI improvements for vanilla game (without crossfire)? compatible with pracx.

Title: Re: What are the best unofficial patches and mods ?
Post by: Alpha Centauri Bear on March 10, 2022, 04:22:10 AM

Iduktio, how did you make SMAC in SMAX? Did it require binary patching? I always assumed SMAX is just a bunch of feature additions those can be disabled in txt.