Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => The Theory of Everything => Topic started by: ete on October 25, 2012, 06:22:16 PM

Title: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on October 25, 2012, 06:22:16 PM
Conceptsx (http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Conceptsx.txt) | Helpx (http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Helpx.txt)
Concepts, advanced concepts | Everything else       

Those two pages have the original text files which came with the game as well as GooglyBoogly's latest version in the edit history. Though technically publicly editable, it would be nice to check or at least post (here or in the built in chat) if you make changes, so I can keep track of everything and make sure we are following the same principles while editing. Note that there is apparently a bug which makes lines after 1882 not be visible, but you should still be able to copy the text to elsewhere, and hopefully they will resolve it soon.

I am not guaranteeing activity, if I vanish for a few months someone else is welcome to take this over. AC is cool though, and I love the datalinks, so maybe I'll stick around.

Scope of this project:
1. Fix the numerous minor spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
2. Add missing mechanics details.
3. Check and correct existing mechanics.
4. Move all credits from datalinks entries to the changelog.
5. Apply consistent standards (e.g. capitalization of coined terms).
6. Add missing links.

Syntax
^ - Newline. Literal newlines are ignored, and often required on longer texts, since there's a per-line character limit (you get crashes if you exceed it).
^^ - Center text
{text} - Makes text bold.
$LINK<X=Y> - Link. X is displayed text, Y is the number of the concept you're linking to. Prefixes for various classes of concept (note that double digit numbers seem to erase the last digit of the prefix):
Conceptsx
#CONCEPT: none (e.g. $LINK<Mineral=42>)
#ADVCONCEPT: 1000 (e.g. $LINK<Commerce (Advanced)=10003>, $LINK<Advanced Morale=10017>)
----
Helpx
#UNITDESC: 3000 (e.g. $LINK<probe teams=30006>)
#CHASSISDESC: 4000 (e.g. $LINK<Missile=40008>)
#REACTORDESC: 5000 (e.g. $LINK<reactor technology=50001>)
#WEAPONDESC: 6000 (e.g. $LINK<Tectonic Missiles=60024>)
#ARMORDESC: 7000 (e.g. $LINK<Resonance 3 Armor=70011>)
#ABILDESC: 8000 (e.g. $LINK<Algorithmic Enhancement=80028>)
#HELPTERRALAND: 9000 (e.g. $LINK<farm=90000>)
#HELPFAC: 10000 (e.g. $LINK<Tachyon Field=100005>)
#HELPPROJ: 11000 (e.g. $LINK<The Hunter-Seeker Algorithm=110085>)
#HELPSOC: 12000 (e.g. $LINK<Cybernetic Society=120017>)
#HELPEFFECT: 13000 (e.g. $LINK<GROWTH=130006>)
----
Other
Technologies: 14000 (e.g. $LINK<Advanced Ecological Engineering=140062>)
Factions: 15000 (e.g. $LINK<factions=150001>)

Credit to GooglyBoogly and Rubin for previous versions of this project.

old links
(click to show/hide)
Title: Mechanics questions
Post by: ete on October 25, 2012, 06:24:15 PM
Unanswered:

Partially/questionably resolved:

Answered and info added:
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 25, 2012, 06:28:47 PM
How would you like people to help?
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on October 25, 2012, 06:41:56 PM
Most helpful thing would be, once I've got some questions, to find posts where people have tested the mechanic or test it themselves. Also give opinions on style, check over what I'm doing, or if you see something you're sure wants changing then fix it (edit your sync.in name from unnamed first so we can see who did it) and leave a note in the changelog.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 25, 2012, 06:50:25 PM
...I'm pretty accomplished in the written English language, so I guess I'm obligated to add a proofreading pass to my to-do list.  It's a pretty long list, though...

I imagine we can turn up some tech testers for sure, though it might require patience and occasisonal bumps for them to find this project and take interest.  Is sync.in some IRC sort of thing?  I'm not familiar with it.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 25, 2012, 06:52:45 PM
-I have an actual to-do list posted in the Admin Board, and I have now added the proofing pass to it.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on October 25, 2012, 07:01:47 PM
Ok, cool. Sync.in is a site based on Etherpad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etherpad), collaborative, real time, all history saved, etc. There are various sites running it, but Sync.in is my favorite currently.

Also, adding to the list of useful things, figuring out more of the link syntax would be cool. I've added some examples to the opening post.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 25, 2012, 07:32:36 PM
We have two CMNs here who might know a little about the syntax, and it's also right up Davyboy's alley.  You should ping him for sure if he doesn't check by soon.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 25, 2012, 08:42:00 PM
Yeah; check out this Modding forum thread of Davy's:  http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2276.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=2276.0) where he reports on research into that syntax as affects the text with the SE movies.  He's definitely your boy for that, and I see he's been otherwise occupied for over two weeks - definitely reach out and see if he checks his PM email notifications.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on October 26, 2012, 09:32:32 PM
Cool topic, but most seems to be decoration only (font, size, color), which I'm not intending to use much. I've finished adding the links sections though. And maybe I'll expand this project to include a few other text documents, like the secret project finishing screens.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 26, 2012, 09:34:14 PM
Sounds great.

AC is a well that one can sip from always and never exhaust.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 28, 2012, 05:36:56 PM
ete - we could use your help.  We're planning to do a news item, ASAP, to promote this worthy project, 'cause we think it's great and important - but neither sisko nor I are feeling inspired about writing the copy.  If you'd post a few remarks we could select quotes from, it would help, and maybe get one of us started.  Please?
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on October 28, 2012, 06:55:53 PM
hm, I've done some more on this today, figured out why it was crashing the datalinks (unfinished Atrocities (advanced) section), but there's not yet a whole lot that it'd be helpful for other people to do just yet (the time slider is broken on Etherpad lite, and classic Etherpad seems to be unable to handle huge numbers of lines cleanly). Once I've got a load of mechanics questions more attention would be great, but 'till then.. I'd kind of prefer not to have people editing. And editing is about the only thing people could do right now, other than encouragement which is non-essential.

Still, for when things are set up, something like:
Quote
The datalinks upgrade project has started with the aim of improving the accuracy and consistency of the datalinks and similar files. If you would like to help, please view the list of unanswered questions, or post errors in the thread. There is also a publicly editable pad, but please note all changes in the attached chatbox or the thread.
But, again, I'd prefer not to have the public pad more widely advertised till the timeslider bugs are cleaned up and I can review edits/not overwrite them from my local copy, and there are not yet any mechanics questions.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Guv’ner on October 31, 2012, 08:42:06 PM
Quote from: ete on October 28, 2012, 06:55:53 PM
… I'd kind of prefer not to have people editing. And editing is about the only thing people could do right now, other than encouragement which is non-essential.

The following is a list of corrections I identified in the 1.3 Version of the GooglyBoogly update (line numbers before each change). I use my own spellchecked version of them with no other changes:
conceptsx.txt
helpx.txt
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 31, 2012, 08:46:54 PM
I hope that line 20 correction you lead with is a typo in the post... ;)
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Guv’ner on October 31, 2012, 09:39:51 PM
Quote from: BUncle on October 31, 2012, 08:46:54 PM
I hope that line 20 correction you lead with is a typo in the post... ;)

So do I, if I had listed every word I hadn’t changed then the list would be a tad more substantive. I think that in the interest of discontinuity. I’ll edit my above post.
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 31, 2012, 09:41:32 PM
Seems like a good idea. :D
Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
Post by: ete on November 06, 2012, 11:44:25 PM
Ok, integrated all changes I'd missed into the quickpad versions:

Quote from: Guv’ner on October 31, 2012, 08:42:06 PM
The following is a list of corrections I identified in the 1.3 Version of the GooglyBoogly update (line numbers before each change). I use my own spellchecked version of them with no other changes:
conceptsx.txt
  • 20 “engnieering” to “engineering”
  • 766 “planetwide” to “planet wide”
  • 782 “annoint” to “appoint”
(I had changed this to anoint, using the third definition (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anoint))
   
    [li$i]899 “Noncommital” to “Noncommittal”[/li]
       [li]1342 “millenia” to “millennia”[/li]
       [li]1436 “UN” to “U.N.” to maintain consistency throughout game text[/li]
    [/list]

    helpx.txt
    • 14 “discrepency” to “discrepancy”
    • 15 “doesnt” to “doesn’t”
    • 18 “repurcussions” to “repercussions”
    • 38 “pressume” to “pressure”
    • 50 “Cantauri” to “Centauri”
    • 52 “Centauro” to “Centauri”
    • 57 “dont” to “don’t”
    • 613 “Theatres” to “Theaters”
    • 1897 “Applique” to “Appliqué”
    • 1905 〃
    • 1927 〃
    • 1948 〃
    • 1977 〃


    What are the lines with just quotation marks for?
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on November 06, 2012, 11:58:37 PM
    Quite possibly line 782 was meant to read anoint but since it is traditionally used in a religious or semi-religious sense (Bishops anointing divinely appointed monarchs) I chose to interpret the double letter as correct but the letter itself as wrong.

    “〃” is a ditto mark indicating that the change is the same as the one above.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on November 07, 2012, 12:06:46 AM
    If it was a standard government position I'd agree with switching to appoint, but considering it's referring to making someone a "Supreme Leader", it seems reasonable to use the likely intended word. And, right, fixed a few more Appliques. Thanks for your changes :), if you'd like to make similar minor changes to the documents I'm working on (QikPad versions), then it would be welcome (just note it in the chat there or here 'till history starts working).
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on November 07, 2012, 11:18:13 AM
    I still prefer “appoint” but I think you are probably right that “anoint” was the original intention and I will change it in my update and change the version of that to 1.11. When your update to conceptsx.txt and helpx.txt is complete I can include them in my update and make it version 1.2 or you could look through my other changes and we could combine the two updates together.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on January 30, 2013, 10:49:17 PM
    I've uploaded these to the wiki, which all in all should be a much better place to work on them. You can easily see changes in the history tab.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Earthmichael on February 16, 2013, 04:34:23 AM
    How can I actually find and install the new files in my SMACX game?
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on February 17, 2013, 08:12:42 PM
    I'd advise using googlyboogly's version (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=7245097#post7245097) for now, mine does not have many of the things I plan to add/fix, and I've been not working on it for long enough that I'd want to check my changes over carefully before making an easily accessible version. When I've cleared a few more projects off my to do list I'll make a nice easily downloadable version of this.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Petek on February 20, 2013, 01:55:57 AM
    I re-stickied GB's thread on CFC until ete's project takes off again.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: BFG on February 21, 2013, 09:15:29 PM
    Could someone post an unmodified helpx.txt (I think that's the correct file)?  I came across a spelling mistake in one of the late Secret Project or Facility descriptions last night, and while for the life of me I can't remember it, I'd know it if I had access to the files.

    I don't have an Internet connection at home, so have to post this while I'm at work - when I don't have access to my copy of SMAX :)
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on February 21, 2013, 09:50:38 PM
    I believe the following links to the unedited version on the wiki:

    http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/index.php?title=Helpx.txt&oldid=363 (http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/index.php?title=Helpx.txt&oldid=363)
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: BFG on February 21, 2013, 11:43:42 PM
    Thanks!  The (perceived) flaw is on the Universal Translator description:
    Two free Technologies on completion.  Any number of Alien Artifcats can be cashed at this base.
    I always thought "cashed" should be "cached".  But there are arguments in favor of both.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on February 21, 2013, 11:47:43 PM
    Both are wrong to my mind. Well spotted. Time to pour a whiskey and adjust my thinking cap.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on February 22, 2013, 12:02:53 AM
    Page 121 of the Alpha Centauri manual states:

    Quote
    Normally, the network node for any given base can only be linked to a single artifact (the Universal Translator Secret Project is the only exception to this rule—you may link any number of artifacts to it).
    [sic]

    So “linked” is the word but the sentence needs some work.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on February 22, 2013, 12:07:44 AM
    hm, I'd be okay with cached. But we could use studied (from network node desc), or maybe better "linked" (ingame text says do you want to link to network node/universal translator). So.. "Can be linked to any number of Alien Artifacts." ?

    and ninja'd. Let's go with linked then. Remember to leave an edit reason when changing these pages, it's our changelog now :)
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Earthmichael on February 23, 2013, 05:28:33 AM
    One thing I would love to see improved about the datalinks is that for the technologies, the datalinks do not give all of the information that you get if you actually discover the tech, such as limitations lifted and other special stuff.

    I wonder if the dialogs that you get when you actually research the technology are stored in one of the files?  If so, perhaps the description can be lifted and put into the datalinks for that tech.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on February 23, 2013, 10:05:59 AM
    Quote from: Earthmichael on February 23, 2013, 05:28:33 AM
    wonder if the dialogs that you get when you actually research the technology are stored in one of the files?  If so, perhaps the description can be lifted and put into the datalinks for that tech.

    That can be done though it reminds me that I forgot to include explanations of each text file in my general update to the text files. I should probably complete that before venturing further into the wiki and the update to the help files.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on February 23, 2013, 12:23:59 PM
    I believe the tech discovered screen draws a great deal of its information from the alphax.txt entry on that tech. We could definitely add that to the datalinks, it would go well with the general upload tech info to the wiki plan since turning the string of flags into something human readable needs to happen for both. Some extra formatting, but it should be possible to largely automate it/do it with find/replaces.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: Guv’ner on February 23, 2013, 12:52:10 PM
    Quote from: ete on February 23, 2013, 12:23:59 PM
    I believe the tech discovered screen draws a great deal of its information from the alphax.txt entry on that tech. We could definitely add that to the datalinks, it would go well with the general upload tech info to the wiki plan since turning the string of flags into something human readable needs to happen for both. Some extra formatting, but it should be possible to largely automate it/do it with find/replaces.

    As I’ve gone through the files, I’ve realized how embarassingly sparse is my knowledge on how some of them function.

    When I’m done I’ll send you the list to check over.
    Title: Re: Datalinks upgrade
    Post by: ete on February 23, 2013, 01:09:58 PM
    Post it up on the wiki! Let's have documentation we can all expand upon. Maybe http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Datalinks_syntax (http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Datalinks_syntax) is a good base, could be moved to Help files syntax if you've got a load of stuff specific to other files?
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