Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: Yitzi on January 27, 2013, 05:44:01 AM

Title: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 27, 2013, 05:44:01 AM
As soon as it's approved, it will be ready for download.  Of particular interest to some will be the ability to remove copters' bonus speed by reactor, which (by itself or in conjunction with a separate speed decrease) may provide an alternative to banning them for those who feel they're overpowered.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: sisko on January 27, 2013, 09:26:06 AM
approved! great work so far, Yitzi!  :ok:
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 28, 2013, 01:43:55 AM
Thanks for this, Yitzi!  I have three questions for you:
1. Were all of your changes to alphax.txt in the #RULES section?  I scanned through the rest and didn't find anything else.
2. Are the default settings for your new variables identical to the default (but umoddable) settings for vanilla SMAX?
3. Do you foresee any problems combining this patch with your technology tree rebalance ideas?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 28, 2013, 02:14:13 AM
Thanks for this, Yitzi!  I have three questions for you:
1. Were all of your changes to alphax.txt in the #RULES section?  I scanned through the rest and didn't find anything else.

Yes.

Quote
2. Are the default settings for your new variables identical to the default (but umoddable) settings for vanilla SMAX?

Yes.

Quote
3. Do you foresee any problems combining this patch with your technology tree rebalance ideas?

No; in fact, one of the mods enabled in the patch was intended to work together with some of the tech tree rebalance, the two being two parts of a general air power rebalance.

The only possible concern is that my patch builds on Kyrub's; I don't think any of his AI mods for SMAX are extreme enough to run into problems with rebalancing, but I can't guarantee that.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 28, 2013, 11:13:26 PM

Quote
2. Are the default settings for your new variables identical to the default (but umoddable) settings for vanilla SMAX?

Yes.
I see "-1" for "Nutrients granted by condenser; -1 is +50%."  The manual says a condenser gives +1 Nutrient.  So wouldn't "1" be vanilla?


And does half a Nutrient mean anything?


For "Extra damage per relevant atrocity/missile," is that ecodamage?


Why is there a flag about creches?  I thought that was fixed.


Haven't had a chance to play this yet, but thanks for your work.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 29, 2013, 12:25:59 AM
I see "-1" for "Nutrients granted by condenser; -1 is +50%."  The manual says a condenser gives +1 Nutrient.  So wouldn't "1" be vanilla?

No, because the manual happens to be wrong there; it actually gives +50%.  Of course, if you want to play with what the manual says, now you can.

Quote
And does half a Nutrient mean anything?

No, fractional amounts are discarded.

Quote
For "Extra damage per relevant atrocity/missile," is that ecodamage?

Sort of.  More precisely, it's "raw" ecodamage, i.e. it's added to the amount of minerals (rather than being added at the end after adjusting for PLANET and LIFE and techs and so on.)

Quote
Why is there a flag about creches?  I thought that was fixed.

One of the bugs about it was fixed, but another was not.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 29, 2013, 12:37:33 AM
Why is there a flag about creches?  I thought that was fixed.

One of the bugs about it was fixed, but another was not.
Can you please clarify?  Or link to a thread I guess I missed?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 29, 2013, 12:43:17 AM

Quote
Why is there a flag about creches?  I thought that was fixed.

One of the bugs about it was fixed, but another was not.
Can you please clarify?  Or link to a thread I guess I missed?

Ok...a creche is supposed to:
1. Increase morale for units in the base square, plus
2. Negate negative morale modifiers for units in the base square. 
What it did before Kyrub's fix was:
1. Increase morale for units in the base square, plus
2. Negate all morale modifiers for units in the base square, plus
3. Negate negative morale modifiers for units homed to the base, no matter where they are.  (Yes, it can negate the modifier twice, i.e. actually turn a negative into a positive.)
After Kyrub's fix, it changed to:
1. Increase morale for units in the base square, plus
2. Negate negative morale modifiers for units in the base square, plus
3. Negate negative morale modifiers for units homed to the base, no matter where they are.  (Yes, it can negate the modifier twice, i.e. actually turn a negative into a positive.)
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Mart on January 29, 2013, 07:32:15 PM
Yitzi,

Do you think, that it would be possible to assign also specialist factors (e.g. energy, drones quelled, research points) to basic citizens: worker, talent, drone?
At present, alphax.txt has empty lines, I think I also tried to add such description to these 3, but it did not work.

Such thing, would make possible no-riots mods, like civ4, where cities do not riot, it just costs a city resources that are not collected.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 29, 2013, 08:29:32 PM
Yitzi,

Do you think, that it would be possible to assign also specialist factors (e.g. energy, drones quelled, research points) to basic citizens: worker, talent, drone?
At present, alphax.txt has empty lines, I think I also tried to add such description to these 3, but it did not work.

Such thing, would make possible no-riots mods, like civ4, where cities do not riot, it just costs a city resources that are not collected.

I'm not taking requests yet, but I think that it might be possible to enable such a feature.  However, I'm not sure how you'd get a no-riots (but with workers just not working) mode like Civ4; that would require separate programming (which also might very well be doable.)
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 30, 2013, 04:40:21 PM
Yitzi, I may have found a bug in 1.2, through purely unintentional means.  Could you (or someone else) try the following:

1. Load up the standard 1 Faction vs 1 Faction Scenario (the one with Spartans vs Gaians, where they each start with one base).
2. Edit the Scenario to give the Spartans every single technology through Transcedent Thought 1.
3. Check the Ecodamage score.

When I did that, I was causing over 3200 ecodamage per turn, even though I was only bringing in about 5 minerals total and had no significant base buildings.  Maxing out Planet on Social Engineering lowered it to a mere 1200.
As an additional "fun" side effect, after about 10 turns the units I talk about in the "What the Heck IS This Thing" thread (Theory of Everything board) started appearing, presumably due to a rollover bug or some other issue.  I'd like to know if others can replicate this issue, or if I have something screwed up.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 30, 2013, 05:33:11 PM
Yitzi, I may have found a bug in 1.2, through purely unintentional means.  Could you (or someone else) try the following:

1. Load up the standard 1 Faction vs 1 Faction Scenario (the one with Spartans vs Gaians, where they each start with one base).

You mean the one marked "Explore"?

2. Edit the Scenario to give the Spartans every single technology through Transcedent Thought 1.
3. Check the Ecodamage score.

When I did that, I was causing over 3200 ecodamage per turn, even though I was only bringing in about 5 minerals total and had no significant base buildings.  Maxing out Planet on Social Engineering lowered it to a mere 1200.
As an additional "fun" side effect, after about 10 turns the units I talk about in the "What the Heck IS This Thing" thread (Theory of Everything board) started appearing, presumably due to a rollover bug or some other issue.  I'd like to know if others can replicate this issue, or if I have something screwed up.
[/quote]

I was unable to replicate it, but if you have the savegame, you can give it to me and I'll check it out.  My guess, though, is that you reduced the clean minerals to 0 and removed the increases, and did not increase either divisor to compensate...in such case, it's probably working properly, and you just used settings that make ecodamage a bit too extreme.

(If you can provide a savegame with that "thing" in it and one just before it appears, I may be able to figure out what's going on with it.)
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: ete on January 30, 2013, 06:37:23 PM
I'm guessing he just does not have the alphax.txt values which your mod requires. I had the same issue (3000+ eco damage right away) before I added them.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 30, 2013, 07:13:25 PM
I'm guessing he just does not have the alphax.txt values which your mod requires. I had the same issue (3000+ eco damage right away) before I added them.
Nope, it's not that...although I did need to manually edit my own alphax.txt to include Yitzi's new variables, so it's possible I did something wrong.  I'll try again with Yitzi's original version; if I'm able to replicate again I'll send the requested savegames.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 30, 2013, 07:25:12 PM
I'm guessing he just does not have the alphax.txt values which your mod requires. I had the same issue (3000+ eco damage right away) before I added them.

Now that I think of it...that's probably what happened.  If you use the values included in the patch, it'll work as normal, and if you use a game from before the patch and don't modify it, I think it'll crash, but if you just don't have those lines there at all and start a new scenario, I think you'll get what was described (since it'll use the minimum values for everything; usually 0, but 1 for the divisors, so it won't crash but will produce too much ecodamage).
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 31, 2013, 04:40:07 AM
OK, I was able to resolve this problem - it was due to a single extra comment I had made within the Variables section!  That was causing all the subsequent variables to be read out-of-frame.

But now I have two other problems, which may be related, and I'd like someone else to verify them.  They persist when using Yitzi's 1.2 terranx and his version of alphax.txt.

1.  Load the Scenario Explore.
2.  Activate Scenario Editor.
3.  Save the game, without making any moves.
4.  Exit SMAX then reenter.
5.  Load the game you just saved.
Problem #1: Are you still the Spartan faction, or someone else???
Problem #2: Give yourself a bunch of technology, just before step 3; otherwise perform the above.  Take a look at the Probe Team in the Building Queue options screen.  Does it appear correctly, or is it using a Battle Ogre icon?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: sisko on January 31, 2013, 06:54:21 AM
Problem #1: Are you still the Spartan faction, or someone else???
this one looks like the faction graphics bug (the scenario editor can do that to unmodded SMAX). have you checked the faction attributes?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 31, 2013, 12:41:09 PM
this one looks like the faction graphics bug (the scenario editor can do that to unmodded SMAX). have you checked the faction attributes?
Sorry, I'm not familiar with this bug, or what I should be looking for under the faction attributes.  Can you clarify?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: sisko on January 31, 2013, 12:57:47 PM
the easiest way is to take a look in social engineering. Spartans should have: +2 Morale, +1 Police, -1 Industry.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on January 31, 2013, 05:10:04 PM
I checked it out, and it is indeed purely a graphics bug, and one that occurs even without mods/unofficial patches.  As such, it's probably going to have to wait a while.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on January 31, 2013, 06:15:22 PM
Sorry to add to your to-do list, Yitzi :)
What an odd bug.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Kilkakon on February 02, 2013, 11:31:23 AM
The way to prevent this is to edit the ini file. I think that the iniswap program aims to fix that.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on February 03, 2013, 12:14:48 AM
I believe another way is simply to make sure that your last non-scenario game has the same factions in the same slots as the scenario, as I'm pretty sure that it uses the graphics associated with that slot as of the last non-scenario game.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on February 04, 2013, 04:22:28 AM
I believe another way is simply to make sure that your last non-scenario game has the same factions in the same slots as the scenario, as I'm pretty sure that it uses the graphics associated with that slot as of the last non-scenario game.
Yep, you're right...my last regular game had been with all the SMAX factions, and this particular scenario uses Spartans and Gaians.  As soon as I switched to a game that used all SMAC factions the scenario worked properly.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on February 07, 2013, 04:58:13 AM
Yitzi, if you're interested in adding them to your patch, I created new icons for the Inertial Damping and Global Energy Theory techs.  (Their icons were copies of those for other techs.)  They're in the "New Tech Icons!" thread.  Special thanks to gwillybj and BUncle for fixing the transparency issues I had with them.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on February 07, 2013, 03:11:08 PM
Yitzi, if you're interested in adding them to your patch, I created new icons for the Inertial Damping and Global Energy Theory techs.  (Their icons were copies of those for other techs.)  They're in the "New Tech Icons!" thread.  Special thanks to gwillybj and BUncle for fixing the transparency issues I had with them.

Thanks, but my patch is really just the .exe stuff and what's needed to make that work.  If you want to post the alphax changes and icons as your own mod, go ahead.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on February 07, 2013, 03:43:45 PM
Thanks, but my patch is really just the .exe stuff and what's needed to make that work.  If you want to post the alphax changes and icons as your own mod, go ahead.
Ah.  I thought you were going to incorporate the tech tree rebalancing changes you mentioned in another thread, including (possibly) the revival of these two techs.  Never mind then!
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on February 07, 2013, 04:16:11 PM
Thanks, but my patch is really just the .exe stuff and what's needed to make that work.  If you want to post the alphax changes and icons as your own mod, go ahead.
Ah.  I thought you were going to incorporate the tech tree rebalancing changes you mentioned in another thread, including (possibly) the revival of these two techs.  Never mind then!

No, I am planning a mod that will use both the patch and some tech tree changes, but that's not yet, and I don't think it will re-incorporate those two techs.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: BFG on February 07, 2013, 06:04:02 PM
No, I am planning a mod that will use both the patch and some tech tree changes, but that's not yet, and I don't think it will re-incorporate those two techs.
That makes sense.  It seems silly to post such a small mod (two tech icons? seriously?) but I'll look into it.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Mart on May 05, 2013, 11:37:35 AM
Possible bug, but I do not know, if this is from scient's or present patch.
When retooling, despite set of 10 minerals exempt from penalty, there is penelty also for less than 10 minerals.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on May 05, 2013, 03:25:46 PM
Possible bug, but I do not know, if this is from scient's or present patch.
When retooling, despite set of 10 minerals exempt from penalty, there is penelty also for less than 10 minerals.

It seems to work fine for me...can you provide a save from where it happens?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Mart on May 06, 2013, 01:51:25 AM
The save file attached.
Please see in Mir Lab, if you see the loss of minerals when changing production item.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on May 06, 2013, 02:03:27 AM
I tried it (with my current version, which is somewhere between 1.3 and 2.0), and it seems to work properly.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Mart on May 06, 2013, 10:14:02 AM
I tried it (with my current version, which is somewhere between 1.3 and 2.0), and it seems to work properly.
Ok, then I have to find problem in my install. I have some guess, but let me try it first.
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Mart on May 08, 2013, 10:26:13 AM
I tried this problem on windows and linux (under wine) and it is there the same. And I checked, if that might be alphax.txt, but I'm using the replacement one. So the problem may be some other place.

Anyone else can see that problem too?
Title: Re: My unofficial patch version 1.2 is ready
Post by: Yitzi on May 08, 2013, 02:53:00 PM
How much does it charge?  50% of the whole cost?

It's also possible that it was accidentally introduced in version 1.2 of my patch, but then whatever happened was removed in version 2.0 (which, at least as far as current progress, is what I used to test).
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