A New Faction Set Approaches!

[Buster's Uncle]

You do most of your best posting when you're into the beer, but you assume things when you speak, and don't listen well.  What do you mean by "divided factions up between native and terraformer. However, I believe this over simplifies".  I contributed in a modest way to Planetfall, but have never played it.  Assume I know nothing.

[Buster's Uncle]

And if I may add - Green, I appreciate the respect you extend when you assume I know things I need to to understand your remarks. 

I tend to the opposite, having rarely spent enough time in the company of people outside my family who could keep up with me - it's never the truly bright people, but some find me unbearably condescending in my habit of explaining so much of what I say and defining terms and such. [shrugs] 95+% of the time, it saves time and is what works best.

[Pickly]

Here's the new Viking Leaderhead. Is it any good?
Pickly, I like the ideas, but it would make them a bit underpowered, especially compared to people like the Paladins.

I wasn't really paying attention to the power of the other factions when suggesting ideas, so here are a few more bonus thoughts.  Also, remember that these are not strict ideas I'm suggesting, rather they are meant as more general suggestions to give you some idea of what you might go for  (They were also not meant as bonuses that would be used together, just separate ideas for possible penalties.).

Some more thoughts:

Free Skunkworks/no prototype costs:  Pilots like having the newest and coolest equipment
Doctrine: Air power as a starting tech (Could be really powerful on its own, as with the free aerospace complexes.)
+Police: in gameplay terms, would make using air power easier.  In backstory terms, harder to explain, perhaps war unhappiness is less due to air power being a greater focus, or elite imposes more discipline on the population.
Free Chopper at start(unitary chopper likely, to avoid too easy rushes)
No power penalty:  Seems to fit the faction generally

As for a terraforming faction, the attachment  is one I made a few years ago, when I was still playing, hopefully can give you some ideas.  (In backstory terms, is meant to be more like the basic/alien crossfire factions than your more wild mod ideas, but may still give some ideas for bonuses, motivations etc.  A penalty of unhappy citizens, like with university, is something I'd add to the faction if made now.)

[Rainbow Lizard]

I like those bonuses, he who resembles a cucumber left to soak in vinegar.
By the way, I'm finding the Paladins to be too overpowered. A little help?

[Kilkakon]

Haha not bad Ariete. And at everybody saying that there needs to be less clothing on them. Not that you're wrong, it's just like, heh. XD

As for Aerospace Complexes, they are probably one of the three best facilities in the game, so handing them out for free (satellites anyone?) needs a lot of downsides to make fair.

[Rainbow Lizard]

I decided not to give them all aerospace complexes. Also, I'm pretty much done with the faction ideas. I'll update the main post, but if you have any improvements, just tell me.

[Pickly]

As for Aerospace Complexes, they are probably one of the three best facilities in the game, so handing them out for free (satellites anyone?) needs a lot of downsides to make fair.

Yes, that's why unit was easier to think of big downsides in the first post.  (Too bad there's no way to mod the deeper mechanics of the game to give some sort of air related bonuses without being overpowered in the same way.  Guess I'll have to get into Civ5 or wait for Civ 6 modding for that sort of thing.)

[JarlWolf]

I have some pictures for the Norse faction, if you're interested.


Possible faction logo.


This possible leaderhead will need some editing, of which I am willing to do if you want, but I hope that helps.

[Rainbow Lizard]

Sorry, but I already have the logo and leaderhead for the Viking faction, and I find those two to look too cliche.

[Buster's Uncle]

A bit more of an ahistorical popular take than how they saw themselves, yes?  Your almost-swastika showed impressive knowlege of nordic iconography.

[ariete]

JarlWolf you've find a very beautiful image to use as leaderhead

i've found this


Rainbow sorry if we range but the Viking idea is very interesting and apparently involving us (and i'm not a nordic ...  just for nothing )
i don't like your leaderhead (but this i've already tell you), and i don't think the huts are correct for space context ... but it's your faction and this is my personal opinion
sorry for my english can result too direct but it's what i wanna comunicate to you

if i'had some people who posted images or alternartive ideas on my thread i would had been certainly pleased (i hope is a correct english form ).
No result is final and more heads i listen more great can be my work

[Yitzi]

Hello people who reside in this forum. I am a prismatic reptile, as some of you may know, and I am working on a set of seven custom factions for SMAC/X. I currently just have possession of SMAC, so I cannot set faction colors or certain text file bonuses, but I will soon. These are the factions.

• The Zephyr Legion, an honorable faction based on airborne warfare, with a classic Japanese architectural and cultural choice. Bonuses are +1 Morale and Police, but -2 to growth. They start with Doctrine: Air Power. They use power as their value, being a military faction.

Air power at the beginning?  That's going to be way too strong, especially with a morale bonus.

[li$i]The Hack Kings, a utilitarian faction that wishes everyone to be happy and utilises virtual reality. They start with +1 Research and Support, but -2 Morale. All of their bases start with a Recreation Commons and a Hologram Theatre, minimizing drone activity, but they have no free techs. Aversion is Thought control and they gravitate towards Eudaimonia. They play like a cross between the Angels and Peacekeepers.[/li][/list]

Interesting idea...they'll be very good for stability, and with a research bonus they could do ok.

[li$i]The People of Knowing, a scientific faction made by the goal to achieve omniscience, and do not care about anything else. They have an amazing +3 Research and any 3 bonus techs. However, they have Zakharov's drone problem and a -1 to Industry, Growth and Planet. They will frequently attack the Hack Kings due to their opposite ideas of a future society. They can go a peaceful or military route.[/li][/list]

They'll have a really hard time pop booming, which is probably the only reason they're not overpowered.

[li$i]The Paladins of Thor, a warlike faction based on the vikings of old, with the military to boot. They have a +2 bonus to morale and a +1 to growth, as well as the +25% Morale bonus from the fanatic special rule, as well as having the Doctrine:Mobility . However, they suffer from a -2 to research and a -1 industry. Thy value power but neglect knowledge. They are incredibly deadly in combat, but next to useless trying to be a peaceful builder thanks to the lack of research, and remain rather low-tech.[/li][/list]

Might be a bit overpowered if they go fundamentalist and probe their way to anything near tech parity.

[li$i]The Guild of Psychics, a mystical faction that is known for their erratic nature. They boast a +2 bonus to Probe, a +1 bonus to growth, but a -1 to economy. They also have an immunity to mind control and the free tech Social Psych. They dislike Free Market's mean nature but enjoy Planned economics. And of course, they have a +50% bonus to Psi attacks. They are incredible at covert ops, but rarely make enough energy to mind control, leading to the use of Mindworms.[/li][/list]

Probably overpowered; with 50% bonus to psi, they can go Green and be extremely militarily powerful, and just use probes to steal tech (after mind worms have killed all the defenders including probe teams) from those who go free market and have a tech advantage.

[li$i]Golden Future Corp., a Tycoon faction like the Morganites, but a little less greedy and a little more Canadian. They feature a +1 to both Research and Economy, but suffer from a -1 to morale and planet. They start with the tech Industrial Base, and get a free Energy Bank at every base. They are very peaceful, preferring wealth as their value and preferring peace to war.[/li][/list]

+1 economy is very strong; I don't think -1 morale and planet will balance it.[/list]

[Rainbow Lizard]

I'll take that into account.

[Green1]

@Rainbow Lizard

Any chance you can get one of these factions out in the next two weeks? I am hunting for custom factions in an AAR after Lal Must Suffer which will I will need them in two weeks.

Already, I am going to take these:

Oblivion. Kilk's New Eden "bad guy" faction (PG rated)
Stepahanie. Chuft's Lazymod faction.

I will be playing Miriam. Right now I am going through NN factions. It is a lot of them and some will come from there. Just so many choices - some good, some trash.

I am also looking at some of BU's stuff. His Borg seem pretty cool, but he may have another preference. That next AAR is going to be weirdness.

[Buster's Uncle]

I prefer the bald-leader Borg -the other leader with hair isn't my work, though other elements are- but I never playtested either enough to have any real opinion about playability.