HtH Ladder Earthmichael vs. Kirov - TTT

[Yitzi]

He's right and I think it's the scenario creation that matters.

It is the scenario creation that matters, but that's specifically scenario creation (with factions and all), not map creation.

[Earthmichael]

 

[Kirov]

1.  I currently use the scient patch, which I think is standard for games on this board.  I don't know much about the kyrub patch.

2.  Is it possible to mod the techsteal ability into a current save file?  (I don't know anything about what can or can't be modded.)  If not, I guess I will live without it.  As you are saying, your commerce ability probably won't do much good unless you can befriend an alien.  So let's just say that we cannot treaty or pact with the aliens, even a surrender pact.

Thanks and sorry for that. I doubt if we can change our settings midgame in any way, a modder or CMN can say. But I believe this commerce thing balances it out, so it's fair anyway. As far as I can remember, there are only two kinds of status I have with the aliens - Informal Truce and Vendetta. They're the most aggressive factions towards me so I was sure my bonus won't come handy.

[Kirov]

Oh my God, I'm like the most embarassed person on the planet right now.  Feel free to kill me. It turns out I was playing with a modified alphax.txt before applying the patch. At the moment I'm too ashamed to admit what was changed and I swear I had no idea how this happened. But we need to reload, this was all cheating.

I can't freakin' believe this.

[Yitzi]

Oh my God, I'm like the most embarassed person on the planet right now.  Feel free to kill me. It turns out I was playing with a modified alphax.txt before applying the patch. At the moment I'm too ashamed to admit what was changed and I swear I had no idea how this happened. But we need to reload, this was all cheating.

I think some alphax.txt variables also are fixed by the scenario, so you might want to just check that they actually were set wrong in the game before you restart.

As for changing the settings midgame; I'm pretty sure there is no way to do it in-game, but it probably would not be that difficult as a modder, so if it's an issue you might want to just post the game to modify and if I have the time I'll see what I can do.  (Note, however, that I would have to open the game and then save it without entering the password, so you'd probably get a message that someone did that.)

That said, techsteal is fairly easy to imitate anyway, at least assuming the AI has no techs that you don't when you take its bases.

[Kirov]

I think some alphax.txt variables also are fixed by the scenario, so you might want to just check that they actually were set wrong in the game before you restart.

No, it's the research rate and I'm sure it's not scenario-dependent because it has just changed when I applied the patch. I can't believe I didn't notice it as I played a good deal of our turns on my gf's laptop on which I installed clean GOG+scient and then got back home and just... well, didn't notice the difference. I have at least one tech more than I should, if not two. Shame, shame.

Well, to come clean - before I bought GOG, I almost always used cracked copies, actually quite many of them in my life, on different computers and in different periods. This one came from a friend of mine and I had no idea he modified txt files in any way.

Fortunately my alpha.txt was fine so my Nomads submission was valid.

Anyway, Earthmichael, I'm really sorry for that. I hate to do this, but there is no other way than to reload, if you're still up to it...

[Earthmichael]

Well, the early turns go fast, so lets just give it another try.  Just post the corrected scenario file, and and I will launch the game over again.

Are you using the scient patch?  I just want to make sure we are both patched the same way.

[Yitzi]

No, it's the research rate and I'm sure it's not scenario-dependent because it has just changed when I applied the patch.

Yeah, the Rules section is among the non-scenario-dependent stuff (well, at least what's there so far is; due to the limitations of unofficial patches, the stuff I'm working on adding will not only be scenario-dependent, but probably even carry over from a saved map file; I will, however, provide appropriate versions of the default Planet maps as well as any other common maps that people want it for.)

[Kirov]

Yeah, the Rules section is among the non-scenario-dependent stuff (well, at least what's there so far is; due to the limitations of unofficial patches, the stuff I'm working on adding will not only be scenario-dependent, but probably even carry over from a saved map file; I will, however, provide appropriate versions of the default Planet maps as well as any other common maps that people want it for.)

Well, that can be really helpful. I didn't even know you can play with different alphax.txt, I thought the game says something. I don't get why they bothered with those pesky 'reload' warnings if you can get away with stuff like that. Doesn't the game warn about discrepancies in IP games? Or is it just my imagination?

[Kirov]

Well, the early turns go fast, so lets just give it another try.  Just post the corrected scenario file, and and I will launch the game over again.

Are you using the scient patch?  I just want to make sure we are both patched the same way.

New GOG copy installed? check.
2.0 patch, XP update, scient patch installed? check
Are cyborg and alphax.txt fine? check
New scenario created? check
Is difficulty level forced, can cycon techsteal, can cycon get directly to IA? checked bazillion times.

Earthmichael, I have added one colony pod and one former to everybody (aliens included), are you fine with that? If not, you can delete them in the editor. I remembered you wanted more starting units, I wanted less of them to be more like single player start, but since we have wasted two weeks already...

Can you tell me what's your stance on the kyrub's patch? I want to switch to it in my games, although I don't want to force it here, I don't want any more troubles. But I'm going to make a copy with kyrub's, people say it really changes AI behaviour. And it includes scient's, so there's no problem.

[Earthmichael]

The extra units are fine; they will give us a slightly faster start.

I don't know a thing about kyrub's patch, so I can't offer an opinion.

I think it might be a good idea for me to start fresh from the gog version as well, since I just bought it a few days ago.  I now own about 4 legit copies of SMAC/X.

So from the gog version, I should apply the 2.0 patch, XP update, and scient patch?  Would you mind posting the version of these 3 patches here, so I can make sure I exactly match your install?    Or post the URL where you got the verions of these 3 patches you are using?

Thanks!

[Kirov]

I followed these steps (yes, you got it right) and downloaded precisely those files:

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=27

As far as the kyrub's patch is concerned, I have yet to try it, but people say it does make a difference. You can find it here:

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=108

This is the thread they discuss and work on it:

http://apolyton.net/showthread.php/195007-SMAC-444-%28AI-experiment%29

but if tl;dr - AI plants forest (big thing for AI if you ask me) and is smarter with some other minor things, the stockpile energy bug is solved (I believe this means finished buildings no longer grant cash and you don't have to insert stockpile energy after units to make it even), Children Creche bug is solved (this hurts me a bit, because I loved to exploit this, but oh well, it's still a bug and should go), plus some other minor changes. Plus of course everything scient includes.

[Yitzi]

Well, that can be really helpful. I didn't even know you can play with different alphax.txt, I thought the game says something.

I don't think it does, though switching in the middle can make things a bit weird at times.

I don't get why they bothered with those pesky 'reload' warnings if you can get away with stuff like that.

Most people don't know how to abuse that sort of stuff.

Doesn't the game warn about discrepancies in IP games? Or is it just my imagination?

I wouldn't know; it's entirely plausible that having different values in IP games will cause bugs, even if it won't for switching in PBEM or SP.

Children Creche bug is solved

Which bug is that?

Also, in the course of fixing the Stockpile Energy bug, Kyrub seems to have introduced a more minor bug, in that when it shows the energy from a base (or even faction-wide income) it does not count the results of stockpile energy unless you stockpiled energy last turn.

[Earthmichael]

OK, I built a new play area on GOG with the 3 patches, and used the new scenario file.

Good luck!

[Kirov]

And good luck to you!