Alien artifacts—datalinks redraft

[Guv’ner]

As per the Atrocities redraft, here is the redraft of the units entry for Alien Artifacts:

Alien Artifacts
Library Nodule Artifacts (or Alien Artifacts as they are known to human factions) are Progenitor devices that appear on the map as Unity pods until a players unit moves onto the same square.

Once discovered, Alien Artifacts have one movement point and behave as non-combat units. If they are used to explore a unity pod they have a 50% chance of vanishing. They can be captured by other factions without diplomatic penalty if they are not in a stack with other non-Alien Artifact units. They are attacked and destroyed by wild native lifeforms.

If an Alien Artifact enters a square that is adjacent to another faction’s unit and that does not already contain one of its own or pact partner’s units, then it will be captured by the other faction.

Artifacts can be moved to bases that have a Network Node facility or The Universal Translator secret project and linked to it to provide a random technological breakthrough. Each network node can only link to one Alien Artifact¹. They can also be use it to speed the production of a Secret Project or unit prototype by 50 minerals. On rare occasions, linking an Alien Artifact to a Network Node results in an overload destroying both unit and facility. Linked Network Nodes cannot be scrapped for money, only destroyed.

Using the goto (‘G’) command on an Alien Artifact will indicate which bases (including those of pact partners) have Network Nodes and whether they are already linked to an Artifact.

If an Alien Artifact is in a base, holding or on sentry mode, it will activate if a secret project or prototype is commenced or if a Network Node or The Universal Translator is completed prompting a player that they can use the Artifact.

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¹When playing the game at 800 × 600 screen resolution, Network Nodes that are linked to Alien Artifacts will have “(Linked)” displayed after them on the base control screen. At higher resolutions this text is not visible due to the font size.

[Petek]

I'm not sure whether the following merits being included in the datalinks, but I find it annoying: The AA pathing algorithms differ from other units. That is, an AA that is ordered to go to a specific base (for example) will often choose a route different from that of another unit (even one that has the same number of movement points) that starts on the same tile. I would like the two units to follow the same path to protect the AA from being destroyed or captured. As the game is currently configured, I have to move both units one tile at a time. Not sure if this is a bug, since the behavior seems to be deliberate.

[Guv’ner]

I normally grab Alien Artifacts using transport foils or deep in fungus and manually move them each turn so I’ll do some testing with the goto command and group goto using a unit with the same movement.


Important to include it since they’re valuable things to lose.

[Lord Avalon]

Alien Artifacts
Library Nodule Artifacts (or Alien Artifacts as they are known to human factions) are Progenitor devices that appear on the map as unity pods until a players unit moves onto the same square.

Once discovered, Alien Artifacts have one movement point and behave as non-combatant units. If they are used to explore a unity pod they have a 50% chance of vanishing.

"unity" should be "Unity."  Also use either "noncombatants" or "noncombat units."

If an Alien Artifact enters a square adjacent to another faction’s unit that does not already contain one of its own faction’s, or a pact brother’s units then it will be captured by the other faction.

I find this awkwardly phrased.  But before I can figure out a rewrite, does this happen even if the AA has movement left?  And you don't get a chance to move another unit into that square?

... On rare occasions, linking an Alien Artifact to a Network Node results in an overload destroying both unit and facility. ...

I've never seen this - is it a random event?  I play with Bell Curve enabled.

[Guv’ner]

“unity” should be “Unity”.  Also use either "noncombatants" or "noncombat units."

Spot on.

If an Alien Artifact enters a square adjacent to another faction’s unit that does not already contain one of its own faction’s, or a pact brother’s units then it will be captured by the other faction.

I find this awkwardly phrased.  But before I can figure out a rewrite, does this happen even if the AA has movement left?  And you don't get a chance to move another unit into that square?

The phrasing is not awkward, it’s hideous. It happens whether or not the Artifact has movement points remaining, and it also happens immediately. Have another think for that rewrite.

… On rare occasions, linking an Alien Artifact to a Network Node results in an overload destroying both unit and facility. …

I've never seen this—is it a random event?  I play with Bell Curve enabled.

It’s certainly a random event in the game but whether anyone has seen it, is debated. I think I have, but cannot swear to it. Other people swear to it, even others claim never to have seen it. I’ve also never seen a base hit by an asteroid strike but I take it on faith.

One of the exe coders could, presumably, confirm or deny its existence.

[Lord Avalon]

If an Alien Artifact enters a square adjacent to another faction’s unit that does not already contain one of its own faction’s, or a pact brother’s units then it will be captured by the other faction.

I find this awkwardly phrased.  But before I can figure out a rewrite, does this happen even if the AA has movement left?  And you don't get a chance to move another unit into that square?

The phrasing is not awkward, it’s hideous. It happens whether or not the Artifact has movement points remaining, and it also happens immediately. Have another think for that rewrite.

How about: "If an Alien Artifact enters a square that is empty of units but adjacent to another faction's unit, it is immediately captured."  Does this apply when moving next to a pact brother?  And does the AA stay in that square, just changing factions?  If not, where does it go?


Conversely, if you move next to an unescorted AA, do you capture it?  Or do you have to move into its square?

[Yitzi]

One of the exe coders could, presumably, confirm or deny its existence.

Theoretically, but it'd take a lot of work, which I don't think is worth it when there's better things to go after.

[Guv’ner]

I'm not sure whether the following merits being included in the datalinks, but I find it annoying: The AA pathing algorithms differ from other units. That is, an AA that is ordered to go to a specific base (for example) will often choose a route different from that of another unit (even one that has the same number of movement points) that starts on the same tile. I would like the two units to follow the same path to protect the AA from being destroyed or captured. As the game is currently configured, I have to move both units one tile at a time. Not sure if this is a bug, since the behavior seems to be deliberate.

I’ve tested with a non-elite infantry unit and an Alien Artifact and can’t replicate it. Units with different movement speeds will take different routes due to their different treatment of rough terrain. Could this be the behaviour your seeing?

[Guv’ner]

"If an Alien Artifact enters a square that is empty of units but adjacent to another faction's unit, it is immediately captured."  Does this apply when moving next to a pact brother?  And does the AA stay in that square, just changing factions?  If not, where does it go?

Conversely, if you move next to an unescorted AA, do you capture it?  Or do you have to move into its square?

It only happens on the Alien Artifact’s movement and not with Pact Partners units. The Artifact moves into the other unit’s square

[Petek]

I’ve tested with a non-elite infantry unit and an Alien Artifact and can’t replicate it. Units with different movement speeds will take different routes due to their different treatment of rough terrain. Could this be the behaviour your seeing?

The attached save game illustrates what I'm seeing. A scout patrol and AA are both North of UN Headquarters. When the units are ordered to go to UN HQ, they take different paths. This happens if you click on UN HQ when each unit is active, when using the goto command, or when grouping the two units and using group goto. Perhaps this has to do with the treatment of fungus tiles: The scout patrol's path avoids fungus, while the AA charges right through it.

The save game is SMAX and uses scient's patch, but I noticed this behavior long before his patch appeared.

[Guv’ner]

The attached save game illustrates what I'm seeing. A scout patrol and AA are both North of UN Headquarters. When the units are ordered to go to UN HQ, they take different paths. This happens if you click on UN HQ when each unit is active, when using the goto command, or when grouping the two units and using group goto. Perhaps this has to do with the treatment of fungus tiles: The scout patrol's path avoids fungus, while the AA charges right through it.

Thanks for the sav file, there are lots of possibilities but at least I can play test them now.

[Geo]

Conversely, if you move next to an unescorted AA, do you capture it?  Or do you have to move into its square?

IIRC, I had exactly this happening. I brought a scout adjacent to the AA of another faction (on the border of their territory), and it changed ownership. And since there was no unit of the other faction nearby I could keep it. What I found also peculiar at the time was that a base of the other faction was nearby.

[Guv’ner]

I better test again, I couldn’t replicate it. I probably didn’t try hard enough

[Petek]

I better test again, I couldn’t replicate it. I probably didn’t try hard enough

That's odd. I redownloaded the file and played it repeatedly. In each case, when I ordered both units to go to UN HQ, they chose different paths. I also tried setting other destinations. Sometimes the units chose the same path, other times not. I also used the default Alphax.txt and SMAX 2.0 without any unofficial patches. Results were the same.

[Guv’ner]

That's odd. I redownloaded the file and played it repeatedly. In each case, when I ordered both units to go to UN HQ, they chose different paths. I also tried setting other destinations. Sometimes the units chose the same path, other times not. I also used the default Alphax.txt and SMAX 2.0 without any unofficial patches. Results were the same.

My lack of clarity, I was replying to Geo. I haven’t tested AA route finding yet but I assume it prefers fungus because that behaviours is hard coded to certain slots in alpha(x).txt and AA’s have been mistakenly included or it is hard coded in error to that unit plan.