Alpha Centauri 2 - New Faction Concepts Inspired by Beyond Earth

[Buster's Uncle]

Could more be done with wind power for the eco factions & tidal harnesses for them and sea factions?

None of this is looking into the effects of advances in the 'soft' people and social sciences.  Those would have profound effects on all kinds of cultures, and even have military (psyops and such) applications.  Think marine detachment ability for infantry...

[BlaneckW]

On Alpha Centauri or some other world, it may be far more difficult to mine Uranium and make nukes.

Or it may not be.  In the AC1, they made it this way so that the game did not immediately dissolve into thermonuclear warfare.  But there is no reason that this has to be the case for AC2.

[BlaneckW]

In my dedicated thread in exemple:
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=7285.0

Very impressive, some of the weakest EMB I've ever heard.

[NewAgeOfPower]

On Alpha Centauri or some other world, it may be far more difficult to mine Uranium and make nukes.

Or it may not be.  In the AC1, they made it this way so that the game did not immediately dissolve into thermonuclear warfare.  But there is no reason that this has to be the case for AC2.

It all depends on the generation of the star that went supernova and created the stellar cloud which the planetary system condensed out of; the more cycles of supernova and accretion the greater the heavy metal content of the solar system, and hence the heavy metal content of the Planet.

High heavy metal content may cause radiotoxicity issues, along with difficulty of growing food due to dangers of heavy metal poisoning, but is a significant boon to heavy industry and power generation.

[Geo]

As you know, SMAC usually assigned technologies to one (or, very occasionally, two) "bucket(s)" linked to gameplay imperatives: Build, Discover, Explore, and Conquer. I've added Command, reflecting the need to effectively manage one's own society as well as influence others. I'd be open to further suggestions.

Don't tell me you managed to get a fifth imperative added in the game (and used by the AI's).

New technologies added to the tech tree so far:

• Informatics (Discover, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Counter-Insurgency (Conquer, Level 1)
• C41 (Command, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Fear (Command, Level 1)
• Centauri Biology (Discover, Level 1)
• Centauri Geology (Discover, Level 1)

________________________

• Peltier Plates (Build, Level 2)
• "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 2)
• 3D Printing (Build, Level 2)
• Ablative Coatings, (Conquer, Level 2)
• Cell Therapy (Discover, Level 2)
• Network Warfare (Conquer, Level 2)
• Doctrine: Awareness (Explore, Level 2)
• Digital Surveillance (Command, Level 2)
• Centauri Chemistry (Discover, Level 2)
• Centauri Hydrology (Discover, Level 2)

________________________

• Small Modular Reactor (Conquer, Level 3)
• Combat Composites (Conquer, Level 3)
• "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 3)
• Reactive Armors (Build, Level 3)
• Hydraulic Fracking (Build, Level 3)

________________________

• Microfission (Conquer, Level 4)
• Predictive Surveillance (Command, Level 4)
• Sousveillance (Command, Level 4)
• Centauri Aquaculture (Discover, Level 4)

Any further suggestions? I figure that SMR's and Microfission cover the "miniaturizes nukes" space.

Much better overview when its put in a list. (BUncle, has it already been proposed to combine the and smilies?)
This looks more as tech name replacing then adding new techs. With a French twist perhaps? Peltier Plates, Sousveillance,...

Anyway...
If you want to continue the miniaturizing route, the obvious endtech would be "Portable Reactor" for infantry units.

Information Processing, Hydraulic Tapping (precursor to Fracking), Gene(tic) Therapy, Regenetive Armors, Virtual Computing, Social Analizing, Social Algorithms, Centauri Sociology, Social Regulating, Doctrine: Rule, Doctrine: Expand,...

[Vishniac]

If you want to continue the miniaturizing route, the obvious endtech would be "Portable Reactor" for infantry units.

Isn't there already? Even the first scout patrol is powered by a fission reactor.

A question with those new techs: are they just fancy names or do they permit new actions/advantages/units/projects ?

[Geo]

Isn't there already? Even the first scout patrol is powered by a fission reactor.

I *think* it is possible to let show units without reactor packs. I believe I saw this when tinkering with the native life slots in #units list.

A question with those new techs: are they just fancy names or do they permit new actions/advantages/units/projects ?

Mine are just fancy names, since it seems NAOP is renaming the whole techtree from the number of techs he showed us.

[Trenacker]

First, welcome to all the new folks now participating in the discussion. Thanks for showing up!

Second, to reiterate, I am not creating a mod for Alpha Centauri the computer game. I am instead creating a geopolitical simulation of the kind played here and here, and here. I have recruited nine players already (although none from this website yet, unfortunately) and am currently developing some of the gameplay mechanics.

I am expanding the technology tree with an eye toward extending the "early game" period immediately after Planetfall. All of the technologies that I previously listed are additions. I renamed only one technology on the previously existing SMACX tree, as I recall.

I have "added" three new imperatives thus far: Expand (settlement growth), Command (social control), and Choose (ideological).

I am open to suggestions of additions, as well as critiques of cases in which I may have simply replicated an existing technology. I have borrowed heavily from the Dune universe.

All of the new technologies are functional and will link to new advantages/improvements/facilities/units/projects/promotions/social choices in the simulation.

Special thanks to Geo for the terrific work with the list!

The additional technologies that will be grafted into the original tree, thus far:

• Neuropsychology (Discover, Level 1)
• Informatics (Discover, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Counter-Insurgency (Conquer, Level 1)
• C41 (Command, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Fear (Command, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Rule (Command, Level 1)
• Doctrine: Expand (Expand, Level 1)
• Centauri Biology (Discover, Level 1)
• Centauri Geology (Discover, Level 1)

________________________

• Reactive Armors (Build, Level 1.25)
• Mneumonic Techniques (Command, Level 1.25)
• Social Algorithms (Discover, Level 1.25)
• Virtual Computing (Discover, Level 1.25)
• Network Warfare (Command, Level 1.25)

________________________

• Composites (Conquer, Level 1.5)
• The Naïve Mind (Command, Level 1.5)
• Centauri Chemistry (Discover, Level 1.5)
• Centauri Hydrology (Discover, Level 1.5)

________________________

• Peltier Plates (Build, Level 2)
• Ablative Coatings (Build, Level 2)
• 3D Printing (Build, Level 2)
• Ablative Coatings, (Conquer, Level 2)
• Cell Therapy (Discover, Level 2)
• Network Warfare (Conquer, Level 2)
• Deep Training (Command, Level 2)
• Doctrine: Awareness (Explore, Level 2)
• Digital Surveillance (Command, Level 2)
• Hydraulic Tapping (Build, Level 2)

________________________

• Small Modular Reactor (Conquer, Level 3)
• "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 3)
• Reactive Armors (Build, Level 3)
• Active Defense Systems (Conquer, Level 3)
• Mentat Training (Command, Level 3)
• Synthetic Fertilizer (Expand, Level 3)
• Hydraulic Fracking (Build, Level 3)

________________________

• Microfission (Conquer, Level 4)
• "Self-Healing" Solids (Build, Level 4)
• Post-Conventional Ethics (Conquer, Level 4)
• Predictive Surveillance (Command, Level 4)
• Sousveillance (Command, Level 4)
• Centauri Aquaculture (Discover, Level 4)

________________________

• Way of the Wicked (Choose, Level 4.5)
• Way of the Wise (Choose, Level 4.5)
• Way of the Watchful (Choose, Level 4.5)

________________________

• Regenerative Solids (Conquer, Level 5)
• Kanli (Choose, Level 5)
• Hydromechanics (Discover, Level 5)

________________________

• Water Discipline (Choose, Level 6)

________________________

• Advanced Hydromechanics (Discover, Level 7)

________________________

• Hypersonic Jets (Explore, Level 8)

Note that I have not yet finalized the levels or linkages between these techs and those in the original tech tree.
________________________

[Green1]

I think the whole thing Beyond Earth is going for is the fact that there are so many techs and dependencies, it would be impossible to have all techs.

Not sure how many techs SMAX can handle to simulate that.

We also only have preliminary information.

[Trenacker]

Considering that this is going to be managed either in my head or with the help of a few simple spreadsheets, we can do quite a lot.

If nothing else, I'll be able to make "non-player" faction behavior more logical and consistent.

[Buster's Uncle]

..Due to better AI...

[Trenacker]

...is that a joke? 

[Buster's Uncle]

Yeah.  I'm sure your intellect is real.

[Trenacker]

Excellent.

Day 35 and they suspect nothing.

[Buster's Uncle]