03-02-2002 00:18									#1
	The Immortal Crawlers Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

I'm trying to kill crawlers, because I find them to be a game breaking factor, especially against the A.I., but there's just a problem: SMAC doesn't want to let me do it!

Here's the 2 relevent entries for crawlers in alpha.txt:

#WEAPONS:
Supply Transport, Supply, 0,10, 8, -1, IndAuto,

#UNITS
Supply Crawler, Infantry, Supply, Scout, 10, 0, 0, IndAuto, -1, 000000000000000000000000

Now, one would be led to believe that the #UNITS entries are the one controling the arrival of those new * prototypes into the unit workshop, right?

Wrong. When Industrial Automation (IndAuto) is discovered, SMAC ignores whatever is contained in the Supply crawler line of the #UNITS subsection and instead creates a new * prototype unit with an Infantry chassis and whatever weapon is contained in the Supply Transport line of the #WEAPONS subsection, regardless of the actual technology prerequisite of that line.

Example:
Let's say I change the Supply Transport line of the #WEAPONS subsection from:

Supply Transport, Supply, 0,10, 8, -1, IndAuto,

to:

Hand Weapons, Gun, 1, 0, 1, -1, None,

What will happen when IndAuto is discovered? SMAC will create a new * prototype with an infantry chassis and a Gun weapon, effectively making a Scout Infantry. But, there's just one problem: the damn thing can still crawl!!!. That's right, even without a Supply weapon module, the unit still is a crawler!

Am I doing something wrong here? Or should I just give up and simply don't build the unit, since the A.I. doesn't build them anyway?

Slightly confused,
-Hutak

	03-02-2002 04:44									#2
	Got spare money?

Placing None as the preq would make the weapon available without any tech! To totally disable crawlers, type in Disable.

Hope it's clear now!

	03-02-2002 10:31									#3
	Not really any more clear, no... Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

As I pointed out, I really doesn't matter what you put in that field, whether it is None, Disable, IndAuto or whatever. It was just an example; SMAC simply doesn't look at that field and puts the unit in anyway.

	03-02-2002 17:05									#4
	Increase Your PM Length

Well then you'll just have to put Disable in all fields regarding crawlers. Both in #WEAPONS and #UNITS. Oh yeah and start a new game

I didn't quite get what you were doing (your 1st post)?

	02-04-2002 07:57									#5
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Bump

	03-04-2002 03:45									#6
	clarification Got spare money?

Please forgive me for butting in here , but, as informative as this thread is, it could be unclear what the solution is . You need change only the prerequisite tech (IndAuto) to "Disable". All other items can remain as-is. Here are the two simple changes needed to prevent crawlers from appearing in the game (the examples are from the unedited original (v4.0) alpha.txt).

(1) under
#WEAPONS
change
Supply Transport, Supply, 0,10, 8, -1, IndAuto,
to
Supply Transport, Supply, 0,10, 8, -1, Disable,

(2) under
#UNITS
change
Supply Crawler, Infantry, Supply, Scout, 10, 0, 0, IndAuto, -1, 000000000000000000000000
to
Supply Crawler, Infantry, Supply, Scout, 10, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 000000000000000000000000

	03-04-2002 22:42									#7
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

That's exactly it!

	05-04-2002 10:43									#8
	Put an end to popups!

Hmm......no. That doesn't work. I think Hutek is right. I would love to be proved wrong as I am trying to delay or eliminate crawlers for a mod I am working on.

Disable doesn't work. I tried to change the req tech to Matter Transmisson. That didn't work either. Still came in at Ind. Auto.

Need some help here folks.

	05-04-2002 11:35									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

This is a kludge but if you really want to eliminate Supply Crawlers, try setting the prerequisite tech to Transcendent Thought.

	05-04-2002 11:48									#10
	Support Apolyton

If Matter didn't take why should any other tech?

	05-04-2002 11:58									#11
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Or better yet, one of the unused User Technologies.

Last edited by AnnC on 05-04-2002 at 12:48

	11-09-2002 08:31									#12
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

How baout editing the cost so it becomes uneconomical?

	11-09-2002 18:34									#13
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

That would cripple the AI when it tries to build them, though.
I guess I'm odd amongst SMAC players in that I rarely use crawlers. Sometimes I stick them on squares that're just producing one kind of resource within a base grid (e.g. nutrient-crawling condensers) or send them out to crawl a bonus tile not far away, but other than that I only use them for speeding SPs and prototypes. I guess it's 'cause I don't play multiplayer (or at least, rarely) and I find the AI enough of a pushover as it is.

Still, it'd be nice to have a game or two without them for once. Isn't it possible to auto-retire them or something?