07-02-2001 11:26									#1
	SMAX Scenarios w/ Custom Factions Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Travails of a SMAX Scenario Builder
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PREAMBLE: SMAX on Windows 98 on an Intel machine

I created 3 copies of the Nautilus Pirates faction TXT file and edited the copies to create clone PIRATE factions with new leaders, datalink info, verbage, base names, etc., but all faction abilities and disadvantages unchanged.

I copied PCX files from Cybernetic Consciousness, Free Drones and Hive. Can't have 4 sky blue navies sailing around trying to conduct naval warfare! I renamed each set of PCX files to match one of the clone faction TXT file names.

I gave the new faction TXT and PCX files the root names: VALKYRIE, MARINERS and PACK.

So now I have the original PIRATES and 3 clone PIRATE factions.

I then created a scenario folder and built a four faction SMAX scenario with all 4 'pirate' factions in it. To get the factions in, I had to first copy the 'alphax.txt' rules file into the scenario folder and remove all faction entries from the #FACTIONS, #NEWFACTIONS and #CUSTOMEFACTIONS sections. Next, I entered my pirate factions as follows:

#FACTIONS
VALKYRIE, VALKYRIE
PIRATES, PIRATES
MARINERS, MARINERS
PACK, PACK

There are no other factions listed in the #FACTIONS section and the #NEWFACTIONS and #CUSTOMFACTIONS sections were left empty. I had to do this because if I allowed more than 4 factions in the #FACTIONS section, then the SMAX would always start the scenario with the extra factions (as AI factions). I did not want any faction other than the 4 pirate factions.

I then copied the 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file into the scenario folder and removed all existing faction variables. I entered the following four faction variables:

Faction 1=VALKYRIE
Faction 2=PIRATES
Faction 3=MARINERS
Faction 4=PACK

No other factions were entered.

The scenario starts up perfectly, solo or multiplayer, with all appropriate faction graphics and with every faction behaving like the PIRATES. The problem is trying to save the scenario and then restart it later. I discovered that on restart, SMAX totally ignores my scenario folder version of the 'Alpha Centauri.ini' configuration file and instead uses the original INI file. This means that the scenario factions take on the graphics set for whichever factions happen to be currently assigned to the above 4 faction variables. Those faction variables get reset whenever you start a pickup game of SMAX, but for some reason SMAX will not update them when starting up from my scenario SAV file using my custom faction PCX files.

This means I have to remember to copy my scenario INI file into the SMAX game directory before each restart of the scenariom if I want proper faction graphics. I was wondering if anyone knew what I might be doing wrong here.

	07-02-2001 19:58									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Nothing. This is the way SMACX always works with scenarios, and I have never heard of a way around it.

	08-02-2001 01:44									#3
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I was afraid of that. A bit of a nuisance trying to run a scenario with custom faction graphics as PBEM, where you must save and restart after each turn.

Thanks for the confirmation.

- Scipio Centaurus

	08-02-2001 03:36									#4
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

It is not limited to custom factions. The standard ones suffer from the same problem - the graphics corresponding to the current Alpha Centauri.ini are used.