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16.Sep: ZAKHAROV TURNS ELEVEN
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Dis is offline Dis
Emperor
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 2000
time: 21:30
  Old Post 19-05-2004 09:28 Visit Dis's homepage!
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I still don't do this, I know I should beeline for IA.

But I'm silly. I still always go for secrets of the human brain first. Although that depends on which faction I am. If I'm playing against the University I usually don't even try. I have no chance.

johndmuller is offline johndmuller
King
Capitol Hill, Colony of DC
Feb 2001
time: 00:30
  Old Post 19-05-2004 10:05
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quote:
Originally posted by HongHu
Not traded because I was looking at first available tech. You know, at turn one.

If you're talking about a PBEM, at least one generated by the Scenario Editor, I think the traded-techs thing needs to be set to 'Yes' (even) at the beginning; apparently the action of a CMN assigning the starting techs is equivalent to trading in the game's lights. I think the spreadsheet just cycles the tech counter once or twice anyway, like modifying the slot number.

Although in my experience the spreadsheet generally works just fine, I think that sometimes, like when using the University, for example, it might be necessary to lie about some of the settings to get the spreadsheet to work right; it's just a matter of getting it to focus once on the right group of techs to withhold when you first start using it for a particular game, the rest of if (namely the joker tech and all the misc mechanics like the prereq's and all the subsequent tech choices) seems to be OK without the need to jigger at all once it has been tuned in. If there seems to be trouble, just mess with the slot number til the techs withheld match what is actually the case in the game in question, then everything will be alright after that.

GeoModder is offline GeoModder
Emperor
The most erratic Overlord!
Jan 2004
time: 06:30
  Old Post 19-05-2004 14:30
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#93 Report this post to a moderator
Got spare money?

Frankly, I don't understand what you're talking about.

A game/scenario creator giving techs to a faction in the scenario editor is considered as traded techs between factions?
Or are you saying that the tech cost will increase more then it should by giving techs pré-game to the factions?

Is this solved if you only give starting or free choice techs to factions then?

Enigma_Nova is offline Enigma_Nova
King

Nov 2003
time: 14:30
  Old Post 19-05-2004 19:26
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#94 Report this post to a moderator
Increase the size of your Attachments

Is it CTRL-F2 or SHIFT-F2?
Do you force a tech breakthrough or assign the techs via the big tech list?
Or, like me, do you generate a game, open the scenario editor, clear the map and take it from there?

There will be a different mod shift on each one.

Snowflake is offline Snowflake
Princess
falling, once again
Apr 2003
time: 23:30
  Old Post 19-05-2004 19:31
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I don't think we are talking about tech cost here Geo. Only tech availability.

smacksim is offline smacksim
King
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lords of Gaia
Feb 2004
time: 00:30
  Old Post 24-06-2004 23:01
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quote:
Originally posted by gwillybj

{referring to HongHu's and Minute Mirage's question/answer about twiddling the alpha.txt during an MP game}

The order of the techs in alpha.txt is extremely important. The "line numbers" (which begin with zero) are keyed to every other part of the game that is keyed back to a tech's "line number" - some of which is hard-coded. If the order is changed, it will break many, many things.


Three things.

One, if you know what you are doing you will break nothing. This is a large part of mod making. The text isn't hard to understand. You must follow the rules though. IE, techs need prerequisites that exist. Spelling / syntax must be accurate. Other than that, it's a fun and powerful way to change the game. Just be sure you keep a backup and use it for MP games that you start.

Two, changes made to the alpha(x).txt are 'picked up' by the scenario editor in scenario games and likewise in regular MP games. Thus, whoever creates the game determines these things for the whole game. So don't start a game with a tweaked alpha.txt and then expect to be able to change it back mid-game.

Three, I'm not 100% positive about number 2 .However, I can say I've played a few modded games and scenarios in which the changes (made by the creator) took effect irregardless of anything I did or didn't do with my local copy of the text. I'd need to do more thorough testing to see if this is always true. If it is, as I suspect, then MP games are nicely vaulted against this sort of tampering or accidental mis-match of texts.

-Smack

Hydro is offline Hydro
King
Winfield, IL, USA
Jun 1999
time: 05:30
  Old Post 24-06-2004 23:04
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B-lines and directed research are for whimps!

Snowflake is offline Snowflake
Princess
falling, once again
Apr 2003
time: 23:30
  Old Post 24-06-2004 23:13
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#98 Report this post to a moderator
Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Perhaps ACDGIV could be blind research.

Illuminatus is offline Illuminatus
SMAC Stories Editor
Salvaging Unity Fusion Core
Jul 2003
time: 06:30
  Old Post 24-06-2004 23:44 Visit Illuminatus<br><img src=/forums/images/staff-icon.gif>'s homepage!
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Inflate your Upload Space

Indeed.

johndmuller is offline johndmuller
King
Capitol Hill, Colony of DC
Feb 2001
time: 00:30
  Old Post 25-06-2004 03:32
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quote:
Originally posted by smacksim
. . . . Two, changes made to the alpha(x).txt are 'picked up' by the scenario editor in scenario games and likewise in regular MP games. Thus, whoever creates the game determines these things for the whole game. So don't start a game with a tweaked alpha.txt and then expect to be able to change it back mid-game.

Three, I'm not 100% positive about number 2 .However, I can say I've played a few modded games and scenarios in which the changes (made by the creator) took effect irregardless of anything I did or didn't do with my local copy of the text. I'd need to do more thorough testing to see if this is always true. If it is, as I suspect, then MP games are nicely vaulted against this sort of tampering or accidental mis-match of texts.
-Smack


I can give a strong "YesNo" to that, or a "BooRay" if you prefer .

Some stuff is 'captured' in the scenario (like the #Units list) but most stuff isn't. For example, if you change the chopper speed in the #Chasis table (so they don't go as far) in your alpha(x).txt, and then play a PBEM, your choppers will be affected in the PBEM (but later players with a normal alpha(x).txt will not). Some stuff from the faction.txt files is also captured, like maybe everything up to (and I think including) the #BaseNameLists, but again, some is not, like probably the #Datalinks and beyond - don't know about the #Blurb, but if it only shows when you are starting a game, it wouldn't make sense for them to have gone out of their way to store it.

Regarding Blind Research, it is quite likely that it behaves in a similarly predictable way (presumably more complicated though); if we used that in the next ACDG, it would no doubt interest someone in doing the legwork necessary to figure it out. OTOH, perhaps there is a weighted randomness involved in the Blind Research algorithm, which would keep it from being as predictable (although that imperfect predictability is anathema to some ).

Last edited by johndmuller on 25-06-2004 at 03:43

smacksim is offline smacksim
King
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lords of Gaia
Feb 2004
time: 00:30
  Old Post 25-06-2004 03:47
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#101 Report this post to a moderator
Tired of ads?

BooRay indeed

Glad to see you've taken up the creative end of things JohnD. And whatever is 'picked up' or not, it is wise not to meddle unless you are confident of your file-swapping abilities.

-S

Chaos Theory is offline Chaos Theory

King
Missouri / Misery; CC
Oct 2002
time: 04:30
  Old Post 25-06-2004 04:17 Visit Chaos Theory<br><a href=/members><img src=/forums/images/supporter-icon.gif border=0></a><BR>'s homepage!
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#102 Report this post to a moderator
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Actually, in my experience, the base name list is not only not attached to saves and scenarios, it's not even in memory in the current game! I was tinkering with a faction file's base name list during a game, and although I kept saving the faction file, I didn't reload SMAX. However, one of the bases I subsequently founded had a new name. It's ridiculously inefficient to reparse the faction file every time a base is founded, but you can get away with that in UIs...

Maniac is offline Maniac
Emperor
Gent, Belgium
Jul 1999
time: 06:30
  Old Post 19-12-2004 04:06
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*BUMP*

After for a time fruitlessly seeking out why the tech choices the tech choice simulator gave me didn't match the real choices, I finally discovered the "Starting techs" setting in the simulator doesn't seem to work, does't have an effect on what techs will be available: it doesn't matter whether I have 1, 2 or 10 starting techs set. Am I the only one with this problem, or is it a programming error in the excel file?

In any case, once again a big thumbs up for Minute Mirage and his tech choice simulator.

Maniac is offline Maniac
Emperor
Gent, Belgium
Jul 1999
time: 06:30
  Old Post 19-12-2004 05:47
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#104 Report this post to a moderator
Put an end to popups!

More specifically, the "b" doesn't seem to be calculated in.

quote:
I think I've got the basic formula figured out now. This is what seems to work for me:

t = position of tech in alphax.txt (0-88)
n = total number of technologies for the faction
b = number of technologies at the beginning of the game for the faction
s= slot number of the faction

The condition is

(n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0

Hercules is offline Hercules
Emperor
in Tir Na Og
Sep 2002
time: 05:30
  Old Post 21-12-2004 01:57
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I found that the slot number has a significant effect.

Dis is offline Dis
Emperor
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 2000
time: 21:30
  Old Post 21-12-2004 07:37 Visit Dis's homepage!
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I have something I've been neglecting to admit.

but here it goes.

I really don't like using crawlers.

Does this make me strange?

Chaos Theory is offline Chaos Theory

King
Missouri / Misery; CC
Oct 2002
time: 04:30
  Old Post 21-12-2004 11:19 Visit Chaos Theory<br><a href=/members><img src=/forums/images/supporter-icon.gif border=0></a><BR>'s homepage!
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If it's because you don't think they're good enough, yes. If it's because you think they're too good, no.

Minute Mirage is offline Minute Mirage
Prince
Helsinki
Aug 2003
time: 07:30
  Old Post 21-12-2004 20:19
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#108 Report this post to a moderator
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quote:
Originally posted by Maniac

After for a time fruitlessly seeking out why the tech choices the tech choice simulator gave me didn't match the real choices, I finally discovered the "Starting techs" setting in the simulator doesn't seem to work, does't have an effect on what techs will be available: it doesn't matter whether I have 1, 2 or 10 starting techs set. Am I the only one with this problem, or is it a programming error in the excel file?



That's odd, "Starting techs" seems to work for me. Do you have the latest 1.07 version?

Illuminatus is offline Illuminatus
SMAC Stories Editor
Salvaging Unity Fusion Core
Jul 2003
time: 06:30
  Old Post 22-12-2004 00:24 Visit Illuminatus<br><img src=/forums/images/staff-icon.gif>'s homepage!
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#109 Report this post to a moderator
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You are the only one with this problem Maniac. Sheet works perfect for me.

Dis is offline Dis
Emperor
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 2000
time: 21:30
  Old Post 22-12-2004 05:43 Visit Dis's homepage!
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#110 Report this post to a moderator
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quote:
Originally posted by Chaos Theory
If it's because you don't think they're good enough, yes. If it's because you think they're too good, no.


perhaps it's because civ didn't have units like these. I still tend to play this game too much like civ. I know it hampers my strategy too much, but oh well.

Maniac is offline Maniac
Emperor
Gent, Belgium
Jul 1999
time: 06:30
  Old Post 22-12-2004 17:52
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After some further investigation it appears the excel sheet worked perfectly after all. The problem lied elsewhere.

Sorry for needlessly bothering you, MM.

binTravkin is offline binTravkin
Emperor
Lord of Progress of the Council of Lords of Gaia
Jan 2004
time: 07:30
  Old Post 22-12-2004 18:23
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quote:
The problem lied elsewhere.


Didn't your mother teach you to not play with macros?

livid imp is offline livid imp
Prince
Gimme a quarter or I'll touch you
Mar 2004
time: 21:30
  Old Post 24-12-2004 03:18
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#113 Report this post to a moderator
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quote:
Originally posted by binTravkin
Didn't your mother teach you to not play with macros?


If you keep playing with your macros like that you'll go blind

Commy is offline Commy
King
St. Louis, MO, USA
Mar 2004
time: 05:30
  Old Post 28-12-2004 09:26
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#114 Report this post to a moderator
Remove this text

I'm not even going to ask...

 
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