No Way Jose - Turn Tracking Thread - Page 10

smacksim · June 21, 2004, 21:09

Here's the info I have. In my experience you don't need to diddle the text files with a scenario, as it 'picks up the changes' you've made before hand. So I'm going to play without following the advice. If things are screwy I may have to take the long route. The alternative is to see who installed and who didn't, which would take awhile.

Quote:

JohnD wrote:

The attached faction files should be loaded into your 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri' directory and the file called 'FactionList.txt' is a replacement for the portion of your 'Alpha Centauri.ini' file which sets the factions for SMAX. These files primarily affect the graphics - so that you can see the person and bases of Matsu's Syndicate and Archaic's Academy. I don't believe they are absolutely critical (as it seems that the important info is already captured during scenario generation), but if nothing else (and I don't know for sure if there is nothing else), some (seemingly non-critial) error messages may be generated and the profile information will not be available. Changing the faction list in 'Alpha Centauri.ini' without having all the referenced faction files loaded is quite likely a fatal error, however, so don't go that particular half way. If you are using a Mac, or if you have the Unix version, things may work a little differently - some of the files have Mac incarnations, which may just be a different directory location or may be different files; if you are in that situation, let me know.

Good luck,
John

-Smack

johndmuller · June 21, 2004, 21:13

Smack, good to have you back.

I sent the files and pw, along with assorted info and instructions.

The 'Syndicate' is not exactly the faction you created, but nearly so. I had been wondering where that faction came from, as its original form generated SMAX errors when I tried it out - now the light dawns and it is revealed to be one of the Aledebaron

factions ... ah so! {Muchos apologies for calling it 'dysfunctional' in the introduction; I was thinking it was a leftover from SMAC predevelopment.} FYI, the main change is that I added Immunity-Police to your bonuses, but OTOH, it is the regular version, not the AI boosted version (I couldn't bring myself to use that faction with all the extras that were in there - this one is strong enough with the police thing). Also, there are all the extra units and pre-terraforming stuff. Actually, I didn't change Yang and Santi's faction files at all and in most of my pretests, Santi was doing surprisingly well - apparently what she needs in general is mainly a good Terraforming Chief.

If you read the fine print in the first post of this thread at http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...14#post2447814, it discusses the need for the files (or lack of it), so seemingly the files are not really necessary as the game has already bound in all the relevant facts. I think the worst of it without the files is that the faction profile screens for the non-standard factions will come up blank or wrong and a non-fatal error or two may come up when the AI engages in dialog with you (there are some scripts in the faction file for that sort of thing). I think that just copying the faction files into your ac main directory is the easiest approach (although you may have your own version of the Syndicate already in there); that way if you feel like putting them in the ac.ini file to use the appropriate graphics, you can, but if you don't bother, the stuff for the profile and dialog will be available to the game anyway. For full integration, you can also add the faction names into the #CUSTOMFACTIONS section.

If you do nothing else, I would suggest at least looking at the picture of Matty in this set of faction files, as he has a whole different personality than the one you were using - very important insight into his play style

!

smacksim · June 21, 2004, 22:46

Hehe. It's too funny that I end up in a Pbem against my evil creation, the Syndicate! I'll have to tell Kassiopoeia about this one

.

Thanks for all the info. I went ahead and played the turn sin swappage of files. I hope it'll be o.k. for the save. We will soon know.

Here's the turn, and I'll email it as well...

Turn to Rubin-Drones

-Smack

Rubin · June 22, 2004, 03:17

2165 to Yoda.

Welcome smacksim!

jtsisyoda · June 22, 2004, 12:06

2165 to H.

H0bbes · June 22, 2004, 19:15

Turned to SS.

Hobbes

smacksim · June 22, 2004, 20:13

2166 to Rubin.

One more turn of reorganizing the empire and maybe I can make some progress against Matsumura, not to mention some other factions that are whizzing ahead!

-Smack

Rubin · June 22, 2004, 23:52

2166 to Yoda.

smacksim · June 22, 2004, 23:58

Tell me if I'm cluttering up the thread too much, but I thought I'd give you the Aldebaran background to the Syndicate. Matsumura was Yang's secretary of the treasury. Needless to say, he was furious with Hive economic policies and splintered off from the Hive, taking much of the cheap labor with him.

-Smack

smacksim · June 23, 2004, 11:56

2167 -> Rubin

Rubin · June 23, 2004, 16:42

2167 to Yoda.

Smacksim, feel free to post any background information.

jtsisyoda · June 25, 2004, 02:23

2167 to H.

H0bbes · June 26, 2004, 07:37

2 Smacksim.

smacksim · June 26, 2004, 12:20

2168 -> Rubin

Um. I'm getting diced.

-S

Rubin · June 27, 2004, 02:49

2168 to Yoda.

jtsisyoda · June 28, 2004, 00:33

To H.

smacksim · July 4, 2004, 02:13

And then Hobbes is away....

Anyone for a nice game of chess?

I thought I should continue with the Syndicate information. Seems I was incorrect in my info. They were originally a Network Node faction. Then Cybergod gave me the name for our own faction, probably without realizing he'd taken it from the network node. But anyways, the Syndicate playwise is sort of like a cross between Morgan and the Spartans. They have great economy and even industry, but a horrible rush-buy penalty. So their EC's don't help them with that very much.

-S