question about prototypes

jjgarcia · December 27, 2003, 08:01

ive been playing smax, talent level, prototypes are not free. but as i reach date 2157, prototypes become free. i don't see additional prototype costs in the build window. is this normal?

Enigma_Nova · December 27, 2003, 08:36

Solutions:
1. You've built a skunkworks
2. You've built the prototypes already
To test this, wait until you get noodles or copters, which should need to be prototyped.

If not I don't know what's going on

jjgarcia · December 27, 2003, 09:19

nope, i haven't built the skunkworks yet

yes i've built a prototype. but the units whose prototype i have not built yet become free when i reach the date. in every smax game ive played this is the case

Lazerus · December 27, 2003, 09:41

have you built a planet buster ? i read that they remove prototype costs

Petek · December 27, 2003, 12:30

I just started a SMAX talent level game and wasn't able to reproduce the prototype behavior you described. I designed and built a 2-1-1 Laser Squad. This was before MY 2157. Had to pay normal prototype costs. Then, in MY 2158 I designed a 1-3-1 Plasma Garrison. Again, I had to pay normal prototype costs.

Do you have the most recent SMAX patch? According to the readme, this patch fixes some problems with prototyping.

Illuminatus · December 28, 2003, 14:32

Weird bug. obviously a bug. But SMAC has seen even weirder.

I present you with this throphy, "The Weirdest Newest Bug in SMAC/SMAX, December 2003". :throphy:

At least you didn`t experience extremely strange repeated meteor strike bug.

Sarxis · December 28, 2003, 22:00

Planetbusters nixing prototype costs? Never heard of that before.

SynthetGod8 · December 28, 2003, 23:45

maybe you built a 2-3-1 unit, thereby getting rid of both the Laser and the Plasma prototyped units.

RedFred · December 29, 2003, 16:17

Yes there is no magic to 2157 that I know of.

Please tell me you are not playing Spartans.

Blake · December 29, 2003, 17:33

I have experienced the prototypes becoming free as various points in the game, almost invariably the highest weapons have been pre-prototyped for me, altough sometimes it happens earlier. Could be something to do with missiles/planet busters.

Hercules · December 29, 2003, 19:50

Blake

Quote:

I have experienced the prototypes becoming free as various points in the game, almost invariably the highest
weapons have been pre-prototyped for me, altough sometimes it happens earlier. Could be something to do
with missiles/planet busters.

That 's what I am about to test. I read that somewhere too.

Petek · December 29, 2003, 19:59

I can't find it right now, but there was a thread about six months ago in which it was claimed that building a PB eliminated all prototype costs for attack weapons. The reason given was that once you prototype a weapon for a given strength, all weapons of lower levels are automatically considered to have been prototyped. A PB has an attack factor of 99, which is higher than any other weapon. I think that I tested this at the time and verified it, but can't remember for certain.

The Mad Monk · December 30, 2003, 17:47

In the SMAX game I'm playing now, the first since acquiring The Planetary Pack two weeks ago, I had gotten Doctrine:Flexibility from the Pirates extra early, so I decided to try for both the First Naval Vessel and First Prototype honors simultaneously (with a prototype 1-1-4 "gun patrol"). I got the FNV, but didn't get the FP because it wasn't a prototype.

What the hell?

Blake · December 30, 2003, 18:04

Chassis are automatically prototyped if there is a pre-designed unit using it:
Infantry - Prototyped by Scout Patrol.
Rover - Prototyped by the probe team.
Foil - Prototyped by Transport.

The Mad Monk · December 30, 2003, 19:49

So it'salways been that way? I'd never noticed.