Turns of ADB002 (Aldebaran MP)

Scipio Centaurus · September 22, 2001, 20:36

I have sent 2301 off to Qantaga. Qantaga, hope you and yours are feeling better. Go easy on the games for a few days. Free medical advice from a non-medical person.

Player turn order is same as ADB001, I think.

- Scipio

Qantaga · September 22, 2001, 22:31

Thanks for the well wishes, Scipio (here) and Smack (ACS003 thread).

I followed Scipio's excellent PC instructions step-by-step and I am happy to report that I most definitely played an Aldebaran turn.

One little problem. In the ADB001 thread, Smack stated that the order would be:

Quote:

Planetlovers: Qantaga
Syndicate: Scipio
Universality: AI
Nauticon: JohnDMuller
Outlaws: Smack
Galactics: AI
Peacemakers: Arima

However, when I finished my turn, the game screen said that it was the Peacemakers turn. So, I sent the turn to Arima. Hope that's okay.

Avenoct · September 22, 2001, 22:36

I did? Hehe...it could be Santa Claus's turn and I'd be happy. It's working (where's the finger-crossing smilee?).

The turns for this game should be:

Scipio
Qantaga
Arima
JohnD
Smack
AI
AI

I think. I made a new scenario customized to our turn-order and Scipio started it as he is the first player. Passing to Arima was correct.

-Smack

Zakharov VII · September 22, 2001, 23:17

Ah, it seems things are working

This is probably not the best place to go into detail about my own adventures, but I don't know where else to go

...

I have had a great experience playing the Galactics (I'm surprised nobody picked them, with their industry and cheap(er) research!) and (finally!) beating up the computer after a slow start. The AI IS more difficult, with all their free SE bonuses. It's really demoralizing to infiltrate someone's datalinks and see that they're paying only 4 minerals per row. Human players can't get that even with +6 Industry! Must be that Transcend level takes off 3-4 minerals per row (I can never remember exactly which one it is) directly instead of indirectly through SE, and thus with the built-in +2 or 3 industry AI bonus, they get down to 4 per row. It would be really scary if the AI managed a +5 on the SE scale and got down to 1-2 minerals per row!!

I missed most of the early secret projects (but not the transmitter trials - I *think* it's more important than the datalinks give it credit for! It seemed to give me +50% more minerals at every base instead of just 2, making its cheap price a real bargain!), but luckily the first rival that I obliterated (Syndicate) had a few choice SPs, namely the HGP and DF (WP in normal AC). It took quite awhile to beat them down to size - those great colorful worm things are really tough to take out, with all their special abilities! I ended up using some amplified scout artillery to soften them up, and purple artillery to weaken everything else (amplified and purple together are waaay too expensive, though I did make 1 of those!). The problem with the worms is they have EMC for rovers and tanks, AAA for copters and noodles, and if you send in a plain amplified scout infantry, their fungal sentinals will utterly destroy you. I ended up killing the worm with a purple infantry after getting it down to half power with artillery.

I didn't really notice any difference in sea bases - I think there's an extra mineral on bases and mineral bonuses, making them a bit more hospitible, but that's a general change and not just for sea. I didn't notice any difference in mining platforms (except that their so expensive!), maybe it's because I haven't researched the tech that gives +1 minerals on mining platforms. But I'm about 50-60% down the tech tree...

Anyway, good luck to all!!

EDIT: It's a little weird that pressure domes are available so much earlier than recycling tanks, but I guess it forces you to work harder early on for those extra resources. In any case I like it

Z

Arima · September 23, 2001, 06:26

Turn passed to JohnD.

Good luck all!

Avenoct · September 23, 2001, 07:35

Zakharov VII,

Good to see you're having such a fun time on Aldebaran! A great place to post your experience would be Aldebaran Public Release which gets neglected over there in the Creation threads. In fact, I would greatly appreciate it if you copied your post and reposted it there as well as in the Aldeb Strategies Thread . Both threads could use a little less of me defending the game and a little more from players! BTW, could you email me about the 'special' native life you discovered? I want to make sure its natural and didn't spontaneously form

(alde_baron@yahoo.com). Thanks,

Smack

johndmuller · September 23, 2001, 10:21

It will most likely be several hours before I get to my turn due to various athings, including RL and fiddling with methods of swapping/renaming files. If necessary, I just do it manually until I trust my automation. I believe I can get the turn off before 8PM at worst. Sorry for the delay.
J

Zakharov VII · September 23, 2001, 11:19

Smack - I "Private Message"ed you about the worm (I would have e-mailed but I wanted to get a feel for how "PM"ing worked, hope you don't mind), and I will post my latest adventures in the threads you mentioned as soon as I eat breakfast

EDIT: Of no great interest, but I just snatched view #500 at the no crawlers thread

Z

johndmuller · September 23, 2001, 17:55

Turn 2301 to Smack/Outlaws

I created a batch

file to rename/check files back and forth and things were definitely different when I loaded the Aldebaron'ed version, so it is reasonably safe to say that I was in Aldebaron. It looks nice so far

. It was also nice that the pod I popped in the first game as an IOD came up this time as a sonar scan.

Obviously, I've got a bit to learn viz-a-viz the way things work there. I don't suppose anyone has a visual rendition of the tech tree in some form or another (I promise not to critique the artistic merit)?

Avenoct · September 23, 2001, 18:21

And 2301 comes to a close:

I find myself (well, I knew where I'd be, so 'find' isnt' the right word

) on some vast landmass. There is a river nearby, providing water and shelter for our troops. How could it be that we can breathe...**cough**..or try to breathe this horrible air. And I thought Penal Colony # 9 was bad. It seems that so called 'humans' from another planet have landed somewhere on this dreadful planet. I must make contact with them before they fall prey to the Galactics. I know all too well that the Galactic hordes won't leave me alone and in peace....Peace...for the first time in my life I don't have to look over my shoulder, hide behind every boulder and building. It truly is a dream realized, and I am greatful for every inch of Non-Complicity Base.

-Colonel Awen Llavella (aka Smack)

Scipio Centaurus · September 23, 2001, 22:24

2302 to Qantaga.

Our investigation of the caldera of the long dormant volcano has determined that there is no chance of establishing a colony anywhere near the rugged terrain near the volcano's top.

Matsumura threw down the report in disgust! "Remind me to have the commander of the scouts flayed alive! Why does he waste time investigating areas of land which any fool can tell will not support permanent bases." he raged inwardly.

Matsumura yelled at his aide-de-camp to send orders to the scout commander to get his troops down from the caldera and resume the search for fresh water sources and other signs of habitable land.

The aide bowed low and backed hastily out of the expedition command tent.

Arima · September 24, 2001, 16:55

2302 passed to JohnD.

Avenoct · September 24, 2001, 17:20

Quote:

Obviously, I've got a bit to learn viz-a-viz the way things work there. I don't suppose anyone has a visual rendition of the tech tree in some form or another (I promise not to critique the artistic merit)?

I think I know what I'm doing tonight

-Smack

johndmuller · September 25, 2001, 11:46

Turn 2302 to Smack/Outlaws

Summertime(?) and the living is easy.

Avenoct · September 25, 2001, 13:44

Turn to Scipio/Syndicate. I had a look at making a graphical tech-tree. Might take a few days. Remember that you can access all the techs via the F2 screen and then datalinks untill we have nice flow-charts for Aldeb.

-Smack

Scipio Centaurus · September 26, 2001, 09:30

2303 to Qantaga

johndmuller · September 26, 2001, 10:33

Turn 2303 to Smack/Outlaws

You load 16 tons and whadda you get, . . .

Avenoct · September 26, 2001, 16:39

2303 is complete.

JohnD wrote to me and had a few important points which affect all of us. For one, most of us (I think except Scipio) will be default 100 percent economy, and hence, no labs. Take a trip to the SE during your turn to change that..it's just the default. But secondly, noone got their free starting tech I don't think. Not sure why this happened, but since it's universal, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll smooth things out for later games. The problem isn't Aldebaran, but Smack not know how to make MP game run.

-S

Another day older and...

Scipio Centaurus · September 26, 2001, 23:17

2304 to Qantaga

----------------------

"Apologies Primus...", Matsumura's aide hesitated, knowing what was about to take place. "The data files for the establishment of our society's commercial infrastructure have been lost in the landing... All backup data sets have been destroyed as well." He abased himself and prayed that his journey to the afterlife would be quick if not painless. When no response from the throne, was forthcoming for several seconds, the aide sneaked a glance towards the Primus and then blanched in horror as he realized that the end would most certainly be quite painful after all.

Qantaga · September 27, 2001, 21:00

Gentlemen, I am on the road this week and I am experiencing sporadic internet access. I have sent 2304 on to Arima.

I appreciate the storylines being told so far. I plan on participating in the fun of the story myself once I am home and settled and able to get regular access to the 'Net.

Cheers!

Arima · September 28, 2001, 15:46

2404 to JohnD,

Smack, I was curious if you meant Field Agents to have AA abilities.

johndmuller · September 29, 2001, 01:30

Turn 2304 to Smack/Outlaws

Who's crying now?

Avenoct · September 29, 2001, 01:56

Turn to Scipio.

Scipio Centaurus · September 29, 2001, 02:17

2305 to Qantaga

Qantaga · September 29, 2001, 14:35

2305 to Arima.

You will get a reload message for me. I popped a pod containing a mysterious new technology, Aldebaran Environments. When I went to the datalinks and clicked on Tech Advances to learn more about my new tech, I got the dreaded "terranx" error.

The very frustrating part is that, of course, when I reloaded the game there were now 25 energy credits waiting in the pod instead of my nice, new technology.

johndmuller · September 29, 2001, 15:40

Smack, if you've got any leads on the crash problem, let me know and I might try to track it down. For example, did you make all the tech changes before trying it out, or was it working up to some point. What, if any theories have been already discredited? The obvious "interesting" aspect is that the information is there for the indirect approach via the F2 path, but not via the F1 method (I believe that is the way you described it earlier). Alternatively, if you have certain knowledge there is nothing to be done, let me know that too.

Avenoct · September 29, 2001, 16:41

This is one area where I did do some research to track down the problem, but alas, I never found a solution. I suspect that the 'help' screen has paths already named to the techs and when it finds different #'s it has a headache. I think it might be possible to renumber the techtree to match Smac and this might solve it. There are actually the same number of techs in Aldeb as in Smac (or very close), so it should be possible. You'll notice in Smac that one number is skipped (somewhere in the 40's?) but I used the number in Aldeb. Also, the overall length might be the issue.

The reason I never tried to fix this is that it means re-numbering the blurbs, techlongs, and techshorts as well, and I'm lazy. It also might not be the problem. If you feel inspired and want to try to track it down, that's about as far as I got. The help-text is the most fussy of all the text-files, well, after the Alpha text. Sorry 'bout the pod Qantaga. As John said, you can get access to the techs via the F2 screen.

-Smack

Arima · September 29, 2001, 17:27

Turn to JohnD.

Qantaga · September 29, 2001, 17:53

Ah, I didn't realize that it was a known crash. Shows how much research I did beforehand.

I did see your post above about accessing the techs through F2, I just didn't realize that F2 was the "only" way to access them and that the datalinks' tech advances option would cause the crash.

No worries on my part, though. I am just happy to be a participant in the initial Aldebaran MP game. I will figure it out as I go.

johndmuller · September 30, 2001, 01:01

Turn 2305 to Smack/Outlaws