Minefield effects in SMACX

Adm.Naismith · September 26, 2001, 06:39

I'm looking for help from players of SMAC Alien Crossfire

On a thread in Civ III section, named Minefields, chemical warfare etc. we are speaking about the effect (mainly on tactics) of an ability for an engineer unit (terraformer for SMAC only readers

) to lay minefields on the map.

I played quite a lot SMAC classic, but not SMACX: it seems to me there is in SMACX a similar feature, probably named gluesomething.

Anyone can help us, with a reply here or better on the linked thread, explaining how the feature worked out in SMACX and its effect, if any, on tactics?

Thank you in advance

aaglo · September 26, 2001, 06:45

Minefields in SMACX...? Never heard of such...
Are you sure? Well, maybe it's a some sort of modpack of a modpack.

Vultur · September 26, 2001, 08:39

In SMAC/X there are no Minefield and no Polymer Adhesives (true name of your gluesomething)

I think they were good idea...

There are many feature not implemented in the final game:

1.Inertial Dumping
2.Global Energy Theory
3.Hyperstimulants and many more...

-Vultur

PS
Obviusly I've not wrote in our mother language to be readable from all...

Ciao!

Avenoct · September 26, 2001, 08:57

There are minefields in Alexander III Hydromechanics patch...and in Aldebaran, but these are just bunkers in the sea.

-Smack

MariOne · September 27, 2001, 10:00

Maybe you could take advantage of a similar effect, obtained by self-destructing your units: the blast inflicts some damage on units in the adjacent tiles.
I haven't experimented much in this feature, but I know it was applied in the ACOL Pente pbem by very experienced players as JAMiAM, Mongoose and the mighty Pagan. They managed to unexpectedly destroy air units self-destructing tehir own nearby low-weaponed units without even SAM ability.
Of course this "living mines"/kamikazen have to be manually triggered....

Hey, I'm not a frequent Apolyton visitor, but I never noticed that I had TWO fellow citizens in the Forum!
I'll post you my email as PM.

MariOne · September 27, 2001, 10:09

damn backtracking to the wrong page generated a double post....

TeknoMerc · September 27, 2001, 12:38

re: Minefields

I used minefields from the Hydro mod for quite a while. it works well, since it's just a sea bunker. the only problem with that one was no graphic showed up -- even to the player who terraformed it. did Aldebaran solve that graphic prob?

re: self-destruct

this is a tactic I stumbled into a year ago out of sheer desperation. the larger the reactor, the larger the BOOM. so Singularity 1-1-1 Scout is gonna boom much more than a Fission one. a damaged unit subtracts from the BOOM factor as well. Happy Hari-Kari!!!

Avenoct · September 27, 2001, 16:13

No, Aldebaran doesn't solve the visibility problem...same for a soil-enricher in the sea...it works, but you cannae see it!

If you look through the various files you'll come across some pictures containing things like Mind Worms, etc., but you'll eventually notice "Hey, not all the pictures are here!" Apparently many of the graphics are incorporated into the special-effects graphics and are pretty tough to edit, if it's even possible.

Another workaround for a 'Minefield' unit would be a custom unit with no movement at all. You could load it into a 'Minelayer'...a custom land or sea transport hovertank type thingy and then drop off the hapless Minefield units where you like. By giving them invisibility (not too hard to do, it's basically a special ability), you have a unit that will only react to units bumping into it if you set it 'On Alert', or you could activate it to attack adjacent units, or even self-destruct it...hey, that's not too bad I'll post you an example later.

Before I do that I should mention that scenarios allow you to customize quite a few aspects about a unit, even it's monolith history. One favorite thing is to make a whole bunch of units belonging to the 'aliens' (red units...basically barbarian-like from good 'ol Civ), then set them to be lurkers for X number of turns, then randomize their starting locations. With 100 randomly located alien land and sea-mines, travel could become pretty difficult!

-Smack

Adm.Naismith · September 27, 2001, 16:15

I jumped back here to thanks you, everyone who helped me on this.

I missed the fact that Polymer Adhesives lost the final CD Rom. That is surprising for me, it seemed a good idea (one that many fans supported at the time, IIRC).

Ok, I'm not going to go back to this post (I'm only wandering in Civ III area, if not in self exile from Apolyton for some time).

Please feel free to reply and debate again, as long as you don't wait for mine reply.

Bye.