One-Page Tech Trees Posted

Helium Pond · July 4, 2000, 01:16

Hi everybody, I've made a version of the tech tree that's a Word97 document, can be printed out, and fits on one page! And believe it or not, it's legible. I made a version for SMAC and another for SMAX (and even corrected a couple errors that were on the SMAX poster). Alinestra Covelia has been kind enough to post them both here:

http://www.enixine.dabsol.co.uk/SMAC.html

The fact that they each fit on one page makes it very easy to chart tech paths, and if you like, you can print up many different charts to keep track of your goals in different PBEM games, which is what I do.

The trees list almost everything, not just the names of the techs; I've noted the facilities, bases, and units that come with each tech, as well as things like "nutriend restrictions lifted".

NOTE: I did a gigantic overhaul of the document I started with, but I did not create it from scratch. Somebody named Jesse (no last name given) made the original (an XL file), which I got off of Capt Comal's Alpha Centauri Heaven. If you are Jesse or know who is, please get in touch with me so that I can give you proper credit.
[This message has been edited by Helium Pond (edited July 04, 2000).]

Chowlett · July 4, 2000, 14:54

Wow

I am officially seriously impressed. Good work, both Jesses (That better, HP?

)
[This message has been edited by Chowlett (edited July 06, 2000).]

Helium Pond · July 5, 2000, 01:27

Chowlett, I am humbled by your graciousness. Now I've edited my message, too, so no one will even know what we were talking about. Nothing to see here, folks, move along...
[This message has been edited by Helium Pond (edited July 07, 2000).]

Googlie · July 5, 2000, 10:35

HP (and the unknown Jesse) - WOW.

Fabulous job.

Googlie (tinkering now with the .doc to include color coding)

Helium Pond · July 5, 2000, 13:28

Thanks, Goog, and please send me a copy of the color version, if you make it. I made it black-and-white on purpose, so that people without color printers could still print it out, but it'd sure be fun to see in color.

Kinjiru · July 5, 2000, 16:07

Excellent!

Varradami · July 5, 2000, 20:17

Thanks, the tech tree is very useful. I'd love to get a color version though (hint, hint).

Neptunus · July 6, 2000, 15:55

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat job Helium Pond (and Jesse, of course).

Now I can put the original poster back to its box and store the box somewhere else other than the top of my PC. You even had room to put a legend !!! You EVEN had room for one MORE column !!! Thanks...

Helium Pond · July 7, 2000, 00:56

Neptunus, I know how you feel: wanting to reclaim the wall space that I'd given to that poster was the main reason I made these things!

I'm assuming you don't have SMAX, because the "room for one more column" gets used in the SMAX tree; I made that one first, and then cut out the new techs (and re-pointed some arrows) to make the SMAC tree.
[This message has been edited by Helium Pond (edited July 07, 2000).]

Neptunus · July 7, 2000, 15:46

Its even worse... Unfortunately I do not have the wall space for the tech tree poster. What I do is spread the poster on top of the keyboard, on my laps, everywhere... It gets too awkward, especially when trying to navigate on the poster I accidentally press a series of random keystrokes which (if you recall just when one needs to look something up in the tech tree) usually result in researching the wrong tech for the next 5-10 turns...

Yes, I do have SMAX, but it is still amazing to have space left EVEN for the SMAC tech tree !

Purple · July 7, 2000, 21:12

Here's a "colorized" version of your SMAX tech tree, Jesse. Adding the color increased my respect for the time you must have spent creating the original.

Thanks!
http://www.rmconner.com/smax/smaxtech_color.htm

MidKnight Lament · July 7, 2000, 22:57

Hey, tidy work with the colour. And after I went nuts with my little brother's textas on my print-out last night.

I'll print another one out now.

One other suggestion, although perhaps I only want it because I'm still a relative SMAC newbie.. how about another page (only for those who can be bothered printing it out) that is a cross-reference? For example, a list of SPs in alphabetical order, with grid co-ordinates so that I can easily find it on your tech-tree? (I spent ages trying to find what tech you needed for an economic victory.) Obviously you wouldn't put grid lines on the tree, because it's got enough lines already, but do you think there'd be room for letters and numbers along the top and LHS?

Of course, I could just do it myself, but I thought I'd suggest it to you first.

Oh, and thanks for the effort. It'll be staying on my wall.

- MKL

Helium Pond · July 8, 2000, 02:58

My one regret is that I couldn't include the numbers and levels. That's why I put "Level 1 techs are at the top, level 16 at the bottom" on the legend; lame, but the best I could do. I think you'd have to make the font smaller to do it, which I didn't want to do, or tighten the spaces between boxes, which would mean quite laborious re-positioning of all the arrows, which I didn't want to do either. It should be on there, but I didn't realize that till I was almost done, sad to say. But, if it's any consolation, once you get more familiar with the tech tree, you really won't need it.

Purple, nice job!

MidKnight Lament · July 8, 2000, 23:13

Well, I did have a go at it myself, and it seemed there was definitely enough room. It was those arrows that were the problem though. I was hoping they'd be anchored to the boxes ala SmartDraw (or whatever), but it seemed that at least some of them weren't. Didn't seem to a problem when I was adding a new row, but adding a new column was a different story.

Ah, well. I guess I'll just have to learn them like everyone else.

Nonetheless, I'm keeping the printout. It's much easier to use than the monstrosity that came with SMAX.

- MKL

Purple · July 9, 2000, 16:50

I don't know the dimensions of the paper you use down under, MidKnight, but you may want to try formatting the tree on the equivalent of legal-size (8.5" x 14" here) instead of the standard letter-size.

Of course, you'd have to buy a ream of paper that size, but you might find other uses for it.

Just a thought.

Alinestra Covelia · July 12, 2000, 13:23

In case anybody has the slightest idea of what I'm talking about, I won the competition.

Mathematical diagrams rule OK!

------------------
Machines: outthinkable YES outfightable NO.
Men: outfightable YES outthinkable NO.
Allie Cove: outfallable INEVITABLY

Homepage http://www.enixine.dabsol.co.uk (Shared)

Misotu · July 13, 2000, 00:42

This is *great*. I've been meaning to sit down and do it for ages ... thanks to Helium Pond (and to Alinestra and Purple for providing the download facility).

- Mis

Purple · July 14, 2000, 17:18

OK with me, HP, although you did all the hard work.

I have slightly altered the file on my website, giving the techs that allow SPs a light blue shading. Makes them easier to spot, although it may be a little too garish now. See what you think.

Purple · July 14, 2000, 17:27

Oops! I forgot to say that I'm not sure I got all the SPs. I've never had a game go to the top (or in this case, the bottom) of the tree, and I was too lazy to verify.

Also, HP, what change did you make? Was it just shifting arrow/line positions? I made a couple of such changes myself.

Helium Pond · July 14, 2000, 18:58

All I did was remove an arrow from the SMAC tree--it was left over from the SMAX tree, and it didn't point anywhere. It was coming out of Polymorhpic Software. What did you change? I'm sure there's room for improvement.
[This message has been edited by Helium Pond (edited July 15, 2000).]

Helium Pond · July 15, 2000, 00:33

I guess I oughtta mail these in to Apolyton, huh? Purple, I'm going to include your colorized version as well, and credit you with the name on your website, ok? Alinestra, I have no idea what you're talking about. But I did make one small change on the SMAC tree, so I'd like to mail you the new version, in case the folks hereabouts never get around to posting them. Can your yahoo address recieve attachments? Well, I'll give it a try, anyway...

Purple · July 15, 2000, 15:32

I just shifted a couple of arrow lines and arrowheads. I had probably moved them when I was adding the color to them.

Helium Pond · July 15, 2000, 17:20

One thing I noticed: on Cyberethics, there are supposed to be two arrows, one going to Pre-Sentient Algorithms, and one going to Superstring Theory. The one going to Superstring Theory is one of the arrows that runs behind a bunch of boxes, and the first bit of it, the bit that actually comes out of Cyberethics, is missing.

Purple · July 16, 2000, 15:35

Pretty crowded geography there. You're right. On the colored version I have, the "tail" of the arrow didn't start directly on the Cyberethics box, but rather a little to its left.

So I connected it and posted the result at the URL listed above.

Sizzling in 107 degree heat here. Wish I were in Australia.

MidKnight Lament · July 17, 2000, 08:52

Ha ha. Yeah, it's bloody cold enough here. It's 10:50pm, and about 7°. Celsius, that is.

- MKL

Purple · July 19, 2000, 00:24

FWIW, I just got a report that this file was downloaded 51 times from my website last week.

MidKnight Lament · July 19, 2000, 02:37

You can both feel proud that it was well worth it, then.

- MKL

Purple · July 24, 2000, 20:08

I can't quit messing with it. I just started a new game and printed out the current version of the tech tree, the one that has a blue background for the SP-enabling techs. I don't like it. Maybe I should've chosen a lighter blue shading.

I think I will remove the blue shading and just put the names of the SPs in a distinguishable blue color. Probably tomorrow.

Purple · July 25, 2000, 16:23

New, improved version of the SMAX tech tree, colorized, but in oh so good taste, now available.
http://www.rmconner.com/smax/smaxtech_color.htm

Try it, you'll like it.

MidKnight Lament · July 25, 2000, 19:49

If it's any consolation, I'll probably use it if you make it better. So keep it coming.

- MKL