Things that make you go UNH: strange things in SMAC/X

Vultur · July 20, 2000, 13:18

I've read "Sounds" posted by cpp and I've remembered strange features not implemented in the game, I searched and I discovered many interesting things:

1.Inertial Damping & Global Energy Theory
In order tech 24 and tech 70 of SMAC's technology tree. These techs have been deleted in normal game, but sounds' files are yet presents.
This is the text of SF:

##Inertial Damping
#TECH24
Until now the battle had been proceeding smoothly: the enemy was outflanked and had been driven from the reactor housing. But
against the reactor itself the matter cannon were strangely ineffective. Rounds simply . . . stopped. In mid-air.
^
^ -- Col. Corazon Santiago,
^ "A Tactical History of Sparta"

##Global Energy Theory
#TECH70
"Energy is the currency of the future."
^
^ -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan,
^ "The Centauri Monopoly"

But more interesting things are the not-implemented abilities:

2.Hyperstimulants, fungicide and subliminal coercion.

I've found these abilities reading Script file (I was correcting grammar... but this is another history...)
I was surprised, because the ideas of these units' abilities were good:

#HYPERSTIM
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
Hyperstimulants activated! Unit's movement rate doubled until end of turn. Unit can opt to use "skip" (space bar) command to expend hyperstimulants and repair all damage.

#FUNGICIDE
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
Fungicide activated! Area cleared.

#VOICE
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
Subliminal Coercion activated! Select action:

Force target to attack.
Force target to retreat.

#VOICEFIZZLE
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
Subliminal Coercion attempt fails.

Try to think at Morgan with Fungicide...
or Santiago with hyperstim...

There other surprises:

3.Charge
It seems that some units could have "charge" abilities. Read this:

#NOCHARGE
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
This unit has expended its special ability charge. To recharge, it must spend a complete turn resting at a friendly base.

4.Polymers
Last but not least I've found also this terraform (?) action:

#POLYMER
#xs 400
#caption Operations Director
Polymer adhesives placed! Movement into/through this area impeded.

5.Will of Planet
In my tour this texts have attracted my attention:

$TITLE2 $NAME3, your time is now. Planet has spoken to you, awakening you for your task. You have no memory of a previous life, but it does not matter. Your challenges will be many, and others will at first try to resist you, but you have established a cadre of
loyal followers, and you are ready to do the will of PLANET.

#FEATURE
#xs 440
#caption Things that make you go UNH.
Feature not yet implemented.

#BETAFEATURE
#xs 440
#caption Things that make you go UNH.
This feature is disabled for this test release.

As you have noticed the title of my article is the same of the last 2 texts.
What does it means UNH?

If you know other strange things please post them here.
---------------------------------------------
Bibliography
You can find the same information in your Script and Blurbs(x) files

LoD · July 25, 2000, 00:35

The charge window is there probably for the hyperstims (since they can be activated) and fungicide (ditto).

"UNH" - abbreviation, or an onomathopeia?

LoD

Vultur · August 5, 2000, 06:41

"UNH" onomathopeia, i think...
"enhance", perhaps.

Adam_Smith · August 5, 2000, 07:41

Interesting. I wonder if there is a way to impliment these into the game if you wish. These techs etc. must have been taken out during betatest because they created unballance, but left in so that the player could add them to the game if the wish.

Googlie · August 6, 2000, 23:37

There were some great discussions in the old OWO threads on these matters, by some of the games beta testers who posted their reactions to some of the now disabled techs

I do remember the discussions around the global energy theory one, (which I think originally was meant to be needed before embarking on cornering the energy market)

Must have drawn adverse comments from the testers, with two almost making the grade but being "deleted" after the closing list but just before burning (see the alphax.txt)

G.

Black Sunrise · August 15, 2000, 20:21

quote:

Originally posted by Vultur on 07-20-2000 01:18 PM
5.Will of Planet
In my tour this texts have attracted my attention:

$TITLE2 $NAME3, your time is now. Planet has spoken to you, awakening you for your task. You have no memory of a previous life, but it does not matter. Your challenges will be many, and others will at first try to resist you, but you have established a cadre of
loyal followers, and you are ready to do the will of PLANET.

Er, that's part of the game. It's the message Cha Dawn gets when (s)he starts the game, as the map is being generated.
Black Sunrise
looking puzzled

Jasonian · August 16, 2000, 03:48

Some of you probably know this, but there is a TALENT social modifier.

+1: +1 Talents at each base
0: No extra Talents or Drones
-1: +1 Drones at each base

None of the SE choices allow this, but you CAN give a faction a TALENT modifier or change a SE choice to include one. I tried it out by making the Future Society be +1 TALENT, and it does indeed add a talent to each of my bases.

Since +1 works, it's safe to assume that -1 would give an extra drone. However, I don't know if +2 would add two talents. Doubt it.

Maybe this should be in customization... it's a great way to give an otherwise boring faction a little edge. (but not make it too overpowered)

Jasonian · August 16, 2000, 04:04

Oh, another left out feature that we can turn on: Heavy Transport. This fun ability lets a transport carry 50% more units, so a normal foil would carry 3, and a singularity cruiser would carry up to 24!

I haven't actually TRIED it, but it's in alpha.txt as disabled, so it SHOULD work if we turn it on.

Idea: We can create our own council proposals, but if we do, the AI will always vote NAY and they won't change their mind. What would happen if 4 human players passed this in multiplayer? Game crash!? End of the world?! Massive destruction to our foes!? I think someone should find out!

Vultur · August 16, 2000, 10:40

quote:

Originally posted by Jasonian on 08-16-2000 04:04 AM
Oh, another left out feature that we can turn on: Heavy Transport. This fun ability lets a transport carry 50% more units, so a normal foil would carry 3, and a singularity cruiser would carry up to 24!

I haven't actually TRIED it, but it's in alpha.txt as disabled, so it SHOULD work if we turn it on.

I've tried one time to activate the ability
"Heavy Transport" and it worked very well.
I've had only a problem: my military superiority have already squised the other factions and I had not the problem to "relocate" units.

quote:

Idea: We can create our own council proposals, but if we do, the AI will always vote NAY and they won't change their mind. What would happen if 4 human players passed this in multiplayer? Game crash!? End of the world?! Massive destruction to our foes!? I think someone should find out!

I think it could be a good idea...but I think that AC will crash "before it leaves the ground"

I've also tried with a ++Talents, but it seems don't work.

[This message has been edited by Vultur (edited August 16, 2000).]