Angels Free Tech; Infiltrated 3 factions

overcome · November 16, 2000, 17:06

I can't get this to work. I don't know how they define "infiltrated 3 factions". I assume that infiltrate means using a probe team to subvert your enemy (steal unit, sabotage, etc.), and that you must have performed at least 1 infiltration on 3 separate factions. Is this the case? If so, I don't see it working.

WhiteElephants · November 16, 2000, 17:15

You have to infiltrate their datalinks. This occurs at an enemy base, not a unit. One way around this is the Empath Guild or being elected Planetary Gov. (I think).

Edit: To clarify: You need to move your probe team into an enemy base and several options will become available, one being "Infiltrate Datalinks".
[This message has been edited by WhiteElephants (edited November 16, 2000).]

mark13 · November 16, 2000, 17:19

Yes, you do indeed have to infiltrate that faction's datalinks, something that can only be achieved by probing one of that faction's bases.

However, one point that is worth remembering:
Any techs you gain must have been discovered by one of the three factions after you infiltrate their datalinks - that is, any techs they had all discovered prior to your infiltration you willnot get free, however, if one of them discovers it after you infiltrate them all, you will get it.

The trick is to infiltrate early on, and do it at all costs - this will allow you to follow a particular beeline, and basically ignore all the other low-level techs, safe in the knowledge that you will get the majority of them free.

Hope this helps,
Mark13

Fitz · November 16, 2000, 17:33

To extrapolate on marks point:

You get a tech if, and only if, a third faction you have infiltrated discovers it. If you have 3 enemies infiltrated and three are not, you will not get the tech if it is discovered by 2 infiltrated and one non-infiltrated. As soon as that third infiltrated faction discovers (or gets traded) that tech, you get it.

Marks other point is also relavant. If two of your infiltrated factions discover a tech, then you later infiltrate a faction that already had the tech, you will not get it.

Simply put, you only get a tech if any three factions that are infiltrated by you discover a tech post infiltration.

I know that Planetary governor counts as infiltration for all factions, as does the Empath Guild, but does being a pact brother? As long as you have pact status, you may examine their production, research status, etc, just as if you had infiltrated them. But does it actually count as infiltrated for this purpose?

Edit: I just reread that, and it may be more confusing, not less. Sorry

[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited November 16, 2000).]

mark13 · November 16, 2000, 17:50

Pact Brothers, that is an interesting question....

Ummm.....

Probably.....not, actually. The reason for this being that the Pact Brother is allowing you to access his/her readouts, but not allowing you to download any relevant information for your own studies.

Oh, I don't know though, it may well do; most of my analysis would be relevant in the real world, but in SMAC, who knows....

What we really need is someone to go and check it out, but I can't be bothered right now....

Fitz · November 16, 2000, 17:56

I'll do it through a hotseat game right after I take a trun of our MP game tonight.

overcome · November 17, 2000, 16:33

Where does one get this information to begin with. Do you just test every concept through gameplay to figure it out, or is there some information source. My guess is that this forum is the only information source, because the player's manual is not explicit. I persued the Prima guide, and that seems to be no better. I even have the gameguide.com guide, which is good, but does cover anything about the Alien Crossfire stuff.

mark13 · November 17, 2000, 16:38

Yeah, basically testing; often the best way of discovering something is to do just that - Firaxis won't spill the beans any more than Coca-Cola will give away their recipe

[This message has been edited by mark13 (edited November 17, 2000).]

Fitz · November 17, 2000, 17:22

I'm pretty sure the manual you get with the game explains what "infiltrating a faction" is.

Gregurabi · November 19, 2000, 16:35

I have a related question, about the Planetary Datalinks SP. In the Morgan challenge game I'm playing, I've built it. Yang and the two aliens have the Superconductor tech, but I don't have it. So:

* Do the Planetary Datalinks only work on human factions, or do the aliens count toward the three factions necessary before I get the tech?

* Or (after reading this thread, this seems likely) do the three factions have to discover the tech in question after I build the Datalinks, in order to count toward the three factions? (At least one of the aliens had Superconductor before I built the Datalinks.)

mark13 · November 19, 2000, 17:52

The Planetary Datlinks is almost identical to the techshare ability with one distinct advantage - you don't have to infilitrate the factions.

In your example, another faction would have to discover Superconductor, if, as you said, the other three factions have it before you built the SP.

Fitz · November 20, 2000, 12:36

I'm pretty sure that all three discoveries have to come after you build the PD SP. Unless the firaxis coders were lazy, and set it up so if a tech is discovered, it just looks to see if two other factions already have it.

Which is likely, given Firaxis.