Speaking of crawlers

Paul · February 11, 2001, 15:05

You can use crawlers for three things:

1. They can contribute all of one type of resources (nutrients, minerals or energy) from a square to their home base, for example the 4 minerals from a rocky square with mine and road.

2. They can carry one nutrient, mineral or energy per turn from their home base to another base.

3. They can contribute their full mineral value to the construction of a secret project or a prototype.

lbores · February 11, 2001, 15:27

quote:

Originally posted by Paul on 02-11-2001 02:05 PM
You can use crawlers for three things:

1. They can contribute all of one type of resources (nutrients, minerals or energy) from a square to their home base, for example the 4 minerals from a rocky square with mine and road.

This is what I'm having trouble with. Is this square one within a bases' radius somewhere or anywhere on the map? How does one designate the square to transport from?

mark13 · February 11, 2001, 16:34

Anywhere on the map, that is the beauty of them - just move them to wherever you want to crawler resources from and press 'O' - simple as that.

Blake · February 11, 2001, 16:36

Move the crawler to the square you want to harvest (can be anywhere, as long as it is not currently being USED by a base) and press "o".

lbores · February 12, 2001, 01:48

quote:

Originally posted by Blake on 02-11-2001 03:36 PM
Move the crawler to the square you want to harvest (can be anywhere, as long as it is not currently being USED by a base) and press "o".

Ah so! Damned clever these crawler chaps!
Thnx.

lbores · February 12, 2001, 01:49

Perhaps I'm too steeped in CivII, but I'm assuming that crawlers can transport the 3 basics from one base to another much like setting up a trade route. Does that do anything for efficiency?

Sikander · February 12, 2001, 02:45

Crawlers and Social Engineering are probably the two most interesting and powerful differences between SMAC and CIV. They are very powerful tools to kick the AI's butt, and the AI's inability to utilize them as well as you can probably accounts for the ease with which you can beat it in SMAC in comparison with CIVII. In all probability the AI is actually better in SMAC than in CIVII, but the game is so much more complex that the AI hasn't quite kept pace.

Another powerful new feature is the Unit Workshop. You can build some lovely things here, including Trawlers (supply crawler modules on a ship chassis) and sea-probes to name two of the more common human variants that the AI doesn't use.

AzNtoccata · February 12, 2001, 03:00

Lol, I love finding empty islands and transport formers to make...FOOD ISLAND. Basically my workers produce energy and minerals from boreholes and such and my crawlers convoy resources from the little island. Too damn bad one time yang found it and just "seemed" to realize it was a major liability of mine and nuked it. *sigh*

lbores · February 12, 2001, 11:28

quote:

Originally posted by Sikander on 02-12-2001 01:45 AM
Another powerful new feature is the Unit Workshop. You can build some lovely things here, including Trawlers (supply crawler modules on a ship chassis) and sea-probes to name two of the more common human variants that the AI doesn't use.

Please elaborate on sea probes. By that I am assuming the Probe module in place of another pod. And what good does that do? Cloak the ship perhaps?

On the same subject of pods, when you research XX and get the ability to utilize Amphibious Pods, I assume that these are Transport pods from which troopps can directly attack a coastal city (like the Marine unit in CivII)?

Lord Maxwell · February 12, 2001, 12:04

Amphibious Pods should be on the unit that will attack from the ship.

So a rover with AP loads on a normal transport, and can then attack from the transport. Never use em much myself.

Lord Maxwell · February 12, 2001, 12:06

Sorry to post multiple times:

Probe ability replaces weapons, and is not a special ability. So you replace the weapon with probe eq. (Or crawler eq to make a new form of crawler.)

Sikander · February 12, 2001, 12:49

Probe Foils are basically spy units on a ship chassis. The big advantage is that you only need to build one unit rather than a transport ship and a probe on an infantry or speeder chassis (this assumes that you can find a coastal base to infiltrate). They are pretty cheap and very handy for exploring and infiltrating other factions datalinks. Infiltrating datalinks is an extraordinarily powerful advantage, as once it is done you can look at all of that factions status screens (just go to your status screen and click on the sybol for the enemy faction). Of course you can do all of the other spy activities with a probe foil as well, like bribing enemy units and bases.

Gregurabi · February 12, 2001, 15:15

Probe foils also have the endearing characteristic that they can be outside your territory while you're running Free Market, without causing any unhappiness. And they move at full foil-chassis speed (4/turn) instead of being slowed as transports are. This means you can use them to explore while under FM... and if you happen to find a coastal base to infiltrate, so much the better!

Kinjiru · February 14, 2001, 18:36

Just a quick reminder that may help you avoid hours of frustration...

When playing SMAX and using the Unit Workshop, don't forget to scroll down on the weapons and special abilities tabs. Took me a whole day to realize how big of an idiot I was being!

=)

Googlie · February 15, 2001, 00:16

quote:

Originally posted by Sikander on 02-12-2001 01:45 AM

Another powerful new feature is the Unit Workshop. You can build some lovely things here, including Trawlers (supply crawler modules on a ship chassis) and sea-probes to name two of the more common human variants that the AI doesn't use.

If you create a text line in alphax.txt (or alpha.txt) you can set trawlers as basic units, and the AI will build them.

Go here for the threaqd with the text entry (plus other ideas on other custom units):

http://apolyton.net/cgi-bin/ubb/postings.cgi

Googlie

[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited February 14, 2001).]

Kinjiru · February 16, 2001, 01:50

hey Googlie,

The link doesn't work for me. "Document has no data"

Method · February 17, 2001, 11:45

what about putting drop pods on colony pods? anyone ever try that? especially useful if you can do orbital insertions. what about once you get quantum chamber or higher you can put colony pods formers supply thingys and probe team equiptment on hovertanks to make them go faster. or what about air colony pods? and putting armour on choppers and needlejets because it costs the same without it. try them