Facedit Questions

knowhow2 · March 27, 2001, 12:23

all,

I just resently started to edit (create) new factions. I have some question marks (???) about special abilities. How do you give it to a faction and what is the difference between "faction", "rules" and "datalinks"?

It seems like you have to give rec tank to both "faction" and "datalinks" but energy grid you don't (only datalinks). This is how the default looks like with Caretakers. Anyone care to explain?

......knowhow2

Chowlett · March 27, 2001, 18:07

Point number 1:- If you're using facedit, stop now. It doesn't work. We've had reports of it entirely failing to create factions properly, and worse resaving loaded factions in a totally incorrect way. Don't touch it.

Instead, get into the .txt files. My advice is to copy an existing faction, rename as appropriate and get editing. I'm not at the machine with SMAC on it atm (in fact I have no machine with SMAC on it - the standard has a black HD for upgrade 30 miles away), so I can't do a quick check of the details, but I'll have a look in my Prima guide (which actually has non-datalinks info in it regarding the text files!)

Uh, unfortunately it only lists the alpha.txt file. Maybe someone at a SMAC machine can help.

AFAIK, regarding where the facility needs to go, it needs to go at the top of the faction file, IIRC something like

FACILITY, ##

Where ## is the number of the facility as listed in alpha.txt - how far down the list it is. If you've got SMACX, you can grant a free facility with the discovery of the appropriate tech with

FREEFAC, ##

The datalinks entries should just give what's in the datalinks, and make no difference to the way the factions actually works.

knowhow2 · March 28, 2001, 12:03

okey,

thanx for the warning.

Xerxes2 · March 28, 2001, 14:52

Sorry, I've used the FacEditor numerous times and had no trouble at all. YMMV

Basil · March 29, 2001, 12:25

"Energy grid" is automatic for alien factions - you specify "alien" in faction, you can't give energy grid by itself.

Chowlett · March 29, 2001, 15:25

YMMV? That's anew one on me

Petek · March 29, 2001, 19:56

Your Mileage May Vary
[This message has been edited by Petek (edited March 29, 2001).]

gwillybj · March 30, 2001, 17:58

I'm curious if the faction editor you all are referring to is the same as "ACEdit" -- the one by "ANX" that can be downloaded? (I'll post the URL if anyone wants it.)
Either way, there is one item in ACEdit I'm not sure about: On the "Social" tab, an option in the drop-down boxes is "TALENT". What is this?
Everything else in the menus I understand. This one intrigues me. Is it a way to make the AI run the faction so as to focus on assigning Talents? Or something else?
TIA if you can enlighten me.

Chowlett · March 30, 2001, 18:28

No, FACEdit came with SAMCX, IIRC. As for the ACEdit, I haven't used it in ages, but I suspect it's for the "Extra Talent per x citizens", like Lal gets.