rewriting the Gaians and the Cult

[solynna]

I felt like changing faction bonuses and social engineering, as well as editing the script to make the Gaian and Cult philosophies more interesting. While I want the SE bonuses to be different, I also want them to be balanced, so feedback is helpful.
From what I can tell from the SMAC opening cinematic and all the game quotes, Earth was destroyed by war, despotism (see Lal's faction quote), and pollution. Because the Gaians are against all those things (-1 morale, -1 police, +1 planet) they're my favorite faction, but as I see it there are two gameplay issues that muddy their philosophy. Green economics prevents population boom, while their efficiency bonus makes it easy to run Planned. So I switched Deirdre's efficiency bonus for impunity to Green penalty (it doesn't reduce growth for her). I also gave her a free biology lab at every base when she discovers centauri empathy because she is a world-class biologist. As for Cha Dawn, I added +1 probe and changed fundamentalism to be more planetculty: +2 probe, +1 planet, -1 econ. In xscript.txt I switched Miriam's Christian God rhetoric (when she yells at you for being police state or democratic) for Cha Dawn's mysticism. I think this makes Cha Dawn more distinct as a character, though obviously it doesn't work for Miriam. Any thoughts?

[Petek]

Hi solynna,

Welcome to CFC and the Alpha Centauri forum!

If I understand correctly, you've given the Gaians two new bonuses (impunity to growth penalties and free Bio labs), with no corresponding new penalties. For the sake of balance, you should take something away, although I don't know what. Also, the Gaians will still have to run Planned to pop boom (or increase their psych for a golden age pop boom).

Modifying Fundi will affect all factions. Is that really what you wanted?

[solynna]

I removed Deirdre's efficiency bonus to justify the new bonuses. I have her at +1 planet, +1 fungus nutrient, impunity to Green penalty, -1 morale, -1 police, free biology labs from centauri empathy, can't run free market, start with centauri ecology.
I thought fundamentalism would be more interesting if it was a society based on worship of Planet, because all the leaders hear the Voice. Only Miriam cares about Christianity, and I thought that made it a less interesting choice for the other factions.

[Peck of Arabia]

I seem to recall, once upon a time, somebody had modified the Cult so it was actually better for them to keep fungus over forest. As I recall, their mission statement essentially was to differentiate the Gaians as a Green (Forest based) faction and the Cult as a Red (Fungus) Based faction.

I've tried looking for it but it seems to have fallen victim to the ravages of time

Still, the idea seems a valid one to pursue

[Eran of Arcadia]

Given the Cult's whole reason for existing, it does kind of make sense to have that distinction.