The instructions in this thread about how to manually patch GOG's release of SMACX are now obsolete. Please see my later post in this thread for more information.
As noted in this thread, Good Old Games (GOG) recently released Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (SMAC) with the inclusion of the Alien Crossfire (SMAX) add-on. The original release was flawed, in that SMAX reported within the game a version number of 1.0 (use Ctrl-F4 in the game to see the version number). The most recent version of SMAX is 2.0. (SMAC reports version 5.0. This is correct, since the Win2k/XP compatibility update changes the version number to 5.0.)
On January 3, 2013, GOG released an updated installer file (for those who hadn't already purchased the version that included SMAX) and a "Universal Update" (for those who already had the games). These updates changed the SMAX version to 2.0, but didn't incorporate other bug fixes and modifications made by patch 2.0. The purpose of this post is to describe how to modify GOG's post-patch installation of SMAC and SMAX so that all the official bug fixes and other changes are included.
Disclaimer: I have tested these instructions and played some partial games after making the changes. I think that everything should work OK. If you run into any problems after following these instructions, please post in this thread and describe your issues. At worst, you can uninstall the game and redownload it from GOG, leaving you no worse off than before.
So, I assume that you downloaded Alpha Centauri from GOG, on or after Jan. 3, 2013 and that your version of SMAX reports version 2.0.
First, rename the files terran.exe and terranx.exe to something such as terran_GOG.exe and terranx_GOG.exe. In a default installation, the files will be located in the folder C:\GOG Games\Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Next, go to Firaxis Games Alpha Cetauri download page and download the files labeled SMAC Win 2000/XP Update and Alien Crossfire v2.0 update. Save these files in the folder mentioned in the previous paragraph. The two files should be named SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe and Smacxpv2.exe, resp.
Run Smacxpv2.exe. Make sure that the files will be extracted to the proper folder (same as the folder mentioned above).
Now run SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe. You will be warned that you will be uninstalling the compatibility update. That is what you want to do. Proceed. After the process is finished, run SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe (again making sure that the proper folder is selected). This will reinstall the compatibility update.
Your system should now have all the official patches from Firaxis installed. Use the the files that you earlier renamed (e.g., terran_GOG.exe for SMAC and terranx_GOG.exe for SMAX) to launch whichever game you want to play.
Here's an explanation of why you have to run the compatibility update, even though it's already installed in GOG's version of the games: The compatibility update was released after the patch that updated SMAX to v2.0. When you ran Smacxpv2.exe, it not only updated terranx.exe, but also reverted some other game files to versions from before the compatibility update. Uninstalling and reinstalling the compatibility update insures that the games files are the most recent version.
I will post again if GOG releases another update.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
As noted in this thread, Good Old Games (GOG) recently released Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (SMAC) with the inclusion of the Alien Crossfire (SMAX) add-on. The original release was flawed, in that SMAX reported within the game a version number of 1.0 (use Ctrl-F4 in the game to see the version number). The most recent version of SMAX is 2.0. (SMAC reports version 5.0. This is correct, since the Win2k/XP compatibility update changes the version number to 5.0.)
On January 3, 2013, GOG released an updated installer file (for those who hadn't already purchased the version that included SMAX) and a "Universal Update" (for those who already had the games). These updates changed the SMAX version to 2.0, but didn't incorporate other bug fixes and modifications made by patch 2.0. The purpose of this post is to describe how to modify GOG's post-patch installation of SMAC and SMAX so that all the official bug fixes and other changes are included.
Disclaimer: I have tested these instructions and played some partial games after making the changes. I think that everything should work OK. If you run into any problems after following these instructions, please post in this thread and describe your issues. At worst, you can uninstall the game and redownload it from GOG, leaving you no worse off than before.
So, I assume that you downloaded Alpha Centauri from GOG, on or after Jan. 3, 2013 and that your version of SMAX reports version 2.0.
First, rename the files terran.exe and terranx.exe to something such as terran_GOG.exe and terranx_GOG.exe. In a default installation, the files will be located in the folder C:\GOG Games\Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Next, go to Firaxis Games Alpha Cetauri download page and download the files labeled SMAC Win 2000/XP Update and Alien Crossfire v2.0 update. Save these files in the folder mentioned in the previous paragraph. The two files should be named SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe and Smacxpv2.exe, resp.
Run Smacxpv2.exe. Make sure that the files will be extracted to the proper folder (same as the folder mentioned above).
Now run SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe. You will be warned that you will be uninstalling the compatibility update. That is what you want to do. Proceed. After the process is finished, run SMAC_Win2000_XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f.exe (again making sure that the proper folder is selected). This will reinstall the compatibility update.
Your system should now have all the official patches from Firaxis installed. Use the the files that you earlier renamed (e.g., terran_GOG.exe for SMAC and terranx_GOG.exe for SMAX) to launch whichever game you want to play.
Here's an explanation of why you have to run the compatibility update, even though it's already installed in GOG's version of the games: The compatibility update was released after the patch that updated SMAX to v2.0. When you ran Smacxpv2.exe, it not only updated terranx.exe, but also reverted some other game files to versions from before the compatibility update. Uninstalling and reinstalling the compatibility update insures that the games files are the most recent version.
I will post again if GOG releases another update.
Please let me know if you have any questions.