Comprehensive Datalinks Update

[vyeh]

GooglyBoogly,

There is a new SMAC forum. Perhaps you can register there and post a thread pointing to your comprehensive datalinks update.

 

[Eclipse4449]

Hi

Is v1.3 compatible in a pbem with those that do not have it?

 

[GooglyBoogly]

This only modifies the datalinks, and has no effect on gameplay. You should be able to play a PBEM with any version (or none at all) vs any other version (or none at all)

To Summarise: Yes

 

[Petek]

GB,

I have a minor correction for your datalinks update: In the datalinks article on ECOLOGY (BASIC), the last sentence reads "Ecological damage reducing facilities only reduce ecological damage if built after your first eco-damage report." This should read something like "Ecological damage reducing facilities only increase the clean mineral limit if built after your first eco-damage report." Tree Farms, Hybrid Forests, etc. will reduce any eco-damage even before the first >pop<. My helpx.txt file is dated 12/06/2008, so I think it's the most current version.

Also, would you object if I topped (stickied) this thread? I think it's of sufficient value to the SMAX community to do so. However, I wouldn't want to cause you extra work in replying to queries, if you weren't prepared to do so.

Petek

 

[vyeh]

"Ecological damage reducing facilities only reduce ecological damage if built after your first eco-damage report." This should read something like "Ecological damage reducing facilities only reduce the clean mineral limit if built after your first eco-damage report."

Nit-pick: Shouldn't the bolded word be "increase?"

Basically, I think the basic report should cover three areas:

(1) clean mineral limit increased by facilities after first pop.

(2) tree farms and hybrid forests eliminate ecodamage due to terraforming.

(3) facilities mitigate existing ecodamage.

 

[Petek]

Nit-pick: Shouldn't the bolded word be "increase?"

Basically, I think the basic report should cover three areas:

(1) clean mineral limit increased by facilities after first pop.

(2) tree farms and hybrid forests eliminate ecodamage due to terraforming.

(3) facilities mitigate existing ecodamage.

A correct "nit-pick". I'll edit my post.

Petek

 

[GooglyBoogly]

gotchya.

Also, would you object if I topped (stickied) this thread? I think it's of sufficient value to the SMAX community to do so. However, I wouldn't want to cause you extra work in replying to queries, if you weren't prepared to do so.

Go ahead.

 

[Petek]

Done!

Petek

 

[chuft]

This is a great project. I have a question about the mine entry though.

I find the mine entry in the Datalinks confusing.

My base has a square that is rocky and contains a mineral resource. I built a mine on it and it produced 5 minerals. Then I build a road on it and it produced 7 minerals.

Maybe this is stated in the Datalinks and I am reading it wrong, but the Datalinks made it sound like rocky = 2 +2 for mineral +1 for mine +1 for road = 6, but it is 7.

conceptsx.txt Rockiness entry:
"Special {Mineral Resource} squares produce two additional minerals per turn, and
can be increased to three extra with a mine. "


helpx.txt Mine entry:

"#;MINE
#HELPTERRALAND2
A {mine} increases the $LINK<mineral output=42> of a square:
^$LINK<Flat squares=1>: +1 minerals
^$LINK<Rolling squares=1>: +1 minerals
^$LINK<Rocky squares=1>: +2 minerals (+3 if road)
^
^A mine provides an additional +1 minerals in Minerals Resource squares.
^A mine reduces the nutrient output of a square by 1, but never below 1"

Using this information would you conclude mine plus road plus rocky = 7?

 

[vyeh]

The formula appears to be that a road adds 50% minerals (rounded down) to a rocky square.

 

[chuft]

In my current game, mines on rocky terrain with roads give a total of 4 minerals, not 5.

 

[vyeh]

In my current game, mines on rocky terrain with roads give a total of 4 minerals, not 5.

My base has a square that is rocky and contains a mineral resource. I built a mine on it and it produced 5 minerals.

Are these the results you get?

1 min = rocky
3 mins = rocky + mine
3 mins = rocky + mineral bonuis
4 mins = rocky + mine + road
5 mins = rocky + mineral bonus + mine
7 mins = rocky + mineral bonus + mine + road

 

[chuft]

Looks like it.

I was thinking rocky squares have 2 for some reason but they only have 1.

 

[GooglyBoogly]

So yes Chuft - you are correct, it appears that in the case of a rocky mineral resource you get an extra +2 mins from a road. Good spotting!

Vyeh, you are correct. After experimenting with mines in rocky tiles in a garland crater, I can report that you can get +6 minerals on a rocky mine and +8 with a road.

Pretty weird stuff. You don't get a 50% road bonus for rolling or flat. This will be included in the next datalinks update

 

[vyeh]

After experimenting with mines in rocky tiles in a garland crater, I can report that you can get +6 minerals on a rocky mine and +8 with a road.

Obviously, you placed a rocky tile in the Garland Crater through the map editor. It is an interesting result.

The squares for the Garland Crater are always rolling (absent intervention through the map editor). I would have thought the landmark bonus is applied first followed by the effects of terraforming (take a look at the behavior of farms, condensers, and soil enrichers on the monsoon jungle) and I thought the Garland Crater added +1 mineral to the terrain. My prediction:

Garland Crater flat: +1 mineral; with mine: +2 mineral
Garland Crater rolling: +2 mineral; with mine: +3 mineral
Garland Crater rocky: +2 mineral: with mine: +4 mineral; with mine and road: +6 mineral.

Clearly, I have to do some map editor work.

Pretty weird stuff. You don't get a 50% road bonus for rolling or flat. This will be included in the next datalinks update

Manual, p.54, note 9:

Roads do not provide a bonus to mines in flat or rolling terrain.

Edit: added the first section to my answer

 

[StrikerX22]

I may be misunderstanding something here, but I think I'll mention:

Bonus Square, 2, 2, 2, 0, * Mineral +1 if mine present

In other words, bonus squares for food is +2, minerals is +2, and energy is +2, but mineral bonus is 1 higher than normal if mine is present. Is that being taken into account?

 

[vyeh]

Flat = 0 minerals
Rolling = 1 mineral
Rocky = 1 mineral

Flat + Mineral Bonus = 2
Rolling + Mineral Bonus = 3
Rocky + Mineral Bonus = 3

Flat + Mineral Bonus + Mine = 3
Rolling + Mineral Bonus + Mine = 4
Rocky + Mineral Bonus + Mine = 5

 

[ete]

This seems like a very cool project/idea, always loved the datalinks but they never seemed quite right. This seems like an excellent start, however as a bit of a grammar nazi I could not help but notice a fairly large number of typos, and general state of untidiness, so will be correcting my own version (and removing credits, it's annoying to have those ingame. having them in the download post is enough.). If anyone else is interested in a copy or has additional things to improve I'm more than willing to play around a bit and fix this. I would have spoken to GooglyBoogly first but he's not signed in for over five months, so probably not going to get anywhere too fast with that.

 

[Abaddon]

I suggest just grabbing and running with it, any progress is progress!

 

[Psyringe]

Send Googlyboogly a PM or mail anyway. Even if he hasn't logged in here for a while, he may have his account set to notify him when PMs arrive, or he may have allowed to be contacted by mail directly.

That said, I don't think he'd object to someone proofreading and/or expanding on his work, as long as the credits reflect which work was done by whom.