Is there ANY way to add more factions into SMACX?

[Guardian_PL]

Hi.
Finally received my long-awaited, re-released copy of SMAC/X and boy I'm having a blast!
One thing bugs me though - too little diplomacy. I wish I could play the huge map, with all factions from both games - some of them would get eliminated early by others which would lead to interesting challenges later on in the game (like Yang and Miriam controlling whole other continent after eliminating the opposition, while I'm cramped with four others trying to make a living )

I know I can make a scenario, open a map, and plant additional factions, but that leaves me in control - knowing what map looks like, special locations, resources, where to put said faction, and next to whom they are etc. I know as well that I can make a map, save it, and open it couple of months later, in order to forget what's where. But I'd really really like to do it in some less annoying way.

Any ideas?

 

[vyeh]

No.

You can set "do or die" to no, so that if a faction is eliminated early on, it will reappear on some unexplored area.

 

[Petek]

Hi.
Finally received my long-awaited, re-released copy of SMAC/X and boy I'm having a blast!
One thing bugs me though - too little diplomacy. I wish I could play the huge map, with all factions from both games - some of them would get eliminated early by others which would lead to interesting challenges later on in the game (like Yang and Miriam controlling whole other continent after eliminating the opposition, while I'm cramped with four others trying to make a living )

I know I can make a scenario, open a map, and plant additional factions, but that leaves me in control - knowing what map looks like, special locations, resources, where to put said faction, and next to whom they are etc. I know as well that I can make a map, save it, and open it couple of months later, in order to forget what's where. But I'd really really like to do it in some less annoying way.

Any ideas?

No one has ever found a way to create a game with more than 7 factions. If you can do this using the scenario editor, please post a save file. That would really shake things up!

Petek

 

[Guardian_PL]

Wow. Now you've got me depressed

Anyway, thanks for answers.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

No one has ever found a way to create a game with more than 7 factions. ... That would really shake things up!

I wonder if that's something scient could address eventually... Perhaps someone should ask.

 

[Petek]

I wonder if that's something scient could address eventually... Perhaps someone should ask.

Well, scient's been clear that, right now, he's just fixing bugs. He has left open the possibility of undertaking other projects later.

Petek

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, scient's been clear that, right now, he's just fixing bugs. He has left open the possibility of undertaking other projects later.

Yes, of course, and all I meant.

...But then again, he did take an immediate interest in negative resource icons...

I guess I'll have to be the one to raise the issue...

 

[Darsnan]

he did take an immediate interest in negative resource icons....

I believe that was in specific reference to the borehole nutrients bug and the fact that there were no negative nutrient icons (both bugs IMO).


D

 

[Guardian_PL]

Please do. Somehow...

The more I play that game, the more amazed I am by the depth of it. I mean, espionage in CIV has been pulled out only in Beyond The Sword expansion, where we have a game made TEN YEARS AGO that has all those Probe Teams, mind control, subverting cities, hell, probe teams can even fight with each other, something that didn't make it into Beyond The Sword!

I also read in Designer's Notes that game was made with voice communication in multiplayer. Really? Ten years ago?
So far I've found only that AI is unable to cope with the game (except Pirates, they expand at alarmingly scary rate) - not using crawlers, not terraforming properly, not utilizing sea squares or sea warfare etc but aside from that the game is PERFECT.

Kudos to you Mr. Reynolds and whole Firaxis team who've made Alpha Centauri!

 

[Buster's Uncle]

I believe that was in specific reference to the borehole nutrients bug and the fact that there were no negative nutrient icons (both bugs IMO).

Well, I did post something. There's no harm in asking.

I recall reading the discussion, (I complied with vyeh's request so readily because I'd thought of volunteering) but I don't understand how the latter is a bug instead of a feature you wish they'd implemented.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Good news, everyone!

I sez to scient, I sez:

scient- I just want to make sure you've seen this suggestion. You're already a major prophet around here...

...If you found time to pull off more than seven factions at a time, you’d be worshipped as a GOD.

-Not that I have any idea whether it’s feasible at all, mind you.-

...And he sez:

Ya, I got the 7+ factions on my list for down the road. That would be pretty sweet on a huge map to have all the factions at once.

...For the first time I'm interested in getting his patch eventually. (I've never had a lot of trouble with the bugs, and he's been spiking WAY too many exploits I'd like to retain the option of using in SP.) But lordy, 7+, as he says, would be SO sweet.

 

[vyeh]

I don't understand how the latter is a bug instead of a feature you wish they'd implemented.

If the game designers allowed negative nutrients by modders (and the game correctly calculates the effect of the negative nutrients), but the display shows the negative nutrient as positive nutrient on the base screen display, it is a display bug, similar to when the talent/worker/drones is calculated one way under Psychology but shows up differently at the bottom of the base screen.

On the other hand, if you want to allow 14 factions instead of 7 factions, that is a feature.

In other words, Darsnan can already put in negative nutrients.

In terms of "cheating," I expect the biggest fight is going to be over the ecodamage exploit. It is pretty clear from the formula given in the datalinks that the designers did not intend to allow people to raise the clean mineral limit as high as they want.

And it would be a different game if you could produce only 16 or so minerals plus the minerals from orbit without ecodamage. (Imagine those expensive superunits requiring several turns to build.)

 

[Buster's Uncle]

If the game designers allowed negative,,,In other words, Darsnan can already put in negative nutrients.

Well, I'd say we're just quibbling over definitions, so- I HATE it when people dismiss what I say with “whatever”, but- whatever. Sorry.

…I’m kinda shocked there haven’t been 20 posts already, jubilating over the real possibility of 7+ factions…

 

[Guardian_PL]

scient, if you'll pull that off, I'm going to pester you to provide me account number, on which I can donate a small contribution for improving my favourite game.
Seriously, it's like Wake Of Gods for Heroes of Might And Magic III - new game, old engine, loooads of fun!

Thank you for even thinking about it

 

[T-hawk]

The more I play that game, the more amazed I am by the depth of it. I mean, espionage in CIV has been pulled out only in Beyond The Sword expansion, where we have a game made TEN YEARS AGO that has all those Probe Teams, mind control, subverting cities, hell, probe teams can even fight with each other, something that didn't make it into Beyond The Sword!

Spy units that can bribe enemy units and cities go all the way back to Civ 1, way older than even Alpha Centauri. They were removed for Civ 3 and 4 under the thought that they detracted too much from the military game. Why bother applying the effort to research and build a good military, when you can instead just save up a few hundred bucks and buy your way in? Nobody ever saw a chess queen buy off the enemy rook.

In BTS, spies were reintroduced in a more balanced fashion. They can have an effect on the game that is economy-driven (turning economy into espionage points), but you can't have one by itself knock over an entire city bristling with modern weaponry.

 

[Malte279]

Playing SMACX with all 14 factions active? Just how awesome would that be!
If one plays on a map large enough so there won't be an almost immediate destroying of several factions such a 14 faction scenario could allow for so many new alliances and hostilities. Also it would take a longer time for the player to become so powerful that all other factions (regardless of your behavior and social settings) become skeptic about you.

 

[MysticWind]

I want to have a 4x Huge map with 28 factions at once.

 

[civictor]

Hi.
Finally received my long-awaited, re-released copy of SMAC/X and boy I'm having a blast!
One thing bugs me though - too little diplomacy. I wish I could play the huge map, with all factions from both games - some of them would get eliminated early by others which would lead to interesting challenges later on in the game (like Yang and Miriam controlling whole other continent after eliminating the opposition, while I'm cramped with four others trying to make a living )

I know I can make a scenario, open a map, and plant additional factions, but that leaves me in control - knowing what map looks like, special locations, resources, where to put said faction, and next to whom they are etc. I know as well that I can make a map, save it, and open it couple of months later, in order to forget what's where. But I'd really really like to do it in some less annoying way.

Any ideas?

This cannot be done. The planetary council cannot handle more than 7 factions in the voting screen. The comm pop-up is also a problem. The internal data structures would be a mess.

 

[the1sean]

This cannot be done. The planetary council cannot handle more than 7 factions in the voting screen. The comm pop-up is also a problem. The internal data structures would be a mess.

I'd give up the planetary council completely if there could be 14+ factions...

 

[wert2]

This cannot be done. The planetary council cannot handle more than 7 factions in the voting screen. The comm pop-up is also a problem. The internal data structures would be a mess.

Could it be made that only the top ranking 7 factions are allowed into the planetary council? That way you sort of bypass having to change anything in the voting screen.

I know I'm three years late here, but might as well throw it out there.