[MOD] SMAC Mod Resurrection

[troyDoogle7]

Welcome to the SMAC Mod, currentyl termed Centauri chronicles.

We are currently working on creating a mod of the old classic, Alpha Centauri for Civ4.

Download v212 (no artwork yet using a lot of civ defaults.)
http://download.yousendit.com/D0F0222366928D2B

This will be the last update for a while, if you want to help out, please let us know. we are looking for artwork, civpedia specialists, sounds, and if you want to work on modding the sdk as well let us know..


Resources
Smac wikibook strategy guide: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Civ:Alpha_Centauri
Original Smac Homepage: http://www.firaxis.com/smac/

"For ages, we have focused too long on earthly matters, The future of Mankind is in the stars, and it is the stars and PLANETs that call to us. Today we begin our preparations....the journey to earths nearest neighbor has begun.."

Captain Garland.... Inauguration speech at the Space colonization Society.

 

[troyDoogle7]

Current Dev phase

0.210 Currently working on civ buildings, wonders and units.

Current tasks
Xml modding mostly done. Lookig to add functionality and effects of buildings etc2

 

[troyDoogle7]

Road Map:
0.3 All Facilities and major Wonders complete


0.4 Addition of existing mods and components are completed
forest replant
planet buster
supply crawler
Terraforming
Water animals



0.5 Game Mechanics and Civics
Xml labels and civpedia updated
Fungus mods
Sea colonies
(if possible)


0.6 Ascent to Transcendence


0.7 Unit Artwok/ civ artwork


0.8 Animated Leader heads and wonder movies


0.9 Spit and Polish ( and creation of Sound Files)


1.0 Final and bug tested.

 

[Joosty]

This would be great, looking forward to it!

 

[ocedius]

WHERE IS THE SMAC MOD? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH IT. ANSWER ME DAMMIT

 

[troyDoogle7]

SMAC has a funny way of inspiring passion (and need I say addition) in many a normal person. I still think that it is probably one of the greatest games of all time. Even with my civ 4, I still have a habit of firing up SMAC (and colonization occasionally).

It seems that the previous mission to leave earth was a failure to launch. Initially I was checking the old message boards weekly, see notes saying "Wait for the SDK", "Wait for the patch". It was so frustrating, eventually after several months ticked by without any news or updates, I gave up waiting and thought that we should start creating it ourselves. The reason that the old project failed, I think, was down to being reliant on a few busy people who lost interest when there was no progress. Also the few that were trying were trying to run before the walking part was done.

We are starting to build it fresh from the ground up using the warlords expansion as standard. I don't have a lot of free time, however myself and my flat mates are huge fans of the original, and we want to make it as close as possible and most importantly as fun!

We have done quite a bit of the xml for the various bits and will post them up routinely. We have got a basic roadmap thought up, however we are firmly in the prototyping camp so we will just start with the basic civ and convert bits along the way. Not everyone will like what we do and I am sure there will be people who can do it better but we will do as much as we can, and we will do what we think is right.

We have setup a neat system that allows us to use excel spreadsheets and import them directly into the xml. Not the most glamourous solution but its working for us and save us the hardship of manually editing xml files.

We are focusing solely on the xml at the moment, once we have done as much as we can do there, then we will look at bringing in other mods that people have done(and who will let us use them) as well as SDK stuff. The more complicated items such as tech workshops etc, will best off be left to last, unless someone can come up with an easier mod in the interim

If anyone would like to contribute any xml datafiles,(or even in excel spreadsheet format) particularly factions etc(I believe Gavin did it a while back, but he since lost the data, perhaps someone has a copy)

Please feel free to check the svn server at http://code.google.com/p/civ4smacmod/

and the obligatory blog at http://spacecolonization.blogspot.com. We want to make the creation process as fun as the original smac, and give everyone a chance to escape and be drawn into a great experience.

 

[Zuul]

Why create a thread here before you have any mod to show? Better to have it in "Civ4 - Creation & Customization".

 

[Impaler[WrG]]

Ok I dont see Zulu so heres my best impression...

CLOMP
CLOMP
CLOMP
CLOMP
WRONG FORUM!

This forum is for COMPLETED mods, previews and requests for help in making a mod go on the main C&C forum.

 

[Gerikes]

Please feel free to check the svn server at http://code.google.com/p/civ4smacmod/

and the obligatory blog at http://spacecolonization.blogspot.com. We want to make the creation process as fun as the original smac, and give everyone a chance to escape and be drawn into a great experience.

I have a few questions (don't worry, they're not blasting you for the wrong forum )

1.) Who is "we"? Is there already a team, or are you just using we to represent the team that will eventually form?

2.) I see you have set up an SVN server (very nice) but there don't seem to have been made any check-ins. Is there really anything to this project yet?

 

[troyDoogle7]

Hi Guys

"We" means my flatmates and I, are going to be doing what we can, when we can.

We are working on a basic roadmap, which involves modding the existing civ 4 into smac. We have already started using Gavin's old stuff he did and are going to relase a full xml mod when its ready. I am going to put the roadmap on the top of the forum post and update it as we come up with new tasks and complete existing.

Here are the Ground rule that we are using:

1. Basing the mod on Smac vanilla.

2. We are building a new tech tree using the smac techs

3. We are not going to include a design workshop, at least initially. As an interim measure we are going to modify existing units in to smac ones, eg rovers==mounted units.

 

[woodelf]

This is the 4th SMAC type mod (at least) so far and I wish one of them would take hold! Check out my sig to see if any units I've made might work for you guys as well.

Good luck...

 

[woodelf]

Here are the Ground rule that we are using:

1. Basing the mod on Smac vanilla.

2. We are building a new tech tree using the smac techs

3. We are not going to include a design workshop, at least initially. As an interim measure we are going to modify existing units in to smac ones, eg rovers==mounted units.

1. Interesting. Any reason why no SMACX factions and features?

2. The Roanoke mod has some good tech icons and good ideas that most likely can be had cheap.

3. Good plan. The workshop would be a bugger. I think the Apolyton guys decided the same thing.

 

[troyDoogle7]

1. Interesting. Any reason why no SMACX factions and features?

2. The Roanoke mod has some good tech icons and good ideas that most likely can be had cheap.

3. Good plan. The workshop would be a bugger. I think the Apolyton guys decided the same thing.

Thanks for the kind offer of the units. When we get to that stage I would love to have thm onboard. You seem to be really creative.

Regarding the civ vanilla issue. I wanted to bring out the basic mod first and then I am sure that we can include it to the next level. My only thought was that if we are unable to do water cities then the pirates would really be a waste. This way we can get the ball rolling, on a simpler system.

I know that there are a few different mods, I hoped more than anyone that one would have succeeded.

 

[Gerikes]

Thanks for the kind offer of the units. When we get to that stage I would love to have thm onboard. You seem to be really creative.

Regarding the civ vanilla issue. I wanted to bring out the basic mod first and then I am sure that we can include it to the next level. My only thought was that if we are unable to do water cities then the pirates would really be a waste. This way we can get the ball rolling, on a simpler system.

I know that there are a few different mods, I hoped more than anyone that one would have succeeded.

If you allow for SDK mods, I don't think that putting cities on water is going to be tough. It's the rising sea levels and plots of various heights that's going to be the toughie, IMO. In my spare time I'm working on that problem, and I plan on merging it into the SMAC mod that by the time I'm done (if I'm done) seems to have the best footing.

 

[troyDoogle7]

Hi Gerikes, Nice to meet you. Great to see that you are thinking so far ahead. My thought on this was a simple "blue ground" patch. I know that other mods have created other terrain types. So why not create another terrain type where only certain unit types could traverse?

You can then build a subset of resources that will exist only on that new terrain and create custom improvements for that terrain type.

If you want to raise sea levels then you could Just allow that terrain type to spread to adjacent terrain types based on preconfigured parameters.

 

[Gerikes]

Hi Gerikes, Nice to meet you. Great to see that you are thinking so far ahead. My thought on this was a simple "blue ground" patch. I know that other mods have created other terrain types. So why not create another terrain type where only certain unit types could traverse?

You can then build a subset of resources that will exist only on that new terrain and create custom improvements for that terrain type.

If you want to raise sea levels then you could Just allow that terrain type to spread to adjacent terrain types based on preconfigured parameters.

I think the act of creating new terrain might be uneeded. Since you already are having to write new code to have units walk on this new terrain, you might as well have the new terrain be water all along.

Inside CvPlayer::canFound, there's a check for if it's water. Now, I'm not saying that all you have to do is get get rid of that check, as there will probably be some sort of hiccups for doing this, but it's just a matter of finding those hiccups and patching them. In the end water is no different than any other terrain type other than some places don't want you to do anything on it. Find those checks and get rid of them and water is as good as land.

 

[PeteT]

The guys in France who are working on this have made some progress:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=174528

There's a good pic on p4 of the thread.

 

[Supreme Shogun]

SMAC rules. Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[troyDoogle7]

Removed Due To Lack Of Interest

 

[asioasioasio]

Good luck - my favoured faction was gaians