Planetfall

[Maniac]

Cyrex, by commenting out that m_iCurrentID assert, I was able to load the save that crashed upon ending the turn. The crash was unrelated to the negative plotgroup trashassert m_iCurrentID. Here's the patch:

Patch 11i for Planetfall, the Alpha Centauri total conversion mod for Civ4 BtS, has been released. This patch needs to be applied on top of the main v11 file of Planetfall. It doesn't break savegames started under patch g or h. It does break savegames from previous versions or patches before 'g'.

The patch fixes a bug.

 

[Cmcastl]

Many, many thanks, Maniac, et al., for such a quick recovery, and I am so glad I didn't delete my save-games prematurely. For the loss of just a couple of turns, I can carry on as I was. So far, I am six games on from my crash and all is well. Fingers crossed!

Live long and prosper.

 

[cyrex562]

Cyrex, by commenting out that m_iCurrentID assert, I was able to load the save that crashed upon ending the turn. The crash was unrelated to the negative plotgroup trashassert m_iCurrentID. Here's the patch:

Patch 11i for Planetfall, the Alpha Centauri total conversion mod for Civ4 BtS, has been released. This patch needs to be applied on top of the main v11 file of Planetfall. It doesn't break savegames started under patch g or h. It does break savegames from previous versions or patches before 'g'.

The patch fixes a bug.

Maniac: Do you still want some analysis done on that set of functions? I was thinking of using one of my favorite tricks: scattering int 3's over plausible connections to the function and seeing where i hit my breakpoints in WinDbg and VisualStudio. If not, I'd be happy to help in any capacity.

V/R

Cyrex

 

[Maniac]

Maniac: Do you still want some analysis done on that set of functions?

Nah, it's most likely not necessary. I only recently started using debug DLLs, so who knows this issue is not Planetfall-specific, but inherent to vanilla Civ. I also have a save from patch d that has this problem while loading (I assumed I had messed up my debug files back then, so didn't look into it at that time), and no one has reported crashes under patch d. If it doesn't cause crashes, I guess it must not be a real problem.

If not, I'd be happy to help in any capacity.

You mean help with Python/C++ programming? Thanks for the offer, but judging from previous experience with C++ coders offering to help, previous experience with the Civ4 SDK is much more important to be able to help than previous C++ coding experience. It would probably take way too long to acquaint yourself with the Civ4 SDK from scratch before you can start adding more than simple features I can easily do myself in no time.

At most I could try to find some isolated projects which you could try to figure out at your own leisure. For instance someone has requested a bigger variety of mapscripts that work with Planetfall. I've had a look at the matter, but I don't have a good understand of the python used for the mapscripts, and I have failed to create a working mapscript beyond the two currently in the mod. So perhaps you could have a look? The request was to have the Pangaea mapscript work for Planetfall. Now Planetfall gameplay requires some specific modifications to the mapscript: code needs to be added for Planetfall's special highland/ridge distribution, and Trenches and Shelfs need to be added on the Oceans. Unfortunately the Pangaea mapscript also modifies the same function that are required for changing ridges/highlands and adding trenches/shelfs. I haven't been able to figure out how to merge them. Perhaps you could have a look?

 

[Cmcastl]

Since you have so thoroughly spoilt us, Maniac et al., you can only blame yourselves for this reply.

Firstly, I know I have mentioned this before but the way that aircraft automatically redeployed automatically from one city to another was a constant pleasure to me.

I am also not happy that I can only send my probe teams to bed. In SMAC, they would be up to all kinds of automatic, nefarious activity against my rivals, subject to my approval of course.

I still think that the arming of naval units with psi faculties is still inadequately factored with the sea lurks etc. still usually having the better of it, particularly if a naval unit is attacked more than once per round when it has a one's unit has a more or less certain doom. How would you ever get your people to man them, knowing it was such a suicide mission?

I am agnostic about showing roads on the map , but I did like to see magtubes being built!

Have said all that, many thanks, for a thoroughly worthy successor to SMAC!

Live long and prosper.

 

[Cmcastl]

"Firstly, I know I have mentioned this before but the way that aircraft automatically redeployed automatically from one city to another was a constant visual and cerebal pleasure to me."

In SMAC, I should have added!

 

[Cmcastl]

And since I am in the mood for making a wishlist...

A jet engine sound or other futuristic one, please, for aircraft in Planetfall, rather than something which reminds me of " the Dam Busters".

Civilization: Call to Power had rather good futuristic city sounds. The point I would make here is that I doubt the city sounds of cities on Alpha Centauri would remind one of New York in the twentieth century!

Incidentally, the solar transmitters seem still to be geared up for defence than energising the economy. Is that slip in the Excel sheet still not repaired?

Oh, and could we have "please don't go... the drones need you, they look up to you" added to the next patch, please?

But please, Maniac, do get enough sleep while satisfying my requests.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Dumanios]

I'll download this mod soon.

 

[GeoModder]

Cmcastl, you really are behind a few patches, or else you simply don't pay attention.

 

[Cmcastl]

Polite as ever, Geomodder.

I have added the latest MOD, I, but I still get WWII sounds for aircraft in the air, the script for the solar transmitters still seems to be about defence not energy, the city sounds are twentieth century ones, car horns etc., and we have lost "the drones look up to you, we need you" message on leaving the game.

Please do not trouble yourself to reply, Geomodder, as I would prefer a constructive reply. K?

 

[GeoModder]

 

[Cmcastl]

I was under the impression that this forum was here for constructive responses to Planetfall and its successive updates. Despite Geomodder's reponse to my threads, I still am.

Planetfall is a great, great, great game and I wish to see it even greater.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Firstly, I know I have mentioned this before but the way that aircraft automatically redeployed automatically from one city to another was a constant pleasure to me.

I assume you refer to the original SMAC? I don't understand exactly what you mean by "automatic redeploy", though. Do you mean that planes which runned out of fuel retreated to the next base or do you refer maybe to completely automated planes?
The former situation can't happen in Planetfall, as the air units works completely different (mission-based system instead of conventional moving over the map) and running out of fuel is impossible (solved by restricted range), the latter isn't supported by the Civ4 engine (and adding it would probably require a huge amount of coding). Plantefall has Civ4's rebase mission, which is pretty powerful (you can essentielly redeploy over the entire map), so I don't view SMAC as better in this regard.

I am also not happy that I can only send my probe teams to bed. In SMAC, they would be up to all kinds of automatic, nefarious activity against my rivals, subject to my approval of course.

Same here. Adding automation logics would require tons of work for limited gain, if it is possible at all. Most players aren't so interested in automation - it is a strategy game and fun for me is making the decisions. Take alone the governor logics for tile working - Blake and others have trimmed it into something I can rely on in 95% of the cases, but I still ocassionally don't like what it does. On step further is automating the base production - and that's already something I never consider.

I still think that the arming of naval units with psi faculties is still inadequately factored with the sea lurks etc. still usually having the better of it, particularly if a naval unit is attacked more than once per round when it has a one's unit has a more or less certain doom. How would you ever get your people to man them, knowing it was such a suicide mission?

I don't think that was really different in SMAC - if a ship was attacked twice by native life in one turn, it was dead most of the time as well. It might be though that such double attacks happened more rarely - because Chiron wasn't as dangerous as it is in PF (but thats an intended change) Advice is still to sail out in fleets. For the non-working PSI defense ability - I simply cannot believe that, it is working for everyone (of coursem you can still try to proof the opposite with a save)...but again: it will not help a seriously damaged ship, because the combat strength gets modified by the left hitpoints in Civ4. And +25% strength on PSI defense is only as much worth as your health is...

I am agnostic about showing roads on the map , but I did like to see magtubes being built!

Sorry, I don't understand that one - I can built mag-tubes, given that I have the tech, of yourse...

Incidentally, the solar transmitters seem still to be geared up for defence than energising the economy. Is that slip in the Excel sheet still not repaired?

Haven't researched it in game with the latest patch...is it still broken for you or do you just refer to the changelog eventually, which often does not list all bug-fixes?

 

[Lord Tirian]

Civilization: Call to Power had rather good futuristic city sounds. The point I would make here is that I doubt the city sounds of cities on Alpha Centauri would remind one of New York in the twentieth century!

Have you played long enough to finish the Arrival era? Because once you get into your faction-specific era (when your bases also get the faction-look), the base sounds are the diplomacy-music of your faction.

Incidentally, the solar transmitters seem still to be geared up for defence than energising the economy. Is that slip in the Excel sheet still not repaired?

It's a building with a dual purpose - when you build it, you get the defensive unit *and* solar collectors in the fat cross get +2 energy. Don't confuse the unit you get with the building in the base! So it's energising your economy, but you get a defence unit out of it as bonus!

Oh, and could we have "please don't go... the drones need you, they look up to you" added to the next patch, please?

Have you copied over the SMAC folders correctly? Whenever I want to leave the game or enter the main menu, I do hear the "please don't go - the drones need you"!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Cmcastl]

I still do wonder if the Trance defence, particularly the maritime one, Maniac et al, is factored in strong enough? I do think if one has the trance defence one ought to be able to weather several attacks by native life but at the moment, even with fairly advanced tech, my maritime units, particularly, can't stand more than one attack before succumbing. They always succumb if attacked more than once, even with the trance defence. In SMAC, if you had a trance defence that usually protected you four times out of five, if not better. In Planetfall, the trance defence seems hardly worth having.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I still do wonder if the Trance defence, particularly the maritime one, Maniac et al, is factored in strong enough? I do think if one has the trance defence one ought to be able to weather several attacks by native life but at the moment, even with fairly advanced tech, my maritime units, particularly, can't stand more than one attack before succumbing. They always succumb if attacked more than once, even with the trance defence. In SMAC, if you had a trance defence that usually protected you four times out of five, if not better. In Planetfall, the trance defence seems hardly worth having.

Live long and prosper.

I'm pretty sure that the 25% are factored in correctly. They make a difference in a battle - but your observation on mass attacks is correct...it is probably related to how combat works in Civ4 compared to SMAC. Wounded units perform a lot worse then in the original SMAC (because in Civ4, the health gets factored in the combat strength), where a high(er) combat strength (after all modifiers are applied) made victories possible, even when you had only 10-30% health left. For my taste the Civ4 sytem is more realistic and the way out of your problem is to use fleets instead of single units - PSI combat is in my understanding in no way less harmful to imagine then conventional battles, so it makes sense that a group of people has better chances vs. a multitude of attacks (the strongest and fittest defend, while the ones wounded before can rest)
Also, in my games such mass attacks are rarely, when I just go out exploring - except when you have trouble with fungal blooms on sea, but they are supposed to be a serious issue, if you don't manage to avoid or supress them somehow. But again, in case you think anything is technically broken or just does not work correctly in your game, you can always provide a save and it will be examined.

 

[WarKirby]

Is this list updated? It seems to still say a hyperian model is required

Ah, I just noticed that this thread isn't even in the planetfall subforum. Why not?

You should copy/move it there and get it stickied.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Is this list updated? It seems to still say a hyperian model is required

Ah, I just noticed that this thread isn't even in the planetfall subforum. Why not?

You should copy/move it there and get it stickied.

You mean this thread here were are actually posting now? It is the showcase thread for Planetfall, so that people who don't browse the subforums for the bigger mods have a chance to spot Planetfall or to report issues with it. Moving it over would prevent that.

Edit: You probably refer to the graphic tasks list mainly - yes indeed, that could be copied into one of the first posts of the download thread in the subforum...or the "Graphical Quiblles" thread could be renamed and stickied, containing that list in the first post (or in a post to what the first links))

 

[Cmcastl]

Many thanks, Pfeffersack, for taking the trouble to reply.

Your explanation is interesting and informative but I remain unconvinced by its rationale. I never have the productive capacity to construct fleets so, yes, I do send out maritime units individually. I do think that if you can give your units a Psi defence then it ought to take some pretty heavy attack, far more than just two native units, to sink them. I don't see how that can't be mathematically factored in by the whizzkid, Maniac et al, who have given us this marvellous post-SMAC mod.

As it is, I necessarily concentrate on a land empire where it seems a little easier.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Maniac]

I feel the problem is with your playstyle (refusing to send out units in groups), not my game design. Bringing up this point repeatedly is not gonna change my mind.

Besides sending out units in fleets, you could also:
1) make sure you have a positive Planet Attitude. You can then acquire a large fleet of Isles of the Deeps if you desire. Losing one of those isn't that bad as you can always capture new ones. However even under this strategy it is best to send out units at least per two: one with hypnotic trance and one with empath song.
2) Wait until you can equip your submarines with the Stealth special ability and then send them out individually. Of course it takes quite some time to research the necessary technology, but that's the price to pay for following an anti-Planet strategy.

Again, you have options available to you. Refusing to use them and then posting your bad strategy isn't working, isn't gonna make me change my mind in this matter.