4X The Unsurpassed Brian Reynolds' Alpha Centauri thread

[octavius]

So, how to defend your Formers against enemy aircraft?

From what I've been able to glean from googling a Needlejet with Air Superiority (a "Tactical") will defend in a 2 square radius around its base if on Hold. Is this correct, and will it be considered the attacker or the defender if it intercepts?

 

[Nevill]

That, or just a combat unit is the same square with a former.

It will move in into the attacked tile and defend with its weapon value. Air superiority bonus won't apply.

 

[imajia]

What the deal with "crawlers"?

Spoiler

This is basically the most hyper efficient way to expand and terraform in Alpha Centauri.

Another less crowded approach and my personal favourite:

• 10 cities which means you don't have to scroll in the city list and makes the game in general less cumbersome
  
• no city overlap which makes it easier to handle

Obviously only works for single player and you need a big landmass.

 

[Nevill]

I get funny ratings for saying this but this bears repeating. Try for a nuclear holocaust solution at least in one game. There is one game mechanics at work that half-makes sense and half-doesn't that most people are missing (since again it isn't mentioned anywhere), but it answers the question of 'why would I ever build drone-reducing facilities if I have Nerve Staple. Sanctions? LOL!'

I wonder if you get what the mechanics is. (Don't spoil him, bros! This is something that needs to be experienced first-hand!)

Personally, I think the idea is super-cool, though its implementation is a bit spotty and inconsistent.

 

[imajia]

"Nuclear holocaust" brings back some memories when AC was released and before it got patched. AI didn't care about eco-damage and Deirde was very trigger-happy with her nukes. Good times.

What is also quite fun is bulding X units (nerve gas) and gas the shit out of everyone. If UN sanctions are not lifted, then you can almost watch the sea level rising. *This* is a game machanic which doesn't make sense.

 

[octavius]

This game is nagware.
Every time one of my units get next to an enemy unit is the's same:

Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!

I'm almost tempted to give them tech just to make them shut up.

 

[Jason Liang]

This game is nagware.
Every time one of my units get next to an enemy unit is the's same:

Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!
Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!Gimme tech!

I'm almost tempted to give them tech just to make them shut up.

Why not? They're your neighbors (or at least sell them the tech for some energy).

 

[octavius]

They're just like gypsy beggars. No matter how many times I say no or just ignore them, they just keep nagging.

 

[Jason Liang]

They're just like gypsy beggars. No matter how many times I say no or just ignore them, they just keep nagging.

This is another reason why you need a wall of supply crawlers. The other leaders only interact with you if you have an active unit selected next to one of their units.

When you set a unit to convey or hold (or another continuous permanent action), that unit becomes inactive and wont get selected, so the other leaders wont be able to talk to you on your turn. So the solution is to make a wall of crawlers (or sea crawlers) around your territory.

Usually I only chat with the other leaders when I need to kick their units out of my territory. Less talk, better relationship.

 

[octavius]

Yeah, I had good relations with Morgan a long time, and avoided any contact, but then he sent a unit and demanded Air Power.
So now I'm at war with all the other factions. So it's hard to avoid contact.

It's starting to feel like Civ 2, with all the other factions ganging up on the top dog, but I found it was easier to conduct a quick campaign in Civ 2. In SMAC it's slower and more methodical.

 

[Jason Liang]

Yeah, I had good relations with Morgan a long time, and avoided any contact, but then he sent a unit and demanded Air Power.
So now I'm at war with all the other factions. So it's hard to avoid contact.

It's starting to feel like Civ 2, with all the other factions ganging up on the top dog, but I found it was easier to conduct a quick campaign in Civ 2. In SMAC it's slower and more methodical.

It's possible to play a more diplomatic game. When you first meet a leader, butter them up with free techs until they are ready to swear blood oath. Then make sure they get into a war with someone else (maybe use some probes to make that happen, but usually there's someone they already hate), then keep that war going as long as you can.

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Worst thing is when some aggressive AI comes, demands tech, you give the tech, it demands more tech/energy, you comply because you want a treaty so this guy stops bothering you. Then he just says "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" So you just gave free shit for, at best, a few turns that might or not end up with enemy attacks.
How about fuck you and gimme a treaty?

 

[octavius]

The movement of airplanes and copters is rather annoying...is there really no way to move over a base without landing and ending the unit's turn?
I need to move a copter from A to C, which in a straight diagonal line is 10 squares, which is excactly the movement my Copter has. But right in the middle of that line in Base B, and there's doesn't seem to be any way of flying over it, which is most exasperating

 

[Nevill]

The movement of airplanes and copters is rather annoying...is there really no way to move over a base without landing and ending the unit's turn?

http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Yitzi's_patch
Contains:
http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Scient's_patch

11. [BUG] Fixed a check that was ending the turn for certain air units (choppers/missiles/grav) when entering a base which had no adjacent enemy units. There is still a check which will end the unit's turn if when entering a base it has less then one turn remaining unless an enemy is adjacent to base

 

[octavius]

Wow, installing Scient's patch V1 worked without problems!

 

[octavius]

It's interesting how the AI changes production on the fly when it's not their turn. I had a cruiser destroy a unit in one of Miriam's sea bases, and it immediately changed production form a prototype that would take many turns, to a Conventional Missiles which will be ready next turn.

Also, why do that stupid Deidre vote for melting the polar caps?
The first base that went under was one of her own.
Next time my own HQ lost 6 pop (but gained a Pressure Dome) despite being 31 meters above ground. Sea levels rise 31 meters in one year?

 

[octavius]

The AI is awful. Once you've mastered the techniques, play multiplayer for the real experience.

I used to play PB(E)M. Had to give it up. Doctor's orders; bad for nerves and blood pressure.

 

[octavius]

The AI is awful.

Tell me about it...
Santiago was building a nuke, and only had a few turns left, and then 90% of the resources are scrapped in order to make a lowly garrison unit.
I'm definitely using kyrub's patch for my next game!

 

[Nevill]

You're lucky you installed that patch. The original game has no emergency pressure dome feature.

It always had.

It's just it only works on bases of a certain minimum size. Can't remember off the top of my head, but IIRC pop 5 or higher shouldn't drown - they will lose half of their pop and erect a Pressure Dome instead. 3 or lower should be fucked, though.

Santiago was building a nuke, and only had a few turns left, and then 90% of the resources are scrapped in order to make a lowly garrison unit.

AI does not play by the rules, so the resources are never truly scrapped - it will retain all of them minus the garrison unit cost next turn. It will probably continue making garrison units and wasting the minerals, though. But if you call off the attack, chances are it will resume the project.

 

[octavius]

Just finished my first game. It took me almost 2.5 weeks (which is more than I use on most CRPGs, but I micromanaged everything, and kept track of the other factions' ships and plains) to win with Yang on a Large map on highest difficulty. I fought on all fronts most of the game, but finally made Morgan my nigger bitch, and some turns later, after weakening Lal enough, I got the 3/4 majority of votes needed to win. I was in the lead for most of the game, so it kind of becomes a test of patience and endurance.

AI is braindead (what else is new in TBS?), so for my next game I'll try kyrub's UOP. I'll also play on a Medium map. Even a Large map is just too time consuming when micromanaging. And I don't trust the Governors.

Also, too bad there's no way (AFAIK) to turn off Underwater Bases. It would sure have speeded things up.

 

[Nim]

Also, too bad there's no way (AFAIK) to turn off Underwater Bases. It would sure have speeded things up.

Alpha.txt/Alphax.txt
Change
Colony Module, Colony Pod, 0, 8,10, -1, None,
to
Colony Module, Colony Pod, 0, 8,10, -1, Disable,

The AI will only have the standard colony pod after this, you can still reverse engineer them into sea colony pods/needle pods if you feel like it.

 

[Jason Liang]

You haven't won by Transcendence before? You should try that at least once.

 

[octavius]

You haven't won by Transcendence before? You should try that at least once.

I would have won this way in my first serious game, playing the Gaians, but I didn't have the patience for it.
The mopping up phase after you are in the lead in all categories is like 2/3 of the game...

 

[Absinthe]

I think the rarest victory in Alpha Centauri is cornering the global energy market. I'm not sure anyone actually pursues that, even if you're playing Morganites. And on that note, does anyone know if Data Angels gets a 25% discount to cornering the global energy market since it seems to operate off of probe base subversion costs?

And in other news, apparently there is a psych limit built into bases so they cannot have more than 2 psych per person. This effectively destroys golden age strategies at high populations for anyone other than maybe Lal. I'm not sure I agree with that cap, since there's an inherent price with pouring part of your economy into psych anyway.

 

[lemon-lime]

Hmm, what is that?

Usually when you retool production, the first 10 minerals are free, then you only get half of the accumulated minerals to apply to the new item. Have 20/30 minerals on a Colony Pod, retool to a former, you'll get a 15/20 ratio.

Also, if you reconsider and switch back, nothing happens, you still get 20/30 on CP.

In your patch you lose your mineral income for the current turn when retooling. So if your base earns 5 minerals per turn, in the above scenario you will get 10/20 on a former. That applies even when you have under 10 minerals accumulated. So if you earn 3 minerals and have 7/20 on a Former, and you switch to a scout to have it out ASAP, you will only get 4/10 on a scout, meaning it won't be there on your next turn.

Good news: I've found a workaround to that nasty little bug in kyrub's SMAC 444 p patch, that I am using.

Partially hurrying the current production with 0 energy credits before changing the production prevents the loss of the current turn's minerals. Re-switching to original production then also refunds the lost minerals. And since you invest 0 energy credits it doesn't actually count as hurrying, so you are still allowed to properly hurry afterwards. So no drawbacks except being a little cumbersome, as far as I can tell.
Edit: Shit, you can't hurry again. So there is that drawback to it