Author Topic: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D  (Read 9968 times)

Offline x4000

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2015, 01:11:56 pm »

If you're doing something that is very likely to piss off the planet a lot, you can concentrate that in a smaller city that is very heavily defended and that doesn't have your key other buildings in it, and then have the planet really bang on that smaller city while leaving your main one more alone.


Question time!
This bothered me a long while: What does the planet actually dom, when you make him angry? He is no faction on his own,s o he has of course no army he can send to you. Unless these monsters are part of the planet but even then, they don't attack. Or will he produce new tiles like volcanoes? Or is it even not implemented yet?

For the most part, the planet enacts its will through monsters and other independent rogues.  The Thoraxians also... to some extent enact the will of the planet.  Not fully, they are independent from the planet.  But you can think of them as kind of... the right hand of the planet, so to speak.  You can't ever completely kill the thoraxians, and you might notice that they aren't part of the victory conditions, unlike all the other races.  The transcendence victory is about you taking their place as the right-hand of the planet, and thus it pits you against the thoraxians in a super nasty way.
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Offline TheVampire100

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2015, 01:16:20 pm »
Ha, that explaisns why the Thoraxians never generate Planet Rage.
"Everything is okay what you do as long as you kill THOSE guye there."
"Okelidokeli."

I didn't even realize that the Thoraxians do not count in the victory conditions.

Offline steelwing

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2015, 01:17:08 pm »

For the most part, the planet enacts its will through monsters and other independent rogues.  The Thoraxians also... to some extent enact the will of the planet.  Not fully, they are independent from the planet.  But you can think of them as kind of... the right hand of the planet, so to speak.  You can't ever completely kill the thoraxians, and you might notice that they aren't part of the victory conditions, unlike all the other races.  The transcendence victory is about you taking their place as the right-hand of the planet, and thus it pits you against the thoraxians in a super nasty way.

So, similar to what happens during a Transcendence run in SMAC?  I've actually pulled that off (exactly once), and I was getting hammered by Locusts almost constantly.

Offline x4000

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2015, 01:42:09 pm »
@TheVampire100: Yeppers, that is exactly right. :)

@steelwing: I don't think I was aware of that particular condition, but I think Keith might have mentioned it, I'm not sure.  It sounds very similar, although I had trouble finding the details on the SMAC version with a quick google.  Now it bugs me that I apparently unintentionally used the exact same word as them. :/
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Offline crazyroosterman

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2015, 01:56:49 pm »
so out of curiosity lore wise why are the thoraxians the planets favoured race?(it seems to me like it would make séance to make the felyn the planets favoured considering the fact that their doing their best not to harm its environments) ps misery your drunk go to bed!.
c.r

Offline x4000

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2015, 02:10:00 pm »
Aha!  THAT is something you will find out once I have the actual voiceovers and whatnot in place for those special victory paths.  During your progression towards those victories, you start finding out some lore about this game, and the universe that it shares with AI War and TLF.  My lips are sealed. :)
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Offline Captain Jack

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2015, 02:22:00 pm »
The SMAC Transcendence victory is a combined technological/wonder victory. You complete a device that uploads humanity's collective knowledge to the planet's mind (thus freeing it from the cycle of dying as it reaches sentience), then upload every human consciousness that is part of your faction.

It's not particularly similar since Planet in SMAC is a juvenile entity while Ivoria's intelligence (is it still called Ivoria?) is firmly in control.

Speaking of story stuff though, how early in the AI War did the AI blow up Earth? Just met IMT and was curious.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 02:40:00 pm by Watashiwa »

Offline steelwing

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2015, 02:50:09 pm »
@steelwing: I don't think I was aware of that particular condition, but I think Keith might have mentioned it, I'm not sure.  It sounds very similar, although I had trouble finding the details on the SMAC version with a quick google.  Now it bugs me that I apparently unintentionally used the exact same word as them. :/
To expand on Watashiwa's answer, the Transcendence victory in SMAC is the top of SMAC's tech tree.  The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness, successfully bringing said consciousness into full-blown sentience.  You then instantly get access to a project that allows you to make your own consciousness an integral part of the planetmind.  Of course, every other surviving faction in the game gets the same opportunity, and only one of you actually makes it.
It doesn't sound like the Thoraxians play exactly the same role as the Alpha Centauri planetmind, though.  Unless, of course, you've got the planetmind acting in place of the normal Hive Queen...  :o

Offline ptarth

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2015, 02:56:33 pm »
If you're doing something that is very likely to piss off the planet a lot, you can concentrate that in a smaller city that is very heavily defended and that doesn't have your key other buildings in it, and then have the planet really bang on that smaller city while leaving your main one more alone.

In that case, I'd actually want it to be my big city (as it stands). Energy generation and population are the major causes of planetary rage, they dwarf everything else. This means that my main city is already creating an enormous amount of rage, on top of that another 100-500 points isn't going to make much of a difference.
Note: This post contains content that is meant to be whimsical. Any belittlement or trivialization of complex issues is only intended to lighten the mood and does not reflect upon the merit of those positions.

Offline crazyroosterman

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #24 on: April 29, 2015, 03:03:55 pm »
Aha!  THAT is something you will find out once I have the actual voiceovers and whatnot in place for those special victory paths.  During your progression towards those victories, you start finding out some lore about this game, and the universe that it shares with AI War and TLF.  My lips are sealed. :)
three cheers for sweet delicious consciousness destroying lore!. ps had a nutty idea a couple of days ago regarding the snake men(I'm just going to call them that from now on since I am incapable of remembering their name) witch ill make a topic for before I send it to mantis
c.r

Offline x4000

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #25 on: April 29, 2015, 03:28:09 pm »
The SMAC Transcendence victory is a combined technological/wonder victory. You complete a device that uploads humanity's collective knowledge to the planet's mind (thus freeing it from the cycle of dying as it reaches sentience), then upload every human consciousness that is part of your faction.

Ah, gotcha.  Makes sense!

It's not particularly similar since Planet in SMAC is a juvenile entity while Ivoria's intelligence (is it still called Ivoria?) is firmly in control.

Not Ivoria.  It was called that for the briefest of times, heh.  The actual name is "unknown" unless you do one of the special victory conditions that pits you directly against the planet, during which you'll have direct discussions with it where most of the important secrets get revealed the closer you get to victory.

Speaking of story stuff though, how early in the AI War did the AI blow up Earth? Just met IMT and was curious.

I don't have real specific timelines for that, mainly because there didn't need to be yet and someday there _might_ need to be a reason. 

To expand on Watashiwa's answer, the Transcendence victory in SMAC is the top of SMAC's tech tree.  The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness, successfully bringing said consciousness into full-blown sentience.  You then instantly get access to a project that allows you to make your own consciousness an integral part of the planetmind.  Of course, every other surviving faction in the game gets the same opportunity, and only one of you actually makes it.
It doesn't sound like the Thoraxians play exactly the same role as the Alpha Centauri planetmind, though.  Unless, of course, you've got the planetmind acting in place of the normal Hive Queen...  :o

Ah, very cool.  And nope, the Thoraxians and the SMAC planetmind are very very different.  The queen is more like a lieutenant of the planetmind.  Or the leader of its main army, if you prefer.  But not its only army.

If you're doing something that is very likely to piss off the planet a lot, you can concentrate that in a smaller city that is very heavily defended and that doesn't have your key other buildings in it, and then have the planet really bang on that smaller city while leaving your main one more alone.

In that case, I'd actually want it to be my big city (as it stands). Energy generation and population are the major causes of planetary rage, they dwarf everything else. This means that my main city is already creating an enormous amount of rage, on top of that another 100-500 points isn't going to make much of a difference.

And that's precisely why balance isn't finished yet. ;)  Things need to make you incentivized the right direction.  Or, to put it another way, make all directions valid-but-different.

That said, one thing to recall (if you have noticed) is that planet rage is localized to each city.  So if you can direct the ire of the planet away from your main population center, then ultimately that's a very good thing for you stability-wise.  Right now there's not really a mechanism for doing that properly, which needs to change.  I'll be doing some noodling on that.

Aha!  THAT is something you will find out once I have the actual voiceovers and whatnot in place for those special victory paths.  During your progression towards those victories, you start finding out some lore about this game, and the universe that it shares with AI War and TLF.  My lips are sealed. :)
three cheers for sweet delicious consciousness destroying lore!. ps had a nutty idea a couple of days ago regarding the snake men(I'm just going to call them that from now on since I am incapable of remembering their name) witch ill make a topic for before I send it to mantis

Cool stuff, thanks!  (And it's Yali).
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Offline steelwing

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #26 on: April 30, 2015, 10:14:24 am »
To expand on Watashiwa's answer, the Transcendence victory in SMAC is the top of SMAC's tech tree.  The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness, successfully bringing said consciousness into full-blown sentience.  You then instantly get access to a project that allows you to make your own consciousness an integral part of the planetmind.  Of course, every other surviving faction in the game gets the same opportunity, and only one of you actually makes it.
It doesn't sound like the Thoraxians play exactly the same role as the Alpha Centauri planetmind, though.  Unless, of course, you've got the planetmind acting in place of the normal Hive Queen...  :o

Ah, very cool.  And nope, the Thoraxians and the SMAC planetmind are very very different.  The queen is more like a lieutenant of the planetmind.  Or the leader of its main army, if you prefer.  But not its only army.
I'm so looking forward to taking part in this beta... :D  Arcen must be soaking all its games in awesome.

Offline x4000

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #27 on: April 30, 2015, 10:28:45 am »
To expand on Watashiwa's answer, the Transcendence victory in SMAC is the top of SMAC's tech tree.  The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness, successfully bringing said consciousness into full-blown sentience.  You then instantly get access to a project that allows you to make your own consciousness an integral part of the planetmind.  Of course, every other surviving faction in the game gets the same opportunity, and only one of you actually makes it.
It doesn't sound like the Thoraxians play exactly the same role as the Alpha Centauri planetmind, though.  Unless, of course, you've got the planetmind acting in place of the normal Hive Queen...  :o

Ah, very cool.  And nope, the Thoraxians and the SMAC planetmind are very very different.  The queen is more like a lieutenant of the planetmind.  Or the leader of its main army, if you prefer.  But not its only army.
I'm so looking forward to taking part in this beta... :D  Arcen must be soaking all its games in awesome.

I can't wait to have you in there!  I'm trying to run the existing guys into the ground before we have the next batch, though. ;)  Somewhat in seriousness.  I think that there is some fatigue that sets in during the early stages of testing in particular, and so from most people I get a burst of feedback and then not much after that.  Which is fine, but it means I have to space things out more.  You're one of those ones who I've always had just tons of ongoing feedback from, so that's awesome, but I don't want to burn you out early either.

I am super stoked about this game and how it's already evolving, don't get me wrong!  I've never been more pleased with it.  But goodness there's a long laundry list at the moment, haha.
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Offline ElOhTeeBee

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #28 on: April 30, 2015, 10:34:38 am »
The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness

Jesus Christ how horrifying.

Offline Captain Jack

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Re: Beta 0.806-7 now out. Perfoooormance! :D
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2015, 10:39:21 am »
The total contents of the in-universe Internet gets uploaded to the planetary consciousness

Jesus Christ how horrifying.
The Datalinks are more like Wikipedia combined with Usenet.

I think that there is some fatigue that sets in during the early stages of testing in particular, and so from most people I get a burst of feedback and then not much after that.
Mm, yeah. I've noticed that on my end. It actually has more to do with work.
« Last Edit: April 30, 2015, 10:45:08 am by Watashiwa »

 

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