SMAC PBEM

[Commodore]

So who's in? I figure we'd play SMAX; I'm not sure what the latest patching level is but, at the latest patching level. Interested players:
-Commodore
-Gavagai
-Dark Savant
- ..?
- ..?
Alpha Centauri, being a game released earlier than Civ5, has a solid mapmaker utility, so we'd also need a map roller/checker:
- ..?

We also want to figure out ruleset/bans. My off-the-top-of-the-head list:
-Thinker Difficulty (?)
-No alien factions
-No probe subversions (?)
-No Hunter Seeker Algorithm
-Only nearby pods
-No blind research
-No multi-swap social engineering turns
-No bug exploits (probe team rovers, patrol promotions...)
-UN Character Enforced
-Ogres for defense only
- ..?
- ..?

[Dark Savant]

We also need a call on whether or not to use the expansion -- it used to be that Alien Crossfire was hard to come by (a used boxed copy on eBay would cost ~$75).  It shouldn't be an issue since it's $6 on GOG now, but a lot of people are cheap, which I can understand.    I'm okay either way.

It might be simplest just to enforce the UN charter rules as game rules: no PBs, no nerve gas, no nerve stapling, no direct base extermination, no genetic plague -- I think that's all.  We can even allow revoking the charter with the in-game voting mechanism.  

Other rules I'd like to add:

• no changing social engineering more than once per turn -- that IS forbidden on the third-party list in the other thread.  (Reverse-engineering probe teams into rovers is explicitly not forbidden on that list -- I'm unsure why -- but I like banning that too.)
  
• If we play with the expansion, I'd ban invading someone else's territory with an Ogre.  Defense and garrison use are okay -- the idea is to ban a rush with popped units, so we could drop that rule after turn, uh, 50?  75?
  

I don't think it's necessary to ban probe subversions -- I'm inclined to leave that in, because banning that amounts to a buff to the University.

I don't think we need to ban the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm if we're using the expansion (it's definitely a ban without it); it hasn't been that big an issue in my experience.

Things to have a third party look for on the map: all human players are far enough away from both any other faction and the Jungle (~12 tile minimum distance); no super isolated start either.  Might want to make sure everyone has a 2-food-1-mineral tile; that's to reduce the impact if some people pop monoliths and bonus food/minerals, and other people don't.

[Commodore]

I like it, can dig. Currently, SMAX is crashing upon start. What's the patch status?

[Dark Savant]

I like it, can dig. Currently, SMAX is crashing upon start. What's the patch status?

If we're using the expansion, the most recent official patch is v2.  There's also a separate official compatibility patch for Windows XP (my notes say to install this for anything newer than Windows 98, not just XP).

Issues that still may arise (I haven't tried to play multiplayer SMAC in ages):

• SMAX is copy-protected (base SMAC is not).   So without third-party patches, SMAX won't run on Windows 10 (or up-to-date Windows 7/Vista), since it no longer supports copy-protected CDs (they are a security threat by modern standards).  You can install the game fine, just not run it.  So you need some kind of CD crack if you're installing from CDs in Windows 10.  I presume the GOG version (I don't own that, I have the originals) doesn't have that problem.  You also need to be running the same version of SMAX in MP, but I'm not sure what "same" means: I don't know if a CD crack for my version will play nice with the GOG version in MP.
  
• You may need to edit the [Alpha Centauri] section in Alpha Centauri.ini to get this to work.  My notes say: to add "DirectDraw=0" to play at desktop resolution (optional), and to add "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1" if you are not using the unofficial patch (required).
  
• It might be best to use the unofficial patch, which does fix all manner of bugs and exploits and is still regularly updated, but I don't know what about it has been updated lately.  Unless it's changed very recently, you can apply it both to the original CD version and the GOG version.
  
• I know nothing about non-Windows versions of SMAC/SMAX.
  

I can buy the GOG version should that be required.  I only have one legal version of SMAC/SMAX; it's common for me to own 5-10 for a game I play seriously, so no big deal .

[TheHumanHydra]

I only have one legal version of SMAC/SMAX; it's common for me to own 5-10 for a game I play seriously, so no big deal .

This I have to hear.

[Dark Savant]

I only have one legal version of SMAC/SMAX; it's common for me to own 5-10 for a game I play seriously, so no big deal .

This I have to hear.

I don't just play games, I collect them.  I haven't taken some pictures for a while; here you go (apologies for the rather poor quality; and no inline pics because this is off-topic and a lot of pictures):

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Picture 10 This is the one with my Civilization games
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There's only one copy of SMAC and SMAX, the originals; I don't have a boxed Planetary Pack or that shovelware package that has SMAC/X.  I do have, for instance ... uh, I'm not sure how you want to count copies of Civ 2, but my count of full installable games it's 5: original, Multiplayer Gold, Test of Time, Civ 3 LE, Civ 4 Chronicles.  There are also 10 copies of Ultima 6 up there (all different physical packaging), which is the most of any single game I've got.

You can see why most people don't do this: it takes a TON of space.  You can fit every single Nintendo 64 game ever produced, from the entire world, in its original packaging ... all in a small bookcase.  That, um, isn't happening in my case (and that isn't my whole collection).

[yuris125]

Will lurk with interest, don't know the game well enough for a PBEM (shame on me)

[TheHumanHydra]

I only have one legal version of SMAC/SMAX; it's common for me to own 5-10 for a game I play seriously, so no big deal .

This I have to hear.

I don't just play games, I collect them.  I haven't taken some pictures for a while; here you go (apologies for the rather poor quality; and no inline pics because this is off-topic and a lot of pictures):

Lol, this starts to make more sense. The most copies of a game I've bought is four, for Skyrim: Skyrim for 360, then the complete edition when it came out, then the base game for PC because I wasn't sure it would run, then the complete edition for PC when I determined it did! 

[RFS-81]

Will lurk with interest, don't know the game well enough for a PBEM (shame on me)

Same! I think the only game I finished was a tech victory as the Gaians. I liked it, but so many games, so little time...

Speaking of many games, that's an impressive collection, DarkSavant! Also, Wing Commander and Ultima in one box? And not once, but twice? That's a really random combination!

[Gavagai]

I confirm my interest. But will need to refresh my memories about the game before commenting on rules/bans.