Rebalance Mod for MP

[Mart]

Trying most of the changes you wrote.
- Naval Yards, good idea, they are with foils. After all, simpler foil ships bases can be considered naval too.
- Tech changes included as you have them. Though Holo theaters and Virtual World stay as I initially had.
- Formers stay as they were, I think earlier formers is a good thing. AI could build more of them.

I will put 4 new pre-designed formers.
And one more thing:
- Aerospace Complex available from Synth. Fossil Fuels.
This tech is suggesting rockets, so we can consider facilities that make them/test them as early airfields.
Cost of Aerospace Cmplx 2 rows! And upkeep 0.
Cloudbase Academy returns to MMI. Cost somewhat increased to 40 rows.
AI will benefit greatly.
For human players, this will help a lot to destroy "chop'n'drop" strategy. I hope.

I am also thinking about turning all of the Yitzi drone additional features, however, rule 8 is something quite game changing. The strategy of bases with all-specialists will not work.
Luckily, rule 1 helps with pacifism drones.
Additional drones change drone management anyway, so why not have these extreme drone rules here too.
Rule 32 is helping in return.

[Dio]

I have to think about these changes.
Lack of police is in later game easily counter-measured with increased psych allocation.

Virtual World, yes, I thought about it. Good solution, though more "game changing" as players often start this SP with Planetary Networks. So game strategy would be influenced more.

Tech tree changes.
Some of them are very tempting to do. So far, I thought about leaving the tech tree as it is. Less influencing the standard game. But some techs are just asking to be made the way you write. E.g. Air Power after Initiative.

Let me think about it all.

I understand the counteraction of police with psych allocations later in the game, but the -3 TALENT certainly makes golden ages harder on higher difficulties even with higher psych energy allocations.

[Dio]

Trying most of the changes you wrote.
- Naval Yards, good idea, they are with foils. After all, simpler foil ships bases can be considered naval too.
- Tech changes included as you have them. Though Holo theaters and Virtual World stay as I initially had.
- Formers stay as they were, I think earlier formers is a good thing. AI could build more of them.

I will put 4 new pre-designed formers.
And one more thing:
- Aerospace Complex available from Synth. Fossil Fuels.
This tech is suggesting rockets, so we can consider facilities that make them/test them as early airfields.
Cost of Aerospace Cmplx 2 rows! And upkeep 0.
Cloudbase Academy returns to MMI. Cost somewhat increased to 40 rows.
AI will benefit greatly.
For human players, this will help a lot to destroy "chop'n'drop" strategy. I hope.

I am also thinking about turning all of the Yitzi drone additional features, however, rule 8 is something quite game changing. The strategy of bases with all-specialists will not work.
Luckily, rule 1 helps with pacifism drones.
Additional drones change drone management anyway, so why not have these extreme drone rules here too.
Rule 32 is helping in return.

I would remain careful with the over improvement of physical aircraft at the detriment of PSI as a viable option. I know that AAA tracking, Aerospace Complexes, and Hypontic all defend against Aerial PSI Assaults. I also moved PSI Defense from Eudaimonia onto Centauri Psi.

[Dio]

Trying most of the changes you wrote.
- Naval Yards, good idea, they are with foils. After all, simpler foil ships bases can be considered naval too.
- Tech changes included as you have them. Though Holo theaters and Virtual World stay as I initially had.
- Formers stay as they were, I think earlier formers is a good thing. AI could build more of them.

I will put 4 new pre-designed formers.
And one more thing:
- Aerospace Complex available from Synth. Fossil Fuels.
This tech is suggesting rockets, so we can consider facilities that make them/test them as early airfields.
Cost of Aerospace Cmplx 2 rows! And upkeep 0.
Cloudbase Academy returns to MMI. Cost somewhat increased to 40 rows.
AI will benefit greatly.
For human players, this will help a lot to destroy "chop'n'drop" strategy. I hope.

I am also thinking about turning all of the Yitzi drone additional features, however, rule 8 is something quite game changing. The strategy of bases with all-specialists will not work.
Luckily, rule 1 helps with pacifism drones.
Additional drones change drone management anyway, so why not have these extreme drone rules here too.
Rule 32 is helping in return.

I also know that the replacement of Polymorphic Software for Optical Computers as a technology rerequisite of Advanced Military Algorithms makes it easier for the majority of factions to reach the Power Social Model.

[Nexii]

I was thinking a lot about what this mod is trying to accomplish.  More or less what we all are, a game that's challenging throughout.  I came to realize that no matter how much you mod the game (to suit the AI's playstyle) or improve the AI (this is complex, and huge improvements aren't likely) that the AI will play worse the longer the game goes on.  Right now it's common for a human player to just expand, and out-produce the AI in the mid-game.  Why is this?  Well simply, there are more strategic options available and more ways to not play 'optimally'.  The big ones for AI we know, how it manages military, the underemphasis on terraforming and tech, over-aggression when not having a large military.  Here's my idea: Make the % boosts for AI (on higher difficulties) start weaker but get much stronger as the game goes on. Simple as that, I think tweaking this early game stuff can only make the game worse in some ways.  Already how I mod (fixing unit costs) can make starting near aggressive Spartans instant death.  Why?  Because +30% all around production is huge in a game with exponential growth.  There's no overcoming it no matter how well you play.

On the other topics:

- I would agree on the earlier Hab domes.  Maybe not as early as B4 but earlier than B8.  Enrichers should come later like around the 8th tier.  Perhaps even Condensors but with how WP works it would have to be placed later also.  But with ecodamage modded in, Condensors do cause a lot more ecodamage.

-On the topic of PSI, I play with 2:1 A:D for PSI combat for land, air, and sea.  It makes them viable for attack, and alien MWs more dangerous.  Yes they do get mopped up easily by mobile units, but can be paired with non-alien for defense.  I don't think 100% native life armies are really a good thing anyways since they let you tank MORALE SE at no penalty.

[Mart]

Yes, the AI has difficulty to compete in mid-game anyway. However, I noticed, that in late mid-game or when late-game starts, after fusion reactor AI got singularity. Then suddenly Morgan (AI) got all his defense units singular equipped. Armor was 8, and many of his bases got <8> AAA units. My copters were not good, shard fusion ones. So I had to use infantry, and of course, using mag-tubes and elite infantry conquering a base was much easier. But then, all this effort caused me to just take his one base and then sign truce...

Mod objectives are not only more competitive/interesting AI, but also:
- have human players in MP to effectively compete in mid- and late-game.
Now, it is like around Air Power one human faction gets so much advantage, that mostly MP games end at this point.

Aerospace complexes are not intended to help physical air units. As human player rather has a chance to build them in bases with Aero. cmplx. anyway. Making this facility easy to get everywhere makes several things:
- defense is major point. Easy thing to have +100% air defense and no longer a base is so easy to get by copters or bombing needlejets. Human player not always can get rid of this facility in an easy way. E.g. there are several probe teams, so probe team action can be difficult to do. This is strongly to destroy "chop'n'drop."
- Cloudbase Academy can be used as it is in MMI tech. Since Aero. cmplx. is so easy to get in every base, this SP is nothing more than typical SP. Also due to 0 upkeep cost.
- Economy is more flattened out for human and AI, which can get it also everywhere. Satellites work with full benefits.

[Mart]

Civ4 has this idea of a civ, that with several cities can effectively compete with an aggresive civ, that spreads wide on the map.
Having easier breaking of the second population limit and ability to grow bases to their maximum with abundant nutrients makes somewhat that. In this mod of smacx, you could have several bases with sizes well over 20, with lots of specialists providing a lot of economy and research.

[Dio]

Civ4 has this idea of a civ, that with several cities can effectively compete with an aggresive civ, that spreads wide on the map.
Having easier breaking of the second population limit and ability to grow bases to their maximum with abundant nutrients makes somewhat that. In this mod of smacx, you could have several bases with sizes well over 20, with lots of specialists providing a lot of economy and research.

I could see it providing a severe disadvantage for the factions that cannot population boom easily until after Hybrid Forests provide a sustainable source of nutrients for a base (i.e. Hive).

[Mart]

Ok, but nutrients can be obtained from farming, not necessarily all forests around is the best.
Hive has both +1 growth and +1 industry. Always some benefit to get things done sooner, like having enough formers, facilities, etc.

And always there is golden age. I agree, it requires energy, and Hive is not the best at it, but still, assigning psych can help here.
So +7 actually can be from:
+2 planned
+2 children creche
+2 golden age
+1 factional bonus

[Nexii]

Civ4 has this idea of a civ, that with several cities can effectively compete with an aggresive civ, that spreads wide on the map.
Having easier breaking of the second population limit and ability to grow bases to their maximum with abundant nutrients makes somewhat that. In this mod of smacx, you could have several bases with sizes well over 20, with lots of specialists providing a lot of economy and research.

Although I would say also that land should be at a premium also.  Expanding leaves you more vulnerable.  It's why I don't like sea bases providing a lot of resources, or land raising.  It takes a lot away from the decisions of how to play each unique map.  As well a lot of vertical growth means there's less reason to fight over land. 

But it can also be argued that this isn't a big problem...size 14+ (20+) bases tend to need a lot of land squares for nutrients.

[thedarkestcolors]

Ok, but nutrients can be obtained from farming, not necessarily all forests around is the best.
Hive has both +1 growth and +1 industry. Always some benefit to get things done sooner, like having enough formers, facilities, etc.

And always there is golden age. I agree, it requires energy, and Hive is not the best at it, but still, assigning psych can help here.
So +7 actually can be from:
+2 planned
+2 children creche
+2 golden age
+1 factional bonus

Obtaining a Golden Age means a big hit for income and research, esp. for the Hive with their neg. Economy -> cranking up psych will give an additional penalty for economy and research (starting at psych 20 if I remember correctly, and it prob. needs to go a lot higher for a GA in a reasonable amount of cities)

[Mart]

It is not easy for Hive to make GA, but possible. Costing a lot, that is true. Maybe making 90-100% psych for some short time... Sounds crazy? Maybe. But in order to achieve some effects drastic measures must be made.

Thinking about it all, I am more and more convinced, that what helps SMACX a lot is simple making it playing with more turns. Slowing research rate is one way. This makes especially AI better prepared to oppose human player. As for MP, on one side, we have longer "boring" period of building faction in the early-game often without contact. But then human players would be better prepared for conflicts, that would not end in fast take-over of one another.

Production is also important. More minerals is more units, greater capacity to upkeep them. So problem is:
Genejack factory at tech level 6.
Robotic Assembly level9?
Nanoreplicator ...
Quantum Converter level 12.

These are just too late. Rarely used.

[Mart]

So I am thinking, that Genejack, Robotic Assembly and Nanorep. could stay with their corresponding technologies, and probably the easiest would be to move Quantum converter (as Workshop, a "new" facility) to some earlier technology. Revision of costs would be needed, but this is something I think worth trying.

Which technology then? I think the best would level 1 or 2, maybe 3, but this is already quite far away in the tree from game start.

- Industrial Automation is already overloaded with features.
- Industrial Base, too early?
- Industrial Economics. It already has Energy Bank, Free Market. Maybe Workshop would not make it overloaded.
- Progenitor Psych? It's social tech. although Aquafarm is just one of the most stupid addition of expansion at this tech.
- Field modulation? Not quite industrial Tech too. But it is only with 3r armor, so this line of techs would be more interesting to choose.
- other ...?

One more thing: Singularity Inductor SP gives this facility free. Powerful, maybe then it is good to leave it somewhere later in the tree. It would be still worth building for upkeep, ecology, I think.

=====
Workshop is in Industrial Base, so far. I think it is quite good place for it. Early, Industrial Base is not overly equipped with features with it.
Made cost 80 (8 rows) to build, same as Network Node, upkeep 4 though. Expensive, but it is powerful facility after all. It pays for itself already when a base makes 3-4 minerals from tiles.
Genejack, Robotic and Nanorep. made more expensive to compensate lowered cost of Workshop, compared to Quantum Converter.

[Mart]

And maybe a note here on starting colony pods.
3 colony pods looks like sufficient number, however, working with 35% research rate! and with 3 additional lab points per base. During the game, it should be multiplied to 9, I believe? What with 3 times larger tech cost will make no real difference in late game, but has large effect in level 1 and 2 techs.
I noticed, that AI was often loosing starting cp with trance ability only, so now starting land cp are:
- 3r armor
- trance ability
- infantry chassis
- grav ability, effectively 2 move points and possibility to move over rocky tiles and fungus with ease.
- cost forced to 1 row, so no one uses them to hurry secret projects.

Good thing, AI quickly in most cases establishes 3 bases in very good locations.
Human players:
- also somewhat accelerated start, so it is not "boring" like moving 2 scouts a turn by one tile...

[Mart]

Well, bad news. Quantum Converter is enabled by Robotic Assembly plant.
Now I am not sure, is Nanoreplicator limited the same? Or it is free of such pre-requisite. I need to check.

Normally, an arrangement could be made without bigger problem, but if the mod is to be without changing of of files other than faction txt and alphax.txt, there are limitations.