\\Aldebaran 2.0 Public Beta README File (9/8/01)

Welcome to Aldebaran. The job of this file is to get you up and running as quickly as possible. This assumes you have a running copy of 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri'. It will not work without it.

**Known Issues**
1. I was never able to get rid of this bug: When you are in the in-game help, do not click on 'All Categories' or 'Tech'. They crash the game.

2. There was a tech-bug at certain techs caused by improper word wrap in the files 'techlongs.txt' and 'blurbs.txt'. This has been squashed.

3. You might get a folder called 'Xtrastuff.mac'. It's junk, trash that.


A. Dealing with the Unzipped files: Installing Aldebaran

1. No matter which version you downloaded (graphical or non-graphical) follow these steps.

2. ***Backup your Game Folder***IE DUPLICATE it and put the copy away. 

-For macintosh users, this is the 'Data' Folder. For PC users, this is the folder containing the alpha.txt files, wherever that is for you.

3. With your regular Data neatly stowed away, place all the downloaded files into your current game folder. They will in many cases REPLACE your original files. That's a good thing, so long as you have copies stored somewhere else.

**Take the files out of their 'travelling' folders. IE, take the files from the 'textfiles1 folder and put them in the game folder, then take the files from the aldebgraph folder and put them in the game folder, etc.**

4. For 'Novice' versions of Aldebaran, simply start the game as usual.

5. For Standard (what I like to call Veteran) versions of Aldebaran I need to explain something at this point. There are AI (computer artificial intelligence) versions of each faction, and then there are player versions. This 'Split' was done to further help the 'AI' cheat and really give you a hard time. Here's how to play as a regular player vs. the super-factions:

5a. SMAC-only players: 
When you go to play a game, choose a faction, but click the 'Load Faction' button on that screen. You will be prompted with a set of highlighted text, for instance 'PLANETLOVERAI'. The 'AI' bit indicates that it is currently set to the 'AI' version of that faction. To load the player version, simply click on the end of the text and remove the letters 'AI'. Now press enter when the text says 'PLANETLOVER'. You will now be playing with the Player version of that faction. Thats it!

5b. SMAX (Alien Crossfire installed) players:
SMAX doesn't let you load factions directly. What you'll need to do is pick a faction you'd like to play, then open the alpha.txt file and skim to the bottom where you will see the list:

#Factions
PLANETLOVERAI, PLANETLOVERAI
SYNDICATEAI, SYNDICATEAI         etc.

This is where you make the change. For instance, to play the Planetlovers, change that line to read: PLANETLOVER,   PLANETLOVER
Now start the game and the player version of your chosen faction will be loaded.


6. Scenarios and Maps: Put these wherever you like, just remember where they are so you can use them in-game. 


B. Rights, Acknowledgements and Other Good Things.

1. 'Aldebaran' is Freeware. It is not available for sale, and it may not be reproduced, repackaged, or distributed in any form, for profit. You may of course freely distribute it, hack it, etc., so long as you never charge any money for it!

2. 'Aldebaran' is a software 'Patch' for the Commercial Game 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri' by Firaxis Games, Inc.. All of their copyrights hold true to you and me. Please write to them and tell them how fantastic SMAC (Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri) is and that they ought to go ahead and hire me for SMAC 2. 

3. Aldebaran is a group project of members of the Apolyton online community. Though the original idea and core work were done by me ('Smack' at Apolyton), the project would have gotten nowhere without the great 'Beta' team that volunteered to playtest and help develop the game. I am forever indebted to them! 

The development team includes: Velocyrix, Blake, and Tokamak, who nailed down the AI issues in playtesting, Cybergod, who tackled the graphics with gusto, and Kassiopeia, whose creative energies led to many of the quotes you will see in the game. Kassiopeia is also responsible for the evolving short background story, 'Aldebaran', found here, and posted in segments at Apolyton.

The project is also indebted to the graphical support of the Network Node and its contributing members. There are numerous other people that contributed in discussions of AI development at Apolyton and I'd like to thank them all. I especially owe thanks to Ned's work with developing a more powerful AI. If you are surprised at how much better the 'AI' performs in Aldebaran, thank Ned!

Finally, thanks to Alexander III for the Hydromechanics patch idea, to ShiNing1 for the inspired 'SNAC', and to everyone else who dared to make a difference....in the progragmming.

Happy Landings Chironians,

Smack
