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How Many Factions Should There Be?

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  • How Many Factions Should There Be?

    In future sequels to SMAC?

    I always thought that in SMAC 1, at least, the map is way too small. Also, it would be fun if there were three or even four competing alliances at once. Having more factions would make things more complicated, but I don't think as complicated as Paradox (EU, Victoria, Hearts of Iron) games.

    So how many should there be?

    I'm thinking that 28 would be good. 50 would be overkill. More stats and special features are needed to make factions unique, but I think doubling the original 14 is doable.

    What's the max number of factions per game for Civ III?

  • #2
    31 for civ3.

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    • #3
      31 in Civ III for SP games. With MP, a total of 8. (Including AI)

      I don't see Firaxis making any sequels to SMAC.
      1st C3DG Term 7 Science Advisor 1st C3DG Term 8 Domestic Minister
      Templar Science Minister
      AI: I sure wish Jon would hurry up and complete his turn, he's been at it for over 1,200,000 milliseconds now.

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      • #4
        I think a good number would be 35. Or maybe forget about multiples of seven all together, and instead start each game with one or more pairs of archnemeses. Maybe then a total of 40 or 48 factions.

        What about political factions within "geographical" factions?

        I definitely think the number playing together should vary (from 2 to 14 or to 20 or to 35)

        I do like the idea of pairs of similar factions, i.e. a technological militarist faction and a manpower militarist faction.

        And have a choice between male and female for each one.

        Check "Ask Sid" on the official Firaxis site. He says an Alpha Centauri sequel (or a Colonization sequel) is always under consideration for the next project.

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        • #5
          I think a max limit of 20 would be best. There are only so many faction types you can come up with before you start getting duplicates.

          Also, if there were 35 factions then the personality of the leaders wouldn't be expressed and we would love them much less than we love, say, Morgan now. Although I like playing with the SMACX factions they're much less developed than the SMAC 7. Is there anyone here who doesn't despise Miriam?

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          • #6
            Is there anyone here who doesn't despise Miriam
            QFT.
            #play s.-cd#g+c-ga#+dgfg#+cf----q.c
            #endgame

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            • #7
              Yes, I like playing factions with research penalties as well. However, playing against Miriam I've only ever pacted with her once to achieve victory.

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              • #8
                I think we need all the originals, with the possible exception of the Progenitors, plus at least seven new ones. Maybe the only old ones we need to keep are the original seven plus the pirates.

                I'm always Miriam.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Senethro
                  Is there anyone here who doesn't despise Miriam?
                  I don't despise her, as such. I just think she's rather... misguided. But at least she has the potential to see the light.

                  Yang, on the other hand...
                  "I'm too young and too male to be the mother of a seventeen year old female me!"

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by WotanAnubis
                    Yang, on the other hand...
                    ... is the light! Or at least he sees himself that way.
                    He who knows others is wise.
                    He who knows himself is enlightened.
                    -- Lao Tsu

                    SMAC(X) Marsscenario

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                    • #11
                      I think the best number would be 10, for three reasons...

                      First, note that each faction is either explore, discover, build, or conquer, or two of these...mathematically, using either one or two of these interests, there are 10 possibilities...

                      Second, there are 10 social effects (economy, morale, research, etc.)...

                      Each of the ten factions would each have one of these as their primary interest...

                      Third, there are 12 social engineering choices, but only 10 appear to be an "idealogy"...I find it hard, but I guess not impossible, to find someone for wealth and planned, but I guess a communist could do that...

                      The ten factions would look like something from below...

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                      • #12
                        1. The ecology insane people like the Gaians...

                        PLANET, GREEN econmics, Explore

                        2. A play off of the University...

                        RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGE values, Discover

                        3. Basically, the drones...

                        INDUSTRY, EUDAIMONIC society, Build

                        4. A military faction like the Spartans...

                        MORALE, POWER values, Conquer

                        5. Something like the cyborgs...

                        EFFICIENCY, CYBERNETIC society, Explore and Discover

                        6. Humanitarians

                        GROWTH, DEMOCRACY politics, Explore and Build

                        7. Your religious freaks...

                        SUPPORT, FUNDALMENTALIST politics, Explore and Conquer

                        8. Our good old buddy Morgan, but with a zeal for technology...

                        ECONOMY, FREE MARKET economics, Discover and Build

                        9. Like the Angels, but without the freedom loving part, more like an evil twin...

                        PROBE, THOUGHT CONTROL society, Discover and Conquer

                        10. Basically, Yang...

                        POLICE, POLICE STATE politics, Build and Conquer

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                        • #13
                          Well, I guess its not exactly perfect, I kind of like the original 14 and 7 the best, dang Firaxis people, they make us look bad...

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                          • #14
                            Frankly, I'd be justly pleased if they included only the 7 basic factions, so long as they produced a new SMAX sequel with the depth and complexity of the original, along with an improved AI, more balanced tech tree, and better graphics, especially if they included a faction creator right in the package.

                            But that's not going to happen, since SMAX is Brian Reynolds' baby, and he's left to found Big Huge Games.

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                            • #15
                              Are you sure a SMAC2 would have the same set of available Traits? And why can't we have more combinations of the existing ones even if they'd wind up too similar to each other? And we could create our own faction in startup. By the way, I never did get the old faction editor to work. I want that fixed, maybe have an editor more similar to that of Civ2, 3, or 4, or some combination. Maybe we could even have a Trait system influenced by Civ3, like maybe a hybrid. Or be able to edit the Trait system, to give factions varying numbers of them. I could have tried the normal way to edit factions, but I don't play SMAC1 anymore.

                              So you think Sid's not exactly being honest with us in the Ask Sid section?

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