SMAC's Spiritual Successor

[Lorizael]

CivBE is not SMAC2, but it certainly looks like it could be. So for all the diehard SMAC fans out there, what is it that you want out of a SMAC2? What features are essential to SMAC that couldn't be taken out of a sequel? What flaws does the game have that you want fixed? What features from newer Civ games would you like to see implemented in a SMAC sequel? And finally, do you think CivBE can be your SMAC2? Or to put it another way, what would CivBE have to do to be considered a worthy successor to SMAC?

Additionally, I feel this post needs one more sentence not ending in a question mark.

[onodera]

Social policies, terraforming, unit constructor, awesome tech/building/wonder quotes, nerve gas pods are essential.

I want ICS tamed a bit, not shot in the head, forests and tech boosting SPs rebalanced. Needlejets need some love too.

I would like to see religions/memes, strategic resources, random events, national wonders, buildings you get for free when reaching a certain tech.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I strongly believe the story integrated into SMACX is the single thing that most makes it special. People -CIVilians who haven't touched the game in 12 years, even- remember those original seven faction leaders and their strong, indeed iconic, personalities. And the story itself is decent science fiction. They did an impressive job of intergrating it into the game, creating a sprawling, and often profound, transhuman epic.

Alas, signs are that BE is going to just be another open-ended generic Civ game, only with lasers and BEMs.

[Lorizael]

The unit workshop definitely isn't going to make it. Instead we're gonna get unit upgrades tied to your affinity choices.

As far as social policies/religions/memes, the only things I've heard so far are that (a) culture is still in the game in some format and (b) there is a virtue system that is supposed to be something like social policies.

The purity affinity is supposed to be into terraforming.

Quests are probably where we're going to get random events.

[Lorizael]

I strongly believe the story integrated into SMACX is the single thing that most makes it special. People -CIVilians who haven't touched the game in 12 years, even- remember those original seven faction leaders and their strong, indeed iconic, personalities. And the story itself is decent science fiction. They did an impressive job of intergrating it into the game, creating a sprawling, and often profound, transhuman epic.

Alas, signs are that BE is going to just be another open-ended generic Civ game, only with lasers and BEMs.

We're supposed to get bits of story doled out through the quest system, but you're probably right.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

[Lorizael]

/me shrugs. We just found out about the game this week. I don't think us not knowing much about the personalities of the leaders yet is indicative of anything. Personally, I'm intrigued by the three affinities and the story-telling potential that they offer. We shall see.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

We shall see.

I think it would be really intelligent and good for our peace of mind to be open to BE being whatever it turns out to be. Notwithstanding the name of my forum, I never put any hope in a SMACX sequel.

[self biased]

maybe it's very choose-your-own adventure-y. the story bits you get are doled out from the perspective of your chosen affinity.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

One hopes.

[Joseph]

Sound like EA will not let Firaxis do SMAC 2, so FirAxis is just making a new game.

[Guynemer]

As said above, the absolutely crucial thing to nail about a SMAC successor (and which Firaxis biffed on in Civ3, before finding it again in Civ4) is the atmosphere. The quotes, the personalities. That is what makes SMAC SMAC, and what BE will have to nail to live up to the legacy.

[regexcellent]

People are actually posting in here? Jesus.

[Lorizael]

Long before your time, this here site was the largest and most popular Civ site on the whole internet.

[self biased]

I read somewhere that there were complaints about how Civ 5's social policies were too much like a secondary tech tree. I somesomewhat agree; but I do think that if social policies were even more like a secondary tech tree with more choices, that could be interesting. I'm wondering if the civ 4 style social policies are obsolete gameplay at this point. We like being able to change our minds, but how often did we backtrack in Civ 4?