developing bad habits on librarian level?

[Adalbertus]

I'm usually playing transcend single player. In the early game I found it most useful to expand to just one base before the first bureaucracy warning - 9 for a huge map if you got 0 efficiency (playing Deirdre or Aki, I gladly sacrifice the initial efficiency to running planned; with Domai, I think it might be better to directly go for 18 bases). I crank out one former (with Yang two) asap. Then I switch the first five bases to build an SP, the last four to probe teams to support building of the SP (usually, IA is not at hand by that time). Sometimes, especially with Deirde, I'm able to snag all five "initial" SPs, namely WP, HGP, ME, VW, and Command Nexus.
I try to not wander a lot to find the next spot to build a base; I prefer a two-in-diagonal spacing. With the WP (which ranks very high on my preference) I build farms and condensors, before that mostly forests and a few farms (remember that specials and condensors lift the production limits in the early game). The only special I really go for, is the Monsoon Jungle. Simply awesome.
I guess you can do more efficiently (visiting each base each round for potential drone riots should be my next step ) but that's what I do.

[Frankychan]

Dang.

Well L.O.M.-People have basically covered the question. The goodies are NOT grouped in any specific fashion. And like Mongoose said, if you have randome events on, you can lose that nice nutrient bonus you've been depending on for your capital...OR you can get a nice mineral bonus tile next to a mineral starved base.

What I have found out is that if you plan on moving a colony pod through some fungus, it's good to accompany it with a military unit. I've lost a smackload of colony pods due to mindworm attacks...but you should experience it firsthand.

One thing to remember is that rain falls on the WEST side of mountain ranges and hills. These area's are going to be great for nutrients until you can change the rainfall around your bases. Rocky tiles will give you extra minerals and elevated tiles will give you a nice Energy bonus.

And watch your a** cause Miriam likes to chew on it.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Frankychan
Dang.

Well L.O.M.-People have basically covered the question. The goodies are NOT grouped in any specific fashion. And like Mongoose said, if you have randome events on, you can lose that nice nutrient bonus you've been depending on for your capital...OR you can get a nice mineral bonus tile next to a mineral starved base.

What I have found out is that if you plan on moving a colony pod through some fungus, it's good to accompany it with a military unit. I've lost a smackload of colony pods due to mindworm attacks...but you should experience it firsthand.

One thing to remember is that rain falls on the WEST side of mountain ranges and hills. These area's are going to be great for nutrients until you can change the rainfall around your bases. Rocky tiles will give you extra minerals and elevated tiles will give you a nice Energy bonus.

And watch your a** cause Miriam likes to chew on it.

Thanks to all for info on specials.

Yes, Ive found how vulnerable pods can be to mindworms OTOH, if they dont have go too far through fungus, i sometimes play the odds.

The rainfall on the west is interesting (earth sciene correct) but i havent figured out how to work it into a strategy.


Im now at war with everyone except Lal(seems like the civ2 1750 moment) Im focusing on striking at Deirdre, basically cause shes the closest. Im working on figuring out best balance of artillery and conventional units, and how best to use artillery. Also best mix of naval units.

[CEO Aaron]

Generally I've found it best to develop a terraforming plan that isn't dependent on rainfall, since it's not really under your control. Forestation, boreholes and condensers will give you much more than your fair share of what mother nature intended.

As for military deployment, I find that artillery isn't worth fielding in large amounts, unless you're embarking on a prolonged assault against enemies with permeter defenses, and you're strapped with a bad probe rating. The problem is that most offensive forces are primarily composed of rovers, and rover artillery has a rather pricey surcharge. Infantry artillery, while economical, will swiftly be left behind by any successful assault (and who plans for an unsuccessful assault?)

Typically an invasion force I field will be 60% best attack rovers, 20% best defense ECM garrisons (to be homed in newly conquered bases) and 20% probe teams. If my offensive stalls due to a heavily fortified base with tons of units in it, I'll build a couple of infantry artillery (or divert some I have at home on worm defense) and send them to the front. The composition of my forces tends to change drastically with the discovery of air power, choppers and drop pods.

[Hydro]

lord of the mark – rainfall on the west sides of mountains/rises is a fudge. Rainfall is highest wherever a moist airmass hits a mountain. It drops it’s load as it ascends and cools, leaving the lee side of the mountain rather dry. SMAC accounted for this by saying that the moist wind is always from the west (ala the jet stream). I give the BR team credit for doing their research, and then finding a code-able middle ground!

[Sikander]

Originally posted by CEO Aaron
Generally I've found it best to develop a terraforming plan that isn't dependent on rainfall, since it's not really under your control. Forestation, boreholes and condensers will give you much more than your fair share of what mother nature intended.

Without a doubt these are the best terraforming improvements in the game.

Originally posted by CEO Aaron
As for military deployment, I find that artillery isn't worth fielding in large amounts, unless you're embarking on a prolonged assault against enemies with permeter defenses, and you're strapped with a bad probe rating. The problem is that most offensive forces are primarily composed of rovers, and rover artillery has a rather pricey surcharge. Infantry artillery, while economical, will swiftly be left behind by any successful assault (and who plans for an unsuccessful assault?)

Typically an invasion force I field will be 60% best attack rovers, 20% best defense ECM garrisons (to be homed in newly conquered bases) and 20% probe teams. If my offensive stalls due to a heavily fortified base with tons of units in it, I'll build a couple of infantry artillery (or divert some I have at home on worm defense) and send them to the front. The composition of my forces tends to change drastically with the discovery of air power, choppers and drop pods.

I find artillery to be useful sometimes, especially for defending my continent from sniping by Native or Enemy sea forces. With a sensor and the height bonus they don't do too badly. I only build infantry based artillery, though most of the time they will be elites with those two movement points. If there are outbreaks of native life, these batteries really come into their own. Artillery blows the crap out of native life, and those stacks of worms make juicy targets (as you well know). A great substitute for artillery in the earliest stages of an amphibious invasion is your own foils and cruisers.

[MahoTsukai]

Hi,

I'm an avid SMAC:AC player, and I'm still sucked into this game, 4 years after I bought it.

I won't get into details, but here is the BEST SMAC:AC source I know of

http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/alien_crossfire_a.txt

Keep your thanks for the author.

[CEO Aaron]

Originally posted by Sikander

I find artillery to be useful sometimes, especially for defending my continent from sniping by Native or Enemy sea forces. With a sensor and the height bonus they don't do too badly. I only build infantry based artillery, though most of the time they will be elites with those two movement points. If there are outbreaks of native life, these batteries really come into their own. Artillery blows the crap out of native life, and those stacks of worms make juicy targets (as you well know). A great substitute for artillery in the earliest stages of an amphibious invasion is your own foils and cruisers.

You bring up an oversight in my post which I'd like to amend. While I say that I don't think artillery is worth fielding in large amounts, there are _absolutely_ good reasons to have some. For worm defense, counterbattery of offshore bombardment and softening up any attackers who dare sully my shores, artillery is well worth the cost, I just prefer not to place it on a rover chassis, since on a infantry platform it's a free upgrade.