You guys here play with the expansion?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
Firaxis is not selling SMAX. All remaining copies of SMAX have been purchased, apparently, so the retailers are not selling SMAX. Therefore, getting SMAX for free deprives Firaxis and retailers of nothing at all. Whether or not this is legally piracy, it's unambiguously just.

1. they may be planning to release SMAX in the future
2.They may somehow have decided that SMAX somehow competes with other Firaxis products
3. they may be planning on releasing a SMAC 2 in the future
4. They may have decided SMAX is an embarrassment.
5. They may be contemplating selling the rights to SMAX.

Whatever.

[Datajack Franit]

I purchased SMAX via Amazon.com, it was a good bargain, although I think it becomes really good only editing the faction's profiles; Planet Cult and the Consciousness are just shamefully weak

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
I purchased SMAX via Amazon.com, it was a good bargain, although I think it becomes really good only editing the faction's profiles; Planet Cult and the Consciousness are just shamefully weak

The Cybernetic Consciousness in the Alpha Centauri Democracy Team Game might differ with you. Although I have to say that I personally like easy pop booming.

[jtsisyoda]

Ask Hercules if the Consciousness are weak. I'm using them against him in a head to head game.

[AMD4EVER]

I'll vouch of the consciousness as well. They are not a weak faction

[Corellion]

Indeed, we most certainly are not!

[Sarxis]

Just for the record, sigs are supposed to be no longer than 4 lines.

You know who you are.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
If a farmer decides he doesn't want to sell his corn, then its ok to steal it from him?

If there are people starving right outside his farm and he isn't EVER going to use the corn, then...

[Adalbertus]

AFAIK, in societies which aren't ruined by combining the negative sides of socialism and capitalism anyone who cannot buy what he/she needs immediately for survival may steal it. (E. g. if you're hungry, don't have money and cannot get it in reasonable time, you may steal food and eat it immediately without being punished).

OK. it's different with games, but I guess Firaxis sees SMAX as a too strong competition to Civ3. This reasoning still doesn't work IMO, but every other reason not to sell SMAX seems weaker.

[Maniac]

Well personally I consider the UoP, Pirates and Hive stronger factions than the Consciousness - the faction I'm member of in the ACDG - but I guess that's just my personal playing style.

[Corellion]

I would agree that they certainly aren't the strongest faction, but please don't classify them in the same category as the Cult.

[Phenix]

Indeed, you're right guys

[Chaos Theory]

Anun Ik Oba: Here is the crucial difference between all piracy and conventional theft. When you copy computer files, the source files still exist. If I could somehow "copy" the farmer's corn rather than deprive him of it, would you object? By copying a game, you do not deprive anyone of anything that already exists, though if it is being sold you deprive its creators of money to which they are entitled.

LotM:
1. Possible, but very unlikely since they've had the opportunity for years and haven't taken it. Copies were available for sale as late as August 2002 (when I got mine), so there was a substantial delay between when they stopped making the game and when the retailers ran dry. Even so, should they re-release SMAX, there will still be a small market of new SMAC addicts.
2. Tough.
3. In that case, spreading SMAX would boost their recognition and aid their sales of SMAC 2
4. Tough.
5. The source code has its own value which is undiminished by piracy, but any value related to selling games falls under point 1.

[Datajack Franit]

Just for the record, sigs are supposed to be no longer than 4 lines

So sue me

[Alinestra Covelia]

4 lines means 4 "ENTER" inputs.

It doesn't actually seem to mean 4 lines.

Not that I'd have any personal stake in this argument whatsoever