Fall '00 Challenge - Setup Discussion

[Fitz]

Ah, I see now. The word challenge threw me. A comparison game, with the challenge being to just prove you can stratagize really well (and incidentally impress everyone else ), makes perfect sense to me.

Fine, but I don't really like the PK, since they can't run Police State. And their efficiency penalty hurts.

[Meister Flo]

yes, BigCanuk and Helium Pond, you are right about the purpose of those challenges. Giving everybody the same starting environment on the same map (read: minimization of random factors) makes comparison of different playstyles easy. Its like this strategy discussion board, with a hands-on aspect. And, its a great excuse to start yet another game of SMAC

[mark13]

It sounds great, actually, seeing as there are many, many people here (me included) who weren't around to see the last one.

IMO, though, this challenge must not be too challenging - the purpose of this game is not to beat the AI (that is a given ), but to compare results with other human players.

Another thing, what is the standing on number of attempts? Do we just get one go at it, or several, in order to chip away at the transcend time?

Mark13

[big_canuk]

Mark13:

I would think you could play the map as many times as you like.

However, from the discussion in the "Zakarov..." thread, I would think that the results from the first attempt, where you don't know the map, the locations of the other factions, and the locations of the landmarks, would be most interesting to most smacers. It certainly would not be possible to compare 1st attempts with subsequent ones.

[big_canuk]

WE and others:

Re: Random Events

My experience is that random events are anything but random. I now virtually never experience them, because I know that I have to build a reasonable number of the basic facilities. (Network Nodes, Energy Banks, Bio Labs) If one forgets them, then one gets punished by the computer.

Playing without random events would not make the game less random. It would just remove one of the crucial aspects of play.

When Meister Flo wrote:

quote: Originally posted by Meister Flo on 11-09-2000 05:16 PM (read: minimization of random factors)

he did not mean, IMHO, to turn random events off.

I don't believe I've ever read a thread discussing random events. Does anyone know of one. I would appreciate some more detail, because, while I don't suffer from them now, it would be nice to know the probabilities. They might be based on the number of facilities versus number of bases modified by the number of turns since the required tech has been discovered. ---But, this would be a discussion for that tread.---

Re: Pods

Now this is a tough one. On a large map, with 100's of pods availiable, the randomness tends to average itself to a consistant outcome. In a way, pods only at landing is more random than no pods. It only changes the advantage of exploring. With only at landing, one player could get 4 great outcomes, while the next doesn't.

But... it really doesn't matter. I could go either way.


[This message has been edited by big_canuk (edited November 09, 2000).]

[Misotu]

I'd definitely be up for it. PKs are a fine choice. Directed research is probably better for a compare game. Not bothered about the other settings, any are fine by me, though as someone else pointed out pods at landing site only can give wildly different results and don't even out over the game.

When you've set it up, can you send it to me Flo? My email address is misotu@hotmail.com.

Thanks!

[Capt Dizle]

I would like to comment on the competitive nature of this proposed comparative anaylsis game.

I have never considered myself the best of players nor particularly arrogantly self-possesed about my skills. But I have been and will continue to be contemputous of many of the so call "strategies" that have been written of ad infitium on this and other boards.

Example: solar park patterns. Pure idiotic horse**** this endless debate and mathematical excercise about which configuration yields that best result.

Here is my point. If you delete PRESSURE then smac(x) becomes meaningless as an exercise of strategy. It becomes akin to architechure or some other disclipine.

Not that I would preclude anyone from indulging themselves, but for me, it would be a waste or effort.

Anyone can design a solar park, but who can build an effective and efficient solar park while being targeted by nerve gas enabled missle choppers and silksteel drop troops?

Set a goal and go hell bent for leather, first one there is God and the rest of us suck. Then we can look at the winner's game and see why we suck.

My prediction is that many of the fancy smancy defensive schemes and building paradigms we read about here will not even show up in the loser's game because of the Pressure.

Doesn't pressure have something to do with the formation of diamonds?

This format isn't as raw as multiplayer but if you buy into the competitive intent, it is clearly more fun than standard ai bashing.

Bush/Chenney 2001, 2002, and however long it takes...

[Capt Dizle]

Flo...

Well, why don't you see if you can coax AnnC or Vel out of retirement for a conquest CAG game of SMAX. Maybe a pirate thing?

That might be worth a reinstall, if I can find my CDs.

jt

[Simpson II]

Well, I'm not that partial to the PKs, but sign me up anyway. My e-mail is j.moughan@excite.com. It'll be interesting to see some of the .sav games at the end!

[Googlie]

and how could I resist?

googlie@mybc.com

[VoodooChild]

I'm down with it.

jvoodoochild@yahoo.com

[mark13]

Oh yeah, e-mail: anne.harrison1@ntlworld.com

jt,
In response to your previous post, I would concur that the competitive nature of the game and the people participating should be satisfied. However, this does not mean that this is a challenge to see 'who is the best SMAC player' - it is a bit of fun. No-one here, I expect, will be taking it that seriously, and although it is a good way of comparing results, we're not going for an Olympic gold medal here. It is a bit of fun, nothing more.

quote: Bush/Chenney 2001, 2002, and however long it takes...

LOL - ever the optimist

[Gregurabi]

Do Windows saved games work in the Linux version? If so, I'd be willing to give it a shot. (greg@wooledge.org or just click the little mail icon above.)

[WhiteElephants]

Big Canuk -- So you would have no problem with popping an early pod and a burst of fungus popping out effectively ruining half the area you have to work with? Solar collectors deystroyed by hail storms? Satellites deystroy by so cosmic ray crap (or whatever it is?). The only way I know to avoid these is to not have them and that would also remove a crucial aspect of the game. Besides who is going to do well without bio labs, research hospitals, energy banks, etc.?

And if this wasn't of competetive nature I wouldn't be playing PBEM or even be in this forum. What's stopping me from comparing results of my own game to my own game?

[WhiteElephants]

Oh, my email is FeenyBe@cs.com. Thanks, whoever?