My Name Is Sprayber And I'm A Control Freak!!

[Sprayber]

Yes it's true, it's true. I was just reading a thread about automated formers and I would never have this problem becuase I never automate anything. I know what your saying, that it would get boring as hell moving all your units around but I just can't help it. I tried automated formers and patrol patterns and governors. It didn't work for me. Are there any more control freaks here?

[Tau Ceti]

Oh yes. I never automate anything. The AI always ends up doing something stupid and I will have to take control to fix the mistakes anyway.

(Not that I have even tried automating SMAC units. I have abhorred automatic movement/orders since the Civ 1 goto commands, which could get a unit stuck for centuries trying to walk across the straits of Gibraltar )

Micromanagement rules!

[Iskandar Reza]

the AI can hardly handle itself. i'd die before giving the AI any control of my stuff.

i'd go so far as to plot out the rout to a destination myself. never pressed the "G" key (except on Alien Artifacts when i want to see which node is still unlinked)

[Earwicker]

Yes, if there's a Micromanagers Anonymous, I must join it. That's why it takes so long to get through the games. But I can't trust the dopey AI to help lose the game for me!

[Velociryx]

::shyly raises his hand::

Count me in with the "I-HAVE-TO-BE-IN-CONTROL-OF-EVERY-SINGLE-UNIT-MY-EMPIRE-EVER-BUILDS" group as well....

::sigh::



-=Vel=-

[Fitz]

Sorry, I don't get to join you guys. My list of occassional automations include:

Using the goto (g key) command on boats/formers.
Setting a former to automatic sensors.


And, when I'm really in the mood for a fast game (a few times year), all conquered bases get govorners. Usually, they just control resources, but sometimes they get the whole shebang.

I promise I'll work harder until I have the honor of joining MicroManagers Anonymous.


Incidentally, and this will probably be abhorable to you guys, I've allways wanted to try a automated game, where the only thing you really control are military units. SE Settings and Govorner settings can be changed once every 10 years. All fomers to be automated.

[Vlad Antlerkov]

Count me in this group as well. Given how the AI manages its own empires, I don't want it to manage mine

[death_head]

I am a hopeless Macromanager, and I absolutely love the goto commands, etc. Alpha Centauri has decent pathfinding AI (most of the time) and if I don't give them auto-commands, I am likely to forget when I load up the saved game.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I have had a fanatical hatred of automation ever since I tried automating my settler units in Civ2. They went around happily making alterations to the land, until they did everything they could.

Then they went into my bases, and just stayed there. I couldn't tell them what to do, and even worse I couldn't reactivate them or even disband them. They just stood in the cities, permanently greyed out, and unwilling to do any work or be disbanded.

Because of this I have been a compulsive control freak in SMAC. This fortunately dovetails with the choice of my favorite faction...

[Kassiopeia]

The Micromanagers Anonymous (or, M.A.)

Kassiopeia :
Hi. My name is Kassiopeia and I'm a control freak.

Allie C., Death_head, Vlad A., Vel, Earwicker, Iskandar R., Tau Ceti and President Sprayber (together) :
Hi Kassiopeia.

Kassiopeia (very emotional) :
Last night I was playing SMAC. I was the Hive and I had at least 20 bases.

Approving nods.

Kassiopeia (still rather emotional) :
Then I thought that mayhaps I could put some bigger bases on governor and some formers on Automatic to make it go easier.

Disapproving shakes of heads.

Kassiopeia (bursting into tears) :
Then I found out that my biggest science base had built a punishment sphere! Baaah!

Kassiopeia sits down on his chair sobbing helplessly.

Rest of the group (pityfully attempting to confort K.):
Group hug!!!

[Kassiopeia]

Re: The Micromanagers Anonymous (or, M.A.)

Kassiopeia :
Hi. My name is Kassiopeia and I'm a control freak.

Allie C., Death_head, Vlad A., Vel, Earwicker, Iskandar R., Tau Ceti and President Sprayber (together) :
Hi Kassiopeia.

Kassiopeia (very emotional) :
Last night I was playing SMAC. I was the Hive and I had at least 20 bases.

Approving nods.

Kassiopeia (still rather emotional) :
Then I thought that mayhaps I could put some bigger bases on governor and some formers on Automatic to make it go easier.

Disapproving shakes of heads.

Kassiopeia (bursting into tears) :
Then I found out that my biggest science base had built a punishment sphere! Baaah!

Kassiopeia sits down on his chair sobbing helplessly.

Rest of the group (pityfully attempting to confort K.):
Group hug!!!

PS: Thanks Velociryx. About that quote I mean. "All your base are belong to us". I have literally spent hours thinking how the legendary grammatic error was!

[Blake]

I never move any unit manually with the exceptions of formers (and ofcourse when attacking), to get around the aircraft/missile base-seeking habit I use waypoints to force them to dodge the bases. Waypoints are incredibly usfull and I cant believe it took me about 6 months of playing to try them...

Other than movement I wouldn't dream of letting the AI take control of my bases or units, I cant imagine letting an automated former loose on my carefully terraformed empire.

[Nakar Gabab]

No automation. But I do use time-saving techniques; I move formers in big clusters to finish stuff really fast. Sound strategy, also very very lazy. Heh.

I also make heavy use of F4 and right-clicking to rush at multiple bases. I don't want to go into a base screen unless it's out of stuff to build or I need to fortify it.

I don't even let the AI design for me. Inevitably it makes a useless mix of units that can't possibly benefit me at the time. No thanks, if I need it, I'll build it.

Automation is the work of the devil! Or sure seems that way, the way units act (possessed?).

[D4everman]

When I start a game I control all of the formers myself. I check the base control screen to see where the workers are nd send the former to make a farm/mine/solar collector what have ya to speed up base growth. When I have 3 or 4 bases I use one to create an extra former and have it lay down roads connecting them. I do use the "Construct road to..." command for that.

By the late game I automate half of the formers because by then I'm too busy with vendettas most of the time to worry about them. Besides by then I have so many formers it becomes a chore. (I always have a few that I personally control though to repair fungus damage and finish up terraforming base squares.)

I almost always automate sea formers. For some reason its tedious for me to control them. Besides, if I don't have sea bases by the mid game I don't build them. They take too long to grow IMHO and are too vulnerable when the others get their navies together. Once a sea former has "auto improved home base" to the fullest I give it full automation and let it roam around forming coastal squares.

D4

[death_head]

Well, I always do everything myself in the beginning of the game. Everything is so important early on, and the slightest error will cost you the game.

D4, I am just like you. I hate managing sea formers, probably because it's harder to know what to do with the sea than on the land.