Two Questions

[Basil]

In a 0-player game (7 AI's) that I ran as a test, the University had developed Grav Ships by 2300. So the AI's not completely incapable of researching past Cybernetics In fact, the AI-Progenitors almost always get to D:AP before I do.

I have one game as the Spartans where my three of my four AI-slaves contribute as much to the communal research as the Spartans do. I had another game as the Gaians where the Usurpers built the Cloning Vats; I kept on sharing tech with my 2 submissive AI's and couldn't figure out where all the Usurper probe teams were - they must have had probe teams, right? 'cause every time I gave tech to my subs the Usurpers got the tech

Just out of curiousity, do you (WhiteElephants) play blind research or directed research in SP?

[WhiteElephants]

Basil -- I don't play single player anymore, but when I did I usually played directed research though I've tried blind, double-blind, double-blind and deaf, and double-blind, deaf, and parapalegic.

In your games you should have just bumped those AI's off. Your overall research and energy income would have been much better. I'm not convinced that AI could have built enough sizable cities to make commerce income profitable. Perhaps I'm wrong. The only way I can fathom that the AI contributed as much research as your faction is if you kept the size of your empire quite small. eXpand.

[Ned]

WE, I agree, the AI normally is easy. But, if you make a few mods to the game, it plays a lot better. More on that below. Right now, I am in the another serious game with the AI where LAL has been ahead the whole game and has aroung 70% of the SP's. Talk about infrastructure, LAL and every other AI's infrastructure in this game is just as good as my own. But just to place matters in perspective, the combined Planetary Governor votes for all other factions, include my own (Miriam) are aroung 70% of LAL's. It is just amazing what the AI can do if it gets the lead.

I have posted these mods in other threads, but they are:

- make all factions passive
- set all factions interests to build, explore, discover
- give them a free former to start
- delay farms to Gene Splicing
- delay mines to IA
- delay solar to Adaptive Economics
- move Genejacks to Optical Computers
- add +1 police to Fundy and Power

The human player in turn must use double-blind - no research fields selected.

Also, try using a huge or large map.

WE, if you haven't tried a game two with these settings, you will be amazed at how much better the AI plays.

Ned

[WhiteElephants]

Bah! Quit screwing with the Alpaha.txt and join a PBEM game for Christ's sake. You could focus all that time and energy into playing human beings who are already a challenge rather than futzing around trying to create a challenge for yourself.

I'm proud to say I've finished two PBEM's and lost both of them. So, quit playing with yourself and join up. Single player games are a fad of the 90's it's time to get on the ball.

Besides all I can see that you've accomplished is delaying the inevitable. Aren't you still just waiting for D:AP, IA, and MMI? So, what you've done is enlarge the window where the AI actually has an opportunity to damage you, yes?

[Avenoct]

It's been awhile since anyone let a screw loose in the Strategies section. I encourage your insanity WhiteE.

I suppose I should just ignore your position on SP vs. MP being that you are clearly drunk and have been drunk for weeks. But in the interests of spurring on your rants, and possibly vaulting an opinion onto this Off-Topic, I'll venture a comment.

SP will never die. SMAC is the perfect example of why this is true. For many of us, lengthy games of strategy, in a turn based environment, are just the best thing. Some of us might play 4 or even 6 hours at a time.

I think there are really two main factors that make SP valuable:

One: It's simply the convenience of only having to find your own time rather than to coordinate the same 4 hour blocks with another player (or whatever length of time is 'optimal' for your enjoyment).

Two: SP games have a different feeling precisely because they are 'vs.' the computer, the ai, whatever you want to call it. Perhaps interacting with an AI isn't yet as challenging as with a human in the vastly complex Civ-type games, but it's somehow the very fact that you are competing with a completely logical intelligence, one that you may or may not be able to predict, one that you might be able to make empirical changes to, one that is a contained mystery. Perhaps its the same reason people masturbate, as you imply. Whatever it is, it's fun in a whole different way than playing versus humans.

For those and other reasons, SP will live forever.

Now, to get a drink and join you.

-Smack

P.S. The question of Realtime Strategy vs. Turn Based Strategy is interesting. As the off-topicers don't even talk about Civ's, I'll open a thread on this here in our otherwise pure strategy section.

[WhiteElephants]

[Black Sunrise]

, what you end up doing is giving the tech to the faction with the Links as well. This is a very undesirable result

I play tech-give.
Give everyone every tech you get as soon as you get it. TRY to give away techs, don't wait for them to ask.
Why? So they have something worth stealing. I'm usually a little behind on techs when I play this way, but we get into orbit MUCH sooner.
Indra