Favorite Victory?

[Karasuman]

Hi, just recently decided to come to the Apolyton message boards. I heard it was a nice place to visit.

Back to the topic, in Alpha Centauri, what victory do you prefer out of the four (I don't have Alien Crossfire, sadly) there are?

[civcop]

Hmm

Having completed only one game (a diplomatic win) I can't say. To be honest, I really don't know what a transcendence win entails. However, since I've thus far enjoyed playing as the Hive or Spartans I should think I would appreciate a military win the most. It's not that I like that way of playing best, I like the builder method too, but so far I've been more successful using brawn over brains.

[Xian]

Ive ONLY won by transcendence and i stil think i can say that no other ending would be as satisfying.

[Method]

well i like to transcend because you get more points for it. 2000 -2 per turn played. econ and diplo victory is 1200 -2 per turn and conquer is 1000 -2 per turn. i think. usually i diplo victory, but i would rather transcend if i can. of course right now as an alien faction i can't diplomatic, so im going to subspace communicate.

Xian, no other victory as satisfying? what about all of humanity unifying under a alliance thingy? isn't that satisfying?

[Tizzy]

I usually win by Transcendance.
I have tried all the other ways - I quite like the alien victory. Economic victory is hard to achieve for me, mainly because I play with random events on.
Diplomatic victory is usually too hard or too easy to achieve, depending who I'm playing and who's left in the game.
Conquest victory is very satisfying though, I have to say

[yavoon]

I prefer the quickest victory, when I can win one way and I haven't I always feel like I'm wasting my time. I guess this translates into diplo victory about 70% of the time. but sometimes transcend is the fastest, and maybe more often, transcend takes the least effort, it may nominally take more years. but no huge army to roam planet with. just shoot out the top. I rarely win by conquest cuz diplo is there, and ppl don't usually defy me, cuz I don't pb them, or nervestaple the bases I just conquered. I rarely win by eco, cuz well...duh?

but I think this would be alot more interesting as wut is your favorite personal victory, I know thats wut I thot of when I saw this question. and to that I'd have to say my first transcend(difficulty) victory. I was the peacekeepers, small map, lotsa land, not easy settings for me at the time. I didn't know too much about the game, and santiago declared on me in like year 20. I won I think in 2265. and was at war w/ someone basically until then. at which point I guess what? got a diplo victory. it wasnt pretty. there was lotsa fighting, and just not letting santiago kill me I thought was really cool.

really cool victory cuz it wasn't perfect tho. it was grimy and dirty, and lotsa my bases were conquered, and had drone problems, and I used like 3? crawlers total. I had sea bases that were size 7 w/ something like 3 minerals/turn.

[Karasuman]

Thanks everyone for replying.

I haven't a mind for conquering other factions, only defending against them. That rules out the Conquer victory. I don't really like to negotiate with the other factions beyond treaties, tech trade, and loans. That rules out Diplomatic victories. Taking the time to research technologies takes too long, so I don't really think much of the Transcendence victory either. However, I do like building up my bases to their fullest output, managing every little detail with them and putting up lots of defense inside them and I make a lot of money. Doing this, I manage to make enough money to accomplish an Economic victory! I consider it a satisfying victory, and it matches my goals and ideals. To accomplish this victory, I usually pick the Morganites, as they make a lot of cash! Just perfect for the job!

[Mr. President]

I actually like the diplomatic victory best. Transcendence troubles me ethically, and I've never managed an economic victory. I've never completed an alien victory either, because I've never been brave enough to carry any of my Usurper games through to that late stage.

[Flubber]

I don't know that I have a favorite SP victory but I did each of them once. I most frequently win a diplomatic victory but that is a misnomer since it is usually a result of conquering other factions until I am large enough to garner the votes.

The alien "phone home" victory is kanda neat since there is a little movie that plays but I can't bring myself to play as the aliens anymore as they are far too easy.

Perhaps my favorite recent victory was recently when I did the "nomad challenge"-- you win the game without ever building or retaining a base. I conquered the world as the cult using only worms and popped units. Its a fun short game but geography can totally frustrate an attempt .

[Bella Hella]

i agree that to me, it is the most satisfying way to win. i just wanna live in peace, advance my scientific knowledge, try to get along, and advance my faction to the next level beyond mere humanity. is that so wrooooong?

conquering everyone can be fun, as well. sometimes on my journey to trancendence, i get all mad and just start killing everyone (not very enlightened, i know).

diplomatic victories just seem kinda boring and unsatisfying to me. i mean, any moron can be elected to office.

i'm never cornered the market, so i couldn't tell ya my opinion on that one.

i've also never won with an alien contacting their peeps (the "E.T. Phone Home" victory), but i imagine it would be like a trancend victory.

[Blackavar]

I usually like to roleplay my games, so my favorite victory is
really a matter of how I see my faction behaving. For instance,
my current game is a game as the peace keepers. I started
off on a large island with the believers right beside me - it didn't
take long for them to declare against me. Playing Lal to the hilt
I decided I had to eliminate the threat to my freedom loving
people of enslavement to an empire that enforced mass conformity of thought - but I will never allow myself to be perceived as a man who will fight more then necessary. I pushed the believers off the island, leaving them with a few water bases and one on another island that eventually expanded into three. Peace treaty signed!

Next came mass contact via the empath guild. The hive turns out to be directly south of me, connected via a land bridge, and hostile - rather then fighting them in a land war I cut off the landbridge with some formers and will now send in some boatfuls of troops to destroy terrain enhancements and city improvements. God forbid that I become like the hive! I only want to stop their effectiveness at fighting me - no more carnage then is necessary.

Keeping with the style, I figure my most likely victory will be diplomatic. Conquest because I may find myself forced to take territory from nearby empires to ensure my own safety - but I will never fight to conquer those people who love freedom, the morgans and the gaians. Diplomatic victory with these huge empires present will be difficult, but I am determined.

A difficult victory is my favorite!

[spartak]

I dislike Conquest because of the need to manage a lot of captured territory. Normally i go for trancendence.

[DilithiumDad]

Economic victory is very feasible, in my experience, but it is very BORING because after you accumulate all the cash, the other factions have 20 years to cpature your HQ. The dippy AI would never succeed in taking Morgaan Industries, it's ridiculous, but what are you supposed to do for 20 years? Well, usually you could get one of the other victories in less than 20 years so what's the point of economic victory? It is an interesting optinon in multiplayer, though, as the AI Morgan can beat the humans by economic victory, leading to a 20-year race to capture Morgan Industries! (See Dune1 over on Planet ACOL!).

[Black Sunrise]

My favorite victory?
When the enemy and I start dropping PB's on each other, and I survive by destroying their ability to wage war.


Indra

[Frankychan]

My favorite win? The Doctor Doom role!

That's right,

I've coined the phrase "The Doctor Doom role". Basically you eliminate your most hated faction, either destroying their base w/PB's, conquering it and turning it into one of yours, or simply wipe it off Planet.

Next, you make the weakest faction your "bank" and tell them to give you so-and-so or else you'll eliminate them as well. Usually this faction complies w/me.

After, you PB the capitols of ALL the factions not allied w/you then launch enormous amphibious assaults on each respective faction's land.

Lastly, you keep one of their bases untouched but surrounded w/your units. When you are about to transcend, you nuke the each of the last bases. Boom, you win.

It might sound wasteful, but when you are the dominant faction on Planet, you can do whatever you want!