Chances For A SMAC 2 ?????

[Sprayber]

This has been discussed before I know. But I was just wondering what you all think the chances are of ever getting a SMAC 2? If it happend, I would want it to be because something truely different could be thought of while staying in the general SMAC univerce.

Has all that can be done with it, been done? I think that the richness of the enviroment can take another looking at. So if there was going to be a Smac 2, what would it look like?

Would they still be on Chiron?

Should trancendence be ignored?

Would it just be flashier and not have substance to the changes?

Should Earth be included?

You guys are all experts in your own rights, just by loving the game and playing it. Should an attempt be made for another game.?

[Lefty Scaevola]

It should be another, significantly different world, another set of colonists, a difderent tech tree, and different special victories.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
It should be another, significantly different world, another set of colonists, a difderent tech tree, and different special victories.

I can think of 2 possible storylines:

1) Earth set out a second ship shortly after the Unity left. That ship reached a different star system. The player would lead a faction/nation on this new planet. The planet would of course be very different from Chiron. There would be something other than mindworms. There would be a different tech tree that could explore areas of technology that SMAC passed over, different weapons etc...

2) Shortly before Transcendance, a group of colonists who oppose it, decide to leave Chiron and return to Earth. They find Earth devastated with few survivors. They decide to settle down and rebuild Earth.

This scenario would offer a very rich storyline because it would deal with what happened to Earth. Things would not have progressed as the colonists assumed. Civilization on Earth did not collapse right after the Unity left as everyone feared. Life on Earth actually continued for several more centuries and collapsed from something else and something unexpected.
The cool thing is that you could have the equivalent of "unity pods" which would reveal new technologies and units that Earth discovered while the Unity was gone. You could have "barbarians" which would represent the few survivors. Furthermore, you could have the interludes which would reveal pieces of the mystery as to what happened to Earth while the colonists were on Chiron. And you would have a new tech tree etc...

[Kassiopeia]

Diplomat, I like your idea #2. It offers for a whole new set of things while staying in a somewhat familiar concept.

What comes to the chances of SMAC 2, we can only hope...

[Killjoy]

Diplomat,
Your idea #2 is very cool! That would definitely be a game worth buying!

[Yxklyx]

I just want them to improve the current game. Better AI especially. They can add some new optional features if they want - perhaps the same engine can be used to play an Earth game.

[SPasmofiT]

Yes! Give us SMAC 2. Give meaning to our lifes once more ;-)

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by kassiopeia
Diplomat, I like your idea #2. It offers for a whole new set of things while staying in a somewhat familiar concept.

I am glad that you like my idea. I was wondering what new factions it could have. I was thinking that perhaps it could have 2 factions from Chiron, 4 Earth factions and maybe 1 new alien faction. The alien faction could be a group of refugees that fled their homeworld when the Usurpers attacked it. ( this would be a nice tie in with the SMACX universe since the human factions from Chiron would know who the usurpers were.)

The various factions might be: (VERY TENTATIVE LIST)
1) alien faction
a group of refugees fleeing the Usurpers.

2) alpha centauri faction #1
Following the awakening of Planet and the growing talk among the faction leaders of a Transcendance Project, a group of colonists believe that perhaps humans were never meant to come to Chiron and that it is time to return to Earth.

3) alpha centauri faction #2
A group of intellectuals and researchers who want to investigate what has happened to Earth.

4) Homo Superior faction
A group of genetically altered humans who live underground. They have superior physical skills at the expense of mental skills. They were a military project by the New United Nations to provide a reliable PeaceKeeper Force.

5) New United Nations (or NUN)
The remainants of the New United Nations, a one world government that tyranized Earth for almost 125 years.

6) The Shadows (the name should probably be something else)
A very isolationist group that came to believe that they should completely withdraw and let the NUN and others do whatever they wish. They possess advanced stealth and cloaking technology making their bases and units very hard to see.

7) Children of the Stars
Reacting to the wars, famine, and pollution, a cult was born that believes that human's true destiny is in the stars.
(this faction will be interesting because they will naturally come to idolize the humans from Chiron who have returned. How will the Chiron factions react to meet humans who worship them?)

[Mr. President]

I would also like to see the Diplomat's idea of returning to Earth. Humanity may be incorrigible, but I've grown very attached to this planet . . .

[Killjoy]

Originally posted by The diplomat


I am glad that you like my idea. I was wondering what new factions it could have. I was thinking that perhaps it could have 2 factions from Chiron, 4 Earth factions and maybe 1 new alien faction. The alien faction could be a group of refugees that fled their homeworld when the Usurpers attacked it. ( this would be a nice tie in with the SMACX universe since the human factions from Chiron would know who the usurpers were.)...

I like this idea more and more. Now, if only those responsible for the original game could find the means necessary to actually implement this idea (or any new version, for that matter).

One can only hope and dream... and make scenarios (which isn't even remotely the same as having an exciting new installment of this series )

Oh well.

[Blake]

Go forth, find new worlds, explore, build, discover, conquer

My idea for SMAC2 is somewhat in opposition to Diplomats, which while I agree offers a rich storyline, does not reach the full potential for SMAC2 as a build/discover game.

My idea (basic storyline), as civilization on Earth slowly collapses due to overpopulation and overstretched resources an extra-terrestrial colonization drive is started. Many worlds potentially suitable for human habitation have been discovered and spaceships (or Star Arks, if you will) are constructed by whatever organizations have the resources and technology. Thus, there is no organized UN style single colony ship, rather hundreds of colony ships heading to dozens of worlds. The factions could be highly varied, some faction ideas include:
Colony ships sent by Countries, to continue the nationality on the other planets. (So, there could, for example, by an Australian faction)
Colony ships sent by multi-national companies, for varied reasons.
Colony ships sponsored and led by ultra-rich individuals. Motives and objectives could be highly varied, among this class could be several “social experiments” (ie the Human Hive).
UN Sponsored colony ships, to act as peacekeepers/humanitarians/law makers on the new worlds.
Cults (rich, influential ones, obviously).
Aliens…
And more….

And a fully featured faction editor, with built in rating and balancing (If you have played MOO2 or Stars! Before, you will know basically it would need to be like…)

Depending on the game settings, a number of colony ships (say, 1 to 16) land on a world, with various placements, for example you could set up a teams game where teamed factions land close together.


A more advanced world builder and climate model would be used to make more detailed worlds with a far greater depth of features and terraforming choices, the worlds should be able to range from:

Completely airless worlds (like Mercury, or the Moon).
Cold, dry completely barren worlds, which must be completely terraformed from the ground up (like Mars)
Barren frozen planets with ice oceans.
Barren desert worlds with little water.
Worlds with little life, but at least some biosphere.
Worlds with a fully developed biosphere, but somewhat incompatible with Humans (like Chiron)
Paradise worlds requiring virtually no terraforming (like Earth)

These worlds would be fully modeled using the climate engine, the actions of the factions could change many variables, such as atmosphere density/makeup, wind, rainfall, rivers, oceans, volcanoes, ecological disruption…

Each world would also have a unique combination of properties and challenges.

The sorts of things which the new colonies could be blessed or cursed with (other than each other) could include:
Extremely dangerous wildlife
Existing civilizations of varying degrees of evolution.
Ancient civilizations which awaken as their world is terraformed back towards livable conditions.
Extreme seismic or meteorological activity.
Unusually abundant sources of energy (i.e. Uranium deposits)
Highly fertile oceans.
And many more…
…
These global properties would determine the types of land marks which appear, possibly open new tech branches, and largely determine which way the game unfolds (including book of planet). Games could be set up so just surviving the natural hazards would be an achievement in itself (hence the ability to have just 1 faction )
And it could go the other way, a world where the only challenge is the other player, with nothing left to random events.

Ideally, it would be possible to have SMAC as a subset of the game, so AC could be played as a game mode (7 Chiron Factions, random starting positions, Chiron type world settings, dangerous wild life, plant growths incompatible with earthly life). But also it should be possible to play a completely different type of game (for example, gaining supremacy of a volcanic world which is frequently blasted by meteorites and food can only be grown in self-contained farming units, or on a Mars like world which results in a slow game start, and requires a lot of work to make a strong faction, and global co-operating to fully terraform)

Admittedly, the game would be somewhat more ambitious and larger in scope than SMAX, and probably worthy of it’s own title, rather than just SMAC 2. But I think genres should evolve and sometimes take great leaps forward.

[MattyBoy]

Blake,
Have you ever thought of getting a job with Firaxis or another gaming co?
Your so full of ideas and prepared to think them through, that you may as well be on the creating end of this whole gaming thing.

Sure, you'd probably find many of your ideas would be too ambitious to achieve, but writing software can be enjoyable if you have that creative streak.

[Closey]

Re: Go forth, find new worlds, explore, build, discover, conquer

Originally posted by Blake
My idea for SMAC2 is somewhat in opposition to Diplomats, which while I agree offers a rich storyline, does not reach the full potential for SMAC2 as a build/discover game.

....

That sounds exactly like the game I want to play Great ideas man Now all we need is for someone to start making it for us

[wheathin]

Admittedly, the game would be somewhat more ambitious and larger in scope than SMAX, and probably worthy of it’s own title, rather than just SMAC 2.

Beta Centauri?