Saving Habits

[Kajak]

I reload for a different reason, about every 20 turns or so after I go over 2300 game year.
With the xp crash problem, I find that I can most often go back and simplify the game somewhat by reducing the turn carry over of information and work around the crash. This usually involves no patrolling, no build list over two items, no fog of war, no premovement sets,ect.
I don't think I'm cheating in that most of these things make it a little more difficult and certainly increse the micomanagement chores.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
the last time I remember reloading a saved game was because I stupidly pressed the obliteration key on my headquarters

That would probably make me want to reload as well


Then again, it could be a challenge to try to win without a capitol and with all the AI hating you for committing atrocities

[gwillybj]

Datajack Franit freely admitted:
... the last time I remember reloading a saved game was because I stupidly pressed the obliteration key on my headquarters

The Philadelphia Experiment went terribly wrong?
"Houston, we have a big problem."

I am a frequent saver due to problems with the electricity both inside and outside my house (long story). Other than that, I have very rarely reloaded, and then only in such instances as have been previously mentioned: fumble-fingered mis-keyed orders, absent-mindedly forgotten plans, and the like.
I play to be occupied and have fun. Rating and Score are irrelevant to me, so I have no use for that Ironman bonus. I couldn't care less if I ended a game with a 3% Rating and 100 Score. There most certainly would have been a lesson learned in that game, though .

The Lifeform Abundance setting (when editing maps) also affects the final score: -25% for Sparse, +25% for Abundant. Sparse causes less frequent fungal blooms and flushes out fewer mind worm boils. Abundant is the opposite: more blooms and boils.
When making random maps, I often set the Lifeform level to correspond with the Moisture level: Dry planet, Sparse lifeforms; Wet planet, Abundant lifeforms; Average moisture, Average lifeforms.
I don't always set the Fungus coverage this way, though. Sometimes I'll have a Dry planet with Heavy fungus but Sparse lifeforms, or a Wet planet with Light fungus and Abundant lifeforms.
There are 36 different combinations just among these settings, because you can also make a planet with no initial fungus at all (3 moisture x 3 lifeform x 4 fungus). Try Dry planet, Heavy fungus, Abundant lifeforms if you want to have a serious battle with Planet itself.

[Main_Brain]

W/O Iron Man I used the old 'Save early save Often' Directive
and havin 25+ saves form a Game is just overkill..
So In Favour of Discspace: Iron Man, saving when I get tired reload next Day and finish Game

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Main_Brain
W/O Iron Man I used the old 'Save early save Often' Directive
and havin 25+ saves form a Game is just overkill..
So In Favour of Discspace: Iron Man, saving when I get tired reload next Day and finish Game

I always save the current game under one file name, usually the faction I'm playing. I hate it when the saves build up in the directory.

Another of my pet peeves with this game is that there is no way delete old saves from within the game. They went through all the trouble to make a nice GUI to load/save games, so you think a *delete* button wouldn't be so friggin difficult.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I always play Iron Woman Transcend. It also means I get my butt kicked once or twice, especially as factions that I can't play as (read: any non Hive) but it's the only way to really learn against the computer.

[The Mad Monk]

I admit to reloading.

Especially when my clumsy fingers cause something I did not intend.

[Sarxis]

I'm not a reloader, but I learned very early to avoid iron-man.

[Method]

Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
I'm not a reloader, but I learned very early to avoid iron-man.

it *is* a pain when you accidentally declare war on Marr, afterall

[waab]

I never reload, if you never lose you are doing something wrong.

[MariOne]

Sheer profundity...

Actually, against SMAC AI, with normal settings (i.e. you don't artificially beef-up the AI via a Scenario), you might sometimes win by a narrow margin, but if you happen to lose once, albeit by never reloading, then you have surely done something seriously wrong, and there's room for your skills to be *greatly* improved.