Starting location

[Flubber]

I am wondering where other people like to have their faction start. I am not talking about landmarks here ( we all love the jungle and there have been numerous threads on favorite landmarks) but geographic location.

Personally, I like to start on a decent sized continent and appear within 8-12 tiles of a pole. The idea is to expand toward the middle while having a "safer" area at the pole for later expansion or an energy park or whatever. I generally prefer to share my continent with at least one AI for some early trading and perhaps obtaining theor map. I really prefer top have a continent with some depth such that there are some interior areas that an enemy cannot access through amphibious landing. While I do want to establish some ports, I often do not care whether the ocean is even in sight in my start position. I want to build and the safer I can be, the better.


More central starts do have their advantages in that you meet more people sooner but I have always found the annoyance of having potentially hostile factions in ALL directions, tends to outweigh the advantage of early meetings

[Jac de Molay]

Depends on the faction for me. As Yang or Deirdre, I like a large continent with ~2-3 neighbors to facilitate exploitation and exploration for the respective factions. If I'm running the PK's, I generally like to be left alone and run free market most of the game.

The thing I do like at the start is a nice slope with rolling/rainys to accomodate 3 early energy cities. If the rest is arid, I don't mind because it usually gets forested anyways.

[waab]

A Hard start please many agresive enemies and so one..thats fun..

[Flubber]

Originally posted by waab
A Hard start please many agresive enemies and so one..thats fun..

In single play, I agree . . . I want as difficult a start as possible and usually do things to make things tougher.
But in MP, I have definite preferences. I like the security of a more consolidated empire with the tradeoff being that I might not meet others until a bit later.

[Jeremy Buloch]

Challenge is very fun. I like to start on any type of terrain, any type of land, and under any type of conditions, I like it to be random and its more realistic to me.
-J.B.-

[Kaptain Ken]

The random starts are one of the main things that make SMAC so replayable, along with random maps and customized factions to define your style of play and making it harder or easier if desired.

[CEO Aaron]

Playing Morgan, obviously I want to be left alone long enough to grab Industrial Automation and some weapon technology. If I am hit before I'm able to roll out some crawlers to increase my mineral production, some 3rd faction is guaranteed to run away with all my precious SPs.

Being a big fan of foil probes, I like to start on an island by myself, the larger the better. Since my early game strategy hinges on rush bought tanks and forestation, the actual terrain arond me is pretty inconsequential, though I don't like it if there's too much rocky terrain around, it tends to slow spontanteous forest growth.

I also have liked building on a grid, since I first saw Sikander's game, so I am always pleased when the terrain around me presents several initial city sites I can incorporate into my grid.

[Gorat]

I like to start on a land mass that's 1x1 square. No where to teraform, no place to explore. Totally a messed up starting location. Only way out is research ship power right away to colonize more land.

Like everybody else is pretty much saying. A hard starting location. The more miserable, the better (on single player). The stupid AI needs all the help it can get.

[Uchuu-kun[SM42]]

Three words:
Needlejet Colony Pod.

[Frankychan]

I only play Chairman Sheng-ji Yang.

I like to have a continent by myself usually....but if not, then I don't mind sharing so long as it's with Zak, or Deidre. In all the games I have played so far (too many to count) Deidre and Yang create an 'almost' perfect symbiosis. She gives me the ecology and I supply the man power.

With Zak, he usually gives me the tech. I don't really give him much cause I usually pick on him.

[gwillybj]

Flubber inquired:
I am wondering where other people like to have their faction start.

Any row from the top to the bottom. Any column from the left to the right. Any elevation from sea level to mountain top. In arid, moist, or rainy weather. On flat or rough terrain (rocky is fine, too, except for having to use the first turn moving off it). In, near, or far from a river. Among sparse, average, or abundant fungus. Among sparse, average, or abundant resources. Alone on an island or sharing a continent with no more than six other factions.
Maybe I'm too picky?