Love CII/PtW--Want a new game--SMAC the answer?

[Frankychan]

Originally posted by Lazerus
frankychan we should have a 1v1 sometime since im a hardcore Hiver aswell will probably get skinned since i've only just started pbems and ip's but hey no harm in learning better ways to get the masses under tighter control

I wouldn't mind...but I've never played PBEM before. The only multiplay I've ever played was Hotseat with my friends and online with them....but they cheated and ganged up on me.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia

Hark! Do I hear a junta of HIVE supporters?

Ho! Right here!

[Lazerus]

Well if we're just playing 1v1 we could try arranging a time to play a 1v1 scen or just normal with 5 AI. Or we could get 2 other people and have 2 Hive vs 2 others

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
Hark! Do I hear a junta of HIVE supporters?

Well would anyone dare to speak out against the kind and benevolent chairman Yang ?

[Hendrik]

That sounds like a fun premise for an IP game... would you be interested?

I don't want to commit to an incredibly long PBEM right now.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Or we could just have lots of Hives against each other.

[Lazerus]

I think the Hives vs each other would be more even. Its not like the Hive is going to do well if its alone and morgan is on some far away island getting a tech every 2 turns Now a tiny or small map with just 1 continent on the other hand

[Frankychan]

sounds intriguing (sp?). Well, you guys would probably have to walk me through it if we decide to do this cause, like I said, I've never done PBEM b4.

.....I wouldn't mind having Morgan on a little island. I would consider it my "cash cow/piggy bank" and take the credits I need from him.

[Aramis]

Comparing SMAC/SMAX to CIVIII/PtW:
In Civ, I find I spend many centuries (in huge games) doing nothing but tile improvements/tech advances/etc.,: i.e.: routine maintenance. It's kinda making this game I once loved rather tedious. Will I find this in SMAC?
I don't recoil from the idea of routince maintenace--it was once ( and still occassionally is) fun/interesting, and still have a lot to learn about it,
But, boy, it wearies me now. SMAC will be a whole new experience. But will I have that tedium to come, once I am familiar with the game mechanics?

Your thoughts appreciated-- Rob_S

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Rob_S
Comparing SMAC/SMAX to CIVIII/PtW:
In Civ, I find I spend many centuries (in huge games) doing nothing but tile improvements/tech advances/etc.,: i.e.: routine maintenance. It's kinda making this game I once loved rather tedious. Will I find this in SMAC?
I don't recoil from the idea of routince maintenace--it was once ( and still occassionally is) fun/interesting, and still have a lot to learn about it,
But, boy, it wearies me now. SMAC will be a whole new experience. But will I have that tedium to come, once I am familiar with the game mechanics?

Your thoughts appreciated-- Rob_S

While there is some level of micromanagement tedium involved with improvement building, I find SMAC more interesting than Civ due to the types of terrain, terrain specials and improvement types available. There's more strategy involved than merely irrigating and building railrods in every single tile.

Plus, there's you can automate tile improvement, and while it isn't ideal, it is adequate against the AI.

[Hendrik]

A lot of time is spent micromanaging in SMAC, but there are many more choices that you can make in your decisions. It adds a lot more strategic depth to the game... small decisions, like how you design your units, or how efficiently you manage your bases, can add up over time. Civ3 also has a lot of micro... but what you do doesn't make much of a difference... the way it works is so dumbed down that an AI can run it effectively. You effectively have two choices for improving a given square... in SMAC you have a dozen. Heck you can even use terraformers to make landbridges! The many micromanagement elements do ultimately add to the strategic depth of games.

[Lazerus]

Would you 4 consider playing a 4 way ip game then ? Im currently taking part in an ip game every sunday night so we could either pick a different night or just wait a fortnight or so until its finished and we've got everything set up for this game since sunday nights seem to be the most convenient time for everybody.

Ideas :
4 Hive players, ffa ie, no alliances or tech sharing? If you want it then stick with the spirit of Yang and take it
2v2 set out from the start, no AI and maybe a specially made map so that opposing teams dont start just 5 squares from each other ?
2 Hives vs 2 others, tiny/small map so the Hive isn't simply out-teched by 2 morgan/zak's who are a 40year journey away.

[Frankychan]

hmmmm, i might be in to it. But like I said, I haven't played much multiplay except w/my friends who live close to my home. Man, I didn't even know you could have 2 of the same faction on the map at the same time!

[Lazerus]

I think you can, done it in a single player game (shows up as eg, Zak1 , Zak2 , Zak3 etc) so im assuming its just the same for MP, if not then every1 simply creates a few clone Hive factions. Really getting into playing IP games as the Hive, twice now i'm mauling Auric boils Pirates in the power charts aswell as Doomreaver who is playing pirates in one ... that topped off with a few AI who decided to try and extort me and then found 7 impact rovers which were followed up 15-20 turns later by missile needles Great making the AI surrender, letting them finish the secret projects they're working on then cancelling pact and killing them anyways

By the way does anybody know if its a set thing where factions start in relation to each other? Everytime ive played Yang and deidre has been in the game aswell shes ALWAYS next to me complaining about planned

[MrWhereItsAt]

Well here's an opinion from someone who actually likes Civ3 ( I think I'm in the minority of 1 here!)

SMAC is a game that vastly expanded your horizons - you can do almost anything to your land and units. This provides for fantastic fun, but more often than not I find I end up in decision hell. Situation: I want more energy.
Solution 1: Build Echelon Mirrors/Solar collectors everywhere
Solution 2: Raise all the terrain around
Solution 3: tap to rivers
Solution 4: Build Boeholes everywhere
Solution 5: Build tonnes of Soalr Satellites
Solution 6: Build lots of Supply Crawlers and ship energy in from elsewhere.
Solution 7: ...

You can even raise all your land and turn all seas into mountains or vice versa.

There's too much to cope with. I need some restrictions!

The AI is quite awful as well. Civ3 is a quantum leap up in automation of workers, governor build queues and AI activity, but they certainly did remove a lot from the game that was Civ2 in bringing this to us.

The best thing about SMAC for me is the phenomenal sci-fi setting and the sheer number of innovations introduced. What staggers me, as a research physicist, is the vast number of genuine scientific possibilities/sci-fi fictions included and their results. SMAC should be revolutionary - I am a little saddened there has not been a rush of follow-ups with similar innovation done with a Civ3 style AI.

But for the love of Planet - get SMAX! SMAC just isn't nearly as great. With only 7 possible factions games are repetitive. The seven extras mean you greatly increase the possible combinations of opponents.

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt


But for the love of Planet - get SMAX! SMAC just isn't nearly as great. With only 7 possible factions games are repetitive. The seven extras mean you greatly increase the possible combinations of opponents.

Plus the custom faction editor and the extra slots for more factions beyond the original 14, I find SMAX never gets repetitive faction-wise.

[Lazerus]

solution 3) tap to rivers.

Does anyone ever bother doing this? Am i missing out on a decent terraforming action here?

Since i normally play Hive i prefer 3-4 boreholes for my energy and crawled mines and condensors for minerals and nutrients. Base radius is normally filled with (other then boreholes) just forests.