I have no idea what I am doing!!!

[Petek]

Originally posted by bigman2013

I have put all formers and governors on auto.

As others have pointed out, you will eventually have to take control of your bases and formers to win at the higher levels. Here's a suggestion to get started in that direction: Take control of one base and one former. In other words, turn off the governor at one base and don't automate one former. That way the micromanagement won't overwhelm you. You can then automate less and less as you get more comfortable with the game.

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by bigman2013


My question: how do I know what to research and how do I know what each research does before I research it?

I may understand your question wrong, but do you have blind research on or off in your game settings? If you have blind research on, you can only select a broad category for what kind of technologies you would want. I would recommend setting blind research off, in which case you can choose the exact technology you want. In this "directed research" mode the game offers you a selection of technologies every time you finish researching one. As for knowing what the technologies do, you should probably take a look at the datalinks (press F1) and browse through the various technologies. The benefits of all the technologies are explained there.

As far as the automated formers and governors go, I'd say it is quite OK to use them in the beginning. When you get more comfortable with the game, you can start guiding the formers and the bases manually.

[gwillybj]

I have no idea what I am doing!!!

Neither do any of the rest of us. We just fake it, with varying degrees of success. Welcome to Alpha Centauri. Have A Nice Day

[Tommara]

If you're the builder type, play University, it's the easiest for builders.

I dunno nothing about combat types, not my style.

[Tommara]

Oh, but, hey, don't let "builder" sound like a wimp. Once we get established, it's pretty tough to knock us out.

[Jamski]

Builder is the easiest to start with, and you get to see all the techs, if you can stay alive to the end of the game that is.

Auto-formers are OK for beginners, they'll just be as poor as the AI's formers are, which isn't soooooo bad when you're just starting and don't know what's good or bad.

Auto-govenors are a BIG no-no though.

-Jam

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Main concept is always growth.

Be it through plopping out bases, pop booming (adding a population point per turn), conquest etc.

Play a few times then refer to the aforementioned Vel guide.

Also some good info over at www.civgaming.net and the associated SMAC Academy

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe


Also some good info over at www.civgaming.net and the associated SMAC Academy

Indeed. The builder's prime guide helped my early game tremendously. Thank you Ogie.

[SynthetGod8]

personally, I let my formers be automated for most of the game. I know they build stupid things sometimes, but I keep an eye on them. Like everyone keeps saying, growth is good, so if they build a farm and collector on wet land, then by all means, I can use the extra 3 food to grow the base. And yes, once I get Tree Farms and Hybrids, I start replacing them all with forests. Personally, I had looking after terraformers.
As for goveners, I usually set up a nice queue on a new base and leave it to the govener. I just keep an eye on them. if I need something, I built it. otherwise, why should I care what it builds? I usually fiddle with the govener options so that they don't build useless military units (just the ones I want, when I want it).
Again, I don't have the tolerance to baby-sit 50 queues and constantly updating them so that they don't revert to Stockpile. I tend to watch and maintain the top 10 mineral-producing bases and a small cadre of fusion terraformers. Every other govener and former can do what they want.
Maybe I'm just used to have turns take 10 minutes to finish when I had my slow Mac, so I didn't want to spend 30 minutes messing with queues and Former orders when it took bloody forever for them to compute.
that's my 2 cents

[bigman2013]

Ah, I have the blind research on. That could explain part of the problem.

I think I will take the suggestion about overseeing one governor and one former at first and then doing more from there.

F1 has been very helpful.

I did not get a tech chart when I bought the game.

Any link to this chart would be great.

Thanks.

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by bigman2013
I did not get a tech chart when I bought the game.

Any link to this chart would be great.

A custom made Word tech chart is available here.

[dhik]

I have some technology advice.

1. Get Industrial Base unless you play as the Morganties. They start out with this technology.

2. Get Secrets of the Human Brain. You can get a free advance if you discover this first.

3. Get Centuari Ecology as soonas you can unless playing the Gaians, they start out with this advance.

[gwillybj]

Governors are tolerable if you think of them like the advisors in SimCity. Use the Explore-Discover-Build-Conquer settings along with the list of what they can/can't do, and they'll do a decent job of making relevant suggestions. You can easily override their choices and do something else.