Turn based newbie

[Bruce]

Hey folks,
Considering buying SMAC since it is so cheap now,but it will be my first turn based strategy game.
Good idea or no? Thanks for any feedback.

[Misotu]

Well, I suppose the responses on this board will be fairly predictable

If you haven't played a turn-based game before, then it's hard to predict whether you'd like it or not. Having said that, SMAC/SMAX are arguably the very best TBS games out there at the moment. So if you can pick the game up cheaply and give TBS a whirl by playing a great game in the genre, I can't see how you can go far wrong.

Happy gaming!

[The Mad Monk]

I tend to 'ramp-up' my TBS newbie friends with the following sequence:

1) MoO2
2) Civ2 (classic)
3) ToT
4) SMAC

Not surprisingly, it is the route I took...

[bondetamp]

I think perhaps that Heroes of Might & Magic would be a nice game to a TBS newbie. I find the graphic and gameplay a lot 'friendlier' than SMAC or Civ, even if I still consider SMAC to be the better game.

[Morganstern]

IMHO, there's no reason not to go with the most interesting game of the bunch, SMAC. I'd definitely play SMAC first, rather than SMACX. Any concerns about adapting to the TBS genre or complexities of SMAC can be minimized by playing at the easier levels. BTW, the other games mentioned in the replies (other than TOT and Heroes, which I have not played) are good, but SMAC is better.

[Purple]

Morganstern: I'm just curious as to why you would advise starting with SMAC rather than SMACX.

[magnwa]

I am not morganstern, but I'll take a shot at this one. SMAC is a great game, no doubt.. but the reason I'd also advise doing SMAC before SMACX are the little differences between the games. The changable factions.. the progenitor races.. etc. I won't say it "enhances" the game.. but that it is almost a seperate game that borrows heavily from the SMAC game engine/design/etc. Yes.. the two are that much different in my book. The new win conditions.. the new techs and base designs.. the new native units.. the new strategies that come into play when dealing with the progenitors..

They all are things that COULD happen on the planet in SMAC.. but do not. The beginning player really will serve himself, and the general storyline better if they gave SMAC a run and a mastery before SMACX.

I originally thought.. "Man.. I'm never gonna play SMAC after playing SMACX." That was furthest from the truth. SMAC is a great game.. so is SMACX. I find them to be two seperate games when I play them. That is why I recommend the original first.

Magnwa

[Morganstern]

Purple -

Magnwa is not me, but he actually does cover my thoughts quite well. SMACX is a bit more complicated, and the stronger power and aggressiveness of the alien factions could discourage a first time player. My thoughts are particularly applicable if Bruce is a "builder type" player - SMAC gives the player a much better opportunity to pursue that strategy than SMACX. You can thus more easily develop a base of knowledge about how SMAC works before tackling the "add-ons" featured in SMACX.