Favourite Faction

[thinkingamer]

i've never played SMACX, but i've seen each fac's special abilities and most of them r overpowered (specially the cyborgs, pirates, and the aliens) so my votes r:

1. Hive (with this one i beat a game in trancent lvl. in 180 turns dipolomatic all standard map size, native, water, etc.)

(i take out their +1 growth; its much more balanced and besides hive got no inefficiency bonus in 2.0 patch)

2. Peacekeepers (pact with the largest fac. , give some tech or/and energy to them and u win the game)

3. Believers

4. Gaians

5. University

6. Spartans

7. Morganites (best in end game, but the REALLY stink in the beginning)

(i play with morgans base limit to 5 instaed of 4)

[knowhow2]

bump^

[Mongoose]

Originally posted by thinkingamer

(i play with morgans base limit to 5 instaed of 4)

This is a HUGE benefit to an already powerful faction!!!

That limit had to have been chosen by the designers because it prevents Morgan from using any truly productive specialists until after hab complexes or the Virtues are built.

Playing with this change, I'm not sure it would ever be necessary to build hab complexes.

[PhoenixPhlame73]

I like teh Cybernetic Consciousness because they seem to have no downside. Compared to teh university, they have teh same bonus to research, yet they also have a bonus to efficiency, no (extraordinary) weakness to probe teams, and their only weakness seems to be that teh have a -1 to growth (not much of a weakness in my opinion).

True, they do not have the free network nodes that the university has, but i think that this is more than made up for by the efficiency bonus and the lack of a probe penalty.

[Lefty Scaevola]

For single player I like efficiency:
I go with either the Conciousness or the Gaians

[Jethro83]

My top 4...

1. Peacekeepers. Their -1 Efficiency penalty is puny as opposed to their bonuses. Extra talent for every four citizens and double votes are enough to get me on side with them. Plus their starting tech rocks, and they have a realistic shot at being first to Secrets of the Human Brain.

2. University. I don't care at all about the probe penalties since I'll be going for the Hunter Seeker Algorithm.

3. Gaians. I enjoy building hordes and hordes of mind worms to overpower the enemy. Since the Gaians will easily be able to capture them, it simply adds to the horde. Less morale hardly affects mind worm lifecycle, and less police hardly matters because free market is out of their reach anyway.

4. Hive. Starting out, the Hive are difficult to use, but as you continue building your infrastructure, they can become unstoppable. They can be both peaceful and warmongering builders. Industry and growth are excellent with them. Their -1 economy isn't too much of a burden later on.

[thinkingamer]

Originally posted by Mongoose


This is a HUGE benefit to an already powerful faction!!!

That limit had to have been chosen by the designers because it prevents Morgan from using any truly productive specialists until after hab complexes or the Virtues are built.

Playing with this change, I'm not sure it would ever be necessary to build hab complexes.

Powerful???????? i don't think so: compared to other faction's pop limit (7) the Morgans pop limit (4) makes the city less productive (even solely on energy!) than other factions cities in the 1st 100 turn of the game.

Bad start: Terrible ending. Thats all what i've got to say.

(by the way, u r playing this game in transcendent level right?)

[Mongoose]

Originally posted by thinkingamer



(by the way, u r playing this game in transcendent level right?)

Not only that, but I can spell.


Ignorant pup!

[Capt Dizle]

LMAO!

Only, timeout for Mong man.

Mong, English is the thinking man's third language. I can't spell any better and English is my first and Thank God only language.

Timeout for Thinkingman.

Never disagree with Mong, he is probably the most deadly PBEM warrior on the planet. Born with a gas mask on his face and raised with cannisters on his crib, this man can eliminate a faction you spent a year building in two turns.

Have a nice day!

Oh, my favorite faction is the one I am playing at any given moment.

jt

[Clear Skies]

I've recently been experimenting with the factions, and as some people have most likely already commented (slap wrist for not being bothered to go search back thru the thread), it all depends on what type of game you play. For example, the Hive expand quickly and can build up a good military, but economically (not to mention diplomatically and scientifically), they suck. My favourite faction, the Consciousness, are good at research and efficiency, but bite when it comes to expansion - you have to go Democratic/Planned in the early stages to get any decent pop growth, killing off both the efficiency kick and the early mineral boost to new bases. I find running Demo horrible on small maps - you just can't get the defenders in place quickly enough without the bonus minerals.

That said, I do love the Consciousness. Aki with Zak's network node bonus would be heaven for me. I'm a techie through and through, and I'll go to any lengths to stay ahead in the tech race. However, I always hated Zak's probe weakness - miss the HSA and you're officially screwed for all time.

Dee has to be my second fave, if only because playing her means you don't have to face her She's the worst little lying backstabbing b1itch in the game...
Her morale & police deficiencies I can cope with, and it makes coping with native life, fungus, etc. so much easier.

Lal probably comes third, despite the fact that I thoroughly despise him. Only because he's so versatile, though. The -1 Effic is a problem, but Lal can basically do anything. His weakness is simply his lack of strength - while he can do anything, there's always someone out there who does it better :P

Miriam and the aliens I will NEVER EVER play as, though. Ugh.

[Kataphraktoi]

2. Peacekeepers (pact with the largest fac. , give some tech or/and energy to them and u win the game)

i dont know about you,but 100-150 turns into the game the PKs have been anihilated or weak to the piont of helplessness....(they always end up next to the hive and sparta it seems(i assume you are talking about allying them))

i like playing morgan best,but the hive seems the strongest...

[knowhow2]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
LMAO!

Oh, my favorite faction is the one I am playing at any given moment.

jt

spoken like a true SMAC-hero!

[knowhow2]

bump for sale

[ir]

I'm surprised that Miriam got so few votes. Many people hate Believers coz' even AI can provide some challenge for moderate player. Old poll on your nemesis put her first, followed by The Hive.

In human hands, they're the most versatile faction among with Angels and Spartans. Demo is a natural choice for peace, Fundy is a wonder for large scale invasion (BTW, I really rare used PS, with The Hive being exception). 19 bases on transcend/huge with demo/green, before any drone show its head. Alternatively, Demo/FM/Wealth with 20% to psych and tons of formers doing whatever you want. People say that support is not that big problem 'if' one have crawlers, but with blind research and tech stagnation even for Morgan it takes long time. Long ago I've managed to win by AtT with Believers on huge wormy map covered by oceans with blind research and tech stagnation on, no pods, transcend difficulty. On small planet nobody can stay vs. them. Simple laser rovers...

As for other factions, I like Morgan (Fundamentalism and buy almost everyone) and Rose (Fundy is permanently on). Sometimes Gaia.. Of all new smax faction only Angels and Drones looks ballanced.

[Clear Skies]

Pretty even spread of opinion...although Sparta seems to be lacking something. Don't mind them myself, but I don't play as them that often.