Favourite Faction

[Method]

Originally posted by TKG
the hive closely followed by the university but i don't have smax so i don't know about the new ones.

oh wow, this is old!

i never play the hive anymore. mostly the university, morgan, and sometimes pirates.

Originally posted by knowhow2 back a few pages ago....
How many times can you bring a thread back in life?

quite a few, it would seem

[The Vagabond]

I find it rather fun to play the Planet Cult. Prophet Cha Dawn rocks! Of course, when I play him, I set the native life to the maximum. Then all you have to do is to wander around the fungus and catch the worms. Even if a capture attempt is unsuccessful, no problem: you get a considerable amount of cash instead, and your attacking mind worm improves its morale. Furthermore, the probability of losing a worm is really very low. In this way, the number of mind worms in your possession grows geometrically. It's even better with IoDs. As soon as I build my first ship, I send it out to capture IoDs. These IoDs are used to captures other IoDs, etc. As a result, the flow of cash is really impressive, while your native life army is even more so. The only problem is that you may eventually get bored to move so many units per turn.

Nevertheless, as the AI, Cha Dawn sucks big time. I even created a "double faction" for the Cult which I use for the AI: I added + 1 nutrient and +1 mineral in fungus squares. This helps.

[Frankychan]

*wipes tear off cheek* jeez, this thread is old, but still is good. Look at all my old posts!

The last time I saw this thread, only 17 people voted...now its up to 178...and Yang is still one of the top!

[Mr. President]

I can't believe I voted for the Pirates the first time around!

[Kirov]

Drones.

In my opinion SMAC factions were very balanced, it was almost impossible to say who's the best (tho I would consider Hive) and who's worst. SMAX factions are IMHO stronger than old (with the exception of Cult, which is in my opinion the worst faction, and Pirates, as they are the most difficult faction to play (there are so many things you have to struggle with - low efficiency, low minerals, long time of building units, long time of terraforming, etc. etc.). And of course Alien factions are unbeatable. God, it's pure munchkinism to play them...

[CEO Aaron]

Well, if I recall correctly, the thread is 'Favorite Faction' not best faction. I heartily endorse Morgan as my favorite faction, but I wouldn't go so far as to claim they were hands down the best. I think it is fair to say that all of the factions are balanced enough to be playable, but I would agree that there are some that are, shall we say, more equal.

[Frankychan]

Oh, you hush!

Everyone knows once Chairman Yang has momentum, no one can stop the HIVE!!!

Bwa-ha-ha-haaaaa!

[Jethro83]

Wow. This is an old poll.

I posted here before I discovered the marvel that is the Spartan Federation. My new order is...

1. Spartans
2. Gaians
3. Peacekeepers/Hive


As for SMAX factions:

1. Drones
2. Pirates
3. Data Angels

[CEO Aaron]

Okay, I've gotta ask tho. What is it about the Spartans that you find so endearing. I've tried to play with them many times, and while I _can_ win with them, my game is clearly hampered by the harsh industry penalty, and the prohibition on wealth. What kind of opening are you using? Do you build or go for early conquest? What SE choices do you pick? In short, what gives?

BTW, don't take this as a slight to Santiago, I want to make plain that _I'm_ not good with her, I'm not saying she isn't good.

[Sarxis]

Peacekeepers are probably my favorite. Their 'right down the middle' attributes appeal to me.

But I'll play anyone once.

[Straybow]

Voted for the UN toadies, but I'd call it a tie with Morgan. I just don't like playing Dee; too easy. University, too, if you get any one of (VW, HGP, HSA). Spartans are OK, but I just don't enjoy as much.

Hive sucks; Yang is an icehole. Ditto Believers and Miriam.

Don't have SMAX, and I've never MPed or PBEMed.

[Xian]

I used to be a Maoist so i voted Hive, but now i think the data angels would be the best society to live in

the gains are still my favorite to play in though

[Jethro83]

Originally posted by CEO Aaron
Okay, I've gotta ask tho. What is it about the Spartans that you find so endearing. I've tried to play with them many times, and while I _can_ win with them, my game is clearly hampered by the harsh industry penalty, and the prohibition on wealth. What kind of opening are you using? Do you build or go for early conquest? What SE choices do you pick? In short, what gives?

BTW, don't take this as a slight to Santiago, I want to make plain that _I'm_ not good with her, I'm not saying she isn't good.

In the earlier mission years, I build up as many scout rovers as I can and kick the factions in the immediate vicinity off my landmass. Once I get Planetary Networks, I run a Planned Economy to remove the Industrial penalty. I stick with Frontier politics in the earlier stages because the support penalty of Democratic hurts hard with the Spartans, the Efficiency penalty of Police State combined with inefficiency of Planned is atrocious, and the research penalty of Fundamentalist outweighs the morale and probe boost since the Spartans already have excellent morale.

Once I get Cyberethics, I run Knowledge to get a much needed boost to my laboratory output. I stay on this until I build the Cloning Vats, at which time I run Power (since the Cloning Vats kill off the Industrial penalty of Power).

Once I get the Living Refinery (+2 Support) I switch to Democratic.

I will then run Eudaimonia to get economy and industry pumped up. The penalty of Morale won't matter at all when I have an innate +2 Morale and an extra 2 from Power.

So in the long run, my favourite Spartan SE choices are:

- Democratic (with Living Refinery)
- Planned
- Power (With Cloning vats.)
- Eudaimonia (once Power is up and running)


I can understand why the Spartans are a difficult faction to use purely because I used to be a peaceful builder right from the start. However after coming back from Civ III, I've grown much more aggressive in the early game (and sometimes all the way through. Especially towards Yang and Miriam).

[dworkin]

The Believers. Not the brightest bunch but the biggest. I'll admit it's a bit of a crawl till you get probes but then it's probes anywhere and everywhere.

So you're a crazed, bible thumping looney with thousands of armed fanatics screaming for blood at your beck and call? At least you are not pretending to be nice like all those other godless wretches. As for Yang? He's why the Lord gave you PBs.

[ESpark]

Hey wow, this account still works!

I like the PKs (baseline = good), Gaians (Being a bit of a Magic nut, I name most of the bases places on Dominara) due to their ability to gain lots of forces rather quickly through mind worms, and sometimes the Hive.