Favourite Faction

[Darkstar]

Previous to the release of SMACX, I liked most of the factions. I tended to play the University and Hive the most. (Then Gaians and PK... then Morgan, Spartans, and Believers at last... Spartan and Believers were just TOO easy to win with. Morgan was down the list being so dependant on a GOOD start position to be able to have a real shot at the game, with MY play style.)

After SMACX, Pirates, hands down is my favorite. They are less dependant on start position then any other factions. All they need is a bit of water, and getting the Weather project, and then all the world's an ocean. I find the Pirates make the best "Morgan" faction, actually, although they lend themselves to most play styles nicely.

Most worthless faction? Pink panzies. They are worse then Morgan about needing a good start location. They are just sad.

[curtadams]

Originally posted by cbn
Interesting that the original Smac group got 78% of the vote. I wonder if all the voters have Smax as well. I would still expect the originals to do well but are there really only 20% of the players out there that prefer the new guys.

Well, the 6 of the originals (all save Yang) are archetypes of people you could meet on the street; most Westerners would be sympathetic to at least some. The SMAX 7 include two aliens, and all the humans would seem a little, well, (odd) if you ran into them. The SMAX 7 are just harder to identify with.

[bondetamp]

I believe Booger used to work as a nurse at the army camp where I served.

[Method]

in the demo it seems to me that the pirates would have some trouble with minerals seeing as how they can't build boreholes in the ocean.

[Zaphod]

My favorite faction is the Data Angels, because they are so flexible.

They have no major disadvantages, and have a few fun advantages (inexpensive mind control can be very useful). They can build well, they can go to war, they can steal tech/units/bases. Plus, nobody is "cooler" than Roze !

[big_canuk]

On transcend alone, or any level with a partner, it's gotta be the drones. 2x the size without drone problems make them as good as the PKs early, with a great industry kick. More formers and CPs quicker. They can do all the important SE choices. They rock.

Alone on thinker and below, the UoP does rock, though.

[Jonny]

My favorite is the Drones for their industrial power. My second choice would be Peacekeepers and my third choice would be the University.

Jonny

[Clear Skies]

Consciousness. Nuff zed.

[gwillybj]

Provost Harrison wrote:
..., although you really need to snatch that VW to keep the drones at bay!

Ah, yes, I remember those days well ! Nothing beat snatching the old VW and droning on down to the bay !

[b&i_c]

I like the Data Angels all the way.
Here's my reasoning:

Minuses: -1 POLICE, big deal, that just means they can't nerve staple, they can still use a unit for police
Aversion POWER, again, who cares? Power really sucks (unless you get Cloning Vats) because of the -2 INDSTRY.

Pluses: +2 Probe and Free Covert Ops Center at the discovery of P-SA, this is awesome, because #1, your probe teams start out as elite, giving them an extra movement, and if you armor them, a big possibility of surviving a battle, and also, they have a huge chance of success, #2, if you aren't running knowledge, then your bases are immune to subversion, #3, Covert Ops Centers normally cost 2 maintenance. They also start with a probe team in the beginning! Having two starting techs is always nice. Having the built in Planetary Datalinks is great too.

[ACOLKitty]

Bump for the morgans. The extra money beats out extra nodes any day.

[MariOne]

I can't take this poll actually, because I played all the smac factions several times in a lot of pbems in the last two years (aside: we're talking about multiplyayer here, isn't it? because of course single_player is not worth spending a single_word on), and I almost always got the feeling that I was enjoying that faction I was playing with, even to the point that I slightly preferred it over the others, just to change opinion when I took on the next pbem from ny mailbox 10 minutes later.
That's why I usually prefer to be the last player to pick a faction in a pbem setup phase, I wouldn't know what I like...

Anyway, I can give you ratings instead of picking a favorite.

Gaia: 9
Hive: 9
Univ: 8.5
Morgan: 9
Sparta: 7
Believers: 8.5
PK: 9

I just played the SMAX factions once or twice in single players when I bought it, so I can't express an opinion there. NONE of them above 6 anyway at first impression.

[knowhow2]

67 votes, either that is the total number of SMAC/X players here at Apolyton or the number of people willing to vote.

[Kirnwaffen]

Pirates forever. There mineral problem isn't that bad because of the bonuses they get from shelf squares. Plus, the ability to build in ocean squares is awesome later on.

[NorthSwordsman]

I like playing the Believers for one reason- They rock as attackers! Not many factions can stand up to them in the early game. Around mid to late game, they are a real challenge to play. Their lack of tech makes you work harder, as opposed to an easy tech game with the University (not bashing them.. just stating a fact about tech!). I enjoy a challenge...and the believers make for a challenge.