What is your most hated faction?

[GeneralTacticus]

I voted for the Believers. Miriam is just a self-righteous little #&^#%& and gets REALLY, REALLY, annoying. It's just so infuriating when you roll up your elite Probe Team next to one of her most vital bases after you've got her HQ and then remember that you can't mind control them. AND they're always the most resistant to surrender. You have to be about to EXTERMINATE her before she gives in. The only people more frustrating in this regard are the Aliens, because I have NEVER seen them surrender. EVER. Not even when I've got an army a the gates of their last base and have just eradicated the garrison.

[Geez]

Yes, hard choice....Had to choose between Miriam and Yang.

Went with Yang.

At end game, it is a royal PITA cleaning up all those bizillion size 5 cities. Plus, he kinda gives me the creeps....Miriam is a biatch, but can't ever be taken seriously due to her incredible lack of technology. Yang is the worst.

[Pandir]

Have to go with Miriam though Lal is rather annoying to.

[knowhow2]

bump^

[Sith123]

MIRIAM!!
I HATE HER!!

She's so annoying, and in all of my games over the last year, she has always been the first to go.

In my most recent game she didn't like my democracy so she used her foils for raids all along my coast. But that's the only problem. With me....you destroy 1 oil platform....I'll destroy 10. You attack 1 city, I'll take over 10+. And....if in the rare even she takes a city...I'll PB every city she's got into the ground.

Unfortunately I didn't have PB's when I took her out...so massive landings on her shores did the trick. Like I said...she's always the first to go.

[Alex]

I voted for Miriam. I hate her! I hate her! That %$¨&*&¨%$# b!tch! I hate her!!!

Ok, I feel better now...

[King_Kristian]

Believers, no question about that, they are a group of brainwashed extremists that are impossible to infiltrate.
I don't like playing them because of the horrible research and I don't like them outside because my Democracy/Free Market/Wealth/Eudamonia is godless and I always find myself being attacked by them, even when I am ten thousand times bigger than they are.

I can't really agree with the ones that say the Spartans are bad, I usually have a pact with them through most of the game or the entire depending on the specifics.

But Morgan, there is a man to love (this is relative, not physical or emotional), lots of energy and energy can buy anything, Secret Projects, Units and it pays for research!, in my last game I made over ten thousand credits per turn and I researched one new technology every turn.
Having a Hovertank like this (30!-12-3 Blink,Clean) hitting a base defended by mostly these (1-8-1) is very fun and it takes no time to destroy an empire with a few of the hovertanks.

[gwillybj]

A frightening thought occurred to me as I was perusing the threads...

Originally posted by gwillybj
I cast my pebble for (against?) Br. Lal and his PK lot...

Another poll here queried which faction leader we thought we were most similar to, all things considered.
I chose Lal there, too, and stand with that choice. Doesn't that seem odd?

[Alinestra Covelia]

The Caretakers, hands down. I can find ways of counteracting the special abilities of all other factions, or perhaps even emulate them myself through SE or SPs, but the Caretakers' defence bonus extends to every sodding combat situation - including (for goodness' sake!) probe activities!

Fortunately there is the nerve gas shortcut, and a very satisfying one it is too.

I have never played against Yang so I cannot judge. Miriam struck me as being amongst the easiest factions to conquer, according to military readiness and diplomatic repercussions.

[Clear Skies]

A lot depends on how early you encounter them - in the beginning when Miriam's tech slowcoachness hasn't yet begun to hit, if she's right next to you she can do a LOT of damage. If, however, she's a long way away, you have time to build up a decent army and go Believer-hunting.

The opposite tends to be true of Yang and Santiago - the longer you give them, the stronger they become, especially the Hive who spread across the face of Planet like a pestilence. I take great delight in administering the vaccine

[Jethro83]

Since there's valid reason to hate all factions, I'll just put them into hate the most to hate the least order.

1. The Believers

God damn the god damned believers and their god damned devil leader Miriam and their god damned bible-thumping god-damned philosophy!!! Every game has been centred towards my conflict with her. At least even the Hive are willing to cooperate in their destruction.

2. Morganites

I admit. I'm a socialist, but though Morgan is supposed to be passive, he always declares vendetta against me, since I use Planned/Green economics more than Free Market.

3. Hive

As much as I like Yang's utopian vision, I still have great difficulty trying to get them to cooperate, even when I've established a Police State.

4. Peacekeepers

Lal may look like he has genuine humanitarian concern, but beneath the surface, there lurks a horrific monster that we call bureaucracy. He is also a sneaky bastard, and most of what he says is just whimpering.

5. University

Free flow and accumulation of information. What more positive to be said? However, Zakharov's lack of ethics is somewhat disturbing. Still, better that his drones be used as guinea pigs than mine (though with high police rating and full recreational and psych facilities, the drone situation is under control). Can always rely on his technological breakthroughs to stay ahead. The kind of faction you want to vassalise.

6. Gaians

Dierdre has usually been quite cooperative, well at least when I am green. However, she tends to put her precious planetmind ahead of human life. And she'll swarm you with her hordes of ravenous mind worms at first available shot.

7. Spartans

My favourite faction. However there are some things wrong with their ideology. Anyway, when I'm against them, they are more aggressive than their erratic behaviour should lead them. And since I'm usually one to use Knowledge, they'll always be spoiling for a fight. Of course, since I use them the most now, I won't be having this problem.

[Marid Audran]

Oh how I hate you Fungboy, let me count the ways...

Cha Dawn looks like the court jester's "special" younger brother. If I were a cultist, I'd be ashamed to be led by a Children of the Corn reject with baby fat clinging to his cheeks. Take notes from Jim Jones, Charles Manson, David Khoresh, my dear Cha Dawn. Show me a little more charisma before I leap gaily into the brood pits. Otherwise, UGGH.

Besides which, the AI plays him like a total git, second only to Morgan, yet he stays around and makes a nuisance of himself instead of quietly getting eradicated.

[waab]

The cyborg, I hate them because I have never played a game when they are good. They are to easy to destroy.

It looks like me that you don't like the good AI, I mean i like Yang, he can massproduce troops like no one else so he is a good opponnet.

By the way, I never play witrh the aliens, doesn't like the idea.

[thinkingamer]

never played the expansion, but it seems that the Concious, and Pirates r the best faction....k, in original SMAC the most annoying facs. are HIVE or Believers.........i chose HIVE. Why? because its easier to beat the game if u play HIVE than beating the game with Believers

[Phil_de_geezer]

I find the Spartans really annoying. I ALWAYS start next to them when playing a peaceful (?!) game and if i've neglected to research military techs they kick my ass. One game Santiago refused to talk to me other than to say she looked forward to ruthlessly executing me! Oh why?!

As for Miriam, well she's more like a yapping Yorkshire terrier than a real opponent and she seems to have a strange fascination with unarmoured infantry units (chopper/rover fodder).

Idealogically, Morgan really pees me off. Capitalist, money grabbing ... grrr!!

By the way, what's this about submissive factions turning on you? That's only ever happened to me when i nerve-stapled some Believing citizens - Miriam didn't like that (muwahahaha) and promptly declared war on me.