Ascent to Transcendence

[Pandemoniak]

The map of Planet is easier since you know it, and you know where the bonus terrains are, the huge fields of fungus, etc...
As well, there is only few locations where you can be stuck on a small island. I think only of (1) the island, western to the big L-shaped continent where the new sargasse are and (2) Mount Planet, which is not such a bad place to start.

But the Random map has the big advantage of discovery
If you select large landmass/arid it will be more continental than archipels. Arid also favors factions which has a good science rate.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Pandemoniak
The map of Planet is easier since you know it, and you know where the bonus terrains are, the huge fields of fungus, etc...
As well, there is only few locations where you can be stuck on a small island. I think only of (1) the island, western to the big L-shaped continent where the new sargasse are and (2) Mount Planet, which is not such a bad place to start.

But the Random map has the big advantage of discovery
If you select large landmass/arid it will be more continental than archipels. Arid also favors factions which has a good science rate.

So......Map of planet, or randomly generated map?

[Pandemoniak]

I prefer Map of Planet, but its personnal. It just seems more real.

[Method]

i like the map of planet too. a good place to start seems to be right near planetneck south of the jungle, or north of the unity wreckage (or freshwater sea for SMAC) on the L continent

[Adalbertus]

I usually play transcend, but sometimes reloading (that's why I never post "achievements".
The playability of the Hive depends crucially on if you are able to find early on some energy resources and/or rivers. If you do, everyone else is doomed, if you don't you'll have a tough time. Contrary to everyone else, I take full advantage of the inefficiency immunity of the Hive (I think implemented in SMAC V4 and SMAX) and run Police State/Planned. You can support 4 free units/base as soon as you grab the first 40 energy credits to make the switch. Right from the beginning of the game this means you can have (quite fully productive) size 5-bases instead of size 2 for the other factions. As soon as you can afford, switch to wealth and you're an industrial powerhouse (+3 industry) and you're just thinking about what to produce. Problem in SMAX: Don't build any improvement you don't really need, 'cause you lack of energy (not a problem in SMAC due to the maintenance bug).
If not playing Yang in the early and early middle game, I usually spend every energy on my account to rush-buy. This is very efficient, not because of a few turns of productivity of one facility, but because you free your base. Which means, say, 50 EC spent quite early in the game to finish a recycling tank 5 turns earlier gives a bonus of a five turn's production of every facility/crawler/city built from this city afterwards, and you have your troops 5 turns earlier in place etc. This is also why I think the 90 more EC of Morgan are huge, because you get a few turns advantage for cities which still will spawn quite a lot of other cities and the 4 turns advantage count for the daughter cities as well!
Strangely enough, among the builder factions I've most problems (I've played Uni, Hive, Morgan, Gaia, Consciousness) I had most problems with the Uni, due to the drone problems. But maybe I just need someone to say "don't play ICS" or "play more ICS".

I usually play random maps. Has the advantage that the Map of Planet is still quite new for me.

[spartak]

Is it posible to have a one line summary of this thread?

[bondetamp]

Yes.

[Lucidor]

Originally posted by bondetamp
Yes.

Was that a summary or an answer?

[Method]

Originally posted by Spartak
Is it posible to have a one line summary of this thread?

i'll have to go with "no". if there was one it would be:

"there are too many changes between citizen and transcend to summarise in one line."