Getting back into AC

[dworkin]

Getting back is easy. It was a matter of finding where the SO hid the disk.

In no other TBS can you raise/lower terrain to the extent of AC.
Unit design.
Social engineering and the fact that the other factions will change thier opinions based on this.
Unit design.
Yang's quotes.
Unit design.
The different factions encourage differnet styles and victory paths.
Unit design.
Native life is an actual hassle with several methods to deal with it.
Did I mention I like being able to design my own units?

[Alinestra Covelia]

I've returned to SMAC last week after about three months away (a PBEM fizzled out and I was sceptical about the single player).

I incorporated some of marid_aurian's suggestions to the game and found it to be very enjoyable!

[Method]

Originally posted by dworkin
Getting back is easy

not after civ3 it's not! whenever i wanted a forest, i kept pushing 'n' and getting condensors!

[Alinestra Covelia]

It is time for you to forget all that Civ3 has taught you. Reach out and embrace the truths of SMAC, young Skywalker.

[Method]

i did, back in april or so. besides, the only thing civ3 taught me was how good SMAC is

[Capt Dizle]

Amen.

[gwillybj]

Re: Getting back into AC

vee4473 wrote
... AC is still light years ahead of any other turn based game ...

If memory serves me correctly, AC is roughly 4.3 light years ahead (and nothing else is even close).

[MariOne]

Hmmmm... you might have given an idea to NASA... interstellar TURN BASED spaceflight....

Hey, with all these people coming back, I must say I CAN'T comeback.
...because... I never stopped!
I am instead trying to take a break now, as in 2 months it will be 4 years that I'm playin it without interruptions (even when I took some very short holiday, I didn't go away form home & my PC...).

[Sarxis]

The really sad thing is that someday, Firaxis may actually make a sequel, and then life really won't be worth living anymore.

I sent a PM to Brian Reynolds urging him to buy the rights to AC.

[Straybow]

Ummmm, as long as BR doesn't turn it into RTS schlock…

[Nethog]

Add me to the list of those who went off SMAC to play Civ3/PTW and are now back playing SMAC confirming it is the best turned-based strategy game of all time.

As for a sequel, even if Firaxis just upgraded the graphics to modern high-resolution 3D, and improved the AI, I would immediately fork out $50US for the game! Anyone else share this opinion?

[Alinestra Covelia]

Let them iron out the bugs first and then I'll put my money where my fingertips are.

[vee4473]

nice avatar Alinestra.

[HaVoC]

Civ3 vs AC

Greetings,

I agree that AC is generally the better game; the excellent diplomacy options, the council, the custom units, satellite "space combat", land heights, the psycho-virus, the great immersive storyline and just the way the whole game feels, the whole story and the technologies really show, that the people who made it actually invested alot of time in figuring it all out.

But let's face it that Civ3 is far superior in certain issues like:

1. Balance of Power: In Civ3 I have to actually try hard to stay on top of the "leading civilizations" list. More so without constantly going to war against neighbouring civs. In every other civ-like game I played (except freeciv, which is WAY too hard), it just ends up to me becoming the one and only world-dominating power leading with 50 technoligies before everyone else.

2. War: In Civ3, war is serious. When someone declares war to you you can actually expect them to have taken measures by having moved all their assault troops and artillery next to your borders ready to overrun you on the next turn. The AI does very well at forging alliances against you and he also tries very hard to defend himself. In every other civ I've played (except Freeciv again, where all the AI does is overrun you all the time) the AI just sits there and practically waits for you to conquer his cities. Once in a while he sends some lone troops or a lone transport to get beaten up by your defences... it's not a challenge.

3. Special Resources: This is something I like, but perhaps overpowered in Civ3. A player without iron hasn't a chance against one with iron in the early ages, for example. I don't like the implementation of the resource system, that one resource is enough for a whole civ, no matter it's size or how often that resource is actually used, but I like the concept.

if these three things get into AC II, and they don't mess up everything that makes it so good, we've got the perfect game.

[Mr. Harley]

A question for Havoc - I haven't seen any comparisons yet between Freeciv and SMAC or Civ3. You mention Freeciv, which has some people working on a Alpha Centauri version using its game engine. I might try Freeciv depending on what makes it tough. Why is it "too hard?" Does the AI cheat, or just its very well written, i.e. it makes very few mistakes? I'm curious, because yours is the first good a-b statement I've seen reference SMAC/Civ3. I'd be interested in you comparision of these to Freeciv. Thanks.