Smacx 2?

[xobsidianx]

Does anyone know [or has heard rumors] if Firaxis plans to do a smacx 2?

[quantum_mechani]

I was just about to start this exact thread
I know Firaxis is working on an undisclosed project, but based on rumors it probably isn't SMAC 2.

[Capt Dizle]

The only reason I can imagine that Firaxis would decide to do a SMAC2 now is if they think that they can use the Civ3 code as a begining thereby cutting their development time.

OTOH, SMAC was so much more complicated that Civ3 turned out that a SMAC2 by the current group of Firaxians would probably be very simplified. And I wouldn't like that at all.

[Main_Brain]

Mhh i thought it was Pirates or MoM or mhh forgot the Last one..
Seriously I hope another Company will do AC2 im just to disappointed of that C3 Fiasco.

[Alex]

Firaxis is working on a new project, but it is not a sequel to SMAC. Almost sure about this. All in all, I hope that they never do it. SMAC 2 should be developed by Brian Reynolds, no one else should be allowed to touch such a project.

[Mr. President]

SMAC2 (SMAC squared?) might be fun. But I'm hooked on Call to Power and re-hooked on SimCity.

[Alex]

Ohh, I recently reinstalled CTP2 and I was thinking about doing the same to SimCity... great minds think alike, as they say...

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

I'ld buy BRAC but not SMAC2 for reasons previously mentioned by other posters.

[Mongoose]

I don't know if Firaxis would use the Civ3 engine in a SMAC2 or not. Some elements of that engine would be welcome additions...the expanded diplomatic options (though not at the expense of submissives or of alliance stacking!!) the empire rather than city/base support scheme (a la CTP) and even the 2 pop cost for a new settler/colony pod. Most other aspects of that engine would ruin SMAC, as they ruined Civ.

I think something must be up with the Alpha Centauri franchise though. I can't imagine that Firaxis did the compatibility patch for WinXP/ 2K ? without some other use for it in mind or without having already written most of it in some other endeavor. Were they of a mind to give additional free support to SMAC, they could have added the SMAX fixes to a SMAC patch long ago. Does it seem likely that the outfit that brought us the infamous biscuit tin rip-off would give something away?

I cannot imagine that BR and Big Huge Games could get their hands on the rights to Alpha Centauri, even if they were inclined to do a turn-based game. I fear if there is to be another title in the SMAC series, it will be done by the veterans of the Civ3 effort.

Shudder the thought.

[johndmuller]

I suppose that the compatibility patch was not too deep, perhaps just in the code that recognizes the hardware/software environment, they probably just had to re-link that part. It's possible (but unlikely) that the SMAC bug fixes that are in SMAX rely on some of the unique stuff in SMAX (perhaps one of whatever changes they made to the save-file structure that make the two a bit uncompatible).

If they wanted to, Firaxis could probably sell us die-hards another Mod for $20 or $30, with no more added new stuff than SMAX had over SMAC but this time, we would lap it up and moreover we'd be grateful to them for it to boot.

Does anyone know how the compatibility upgrade works with the no-CD cracked versions? Does it restore the need for the CD if you run the patch? I just now started using the no-CD version when I was setting up another machine and I feel liberated .

Sid has brought out a number of very good games, whether with his own sweat or by virtue of recruiting the labor of fine talents like BR, so I wouldn't underestimate his ability to bring out yet another classic before he retires to that great Pong tournament in the sky.

[Straybow]

Mayhap they have learned their lesson, and a SMAC2 would be akin to SMAC as Civ2 was akin to Civ… We can hope anyway. I'd bet the W2k/XP patch was a simple thing done to address well-known differences between the DOS legacy and NT line OSs.

[Straybow]

Forgot: johndmuller, if you do a complete install of SMAC it doesn't need the CD. The 4.0 patch detects a complete install and doesn't even do a CD check or warning. I don't have SMAX, so I can't say about that.

[Method]

Originally posted by Alexnm
Firaxis is working on a new project, but it is not a sequel to SMAC. Almost sure about this. All in all, I hope that they never do it. SMAC 2 should be developed by Brian Reynolds, no one else should be allowed to touch such a project.

exactly. if a SMAC2 is ever made (which i doubt ) i won't buy it if it's from fixaxis

not after civ3 :killfiraxis:

[The diplomat]

Let me ask y'all a question: how complex should SMAC2 be?

I now that I would not want a "dumb downed" SMAC2! On the contrary, I'd love if SMAC2 had a more complex and realistic econ, social, pop, military models etc... I'd also love to see more techs, more SE choices, more miltary units etc...

I would hope that if SMAC2 were made someday, that whomever made it, would not be afraid to make it more involved and more complex.

After all: SMAC fans are smart. They can handle more complexity.

[Mongoose]

Straybow, SMAX does require the CD, unless you have a hack. As, I recall, SMAC did also when originally released. There were a lot of problems, especially with the non-English versions, that were associated with the CD copy-protection. as I recall. One of the patches removed that requirement. There was rumor to the effect that EA wasn't very happy with that development. Subsequently, the expansion re-introduced the CD copy-protection, but only for Crossfire. Even with Crossfire installed, the CD is not required to play SMAC, although it is for SMAX. Makes sense, eh?