SMAC demo is out

[fred]

paraclet i don't know wher you are coming from! SMAC has a few problems but the game play all but makes up for it.

anyone else notice that the units actually move. like the soldiers walk, and the worms ( they sure don't look like worms) sort of ripple over the terrian. it might be my monitor or i was never aware of this feature.

fred

[Red Trotskyite]

Well right now, I must say, I am not going to buy SMAC immidiately, although eventually I might end up getting it, in a half year or so. Civ: CTP followed by Sim City 3000 are on the top of my list, and unless one turns out really dissapointing, I'll be using my saved strategy bucks for those two come February.

I'm going to lower my score a bit to 7, because while originally I hated the graphics but followed the old line of thought that gameplay was key, the graphics in SMAC are definately interfering with the gameplay. Units are fuzzy, it's easy to get one unit confused with another, the screen is way to dark and the terrain is just horrible. The difficulty in differentiating one unit from another can only get worse as the game progresses and more units are on screen. The fuzziness seems all the worse
because I think, "they could have at least increased the sharpness and made it playable."

I never had the honour of seeing the original screenshots, but if they were worse than these, then Brian Reynolds needs eyeglasses and quickly.

It *is* possible to research individual technologies rather than the blanket "reasearch area," by modifying the rules.

I found the automatic terraforming command for the formers to be a paradigm improvement over CivII's. They really work very well now, so that I feel comfortable just using the Shift-A command and letting the AI do the work. The tutorial was drawn out and annoying and I refused to complete it.

The Social Engineering function dissapointed me, it wasn't as crucial a choice as I had anticipated. It did play alot like CivII, which in some instances was good, although in others one yearned for innovation.

Economics in CTP are going to be, I think, much better than what in my opinion was a very flimsy and poor excuse for a model in SMAC, in fact, I can't even say the SMAC economics was a significant improvement on CivII. Economics are vauge and unintuitive, and the "energy" system is perplexing and leaves one wondering "what the hell!?"

The 3-D-ish terrain was interesting, and perhaps it may come into gameplay with long range attack units, although I seriously doubt it. But it doesn't save the game.

All in all I suppose I'm not as upset as most because I really wasn't expecting much more from SMAC. I did expect a decent economic system and average graphics that didn't impede on gameplay and I was dissapointed in those areas. I agree the customization of units never came into play for me either, although I don't mind that at all because the unit interface was horrid, and if it had become necessary to go through it to customize units I would have given this game a 5. I simply wouldn't have tolerated wading through such a terrible interface new unit building.

The darkness alone leaves you depressed .

The interface is definately not intuitive and takes some getting used to, although some commands are remiscent of CivII (b=build command w=wait command and space bar=skip turn, for instance). Once you get get through the learning curve, you'll be alright, although there's nothing especially wonderful to learn. It's a good game all in all, a good TBS with some major flaws but still rather enjoyable overall.

I agree with MarkG that the technologies names didn't connect with anything in my mind, they seemed very fantastical, although perhaps based on realistic science. Although I got a kick out of Ethical Caculus... if only it were really that simple to figure out right and wrong .

The units, conversely, were unimginative. "Laser," "Gatling-Laser." And the "Planet Buster," is a very unimginative kinder-gardenish name. "Scout," "Former," "Rover" you get the idea.

I expected nothing Revolutionary here, I had no wild expectations of Sid Meier and his band of divine computer programmers, so I'm not as dissapointed as some SMACer people in their forum. In fact I never expected I would buy this game.

I've a feeling SMAC will really shine in multiplayer, though, but then, so will CTP and perhaps moreso with its myriad of diplomatic options. Things that you'd think innovative in SMAC, like ocean cities, are also being done in CTP, and things in SMAC that seem old hat are being for the most part bettered in CTP.

Another thing is the SMAC AI, which I liked, but I feel really wasn't given a chance to show its stuff because the limited diplomatic options and "phrases" programmed in. I hope CTP doesn't fall into the same trap.

I liked the Planetary Council, and its future potential (attrocities and such being condemned). While I anticipate there will be some attrocity system in CTP, for instance world war in response to a planted nuclear device or some such, it probably won't be as detailed as SMAC's. But that little tidbit is not even close to enough to justifying choosing SMAC over CTP or Sc3k.

All in all, I'm becoming confident now that CTP will be my game of choice.

Red Trotskyite,
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

[MarkG]

300 turns later, some thoughts...

Good things:
Diplomacy(although there is no "declare war" option!), interface, interesting AI, automated formers and governors work(!), the fact that after 300 turns I feel like I haven't touched the game yet(if you know what I mean)

Bad things(correct me if I'm wrong):
Small control on what you discover(WHY??), no actual trade system(!!!), only 256 colors(we're in 1998-9!), still don't know what I'm discovering(perhaps after 1000 turns)

Overall, SMAC(or better BRAC) is better than civ2. I don't know if it will be better than C:CTP yet. Right now it seems like it will be different, perhaps even uncomparable...

Markos, Apolyton CS

[Imran Siddiqui]

Fred, LOL, Many have said things of Red's long posts. Well, the problem for me is the techs really. I need my hands on a manual and quick!! I think I know why the units graphics aren't that great, because they must be easily customizable, the couldn't be too detailed, and Mentat, you can make the units flash, just go into options and select it. I have. I really want to try the later game; I think satellite warfare is going to be cool! Anyway, SMAC is forst on my list of games, followed by Baldur's Gate, and Close Combat 3. Then I'll get either CCTP or Simcity 3000. We shall see.

Imran Siddiqui

[Red Trotskyite]

Only people who've a problem with reading, Imran. If you can't bring yourself to read, then don't read, no one is holding a gun to your head.

Anyway, I was wondering, is anyone here familiar with computer programming? If so, it'd be great if someone could hack the demo and remove the turn limit (a huge planet size fix is already floating around).

Red Trotskyite,
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

[Kyle]

Anyway, I was wondering, is anyone here familiar with computer programming? If so, it'd be great if someone could hack the demo and remove the turn limit (a huge planet size fix is already floating around).
<>

While not a hack, someone came up with a Hex Edit, that allows you to play as many turns as you want. However, the technologies, and city restrictions are still in effect.


Try the SMAC boards for details, it seems the page has been removed, so I can't give a URL.

[Kumiorava]

The supply pods let you grab materials out of
ANY square on the map, not just the city radius, and then transport them into your cities.

[fred]

MarkG have you gotten supply pods yet? I've never used one but I think the have somethig to do with trade.

Red please stop posting such large posts I can't sit infront of my computer that long.

fred

[Victor]

For the Huge Planet fix:

Go into Alpha.txt and alter the dimensions of a standard planet to the dimensions of a huge planet.

HACKERS THAT COULD REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON TECH LIMITS AND OTHER LIMITS WOULD BE GREATLY HONORED HERE!!!!!!!

(I think we all would agree, or the ones that like SMAC)

I am wondering, does anyone here that is playing the demo like to customize formers to move 2 instead of 1?

An interesting thing to do would be to increase the tech discover rate about fourfold, or somewhere around there. I got a Caos Gun, and Silksteel armors, which are COOL!

Anybody discover the tech to get clean reactors (need no support)??? Seems cool!!!

[Can you tell, I'm kind of exited!]

[Apocalypse]

If you go to http://sidgames.com/ac (my site) you can find a couple turn hack things and a trainer, a long with lots of tech info.

[Biggles]

I don't like it.
It is dark and dismal and just red and blue.
I don't understand the units or the tech advances and can't relate to them.
Will it be possible in the future to use the game engine to base a scenario on an Earth like environment, with units and tech similar to Civ2, or have I just got to wait for CTP?

[fred]

BR says that the graphics are going to be better and they are adding improvements to them. I'm not sure if it will be a patch or if it'll be with the game when it ships.

fred

[Drakenred]

Ok A few thoghts

1 Brian Finaly solved the AI sticking a Huge Ass Fleet in a land locked pond problem by creating floating cities, thus alowing the Huge assed pond to actualy defend dsomthing in that land locked pond.

1a shouldent Hovercraft be able to travese open land

2 I was STILL able to sucker the AI into a land war it would lose any time i wanted to(sigh)

3 I aparently still need to work on my artilery tacticks(that or Artilery is a total waist of resources exept in building costal/floating city defences)

4 DO NOT stack units unless you have to, as, Colateral damamge will criple/kill them

5 Dad(who started me playing Civ 2 when he showed me Civ 1, and still playes Cive 2 freqently) also played it( i made him a zip drive cpopy), i had to argue with him that it was the Very same Sid Myers who Developed Civ, and not a second rate clone using the "Sid Myers" as gimic(he is stil half convinc SidMyers sold out)

6 I had no problem selecting the EXACT tecks i wanted to develop(you need to check the "game setings when you start each game)

7 the tecks seemed Odd to me(actualy i would have thought that we would have sailed by some of the Level 1, 2, and 3 tecks by the time the Unity launched

8 i REEEEELY wanted to delet the "Nuro-staple" buton from the gamescreen(conveting a disgrunteled drone to a "moral oficer" makes more sence but that just me

[Drakenred]

OOPS the line

1 Brian Finaly solved the AI sticking a Huge Ass Fleet in a land locked pond problem by creating floating cities, thus alowing the Huge assed pond to actualy defend dsomthing in that land locked pond.

should read

... thus alowing the Huge assed fleet in said pond to actualy defend something in that land locked pond.

(Sorry)

[Chuckles]

Aside from the interface and the 3d terrain, it seems like a REALLY good mod pack to me.