What's your "favorite" exploit.

[Sikander]

Hmm, I'll have to try it when I get home. I could swear that the option is grayed out on the right click menu when I last checked.

[Dry]

I was not aware that what I did was cheating.
I do:
- never put anything in the build queue;
- Upgrade and move;
- move and form. Do you mean if you move with your rover former and you have 1 MP left you cannot terraform?!!? Yes, I do that. A lot. That's one of the reason I build rover formers. I never thought it was cheating.

But I voted for others, 'cause my favorite are the real cheats I was aware:
- I need cash. A lot. For SP rush. So I sell my Creche in city A, my BioLab in city B, ... and then, in City Z, I ask to sell ALL my RecyclingTanks (resulting 2 improvements sold in city A, B, ... in the same turn).
- I mind probe an ennemy unit with an unknown technology and I re-design units with that tech in the workshop. I also build at least one of them to get the prototype credit.

[Blake]

Move n Form refers to "carrying" terraforming around, ie you drill a borehole for several turns, then move the former and build a bunker instantly.

The "sell ALL" thing isn't really cheating, rather it's balanced by the sheer extremeness of using "sell ALL".

Reverse engineering probed units is not generally considered cheating, only reverse engineering the probe team to get the rover chassis.

[Dry]

Originally posted by Blake
Move n Form refers to "carrying" terraforming around, ie you drill a borehole for several turns, then move the former and build a bunker instantly.

Now I see what you mean, thanks.
There's a long time I haven't do that.

only reverse engineering the probe team to get the rover chassis.

Didn't know that one. I usually build rovers before I build probes.

[GeoModder]

Mind probing a unit with an unknown ability/weapon to your faction isn't an exploit/cheat either, it is even common use.

[smacksim]

Originally posted by Dry
I was not aware that what I did was cheating.
{...}
- I need cash. A lot. For SP rush. So I sell my Creche in city A, my BioLab in city B, ... and then, in City Z, I ask to sell ALL my RecyclingTanks (resulting 2 improvements sold in city A, B, ... in the same turn).

The only part of that that's 'cheating' is selling two improvements in a city. I think that's a cheat as the game tries to prevent it. But like Blake said, the costs outweigh the benefits, so maybe it should be called a 'harmless exploit'

Also, if you upgrade all your formers at the beginning of the turn, say to clean formers (I love that part of a game), and then move, that's not cheating. Only if you move, upgrade, and move again.
Edit: Note though that in PBEMs, the rule usually says 'Upgrade only at end of turn', which should be followed, but it's really just to insure that accidental cheating doesn't occur I believe.

-S

[Qwerty88]

How can reverse engineering mind controled units not be considered cheating? I mean its a bug in the game that AI doesn't take advantage of. If you want to be able to build a stolen unit, steel the tech to build it.

[smacksim]

The AI does build stolen unit types, or donated unit types, but it won't engineer a new unit based on one of these. That's my impression. I am more and more aware that I need to do some basic testing, esp. after your posts Querty.

-S

[livid imp]

Originally posted by Qwerty88
How can reverse engineering mind controled units not be considered cheating? I mean its a bug in the game that AI doesn't take advantage of.

What? Of course it will reverse engineer. I always keep my units doubled up just for that reason. Having the AI probe away a single unit is no big deal. But I have no desire to have the AI smack me around with my own technology. Now the AI is stupid enough to get their "prototype" killed before it starts RE, but I have seen it do it before.

Reverse engineering is the great balancing force in SMAC. Even a technologically superior force must be careful, lest he have his advantage turned on him.

edit: after readig some recent posts I should clarify I mean 'stolen designs' when I say 'reverse engineer'. I am not suggesting the AI will redesign from probed units.

[ESpark]

I tried using the Stockpile Energy bug, but the Queue won't let me - if I'm building a unit, and put Stockpile Energy in the queue, and try and add a unit, it replaces the Stockpile.

I'm glad I learned some of these exploits. Just today I experienced Yang putting a coastal base near my own (ruining the production plan I had laid out) and without a suddenly-elite-probe team, I'dve been screwed.

[Petek]

Originally posted by livid imp
edit: after readig some recent posts I should clarify I mean 'stolen designs' when I say 'reverse engineer'. I am not suggesting the AI will redesign from probed units.

This thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61110

discusses reverse engineering by the AI. The thread seems to confirm that the AI will reverse engineer gifted units and, possibly, probed units.

[Petek]

Originally posted by ESpark
I tried using the Stockpile Energy bug, but the Queue won't let me - if I'm building a unit, and put Stockpile Energy in the queue, and try and add a unit, it replaces the Stockpile.

The bug works this way: Start building the unit and place Stockpile Energy in the queue. Don't try to add another unit to the queue (which, as you observed, removes the Stockpile). When the original unit is built, you'll get the extra energy credits. Then you can start building something else at the base.

[smacksim]

Originally posted by ESpark
I tried using the Stockpile Energy bug, but the Queue won't let me - if I'm building a unit, and put Stockpile Energy in the queue, and try and add a unit, it replaces the Stockpile.

I'm glad I learned some of these exploits.

They are fun. Note that Stockpile should be alone in the queue for it to work.

[Dry]

Originally posted by smacksim
They are fun. Note that Stockpile should be alone in the queue for it to work.

So it doesn't work if the queue is empty, right?

[Skanky Burns]

If you finish building a unit and the queue is empty, it just starts building another of the same unit. No extra energy is refunded to you.

For buildings and secret projects, I think it works even if the queue is empty.