Favorite SMAX Faction 2004

[#endgame]

I voted Chewed On.

[Commy]

Actually, if you do a democracy, doing a green with the Cyborgs isn't that bad. Consider it this way, they have great advantages, and practically no disadvantages...

Of course, it all matters on strategy. If you don't care for efficiency and cybernetic, you probably don't want to play them...

[H0bbes]

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Dissident


yeah they can't run green because of it.

Demo and Green will balance the growth though. Just jump to Planned for short bursts of GA pop boom growth.

[Chaunk]

Why run green as Cycon though? They've already got +2 effic, so demo+FM is a far better SE for +4 effic and +2 econ. Hopefully add wealth, and then GA in planned keeping the +2 econ.

[livid imp]

WooHoo.....we have a vote for the Sporelauncher Galactic Empire. May the spores be with you.

On the other hand, I am shocked to see only two votes for the Data Angels. For as much banter as I heard around here about how great they are, but only two people put their money where their mouth is.

[CEO Aaron]

I voted Drones because they're most suited to my style of play. The early drone quelling with Free Market makes them very easy to spread early while maintaining tremendous energy income, which more than makes up for the 20% research penalty. Later on, the industry bonuses REALLY help with almost any strategy, although I personally play them as a builder.

Green as Cycon: Even in a paradigm economy, you can still get bureaucracy drones, and with your curtailed growth, a high-density ICS can really help overcome some of the Cyborgs' weaknesses. So I can definitely see a use for green. Also, don't forget that Green is a spectacular SE choice for early warfare. It doesn't take too many captured worms to enhance your ground forces on the prowl, and most folks haven't had too much opportunity to clear out fungus from their home base area.

Nobody likes an Angel: Despite their proximity to IA, the Angels don't really have too much to recommend to themselves. IA by itself is nice, but it's far more useful when you've got the terraforming in place to make use of it. For a flexible faction that can pursue almost any strategy, the Drones are far stronger, so I'm not shocked that they're not too high in the voting.

Pirates: I'm quite shocked that there are as many devoted Pirates. Myself, I've always been an ardent detractor of all things Sven. Poor early drone defense, more expensive terraforming and growth problems in the early game, the only thing the Pirates have going for them is that their bases are so ghetto that usually they get left alone for a good long time. Sure, once the energy shackles come off, their terraforming starts to pay off, but that can be a long time coming.

[WotanAnubis]

I think why the Angels get so little votes is because, while people generally tend to like them (or at least, not dislike as much as the others), they tend to like other factions more, although said other factions may be anyone.

So you get a lot of, "Yeah, the Angels are cool but Insert Faction Here is cooler."

[Sikander]

The Pirates have cheaper terraforming at sea, and obviously the same on land. The sea formers are more expensive, but you need fewer of them than an equivalent area on land using any forming other than forest and forget. But I suspect most people are doing like I did, and voting for this faction because it's fun to play.

[Dis]

you can play fast and loose with the pirates. You don't have to worry about defense for a long time. Sure eventually other factions get Flexibility. But you already have had ships out for a long time, so even that's not a threat.

I never really see a threat until air power comes around.

[Kaboth]

Gameplay - Drones all that money and fast industry is too addictive for me.

Ideology - Cybernetic Conciousness, just a cool theme humans forsaking their humanity to become cyborgs and incredibly intelligent

Fun - Pirates, starting out at sea with Doctrine flexibility is just really nice and they play so differently from any other faction.

So I gave my vote to Drones as this poll was based on gameplay.

[BlackCat]

Maybe Aki has just become a habit since she is default, but i like the research rate and she is my mayor conqurer - ususally get the last bastard in early 24's (thinker level).

Svensgaard is also a high vote but i prefer him as enemy - just let him bulid his empire for as many rounds as possible and then take it all in 15 - 20 rounds with a couple of gunships and (of course) five to six 13-4-14*2 choppers (just did that in a transscend round). With a little atttention the concuered bases gives a substantional add to energy etc.

Marr. Yes, that is a mother****er. If you can thame the research, then Marr is unstoppable with the heavy guns/shields and empathty. I prefer that thing in the other end of the world when he is the opponement. Eaven if you try appeasment policy to him, you end up as Chamberlain did - full scal war. Well, being him is too easy. The Caretakers have the same problem.

Roze is good but takes too damn long time - it takes too long time before she is capabable to do serious conquering - i have trouble with 2500.

Haven't tried Drones seriously, but since they tend to be easy enemies i doubt them.

Cha Clown - well if i had maschocistic tendencies i would try - but when that is a no, then he too gets a no. It dosent help that i have problems with representing a faction that is based on fiction (and that i write on a gameplaysite - maybe i need a shrink :-) - really - i dont like religion - i think it is the greatest opponent to freedom and prosperity that has ever been invented.

[Whoha]

I voted Pirates. they are really new, and reasonably balanced compared to the aliens. They get seafaring culture penalties, but not pluses(being able to send ships out during FM) .

Damn the Aliens are just rigged, I just played a bit with them, me controlling both in a hotseat game. Got a SP in the late 30s(cashed in I think 1 AA), and managed to sub pact Domai instantly(that free Ogre may just be too much). The Usurpers can't pop boom without GAs so they get a bit of the shaft, but they are still damned good And the caretakers can grab some worms before they go to FM, which is real nice, no one else has that benefit. If either gets the nexus they get research and planet.

Cha dawn doesn't get industry, and he can't get the +1 energy per square so hes not so good at first glance, but You can run Demo/Planned and just permantly pop boom, bring worms you capture back for Police duty, forest and forget,crawler abuse,etc and you'll do well. That means spreading out your bases though.

Drones are awesome, Got a monster Domai In my first transcend game who got into an ODP war with me, that +2 industry is awesome, rushing stuff is real cheap.

I've yet to play Roze, Her setup just doesn't appeal to me, and no comment on Cycon, their bonuses are very nice, can't pop boom easily but thats that.

[Chaos Theory]

Consider the factions that can't pop boom easily and what they get for it:

Aki: -1 growth, +2 effic, +2 research, stealtech, two starting techs, and impunity cybernetic. That's a lot.

Yang: +1 growth, +1 industry, immunity effic, -2 econ, and free perimeter defenses. That's also a lot.

Morgan: +1 econ, -1 support, -3 hab limits, +100 ECs, +1 commerce. That's not so nice, but the ability to either get +1 EC/tile without suffering, or +1 EC/tile and +4/base very early is decent.

Marr: +1 growth, +1 morale, -1 planet, +25% attack, free rec tanks, energy grid, 5 starting techs, battle ogre, colony pod, permanent vendetta with H'minee. That's very powerful.

Sven: -1 growth, -1 effic, free naval yards with Doc: Init (but you'll want the MCC anyway for the +2 movement), free Marine Detachment with Adaptive Doctrine, +1 mineral/sea shelf tile, starting units in the sea, late ability to improve non-shelf sea. That's pretty rotten (though it can certainly be fun). You get to pay double for your units at sea, and if you go to land for lower costs and better mineral outputs, your benefits are unused. Sea shelf is not good at minerals even with +1, and Pirates can't abuse crawlers as well as most factions.

[Whoha]

Bovine Feces, Sven can pop boom, 4 food per square and crawlers .