Favorite SMAX Faction 2004

[Natalinasmpf]

Cha Dawn is a feral child freak - he would have effectively gained some native life like adaptions.

[Chaos Theory]

The fact that Cha Dawn can survive in the native atmosphere is addressed in the SMAX backstory. It's not explained, mind you, just acknowledged.

[Nabvrimn]

the atmospheric oxygen content on Chiron is just over 0.7 time that of earth according to appendix 5. A human with a slow metabolism and not exerting himself should be able to survive as long as he doesn't panic. Panic speeds up the metabolism and would kill you, hence "gasping death for most humans"

[Chaos Theory]

The oxygen isn't all of it - the atmosphere has enough nitrogen, according to the game, to cause nitrogen narcosis, leading to death. Also, oxygen concentrations are supposed to drop off rapidly with elevation as a result of higher gravity.

[Ka Plewy]

Nitrogen narcosis causes strange behavior, much like being drunk. Some divers are more immune to it than others, and it is not unheard of for divers to better withstand the early effects through repeated exposure. I wouldn't be at all suprised for somethign similar to happen on Chiron.

[livid imp]

We here at Apolyton support drunk babies lying in fungus

[Commy]

But is it a boy or a girl?

[Quezacotl06]

Progenitors just talk that way cause the translator is bulky and translates loosly.

For me, i just came from doing my personal analysis of the original 7. So I'm looking at them along with the original 7, so don't mind.

Something disturbing about the new facs (aside from the aliens), is their over-specialization.
-Cult is too dependant on worms, they couldn't survive without their fungus.
-Drones can build lots of stuff; lots of crappy stuff, since they have no tech, and no natural way to get it quickly (believers had probes).
-Cyborgs could tech quickly, and have the opposite problem of the Drones; lots of tech, bases too underpopulated to produce half the stuff they discover. Zakharov could keep up (and he techs faster than Aki anyway).
-That leaves who...angels and pirates. Angels are good probe-rappers, but if the enemy has either +probe, polymorphic encription, immunity to MCtrl, or mind worms...well...it's too easily counterable. Pirates are slow starters, and too vulnerable to air attacks. But their isolation is not without advantages

Now the Aliens, that's what I love. Usurpers get +1 Morale and +1 Growth, the most erotic crossing between Hive and Spartan, and Caretakers get +1 Planet, and no penalties elsewhere. I chose Caretaker.

[Natalinasmpf]

Pirates are slow starters

Hardly..the extra minerals on the shelves is very handy, enough for me to build weather paradigm as Svensgaard by 2122 with just one alien artifact..

[Ned]

I like the Data Angels, especially if one can quickly get the Empath Guild. The last time I played them I got lucky. I triggered a pod that rush-built a Network node in the capital. That boon allowed me to quickly get the Secrets of the Human brain and the tech for the Empath Guild as the bonus tech. I was able to build the Empath Guild by 2126.

Also, the Angels have no serious SE restrictions. They can pop boom, go free market or green at will. This flexibity allows the Angels to dominate.

Now, think about that! Not only do you get the normal advantages of the Guild, but as the Angels, you get the technology discovered by any three other factions from very early in the game.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Quezacotl06
Something disturbing about the new facs (aside from the aliens), is their over-specialization.
-Cult is too dependant on worms, they couldn't survive without their fungus.
-Drones can build lots of stuff; lots of crappy stuff, since they have no tech, and no natural way to get it quickly (believers had probes).
-Cyborgs could tech quickly, and have the opposite problem of the Drones; lots of tech, bases too underpopulated to produce half the stuff they discover. Zakharov could keep up (and he techs faster than Aki anyway).
-That leaves who...angels and pirates. Angels are good probe-rappers, but if the enemy has either +probe, polymorphic encription, immunity to MCtrl, or mind worms...well...it's too easily counterable. Pirates are slow starters, and too vulnerable to air attacks. But their isolation is not without advantages

Now the Aliens, that's what I love. Usurpers get +1 Morale and +1 Growth, the most erotic crossing between Hive and Spartan, and Caretakers get +1 Planet, and no penalties elsewhere. I chose Caretaker.

I would look at the drones more closely if I were you. Many players consider them the strongest faction.

Conventional wisdom seems to be

Cult-- weakest of the 14 to most -- I think they are very playable on smaller fungusy worlds
Angels-- good versatile faction but probe rollover bug is a pain
Pirates-- probably weak but some strong adherents-- very different to play
Drones- most folks see these guys as strong although there is a minority that sees the research penalty and go the other way
Cyborgs-- playable--some see them weaker than the uni while others see the efficiency spike as very significant

Aliens-- generally unbalanced against the rest-- too strong

As for over specialization, I think they had to go that way since its pretty boring if all the factions look the same. As it stands, many factions can be played using the same strategies and SE choices. I was quite happy to see some greater diversity

[Ned]

Flubber, what is the "probe rollover" bug?

[livid imp]

Originally posted by Quezacotl06
Something disturbing about the new facs (aside from the aliens), is their over-specialization.

Well, being that all the basic generalizations were used in the first 7, what exactly were you expecting? One of the beauties of SMAC/X is the Faction Editor. Don't like the factions you've been given? Make your own. Come on Quezacotl06, step up to the plate, no critizism without suggestion.

-Cult is too dependant on worms, they couldn't survive without their fungus.

People wanted a more native focused faction, I remember it being discussed. Firaxis gave the people what they wanted.

-Drones can build lots of stuff; lots of crappy stuff, since they have no tech, and no natural way to get it quickly (believers had probes).

Once the Drones get probes, all their tech woes are over. At a +20% industry, every fifth unit (probes in this case) is free. People don't think of the Drones as a prober faction, but they should.

-Cyborgs could tech quickly, and have the opposite problem of the Drones; lots of tech, bases too underpopulated to produce half the stuff they discover.

Use GA to pop boom, then go Demo/FM at 100% Labs (plus the flexiblity of going 100% ECs when needed) I'd say CyCon is in the top 5 factions.

-That leaves who...angels and pirates.

Again, the SMAC player base was asking for a probe based faction. I don't remember if the populace wanted an aquatic faction or not, but most people seem happy with it.

Now the Aliens, that's what I love. Usurpers get +1 Morale and +1 Growth, the most erotic crossing between Hive and Spartan, and Caretakers get +1 Planet, and no penalties elsewhere. I chose Caretaker.

One, the aliens were designed to be overkill. They were never meant to be played by human players, but rather a challenge to them. Two you didn't even mention the Caretakers strongest card....+25% to defense makes them almost as annoying to rout out of their holes as the pirates....well, until you get nerve gas.

[Nabvrimn]

I suspect most of the problems with aliens could be solved by the addition of one council proposal: xenocide. If there was a way to make peace with the aliens be treated like launching a planetbuster they would be les troublesome. It would also make the game remain playable when the random faction selection only gives you one alien faction.

[Quezacotl06]

While I can appreciate the more specified factions were created to catter to xenofreaks and probe-rapers, some of them lack the military flexibility that was in the other factions. They had a military strategy set out in front of them, and they were sent to do them, its less creative gameplay (and more difficult if ur facing an enemy that has a strategic advantage). As for pirates being slow starters, the foil chassis is more costly than infantry, the -1 Growth and Efficiency cancel out the food and energy bonus.

Angels are probably the most balenced of the factions. But they're niche, and would have to invest more energy into countering strategies probes are at a disadvantage at (mindworms for example).

Aliens are super strong factions. But they do have grave disadvantages. They're always in a war. They have the worst diplomacy (aliens in my experience are distrusted lots by humans). They have no say in planetary council (meaning no infiltration on all factions, no +500 creds, no x2 commerce, no diplomatic victory (I've used this many times), you get the picture. They're still probably the strongest factions, but their greater disadvantages are off-the-books.

And livid imp, it doesn't matter whatever measures you are able to take to counter your weaknesses, enemies can duplicate your strategy perfectly, and still come out with stronger tech (for drones), or more numerous units (for cyborgs).

As for the faction editor, it is really cool, but I dont like how there's no way to calculate bonuses or weaknesses. It leads to severly imbalenced factions in irresponsible hands. I wonder what Alpha Centauri 2 would be like in that respect...I just hope it doesn't turn out like Civ3's civilization editor. It made it more easy to compare, but it was cookie-cutter. SMAX editor was more organic and let you play around with strategy more.